MCJ

Protected: Keep the Things You Forgot: An Elliott Smith Oral History

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Keep the Things You Forgot: An Elliott Smith Oral History by Jayson Greene

While I have been exposed to this article before (in Writing and Communications if I’m not mistaken), this was the first proper read through I’ve done, start to finish, of this piece. I’ll start by saying that my first exposure to Elliot Smith came in high school. The teacher of my creative writing class would sometimes play a song as we walked in the room for the start of class. After complimenting a track or two he played, he told me I should check out Elliott Smith. A few weeks later I listened to “Between the Bars” and I thought it was a really good song.

MCJ

Protected: A CLOSED LETTER TO MYSELF ABOUT THIEVERY, HECKLING AND RAPE JOKES

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A CLOSED LETTER TO MYSELF ABOUT THIEVERY, HECKLING AND RAPE JOKES by Patton Oswalt

To be completely honest, I have not listened to nearly enough of Patton Oswalt’s stand-up. I’ve seen bits and pieces here and there, and I’ve seen him make appearances on television, but I have just never gotten around to listening to much of his stand-up. With that being said, plan to change this, as I find the man very funny. So, despite my limited experience with Oswalt, I thought I would read his writing (only the second piece I’ve read by him, the other being the piece he wrote after the death of his wife) and see what the legendary comedian had to say about joke thievery, heckling, and rape jokes. Firstly, I would like to talk about Oswalt’s writing style.

MCJ

Protected: Going Way Too Deep Down the Rabbit Hole With Nicki Minaj’s Recent Bar Mitzvah Appearance – Rembert Browne

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I just need to take a second and put it out there that this might be my favorite analytical article that has ever been written… ever. I have so much to say about this but I need to do some Googling first. This article is based on Nicki Minaj’s attendance of some eighth graders Bar Mitzvah and the only thing I can think of right now is, like, why? I did some digging. Turns out Bar Mitzvah boy’s name is Matt Murstein who, according to Business Insider, is the son of Andrew Murstein.

Protected: The Depth of Friendship

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on Bad Friends, by Carlin Flora

Friendship, relationship, fellowship, community. These are all words I think about constantly. Friendship, of some sort, is an integral part of our daily lives. I would even argue it is a vital part of our lives. Carlin Flora, author of “Bad Friends,” would probably agree with me.

MCJ

Protected: He’s Just Not That Into You; or, Caitlin Deserves Better

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Even In Real Life, There Were Screens Between Us by Caitlin Dewey

The story in this essay made me really sad, but I wasn’t particularly surprised by the outcome in the end - she wasn’t that into the guy in person when she met him, and it’s easy to see only some parts of someone and to romanticize them by filling in the missing details with stuff you do like. Will seems like a nice guy and I don’t judge Caitlin’s life choices at all - I really don’t - but it seems to me that this is less of a commentary on the general failures of online relationships (and maybe more broadly, communication in general) and more of a personal story. I know that Modern Love isn’t supposed to comment on general stuff, but the college essay contest is supposed to be an essay about something you’ve noticed about love today (maybe it was different in 2011). I think that stories like Caitlin and Will’s are probably fairly common these days, especially since it’s a lot easier to flirt over the internet than it is in real life (for a lot of people, I assume. Okay it’s easier for me anyway.).

MCJ

Protected: Shirtless Trump Saves Drowning Kitten

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Shirtless Trump Saves Drowning Kitten by Brian Phillips

Well, there’s a lot to unpack in this relatively short article. Where else can we start but with the title…

This article, as the subheading indicates, is about “Facebook’s Fake-News Problem And the Rise of the Postmodern Right.” Believe it or not, this article has nothing to do with a shirtless Trump or drowning kittens (although, if we stick with the theme of postmodernism, how can we know for sure?) Instead, the title functions as a comment on the sensational fake news headlines so prevalent on Facebook. I found the title very clever, and it certainly grabbed my attention. Perhaps even more surprising than the title of this piece was the publication it was published in: MTV.com. I typically associate modern MTV with popular garbage, but this article really opened my eyes and broadened my perspective on the publication.

MCJ

Protected: The Reckoning

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Pamela Colloff's, The Reckoning, is a fascinating piece of literature that stirs emotions from beginning to end. It follows the life of Claire Wilson and shares her incredible story after her near fatal encounter with Charles Whitman, or the man who killed 16 and wounded 31 in the University of Texas shooting of 1966. Throughout the narrative, Claire's life was shown in a perspective that one could almost call nightmarish. From her rough childhood to her eventual closure, Claire was overcome with some of the most unthinkable tragedies a person can endure. In a person's life, tragedies are usually rare.

MCJ

Protected: 25 Songs That Tell Us Where Music is Going

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25 Songs That Tell Us Where Music is Going by a whole bunch of people

I don’t think I have ever read anything on the internet that was as long as this interactive feature I just read was. I sat on my bedroom floor for a good three hours reading every single line in this piece and I just now moved to my bed. My eyes hurt. They are tired from looking at this computer screen. By number sixteen, every time a word started with a “b,” my mind automatically read it as Beyoncé.

MCJ

Protected: Where Germans Make Peace With Their Dead

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The piece by Burkhard Bilger, Where Germans Make Peace With Their Dead, may have been the most shocking and heart pounding piece I have read. Being a World War II fanatic, probably not the best title, and having family that fought in the war, hearing the other side of the story was something I never thought I’d be too interested in. The perspective has always been told from that of Hitler or one of his officers. The mindset of the country has never seemed to come to light, especially about how they feel about their ancestors. These piece dives into two very compelling topics.

MCJ

Protected: New York Pizza Styles: A Complete Guide

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New York Pizza Styles: A Complete Guide by Nick Solares

I must admit, I have never tried pizza from New York but after reading this article and examining the pictures in great detail I would like to venture out of my room to try some. I enjoy pizza very much but I wouldn’t go as far to say that I love pizza. I’m not an expert on pizza, never really considered why or how it was created, or why it came to America. I’m a sucker for anything with cheese on it, unless it has cottage cheese on it. That, I have NO desire to try.