08.13.10
Posted in at 7:24 am by Administrator
A few weeks back, I had to drop by the FIU campus and return some of the 34 books I had taken from the library before they hit me with late fees. If you’re wondering why I had so many books, well some of them are required reading for my program, others are related topics (from which I have to take notes), and the rest I might read for fun. That is, of course, if I have time, which is….never.
So, I decided to drop by the FIU piano lounge. This lounge, located right next to a Jamba Juice, is a nice area where students can relax between classes. There’s a piano and several paintings made by FIU art majors hanging on the walls. There are also several very comfy couches on which to rest and possibly sleep. It happened to be a Sunday, so the lounge was empty. I was sitting on a corner with my laptop computer. then all of a sudden, a group of about 12 students appeared. The group consisted of one hot girl, one small chubby girl, one big-ass girl (she must’ve been about 6 feet tall and weighed 350 lbs, could’ve been a linebacker) and several gay dudes.
Now, for your information, while I’m a straight guy, I have no issues with the gay crowd. They’re human and they deserve equal rights just like everyone. Also, the way I see it, more gay dudes means less competition for the women. So, the gay guys and the few women started vogue-ing. Since I’m a social scientist (no for real, I am), I started observing and note-taking. I cursed myself for not carrying my camera that day (I try to be an amateur journalist of sorts). You might wonder, what the fuck is vogue-ing? Well, it is the art of walking down the catwalk, as in a modeling session; the big difference is that in vogue-ing, the participants incorporate elements of dance, walking, exercise, martial arts and physical expressions (shit, I sound like one of my boring papers).
For all you ignoramuses out there, the Vogue-ing Movement started in New York in the early 1970s. The gays would get together at a hall, create elaborate costumes and themes and start vogue-ing. The movement’s member were mainly African-American and Hispanic gay men. The 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning, chronicles several of the characters behind this movement. Somehow, Madonna heard about this movement, and copied their dances for the video for her song Vogue. Obviously, as Madonna always does, she ripped off the idea from the voguers and she probably didn’t pay them a cent.
These were not the voguers I saw, but they resemble them heavily.
Now these voguers are hawt!
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08.05.10
Posted in at 2:56 am by Administrator
Every 4 years, the World Cup comes around and reminds me why soccer is my favorite sport (besides basketball). Think about it: three games a day featuring a nation’s best eleven players on the field. The game for these guys is not just simply a matter of winning, losing and/or having fun. National pride plays a huge role; the players assume the role of warriors fighting a brutal enemy. While not all players perform in a stellar fashion, all are aware that the World Cup is the biggest stage and they must play their best and not disappoint. A great performance at the World cup means millions of dollars or euros in the form of a playing contract and endorsements. A bad performance means total humiliation for the rest of your life. If you miss a penalty kick that could have secured your team’s victory, even your grand kids will know. Your character will be tantamount to that of a traitor. Hell, in some countries you might get shot.
For some people, this might seem crazy. But unless, you’ve lived or spent an extensive amount of time in Europe or South America, you completely underestimate the passion and furor that soccer can cause. When a nation’s team is playing, the whole population is watching the game. Unlike the Super Bowl, the motivation is not solely about eating burgers. The country’s prestige is at stake. At this moment I’m feeling World Cup Blues. I feel empty and desolate. I was desperately channel surfing (and I never watch TV), the day after Spain-Holland, looking for the day’s game, having forgotten that the tournament had just ended.
Granted, I am a real fan (not a band-wagoner); pretty soon, Champions League will start again. Many Americans are unaware of the awesomeness that is Champions League: every year the best European teams, most of them stacked with top layers, battle it out in order to be crowned European champion. To put it in simple terms, imagine that at least 7 NBA teams were as strong as my beloved Miami Heat and battled against each other on a yearly basis (note that the European champion si the best out of almost a thousand teams spread out in over 30 leagues). Still, there’s far more passion in tournaments like World Cup; players participate for the love of their country, not for money (OK, some of them do get bonuses, but becoming a legend on the field is the real prize).
Now I’m bored; the NBA season doesn’t until November. MLB isn’t getting exciting yet and I might as well forget about the Marlins pulling off a surprise. And the Dolphins, well….wake me up in January or maybe if they start fucking up real bad, I’ll be able to afford to go to a game.
For the naysayers, who say that soccer can never gain a foothold in the U.S., I say “watch Champions League”. With all due respect, MLS doesn’t have such a high quality level of play as the top European leagues ,which are located in Spain, Italy and England. Comparing the MLS to the English Premier League is like comparing the NBA to the Chinese league. Here are some pictures from the last World Cup. Enjoy…and smoke a blunt…
Ole, Viva Espana
Xavi Hernandez, the man behind Spain’s triumph
Xavi’s sidekick, Andres Iniesta, who scored in the final against Netherlands
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Now these voguers are hawt!
