It's been a while. A long while. I realize that this blog is dedicated to a journey that has come and gone, but I had to update it, for today is a monumental occasion!
My childhood best friend, Scott Peck, is back from his 2 year missionary stint in Portugal! Scott was all over the country, and although he sent out a weekly email to us generically, I'm sure there is a lot for him to update me on about his life.
One of the limitations that Scott had while living abroad was that he was basically cut off from communication and media of almost any kind - besides emailing a listserv of people every week and getting to call his family on mother's day and Christmas, Scott hasn't probably heard too much from the real world. That's where I come in - I'm going to attempt to inform Scott of the happenings of our society in the last two years. I probably won't nail everything, but I'll do my best...
Mumford & Sons - So there's this new band out called Mumford & Sons, or "Mumford" for short. They're kind of a blend of rock and bluegrass, with an edgy folk sound to them. They started out as being one of those bands that not very many people knew about, but won a Grammy recently and now everyone thinks they're a musical genius because they listen to them. Nevertheless, they're pretty awesome, and will be sure to catch your ear.
Dubstep - Another big music theme that's come onto the scene in the U.S. lately is this new genre called "dubstep". It's a blend of spazzed out techno and hip-hop. One of the more popular bands in this genre is Skrillex. I would give you a link to a dubstep song, but I don't really feel like wasting your time.
"Hipsters" - So there's this term that people throw around like crazy these days - "hipster". Basically, a hipster is a person who is ahead of the game socially, musically, cinematically, with their fashion, you name it. The stereotypical hipster rides a bicycle everywhere, has a good stash of flannel shirts and thick glasses, wears skinny jeans, knows a lot about coffee, and looks like they haven't showered in a few days. If you are interested in seeing said hipster firsthand, just go to Westport sometime (or just watch "Family Matters" and pay close attention to Steve Urkel). As much as hipsters do exist, people really like to liberally throw around the term - don't be surprised if you are mistaken for a hipster someday soon.
Replacement Refs - The NFL referees were on strike for the beginning of this year's NFL season, and so the NFL got referees from Division 3 to fill in. To put it simply, the replacement refs were awful. See said video below - this cost the Packers the game, and was the last play that we saw the replacement refs officiate.
Friday - One of the worst and most viewed videos of all-time on YouTube was Rebecca Black's "Friday". Think about what you, Sam, Logan and I used to do, and then put it on a professional level. Not good (but honestly a little catchy)...
That video not good enough? Check out this one from Korean rap sensation Psy, called "Gangnam Style". It came out about 3 months ago and already has over 500 million views, making it on track to be the most viewed YouTube video of all time. If you're not in love after the first 30 seconds, just wait.. I promise it's worth it.
Planking - for a while, social media sites were blowing up with pictures of people laying flat on different things, aka "planking". It seems stupid now, but at the time apparently... no, it was stupid then, too.
Patagonia - It's an outdoors brand. Basically the new and cool version of "The North Face".
KU Basketball - nothing much has changed here - just a few more Big 12 titles and complete domination. Just wanted to reminded you that you were living in the best basketball state in America. I Rock Chalk. I dare you not to get chills and laugh out loud in childish excitement.
Pinterest - although probably not a website that you'll frequent often, pinterest is the one of the newest social networking sites, and a place where mostly artsy and thrifty women go to share recipes, decoration ideas, and inspiration quotes from The Notebook.
Instagram - Instagram is an app for smart phones that essentially turns decently dull pictures into works of art, and is slowly putting professional photographers out of business. Here's one of my instragrammed pictures from studying abroad in Spain:
The Dark Knight Rises - There was a new Batman movie, and it was insane. I volunteer my house (in Olathe or Manhattan, or both) to have a viewing party with you and we can watch it 5 times in a row.
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Alright, Scott. That's all I can think of for now. Hopefully you remembered your Facebook password and are able to access this. Love you so much, bro, and can't wait to see you so soon.
Proud to be an American,
Brad.
