Just let it happen. Let your mind get blown by the following video. I was a big fan of the song “Frankenstein” as a kid; it was one of the songs that introduced me to the music of the ’70s. But had I also seen this video, I would have been able to call myself a man much earlier in my life.

Much like the song itself, words no longer serve a purpose for this clip. It truly transcends petty Earthly descriptions. You’ll understand when you see… You might as well just watch. And don’t forget to let it happen.

Nothing here is set in stone
Nothing’s ever set in stone
Everything I have some day will fall apart and fade away

-The Bravery

Why do humans search for meaning in life? Why does the fear of regret prompt us to follow dreams, pursue grand plans, and make us try to live a life that will serve a purpose and allow us to say “I lived a meaningful life” before we die? Is the fear of being forgotten in our genes? Do atheists and theists alike agree that there is some bigger picture that we have a duty to minister to? Why is it part of human instinct to justify one’s own existence?

No other animal does that. Every other being has the same instinct, purpose, and day to day goal: survival. Sure, we have that instinct, but the ability to ask “why” makes our lives completely unique. In some ways I’ve answered my own question: with more advanced brain power, we can’t help but kill some time wondering about shit. Who hasn’t looked at a dog and thought, “boy it would be nice to just sit around all day, be happy and not get bored.” But it’s like Marvin the Paranoid Android from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; he’s so amazingly smart that you couldn’t possibly give him something to think about that would completely cure his boredom or ease his depression. We have to occupy ourselves with curiosity.

But while I am sporadically envious of the blissfully ignorant, my abstract thinking ability has also revealed to me the ludicrousness and futility that is the survival instinct in itself. Our own demise is guaranteed, even most animals seem to realize that. So not only do we fight to last as long as we can, we have the irresistible urge to procreate to ensure that something of ourselves or our species continues on. But why? What is the point of surviving only to meet our ultimate doom when the planet is destroyed or when the universe collapses back on itself?

There may be an abundance of unknowns regarding life, but one of the few things we know with some certainty is that everything we know will come to an end at some point, even if that point is in the distant future. So is our constant clamoring for meaning simply our way of dealing with this one seemingly unavoidable truth, this great uncertainty caused by a single certainty?

Well, I have my personal theories. But who the hell knows?

Elbow is an English band that’s been around since the earlier part of this decade. I only discovered them a little over a year ago, myself. They tend to stick to the mellower side of things, but they do it very well. From the two albums I was initially introduced to, I particularly enjoyed 2005’s Leaders of the Free World. The song “Forget Myself” jumped out at me, and I’d suggest watching that music video I linked to there (but turn up the volume, I’m not sure why it’s so quiet).

Their latest album, The Seldom Seen Kid, was released this past March, but I only first heard it this month. After muddling through the first track (which annoyed me with its sudden bursts of unnecessarily loud interludes that scared the shit out of me since the rest of the song is so soft and, consequently, my volume was cranked), the album really takes off.

I found myself putting the CD on repeat in my car and listening to it for about a week straight… It’s not perfect (a couple songs do drag a bit), but there are many memorable moments to be discovered here. The three tracks that immediately follow the opener set the bar pretty high, and by the time you get to “One Day Like This,” you’re on board to join in on the little singalong they’ve conveniently put together at the end.

That’s Elbow for you… Always lookin’ out for the listener.

OK, that subject is admittedly a hyperbole… YouTube actually proves that 80% of America has no sense of humor. Besides the scientifically sound fact that the Internet brings out the idiot in everyone, YouTube comments are the perfect example of the moronity that so many people are capable of. Besides the comment fields being rife with “fag” and “cock” comments, many of them (while entertaining) make me scared. Scared that most of America does not get the joke. And by “the joke” I mean “what a joke is.” By now you’re hoping for a concrete example. I would never let you down.

I saw a sneak preview of The Dark Knight on Wednesday, after which my friend Lon Harris interviewed some people (myself included) about what we thought of the film for the Mahalo Daily podcast. Since I am basically incapable of giving a straight answer anytime anyone asks me anything (I should probably see a psychiatrist to analyze that), my response actually described Iron Man. When asked if I went into the wrong movie, I responded “what’s the Dark Knight?” After the credits roll, you see Lon egging me on by asking me about the Angelina Jolie film Wanted, to which I respond with a comment about Pixar’s WALL-E. You can view the video here.

It would be clear to anyone who knows me that I was goofing around and being an idiot on purpose. I made the ignorant assumption that anyone with half a brain would extrapolate that. But looking at the YouTube comments, it’s actually pretty amazing how many people just plain don’t get the joke. And by that I mean it’s amazing that anyone wouldn’t get that it’s a joke. But with all the genuine stupidity we all see in a daily basis, it’s a sad truth that people assume some folks really are that dumb. It’s just a shame that the art of deadpan is lost on people who read Perez Hilton’s blog.

Anyway, onto the examples. Here are my favorite comments on the video:

JokerJr87 said: “i wouldve so puched out the guy who was like ‘Whats dark knight?’”
(Dude, I’m totally a yellow belt. Don’t even try it.)

crapbag5892 said: “your an idiot.”
(This was in response to another comment on there, I just wanted to include it because it reminds me of this shirt.)

dawson01912 said: “These are some shitty fucking critics. Suck on my cock, faggots.”
(This goes back to my “fag” and “cock” insight above.)

Fred1is1awesome said: “damn that one guy don’t know what the dark knight is? and what the hell they’re talkin’ about wanted and the guy switches it to wall-e”
(Fred1, you truly are awesome)

xroflmaoz said: “lol, 1:20 is kinda funny”
(1:20 is where I come in!!! Someone gets it! Rejoice!!!)

I finally got to see one of my favorite bands, Supergrass, play live this past Saturday. They don’t have a huge fan base in America, and as far as I can tell they don’t come out here too often to play. I’ve been wanting to see them for a while and this was one of my first opportunities.

Many people who have actually heard Supergrass have only heard the song “Alright” from the Clueless soundtrack way back when and said, “oh they’re that band that plays bratty britpop-punky music.” It’s not an entirely untrue statement, by any means. Their first album, I Should Coco (which included “Alright”), was chock full of this kind of music. But at the same time, the album forays into much more mellow territory in the second half, and even the teen-punk moments hint at a more complex undertone. I first heard the album as a pre-teen when my older brother bought; I thought it was catchy.

But when I was 17 and living in Scotland for a semester of my junior year of high school, I heard a side of Supergrass that I hadn’t before when the song “Moving” was played in a music store I was browsing. I bought the album and immersed myself in its unique chord progressions and dark vocal harmonies. Later I ended up rediscovering the catchiness of their debut, and I became completely convinced when I listened to Road to Rouen, a collection of thoughtful, melodic, nuanced music that I didn’t even realize the band was capable of.

Road to Rouen turned me from a casual fan into a big fan. I finally realized that the musical complexity I felt I had been hearing in their earlier work was confirmed and this was a genuinely great band who really knew how to write good songs. Their live show didn’t make me want to back away from that stance.

The mix of the concert could have been a little better (when is it really perfect, anyway?), and I would have liked to hear more bass and drums. But Supergrass had great energy, played a great set, and rocked the shit out of the show. I could have used a few more songs, but they had another shindig going down at the Avalon afterwards that night, so the band clearly didn’t have much of a choice. Plus, when you see a band with six albums of material, you’re bound to be left wanting to hear a few extra songs.

It’s funny how seeing a band live can have them make total sense to you, answering questions you’ve had in your head about how they tick that you can only guess the answers to by listening to recordings. I can say I’d see Supergrass any chance I get from here on out. They are a true rock ‘n’ roll band.