You Heard It First....

And some of it is really hard to post about.

Part 1:


Harvey Unga is not playing for BYU next fall. Unga, one of the most accomplished backs in BYU history, withdrew from school today along with BYU basketball player Keilani Moeaki, both for violations of the Honor Code.

As much as I'm bummed about BYU losing my favorite player, I'm not gonna complain at all about Unga being an idiot. Apparently he and Keilani were engaged two years ago and have been on and off since then. A couple years ago when I worked at an on campus restaurant, Unga was one of the nicest customers we had, which came in stark contrast with other fairly lame football players that would come in. I have a lot of respect for Unga for having withdrawn as opposed to trying to hide it or pretend that it's not important. Harvey Unga is a class act and has always represented BYU well. I wish him the best in his future and hope that he can take care of his personal issues quickly.

But this fall is sure gonna suck without him.

Part 2:


I hate that this is part two, because it, to me, is very news worthy. So sometimes I look up random people's email addresses online and email them, never expecting a response. Like when I emailed gloria allred because she's so disgusting and I asked her if she would accept a copy of the Book of Mormon (no response to that one). To be honest I never really expect anything out of it, I just do it. I guess it's kinda like how I take surveys sometimes when 1 in a billion people could win prize money. I never really expect results but the incentive is still there? Well last weekend, while I was absolutely giddy about Faded Paper Figures, I checked out their website and noticed it hadn't been updated for awhile. I was really nervous they were maybe one and done after their 2008 album Dynamo, so I copied the email address for them posted at the bottom of the page and emailed them.

Lo and behold, the next morning their was an email in my inbox from "John."-assistant professor of english at Yale University, and guitarist in the band Faded Paper Figures. Ok too good to paraphrase, here it is:

Dear Ross,

Thanks so much for writing. And listening and spreading the word! We do have plans for new stuff, in the *very* near future. Our second album will be out May 25th. We are kind of behind on our webpage updates, as you can see though. Should get around to that soon too.

West coast tour will be end of July beginning of August. That's about all we have planned for now, but there could be more.

Hope all is well with you,
~John.


--
R. John Williams
Assistant Professor of English
Yale University
Linsley-Chittenden Hall, Room 420


Three cheers for humanity. And cool people. And the fact that it's finals week and I've been sick since last sunday but hopefully getting better.

Please buy FPF's new album at the end of May and support three real cool people instead of some other uninspiriing egocentric pop act. I'll be one of the first in line.
-Roscoe

Faded Paper Figures

I'm usually not one to start raving about a band until I've spent a lot of quality ipod time with them, but after hearing only three songs, I have a very good feeling about the second coming of The Postal Service, "Faded Paper Figures." They definitely have a more natural, less studio produced sound than the postal service, but this particular song could slide in seamlessly on the 2003 album "Give Up" and no one would think twice. This music video makes me very happy.

Goodbye. and now Hello.

goodbye...

Goodbye made-to-order breakfast every morning at the hotel. Goodbye having time to exercise everyday. Goodbye family for another few months or so, our time together is always way too short! Goodbye "pincer crabs that pinch at your sandals" at Newport Beach. Goodbye warm sand and gentle ocean breezes and running on, aforementioned beach. Goodbye Shadowpines and Flowerwood, the streets we visited and where I grew up when I was little. Goodbye earthquake that we felt all the way from Mexico. Goodbye putting on shorts before even looking outside. Goodbye 70 degree sunny Orange County.

and hello...

Hello stop lights that aren't on sensors (I've had the light change on me three times in the last day when no one else was in the intersection!) Hello grungy apartment and no toilet paper (which interestingly ran out when I left last thursday...) Hello physics and molecular biology tests that I hardly studied for. Hello waking up at 8AM and walking up all 124 steps to campus. Hello roommate that snores (like right now). Hello gray skies and an inch and counting of snow. Hello finals in a week and a half and MCAT in 6.5 weeks. Hello empty food cupboard. Hello Provo, UT.

My favorite song of the trip: "Lover, you should've come over"-Jeff Buckley (Even though I'm fairly strongly against the word lover ever being used. ever.)

and just to finish off this post on a high note, albeit an extremely fun and silly one...."Breaking up"-Rilo Kiley; A song I've wanted to post for a bit now but felt it would be inappropriate. I simply cant get enough of this.

-ross