Why Vinyl is Still the best

Vinyl Fantasy II
The NyTimes has a great article on the increasing economic resurgence of Vinyls and turntables. I know for me, if I want to support a band I will probably buy their album on vinyl. There is something warm, familiar and nostalgic about the whole affair. Vinyls, compared to cds, are less immediately technological; there are not all the buttons, lcd displays, etc that can overwhelm in a way that removes you from the music. And yet it is still satisfyingly sensory in a way that mp3s cannot be. The whole process of taking a record out of its sleeve and carefully loading it onto the turntable, moving the needle over and gently dropping it onto the revolving disk; this connects you to the music that you choose to play in a way that demands attention. With Vinyl, it is impossible to download 50 songs at once, listen to the first 5 seconds and make some uninformed judgement that is probably more reflective of your mood at the time than anything else. The process of listening to records requires a certain effort on the part of the listener that ultimately allows for a more intimate connection with the music.

Kid Suspended for Wearing Skinny Jeans

Some kid gets suspended for 'skinny jeans' in Texas (duh). Apparently, they were too 'distracting' (cause hipsters are rebels, duh). But seriously, I was reading Althusser earlier today and he writes about the role of Ideological State Apparatuses, which are basically the ways in which the dominant powers maintain power. The ruling class is able to sustain itself through economic exploitation of the lower classes without using force via these ideological state apparatuses (ISAs). He specifically cites the educational-apparatus as the main ISA in the modern era. He argues that schools serve to prepare/condition people for their future participation in the system of production (which ensures the 'rule' of the ruling class) by normalizing behavior that sustains the system of production. This is readily apparent in this particular school's dress code, part of which reads:

The Standard Dress Policy is a vital step toward furthering excellence and better preparing our students for college, careers, and life as adults.

Oh Texas, you never cease to amaze (depress) me. In the video, the mother is all upset that the school is letting 'dress' get in the way of her son's 'education.' But, if you view the issue in terms of normalization, the adherence to a dress code is actually part of her son's 'education' itself. Another portion of the dress code states "Top and bottom (e.g. shirt and pants) may not be the same color." This doesn't even make sense in terms of the rest of the dress code. They state that the goal is to avoid 'distracting' appearance in order to facilitate an educational environment. Is it really distracting to have the same color top and bottom? This just seems like an exercise in submission.

Interpellated.