newspapers, pdf's, etc.

sheesh, tell me about it. summertime is in full effect, and things keep piling up.

i set out a number of goals for myself, but as usual i am falling behind. i'm busy. Mostly, i've been writing an article every other week for the Ball State Daily News.

In july i am fulfilling a long dream of playing drums for Rodeo Ruby Love during tour.

oh, and remember that Summer Teen Zine idea? i didn't think so. 'm turning it into a pdf. i have about three or four things submitted. you are welcome to add to it. please?

i've been getting a lot of music lately. here is a list of what has been spinning.

1. cLOUDDEAD
2. Caddywhompus
3. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimist
4. The Rolling Stones - Goat's Head Soup
5. Why? - Sand Dollars EP and Rubber Traits EP


also, keep watching Interview Project. it gets better each time. continue reading...

Interview Project

I've only dabbled in the David Lynch realm, but as an aspiring journalist/writer, i've come to learn that people are at the heart of every article/story written. the idea of this project helped me to determine my purpose as a journalist, seeing as i didn't understand why i went in the field besides maybe having a job. there are interesting characters all around.

you've probably heard this story before, but i recently interviewed a private investigator here in muncie for an article in the Daily News (the Ball State student paper). it was a slow-moving interview, but after it he ended up buying me four beers at the Heorot - which dave, ashley, and i frequent often - and talked about The Big Lebowski for most of the time.

the bar experience could've made a far better article, but i think it stands alone just fine as a story. what Interview Project does it display people like that p.i. and displays them better than words ever could. this is the mild infatuation i have with film and film making, as i like to look at it from a writer's perspective. some things were just meant to be in certain mediums.

p.s. here is my article. it made the front page.

p.s.s episodes 78 & 79 of IP are from Indiana. continue reading...

fixed infatuation part I

My dad got me into the world of bikes. Like any dad he goes on these kicks of having different hobbies (some notable ones include weightlifting and flying airplanes), and being the good son that i am i try to get involved. cycling, though, has been one of those kicks that stuck; not only that, he and i actually enjoy it together. so when aaron and i came into possession of a couple Huffy road bikes (thanks, Taylor University!) I showed them to my dad and he said,

"wanna make it a fixie?"

I had no idea what this meant, so he showed me some websites to start looking at and reading. I don't really need to explain what fixed gear bikes are - as i'm sure you've seen them/heard of them - but i'll give some basics. Usually the dudes riding them are cooler than you. Selected quotes are:

"Seat low enough for you?"
"It has how many gears?"
"Nice brakes."

(you'll catch on later, i promise)

Besides the scene/culture of fixies, the riding experience is unmatched. The one thing these bikes offer is total control.


If you know your history, you know that the first bikes built were fixed gear - one speed, no freewheel - thus making the bikes of today simply more badass. With a "fixed" gear, you have only one range of speed to go, and this of course is "fast". Single speed bikes, such as cruisers, are not the same as fixed gears in the sense that you can stop pedaling and the bike moves forward. You know that clicking sound you hear when you're coasting? That's the "freewheel" aspect of the cog.

Fixed gear bikes don't have a freewheel cog, and the only way to stop (granted you don't have a front brake, which you shouldn't) is to force the chain drive back. your legs are the brakes, controlling the motion of the bike. do it with style and you've got yourself a skid stop. but more on those things (skids, coasting, etc.) in part two.

I could go on and on about how thse bikes are better than multi/single speeds. And you'll hear a lot from either side of the spectrum. For instance, a ten speed bike offers a variety of gears for certain terrain, such as hills or flatland. People doing long treks find this useful. Fixies, however, only have gear, and with a 43/12 ratio the downhills are killer.

(this is the first of a series of posts on fixed gear bikes, in response to austin's post. Part II will consist of how to start building a fixed gear bike [don't buy a new one for your first time] and will provide tons of helpful spots to look at. as well as more hard to understand terminology.) continue reading...

SUMMER TEEN ZINE PT. II

I forgot to tell everyone a deadline for the Summer Teen Zine. If you're like me you work better under certain deadlines. It motivates you, right?

The date is Friday, June 5. So you have a week and a half. I've already received a poem and a short story, so keep them coming.

And, I promise you will have a real post from me by the end of the week. I have an article due for the Daily News, and after that is up i will post the link for it. i'm not really into the whole newspaper business because i don't think many of the things that interest me are newspaper material. but i digress.

please send more things. continue reading...

SUMMER TEEN ZINE

And you thought the world of print was dead.

WRONG.

I've been trying to come up with a few zine ideas, having contributed a couple times for King Cobra last year (check out Tulip Weekly too). My biggest problem was finding people to get involved with, but now the time seems to be now.

SO.

I am officially announcing the start of submissions for the first Summer Teen Zine.

a few things to consider:

1) any type of work (essays, fiction, art, lists, pictures, etc.) that can be e-mailed will do.

2) send work to erik(dot)r(dot)fox(at)gmail(com)with the subject SUMMER TEEN ZINE and what category of work you are sending, as well as how many words it is.

3) as far as length goes, try to keep it around 1,000 words.

4) if sending a picture/work of art, keep in mind that i will be printing it off black and white.

5) the theme here is Love Letters. interpret how you will. if you love something, write about it; that's a love letter. take a picture of your favorite flower; it's a love letter. see where i'm going with this?

6) if yours isn't in the zine, it could be that it's being saved for another time.

7) oh, and also in the email, give your name and a brief bio. continue reading...

i am known to do the wop. (wop)

Premature ejaculation is a bummer.

Sure, every guy liberates the baby-batter early once in awhile, but the overall effect premature ejaculation puts on a man is depressing. No one likes it. The girl involved gets let down and probably won’t be seeing him again. Or, if she’s a first-timer, she’ll forever be plagued by not knowing what could have been good sex. And once word gets around the man is looked down upon forever.

Sometimes a guy just really wants to get laid, but can’t because of his reputation.

However, like any sexual behavior, it can be (and needs to be) learned and understood to control. There’s no genetics involved with lasting longer, just some time and effort taken. There are a few things a man can do curb such a problem:

1) Masturbation. Ever hear of the term ‘edging’? It’s a good way for a person to get acquainted with oneself and practice for a masterpiece of sex. Overcoming the urge to let it out while getting to know yourself will help to overcome a potential demeaning situation.

2) Breathe. Relaxation makes for good sex. Deep, rhythmic breaths and communication with the girl being poked doesn’t hurt. Instead of just going wild and trying bump uglies at 100-mph just take your time, chill out, and think about what is trying to be accomplished.

3) Kegels. Kegel exercises target the pelvic floor muscles that control urination. When you gotta go just start, hold for three seconds, then release again. The impulse to go is always there, but restraint is needed in order to make something good of sex.

Askmen.com says it best at the end of the article: “Premature ejaculation can be easily countered with patience, effort and knowledge.”

If you've noticed the flurry of activity happening here (here and here too) at STD, you might see the relevance. continue reading...

hey oh! i love beer.

so this is summer, huh? i'm fine with making an initial post. if you don't know what's up, this is a collective. if you want to be a part of this, find us on facebook or some other networking site. you know us well enough.

since this is the Summer Teen Diary, it's important that i relate this to the summer, and when i was a teenager. so let's get this underway.

if there's anything i love to do more than anything in the summer, it's listen to music and read books. hopefully the rest of the gang will follow suit here. if you want to know something about someone, spend two minutes with them (according to one of my favorite fiction characters), or take a look at their music and readings. so here is what i plan on reading this summer.

1) Bablyon Revisited and Other Stories - F. Scott Fitzgerald
The last thing of Fitzgerald's I've read was The Great Gatsby, and this was back in high school. I'm almost a senior in college now. Being a sort of borderline alcoholic myself, I've been turned on to the lifestyle Fitz led. I am also an avid ex-pat, "Lost Generation" fan, and short story enthusiast.

2) The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
One of my favorite books. Sometimes you just need a picker-upper.

3) Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
It's possible that this is the only book I read this summer. I'm fine with that. 1,000 + pages? psh.

4) On the Road - Jack Kerouac
This is another book on the list of books i am trying to get through. Though I'm not much for the beatnik movement i've heard interesting things about Jack's style, so it's worth trying.

5) The Sheltering Sky - Paul Bowles
Also on the list. During WW II, an estranged couple travels to the North African desert to find some common ground...but things take a turn for the worst.


Summertime also brings a sense of music. I'm talking roadtrips. Making out with a girl. Sitting on your porch, smoking a pipe. Hanging out by the campfire. This is what I will be jamming out to the most. No particular order.

1) Alopecia - Why?
This is sort of the indie hip-hop i've been dreaming of.

2) Some Girls - The Rolling Stones
Chill out in your backyard, light a campfire, and dive into the New York era of the Stones.

3) Ancient Melodies of the Future - Built to Spill
This is a newbie. But I am excited to learn more and more about this band. "Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss" is awesome.

4) The '59 Sound - The Gaslight Anthem
This is summer jams right here. Yea, you can take the Springsteen comparisons. But enough of that. It's fun and enjoyable.

5) Stay What You Are - Saves the Day
If I had to listen to only one album each summer, this is the one. Hands down.



This is Summer Teen Diary. each of us has our own aspect to contribute, whether it be words, art, lists, reviews, or updates on our Hot or Not photo.

-erik continue reading...