Among many others, I woke up to a post Friday morning announcing a surprise album by Sooj, a collaboration between artists Duster and Dirty Art Club. The album is called “Crusher,” and it sounds different than any other Duster side project I've heard before.  Usually, Duster side projects don’t align with their main projects as one might expect. To name a few, “Birds in the Ground” by Eiafuawn is faster and has considerably less spacey textures, and Mohinder’s self-titled EP

According to a Feb. 18, 2026, news release from the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor statistics entitled “Union Members-2025” , a mere 11.2% of employed Americans were represented by labor unions in 2025. The power of collective bargaining that is made possible by union membership leads to higher compensation for labor, and in 2025, the average union member was making $1,404 a week, compared to the average non-union wage of $1,174.      According to a 2016

After a long weekend of racing, the youngest World Driver Championship leader, Kimi Antonelli, still has the lead with 72 points.    Antonelli and teammate George Russell began Sunday’s race in first and second, respectively, followed by McLaren driver Oscar Piastri. Piastri overtook both Mercedes drivers around the first corner, giving him the lead.     This is Piastri’s first race start of the season after a crash in the formation lap in Australia and an electrical fault in

“Starting on day one, we will end inflation and make America affordable again, to bring down the prices of all goods.”     “Prices will come down. You just watch: They’ll come down, and they’ll come down fast, not only with insurance, with everything.”    “Starting the day I take the oath of office, I will rapidly drive prices down and we will make America affordable again. We’re going to make it affordable again.”    “Energy is going to bring us back. That means we’re going

Last week, I recommended a couple of albums that were laid-back and dreamy for the spring season, but today I will be taking a turn and looking at an album that screams spring. It’s an album that is so pleasant and perfectly tempered that it might be more spring than Alabama’s definition. That album is “The Colour of Spring” by Talk Talk.  “The Colour of Spring” is nestled between two better-known parts of Talk Talk’s discography. Most people know them from their albums “The

Sora AI is dead. Good riddance.  If you've been living under a rock for the last year, Sora is an artificial video-making platform made by OpenAI, the same creator behind ChatGPT, and was arguably the largest generative AI video platform. The platform was very popular upon launch, quickly breaking a number of app store records.  Last week, OpenAI announced the shutdown of the platform, shocking many and leaving those who used the site without their service.   Some may ask, “I

During the trial in which he was sentenced to death, Socrates defended himself orally against his attackers, proclaiming that “the unexamined life is not worth living.” I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment, as it is very easy to proceed through life while being complacent, never examining one’s own beliefs and morality, and never questioning how you can improve yourself. Engaging in the study of philosophy is one way to avoid this.    The study of philosophy, especially

In honor of spring finally being here to stay, I have some albums to discuss that bring in that cozy and colorful feeling that the season is known for. I’venoticed most of my listening habits during the spring lean towards a slow, gentle sound that feels pleasantly warm. These albums embody this sound perfectly, and you may enjoy these as well if you’re into that sort of sound.   The album “On Fire” by Galaxie 500 is my go-to album for a nice spring day. It’s perfect for when

The Academy Awards, otherwise known as The Oscars, began in 1929 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize and celebrate artists’ outstanding work in the film industry.     The award itself – a knight standing on a film reel with five spokes – represents the original five branches the ceremony officially recognized: actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers.     The Oscars now has 19 officially recognized branches ranging from makeup and cost

My middle school experience was ruled by vaporwave music. Vaporwave is a music genre that started completely online in the early 2010s and as online communities tend to do, the genre has widely different subgenres and styles. I love a lot of different subgenres of vaporwave and future funk happens to be one of them.  “Hit Vibes” by Saint Pepsi was pretty much THE example of what future funk was when it started to get popular in the mid 2010s. The album is chock full of 80s no

According to a Feb 12, 2026, AP News article entitled,” “What to know about EPA decision to revoke a scientific finding that helped fight climate change,” The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revoked its own 2009 “endangerment finding,”  which is “a scientific conclusion that for 16 years has been the central basis for regulating planet-warming emissions from power plants, vehicles and other sources.”    At the core of the finding is a basic scientific truth: carbon dio

This Week’s Advice: Strength in Redirection.  So many of us are afraid of failure or rejection. We hide what we actually want because we are worried about one simple thing. The word “no."  We think being told no, or failing, makes us weak and not worthy of trying again. This is wrong. Real strength comes from trying.  There have been so many instances at Troy where I have been so scared of failing, to the point where I didn’t try at all. I restricted myself because I couldn’t

Formula 1 kicked off its first race of the season in Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday with some expected changes from last season's car and some unexpected driver issues.     Since last season, we have seen two new teams added to the grid, Cadillac and Audi, with Audi replacing the former team Sauber. This increased the number of teams to 11 and the number of racers to 22.     Not only that, but there are new engine adjustments taking place. One of those engine adjustments is

How far will you go for fame? Would you corrupt your morals, give into pressure, destroy yourself?  MAN BITES DOG is the first full-length album from digital hardcore band femtanyl, a band I’ve been following for quite some time now. After two EPs — 2023’s CHASER and 2024’s REACTOR — along with collaborations with the likes of Danny Brown, ISSBROKIE, and takihasdied, the trio have taken their talents to the next level.  The group consists of Noelle Mansbridge and Juno Callend

“Think horses, not zebras.” That’s what they tell you. When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.   Sometimes, and evidently so, it’s zebras.  March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. As defined by the World Health Organization, this is a complex disease that affects many women globally. It’s characterized by endometrium-like tissue, usually found only in the lining of the uterus, growing outside the uterus, causing inflammation and scar tissue formation.   It’s lifelo

Most sports logos nowadays suck. Key word: most.  Recently, a new logo for the Tennessee Titans was leaked, and fans are divided on it. A simplified circle. The sword T lost its edges. Even the flames of the famous logo are gone. However, others point out that the logo returns to the popular colors of the Houston Oilers, the former name of the Titans.  Personally, I despise this logo. As a Titans fan, the logo is generic and bland, and the personality and detail from the curr

“Gantz Graf” as an EP is sort of an anomaly. The EP was released after their album “Confield,” one of their more intricate works in terms of drum programming and came out before albums like “Draft 7.30” and “Untilted.”   The main thing that sets it apart from other EPs by the duo, though, is the fact that it’s mostly extremely abrasive. If you get used to it, it’s an amazing listen, but in general, it’s very abrasive.  The EP opens up with “Gantz Graf,” which slaps you in the

According to a CNN article entitled “DOJ releases millions of pages of documents in Epstein investigation,” over three million pages of documents related to the known sexual predator Jeffery Epstein were released Jan. 30.     https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/epstein-files-release-doj-01-30-26     What is most disturbing about the newest release of the Epstein files is not the fact there is one evil man, Jeffery Epstein, who trafficked, raped, and assaulted in other ways

If you couldn’t tell, I am a big fan of electronic music. This was partially due to my discovery of Autechre while in high school. To me, Autechre is singular and unique while also being a great break into electronic music. Without Autechre, I don’t know if I would be as interested in electronic music as I am today.  If Autechre’s albums are giant, satisfying meals, their EPs are appetizers. Some of their best works are in these bite-sized EP packages I can’t help but snack o

This Week’s Advice: Stay Unapologetically You.   I, like so many others, care so much about what others think about me. Every night before bed, I wonder if I did good enough during the day I had. I wince at the mistakes I made and beat myself up over what I could have done better.  Embarrassment and shame are my worst fears, ever. Even in class, I am hesitant to drink my coffee a certain way or check the time another.  This isn’t healthy, but it’s not abnormal. We, as people

Should you assume that someone is your valentine? Let me go ahead and answer that for you: NO! This is for the couples out there. Regardless of whether you've been together for two months or five years, you should still ask your partner to be your valentine.  Why? Well, let's get right into it.   Just like when you are married, you should still make designated time to go out on dates. There’s a difference between intentional quality time (dates) and random meet ups (hangouts)

Within the last few months, Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been the subject of major national attention. The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the cause for most of the national attention going on in the city.   Two people have been killed in Minnesota during the ICE riots: Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Regardless of whose fault it was, it is still tragic.  Tragedy struck on Jan. 8th, 2026, when Renee Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent during a prote

This Week’s Advice: Healthy habits.   Since being in college, so much has happened both mentally and socially.  Coming to college can be such a culture shock.   From moving away, to meeting new people and doing new things.   It can be rough adjusting and taking in these new experiences.  So far, I have fallen and gotten back up about a million times. Every week brings something new to brush off but, that’s all you have to do. Brush off the bad, and bathe in the good.   Recen

One of the many factors that makes America uniquely beautiful is its high percentage of immigrants. A Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data found that, as of June 2025, 51.9 million immigrants lived in the U.S, and 15.4% of all U.S. residents were immigrants.    https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/08/21/key-findings-about-us-immigrants/     According to a 2024 report issued by the National Institute of Justice, An NIJ-funded study examining data from the