#anthem by less than jake

[josephlikesmusic]

Anthem - Less than Jake (2003)

Anthem is album that I feel often get's overshadowed by Less than Jake's much more popular Hello Rockview, yet when I do make the time to relisten I find Anthem to be equally enjoyable. While the album started to shift away from the horn-heavy sound of the band's previous albums, Less than Jake didn't lose their ability to write extremely catchy hits.

The Ghosts of Me and You and Best Wishes to Your Black Lung were songs that brought me back to when I first discovered the band a few years ago, and while I hadn't listened to either song for a few years, they were just as catchy and put the same smile on my face that they had during my first listen. Even the songs I have continued to listen to regularly, such as Plastic Cup Politics and The Science of Selling Yourself Short, continue to get me moving and grooving no matter how much I listen. I love the vocal performances of Roger Lima and Chris DeMakes throughout the album. Roger easily has one of my favorite voices in ska, even in punk music as a whole, so I love that he really got to shine on songs like The Science of Selling Yourself Short. While I would never complain about more horns on a ska album, I do like the simpler ska-rock style of Anthem, which really allows for both singers to shine.

While I do wish such a great album didn't end on a cover song, I have little to nothing to complain about while listening to Anthem. It's not the most significant or complicated album released, but it still puts a smile on my face the entire runtime. I haven't done a full listen of this album in a few years, so many songs gave me instant nostalgia for my mid-teen years when I first started to discover ska and ska-punk, two genres that really formed my music taste today. Less than Jake continues to be one of my favorite bands, and I hope to have the chance to see them live in concert again sometime soon.

[forgottensols-official]

[traffic-was-a-b1tch]

anthem of the heart

(jake kiszka x reader) 18+

summary: you and your best friend move into a new apartment after college, wanting a fresh start in nashville. however, you come to find that your neighbors are musicians. very loud musicians who like to keep you up at night. especially one, who likes to bother you on purpose. you would hate him… if he wasn’t so hot.

warnings for overall series: eventual SMUT!!!, angst, mentions of past abuse (not jake), abuse (not jake), mentions of past sexual assault (not jake), sexual assault (not jake), enemies to lovers, cursing, let me know if I missed any. (i’m still making this series up as I go along so it might change)

warnings for this chapter: abuse, mentions of past abuse, sexual assault, misogyny, ex drama, violence, insults, cursing, let me know if I missed any.

author’s note: this is where the plot thickens, ok? trust the process lol. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO READ THE WARNINGS. this is a heavy chapter. we’ll get to more of the lovey-dovey in coming chapters, but this? this is not love. reader beware.

• • •

Chapter Three:

you did your best to forget about jake.

sure the loud music was annoying but the image of him, shirtless, brushing your cheek replaying in your head constantly was much more infuriating. you just had to forget about that asshole. that toned, cocky asshole.

kaylee finished painting that night and in the morning, while you were getting dressed, you apologized for not helping her finish.

“don’t worry about it. I could tell you were too in your head to work”, she smiled then squinted at you, “what happened that made you so spaced?”

you told her. everything.

from the first time you talked to him, to him touching your cheek.

she was speechless.

“yeah. I definitely see where you’re coming from”, she breathed.

“yeah, I don’t know what to think”, you finished buttoning your blouse,”but for now I gotta go. I have an interview in an hour.”

you hugged her, grabbed your keys, and made your way down the stairs to your car.

you knew what you needed to focus on today was getting a job. you didn’t spend four years working two jobs and being a full-time student to daydream about your neighbor.

you were interviewing at your second pick of jobs in the city. your first pick hadn’t responded to your online application yet, so you decided to go for this one for now.

you wore a patterned pink blouse with black slacks and small pink kitten heels. you were already a little uncomfortable in the heels, but you chalked it up to nerves.

the building was huge, many offices on many floors peered down at you. you felt small, but you were trying to stay confident.

walking into the waiting room, you felt eyes on you. many other people lined the walls in chairs, seemingly applying for the same job. as you checked in, you took in the overbearingly white, hospital-like walls and gray details.

certainly less color than you would prefer, but you needed a job nonetheless.

the wait felt like forever, but it was probably only ten minutes.

a woman walked in, in a black dress, and looked down at her clipboard. she called your name and you quickly stood up. following her, you were led down a small white hallway with gray carpet.

they must really detest color here, you thought.

she let you into an office and you quietly thanked her. inside was a man in a suit and tie sitting behind a desk. his face, adorned with a small scowl, was halfway hidden by a computer screen.

“hello, sir. i’m here about the marketing job”, you greeted, holding out your resume for him to take.

he didn’t look up, focused on his computer, but waved his hand for you to sit.

you did, squirming a bit uncomfortably in the thick plastic on the chair. finally, he finished typing and looked at you.

“oh, right. the, uh, marketing job.”

his middle aged voice was a bit raspy, and his posture suggested he’d been working nonstop for a few decades.

“so”, he started, “what do you see yourself doing in five years?”

the question was a given at any interview, so you were thoroughly prepared.

“I see myself with a growing career, hopefully in a higher position than i’m interviewing for, and living in my own house just outside the city.”

“with your husband?”

you had to hide the flash of pain on your face as you remembered your ex. ex-fiancé, in fact.

you replied, “sure, maybe in time, but I don’t have any plans for that right now.”

he rolled his eyes and wrote something on a paper in front of him.

“i’m sorry, sir”, you smiled, not understanding what you did to illicit that response, “is there something wrong with my answer?”

“it’s always girls like you, so young, that act like they don’t care about relationships. only careers.”

you laughed half-heartedly and tried to stay polite.

“well, I did work very hard on my career so a husband can wait.”

he raised his eyebrow, “that is a woman’s purpose, you know. your life doesn’t truly begin until you are married. then you can have children and fulfill yourself.”

you were shocked.

such an outright misogynistic remark made you question if you heard right.

you didn’t hide the shock and anger on your face as you stood up.

“excuse me, sir, but I am more than just a machine that can get married and produce children. I am a person, a very smart one at that, who can make her own decisions and pay her own bills. I do not need your input on what you think is important for me to do with my own life. thank you for the interview, but I think i’ll pass on working here. i’ll see myself out.”

you turned and left, angered and appalled.

fuck, is it asshole men month or what?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

the drive home gave you time to calm down. you listened to a podcast and tried to relax but it was becoming harder and harder with all the things on your mind.

you finally got home, relieved to go upstairs and take off your shoes.

walking into your hallway, you start looking for your keys in your purse.

“hey.”

you stopped.

you’d know that voice anywhere.

your ex-fiancé.

“tanner, what the fuck are you doing here?”

you looked up, taking him in. your breath quickened, terrified. he was intimidating, scary.

“I found where you ran off to. such a hole in the wall, is it not?”

tanner examined the hallway, flicking the chipping paint.

you looked beyond him to see your apartment door, just a few feet away. you had to get there. you needed to lock yourself inside and call the cops.

“it’s good enough for me”, you replied shakily.

you started to move towards your door, steadily.

he followed you down and planted his hand firmly on the door.

“no. you’re not going anywhere. not until you tell me that you love me again.”

even while being frightened of him, you scoffed.

“say I love you again? tanner, you beat me at our engagement party! you’re fucking sick! you really think I could still love you after months of abuse?”

his faced hardened. he started inching closer to you.

you backed away, hitting the wall.

“please, tanner. calm down. just go home. please just leave me alone. please.”

in a swift move, he grabbed your arm hard. you yelped in pain, knowing he’d leave more bruises on top of the ones still healing.

“what was that? you don’t love me?”, he was borderline yelling. “you can’t fool me, bitch. I know you do. you still want me.”

when you started to sob, tanner forced his face on yours into an unwelcome kiss. he pushed his knee in between your legs, putting pressure on your core, as he grabbed your breast in his hand roughly.

pain entered your body from every angle.

you grunted and sobbed against him, “get off of me!”

then you heard a door open.

after this, it’s all a blur.

you remember bits and pieces of two men fighting.

“get the fuck off of her!”, one yelled. he planted a punch right on tanner’s jaw.

you fell to the ground, sobbing with your legs pressed to your chest.

the men swung at each other, tanner landing a few blows to the other one. but then, after one more punch to the face, tanner fell.

he was unconscious, and you buried your face in your arms to avoid seeing his face anymore.

the other man squatted to your level.

“fuck, are you ok?”

you lifted your head, and saw jake.

• • •

yeah. I told you. no picnic in this chapter. BUT keep reading, it will get better. as always PLEASE feel free to leave me feedback, give suggestions, etc!

[xx-emowarz-xx]

[anarchywoofwoof]

Hey, I'm just getting into the punk music genre, and I was wondering if you had any recommendations?

oh boy anon strap in because you activated my trap card on this one. for those who may not know, punk rock is one of my true loves. here are some of my favorite albums of all time

Misfits - Everything with Danzig, particularly Static Age, Walk Among Us and Earth AD/Wolfs Blood

NOFX - Everything before 2003, particularly Punk in Drublic, White Trash, Two Heebs & A Bean and Pump Up the Valuum

Propagandhi - Everything, particularly Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes

The Clash - London Calling

Ramones - Rocket to Russia

Black Flag - Damaged

Rancid - Let's Go & ...And Out Come the Wolves

The Distillers - Coral Fang

Reagan Youth - Youth Anthems for the New Order

Angry Samoans - Back from Samoa

Anti-Flag - Die for the Government

Pennywise - Land of the Free?

AFI - Answer That & Stay Fashionable, Very Proud of Ya, All Hallows EP, Sing the Sorrow, pretty much everything before 2006.

Transplants - Self Titled

Suicidal Tendencies - Self Titled

Flogging Molly - Swagger, Drunken Lullabies

Dropkick Murphys - Sing Loud, Sing Proud

Catch22 / Streetlight Manifesto - Keasbey Nights (Ska Punk)

Less Than Jake - Hello Rockview, Anthem (Ska Punk)

Against Me! - Reinventing Axl Rose (Folk Punk)

this list is not comprehensive but covers the vast majority of my most frequently played albums. feel free to add any in the tags i may have missed

[at-thestillpoint]

if you’re still taking asks for the wip meme tag, i must complete the trifecta and inquire about heaven's in your eyes (i'm your national anthem - aka the only election drama i’m looking forward to this year

[ i only listed three wips, but if you want to ask for more, feel free ]

Ah, my happy place this election year: thinking about a functioning electoral system where rules and rationality apply and we don't get to have opinions on facts (or, indeed, two apparent sets of "facts")!

Chapter 3 of heaven's in your eyes is a big one. Perhaps The Big One. The really juicy bits are complete, but there's a section of it that refuses to be written. I'd post the chapter without it, but I'd like to have it for plot reasons down the line and without it, the chapter would clock in at less than 6,000 words, and I have this thing about consistency.

Anyway, here's a snippet!

“I saw you and Seresin talking last night,” Bradley begins. “There are rumors.” It takes all dozen plus years of experience in front of the press for Natasha to keep her face neutral when her heart leaps into her throat. “About me and Jake Seresin?” she asks slowly, trying to buy herself time to spin herself a way out of this. She doesn’t think they were particularly obvious last night, but she’s not exactly an objective source of truth about Jake these days and she’s caught him looking at her a little too sweetly, more often in private, but sometimes in public, on more than one occasion.  Bradley looks at her then, a tired kind of desperation behind his eyes. “You’re not jumping ship, are you?” 

[bisluthq]

Do you think Taylor has ever been (for lack of a better term) dickmatised and if so when + do you think any of her boyfriends/hookups have been pussy whipped

lol Tom Odell was pussy whipped per him when they were rolling around like tangerines. A lot of her other boyfriends/hookups seem to have been as well because even if they didn’t want to make things official or even after they broke up they’d keep going back to her and with someone like Jake for example that wouldn’t have been just for the sparkling conversation (seeing as how she at least felt like, if anything, Jake thought she was a bit stupid; fwiw Matty seems to have thought she’s a bit shallow but still wasn’t the one to leave Tatty 1.0 entirely and he did give it a second proper try; even Tom Odell from that first example thought she was a little bit clever and a little bit daft so idk all those situations seem a bit pussy whipped). Dougie Booth didn’t want to make things official but kept hanging out with her for ages which is also um like again idk that that was the sparkling conversation. Harry and her kept up an on/off physical relationship for a bit after the breakup. Like idk.

Taylor seems like she was dickmatized less frequently but def with Jake and def with Matty and unfortunately I think with John and again with Harry and Dougie she kept things going even when they weren’t gonna be together and obviously with Joe at the beginning she was all KOMH 😍😍😍😍 which is the ultimate dickmatized anthem.

from my POV the opposite, where neither side wanted it that much is rarer in Taylor world and off the top of my head that’d be like Taylor Squared and some of the randos (Hozier and her both didn’t seem that into it, Evan allegedly ended with FUCK YOU EVAN, Garrett and her probably didn’t even get to fucking like that legit was just a few dates - actually her and Hozier could’ve been the same, she seemingly wasn’t THAT into Will and his songs about her are pretty but also not like “the world is crashing down if you won’t be with me”, Mine guy has never even come forward but if it’s that Belmont guy does tell his friends which seems more like he likes the song and thinks it’s cute than him being obsessed with her etc). Calvin was very serious and they for sure had sexual chemistry but that didn’t last the whole relationship and they both cheated so I guess that’s like an in between category.

oh. Hiddles. Hiddles was obsessed with her. All he wanted to do was like be with her 🥹🥹 and play his spoons for her and make her bolognese and she thought he was a moron and was drunk most of the time they were together 😂😂😂 Those two were on drastically different pages.

[athetos]

Albums that are 20 years old this year:

AFI - sing the sorrow

Against me! - against me as the eternal cowboy

Alkaline trio - good mourning

Avenged sevenfold - waking the fallen

Billy talent - Billy talent I

Black dahlia murder - unhallowed

Blink-182 - blink-182

Brand new - deja entendu

Dragonforce - valley of the damned

Fall out boy - take this to your Grave

Less than Jake - anthem

Linkin park - meteora

The Mars Volta - de-loused in the comatorium

Motion city soundtrack - I am the movie

NOFX - the war on errorism

Rise against - revolutions per minute

Story of the year - page avenue

Streetlight manifesto - everything goes numb

Thrice - the artist in the ambulance

Thursday - war all the time

How are we feeling?

[stereopticons]

Playlist title: Love Me Anyway

Well. This was cruel, so I’m not sorry about the pain I’m about to inflict on you lmao. Also I can’t follow directions so here’s fifteen songs!

Perfect - Alanis Morissette

Homewrecker - Sarge

You’re So Last Summer - Taking Back Sunday

Fifth in Line to the Throne - Camera Obscura

Hurricane J - The Hold Steady

Sunday Day13 - The Twilight Sad

Sour Breath - Julien Baker

this is me trying - Taylor Swift

Low Tide - the Wonder Years

Goodbye in Gasoline - Less than Jake

Dark Places - The Gaslight Anthem

Left Behind - Noah Reid

Lion’s Teeth - The Mountain Goats

Moderation - Florence + the Machine

I Never Knew - Dar Williams

Send me a playlist title and I’ll send you 5-10(ish) songs I’d put on it

[thebandcampdiaries]

Firing At Statues Releases “Father of the Year”

The UK-based band Firing At Statues has announced the release of their latest single, Father of the Year. Known for blending pop punk and alternative rock, the band is expanding its catalog with a deeply personal track that delves into the emotional complexities of fatherhood and abandonment, especially focusing on the strain absent fathers put on mothers and families as a whole. 

The single was actually written by the band’s lead vocalist. It comes from the personal experience of growing up without a father figure since the age of four. 

The song is a direct expression of the singer’s reflections, emphasizing the long-lasting impacts of paternal absence. The lyrics of the chorus portray these sentiments:

“It’s time to accept the fact.

You’re not coming back.

Because you are the father of the year.

Gone without a trace

With a big smile on your face.

That’s why you win the Father of the Year.”

The timing of the release holds additional significance for the vocalist, whose mother passed away earlier this year. This tragic event added further layers of meaning to the song, turning it into a tribute to single mothers who face the dual burden of parenting while dealing with emotional and financial challenges. Musically, Father of the Year continues Firing At Statues’ hallmark sound, with strong influences from pop punk icons like Blink-182, The Ataris, Sum 41, and Green Day, along with catchy alternative acts like Jimmy Eat World. The band has also cited Zebrahead and Less Than Jake as key influences, shaping their approach to melody and lyrical themes.

The production quality of Father of the Year is crisp and powerful, yet retains a notably organic feel. The track tips its hat to the golden era of pop-punk, capturing the raw energy and straightforwardness of the genre’s early 2000s heyday. However, it also integrates a modern twist, with a more refined mix and fuller sound. The balance between the gritty, emotive vocal delivery and polished instrumentals allows the song to feel both nostalgic and contemporary, offering listeners a sonic experience that bridges the past and present of pop-punk.

In addition, the band welcomed a new drummer into the lineup. Father of the Year was the first track the band worked on with the new drummer, marking the start of a new era for Firing At Statues. This single serves as a bridge between their past and the fresh direction they are heading toward. With Father of the Year, Firing At Statues taps into the widespread, yet often unspoken, issue of parental abandonment, while also honoring those left behind and the single parents who take on the role of both mother and father. The band is hopeful the track will connect with their audience on an emotional level, while still maintaining the high-energy, anthemic feel that fans have come to expect.

Find out more and listen via Spotify:

[chorusfm]

Less Than Jake Announce New EP

Less Than Jake will release Uncharted on November 15th. Today they’ve shared “Sunny Side.” Set sail for uncharted waters with ska-punk legends Less Than Jake. The band has today announced their new EP, Uncharted, set to be releaed on November 15 via Pure Noise Records. Along with the news comes their latest single and music video “Sunny Side”, available now here.   Uncharted is a culmination of the band’s latest singles, including “Brand New Day”, “Not My Problem”, “Walking Pipebomb”, and “Broken Words”, with the artwork coming together to complete the treasure map. Pre-orders for Uncharted are available now at https://lnk.to/LessThanJake.   “Man, the main riff in drop D has been around forever. I wrote that back when we were demoing for the Anthem record,” recalls frontman/guitarist Chris DeMakes. “It just never felt right, and was shelved. I never forgot about the idea. This time, Roger wrote the choruses, and I came up with the U2 stadium rock guitar bridge. Matt found the drum feel and groove that I was searching for all those years earlier, and the brass added a horn hook over the big guitar riff - one that rivals any of their catchiest parts. I can’t wait to play this one live.” Adds bassist/vocalist Roger Lima: “LTJ has messed with the slow and heavy vibe on a few songs, but I feel like we finally got it right with ‘Sunny Side’. Between the grooves, the changes, the horns and the lyrics, we are pumping this one on all cylinders."   He continues, “’Sunny Side’ is like a reminder to actively make an effort to live in the present. Move past your old haunts and be the absolute best version of you that you can.”   Fans around the world can catch Less Than Jake on the road throughout the rest of 2024 and into 2025. The band wrapped up their European tour this past summer, and recently kicked off their fall US Final Visit To Rockview Tour. They’ll be traveling to Australia later this fall and recently announced that they will be headlining Slam Dunk Festival in the UK next spring. For a full list of upcoming shows, please see below or visit: https://lessthanjake.com/.   More than three decades into an already impressive career – which includes 8 studio albums, tours with Descendents, blink-182, Bon Jovi, Linkin Park, Snoop Dogg, Bad Religion, and more, and over 365 shows on the Vans Warped Tour – Less Than Jake has never been a band to rest on its laurels. They released their lastest studio album, Silver Linings in 2020 via Pure Noise Records, with a deluxe version following in 2022. Featuring singles “Lie To Me,” “Dear Me,” “Anytime and Anywhere,” and “Keep On Chasing,” Silver Linings captured the attention of Brooklyn Vegan, Loudwire, SPIN, and more Track Listing * Broken Words * Walking Pipebomb * Not My Problem * Brand New Day * Sunny Side * Dead Days (Over And Over) * Shake Loose The Truth --- Please consider becoming a member so we can keep bringing you stories like this one. ◎ https://chorus.fm/news/less-than-jake-announce-new-ep/

[thoughtswordsaction]

Less Than Jake Drop New Ska Punk Anthem "Walking Pipebomb"

Photo by Paris Visone Renowned ska punk band Less Than Jake has just released their latest track, “Walking Pipebomb,” through Pure Noise Records. This energetic new song is now available for digital streaming and download, capturing the band’s signature blend of catchy melodies and punk rock attitude that fans have come to love over their decades-long career. In addition to the digital release,…

[jcmarchi]

Noubar Afeyan PhD ’87 gives new MIT graduates a special assignment

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/noubar-afeyan-phd-87-gives-new-mit-graduates-a-special-assignment/

Noubar Afeyan PhD ’87 gives new MIT graduates a special assignment

Biotechnology leader Noubar Afeyan PhD ’87 urged the MIT Class of 2024 to “accept impossible missions” for the betterment of the world, in a rousing keynote speech at the OneMIT Commencement ceremony this afternoon.

Afeyan is chair and co-founder of the biotechnology firm Moderna, whose groundbreaking Covid-19 vaccine has been distributed to billions of people in over 70 countries. In his remarks, Afeyan briefly discussed Moderna’s rapid development of the vaccine but focused the majority of his thoughts on this year’s graduating class — while using the “Mission: Impossible” television show and movies, a childhood favorite of his, as a motif.

“What I do want to talk about is what it takes to accept your own impossible missions and why you, as graduates of MIT, are uniquely prepared to do so,” Afeyan said. “Uniquely prepared — and also obligated. At a time when the world is beset by crises, your mission is nothing less than to salvage what seems lost, reverse what seems inevitable, and save the planet. And just like the agents in the movies, you need to accept the mission — even if it seems impossible.”

Afeyan spoke before an audience of thousands on MIT’s Killian Court, where graduates gathered in attendance along with family, friends, and MIT community members, during an afternoon of brightening weather that followed morning rain.

Play video

“Welcome long odds,” Afeyan told the graduates. “Embrace uncertainty, and lead with imagination.”

Afeyan’s speech was followed by an address from MIT President Sally Kornbluth, who described the Institute’s graduating class as a “natural wonder,” in a portion of her remarks directed to family and friends.

“You know how delightful and inspiring and thoughtful they are,” Kornbluth said of this year’s graduates. “It has been our privilege to teach them, and to learn together with them. And we share with you the highest hopes for what they will do next.”

The OneMIT Commencement ceremony is an Institute-wide event serving as a focal point for three days of graduation activities, from May 29 through May 31.

MIT’s Class of 2024 comprises 3,666 students, earning a total of 1,386 undergraduate and 2,715 graduate degrees.

Photo: Gretchen Ertl

The OneMIT Commencement ceremony is an Institute-wide event serving as a focal point for three days of graduation activities.

Photo: Gretchen Ertl

Sally Kornbluth, Noubar Afeyan, Cynthia Barnhart, and other MIT community members led the procession of faculty and administration onto Killian Court. R. Robert Wickham ’93, SM ’95, president of the MIT Alumni Association and chief marshal of the Commencement ceremony, carried the ceremonial golden mace.

Photo: Jake Belcher

“You already have a head start, quite a significant one,” Afeyan told MIT’s graduates. “You graduate today from MIT, and that says volumes about your knowledge, talent, vision, passion, and perseverance — all essential attributes of the elite 21st-century agent.” He then drew laughs by quipping, “Oh, and I forgot to mention our relaxed, uncompetitive nature, outstanding social skills, and the overall coolness that characterizes us MIT grads.”

Photo: Gretchen Ertl

The Chorallaries sang the national anthem, as well as the school song, “In praise of MIT,” and another Institute anthem, “Take Me Back to Tech.”

Photo: Gretchen Ertl

“Let us step forward from today with a commitment not only to further our own goals, but also to use our skills and knowledge to contribute positively to our communities and the world,” said Lieutenant Mikala Nicole Molina, president of the Graduate Student Council.

Photo: Gretchen Ertl

Penny Brant, president of the undergraduate Class of 2024, offered a salute to her classmates: “I know I would not be graduating here today if not for all of you who have helped me along the way. You all have had such a profound and positive impact on me, our community, and the world.”

Photo: MIT News

President Sally Kornbluth, issuing the president’s traditional “charge to the graduates,” lauded the Class of 2024 for being “a community that runs on an irrepressible combination of curiosity and creativity and drive. A community in which everyone you meet has something important to teach you. A community in which people expect excellence of themselves — and take great care of one another.”Sally Kornbluth, wearing gray and red academic regalia, speaks at a podium with the MIT seal on the front.

Photo: Gretchen Ertl

Previous item Next item

MIT’s Class of 2024 encompasses 3,666 students, earning a total of 1,386 undergraduate and 2,715 graduate degrees. (Some students are receiving more than one degree at a time.) Undergraduate and graduate students also have separate ceremonies, organized by academic units, in which their names are read as they walk across a stage.

Afeyan is a founder and the CEO of Flagship Pioneering, a venture firm started in 2000 that has developed more than 100 companies in the biotechnology industry, which combined have more than 60 drugs in clinical development.

A member of the MIT Corporation who earned his PhD from the Institute in biochemical engineering, Afeyan also served as a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management for 16 years. He is currently on the advisory board of the MIT Abdul Latif Jameel Clinic for Machine Learning and has been a featured speaker at events such as MIT Solve. Afeyan is the co-founder of the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, among other philanthropic efforts.

“You already have a head start, quite a significant one,” Afeyan told MIT’s graduates. “You graduate today from MIT, and that says volumes about your knowledge, talent, vision, passion, and perseverance — all essential attributes of the elite 21st-century agent.” He then drew laughs by quipping, “Oh, and I forgot to mention our relaxed, uncompetitive nature, outstanding social skills, and the overall coolness that characterizes us MIT grads.”

Afeyan also heralded the Institute itself, citing it as a place crucial to the development of the “telephone, digital circuits, radar, email, internet, the Human Genome Project, controlled drug delivery, magnetic confinement fusion energy, artificial intelligence and all it is enabling — these and many more breakthroughs emerged from the work of extraordinary change agents tied to MIT.”

Long before Afeyan himself came to MIT, he grew up in an immigrant Armenian family in Beirut. After civil war came to Lebanon in 1975, he spent long hours in the family apartment watching “Mission: Impossible” re-runs on television.

As Afeyan noted, the special agents in the show always received a message beginning, “Your mission, should you choose to accept it … ” He added: “No matter how long the odds, or how great the risk, the agents always took the assignment. In the 50 years since, I have been consistently drawn to impossible missions, and today I hope to convince each and every one of you that you should be too.”

To accomplish difficult tasks, Afeyan said, people often do three things: imagine, innovate, and immigrate, with the latter defined broadly, not just as a physical relocation but an intellectual exploration.

“Imagination, to my mind, is the foundational building block of breakthrough science,” Afeyan said. “At its best, scientific research is a profoundly creative endeavor.”

Breakthroughs also deploy innovation, which Afeyan defined as “imagination in action.” To make innovative leaps, he added, requires a kind of “paranoid optimism. This means toggling back and forth between extreme optimism and deep-seated doubt,” in a way that “often starts with an act of faith.”

Beyond that, Afeyan said, “you will also need the courage of your convictions. Make no mistake, you leave MIT as special agents in demand. As you consider your many options, I urge you to think hard about what legacy you want to leave, and to do this periodically throughout your life. … You are far more than a technologist. You are a moral actor. The choice to maximize solely for profits and power will in the end leave you hollow. To forget this is to fail the world — and ultimately to fail yourself.”

Finally, Afeyan noted, to make great innovative leaps, it is often necessary to “immigrate,” something that can take many forms. Afeyan himself, as an Armenian from Lebanon who came to the U.S., has experienced it as geographic and social relocation, and also as the act of changing things while remaining in place.

“Here’s the really interesting thing I’ve learned over the years,” Afeyan said. “You don’t need to be from elsewhere to immigrate. If the immigrant experience can be described as leaving familiar circumstances and being dropped into unknown territory, I would argue that every one of you also arrived at MIT as an immigrant, no matter where you grew up. And as MIT immigrants, you are all at an advantage when it comes to impossible missions. You’ve left your comfort zone, you’ve entered unchartered territory, you’ve foregone the safety of the familiar.”

Synthesizing these points, Afeyan suggested, “If you imagine, innovate, and immigrate, you are destined to a life of uncertainty. Being surrounded by uncertainty can be unnerving, but it’s where you need to be. This is where the treasure lies. It’s ground zero for breakthroughs. Don’t conflate uncertainty and risk — or think of it as extreme risk. Uncertainty isn’t high risk; it’s unknown risk. It is, in essence, opportunity.”

Afeyan also noted that many people are “deeply troubled by the conflicts and tragedies we are witnessing” in the world today.

“I wish I had answers for all of us, but of course, I don’t,” Afeyan said. “But I do know this: Having conviction should not be confused with having all the answers. Over my many years engaged in entrepreneurship and humanitarian philanthropy, I have learned that there is enormous benefit in questioning what you think you know, listening to people who think differently, and seeking common ground,” a remark that drew an ovation from the audience.

In conclusion, Afeyan urged the Class of 2024 to face up to the world’s many challenges while getting used to a life defined by tackling tough tasks.

“Graduates, set forth on your impossible missions,” Afeyan said. “Accept them. Embrace them. The world needs you, and it’s your turn to star in the action-adventure called your life.”

Next, Kornbluth, issuing the president’s traditional “charge to the graduates,” lauded the Class of 2024 for being “a community that runs on an irrepressible combination of curiosity and creativity and drive. A community in which everyone you meet has something important to teach you. A community in which people expect excellence of themselves — and take great care of one another.”

As Kornbluth noted, most of the seniors in the undergraduate Class of 2024 had to study through, and work around, the Covid-19 pandemic. MIT, Kornbluth said, is a place where people “fought the virus with the tools of measurement and questioning and analysis and self-discipline — and was therefore able to pursue its mission almost undeterred.”

The campus community, she added, “understands, in a deep way, that the vaccines were not some ‘overnight miracle’ — but rather the final flowering of decades of work by thousands of people, pushing the boundaries of fundamental science.”

And while the Class of 2024 has acquired a great deal of knowledge in the classroom and lab, Kornbluth thanked its members for what they have given to MIT, as well.

“The Institute you are graduating from is — thanks in part to you — always reflecting and always changing,” Kornbluth said. “And I take that as your charge to us.”

The OneMIT Commencement event started with a parade for alumni from the class of 1974, back on campus for their 50th anniversary reunion. The MIT Police Honor Guard entered next as part of the ceremonial procession, followed by administration and faculty. The MIT Wind Ensemble, conducted by Fred Harris, Jr., provided the accompanying music.

Mark Gorenberg ’76, chair of the MIT Corporation, formally opened the ceremony, and Thea Keith-Lucas, chaplain to the Institute, gave an invocation. The Chorallaries of MIT sang the national anthem.

Afeyan’s remarks followed, but were delayed for several minutes by protesters holding signs. After his speech, Lieutenant Mikala Nicole Molina, president of the Graduate Student Council, delivered remarks as well.

“Let us step forward from today with a commitment not only to further our own goals, but also to use our skills and knowledge to contribute positively to our communities and the world,” Molina said. “Our actions reflect the excellence and integrity that MIT has instilled in us.”

Penny Brant, president of the undergraduate Class of 2024, then offered a salute to her classmates, saying “I know I would not be graduating here today if not for all of you who have helped me along the way. You all have had such a profound and positive impact on me, our community, and the world.”

Kornbluth’s speech, which followed, was momentarily interrupted by shouting from an audience member, before students and other audience members gave Kornbluth a sustained ovation and ceremonies resumed as planned.

R. Robert Wickham ’93, SM ’95, president of the MIT Alumni Association and chief marshal of the Commencement ceremony, also offered a traditional greeting for graduates saying he was “welcoming you into our alumni family, your infinite connection to MIT.” There are now almost 147,000 MIT alumni worldwide.

The Chorallaries sang the school song, “In praise of MIT,” as well as another Institute anthem, “Take Me Back to Tech,” moments after Gorenburg formally closed the ceremony.

Preceding Afeyan, recent MIT Commencement speakers have been engineer and YouTuber Mark Rober, in 2023; Director-General of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in 2022; lawyer and activist Bryan Stevenson, in 2021; and retired U.S. Navy four-star admiral William McRaven, in 2020.

[d2kvirus]

9/2/24 Fact or Fiction

Statement #1: The booking of the 2024 men’s Royal Rumble match was very conservative. FACT - Although I would go one further: every since moving to two Rumbles a night so much of the Rumble booking has become too conservative, which has had the unintended side effect of reusing certain tropes far more often than they should be, most obviously how both matches at last year's Rumble had the No1 entrant in the final two - just like the winners of the 2021 Rumbles were Edge and Bianca Belair, who entered at No1 and No3 respectively

Statement #2: Sending Jordynne Grace to the WWE Royal Rumble was a great move for TNA. FICTION - I was going to say Fact as it got some eyes on TNA...and then Anthem went and fired Scott D'Amore for no logical reason whatsoever, meaning they pulled a Starmer because at the exact moment there were eyes on the product they went and did something utterly moronic at the precise moment in time they needed to do nothing

Statement #3: Justice for Sami. FACT - At last year's Rumble Sami was in a massive segment which built a huge title match at Elimination Chamber. A year later he's in the Rumble for three minutes and change, meaning he was in the match for about half the time Karrion Kross was and got the same number of eliminations. Seriously, when you can make direct comparisons with Sami's booking and Karrion Kross', you know something has gone askew

Statement #4: Bayley was the wrong choice to win the 2024 women’s Royal Rumble match. FICTION - Bayley was the most obvious winner of the women's Rumble and has been ever since Damage CTRL added Asuka and Kairi to their ranks, and TBH it's an accolade that Bayley has deserved given she was a Lockdown MVP yet has been slept on ever since - and that's an actual accolade, not a "Rumble and MITB count as titles now so better have them win those too" accolade

Statement #5: Bron Breakker is too small to be a main event-er on RAW or Smackdown. FICTION - Putting aside how size discourse has been outdated for, ooh, decades by this point, the thing about size is that physical size is far less important than how big somebody's presentation makes them look. Case in point, Taz was hardly going to tower over anyone in ECW (with the possible exception of Spike Dudley) but his presentation made him appear like he was a titan, and the same is true the other way around as Drew McIntyre did not feel like he was 6'5" while a member of 3MB just as Jack Swagger did not feel like a 6'7" athlete for most of his WWE run. In short, Bron isn't "too small" for a headline spot if his presentation makes him feel like he's larger than the 6'0" that he actually is

Statement #6: You are excited for Roman Reigns vs. The Rock to main event Wrestlemania. FICTION - At least the Lashley/Rusev cuckoldry angle wasn't destined to headline WrestleMania, unlike the Rock/Cody cuckoldry angle which absolutely was

[blacktopmemories]

Playlist for Saturday, December 23, 2023

The Mountain Goats - "Fresh Tattoo" Boygenius - "We're in Love" Faith Healer - "Velvet Green" Portugal. The Man - "Champ" The New Frontiers - "Man Down" Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" The Rural Alberta Advantage - "Runner in the Night" The Gaslight Anthem - "History Books" Half Dream - "Dried Flowers" Kurt Vile - "Much be Santa" The Fire Theft - "Oceans Apart" Bad Books - "How This All Ends" Counting Crows - "Anna Begins" Molly Burch - "Tattoo" Lucas Davies - "Thinking of You" Squirrel Flower - "When a Plant is Dying" From Indian Lakes - "Stay Outside" Gracer - "Esparanza" City and Colour - "Take Care" Mo Troper - "Atlantic" Wishy - "Paradise" Guided by Voices - "Local Master Airplane" The Growlers - "Humdrum Blues" Less than Jake - "Bless the Cracks" MGMT - "Plenty of Girls in the Sea" Fountains of Wayne - "I Want an Alien for Christmas" xo - b.

To download or stream the show, click here!

[tobblok]

Hello Rockview '23

We all have the band that we have listened to an embarrassing amount of, especially when we were younger. For me, that band will always be Less Than Jake, one of the Ska/Punk bands that managed to make it into the mainstream. Though I will always argue that their next album 'Anthem' is their best due to their ability to truly explore the genre of Ska, their 3rd album ‘Hello Rockview’ is still a classic. But this album has two songs that have made it a nostalgic pillar of my musical journey. 

These two songs are “All My Best Friends Are MetalHeads” and “History of a Boring Town.” Mixing the brass instruments with a 2-Tone guitar riff, these songs to me atleast still stand up as perfect examples of what Ska/Punk can be. ‘Metalheads’ is their most popular song, deling with people judging each other based upon what they look like, whilst ‘Boring Town’ is the band talking about the small town they grew up in and struggled to leave, two things that reached my younger self on a personal level. Currently, ‘Metalheads’ is sitting at 52 million views on Spotify with ‘Boring Town’ at 20 million, showing that for many other people, these songs are still being constantly played since their release in ‘98.

This now brings us to the topic of this post. Earlier this week, Less Than Jake published from their own publishing company ‘Pure Noise Records’ their 25th anniversary single to commemorate the release of ‘Hello Rockview’. As musical language is weird, this ‘single’ contains two songs, those previously mentioned, re-recorded with the current band. Though it is disappointing not to see other songs from this album be there, ‘Five State Drive’ and ‘Nervous In The Alley’ being another two of my favourites from it, the site of this appearing in my new releases did get me excited.

However, like many people I have seen talk about this online, I was disappointed with this release. My honest opinion on these new recordings is that they do not have the same level of quality as those recorded 25 years ago. Some things are expected. People’s voices change as they grow older and for some artists ageing can unfortunately bring an end to their careers. Though Chris Demakes can still sing, there is the presence of auto-tune in ‘Metalheads’ that does ruin the song personally for me. The levels of the recording are also off, making it seem more like a recording of a live event than a produced album. One of my favourite features of ‘Boring Town’ is the growth present in it. It starts with just vocals and a guitar riff, growing with the addition of additional instruments as the drums and brass sections join in, adding to the cathartic crescendo that makes the song for me. Though of cause this is still there as these songs have not been rewritten, it lacks the punch of the original that made it an instant classic for me as I don’t feel like the trombone and sax is going to drown me in their crescendo. 

I will say though that a positive addition to a song is the reworked introduction of ‘Metalheads’. In both, a recording of a man pretty much explains the message of the song, which is not to judge people based on their looks. Here a different introduction is made which changes little but I prefer to the old version. 

Overall, these new recordings are not great, unable to beat their original recording. But having this appear has caused me to go back over their old work, especially those two songs, and rediscover my love for them and why they work. So I guess their plan worked in the end.