A place for John to rant and rave about his passions: music, movies, literature, soccer, his strange attempts at writing (songs, poems, short stories, and now even books), and general mayhem.
Well, Saturday night was astounding. Let me explain why:
1. They played Clarity in it entirety from front to back. This is amazing enough to make me happy for years and years to come, until I lose my sanity and can no longer remember such things. 2. Playing the album in its entirety meant playing "Goodbye Sky Harbor" in its entirety: all 16 minutes of it. It was amazing! They did all of the looping right there on stage, and that was really fun to see Jim laying down all of the voice tracks, then to have the band completely cut out and let the vocals do a "solo loop." Plus they had out the keyboards and xylophones. 3. After "Goodbye Sky Harbor," the band left the stage in order to return for the encore. The encore consisted of 8 songs: "What Would I Say To You Now," "No Sensitivity," "23," "Big Casino," "Work," "Pain," "The Middle," and "Sweetness." 4. On our drive to the theater (which was located in Tempe, AZ), we drove by the exit to Sky Harbor Airport. Ah...a little moment of clarity for us. I had no idea that Sky Harbor was an airport. It made many of the lyrics of the song make sense in a new way to me (and arguably the "correct" way). 5. I got a sweet commemorative t-shirt (shown below). 6. The Marquee Theater was PACKED (see picture below), and the crowd was amazing. I expected there to be tons of teeny-bopper girls there. Nope (although there were a few). The crowd seemed equal parts male/female/older/younger and really knew the band and its music. What a difference that makes. 7. They sounded amazing and I love them.
My shirt:
The crowd (I keep trying to find me, but alas I can't. I know that I'm somewhere on the left half and probably about halfway back. So...ten points if you can find me!):
As many know (but most probably don't), Jimmy Eat World has been doing a ten show tour in honor of the tenth anniversary of their album Clarity--my favorite album of all time. The way in which they shall be honoring this album is by playing the album in its entirety and in order (as far as I know). This is more than exciting... this is like a dream fulfilled. Thus, if you will... a moment of silence please... ... ... ...
...
... ...
Excellent. The final show will be this Saturday in their hometown (or at least pretty close) in Arizona. Sierra and I shall be there.
Here are two of my favorite songs from the album: First, a little song called "For Me This Is Heaven." This is the song that changed the way I listen to Jimmy Eat World (and also, in a round about way, inspired one of my songs, "Heaven's Showers"). I had already fallen in love with JEW from their album Bleed American (the album that came after Clarity), but this song didn't have the "fun/pop" feel (without being "pop/crap") that had initially attracted me to the band. This song showed me a much deeper and more complex songwriting ability possessed by this band. Also, be warned that there is some random girl playing piano and singing along with the band. I'm not sure who she is. Jimmy Eat World - "For Me This Is Heaven"
The second song is the last track on Clarity and is called "Goodbye Sky Harbor." It is over 16 minutes in length and the majority of that is the outro--a fairly short sequence/phrase that is being repeated over and over and over with slight (and some more obvious) variations on the theme. The truth is, I don't know another song that can repeat the same basic riff/chord progression for about 8 minutes straight and not make me want to shoot myself. The fact that I will sit there and listen to this track all the way through every time without ever ever having even the slightest desire to change it, and instead sit there loving every second of it speaks very highly to me of the creative powers of this band. I'll shut up now and let you watch the song, by saying that this clip cuts out most of the outro so don't be afraid of it.
I had no idea that this was happening/did happen until I got on Facebook this morning. So... I guess I missed that one. I remember Matt telling me that Coheed & Cambria were going to be playing some of the albums straight through, but I didn't realize that they were playing all four albums straight through and creating a DVD of the experience as well as a documentary of it. That is sweet. So, here is the trailer for the Neverender concert series and DVD that Coheed did and will be releasing March 24th. Update: Just like Matt told me they would be.
You gotta love random stories like these. I never know whether I think they are cool or just plain weird. The part of me that thinks it is cool is the part that likes unique creations and explorations in art and science. The other part is the one that wonders why on Earth this woman wanted to be a mermaid so badly. That is a little creepy. Anyway, weird or not, I'm glad that WETA was able to help her fulfill that dream.
This has been cracking me up for the past few minutes (since I saw the link my cousin Ken put up on our family website). If anyone ends up reading it, please let me know.
My favorite part? The Biography:
"Biography
JANE AUSTEN is the author of Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and other masterpieces of English literature.
SETH GRAHAME-SMITH once took a class in English literature. He lives in Los Angeles."
I am not a financially intellectual being. I can't really vouch for all or any of these principles more than to say that they all seem good to me. What I really liked was that an economist used The Hobbit as source material for his article. If nothing else, it is a fun read to see Tolkien referenced in this way.
Man, I am so confused and outraged at what Obama has done/is doing right now. This was the guy that tons of conservatives voted for because he was the one who seemed the most likely to be able to unite the nation and bring us together. Bull. He has not done a single thing to make conservative values seem even slightly valid, let alone extend a hand of fellowship. I fear greatly for our nation.
I liked this little comic and thought I'd share it with you guys.
Right after posting this I found this little video of our incredibly intelligent Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi making a brilliant statement about the dangers of not rushing into getting this stimulus package passed. Wow. That was a strange sentence.
Yes, you heard it folks. She DID in fact warn us that every month that goes by without the passing of this bill, 500 MILLION Americans (will) lose their jobs. Here is a link to Glenn Beck making fun of her (I certainly found it funny, but then I really can't stand that woman so I'm probably biased).
Stolen Pixels is the new webcomic project of the man I was just telling you guys about, Shamus Young. The idea behind it is that he "steals" screen shots from video games and turns them into comics. Here is today's comic, which is also Wii Fit related.
Steven and Jenna have been kind enough to let Sierra and myself pretty much take over their Wii Fit when we come to visit. I really enjoy the little sucker and have gone through countless internal (with myself) and external (with Sierra) debates as to whether or not getting a Wii and the Wii Fit is worth our money (and then time, energy, time, and time). We still haven't come to a concrete decision.
I really enjoyed this little article, though. I have been following this blog for a long time now, because he used to do a comic strip involving the Lord of the Rings. Make sure to read at least the first two comments after the article, also. They are thought-provoking, humorous, and sad. So, once again, a big thank you to Shamus for his lovely blog.
I don't know how many of you guys follow or care about this stuff, but here is an easy explanation of why we should be VERY concerned about what our government is doing with this bailout. We are headed for some incredibly rough times, and we are doing it to ourselves by having elected morons and immoral people into our government positions over the past 50 + years. If our government is corrupt, it is because WE elected corrupt people in and then didn't hold them accountable for their immoral acts. Electing and nominating immoral people because they are the "most qualified" is not acceptable. John off soapbox...now.
It has been a little while since I have done a good music post, so prepare yourselves for a little good old-fashioned verbosity.
Summer, 2005 - Matthew Hanks and I are living in Sacramento, CA, working a summer door-to-door sales job. He introduces me to a band called The Matches. While I immediately love a few of the songs from the album, I don't get into their album as a whole. Why? I think that they are just another punk band (in a long line of crappy punk bands) coming out after punk is dead to me. Let's face it, punk had its heyday, died down, flared back up again, and then played itself out. Now bands have to add a subgenre to even be able to use the work punk to describe themselves (pop/punk, alt/punk, etc.) Perhaps a month or so later, Matt and I go to the Warped Tour where we see The Matches perform. Their performance helps me change my mind about them for three reasons: First, they sound really good and do so while playing with a tremendous amount of energy. Basically, they have excellent stage presence and don't sacrifice their sound to get it. Second, I like that they seem to be trying desperately to hold onto their punk roots. They look ridiculous, still dressing like kids I mocked while going to high school a few years earlier, but they show no shame in it. While I think that they look like absolute (prepare yourselves for a VERY un-P.C. term, boys and girls) retards, I also somewhat enjoy the unashamedness of it all. Third, during the set, the singer or guitarist (I can't remember which) jumps up onto the drummer's bass drum to be able to gain an extra foot and a half in his rocking out (or perhaps to elevate himself so his eventual jump-off gains an extra second and a half of air time). However, things don't go as planned for said singer (or guitarist), because his foot slips up and he crashes into the drum set. Not to worry, they sort out the kit enough to keep going and continue rocking the 15 or so of us that had stopped by to listen into oblivion. Sidenote - I'm not going to lie, it was both hilarious and also really cool to see him/them keep going after something that was both incredibly embarrassing and surely painful (not to mention the drummer was probably PISSED). Over the months that follow that show, their first album E. Von Dahl Killed The Locals grows on me tremendously and begin to get plenty of rotation time on my Johntime Playlist.
Fall/Winter, 2006 - Their second album Decomposer is released. I struggle with this album at first. The band is maturing, trying new things, and straying away from the pop-punk roots that had taken me so long to grow to like. They still have that punk feel, but are trying a slightly more experimental/alt/rock style. It doesn't take too long though, and eventually I come around to the new direction. Both albums find themselves in heavy rotation on my Johntime Playlist at different points over the next two years.
Now, 2009 - The Matches release their third album A Band In Hope. For some reason, I don't even bother listening to it for at least a few months after it comes out. After I finally give it a try, I immediately fall in love with it and am still in love with it. It is obviously continuing down that road that Decomposer started them on, and it does so beautifully and with confidence. While a direct comparison to Queen would be difficult to support, there are moments when the same fearlessness and passion that drove Queen's music shines through in the music of this band. I highly recommend them.
I leave you with three videos (one from each album). The first is from their first album. "Chain Me Free"
Next is a video from their second album. "Salty Eyes"
The third and final video is from their third album. "Wake The Sun"
There are many different forms and styles of comedy. Some comedians get really hyper and loud to achieve their style of humor. Some are very quiet and subtle. Some humor involved language and the play of words, while other humor relies completely on a facial expression or whatever. To be honest, I am not sure what style of humor this next video would fall under (certainly there are many more than the few I have listed). Whatever style it is, I hereby declare it my favorite. It is a brilliant kind of humor and doesn't need to resort on gimmicks; swearing; dirty themes; loud noises, bangs, or pops; or anything other than comedic perfection. To those behind the SNL Digital Shorts (the Lonely Island boys), the cast and writers of SNL, Lorne Michaels, and especially to Neil Patrick Harris: I thank and salute your comedic achievement.
If you haven't watched last night's The Office, then I suggest waiting on this clip. Otherwise, enjoy some great moments (especially the final scene between Michael and Andy).
I am testing out an add-on that I just installed called ScribeFire. It will supposedly make blogging easier (as though it was difficult before or something). Maybe I'll spice this up by quoting a line from Beowulf (which I am currently reading) and sharing something I found cute. Yeah, that sounds nice.
"In the end each clan on the outlying coasts beyond the whale-road had to yield to him and begin to pay tribute" (lines 9-11, emphasis added).
That little word there--"whale-road"--refers to the sea/ocean. But how much less interesting would it have been to say, "beyond the ocean"? I'll answer for you: much less interesting. The author of Beowulf chose instead to describe the sea as the "whale-road" which is not only more vivid; frankly, it is more fun to read. This literary device is known as a kenning. I know not where that name comes from, but I think it is cute that there is a name given to it.
I don't know if I have linked to my sister-in-law's special blog creation, yet (I realize that Cal has also been involved in this project, but for some reason I think of it more as Bethany's brain-child). It is called The Family Soup. The basic idea behind the site is to have "a place where people can come (single, married, divorced, widowed, etc.) and gain strength and wisdom from other ordinary people who have ‘been there’" (taken from the 'About' section of the site). Thus, it is a place where family, friends, and even strangers can open up, be honest about life's difficulties, and share their experiences with each other. A very wide variety of topics is/will be covered on there, and it is divided into different "rooms" depending on what you are looking for. Por ejemplo, the kitchen is where people can gather to swap stories of their challenges, the family room is focused more directly on the challenges that affect families, and the sandbox is a place to talk about the strange and funny things that children do.
As far as I know there is an open invitation to all to come participate and share, and I highly recommend it. To begin with, I will direct you Bethany's most recent blog post (their own personal blog space as administrators of the site) where she shares a great idea on bringing a little more unity to a marriage and family. The Family Soup Blog.
Long cut scenes in video games can be some of the most annoying things on Earth if you can't skip them. It is about time someone found a way to combine the awesome power of commentary humor (a la Mystery Science Theater 3000) with something that frustrates me so. Thanks to Shamus for posting this video on his blog.
Disclaimer: yes, this is a complete MST3K ripoff in form, but that does not mean it is un-enjoyable. Just give it a little time so you can warm up to the humor. You don't need to be into video games to be able to enjoy it.
I don't know whether or not I think that is freaking awesome or totally disgusting, so I'll spare you people the blessing/curse of reading my internal debate as I decide. I would however love to hear your thoughts on whether this is feels like an excellent usage of time and talent or a twisted way of saying "Thanks, Baby Jesus," to you. If you find the videos boring at first, please keep watching. They get spicier as they go. Trust me on this (and thank you Bethany for finding and posting these).
1. Today I finished listening to the BBC Radio Production of the Lord of the Rings. Sir Ian Holm played Frodo (yes the same Ian Holm that played Bilbo in Peter Jackson's trilogy). I can see where Jackson either wittingly or unwittingly mirrored the adaptation of this radio version. It worked quite well, although I admit that there are some things lost in a radio version that are so easy to show in film. I will also add that while the music was actually pretty good for it, it was nowhere near as good as Howard Shore's masterful score.
2. A more full trailer has been released for "The Hunt for Gollum." This is a fan-made film that tels the story of Aragorn's hunt for Gollum. They are obviuosly taking liberties here with material that Tolkien himself never fleshed out, but I am excited nonetheless. Visually it actually looks rather impressive (especially considering the lack of budget that an independent and assuredly non-profit production would be able to muster). Well, I think I'm done nerding out on you for today. I leave you with the trailer:
last night Sierra and I took my grandma to see the Nevada Ballet Theatre's production of The Nutcracker. Before I get to the review, I will give a little back story. Grab a cup of hot cocoa, a nice warm blanket, and get ready for the tale of your life.
Actually it's not that exciting. Every year, when I was little, my grandmother would take all of her posterity to see The Nutcracker at Christmas time. I'm going to be honest, I HATED this tradition. It was this incredibly long and boring dance recital where guys would stuff their little white tights and prance around. The beginning made sense to me: the little brother and sister get gifts and then the little boy annoys the crud out of the sister for a while. That I got. After that I got nothing. Mice come running in, the dolls become real and fight the mice and mouse king, and then the magician takes the kids to magic winter and candy land. I thought it was so lame. In fact, I think I may have been instrumental in the demise of the tradition. I was too young to know if I really had that much of an effect, but one year I adamantly requested we not go to The Nutcracker and instead go to a different show. That same year we went to the Knights of the Round Table or whatever at the Excalibur. It was freaking sweet. However, The Nutcracker tradition didn't really last after that. I don't know if it was because my sisters were starting to get married and what not, but for some reason we just sort of stopped. I think I always felt a little bad like my request had made my grandma feel like no one liked that tradition.
So here we are all these years later and somehow Sierra and I get on the conversation of The Nutcracker. I told her how we used to go every year and she told me that she had never seen it before. Soon we had a plan to give back to my grandma a little bit of the tradition that I had felt responsible for ruining for a few years (I realize now that I was not responsible, so there is not some strange guilt or something). We went to it last night and it was lovely. My grandma really enjoyed it, which made me happy. Sierra really enjoyed, which made me even happier. In fact, even I enjoyed it, which confused me. The same strange men were leaping about in their far-too-tight tights and I still don't get how the story makes any sense, but for some reason I was ok with the idea that the story didn't need to be a story in the sense that there is a plot and a climax. I think that was one of the things that had frustrated me when I was younger; the climax (as near as I can tell) comes in the first act. All the rest of it is just the sights the kids see as they travel around the winter and candy lands.
I think what really made the difference (besides me being older and more mature, etc.) is that I have a much deeper appreciation for music than I did back then. The music is amazing. It is so beautiful and rich. It incorporates Russian, Spanish, Oriental, and Arabian styles and has so many different movements and moods that it sets. When my focus was the music, the dancing made sense. At times I would find myself sort of letting my eyes glaze over, so I wasn't paying attention to the specific moves that the ballerinas/ballerinos were doing, but instead just letting the movement as a whole be a blur of colors and what not. It was really cool to take it in in that way. Today, when I told my supervisor about that technique, she said it is a good thing I wasn't alive during the 60s or I would have definitely been a dead head. Haha. Except, I don't even need drugs for the psychadelic art to take its hold on me I guess.
Tickets aren't cheap, so I don't know if I can really recommend it to others. There are probably lots of other things that most would find more enjoyable than sitting through a ballet for about 2 1/2 hours, especially for the price. The cheap seats run $45 and the expensive ones run $75. We got ours for half off, so it wasn't that bad actually, but most probably wouldn't have the sentimental attachment to the show that I now do. If however, you can afford it and want to try something different than just the standard flick at the cinema (or if you are obsessed with music and dancing), then I do recommend it. I'm glad we went.
I will also add this, I actually was impressed with the dancing this time. Some of it is quite beatiful and other stuff is obviously difficult. While still not wanting to ever be caught alone in a dark alley full of ballerinos, those guys (and ladies) are pretty amazing.
I just realized that a decent number of people I know have had some exciting controversy on their blogs. They've had angry people get on there and say contentious things, while I haven't been blessed with ANY of that. All I get are nice comments. So, something has to change.
I'm going to spend the next few minutes saying controversial things on here and then prepare for the violent blow back. Oh man am I excited! Ready?
- I'm not joining Obama's civilian "task" force, even if the perks are too good to pass up. - William Shatner was the worst Captain Kirk EVER! - Kurt Cobain didn't kill himself, nor did Courtney Love kill him--he killed Courtney Love, performed a brilliant surgery to make her look like him, and then pretended to be Courtney Love. If we dig up "his" grave all of this will be confirmed. - Ozzy Osbourne SUCKS! (I'm stealing that one from Steven and taking it further than he was willing to go.) - Kids SUCK at drawing. They are terrible. - I like Asians. That is not very controversial, but what can I say? I like 'em. They are always so nice to me. - Unions are leading our nation directly into socialism. While they started out with a good purpose, they are choking our businesses and industries to death. Current problems with the Big 3 auto companies and their need for a bailout? Unions are to blame. Down with 'em! - Bush is the best shoe-dodging president our nation has ever seen and that in and of itself makes him a worthy leader.
Alright. Something in there has got to piss somebody off. Bring it on.
Fact: it is snowing in Vegas. Fact: it has been snowing for the past few hours in Vegas and I am sitting at my desk, with my blinds pulled up so I can clearly view the snow falling outside, one beautiful, large flake after the other. Indisputable Fact: Global Warming is real, because not only did Al Gore (a bastion of knowledge in our ever-heating world) make an excellent film that says so; not only are the lame and stupid scientists that dispute it snickered at (and called clever names like "flat-Earthers"--get it? Like they would have been the ones that believed the earth was flat when far smarter guys were totally right about it being round) by the other real, and far more awesome scientists who don't like their guesses and predictions for the future questioned; but also it has been summarily proven that the mere act of denying mankind's involvement as the source of global warming and climate change is akin to denying the Holocaust.
Thank you science and agenda-free journalism for clearing that one up. In other news it has been snowing here in Vegas for the past few hours and it is lovely. Somehow while Earth has been steadily growing warmer over the past 100 years (we'll brush that period of time under the rug, when, a few decades back, science told us that we had to fear global cooling and maybe even another another ice age! Yikes! I'm glad science was wrong then...), Vegas has received snow three of the past 5 years. This is obviously one of Global Warming's tricks, designed to lull us into a false sense of security, thinking that it doesn't exist so that it can administer its poison to us slowly and stealthily. Don't be surprised to see Earth go through some cooling periods (like the one we have been in since 2001 or so) as Global Warming pretends to not exist. It is real, or the Holocaust didn't happen. Infallible logic.
There is something magical about finishing a semester of school: all the creative juices get flowing again. Or maybe the juices are always flowing, but I get too tired during the semester to uncork their protective sheep-bladder canteen and pour them out on the parched, desert sand that is my blog. Either way, I'm glad to have them back.
The Effervescent John
I am the Effervescent John I bubble and I fizzle and I keep your body strong. When colds, the giggles, and ninja emus attack, then you'll hear my song.
La-dee-da-doo-dee-da-da-doo-dee-doo I'll bubble and fizzle and spin kick your flu 'til all of your enemies are dead and long gone; Effervescence, please be true.
I don't usually bring up religious or spiritual things on this blog, because it was originally designed as a place for me to put my poetry. I originally envisioned this to be a fun place where I could be silly and others could easily access it. That original purpose has obviously somewhat changed over the years, as I have expanded the blog to basically to be a place for me to put anything I find interesting, whether it is funny or not. I even eventually caved in and posted a few politically themed posts as I felt the desire. One reason I have avoided spiritually themed posts is that I haven't wanted to turn anyone who is not of my faith away, because they feel "bombarded" by beliefs they don't share (I realize that my "reader base" is not large, but I think I always figured that it someday would be). I must admit though, that I am not the same person I was when I first started this blog. A few years will do that to you. It is still not my express purpose to wax political or spiritual on here, but I will no longer avoid those topics either; they are a part of who I am and if I feel the desire/need to say something regarding them, then I shall. Consider this my "coming out" declarative post.
This morning I listened to the talk on Christian Courage that Elder Robert D. Hales gave in the October session of Conference. I found it so helpful and reassuring, given that not even two full months after it was given the LDS church has come under heavy attack by many who feel hurt and angry at the church for its support and involvement in Prop 8. A great deal of hatred has been spewed out against the church by "news" commentators, there have been protest marches in front of and even vandalism done to our temples, misleading commercials and representations of the church's purpose for supporting it (i.e. that hatred was our motivation), some verbal threats made, and even one instance of violent retaliation. I have asked myself--sitting there in classes, listening to fellow students talk about any who supported Prop 8 as hateful and homophobes--should I speak up and defend the church (knowing that it will only lead to bitter debates and hurtful accusations)? How am I to respond? It turns out that in this case the Lord already answered that question before I asked it or knew I WOULD ask it. Thus, for any who are feeling similarly conflicted, who don't know whether or not they should "fight back," I link to Elder Hales' talk and highly recommend reading it. It can also be found in November's General Conference issue of the Ensign.
In other news, I got a special fun new toy (and by toy I mean awesome responsibility that requires great skill, respect, and dedication to master). It is a Smith & Wesson Model 36 "Chief's Special" .38 Special snubnose revolver. It is used, so it only cost $250.00. I haven't shot it yet, so we'll see how it holds up, but so far not too shabby a deal. Mainly, I wanted something simple and effective for Sierra to use if the need to protect herself (and my PEZ collection) arose and I was not there. The pic to the right is not my specific gun (taking one to upload seemed like a lot of extra work tonight, so I just found one online). It seemed like it captured the essence of my gun pretty dang well though (although I would never tie some silly little string on my baby).
Thanksgiving has come and gone and now I am heading into the last week before finals (when most of my essays are due). I don't have much to report, but I am sick of Angry Burke chomping at my bits. So... here is a random poem that I shall make up right now while I sit here in class.
I Am Sorry
I am sorry if my socks are just too dang green. I am sorry for your missing spleen. I am sorry for the space between thy two front teeth, and all I mean to really say is just that beans make excellent pastes with which to clean the cellar and a pastry queen's Veruca Salty, hammy thing. Come with me and we shall sing of lovely, bubbly, hemorrhoid creams that carry us on silken wings to the glorious heights where Charlie Sheen will make us delicious onion rings. We'll hope that he remembers to bring his pants so that no one must see a sight most horribly obscene; Charlie are you listening?
First of all, I apologize to all of my faithful readers who have wondered where I had gone. To you, my words are as the honey suckle to that travel-weary bee, ever-seeking that sweet succulent nectar that is my psyche. If you have felt abandoned, then I am sorry. If you have felt lost, then thy pains are my own. If thou art gassy, then know that I am that gas.
I'd like to say a word regarding the elections. To do so, I should first link to Glenn Beck's response to a caller (who felt like Barack Obama wasn't his president and shouldn't be supported) and ask you to go read that. It is a transcript from Glenn's radio show, so it isn't supposed to read like a book.
Moving forward, my own thoughts on the election are pretty well summed up by Glenn. Barack Obama, for all the views that he and I do not share (and furthermore that I oppose), has been elected as the President of the United States of America. It is premature to say anything about his presidency; it hasn't happened yet. I will support him as the elected leader of this nation, because that is what he is. He is our President. This does not mean I have changed my views on anything or that I have to. It just means that I support the Democratic process by which our nation's leaders are elected. Is it possible that President-elect Obama will do things I disagree with? Yes. The potential is great. However, it is also possible that he will go down as a President who was able to accomplish much good for the nation. It all depends on him and how he wears that Presidential mantle. So, until there is reason to distrust him, I will trust in what he has said he will do--move toward the center and not push for a liberal/leftist agenda. I will be vigilant, but I will also support.
During the election, my main issue with Barack Obama as a presidential candidate was that there was too much unknown about him. Questions regarding his birth, beliefs, views, associations, etc.: these all raised flags for me. It doesn't mean that I assumed that he was affiliated with terrorists or that he was buddy buddy with Bill Ayers. What it means was that I wasn't satisfied that he wasn't. The proof was not overwhelming for either argument. Thus, I had questions and concerns. In the end I felt like there were too many questions and concerns for me to feel capable of supporting his candidacy. In the end, the American people decided that they did not share those same concerns. I don't need to be bitter about that. Anger doesn't need to be in this equation for me. Barack Obama is my president, because I believe in our nation and our nation voted him in. I truly hope that he can be the great president that so many are hoping he can be. I truly hope that the concerns surrounding him as having some sort of either Marxist or terrorist agenda are completely false and that we will see him emerge as a good and sincere man who has America's best interests at heart. Only time will tell. Until that picture clears up, I will not bemoan his victory. I encourage others to do the same. That is all I have to say at this time. One change that will be coming is that I shall no longer feel shy or timid about sharing political thoughts on this blog. It won't be excessive, because other plans are in the works, but I too want my voice to be heard, and I too want to do what I can to help make this nation a better place to live. Also, a special shout-out to Burke for being so dang inspiring all the time. You better make your comment good.
Many probably saw the JibJab video from four years ago. I just saw this election's video today and share it with you now (you'll have to click the link my friends).
Also, 20/20 ran an excellent piece that covers so much of what is gong on and wrong with our nation at the moment. I will only post the first part of it on here, but if you desire to see the rest, just follow the YouTube links after it finishes.
I had a thought that some of you have already heard me share. It has recently dawned on me why it is so important to maintain the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms (which for me includes being able to own your own weapon and even being able to carry it). I used to understand it only as a safeguard against crime and violence in our communities. This election has really opened my eyes though, to how far some people would want to take the role of big government, and frankly that concerns me. The right to bear arms is not just about keeping burglars or assailants from attacking our homes, it is also a check and a balance against our government itself. In fact, it is one of the only checks and balances that directly protects the people of this nation from our government ever growing too powerful (i.e. a dictatorship, communism, etc.). There are many who feel that our nation would be safer if we were to ban guns, and perhaps we would see less gun-related violence. However, it should be remembered that not only has violent crime existed in human history--long before the gun was invented and brought on the scene--but the fact is, if someone wants to hurt you, they will find a way. Taking away guns from the masses will eventually only take guns away from those who wouldn't use them illegally. Those who would use them illegally will. I'll end by reiterating what was already said: taking away guns won't stop violent crimes; those that want to hurt others will still exist in this world. Taking away guns really means that the people no longer have a safeguard against government (because you KNOW that no government is going to give up its guns). I support the 2nd Amendment, because I support our Constitution's system of checks and balances against our government ever becoming too powerful for us people to control. Sadly, I fear that we are already to that point anyway, and it makes it that much more important for us to not surrender those rights that would protect us from that sad end to our liberties. That is all.
Given the current state of our economy and the troubled times that seem to be looming ahead, I thought we could all use some inspiration. Let us not bow our heads and go softly into the night; let us save money on clothing by using our hair as a substitute.
I may just make this a weekly thing friends of forest fires. Each week's episode tends to have three clips of deleted scenes and I will post them as they are released. So if you only see one or two on here, check back later 'cause I will just update this same post with the clips. Questions?
I skipped the 2nd clip of deleted scenes due to its somewhat graphic nature, but here is the third one. I am sad they took it out, because as funny as it was to see Dwight try to destroy the baby carriage, this would have made that whole scene 10x funnier.
This is an older clip from Andy Samberg and Bill Hader's first year on SNL. Wanna know how out of touch I had gotten with said show? I had no clue that Horatio Sans was ever in the Weekend Update crew. Ah well.
First, watch this video that explains the process that Disney Child Star Creation Labs goes through to create their stars (and thank you Stooph for posting this on your blog for me to find and steal and exploit on my own):
Now that we have breached that milestone of 200 posts (201 baby), I thought we'd start off this new era of blogging with an excellent quote from Benjamin Franklin.
"An informed voter is a voter whose vote doesn't count any more than the vote of a complete idiot." - Benjamin Franklin.
I challenge each of us to find our political nemesis--the idiot whose vote cancels out our own--and somehow breed with them. What would happen? it is worth finding out. (Just kidding Sierra, I shan't breed with anyone and don't think that this means you can either).
That is right folks, this is my 200th post on this blog. Considering I've had it up for over 4 years now, that doesn't seem very impressive, but hey... I'm working on it. To celebrate, what do you say we toke a trip to the roller coaster park, get some free balloons, and listen to They Might Be Giants' "Older?" Yeah! That sounds like a birthday celebration to me! (This video was made by a man named Shamus Young, whose blog I regularly read--he made the Lord of the Rings web-comic I so love. So thank you, Shamus).
I have heard some critiques of this season of The Office (two episodes in, it seems a little early to think you can accurately describe any sort of "trend" into anything doesn't it?), how it feels more like a sitcom and Michael's acting is different and what not. People are lame. Watch these deleted scenes and tell me that they are not as hilarious as anything else the show has ever done. While I will admit that last night's episode wasn't the funniest I've ever seen, at not point did I feel dissatisfied with it; it was a story mover to help build for future conflicts between Michael and Holly from what I could tell, and therefore it was important. Anyway, these deleted scenes are fantastic. Oh, and in case you haven't heard of it yet, Matt tuned me in to a blog that should satisfy all of your extra-curricular The Office needs. The Office Tally. Go check it out. Seriously.
Update: Here is the second clip of deleted scenes, or Deleted Scenes 2.0. They can't be held responsible for what the first Deleted Scenes did.
Additional Update: The third clip of deleted scenes.
I would imagine that LARPing is not new to you, but just in case... Here are some great videos I found! This first video is about 4 1/2 minutes long and is a montage of some great footage of people LARPing. It is appropriately titled: "LARP Sadness." Amen.
Next up is a 5 1/2 minute film of a battle against a... DRAGON! My favorite parts are the random car that drives by in the background (I can't even imagine what would go through my mind if I were driving along, only to look over and see people dressed as wizards and dwarfs, running around a big dragon), the dude that gets taken out by the dragon's arm (and it looks like he really gets taken out by it), and the water or "acid?" that gets shot out of the dragon's mouth. Such realism. Plus, it is great how little is happening in it (everyone is just running around, but no one is fighting). It is called the "Wayfinder Dragon Battle" and is some sort of Finale? I don't get that.
Last up, an old favorite of mine. The classic "Magic Missile" video. If you do nothing else, make sure to watch this 30 second video with sound. You will not be disappointed.
I had no clue that they had done a radio version of the Lord of the Rings trilogy (the books). For an excellent write-up of similarities/differences of the books, radio version, and Peter Jackson's films: go here. I think I would really enjoy listening to those. Maybe the library will have it in stock.
Now to wax political again. I invite you to watch this video (which is obviously one side's take on the Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae issue). It is showing many Democrats in Congress defending both FM's back in 2004, when many Republicans in Congress were seeking for regulations to be placed on both FM's. Biased? Sure. I'm sure that it is not showing the whole story and I am sure that if the Democrats tried, they could put together a video showing the Republicans in a bad light too. It is still interesting, though to see Frank Raines (I believe that he is Obama's Economic adviser) defend the FM's. Anyway, you can judge for yourself if there is any value here.
A comedy skit show that has been around as long as SNL is bound to have some down years. After Will Ferrell left SNL, I figured that the show was lost for a while (and maybe it was... I didn't watch it for a bit and so I guess I don't know if it was really any good or not). Then they brough in some unusual choices (from my point of view): Kenan Thompson (of that old Nickelodeon comedy skit show that I never watched and thought sounded lame) and Andy Samberg (who got his start making really strange films and skits with his buddies from thelonelyisland.com). It was that same Andy (and his buddies that do a little bit of writing for the show now and are behind the SNL Digital Shorts) who got my attention to want to come back and give the show another try. When "Lazy Sunday" blew up, I think it caught everyone's attention. I have since begun watching little bits here and there and thank hulu.com tremendously for making it possible to see skits without having to stay up until 1:30 or 2:00 am to get my fix. The show has brought in some great cast members. Despite its heavy liberal leanings, I love Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers as the Weekend Update team. Andy Samberg, Bill Hader, Will Forte, and Fred Armisen are all very strong comedians and have impressed me tremendously. Most of all, and the biggest surprise to me, is that Kristen Wiig is outstanding. She has become that effortless comedian of the show, that will enhance any skit just by being in it. She doesn't have to try hard like so many other comedians do; she is just naturally hilarious. Anyway, The season premiere was very disappointing (despite Tina Fey's very funny and now infamous portrayal of Sarah Palin), but the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th episodes completely made up for that. My faith in the show is easily being restored to where I now feel it is worth it to stay up to watch it again. It has been a long time since I felt that way. First up, an O.J. Simpson trial jury selection skit:
Second, one of the best skits I've ever seen. Watch Kristen Wiig in action in the Lawrence Welk Show skit:
The first is Warren Buffet's plan (or at least a brief version of it) for how to save the economy.
The second is I just wanted to say thanks for the great blessing that is the Redneck. In our troubled times, there isn't hardly anyone to make fun of without being offensive. It's comforting to know that Rednecks are still safe.
ShockTillYouDrop.com is reporting that Bram Stoker's great-grandnephew (and blood descendant... ooooh... they used the word blood in the description of their relation which is what Dracula likes to eat cause he is a vampire and I'm sorry if I just ruined the story for anyone who hasn't read it yet), has compiled himself a sequel to Bram's Dracula. Apparently, there were lots of things that were cut from the first book or something like that, as well as some notes that his father had made. Thus, Dacre (which is a really creepy name in and of itself) compiled these notes and (I assume) filled in what was missing to make it a coherent story (with the help of a Dracula historian and documentarist named Ian Holt). This sounds very similar to what Christopher Tolkien has done with his father's notes from LOTR. It will be released in October of 2009.
One last tidbit, I guess originally it was to be called The Un-Dead, but they have since changed it to Dracula: The Un-Dead or something like that. I'm sure we'll learn more about this as we get closer to its release.
In other interesting and coincidentally related news, this week I (and a few others) watched the old 1931, black and white version of Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. I'm generally not a huge fan of old movies like that, but it was really cool to see how differently movies were made and what was considered scary back then. I think if a time machine allowed us to show one of the Saw movies to a 1931's audience, they would murder and eat each other before the movie ended because it would warp their freaking minds.
Comingsoon.net is reporting that J.J. Abrams' awesome new show, Fringe, was picked up by Fox for an additional 9 episodes (taking it to full season length). This is good news for fans of television, Abrams, Joshua Jackson, science, puppies, tentacles, forceps, bits of the flaky outer crust from Marie Calendars' delicious chicken pot pies, and teflon.
Perhaps this is not new to anyone, but it was to me. Matt Harding (a random human being/video game designer that has decided to travel the globe extensively, videotaping himself dancing foolishly in varied locations) seems like a cool guy to me. Big ups to Stride Gum for being willing to toss the necessary cash for travel expenses at him. Also, if you are interested, Jim Walsh from Minnpost.com helps explain how this thing got started and came to fruition. Things like this just make me happy.
Jack White and Alicia Keys are two artists that have both impressed me and left me unsure as to whether or not I really like them. Both have released some awesome songs, but at the same time, I don't generally like listening to either artists for any extended amount of time. I guess it is fitting that the Jack White written, performed (with Alicia Keys), and produced theme song "Another Way to Die" for the new James Bond movie Quantum of Solace would leave me unsure as to whether or not I like it. I was trying to imagine it as the beginning of a film, with all the random, weird, naked ladies floating and pointing guns through strange environments and I just wasn't getting it. Ah well. I'll hold off judgment until I see the film. Here is the music video for your viewing pleasure: "Another Way to Die"
Ives Galarcep is reporting that the Las Vegas Sports & Entertainment Group are looking into purchasing an unknown amount of the Columbus Crew (much like Oscar de la Hoya has done with the Houston Dynamo). LVSEG wouldn't run the team, they would just own a percentage of the team. Why might this be important? Well, despite large attendance figures during their early years, Columbus has struggled in recent years with getting people to come out to the games. This wouldn't be that bad for Columbus (certainly there are quite a few teams with poor attendance figures), but Forbes recently found Columbus to be 2nd to last in terms of overall team value, and tied for last in terms of revenue (they lost $4.5 million last year). This, despite the fact that they were the first team to get their own soccer specific stadium and have been around since the league's inception. What does all of this mean? Maybe nothing. LVSEG's spokesman, Paul Caligiuri, has stated that there are no plans to move the Crew out of Columbus, but it does raise questions as to what exactly the investment group that is planning to bring MLS to Vegas is trying to accomplish with this move. The fact is, there are some risks and concerns that many have regarding how well a professional soccer team (that plays outside during the summer) could do in a town with no real professional sports history. LVSEG has addressed one of these concerns with a plan that includes a $500M hotel/casino with a stadium alongside (complete with retractable roof and AC). The other concern (will the people come out to support this team?) is much harder to address and overcome; we won't know until it happens. Given the stability and success of Montreal, Vancouver, and Portland's USL teams, it would seem to make more sense to expand into any one of those markets. Add in the NY Mets' bid on a 2nd (and real--RBNY plays in Jersey) NY team, talks of Barcelona making a bid for a team in Miami again, and the soccer history of a town like St. Louis, Vegas is up against some tough competition. LVSEG says that this move does not mean they won't be pursuing MLS in Vegas. So what are they doing? The signs are pointing toward what is called, "a safety net." Let's assume that things go well for LVSEG and they are awarded the Vegas team. Sweet! Now they own a Vegas team and have own a large share in another team. They have options to sell it or whatever. No real harm done (other than it being a gamble with a large sum of money, but that is not something this ownership groups seems to be lacking in). If they are not granted the team, then at least they still have a team. Sure it's not in Vegas, but it is an MLS team and so they still win. If things don't start looking up for Columbus (attendance/revenue wise) then they are in a good position to consider moving the team out to Sin City. Thus far it seems like a wise safety net that they are setting up for themselves. It may not be real cause for alarm for Columbus fans, yet... but if it were my team that was in this situation, I'd do everything I could to make sure that attendance and revenues increase over the next year or two. Perhaps the success of Columbus this season will help bring some of those fair-weather fans back.
Well folks, most of you will remember this foul loathsome little creature. He is my doppelganger. I haven't found him yet, but when I do he will be destroyed, for neither of us can live while the other survives. I am re-posting him, because Misty (currently on an adventure in London, England, Europe, Earth) told me today that she found another doppelganger of me. Hers is apparently one tall drink of water, coming in at 6'2" and completely British. The only real difference she could find was that our glasses were slightly different (as are the glasses of the first other-dimensional me to the right here). Other than that, the eyes, nose, and even teeth reportedly looked exactly the same, although it's been a while since Misty has seen my teeth so who knows how accurate her assessment was. What does this mean? Is this a whole new menace to my me-ness or is the same one (pictured to the right) and now we know what country he lives in? I don't know what to think anymore. This whole phenomenon has me rather creeped out. It's like I am losing me. And just to clarify, the man pictured tot he right is not me. Ryan sent me that picture when it came in a forwarded e-mail that Sara had received. I myself was almost taken in by this conjurer's tricks and wondered if someone had taken a picture of me and Photo-shopped it. If you look carefully though, you will see that it is definitely not me. The straight and less-yellow-than-mine teeth are what really give his lies away. Plus, I'm not bald, yet.
Think of two things you really love. Go ahead. Take a minute. Ok got them? Now... put them together! Bam! Doesn't that feel nice? When I did it I got Nelly Furtado singing during the halftime show at one of DC United's games. What's more? She was sporting one of their jerseys. This happened a year or two ago and thus is old news, but I don't claim to be a source of news and especially not new news, so you'll have to take your complaints elsewhere.
I shan't explain my love affair with DC United or soccer, because I have done so extensively on here already. I will take a second to explain why I love Nelly Furtado so much. This begins with a problem: I don't usually like female musical artists. I could count on one hand the number of female artists that I really really like on one hand (at least, ones who are still living, contemporary female artists that I regularly listen to and not because it is fun to like them or funny). I can only guess at why this is and will do so now: I think it is due to what I perceive as a different approach to songwriting that many female artists take. I once read or heard somewhere that men pay more attention (at least initially) to the music of a song and women pay more attention (at least initially) to the lyrics. Who knows if this is true? I certainly don't. However I do find it interesting and as I have asked different men and women over the past few years it seems to somewhat make sense. I think this is the same reason why a lot of country turns me off; it feels like the same music rehashed endlessly with the focus being on the lyrics and story-telling. Anyway, Nelly Furtado was the first female artist whose music actually intrigued me and brought something new to the table. I have since found a few others, namely Frou Frou (and Imogoen Heap's solo stuff as well).
While I had a hard time with Nelly Furtado's newest Timbaland-produced album at first--I felt like it was a step back from the brilliant musical work of her two previous albums, because Timbaland brought it much closer to a generic dance floor/hip-hop/R&B vibe than I would have hoped for--it has since grown on me a lot. Even if I still don't like it as much as Whoa, Nelly! or Folklore, it has some great songs and I can see the appeal to Nelly to make something a little more listener friendly after her last album's sales weren't spectacular.
Thus, three cheers for Nelly Furtado for helping me to learn to get over my initial distrust of female artists. Here is the soccer-themed video for song "Forca" which she sang at the Euro 2004 final in Portugal (she is of Portuguese descent, but grew up in British Columbia--Canada). it has become somewhat of an anthem for the soccer loving world.
I fully admit that I stole this picture from Stooph. However, I needed a good one to test the waters on this photo uploading feature (which I have never before used in conjunction with the blogosphere). Thank you for your patience. Also, I added a new feature on the right that will allow people to "follow" my blogsite. I don't actually know what that means yet, but feel free to give it a whirl and we'll figure it out. it's under the "Papa's Peeps" section. Update: It has now been made clear what happens when one becomes a "follower" of my blog: you get your cute little picture put on the right side of said blog under the clever title of "Papa's Peeps." Feel free to join the swelling and bulging ranks of my army of (current count = ) 1.
I don't wax political very frequently on here, but I read something really interesting just now. This article is basically saying that now is a terrible time to be running for president. Read here.
What I find most interesting is how it contrasts the presidents who were elected right as the turmoil was beginning and the president elected immediately afterward. Take three of the most terrible times in our nation's history: The Civil War, The Great Depression, and The Cold War. As these difficult times began to rear their ugly heads, we had three presidents win the election to the white house: James Buchanan (1857), Herbert Hoover (1929), and Jimmy Carter (1977). How do we remember these men today? The truth is we hardly remember them at all unless it is either as a one-termer, or as a joke. Next, look at the presidents that came in office immediately after these three's first and only term: Abraham Lincoln (1861), Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933), and Ronald Reagan (1981). Some conservatives would disagree with notions that FDR's solutions for The Great Depression were good, but the man obviously is a historic figure that got our nation through a tough time (for a LONG time). Conversely, there are plenty of Democrats that would diss on Reagan, but the fact is that these guys were solution presidents that came into office and held our nation together during incredibly difficult circumstances. of course, no one except maybe some KKK guys would have anything bad to say about Abe Lincoln; that guy was a stud. What does all of this mean? Possibly nothing. it does give me hope though, because in all honesty I am not excited for either candidate this election and feel like our nation will still be hurting when the next election comes along. Perhaps we will see someone of high quality that can step up and help our nation become a nation that we all can be proud of again.
Well folks, The Office is back and I couldn't be happier. Last night's episode was fantastic and things are looking good for the season. One of my favorite moments: "Wait. Back up. Do you think that I'm retarded?" Oh, I was sad to see that joke end so quickly though. It was one of my all time favorites. Here are some deleted scenes from last night's pleasure-fest.
Jimmy Eat World (the JEW mentioned in the title--you do the work with the acronym) is airing a video for a song called Beautiful Day tomorrow on some Nick, Jr. show. I have two thoughts: First, I actually think it's cool that they would do something so cheesy, stupid, and campy (I can't use the word "gay" anymore without it being offensive so I'm toying with "campy"... so far so good), but fun for kids. The song really isn't that bad for one that I'm sure they just tossed together very quickly and didn't put much effort into. I like it when bands are comfortable enough with themselves to do something "non-rockstar-ish" without having to resort to making fun of the thing in the process to maintain dignity. Second, what is up with that show? That looked just as freaky as Teletubbies. Who comes up with this stuff and why do we think it is worth subjecting our children to? Oh man. That's it. My kids are growing up on a strict diet of old Transformers, X-Men, and Batman: The Animated Series cartoons. I will treat any watching of lame shows like that with extreme prejudice and dole out punishments accordingly. I think I'd be more ashamed of my son for getting caught with drugs then for getting caught watching something like that. I guess if he were on drugs at the time he was caught watching a show like... hmm... maybe that would justify it... I don't know. I'll have to put some more thought into this. Enjoy...? Jimmy Eat World-Beautiful Day-Yo Gabba Gabba
So, last night I saw something great on TV: The Family Guy did a parody of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. I thought it was hilarious. I only saw the last half or so, but I thought I'd give you guys a little snippet of it to enjoy.
Wow. This video is a must see, although I warn you that it is TERRIBLY painful to watch. (Insert Sideshow Bob moan/groan noise here). This is an Epic Nut Shot.
You guys know what time it is? That's right! Random Video Friday!!!!!!! Wheeeee!!! and how. Today we have some delightful ones. Up first is one of four quadruplets (hence the four) laughing. Does that sound strange? Wait until you see the video, good sir.
Ok. Next up is of a special little girl who is going to make her daddy very nervous someday. Introducing: Baby Beyonce.
Last of all (and on a slightly more serious and somber note), we have the singer from Phantom Planet singing "Anthem" with just his acoustic and some fans. Very nice.
Matt just reminded me that Ben Folds Five is playing their magnificent album The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner in its entirety for MySpace's new music feature/series: Front to Back. This is very exciting folks. This will be the first time in 10 years that these guys have played together. I got to hand it to MySpace for doing something so awesome. I had grown rather sick of that site and hadn't visited it for a while. They've made some changes and it seems to be a little better now, so good for them.
I just remembered my dream from last night. I was the warden of a high security prison, and we had The Joker (Heath Ledger's version) locked up in a big wooden box (like a chest or something). The FBI bigwig agent-type people came to me and said that we have to let The Joker escape so that he would lead us to his bosses or the mob bosses or something. So, I had to help him escape and ended up hanging out with The Joker for the remainder of the dream. None of the guards knew the plan, so it was scary cause they would have shot us on sight. It was kind of creepy, but a really cool dream. Heath did an excellent job in my dream as well.
Now, to get our day really started: "Blue Shadows (on the Trail)"
