Sunday, January 28, 2007

Jobs, Oscars, and Pan

I cannot find a job, I had two actual interviews last week, so maybe something soon. I was told by both places that I would get a call mid this week either way.

I looked at the Oscar nominations, I am loving Little Miss Sunshine's strong showing. While I think Alan Arkin was great in it I really think they looked over Steve Carell and Greg Kinear who were also amazing. I am also excited to see Pan's Labyrinth with 6 nominations, and I feel like it should get all six. It was amazing. I am pissed at the Academy for nominating Abigail Breslin, Olive, from Little Miss Sunshine, but Ivana Baquero, Ofelia, in Pan's Labyrinth. I am not taking anything away from Abigail, I just feel like the Academy has quotas on nominations they will make. An example would be last years, or maybe it was two years ago, Cinderella Man, which was overlooked, in my opinion, because the previous year Million Dollar Baby swept the oscars and they couldn't possible have two boxing movies in a row win oscars. Anyway back to Ivana, she demonstrated the kind of acting skills that Hilary Swank only has when she is getting her ass beat to deat (see Million dollar Baby and Boys Don't Cry) while she is only a child Ivana convey emotion and believability(sp?) that most in her field can't. Stupid Academy.

So obviously I saw Pan's Labyrinth. I am definately going to see it again. I am incredibly impressed with Del Toro, I liked Hellboy, I haven't seen anything else by him, but this was heads and tails above it.

Finished how the Scot's Invented the Modern World, and next on my reading list is David Hume's A Treatise on Human Nature. Should be interesting as Hume was the focal point of a few chapters in The Scots book.

Monday, January 15, 2007

"The Only Thing I Know is Awkward Silence..."

There is nothing quite like the feeling of buying a CD and loving every track on it. I feel that the music industry has commercialized music to the point of absurdity. The disney channel frequently lets there childstars record records and release them. And even real recording artists seem to make singles not albums. If you look off the beaten path you can find great albums, and I know that much like all forms of art beauty, or in this case sweetness, is in the eye of the beholder. However, I have found the following albums worthy of purchasing and give me back confidence in my generations storytelling through song:

1. Coheed and Cambria = In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth***; The Second Stage Turbine Blade****; Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV****
Coheed is a band after my heart, tight rhythm section, guitar riffing that could melt the brain of most metal fans (especially in Good Apollo, by far more metal than the previous two album releases) and not only that, but the entire discography chronicles an intergalactic space battle.

2. Saves the Day = Stay What You Are****1/2
ok ok ok...so its emo, but not that pussy (The Promise Ring, Dashboard Confessional, Get Up Kids) I cut myself to know I still feel shit. Chris Conley combines catchy yet meaningful lyrics to tell stories that are familar enough to relate to but do not become vague to the point of vapid cliches that are associated with this genre.

3. Thrice = Vheissu*****
WOW...I mean there is absolutely no reason this album should not be platinum other than the fact the average music listener is an idiot. This ablum is nonstop high quality rocking. The "single" ( I put it in quotes because you won't ever hear it on the radio) Image of the Invisible could be the anthem of this generation, with lyrics like; "we can't allow this, the quiet cull", lyricist Dustin Kensrue paints the picture of a bleak future in which we are stripped of our humanity while simultanously asking us to stand take responsibility correcting the mistakes of the past. However, Thrice keeps the music a priority and avoids trite preachy lyrics. I strongly suggest this CD to anyone and everyone.

4. Jack Johnson = On and On****1/2, In Between Dreams****, and Brushfire Fairytales***1/2
I realize I am behind on the Jack Johnson wagon, but this guy deserves it. He brings the poetry and storytelling, not to mention credibility back to the singer/songwriter genre. Displaying phenominal skills on the guitar coupled with brilliant, an Example of this is No Other Way, ; "resolve is just a concept that is as dead as the leaves, but at least we can sleep its all that we need, and when we wake we will find our minds will be free " a song in which the lyrics sooth a stressed out and over worried person to sleep. Jack Johnson's music embodies a free spirited and stress free life style with every word, strum of the guitar, bass lick, and percussion hit that makes me feel like by not living on a beach I am missing out.

5. The John Butler Trio = Sunrise Over Seas****
I feel like Robert Johnson merged with Jimmy Hendrix to finally realize the potential of what Delta Blues and Rock have to offer the music industry. John Butler adds a country twang to guitar riffs that could amaze the most avid rock fans. At certain points the lyrics leave something to be desired, but the quality of the music is the closest to perfection I have heard in a long time; honestly this is the best trio of musicians since Rush and the Police. Check this drummer out Neil Pert would be impressed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URNtuqyWW8Q the song: somethings got to give, and Yes he is playing a drum set with one hand and a hand drum (djembe) with his other. Stewart Copeland eat your heart out, I think he bests him in polyrhythmic beats.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

a couple good leads, stupid ideas, and f***ing music stations

So unfortunately, still no job. However, I have found a few solid leads on places to try. I hope I can get one soon, my bank account is in the double digits and if I don't find something soon I will be in deep shit.

Also not sure if this was a good idea, but I am getting sick, and since I graduated I am no longer on my parents insurance, so I found some amoxicilin(sp?) I didn't end up taking when I had a cold last (its still good, its from two months ago) and I have been taking it. I know its a stupid move, but I really can't afford to get sick.

VH-1 has a show called white rappers, I really think it should be renamed white trash rappers. I saw 5 minutes of it and I was ashamed to share the same skin pigment. This doesn't really surprise me as I think VH-1 is the cable version of FOX, with shows like I Love New York, Flavor of Love, White Rappers, and their slew of "celebreality" shows which prey on people that are only a fraction more famous than me, that I am sure are baited by agents telling them this will be there comeback. And here I was under the impression that VH-1 was the classy version of MTV apparently class doesn't get ratings. Anyway, I only use youtube to watch music videos because not only do music channels not air music videos their Jerry Springer-esc shows eat my brain much like ecstasy. Unfortunately for VH-1, ecstasy has some redeeming qualities while it does not.

Monday, January 8, 2007

So I broke down and did it

I have never been a big fan of blogs or live journals or anything thing related to them, but I have recently discovered the therapeutic(sp?) value of writing things down. As anyone who knows anything about me would know I have recently graduated B.A. political science and while I plan on going to England to study history, specifically The Scotish Enlightenment, I obviously need to obtain a job. I have spent 4.5 years and upwards of 40,000 dollars getting my education thus far and I feel in a way that this entitles me to a job that is more stimulating than bagging groceries, no offense to baggers i did it for 5 years and its mind numbing. However, with no job market in my town I have found myself out of luck and feeling shitty. So graduating isn't quite its all cracked up to be, I sure as hell don't feel smarter than I did a month ago and I definately don't feel like I contribute more to society.

On the other hand, my parents seem to be understanding, they see me trying and aren't riding my ass. Infact my mom bought me this book How the Scots Invented the Modern World by Arthur Herman, which is incredible so far. I am also trudging my way through Hamilton Ron Chernow's analysis of who he considers the forgotten forefather Alexander Hamilton, which I am inclined to agree with him, although as far as it goes philosophically I couldn't disagree more with the aristocrat loving and elitist Hamilton. I was also advised by favorite professor, and hopefully after I complete my master's program my mentor for a Ph.D. (but hey lets no get ahead of myself), to not stop writing. That being said I am finally writing a story I have been mental working on for a year (and I outlined several times) also I am putting on paper an idea that i developed with a friend from college that I hope to get hooked up with an artist to develop as a graphic novel or novella.

Lastly, I have been adding people I know that have blogs, that I find interesting and entertaining, however if you aren't on here its because I am new to this and still networking, also you aren't entertaining or interesting.