Not much going on. I'm going to get crazy next month and try and blog every day of Feb. Hold on to your hats, it's gonna get wild. They may not be long and I may not make it, but 28 blogs in 28 days is about to blow your mind. Today I just wanted to share a couple of quick vids with you that made me lose my sh*t. Too funny...
As always, go big or go home...
-M, p, z & shredder
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
R.I.P. John Updike
Just read the sad news that John Updike died. He was a great writer and will be missed.
Existence itself does not feel horrible; it feels like an ecstasy, rather, which we have only to be still to experience.
- John Updike
Existence itself does not feel horrible; it feels like an ecstasy, rather, which we have only to be still to experience.
- John Updike
The Worst of 2008: Movies...
Just to give you guys a heads up about which movies not to rent or waste your time on, here is a list of the worst movies of 2008. I see a lot of movies, some of those many of you might consider terrible like Death Race or Transporter 3 but I love those movies and you guys are all just jealous of Jason Statham for being so f-ing cool. Unlike ranking the best movies, the worst movies really stand out. The number one was a no brainer, and was the honestly the worst movie I have ever seen in my life. Again these are movies that I've seen so absent from here are obviously terrible movies like The Love Guru and Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Bride Wars. So here it is...
5.) Pineapple Express
So disappointed in this movie. I was hoping for something funnier and a little more emotional. The action was alright I guess but you can only have so many gun scenes with no actual fights and the third dude in the movie was not funny at all. Rogen needs to stick to writing things he knows, it works better for him.
4.) Jumper
I was kind of hoping for something a little better from this though I'm not sure why. I knew it was going to be ridiculous but I was hoping that would be in a good way. Hayden Christansen is a solidly bland actor with nothing to contribute. The only thing good about it was Rachel Bilson's face.
3.) Wanted
If you haven't read the graphic novel you are seriously missing out. Behind Watchmen it's one of my absolute favorites. I can't believe they destroyed it like this. They completely changed everything about the book and made it terrible. There was no loom, no bending bullets, no 'save one save a thousand' bullshit. In the book everyone is a bad guy and all the good guys are dead and it's a battle for supremecy between different evil factions.
2.) Bangkok Dangerous
Hahaha. This is honestly a crime that someone made this movie. Apparently it's a remake too which is absurd. Nick Cage is even more ridiculous than usual and this almost put me to sleep. There was about 2 minutes of this movie where I knew what was happening and the rest of it was jibberish and hilarious. I would have left but I was waiting to hop to another movie afterwards.
1.) Indiana Jones and the Something Really Lame...
Worst. Movie. Ever. Seriously? Way to kill one of the greatest trilogies of all time. I will henceforth never acknowledge this movies existence. I kept waiting for it to get better. But it only got worse. And worse. And worse. Never talking about it again.
Anyways, that's it. I'm out.
-M, p, z & shredder
5.) Pineapple Express
So disappointed in this movie. I was hoping for something funnier and a little more emotional. The action was alright I guess but you can only have so many gun scenes with no actual fights and the third dude in the movie was not funny at all. Rogen needs to stick to writing things he knows, it works better for him.
4.) Jumper
I was kind of hoping for something a little better from this though I'm not sure why. I knew it was going to be ridiculous but I was hoping that would be in a good way. Hayden Christansen is a solidly bland actor with nothing to contribute. The only thing good about it was Rachel Bilson's face.
3.) Wanted
If you haven't read the graphic novel you are seriously missing out. Behind Watchmen it's one of my absolute favorites. I can't believe they destroyed it like this. They completely changed everything about the book and made it terrible. There was no loom, no bending bullets, no 'save one save a thousand' bullshit. In the book everyone is a bad guy and all the good guys are dead and it's a battle for supremecy between different evil factions.
2.) Bangkok Dangerous
Hahaha. This is honestly a crime that someone made this movie. Apparently it's a remake too which is absurd. Nick Cage is even more ridiculous than usual and this almost put me to sleep. There was about 2 minutes of this movie where I knew what was happening and the rest of it was jibberish and hilarious. I would have left but I was waiting to hop to another movie afterwards.
1.) Indiana Jones and the Something Really Lame...
Worst. Movie. Ever. Seriously? Way to kill one of the greatest trilogies of all time. I will henceforth never acknowledge this movies existence. I kept waiting for it to get better. But it only got worse. And worse. And worse. Never talking about it again.
Anyways, that's it. I'm out.
-M, p, z & shredder
Monday, January 26, 2009
Brooklyn (Hipsters), Stand Up...
For some reason I have a lot of disdain for Brooklyn. People love it. They say it's great and that I'd love it. I have been out there a few times and have never seen anything close to something "I love." In fact, part of the reason that I hate it is because I have yet to find anything there I enjoy. I like to live in neighborhoods that have some sort of atmosphere, whether it's gay like Chelsea or kind of hood like my current area.
I hate that Brooklyn is a haven for hipsters. I've been described as one, but only because I have a lot of the same characteristics. The difference between me and a hipster is that I'm not trying to be hip, I just am. I realized recently that when it comes down to it, these hipsters are all trying to be like kids from Michigan. People in Michigan are not hipsters, they are just people. But hipsters like to wear plaid and drink PBR (though out here it's $4 a can and only $14 for a 30 pack back home), so do I. Hipsters also like to live by parks and appear to be too cool for school, again so do I. I find that my mannerisms and habits and choice of lifestyle is best suited to a life in Michigan or some other state on a Great Lake and for all the effort that these kids put in to be hipsters, they're really just acting like everyone else from Michigan. That said, if they all moved there they would instantly hate it and try and be different in some other way.
I digress. The point I was going to make was that I need to find the part of Brooklyn that Mos Def loves. The part where I can have an apartment with a backyard and a grill. The part where The Hold Steady gets all their angst. Show me these places and I'll think about going there more than 5 times in the past 2 years. I might not hate it so much if it weren't so terrible.
Im out.
-M, p, z & shredder
I hate that Brooklyn is a haven for hipsters. I've been described as one, but only because I have a lot of the same characteristics. The difference between me and a hipster is that I'm not trying to be hip, I just am. I realized recently that when it comes down to it, these hipsters are all trying to be like kids from Michigan. People in Michigan are not hipsters, they are just people. But hipsters like to wear plaid and drink PBR (though out here it's $4 a can and only $14 for a 30 pack back home), so do I. Hipsters also like to live by parks and appear to be too cool for school, again so do I. I find that my mannerisms and habits and choice of lifestyle is best suited to a life in Michigan or some other state on a Great Lake and for all the effort that these kids put in to be hipsters, they're really just acting like everyone else from Michigan. That said, if they all moved there they would instantly hate it and try and be different in some other way.
I digress. The point I was going to make was that I need to find the part of Brooklyn that Mos Def loves. The part where I can have an apartment with a backyard and a grill. The part where The Hold Steady gets all their angst. Show me these places and I'll think about going there more than 5 times in the past 2 years. I might not hate it so much if it weren't so terrible.
Im out.
-M, p, z & shredder
Best of 2008: Movies
This is late, but with award season in full force I thought it high time to get this list out there. So here is my top 10 movies of the year. It's been a very great year as far as movies go and this summer's blockbusters hold an unusually high number of spots on this list. With new summer hits coming out this year like Transformers 2, Watchmen, Wolverine, G.I. Joe, Dragonball, Fast and Furious, Harry Potter and a bunch of sweet non-blockbusters, I can only hope this year is as good as last.
There were an alarmingly number of good movies this year, which is how I am sure 2009 is going to be weak. Noticeably absent from the list is The Dark Knight. There is kind of a lot of controversy about how good it is and as I have yet to see it in I-Max to get the full effect, I'm not going to include it in my list. I think I've expressed my opinion on it enough. You have all seen it and can make up your own mind as to where it belongs. If I were to rank it, it would be somewhere toward the middle. No higher than 4 and no lower than 8. Anyways, here is the top 10.
10.) Be Kind Rewind
I love Michel Gondry. Easily the most creative and imaginative director in our generation. I can't think of anyone who uses so much and creates such imaginary realities, yet somehow stays grounded and does not turn into preposterous.
9.) Son of Rambow
If you haven't seen this, netflix it asap. It about two kids who want to remake their own version of Rambow and how their friendship evolves. It's pretty great.
8.) Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Woody Allen is on a roll lately. He took Scarlett Johansen, who I don't particularly like and I think is very over rated in both looks and acting chops, and make her into someone I like. First Match Point, then Scoop and now this. Penelope Cruz is at her best and I would completely understand if any girl were to ever leave me for Javier Bardem.
7.) Iron Man
My favorite summer movie. Maybe not as good as Batman Begins but definitely better than TDK and really is set up to have a better sequel than TDK did with the addition on Mickey Rourke and Don Cheadle.
6.) Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Michael Cera can seemingly do no wrong. How long will it take before he bores me is another question, though if he keeps making good choices like he has been, I don't see it happening. The pairing with Kat Dennings worked great and thank god this movie had a soundtrack that lived up to it's name.
5.) Milk
If not for Mickey Rourke, Sean Penn wins the Oscar. He was so good. The whole cast was really great. I thought James Franco really got into his role and made me forget about the disaster that was Pineapple Express.
4.) Gran Torino
As if the movie wasn't going to be good enough, Clint Eastwood took the movie to Michigan and filmed it about 45 minutes down the road from my parents house. Classic Eastwood. He still manages to be more of a badass in his 70s than I will ever be in my lifetime.
3.) The Wrestler
This movie was great. It's not getting enough hype. Aside from the performance of the year (okay maybe it's tied with Sean Penn), the story was great as well. The soundtrack was a pleasant surprise as well, I didn't know anyone but me still lived for 80s hair metal glam rock. Not to mention what I think is the best original song for Bruce Springsteen.
2.) Wall-e
You've all seen it by now I'm sure. Will Disney-Pixar ever make a bad movie? Even Presto, the short film at the beginning, was better than some movies I've seen.
1.) Slumdog Millionaire
What more can I say. If it hasn't made it to a theater near you, give it another week before you decide to drive an hour to the closest theater. It's still expanding and last week opened in 3,000 more theaters. Keep an eye out for this. My pick for best film of the year.
Anyways, the worst movies of 2008 will be posted next. As always, go big or go home.
-M, p, z & shredder
tell 'em what to watch: Trust Me (TNT @ 9 or 10pm.) I've been looking forward to this series premiere for a while. I'm not a huge fan of shows on TNT but I love Tom Cavanagh and the story looks original and like a great replacement for the dreadfully bad Grey's Anatmoy. I think I'm quitting that show.
There were an alarmingly number of good movies this year, which is how I am sure 2009 is going to be weak. Noticeably absent from the list is The Dark Knight. There is kind of a lot of controversy about how good it is and as I have yet to see it in I-Max to get the full effect, I'm not going to include it in my list. I think I've expressed my opinion on it enough. You have all seen it and can make up your own mind as to where it belongs. If I were to rank it, it would be somewhere toward the middle. No higher than 4 and no lower than 8. Anyways, here is the top 10.
10.) Be Kind Rewind
I love Michel Gondry. Easily the most creative and imaginative director in our generation. I can't think of anyone who uses so much and creates such imaginary realities, yet somehow stays grounded and does not turn into preposterous.
9.) Son of Rambow
If you haven't seen this, netflix it asap. It about two kids who want to remake their own version of Rambow and how their friendship evolves. It's pretty great.
8.) Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Woody Allen is on a roll lately. He took Scarlett Johansen, who I don't particularly like and I think is very over rated in both looks and acting chops, and make her into someone I like. First Match Point, then Scoop and now this. Penelope Cruz is at her best and I would completely understand if any girl were to ever leave me for Javier Bardem.
7.) Iron Man
My favorite summer movie. Maybe not as good as Batman Begins but definitely better than TDK and really is set up to have a better sequel than TDK did with the addition on Mickey Rourke and Don Cheadle.
6.) Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Michael Cera can seemingly do no wrong. How long will it take before he bores me is another question, though if he keeps making good choices like he has been, I don't see it happening. The pairing with Kat Dennings worked great and thank god this movie had a soundtrack that lived up to it's name.
5.) Milk
If not for Mickey Rourke, Sean Penn wins the Oscar. He was so good. The whole cast was really great. I thought James Franco really got into his role and made me forget about the disaster that was Pineapple Express.
4.) Gran Torino
As if the movie wasn't going to be good enough, Clint Eastwood took the movie to Michigan and filmed it about 45 minutes down the road from my parents house. Classic Eastwood. He still manages to be more of a badass in his 70s than I will ever be in my lifetime.
3.) The Wrestler
This movie was great. It's not getting enough hype. Aside from the performance of the year (okay maybe it's tied with Sean Penn), the story was great as well. The soundtrack was a pleasant surprise as well, I didn't know anyone but me still lived for 80s hair metal glam rock. Not to mention what I think is the best original song for Bruce Springsteen.
2.) Wall-e
You've all seen it by now I'm sure. Will Disney-Pixar ever make a bad movie? Even Presto, the short film at the beginning, was better than some movies I've seen.
1.) Slumdog Millionaire
What more can I say. If it hasn't made it to a theater near you, give it another week before you decide to drive an hour to the closest theater. It's still expanding and last week opened in 3,000 more theaters. Keep an eye out for this. My pick for best film of the year.
Anyways, the worst movies of 2008 will be posted next. As always, go big or go home.
-M, p, z & shredder
tell 'em what to watch: Trust Me (TNT @ 9 or 10pm.) I've been looking forward to this series premiere for a while. I'm not a huge fan of shows on TNT but I love Tom Cavanagh and the story looks original and like a great replacement for the dreadfully bad Grey's Anatmoy. I think I'm quitting that show.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Corrections...
I knew this was going to happen. I messed up my top 10 list. I completely forgot about one of my favorite albums of the year. I would actually put this at number 3, then you can rearrange the list accordingly. I don't know how I forgot about it, it's one of those things where you listen to something every day and you can't believe that you've only had it since may.
3.) The Kooks - Konk (Bonus Track Version)
April 11. 2008. Don't sleep on The Kooks. Konk is a great album from start to finish. I don't go on youtube a lot for music, but they are one of the few bands where I will look for rare or acoustic or any random performance of their stuff I can find. It's kind of an amazing album. Sometimes I'm not in the mood for Vampire Weekend, even though it was my number 1 of last year, but I am always in the mood for this record. My jam is "Tick of Time."
In other thoughts, does anyone else read through random comments while internetting? I often do, especially when it comes to movies. A lot of times I do it to learn about upcoming movies or who might be directing what, just a lot of speculation. Eventually I end up looking at something completely random and reading comments about it. Today for example, there was an article about Kelly Rutherford (the mom in Gossip Girl) and it led me to her imdb page where I noticed she was in Buried Secrets, which is a really terrible but awesome Tiffani Thiessen tv movie. I clicked on Tiffani which led to her husband who I just found out was the guy from the Dr. Scholl's "gellin" commercials. Anyways, one comment in particular was hilarious: "If this F-list commercial D-bag can pull a hottie like Thiessen then we all have hope." This was hilarious mostly because he called the dude an F-lister. I love it.
As always, go big or go home. I'm gelling.
-M, p, z & shredder
tell 'em what to watch: It's friday so as usual, Friday Night Lights (NBC 9pm), Psych (USA 10pm) and the Pistons v. Dallas on ESPN at 7. Rip in his second game as a sub brings tears to my eyes...
3.) The Kooks - Konk (Bonus Track Version)
April 11. 2008. Don't sleep on The Kooks. Konk is a great album from start to finish. I don't go on youtube a lot for music, but they are one of the few bands where I will look for rare or acoustic or any random performance of their stuff I can find. It's kind of an amazing album. Sometimes I'm not in the mood for Vampire Weekend, even though it was my number 1 of last year, but I am always in the mood for this record. My jam is "Tick of Time."
In other thoughts, does anyone else read through random comments while internetting? I often do, especially when it comes to movies. A lot of times I do it to learn about upcoming movies or who might be directing what, just a lot of speculation. Eventually I end up looking at something completely random and reading comments about it. Today for example, there was an article about Kelly Rutherford (the mom in Gossip Girl) and it led me to her imdb page where I noticed she was in Buried Secrets, which is a really terrible but awesome Tiffani Thiessen tv movie. I clicked on Tiffani which led to her husband who I just found out was the guy from the Dr. Scholl's "gellin" commercials. Anyways, one comment in particular was hilarious: "If this F-list commercial D-bag can pull a hottie like Thiessen then we all have hope." This was hilarious mostly because he called the dude an F-lister. I love it.
As always, go big or go home. I'm gelling.
-M, p, z & shredder
tell 'em what to watch: It's friday so as usual, Friday Night Lights (NBC 9pm), Psych (USA 10pm) and the Pistons v. Dallas on ESPN at 7. Rip in his second game as a sub brings tears to my eyes...
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Best of 2008: Music
So here, much delayed, is my best of 2008 music selection. There were a lot of albums that came out last year they I played to death. Due to the recession, this was also probably the least amount of albums I've bought in a year in the last decade. Regardless, I still tried to listen to as much as I could and without further ado, here is my top 10 albums of last year. As always, this is a list of the top 10 albums that I've heard. I can't judge what I haven't listened to, so if you think something out there deserves to be in this top 10, let me know the album and I'll give it a listen, tell you my taste is superior to yours and call it a day. Seriously though, I love to hear new music and if you know of something I should be listening to, drop me a line.
Anyways, here it is. Artist: Album followed by release date and why it's on my list. All of these albums can be found on iTunes. You can listen to a sample of all these albums, so at the very least, give a listen to my favorite songs.
10.) The Last Shadow Puppets: The Age Of The Understatement
May 06, 2008. Brits really know how to rock and I can't seem to get enough of that young, british post-Strokes sound. Best song on the album is, "Time Has Come Again"
9.) MGMT: Oracular Spectacular
January 22, 2008. Great group with their own unique sound. MGMT seems to be kind of in with the hipsters which sucks, but don't let that deter you from it. I'm sure they're over this by now and onto something hipper. Best song on the album is either "Electric Feel" or "Pieces of What"
8.) She & Him: Volume I
March 18, 2008. Zoey Deschanel sounds great when produced and backed by Matt Ward. Her voice is so unique but at the same time so familiar and nostalgic. Best song on the album is a cover of "You Really Got A Hold On Me"
7.) Jason Mraz: We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things
May 12, 2008. Great summer album. I'm sure you've all heard it, but my favorite song on the album is the wildly popular hit, "I'm Yours"
6.) Girl Talk: Feed The Animals
I don't remember the official release date for this album. He posted it on his website as one of those "choose your own price" things. I clearly chose to pay $0. Not that it isn't worth it, but if I can't pick up the cd in a store, I really don't want to pay money for a digital copy of something. It pretty much made me dance my way through the summer and is now making me robot my way through the winter. My fave is 'No Pause" Mixing Eminem with Yael Naim is pretty amazing.
5.) Weezer: (The Red Album) [Deluxe Edition]
June 3, 2008. Still not quite capturing the brilliance of the mid 90's but it's the best effort from the group since the Green Album in early '01. A couple of the tracks remind me of Pinkerton which almost brings a tear to my eye. My favorite song flip flops depending on my mood as with any album by one of my two favorite bands. Currently it's "Pig" but last week it was "The Angel and the One" The Deluxe Edition contains 5 songs not in the regular album version, all of which are pretty great.
4.) Taylor Swift: Fearless
November 11, 2008. Her followup to her self titled debut album is not quite as good, but it's pretty damn close. She's all grown up now (18) and her lyrics are a little less optimistic than the ones she wrote at 15. The album is a but more 'serious' and is less about summer love and more about heart aches and the like, but she does it so well. I love all the songs on here but if I'm forced to choose I might go with "Forever and Always" which is actually a joke and a play on words about how one of the Jonas brothers (I still don't know who these f-ing kids are) broke up with her over a phone call that lasted 23 seconds (I saw her talk about it on Ellen).
3.) Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago
February 19, 2008. Great album from start to finish. Now that Elliott Smith is no longer around to depress me and uplift me at the same time, I have Bon Iver. They're really not half as depressing as he is, they just have a similar sound. It's part Elliott Smith, part Modest Mouse and all awesome. I didn't have it last spring but it feels like a great album to listen to as the snow melts and you start to see some green poking out of the ground. My favorite song right now is "Skinny Love" or "Re; Stacks"
2.) Rivers Cuomo; Alone II - The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo
November 24, 2008. This album has a special place in my heart. Where recent Weezer albums have failed me, Rivers' solo releases have re-instilled my love for music. As with the 1st volume, it is a bunch of songs that Rivers has written and recorded by himself over the last 15 years. This second batch of unreleased songs is better than Volume 1 in my opinion and shows a lot more of himself. The liner notes alone are worth it as he has written almost a small novel inside about how he came to write all the songs and how he recorded them and his state of mind at the time when he wrote them. My favorite song has also become my anthem for the coming year, "My Day is Coming."
1.) Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend
January 29, 2008. I remember a friend of mine sent me a link to them about a week before the album came out. I loved it and the next week went to the store and bought the album. After the first time I listened to it I told my brother it was going to be the best album of the year. Obviously I was right. This is one of the greatest albums I've heard in a long time. I'm sure you've all heard it by now and can agree, at least that it's one of the years best. "A-Punk" still stands out as my favorite song on the album.
As always, go big or go home.
-M, p, z & shredder
oh ps- I've decided that tonight is make or break for Grey's Anatomy. It has gotten out of control. It's so bad now it's unbelievable. The only thing that would make sense is if Izzie drops dead because of a huge brain tumor. Otherwise Brown Guy is right, it's just some crazy chick who runs off to masturbate with a ghost.
Anyways, here it is. Artist: Album followed by release date and why it's on my list. All of these albums can be found on iTunes. You can listen to a sample of all these albums, so at the very least, give a listen to my favorite songs.
10.) The Last Shadow Puppets: The Age Of The Understatement
May 06, 2008. Brits really know how to rock and I can't seem to get enough of that young, british post-Strokes sound. Best song on the album is, "Time Has Come Again"
9.) MGMT: Oracular Spectacular
January 22, 2008. Great group with their own unique sound. MGMT seems to be kind of in with the hipsters which sucks, but don't let that deter you from it. I'm sure they're over this by now and onto something hipper. Best song on the album is either "Electric Feel" or "Pieces of What"
8.) She & Him: Volume I
March 18, 2008. Zoey Deschanel sounds great when produced and backed by Matt Ward. Her voice is so unique but at the same time so familiar and nostalgic. Best song on the album is a cover of "You Really Got A Hold On Me"
7.) Jason Mraz: We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things
May 12, 2008. Great summer album. I'm sure you've all heard it, but my favorite song on the album is the wildly popular hit, "I'm Yours"
6.) Girl Talk: Feed The Animals
I don't remember the official release date for this album. He posted it on his website as one of those "choose your own price" things. I clearly chose to pay $0. Not that it isn't worth it, but if I can't pick up the cd in a store, I really don't want to pay money for a digital copy of something. It pretty much made me dance my way through the summer and is now making me robot my way through the winter. My fave is 'No Pause" Mixing Eminem with Yael Naim is pretty amazing.
5.) Weezer: (The Red Album) [Deluxe Edition]
June 3, 2008. Still not quite capturing the brilliance of the mid 90's but it's the best effort from the group since the Green Album in early '01. A couple of the tracks remind me of Pinkerton which almost brings a tear to my eye. My favorite song flip flops depending on my mood as with any album by one of my two favorite bands. Currently it's "Pig" but last week it was "The Angel and the One" The Deluxe Edition contains 5 songs not in the regular album version, all of which are pretty great.
4.) Taylor Swift: Fearless
November 11, 2008. Her followup to her self titled debut album is not quite as good, but it's pretty damn close. She's all grown up now (18) and her lyrics are a little less optimistic than the ones she wrote at 15. The album is a but more 'serious' and is less about summer love and more about heart aches and the like, but she does it so well. I love all the songs on here but if I'm forced to choose I might go with "Forever and Always" which is actually a joke and a play on words about how one of the Jonas brothers (I still don't know who these f-ing kids are) broke up with her over a phone call that lasted 23 seconds (I saw her talk about it on Ellen).
3.) Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago
February 19, 2008. Great album from start to finish. Now that Elliott Smith is no longer around to depress me and uplift me at the same time, I have Bon Iver. They're really not half as depressing as he is, they just have a similar sound. It's part Elliott Smith, part Modest Mouse and all awesome. I didn't have it last spring but it feels like a great album to listen to as the snow melts and you start to see some green poking out of the ground. My favorite song right now is "Skinny Love" or "Re; Stacks"
2.) Rivers Cuomo; Alone II - The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo
November 24, 2008. This album has a special place in my heart. Where recent Weezer albums have failed me, Rivers' solo releases have re-instilled my love for music. As with the 1st volume, it is a bunch of songs that Rivers has written and recorded by himself over the last 15 years. This second batch of unreleased songs is better than Volume 1 in my opinion and shows a lot more of himself. The liner notes alone are worth it as he has written almost a small novel inside about how he came to write all the songs and how he recorded them and his state of mind at the time when he wrote them. My favorite song has also become my anthem for the coming year, "My Day is Coming."
1.) Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend
January 29, 2008. I remember a friend of mine sent me a link to them about a week before the album came out. I loved it and the next week went to the store and bought the album. After the first time I listened to it I told my brother it was going to be the best album of the year. Obviously I was right. This is one of the greatest albums I've heard in a long time. I'm sure you've all heard it by now and can agree, at least that it's one of the years best. "A-Punk" still stands out as my favorite song on the album.
As always, go big or go home.
-M, p, z & shredder
oh ps- I've decided that tonight is make or break for Grey's Anatomy. It has gotten out of control. It's so bad now it's unbelievable. The only thing that would make sense is if Izzie drops dead because of a huge brain tumor. Otherwise Brown Guy is right, it's just some crazy chick who runs off to masturbate with a ghost.
Inauguration...
President Obama.
Probably one of the greatest and most unique experiences in my life. I can't say that in such a short period of time, anyone has inspired so much, not just in me, but in a country. The 'We Are One' concert was amazing. Easily the best concert I've ever been to in my life, not so much musically, but for the woodstock-ian experience and the crowd and the vibe and the purpose. We really were One. E Plurbus Unum indeed. The Boss, Mellencamp, Garth Brooks, Stevie, James Talyor, U2... throw in Prince and it would have encapsulated every must see concert of my generation. Garth Brooks stole the show, though Mary J. was a very close second. What's up with Stevie not getting to sing an entire song?
Inauguration was amazing. It's hard to describe the sentiment of being there and seeing it in person. It's one of those things you'll never forget and tell your kids about. If I had to choose a single word to describe the event it would be Energy. So many people overjoyed at seeing this event, coming from all over the world just to stand in the freezing cold and knowing that they would not even glimpse the man they came to see, but still coming just to be there and listen and maybe catch him on a screen, was something I'll never forget.
On another note, while everyone was in great spirits, I think people could have been a little more polite at the mention of Bush's name. There seemed to be a sentiment that, according to the guy at the coffee shop, Bush was "public enemy number 1." While I agree he was a terrible president and left our country in ruins and more divided than ever politically, he was not public enemy number 1. He was not an evil person. He just had different ideas than most. I don't think he ever did anything maliciously, he was just an idiot. Anyways, everyone clapped and waved as his helicopter flew over our heads.
Go big or go home.
-M, p, z & shredder
oh ps -
tell 'em what to watch: 30 Rock (NBC @ 9:30). I need to devote an entire blog to this show. I only recently joined the masses in loving this and need to spend a good few paragraphs explaining it's greatness.
Probably one of the greatest and most unique experiences in my life. I can't say that in such a short period of time, anyone has inspired so much, not just in me, but in a country. The 'We Are One' concert was amazing. Easily the best concert I've ever been to in my life, not so much musically, but for the woodstock-ian experience and the crowd and the vibe and the purpose. We really were One. E Plurbus Unum indeed. The Boss, Mellencamp, Garth Brooks, Stevie, James Talyor, U2... throw in Prince and it would have encapsulated every must see concert of my generation. Garth Brooks stole the show, though Mary J. was a very close second. What's up with Stevie not getting to sing an entire song?
Inauguration was amazing. It's hard to describe the sentiment of being there and seeing it in person. It's one of those things you'll never forget and tell your kids about. If I had to choose a single word to describe the event it would be Energy. So many people overjoyed at seeing this event, coming from all over the world just to stand in the freezing cold and knowing that they would not even glimpse the man they came to see, but still coming just to be there and listen and maybe catch him on a screen, was something I'll never forget.
On another note, while everyone was in great spirits, I think people could have been a little more polite at the mention of Bush's name. There seemed to be a sentiment that, according to the guy at the coffee shop, Bush was "public enemy number 1." While I agree he was a terrible president and left our country in ruins and more divided than ever politically, he was not public enemy number 1. He was not an evil person. He just had different ideas than most. I don't think he ever did anything maliciously, he was just an idiot. Anyways, everyone clapped and waved as his helicopter flew over our heads.
Go big or go home.
-M, p, z & shredder
oh ps -
tell 'em what to watch: 30 Rock (NBC @ 9:30). I need to devote an entire blog to this show. I only recently joined the masses in loving this and need to spend a good few paragraphs explaining it's greatness.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Crazy Plane...
I've often wondered what would happen if a flock of geese hit a large airplane. Oddly enough, whenever I fly over the Hudson or East River, I always think that if we had to land in water, I would want it to happen there. I always figured that since it was so close to shore, it would be really easy to get back on land. That pilot was legit. He stopped that thing as close to the edge as he could have. Had he not made it to the river he was only 3 block from Times Square. It's kind of insane actually.
As soon as I heard about it and found out there were no casualties, I grabbed my camera and hopped on a train. Unfortunately by the time I got down there there was not much left to see. The police wouldn't let anyone get close enough to the water to see anything. There were more emergency vehicles than I've ever seen in my life in the span of about 4 blocks. It was nuts. My pictures are no where near as cool as the one above, but here are a couple of them.
I'm headed out to DC for inauguration so if I don't get to blog again before I take off, I'm sure I'll have stories when I get back. As always, go big or go home...
-M, p, z & shredder
oh ps -
tell 'em what to watch: Friday Night Lights (NBC - 8pm) returns finally!! Last season was cut short because of the writers strike. It almost got cancelled but NBC struck a deal with Direct TV that seems to have put some life back into it. Watch it!! It's an awesome show and I'm always worried it might get cancelled. Obviously, Monk and Psych are also on as always (USA - Monk @ 9 and Psych @ 10). These are three of the best shows on tv and you need to be watching them!!!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Best Dressed...
Sorry, I've been slacking a little. Most of you know the Golden Globes were Sunday. They were pretty enjoyable on the whole. Nothing spectacular but since there was no show last year, it was a welcome scene. Maybe they should only do the show every other year to keep it fresh and exciting. Just a thought anyways. I'm pretty happy about all the recipients. I think they did a great job and there really wasn't a single award I didn't agree with which usually never happens. I haven't seen either of the Kate Winslet movies but I guess she was pretty good.
One thing I love about going to see movies is the grandeur of it all. Seeing things on a big screen makes it special and there are movies that are geared for that. Most of the movies that I see in the theater (which is most movies that come out) are action/adventure/original type movies that, when seen on a huge screen, are enhanced by the experience. Movies that I haven't seen that are supposedly great are The Reader and Doubt. I would like to see both of those movies, but not enough to warrant seeing Kate Winslet 10 feet tall. Those movies are safe to watch on netflix and whatnot.
The reason I bring this up is because this presents a problem that has happened to our culture. I love movies and watch any film I can get my hands on, but my taste doesn't translate into my theater experience. If you count the money I've spent on movies at the theater, the breakdown would be pretty gross with a big chunk going to superhero/action/michael bay/jason statham crap that I love to watch. This becomes a problem because it makes it hard for other movies like Doubt or The Reader or The Wrestler (which was awesome) to get financial backing, thus making it hard to make original movies. I love these movies just as much as any other movie but I don't feel the need to see them in theaters like I do with ridiculously terrible/awesome movies like Death Race (which was awesome). I mean I have already planned out my spring and summer schedule (which I will share with you soon) and most of those are going to be awful, but need to be seen on a huge screen with a million watts of speaker power shaking my brain loose. Too many movies don't get made because of this fact and it really sucks. I'm not sure what to do or say about it other than, too bad I can't have my cake and eat it too.
Without further ado, the best dressed of the Golden Globes 2009 edition. Keep in mind I have yet to see People or whoever does the best dressed list so these opinions are just from watching the show and if they coincide with what the fashionista say, then that's just a testament to me being awesome. Also keep in mind that this is an overall general hotness with face/hair/dress all taken into account.
#5: Freida Pinto (first non-Lucy Liu Asian to be on my list)
#4: Rachel Dawes (oops I mean Maggie Gyllenhall)
#3 Christina Applegate
#2: Elizabeth Banks
#1: Eva Mendes
As always, go big or go home...
-M, p, z & shredder
oh ps -
tell em what to watch: American Idol: 8pm on FOX - kicked off last night in usual fashion (down slightly in the ratings from last year; only 31 million viewers) I love this part of the competition. Also if you have the Big Ten Network (which I know you don't because no one does) MSU @ PSU - they might have embarrassed us at home in football but hopefully we go over there and kick their ass.
One thing I love about going to see movies is the grandeur of it all. Seeing things on a big screen makes it special and there are movies that are geared for that. Most of the movies that I see in the theater (which is most movies that come out) are action/adventure/original type movies that, when seen on a huge screen, are enhanced by the experience. Movies that I haven't seen that are supposedly great are The Reader and Doubt. I would like to see both of those movies, but not enough to warrant seeing Kate Winslet 10 feet tall. Those movies are safe to watch on netflix and whatnot.
The reason I bring this up is because this presents a problem that has happened to our culture. I love movies and watch any film I can get my hands on, but my taste doesn't translate into my theater experience. If you count the money I've spent on movies at the theater, the breakdown would be pretty gross with a big chunk going to superhero/action/michael bay/jason statham crap that I love to watch. This becomes a problem because it makes it hard for other movies like Doubt or The Reader or The Wrestler (which was awesome) to get financial backing, thus making it hard to make original movies. I love these movies just as much as any other movie but I don't feel the need to see them in theaters like I do with ridiculously terrible/awesome movies like Death Race (which was awesome). I mean I have already planned out my spring and summer schedule (which I will share with you soon) and most of those are going to be awful, but need to be seen on a huge screen with a million watts of speaker power shaking my brain loose. Too many movies don't get made because of this fact and it really sucks. I'm not sure what to do or say about it other than, too bad I can't have my cake and eat it too.
Without further ado, the best dressed of the Golden Globes 2009 edition. Keep in mind I have yet to see People or whoever does the best dressed list so these opinions are just from watching the show and if they coincide with what the fashionista say, then that's just a testament to me being awesome. Also keep in mind that this is an overall general hotness with face/hair/dress all taken into account.
#5: Freida Pinto (first non-Lucy Liu Asian to be on my list)
#4: Rachel Dawes (oops I mean Maggie Gyllenhall)
#3 Christina Applegate
#2: Elizabeth Banks
#1: Eva Mendes
As always, go big or go home...
-M, p, z & shredder
oh ps -
tell em what to watch: American Idol: 8pm on FOX - kicked off last night in usual fashion (down slightly in the ratings from last year; only 31 million viewers) I love this part of the competition. Also if you have the Big Ten Network (which I know you don't because no one does) MSU @ PSU - they might have embarrassed us at home in football but hopefully we go over there and kick their ass.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Down on the Corner...
So the neighborhood I live in is awesome. Hardly anyone speaks english, everyone knows each other and I can get empanadas on pretty much every block. The cons are that it might be considered unsafe in some circles and it's hard to get quality produce. Every day and night there are a group of people that sort of lock down a few corners on my street. And by lock down I mean they stand there all day long come rain, snow, sleet, hail or 100 degree weather. They're crazy. It's not that uncommon. Everyone here stays outside all day long. Kids, teens, adults, it doesn't really matter. There's nothing to do in the neighborhood but stand outside all day. I've always wondered what these guys did. At first I assumed drugs but then thought they just enjoyed standing on the corner talking.
I walk by them every night and occasionally they are spread out. They stand dispersed down the block looking at each other and on occasion I am almost 100% sure I'm gonna get jumped. Sometimes it sounds like they are talking to each other over their nextels (I didn't know people still used those). The other day it all kind of came together. I was walking down the street toward the grocery store around 930 at night when they were lined up down the street in their usual formation. I usually look at the ground to avoid eye contact and while I was walking I noticed something out of the corner of my eye and looked halfway up. Standing between two cars was a guy selling a small white bag to some other dude, both of whom looked at me and caught my eye as I was walking by. For a split second I thought they were gonna jump/kill/stab me but I decided I was just gonna keep singing along to my ipod and hope for the best. It worked. I'm still alive.
I guess they spread out down the street so they can get the best coverage. All the roads around me are one way streets and as cars pull up they can pretty much sell in all four directions. the people in the middle of the street just standing there looking around are obviously lookouts and the people on the corner I can only assume are just in case something goes wrong. I've never really felt unsafe and actually feel safer now knowing that they don't want to jump me, they just want to make a living. The funny thing is that one of the reasons I decided to move to where I live is because it's less than a block from the nearest police station.
Anyways, if anyone needs some drugs, let me know and I'll put in a good word I guess. As always, go big or go home...
-M, p, z & shredder
oh ps -
tell em what to watch: Pistons @ Portland. Can the Pistons keep the streak alive and win 8 in a row? With Brandon Roy out we have a pretty good shot.
I walk by them every night and occasionally they are spread out. They stand dispersed down the block looking at each other and on occasion I am almost 100% sure I'm gonna get jumped. Sometimes it sounds like they are talking to each other over their nextels (I didn't know people still used those). The other day it all kind of came together. I was walking down the street toward the grocery store around 930 at night when they were lined up down the street in their usual formation. I usually look at the ground to avoid eye contact and while I was walking I noticed something out of the corner of my eye and looked halfway up. Standing between two cars was a guy selling a small white bag to some other dude, both of whom looked at me and caught my eye as I was walking by. For a split second I thought they were gonna jump/kill/stab me but I decided I was just gonna keep singing along to my ipod and hope for the best. It worked. I'm still alive.
I guess they spread out down the street so they can get the best coverage. All the roads around me are one way streets and as cars pull up they can pretty much sell in all four directions. the people in the middle of the street just standing there looking around are obviously lookouts and the people on the corner I can only assume are just in case something goes wrong. I've never really felt unsafe and actually feel safer now knowing that they don't want to jump me, they just want to make a living. The funny thing is that one of the reasons I decided to move to where I live is because it's less than a block from the nearest police station.
Anyways, if anyone needs some drugs, let me know and I'll put in a good word I guess. As always, go big or go home...
-M, p, z & shredder
oh ps -
tell em what to watch: Pistons @ Portland. Can the Pistons keep the streak alive and win 8 in a row? With Brandon Roy out we have a pretty good shot.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Countdowns...
Or count-ups I should say. Three things I'm keeping track of right now and I figure that writing it down on here will let everyone be interactive with me, in fact I think I'll add a poll to see how long people think I will last. First there's this old stove on the landing in my stairwell. Fire hazard much? It's already a small landing to begin with but this old ass stove is taking up at least half of it. It's been here since I got back from Michigan on the 29th, so it's already just been sitting there for 9+ days. Brown Guy mentioned that it would still be here the next time he came back to NYC which probably won't be for a while.
The other count-up is my no more drinking pledge. I don't have an exact count of last years but it was somewhere around a month and a half. This year I'm hoping to make it to two, though that is kind of a reach, but hopefully I can do it. So far it's only been 4 days which isn't even quite a work week. But every streak has to start somewhere. The other one is my less-chicken diet I make every year. I am only going to allow myself to eat chicken 5 times a week. That means of the 21 meals in the week, only 5 of them will contain chicken. I'm not sure if this is a lot or a little, but for me it's definitely a little. So far I'm doing pretty good this week. I haven't had it in three days so I'm kind of ahead of schedule.
I'll keep us updated pretty regularly. As always, go big or go home....
-M, p, z & shredder
oh ps - since there are some quality shows on tv again (and by tv I usually mean the next day on the internet ( I didn't turn on my tv for 2 1/2 weeks in december)), I'm going to use this space to tell everyone what to watch for the night. PTI does it every night at the end of their shows so I'm going to as well.
Tell em what to watch: MSU vs OSU at 7pm on ESPN2. Michigan State tries to push their conference streak to 3-0 for the first time since 1999-2000 when we won our last national championship.
The other count-up is my no more drinking pledge. I don't have an exact count of last years but it was somewhere around a month and a half. This year I'm hoping to make it to two, though that is kind of a reach, but hopefully I can do it. So far it's only been 4 days which isn't even quite a work week. But every streak has to start somewhere. The other one is my less-chicken diet I make every year. I am only going to allow myself to eat chicken 5 times a week. That means of the 21 meals in the week, only 5 of them will contain chicken. I'm not sure if this is a lot or a little, but for me it's definitely a little. So far I'm doing pretty good this week. I haven't had it in three days so I'm kind of ahead of schedule.
I'll keep us updated pretty regularly. As always, go big or go home....
-M, p, z & shredder
oh ps - since there are some quality shows on tv again (and by tv I usually mean the next day on the internet ( I didn't turn on my tv for 2 1/2 weeks in december)), I'm going to use this space to tell everyone what to watch for the night. PTI does it every night at the end of their shows so I'm going to as well.
Tell em what to watch: MSU vs OSU at 7pm on ESPN2. Michigan State tries to push their conference streak to 3-0 for the first time since 1999-2000 when we won our last national championship.
Monday, January 05, 2009
The Year of Me...
First of all, Happy New Year. I hope everyone had a great time over the holidays. I was back home in the wonderful state of Michigan and then back here in the city for new years eve. It was all a blast and this is literally the first time I've had a moment to myself to sit down and write a blog since over a week before christmas. One thing I love about the holidays is spending time with people I don't get to see a whole lot. Nothing beats it actually. That said, I'm going on my annual post-new years-detox period. I drank like a fish and as a result I need to let me body recover for at least a month. Last year I did the same thing and it was awesome. I'm hoping to make it to two months with no alcohol this year but we'll see how that goes.
I don't really make resolutions, I just like to keep renewing the old ones that I never accomplish. After working out for 7 months straight last year, I slowly fell off the wagon starting at the end of July until I stopped hitting the gym completely after I got really sick for a week or so in October. It's been a couple months since I've worked out or gone for a run and it needs to change now. I lost about 10 pounds of muscle and it has subsequently turned to fat. I'm not fat fat, just that all the muscle I had turned into fat. People used to say I looked big over the summer but now that has turned into me looking skinny. Anyways, that'll change soon.
Aside from that, it seems my life has sort of been stagnant for a long time, pretty much since I finished film school, which for all intents and purposes, was two years ago. Since then I have moved around a lot. I haven't had steady work and I'm feeling the ridiculous crush of this depression America has slipped into. I'm convinced that this year something positive will happen. I always say that and always think that so I guess it's bound to happen at some point. They say the reason the Indian (native americans, not real indians) Rain Dance used to work was because they would keep dancing until it finally rained. Well I suppose it is the same with positive thinking. I'm sure that this is the year though. I can feel it.
Anyways, I have a lot to blog about including my end of the year summaries and best of 2008 lists. I'll get on those asap. I just wanted to let everyone know I'm back and you can start checking back regularly again. As always, go big or go home...
-M, p, z & shredder
ps - my favorite show, Psych, is starting again this friday at 10 on USA. They air half the season in the summer and the other half in the winter. It's really an awesome show so do yourself a favor and watch it.
I don't really make resolutions, I just like to keep renewing the old ones that I never accomplish. After working out for 7 months straight last year, I slowly fell off the wagon starting at the end of July until I stopped hitting the gym completely after I got really sick for a week or so in October. It's been a couple months since I've worked out or gone for a run and it needs to change now. I lost about 10 pounds of muscle and it has subsequently turned to fat. I'm not fat fat, just that all the muscle I had turned into fat. People used to say I looked big over the summer but now that has turned into me looking skinny. Anyways, that'll change soon.
Aside from that, it seems my life has sort of been stagnant for a long time, pretty much since I finished film school, which for all intents and purposes, was two years ago. Since then I have moved around a lot. I haven't had steady work and I'm feeling the ridiculous crush of this depression America has slipped into. I'm convinced that this year something positive will happen. I always say that and always think that so I guess it's bound to happen at some point. They say the reason the Indian (native americans, not real indians) Rain Dance used to work was because they would keep dancing until it finally rained. Well I suppose it is the same with positive thinking. I'm sure that this is the year though. I can feel it.
Anyways, I have a lot to blog about including my end of the year summaries and best of 2008 lists. I'll get on those asap. I just wanted to let everyone know I'm back and you can start checking back regularly again. As always, go big or go home...
-M, p, z & shredder
ps - my favorite show, Psych, is starting again this friday at 10 on USA. They air half the season in the summer and the other half in the winter. It's really an awesome show so do yourself a favor and watch it.
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