In honor of Reel Big Fish announcing they will be going on tour with the Aquabats and Suburban Legends, I am doing the top 5 concerts I have attended. I know that I am getting old because over the last few years RBF has started to go on tour with bands who used to tour on their own. Super Concerts are always a sign that the music is starting to pass you by... None the less, I am excited and here is my list...
5.Goldfinger/No Doubt-8/16/1996 The Strand
This was before No Doubt became No Doubt. The Strand was a tiny theater in Providence, Rhode Island. I was so close to the stage I could reach out and touch Gwen. In many ways this show launched the music I would listen too for the next 14 years. These two bands were my gate way drugs to 3rd wave ska. Goldfinger was every much as good as No Doubt and my obsession with them would lead me to discovering Reel Big Fish. In many ways this concert also ruined concert going for the rest of my life. Why would I ever pay $60 to $100 to see No Doubt, or Blink 182, or any of those types of bands, in a huge arena where you can barely see them on the stage when I had already paid $25 to see them in a club where I could talk to them after? Highlight was probably, other then driving to the show with Scott, Tara and my sister, hearing "Don't Speak" live... remember, this was months before it was released as a single and I would have to hear it a billion times. It was powerful at the time.
4.Rage Against The Machine-9/12/2000 Grand Olympic Auditorium
This was a great experience for many reasons. The concert went on sale last minute, it wasn't part of a tour, just a two off show in Los Angeles. I had never seen them and my friend/boss and future roommate, Scott, had picked up two tickets. As it turned out, this was their last show before breaking up for over seven years. They were amazing. The energy was unreal. The crowd was berserk. Ozomatli opened and I quickly became a huge fan. Their performance was almost as amazing. One of the highlights was B-Real coming out and singing "How I Could Just Kill A Man". And its always cool when they release a DVD of the show you were at.
3.Roger Waters-10/5/2006 Hollywood Bowl
Unfortunately I was too young to ever see the original Pink Floyd line-up. I got to see a Roger Waters-less version in 1994. That was a great concert as well. I decided I was only going to put one show on this list to represent the Pink Floyd experience and the Waters show squeaked by. Both shows were visual wonders and, of course, the music was amazing, but Waters played all of Dark Side Of The Moon and better selections from other albums. I'm sure it helped that he wasn't supporting a sub par current album and that I was slightly more impaired. One of the highlights was them releasing an inflatable pig that floated over the audience during "Pigs".
2.Reel Big Fish/Less Than Jake/Streetlight Manifesto-7/11/2007 Lupo's Heartbreak
I think Lupo's may be the same theater that was called the Strand when I saw Goldfinger and No Doubt. This show make the list based solely on the power of the lineup. I waited 10 years to see a show with both RBF and LTJ on the same bill, then you add Streetlight and you blow my mind. Part of me wishes I was still 20 so I could have enjoyed this one to the fullest, but just being there was good enough. These three could easily be listed as my three favorite bands. None of them disappoint live. It was 4 hours of intense, jovial, ska fun. The RBF/Aquabats/Suburban Legends show will be good, but I've seen RBF and the Aquabats together in another land mark show (RBF/Aquabats/Blink-182/Cherry Poppin' Daddies). Plus nothing will ever top the two kings of Ska Punk on the same bill. Highlight was Less Than Jake holding a Price Is Right style game show to choose what albums they would play songs from... oh yea, and seeing RBF and LTJ 30 minutes apart live on the same stage!
1.Pearl Jam-11/4/1995 San Jose Spartan Stadium
I've never had a show totally change the way I followed a band except for this one. In all the other shows, I was a big fan of the bands and the seeing them just backed up what I already felt or mad me reminisce about the good old days. When I showed up at Pepperdine University my freshman year I was a lukewarm Pearl Jam fan. I owned "VS" and "Vitology
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Big Brother: I See Where Your Loyalities Lie
Lane, Lane, Lane... What were you thinking? You've reached a point in the game where you need to start counting and maintaining jury votes. The last thing you wanted to do was win that HOH. All these guys to is sit around all day, you'd think they'd spend some of their time thinking over scenarios before they get to the competitions. No matter what happened in that HOH Lane should have realized that he was safe. If he threw the competition and let Ragan win, Ragan would have put either Enzo and Lane or Enzo and Hayden on the block. Either way, Brittney votes for Enzo and either Hayden would vote for Lane or Lane would vote for Enzo. Then the final four would be Lane, Hayden, Brittney and Ragan and most importantly, Lane gets to compete for the HOH. By winning this week, he doesn't get to compete next week. Why is this important? At the moment, if Ragan goes home (which is the plan), he will be on the block or the one deciding who goes home next week (one of the three wins HOH, puts up two others, leaving one person to decide), which will piss off one of his potential votes. If he had a chance to play for HOH next week and won it would be someone else sending his allies home. That scenario would leave him potentially with Rachel, Brendon, Enzo, Brittney in the jury, all of who would most likely vote for him against Hayden. That's all he needs to win!
But lets deal with what actually happened. He's upset about having to put either Brittney or Enzo on the block. Once again, take a second and think about the scenario. He should have sat Enzo down and explained to keep Brittney's vote in the jury he wanted to keep her off the block and even though pawns have a tendency to go home, there is no way Enzo goes home. If the nominations stay the same, worse case scenario, Brittney votes for Enzo and Hayden votes for Ragan and Lane gets to break the tie. The real problem at this point is next week. I'm pretty sure he doesn't get to compete in HOH, which means he's either on the block or he's going to piss off Brittney or Enzo.
Once again I have to knock Brittney. She is playing totally blind and even if she happens to somehow win this thing it will be by dumb luck. She says that she feels totally safe in the house even though she is obviously fourth on the chopping block, she's one Ragan POV away from going home. That being said, losing this weeks HOH was a good move. Chances are she is safe this week and just like Lane, next weeks HOH is the important one.
But lets deal with what actually happened. He's upset about having to put either Brittney or Enzo on the block. Once again, take a second and think about the scenario. He should have sat Enzo down and explained to keep Brittney's vote in the jury he wanted to keep her off the block and even though pawns have a tendency to go home, there is no way Enzo goes home. If the nominations stay the same, worse case scenario, Brittney votes for Enzo and Hayden votes for Ragan and Lane gets to break the tie. The real problem at this point is next week. I'm pretty sure he doesn't get to compete in HOH, which means he's either on the block or he's going to piss off Brittney or Enzo.
Once again I have to knock Brittney. She is playing totally blind and even if she happens to somehow win this thing it will be by dumb luck. She says that she feels totally safe in the house even though she is obviously fourth on the chopping block, she's one Ragan POV away from going home. That being said, losing this weeks HOH was a good move. Chances are she is safe this week and just like Lane, next weeks HOH is the important one.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Big Brother: Double Elimination
The longer this season goes, the less there seems to be to comment on. The Brigade has complete control over the house thanks largely to Brittney who didn't have (and still doesn't seem to realize the trouble she's in) the foresight to make a move against the boys. Usually the double elimination episodes have a little excitement that goes along with them. Everyone is put on the spot, will they mess up their nominations without time to think about it or cut deals? I knew everything that was going to happen this time. All the nominations were obvious, the pecking order has never been clearer on one of these shows. The only hope there is for anyone other than a Brigade member to win is Ragan winning the HOH this week and even that is a long shot because he won't be able to compete the week after. I say that is the only way because Brittney is so snow balled by Lane that her winning will only work in favor of the Brigade. There seems that there is more going on then what CBS is showing, Hayden mentioned a deal with Brittney that wasn't broadcast, so why she has sided with the boys is unclear to me. She had multiple opportunities to swing the power in her favor and didn't realize any of them.
A quick note about the first POV... I never understand when they do one of these POV's each year why anyone not on the block or HOH would do anything for the prizes and not try at all for the penalties. Brittney (who I have grown more and more annoyed by over the course of the season) throwing a fit because people took prizes is just silly. She seems to have forgotten why everyone is there in the first place... to win stuff! She had every chance to out click Brendon on each of the penalties and she didn't. Why blame everyone else because you weren't quick enough? By the way, I would have gladly clicked in for both the head shaving and the penguin suit to counter act my attempts at the money and the Hawaiian vacation.
All I have to say about the eviction of Matt is, he overplayed. He made everyone not trust him by constantly lying and scheming. Oh well. My rankings of the remaining players is...
1.Hayden
2.Lane
3.Enzo
4.Ragan
5.Brittney
Hayden and Lane have jumped Enzo because they seem to have a closer relationship and will probably carry each other while Enzo seems to be the outsider of the three. Brittney may last longer then Ragan, but I think her chances of winning it all are less.
A quick note about the first POV... I never understand when they do one of these POV's each year why anyone not on the block or HOH would do anything for the prizes and not try at all for the penalties. Brittney (who I have grown more and more annoyed by over the course of the season) throwing a fit because people took prizes is just silly. She seems to have forgotten why everyone is there in the first place... to win stuff! She had every chance to out click Brendon on each of the penalties and she didn't. Why blame everyone else because you weren't quick enough? By the way, I would have gladly clicked in for both the head shaving and the penguin suit to counter act my attempts at the money and the Hawaiian vacation.
All I have to say about the eviction of Matt is, he overplayed. He made everyone not trust him by constantly lying and scheming. Oh well. My rankings of the remaining players is...
1.Hayden
2.Lane
3.Enzo
4.Ragan
5.Brittney
Hayden and Lane have jumped Enzo because they seem to have a closer relationship and will probably carry each other while Enzo seems to be the outsider of the three. Brittney may last longer then Ragan, but I think her chances of winning it all are less.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Book Review: 40 Million Dollar Slaves
Race is a touchy subject. The pretense of any argument about it is kind of a Catch-22. If you're white you're not allowed to comment or your opinion is of no value, which means only the minority groups get to discuss it. How are we supposed to move forward when only one group gets any say? I'm pretty sure that's how we got here in the first place. 40 Million Dollar Slaves by William C. Rhoden is a book about the black athlete and all the problems they still face today. To properly discuss the book I guess I should start by saying I'm white and that, I feel, the only way we are going to improve race relations in this country is to find a way to allow all sides to have a valid opinion. Maybe that is something that can only come with time, the more removed me become from slavery and Jim Crow laws, the more we will be able to except the view of the other color. Maybe, because I'm white and because we aren't more then a generation removed from the Civil Rights Movement, my opinions on this book aren't valid. Those of you who know me probably know validity has never stopped me before.
I've always thought that professional sports has done a great disservice to the black community in this country. Our society tells young black kids the only chance they have to make something of themselves, the only way to get out of the ghetto, is to either become a rapper or play professional sports. The message has become, accomplish one of those two things and you will make tons of money and be a success. I can't help but think of the old saying, "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for life." Kids spend one year in collage and then jump right to pro levels so as not to miss out on a pay day because success seems to be measured by how much one makes. Shouldn't the message be, to be a success you need to get an education. If sports gets you into college, use it, if you want to go on and have a pro career, do it, but get the education first. You may make millions by being a professional athlete, but by getting an education and having skills for when your sports days are over you become a bigger help to your community.
I picked up 40 Million Dollar Slaves hoping that this topic would be discussed. I hoped someone from the black community might express some of the same fears and disservices that I saw and felt. And to some degree Rhoden did. He talks through most of the book of the importance of community and how athletics seems to pull black children from that community. He talks about the "Conveyor Belt" system that pushes kids from a very early age towards professional sports and molds them into a product. Even with all that addressed, I couldn't help but feel Rhoden missed the point, that his own thoughts on race relations caused him to focus on issues of his own design and not the greater issues at hand.
As the title suggests, the central theme of the book is that even though we are centuries removed from slavery in this country the black athlete is essentially a 40 million dollar slave. Rhoden feels that since there is only one black owner in all of sports (at the time of the books writing it was Charlotte Bobcats owner Robert Johnson who has since sold majority interest to Michael Jordan) black athletes must still bend to the whim of their white owners much like slaves. I hate to point this out to Mr. Rhoden, but most of this country whether black, white, yellow or red, is in the same predicament and none of them make 40 million dollars doing so. I am much more a slave to a white master then anyone in professional sports. At least 40 million dollars gives you the chance to accomplish financial freedom. I don't have that option. I will be working for "The Man" for the rest of my life and the color of my skin has nothing to do with it. Professional athletes are nothing like slaves other then in some thin analogy that insults the hard working majority of the country. Mr. Rhoden might argue that athletes just have favored slave status, much like how house slaves were looked at in the past, but once again I say in this day and age, color has nothing to do with it. If the black athlete is a slave, so is the white one. To make it a racial issue is an unfair analysis of what is going on in the country.
Another problem I have with Rhoden's book is his discussion of swagger. He holds up "style" as a desirable black trait, a sign of ones blackness, that the white man to this day tries to snuff out. His example is Willie Mays, whose undeniable style on a baseball field has made him one of the greatest ballplayers of all time. The white institutions that run sports tend to see displays of black style, like those displayed by Mays, as threatening and try to put in rules to keep the black athlete and his style down. I can't deny that black athletes have added style and entertainment to the world of sports. Athletes like Mays and Ali and Doctor J have made sports that much more exciting and interesting to watch. But if Rhoden's major point is that black athlete's are pulled from their community and are forced to turn their back of the people and places that make them black, why would you hold up this idea of style, an idea that at it's very nature separates one from everyone else? I don't see how you mention players like Mays but ignore the Hank Aarons or Bill Russelss or Magic Johnsons who may have showed less "style" on the playing field but took great pains to help and stay connected to the very community you don't want future athletes to turn their backs on. The natural progression, in my mind, of Willie Mays is Terrell Owens and Ron Artest. Players that are far to concerned with their own celebrity to worry about others. I wish Rhoden focused more on players who have tried to make a difference in their community instead of holding up athletes as a paradigm of blackness who aren't doing the community any good.
This book was first published in 2006. I find it interesting that one of the subjects he talks about is the Fab 5, five high school basketball players who decided to take control of the college recruitment process and all go to the same school. Rhoden applauds the idea of the players taking control of the system and the potential such a action has of black athletes gaining some control of their own destinies. It makes me wonder... Did Lebron James and Dwyane Wade read this book? If so, they got it all wrong. Rhoden says although the Fab 5 had a great idea they messed up their choice in colleges. If they truly wanted to gain some power for the black community they would have gone to a black college, like Grambling or Alcorn, instead of white Michigan. Lebron and Wade made the same mistake. Don't confuse their intentions. Whether they read the book or not, their choice had nothing to do with black power and everything to do with having fun with the Miami night life. I'm sure Rhoden himself would say the two superstars had a chance to make a statement, they could have pushed for the black owned Charlotte team to sign them. Potentially setting up the first championship held by a black owner (even if the owner already has 6 trophies). But seriously, have you been to a bar in Charlotte?
There were many theories brought up by Rhoden that I found dead on. Some of them probably more controversial then the ones I didn't agree with, like the idea that Jackie Robinson's integration in Major League Baseball set back black athletes by destroying the Negro leagues. But I couldn't help walking away from the book feeling he had gotten it all slightly wrong. That the major points he was trying to make were misguided. I certainly recommend other pick it up and give it a read, it's well written and argued and if nothing else should spark discussion, but I can't say I agree with its message as a whole.
I've always thought that professional sports has done a great disservice to the black community in this country. Our society tells young black kids the only chance they have to make something of themselves, the only way to get out of the ghetto, is to either become a rapper or play professional sports. The message has become, accomplish one of those two things and you will make tons of money and be a success. I can't help but think of the old saying, "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for life." Kids spend one year in collage and then jump right to pro levels so as not to miss out on a pay day because success seems to be measured by how much one makes. Shouldn't the message be, to be a success you need to get an education. If sports gets you into college, use it, if you want to go on and have a pro career, do it, but get the education first. You may make millions by being a professional athlete, but by getting an education and having skills for when your sports days are over you become a bigger help to your community.
I picked up 40 Million Dollar Slaves hoping that this topic would be discussed. I hoped someone from the black community might express some of the same fears and disservices that I saw and felt. And to some degree Rhoden did. He talks through most of the book of the importance of community and how athletics seems to pull black children from that community. He talks about the "Conveyor Belt" system that pushes kids from a very early age towards professional sports and molds them into a product. Even with all that addressed, I couldn't help but feel Rhoden missed the point, that his own thoughts on race relations caused him to focus on issues of his own design and not the greater issues at hand.
As the title suggests, the central theme of the book is that even though we are centuries removed from slavery in this country the black athlete is essentially a 40 million dollar slave. Rhoden feels that since there is only one black owner in all of sports (at the time of the books writing it was Charlotte Bobcats owner Robert Johnson who has since sold majority interest to Michael Jordan) black athletes must still bend to the whim of their white owners much like slaves. I hate to point this out to Mr. Rhoden, but most of this country whether black, white, yellow or red, is in the same predicament and none of them make 40 million dollars doing so. I am much more a slave to a white master then anyone in professional sports. At least 40 million dollars gives you the chance to accomplish financial freedom. I don't have that option. I will be working for "The Man" for the rest of my life and the color of my skin has nothing to do with it. Professional athletes are nothing like slaves other then in some thin analogy that insults the hard working majority of the country. Mr. Rhoden might argue that athletes just have favored slave status, much like how house slaves were looked at in the past, but once again I say in this day and age, color has nothing to do with it. If the black athlete is a slave, so is the white one. To make it a racial issue is an unfair analysis of what is going on in the country.
Another problem I have with Rhoden's book is his discussion of swagger. He holds up "style" as a desirable black trait, a sign of ones blackness, that the white man to this day tries to snuff out. His example is Willie Mays, whose undeniable style on a baseball field has made him one of the greatest ballplayers of all time. The white institutions that run sports tend to see displays of black style, like those displayed by Mays, as threatening and try to put in rules to keep the black athlete and his style down. I can't deny that black athletes have added style and entertainment to the world of sports. Athletes like Mays and Ali and Doctor J have made sports that much more exciting and interesting to watch. But if Rhoden's major point is that black athlete's are pulled from their community and are forced to turn their back of the people and places that make them black, why would you hold up this idea of style, an idea that at it's very nature separates one from everyone else? I don't see how you mention players like Mays but ignore the Hank Aarons or Bill Russelss or Magic Johnsons who may have showed less "style" on the playing field but took great pains to help and stay connected to the very community you don't want future athletes to turn their backs on. The natural progression, in my mind, of Willie Mays is Terrell Owens and Ron Artest. Players that are far to concerned with their own celebrity to worry about others. I wish Rhoden focused more on players who have tried to make a difference in their community instead of holding up athletes as a paradigm of blackness who aren't doing the community any good.
This book was first published in 2006. I find it interesting that one of the subjects he talks about is the Fab 5, five high school basketball players who decided to take control of the college recruitment process and all go to the same school. Rhoden applauds the idea of the players taking control of the system and the potential such a action has of black athletes gaining some control of their own destinies. It makes me wonder... Did Lebron James and Dwyane Wade read this book? If so, they got it all wrong. Rhoden says although the Fab 5 had a great idea they messed up their choice in colleges. If they truly wanted to gain some power for the black community they would have gone to a black college, like Grambling or Alcorn, instead of white Michigan. Lebron and Wade made the same mistake. Don't confuse their intentions. Whether they read the book or not, their choice had nothing to do with black power and everything to do with having fun with the Miami night life. I'm sure Rhoden himself would say the two superstars had a chance to make a statement, they could have pushed for the black owned Charlotte team to sign them. Potentially setting up the first championship held by a black owner (even if the owner already has 6 trophies). But seriously, have you been to a bar in Charlotte?
There were many theories brought up by Rhoden that I found dead on. Some of them probably more controversial then the ones I didn't agree with, like the idea that Jackie Robinson's integration in Major League Baseball set back black athletes by destroying the Negro leagues. But I couldn't help walking away from the book feeling he had gotten it all slightly wrong. That the major points he was trying to make were misguided. I certainly recommend other pick it up and give it a read, it's well written and argued and if nothing else should spark discussion, but I can't say I agree with its message as a whole.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Top 5: Deserted Island CDs
I know this one is a little cliche, but I'm not in the best of moods at the moment, so this is what I'm going with. What five cds would you want with you if you ended up on a deserted island? We will ignore all the problems with the scenario, like how would you play them... I don't need to pick just five now that I have an IPOD... I would rather have books or dvds... etc, etc. I'm listing the five cds I would want with me on a deserted island that happened to have a power source and an odd magnetic field that prevented only IPODs and DVD players from working and caused books to spontaneously combust...
5. Def Leppard - Hysteria: I love this album. Maybe its childhood nostalgia. Maybe its poor taste in music. I don't really care, I will blindly defend it as a work of entertainment genius. It's loaded with songs that are fun to sing out loud and rock out to. It is quite possible that songs like Woman or Excitable may cause me to long for female companionship, but seriously, what rock album isn't loaded with songs to do that? My favorite tracks are Gods Of War and, due mostly to sentimental reasons, Pour Some Sugar On Me.
4. Weezer - Pinkerton: It took me a while to fall in love with this one. I got it as a Christmas present the year it came out, listened to it once or twice, then threw it in my cd book. Four long years later, I heard it again in a friends car and fell in love. I'm not sure if it was a more mature disposition that had me relating to the subject matter more or a better developed music ear that had me enthralled by the song construction and sonic techniques. Either way, or a combination of both, it quickly became one of my all time favorites. Weezer may have come back and reached higher levels of commercial success, but they have yet to put out a better album then Pinkerton. My favorite tracks are The Good Life and Why Bother.
3. Billy Joel - Turnstiles: This choice is basically for a change of pace. Everything else I chose is hard rock, I assume it would be nice to have a softer more musical option. That's not to say that I'm not a huge Billy Joel fan. I love the man and have since I was 8 or 9 years old. It's tough to choose which album I would want to represent him on the island. The Stranger is the most classic of his albums and its hard to go without Vienna, Scenes From An Italian Restaurant and Movin Out, but ultimately I have to go with with Turnstiles. Although All You Want To Do Is Dance is probably the worst song he ever wrote, Turnstiles is my favorite Billy album and since most of its best tracks aren't on his greatest hits collections, its my choice. My favorite tracks are Summer, Highland Falls (one of my all time favorite songs) and Prelude/Angry Young Man.
2. Pink Floyd - The Wall: Wish You Were Here is by far my favorite Pink Floyd album and one of my all time albums of all time. It has played an important part at important junctures in my life. But, I decided to go with The Wall based on length. At twice the running time, The Wall allows me more music to listen to than if I chose Wish You Were Here. That's not to say The Wall isn't important to me. It was my introduction to Floyd, a band I would consider one of my all time favorites, and, as odd as it may sound, I relate to the subject matter, or at least how I interpret the subject matter. I can't say I'm confident I understand all that Roger Waters is trying to say with the album, but certain songs have come to mean certain things to me and have become important to my understanding of myself wither it was meant by Roger or not. My favorite tracks are Don't Leave Me Now and In The Flesh.
1. Reel Big Fish - Cheer Up: What can I say, they are my favorite band, there is no way I would go anywhere without their music. I realize most people don't enjoy them or think they are too pop or think ska is juvenile or that they play a shitty bastardized version of ska. I don't care. I love them. I love them more then any other band on the planet. If that kills any credibility I may have when talking about music, so be it. Even in Reel Big Fish fan circles this may considered a poor choice. It's by far their most pop album and the furthest they have been from ska music, but I really enjoy the songs on it. Turn The Radio Off is genius and probably their best album, but I have more fun listening to Cheer Up and if I'm stranded on a deserted island I am going to need as much fun as I can get. My favorite tracks are Drunk Again and Valerie.
Honorable mentions go to Pearl Jam "Ten", Say Anything "...Is A Real Boy", and The Beatles "Abby Road"
5. Def Leppard - Hysteria: I love this album. Maybe its childhood nostalgia. Maybe its poor taste in music. I don't really care, I will blindly defend it as a work of entertainment genius. It's loaded with songs that are fun to sing out loud and rock out to. It is quite possible that songs like Woman or Excitable may cause me to long for female companionship, but seriously, what rock album isn't loaded with songs to do that? My favorite tracks are Gods Of War and, due mostly to sentimental reasons, Pour Some Sugar On Me.
4. Weezer - Pinkerton: It took me a while to fall in love with this one. I got it as a Christmas present the year it came out, listened to it once or twice, then threw it in my cd book. Four long years later, I heard it again in a friends car and fell in love. I'm not sure if it was a more mature disposition that had me relating to the subject matter more or a better developed music ear that had me enthralled by the song construction and sonic techniques. Either way, or a combination of both, it quickly became one of my all time favorites. Weezer may have come back and reached higher levels of commercial success, but they have yet to put out a better album then Pinkerton. My favorite tracks are The Good Life and Why Bother.
3. Billy Joel - Turnstiles: This choice is basically for a change of pace. Everything else I chose is hard rock, I assume it would be nice to have a softer more musical option. That's not to say that I'm not a huge Billy Joel fan. I love the man and have since I was 8 or 9 years old. It's tough to choose which album I would want to represent him on the island. The Stranger is the most classic of his albums and its hard to go without Vienna, Scenes From An Italian Restaurant and Movin Out, but ultimately I have to go with with Turnstiles. Although All You Want To Do Is Dance is probably the worst song he ever wrote, Turnstiles is my favorite Billy album and since most of its best tracks aren't on his greatest hits collections, its my choice. My favorite tracks are Summer, Highland Falls (one of my all time favorite songs) and Prelude/Angry Young Man.
2. Pink Floyd - The Wall: Wish You Were Here is by far my favorite Pink Floyd album and one of my all time albums of all time. It has played an important part at important junctures in my life. But, I decided to go with The Wall based on length. At twice the running time, The Wall allows me more music to listen to than if I chose Wish You Were Here. That's not to say The Wall isn't important to me. It was my introduction to Floyd, a band I would consider one of my all time favorites, and, as odd as it may sound, I relate to the subject matter, or at least how I interpret the subject matter. I can't say I'm confident I understand all that Roger Waters is trying to say with the album, but certain songs have come to mean certain things to me and have become important to my understanding of myself wither it was meant by Roger or not. My favorite tracks are Don't Leave Me Now and In The Flesh.
1. Reel Big Fish - Cheer Up: What can I say, they are my favorite band, there is no way I would go anywhere without their music. I realize most people don't enjoy them or think they are too pop or think ska is juvenile or that they play a shitty bastardized version of ska. I don't care. I love them. I love them more then any other band on the planet. If that kills any credibility I may have when talking about music, so be it. Even in Reel Big Fish fan circles this may considered a poor choice. It's by far their most pop album and the furthest they have been from ska music, but I really enjoy the songs on it. Turn The Radio Off is genius and probably their best album, but I have more fun listening to Cheer Up and if I'm stranded on a deserted island I am going to need as much fun as I can get. My favorite tracks are Drunk Again and Valerie.
Honorable mentions go to Pearl Jam "Ten", Say Anything "...Is A Real Boy", and The Beatles "Abby Road"
Monday, August 23, 2010
I Dreamt Of A Shirtless Hayden
The more I think about it, the more I think I might be really bad at actually playing this game. I am a stickler for rules and would base all my game play on those rules. In Big Brother the rules are constantly changing. Just when you think you have things figured out and all your ducks in a line, they change the rules. The Diamond Power Of Veto has turned this season on its head and totally ruined the Brigades game. Depending on who actually gets voted out this week, Enzo, Lane or Hayden is going to have to win HOH or they are done for. Matt is as good as gone. His bond with Ragan and in turn Brittney seems much stronger then with any of the guys in the Brigade. He will put one, if not two of them up if he wins. Enzo, my favorite to win though not my favorite to player, is in big trouble and all because of that stupid DPOV.
Once again I have to blast Brittney for her game play, if not her choice in men (seriously, she is marrying about five spots down, her fiance looks like a chump!). She had a chance to make a major game move and instead went the obvious route and put Brendon on the block. If I were her, I would have kept my deal with him and used the fact I stayed loyal for future leverage. I would have put Hayden and Enzo on the block to call out and break up their obvious pact. This would leave Brittney, Matt, Ragan, Lane, Brendon and Hayden or Enzo in the house. The person who stayed in the game might be out for Brittney, but she would now have leverage on Brendon, close relationships with Ragan and Matt and Lane, giving her all the votes she would need to be safe. With Brendon gone the house would split Ragan, Brittney, Matt on one side and Enzo, Hayden, Lane on the other. With that match up its only a matter of time before she's gone. She said, "we'll see what happens after the veto" because she has a bigger plan. I hope its to make the nominations what I just said and not to put Matt up because that would just be shooting her other foot off.
I've been meaning to ask, and keeping forgetting, what the fuck is up with Enzo's nickname for himself? Meow, Meow? What the hell does that mean? Who calls themselves that? Where did it come from? How come Joel McHale hasn't showed one clip of him calling himself that on the Soup? He's missing out on comedy gold!
Once again I have to blast Brittney for her game play, if not her choice in men (seriously, she is marrying about five spots down, her fiance looks like a chump!). She had a chance to make a major game move and instead went the obvious route and put Brendon on the block. If I were her, I would have kept my deal with him and used the fact I stayed loyal for future leverage. I would have put Hayden and Enzo on the block to call out and break up their obvious pact. This would leave Brittney, Matt, Ragan, Lane, Brendon and Hayden or Enzo in the house. The person who stayed in the game might be out for Brittney, but she would now have leverage on Brendon, close relationships with Ragan and Matt and Lane, giving her all the votes she would need to be safe. With Brendon gone the house would split Ragan, Brittney, Matt on one side and Enzo, Hayden, Lane on the other. With that match up its only a matter of time before she's gone. She said, "we'll see what happens after the veto" because she has a bigger plan. I hope its to make the nominations what I just said and not to put Matt up because that would just be shooting her other foot off.
I've been meaning to ask, and keeping forgetting, what the fuck is up with Enzo's nickname for himself? Meow, Meow? What the hell does that mean? Who calls themselves that? Where did it come from? How come Joel McHale hasn't showed one clip of him calling himself that on the Soup? He's missing out on comedy gold!
You Big Dummy!
The Diamond Power Of Veto left this week pretty undramatic once Ragan won the POV. It was obvious that Matt would then go up on the block, he would use the DPOV and Kathy would go up and get voted out. The most interesting thing that happened was Matt finding out that the Brigade was going to vote him out. There was no way for them to know that Matt was about to change things up, so its hard to fault them in their actions. Matt was seemingly the least invested member of the group. As much as he helped them by winning competitions, he also seemed to be the most likely to jump ship, a doubt that was a direct cause of all his over thinking of the game. With the evicted person going to the jury, it was also essential that they let Matt know he was going, otherwise it looks like you back stabbed him and possible lose his vote. Going forward Enzo and the boys will have to do their best to kiss butt and cover their actions, but there's a good chance Matt is out of the loop from here on out.
Where does this leave the Brigade? It looks like Ragan is super close to Matt and Brittney is super close to Lane. Is this a new foursome? I'm pretty sure that Lane is just covering his bases and not putting all his eggs in one basket, but Matt is a different story. With the Brigade turning their backs on him it looks like it could be an easy move for him to pair up with Ragan and Brittney and take down the guys. With Brittney winning HOH, once again, she has to nominate with her head and not her heart. She has to put up two Brigade members. With Matt falling out of the mix and Land kind of on her side, she puts up Enzo and Hayden and gains control of the house.
My favorite moment of the season, so far, is by far last weeks Pandora's Box. It was priceless to see both Brendon and Rachel run around two different houses yelling each others name in giddy anticipation only to find out that they aren't there it made me so happy!
My rankings of the remaining players chances of winning, with number one being the most likely are...
1.Enzo
2.Hayden
3.Ragan
4.Brittney
5.Lane
6.Matt
7.Brendon
Where does this leave the Brigade? It looks like Ragan is super close to Matt and Brittney is super close to Lane. Is this a new foursome? I'm pretty sure that Lane is just covering his bases and not putting all his eggs in one basket, but Matt is a different story. With the Brigade turning their backs on him it looks like it could be an easy move for him to pair up with Ragan and Brittney and take down the guys. With Brittney winning HOH, once again, she has to nominate with her head and not her heart. She has to put up two Brigade members. With Matt falling out of the mix and Land kind of on her side, she puts up Enzo and Hayden and gains control of the house.
My favorite moment of the season, so far, is by far last weeks Pandora's Box. It was priceless to see both Brendon and Rachel run around two different houses yelling each others name in giddy anticipation only to find out that they aren't there it made me so happy!
My rankings of the remaining players chances of winning, with number one being the most likely are...
1.Enzo
2.Hayden
3.Ragan
4.Brittney
5.Lane
6.Matt
7.Brendon
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Top 5: Favorite Stand-Up Comics At The Moment
This list is always changing. Its a little harder to stay up on the new comics and new material now that I'm not in Los Angeles, but I do what I can. There are a ton of great comics, both past and present, but I want this list to be my favorite comics at this moment. At some point I'm sure I will do all time favorite comedy cds, which will include guys like Dane Cook, who I just don't find as funny as I did when Harmful If Swallowed came out, and Brian Regan, who is great but nothing will ever be as funny as his first cd. I am also sure that I will make a list of all time greatest comics which would include guys like Cosby and Hicks. But for now, here are the guys I enjoy listening to...
5. John Caparulo - I think this guy is going to be huge one day. In all honesty, I haven't heard his cd, but I love his Comedy Central special and thought he was great in Vince Vaughn's movie. I saw him live the last time I went to the Comedy Store and he had me in stitches, more so then anyone one of the other 20 comics I saw that night. A lot of it is in his delivery. His rants are great, but at the same time he seems to enjoy his sets as much as the crowd.
4. Greg Giraldo - Again, I haven't heard his latest, but this guy is seriously underrated. OK, he was a judge on Last Comic Standing, so I guess he may not be as unheralded as he use to, but I still say he's underrated. He's the reason I watch the Comedy Central Roasts. Say all you want about Jeffrey Ross being the roast master, nobody is better then Giraldo.
3. Doug Stanhope - If all you know of Doug Stanhope is his stint on the Man Show after Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla left then you are in for a shock if you decide to sit down and listen to his stand-up. He is pretty much as raw as a comedian gets. I constantly find myself laughing extremely hard at stuff Doug says that I really shouldn't be laughing at. I lose it when he starts talking about fucking a Siamese twin and I'm pretty sure he's the only person who can get me to laugh at abortions. He is certainly not for everybody, but I can't get enough of his twisted point of view.
2. Mike Birbiglia - This guy is a true genius. His stuff makes me laugh no matter how many times I hear it. He has morphed as a comic as well. His first cd, Two Drink Mike, was great but your typical stand-up with rapid fire jokes. He's now changed his style to more of a story teller comic, a style that is super hard to pull off. If you have a ten minute bit you want to do and you lose the crowd in the first minute, you're done. But Birbigs never has that problem. He's great at keeping the jokes coming while continuing on with the bigger story. His Dennis Eckersley story is fall off the couch funny. He's well on his way to reaching the heights of the story telling stand-up master, Bill Cosby.
1. Daniel Tosh - I feel like this is a sell-out choice now that he is a huge cable TV star, but I've been listening to this guy since his cd came out in 2005. He's such a asshole, it's awesome! Nobody makes me laugh harder at the moment then Tosh. I love the fact that I get to watch him go off on a weekly basis. The intro to his Web Redemption's is the funniest thing on TV right now.
Honorable mentions... it kills me that Brian Regan, Dave Attel, Patton Oswalt and Greg Behrendt aren't on the list
5. John Caparulo - I think this guy is going to be huge one day. In all honesty, I haven't heard his cd, but I love his Comedy Central special and thought he was great in Vince Vaughn's movie. I saw him live the last time I went to the Comedy Store and he had me in stitches, more so then anyone one of the other 20 comics I saw that night. A lot of it is in his delivery. His rants are great, but at the same time he seems to enjoy his sets as much as the crowd.
4. Greg Giraldo - Again, I haven't heard his latest, but this guy is seriously underrated. OK, he was a judge on Last Comic Standing, so I guess he may not be as unheralded as he use to, but I still say he's underrated. He's the reason I watch the Comedy Central Roasts. Say all you want about Jeffrey Ross being the roast master, nobody is better then Giraldo.
3. Doug Stanhope - If all you know of Doug Stanhope is his stint on the Man Show after Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla left then you are in for a shock if you decide to sit down and listen to his stand-up. He is pretty much as raw as a comedian gets. I constantly find myself laughing extremely hard at stuff Doug says that I really shouldn't be laughing at. I lose it when he starts talking about fucking a Siamese twin and I'm pretty sure he's the only person who can get me to laugh at abortions. He is certainly not for everybody, but I can't get enough of his twisted point of view.
2. Mike Birbiglia - This guy is a true genius. His stuff makes me laugh no matter how many times I hear it. He has morphed as a comic as well. His first cd, Two Drink Mike, was great but your typical stand-up with rapid fire jokes. He's now changed his style to more of a story teller comic, a style that is super hard to pull off. If you have a ten minute bit you want to do and you lose the crowd in the first minute, you're done. But Birbigs never has that problem. He's great at keeping the jokes coming while continuing on with the bigger story. His Dennis Eckersley story is fall off the couch funny. He's well on his way to reaching the heights of the story telling stand-up master, Bill Cosby.
1. Daniel Tosh - I feel like this is a sell-out choice now that he is a huge cable TV star, but I've been listening to this guy since his cd came out in 2005. He's such a asshole, it's awesome! Nobody makes me laugh harder at the moment then Tosh. I love the fact that I get to watch him go off on a weekly basis. The intro to his Web Redemption's is the funniest thing on TV right now.
Honorable mentions... it kills me that Brian Regan, Dave Attel, Patton Oswalt and Greg Behrendt aren't on the list
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
All I Wanted Was To Be Happy And In Love
I seriously refuse to believe anyone is that much in love with a person they met a month ago. The real shocker of a quote was "All I can think about is what a huge part of my life Rachel is." What?!? You've only known her for a month trapped inside a house together with 11 other strangers. How can she be any part of your life? Did your life start the second you stepped into the house? What a schmuck!
That being said, that schmuck actually won a competition that he needed to win and was fairly smart in who he put up for nominations. The best choice would have been to make the deal with Ragan, wither he played on keeping it longer then this week or not, and put up two members of the Brigade. I still refuse to believe that nobody sees that these guys have something going on or at least the Enzo, Hayden and Lane do. The deal would have given him a small bit of protection next week. Still, with these nominations the vote should be split and he may be in OK shape. Of course he doesn't know that Matt has the Diamond Power of Veto, so it really didn't matter who he put up.
Like I said last week, Enzo has shown to be the best player in the house. His move to make a deal before the eviction was genius. To bad Brandon didn't keep it. Ragan's deal was a great move as well. One, like I said earlier, I would have taken.
That being said, that schmuck actually won a competition that he needed to win and was fairly smart in who he put up for nominations. The best choice would have been to make the deal with Ragan, wither he played on keeping it longer then this week or not, and put up two members of the Brigade. I still refuse to believe that nobody sees that these guys have something going on or at least the Enzo, Hayden and Lane do. The deal would have given him a small bit of protection next week. Still, with these nominations the vote should be split and he may be in OK shape. Of course he doesn't know that Matt has the Diamond Power of Veto, so it really didn't matter who he put up.
Like I said last week, Enzo has shown to be the best player in the house. His move to make a deal before the eviction was genius. To bad Brandon didn't keep it. Ragan's deal was a great move as well. One, like I said earlier, I would have taken.
Brendon, I am Vegas!
I'm so torn! Half of me is ecstatic I never have to listen to Rachel's fake valley girl speech and annoying laugh again, but the other half is wondering where I'm going to get the quotes to title these posts with. Has there ever been a more delusional couple in the history of reality TV? I wondered for a brief moment if it was all an act. I mean, nobody is stupid enough to believe they are that deeply in love with a person they met three weeks ago on a reality television show. I also found it hard to believe that Brendon is as bad at all these challenges as he's been. He seems to be a pretty athletic guy, but he keeps getting beaten by all these, "three foot nothing" girls. I thought, just maybe, he was throwing competitions so he could act like Rachel's protector but have no power to do anything, saving face in front of both her and the rest of the house. But then he uttered the sentence, "given a choice between love and money, I choose love." Brendon, nobody gave you that choice, you idiot! I'm pretty sure Big Brother never said you can't talk to anyone in the house if you win the money. If you are both in as much love as you say, she's still going to be there when the game is over. The money on the other hand, won't. This is your one chance, buddy. Go get the girl after you take a real shot at half a million dollars.
This brings me to my major point at this juncture in the game. There are two important rules you need to follow when playing Big Brother if you want to win the money. Two rules that most players ignore. Two rules that my two favorite players this season don't seem to know. Rule One is: Never Over Think The Game. The minute you try to come up with elaborate plans or lies or schemes you're asking for things to go wrong. Matt, like many smart players before him, is over thinking the game. Big Brother isn't a game of chess, like players in the past have suggested, the rules change to often for that to be the case. It's more like Machiavelli's The Prince. Lay low, keep the numbers in your favor, talk others into doing all the dirty work, don't give people reason not to trust you.
Rule Two is: Never Let Personal Feelings Trump Game Play. The minute you start to get involved in personal vendettas and vote with your heart instead of your head you lose control of the game. Along with Brendon, of course, this is Brittney's biggest sin. I really want her to win this thing, but I think she gets to caught up in her hatred of Rachel and Brendon. She should have thrown the veto competition. She was in a position to play both sides of the house. For whatever reason, probably just out of necessity, Rachel and Brendon wanted to side with her. If she didn't win, the Brigade doesn't get mad at her because the nominations don't change and Rachel and Brendon don't get mad because she doesn't choose not to take one of them off. At this point in the game, the halfway mark, you have to start thinking about the jury and if you have Rachel kicked out thinking you might be on her side, that's one more vote you have at the end of the game. It also keeps Brendon on your side if you need to have numbers against the Brigade. But she went and won and pissed off the couple and is now at the mercy of the Brigade.
I hope neither of these two have shot themselves in the foot. I would love one of the two to win, but at this point I'm a little scared of their game play. Right now I think Enzo has played the best game. He has numbers, he's done nothing to stick out, he's looked bad in competitions making him not a threat. I'd say he's the odds on favorite at the moment.
This brings me to my major point at this juncture in the game. There are two important rules you need to follow when playing Big Brother if you want to win the money. Two rules that most players ignore. Two rules that my two favorite players this season don't seem to know. Rule One is: Never Over Think The Game. The minute you try to come up with elaborate plans or lies or schemes you're asking for things to go wrong. Matt, like many smart players before him, is over thinking the game. Big Brother isn't a game of chess, like players in the past have suggested, the rules change to often for that to be the case. It's more like Machiavelli's The Prince. Lay low, keep the numbers in your favor, talk others into doing all the dirty work, don't give people reason not to trust you.
Rule Two is: Never Let Personal Feelings Trump Game Play. The minute you start to get involved in personal vendettas and vote with your heart instead of your head you lose control of the game. Along with Brendon, of course, this is Brittney's biggest sin. I really want her to win this thing, but I think she gets to caught up in her hatred of Rachel and Brendon. She should have thrown the veto competition. She was in a position to play both sides of the house. For whatever reason, probably just out of necessity, Rachel and Brendon wanted to side with her. If she didn't win, the Brigade doesn't get mad at her because the nominations don't change and Rachel and Brendon don't get mad because she doesn't choose not to take one of them off. At this point in the game, the halfway mark, you have to start thinking about the jury and if you have Rachel kicked out thinking you might be on her side, that's one more vote you have at the end of the game. It also keeps Brendon on your side if you need to have numbers against the Brigade. But she went and won and pissed off the couple and is now at the mercy of the Brigade.
I hope neither of these two have shot themselves in the foot. I would love one of the two to win, but at this point I'm a little scared of their game play. Right now I think Enzo has played the best game. He has numbers, he's done nothing to stick out, he's looked bad in competitions making him not a threat. I'd say he's the odds on favorite at the moment.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Wildcard Wednesday
So, I kinda lied about there not being another show on TV, other then Big Brother, worth writing about. Last night brought us another installment of Louis C.K.'s FX show, Louie. Although I wouldn't call it the funniest show on TV, Louie is both creative and daring and certainly has me laughing. The set up of the show is somewhat reminiscent of early Seinfeld episodes with each show opening with Louis C.K.'s standup, then segueing into scripted storylines. Louis's comedy is much different then Jerry's, though, as Louis talks specifically about his own life and experiences and tends to be highly self-depreciating and somewhat dark. In the opening bit of yesterday's episode, "Dogpound", Louis says, "the biggest struggle with having kids is every day they're with you." He goes on, "you have to get up at 6 am. I've lost whole careers over not wanting to get up at 6."
Oddly enough, the other show Louie reminds me of is Curb Your Enthusiasm. The scripted storylines find Louis in painfully awkward social situations of his own creation much like Larry David. If anything, Louie is Curb Your Enthusiasm turned up to 11 with the material being of a much darker style. I was on the floor grabbing my sides when Louis goes to the pound to get a dog and gets talked into taking an "older" dog only to have it die the minute he walks it through his apartment door.
If you're not watching this show, give it a try.
Oddly enough, the other show Louie reminds me of is Curb Your Enthusiasm. The scripted storylines find Louis in painfully awkward social situations of his own creation much like Larry David. If anything, Louie is Curb Your Enthusiasm turned up to 11 with the material being of a much darker style. I was on the floor grabbing my sides when Louis goes to the pound to get a dog and gets talked into taking an "older" dog only to have it die the minute he walks it through his apartment door.
If you're not watching this show, give it a try.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Top 5: Favorite Movie Characters
I think I am going to make Tuesday, Top 5 Tuesday. 10 years ago or so, before blogs were all the rave, I set up an e-mail list of friends and sent out top 5 lists dealing with pop culture. I had a lot of fun with it and now realize that it would work great as a blog. These Top 5's are mostly just lists of my favorite things, feel free to add your favorites or tell me why mine are obviously wrong.
Today I'll start with Top 5 Favorite Movie Characters...
5. Jeffrey "Big" Lebowski aka The Dude- The Big Lebowski. When I first did this list, 8 years ago, this wasn't such a trendy pick. The Lebowski cult was just building steam, so a lot of people either hadn't seen the movie or just didn't get it. I remember seeing this in the theater and feeling like I was disturbing the other viewers because I was the only one laughing. And I wasn't just chuckling, I was busting a gut. Now it seems like everyone loves this movie. There are so many great characters that I feel weird picking out The Dude as being better from the rest. I don't know that John Goodman has ever been better and John Turturro steals the 5 minutes he's on screen. But at the end of the day I love the Dude. The way he responds to situations, the way he hears someone say something then repeat it as if its his own argument, the fact that he just wants a new rug. I mean, the guy paid for a half gallon on milk with a check for 99 cents! Pure genius.
4. Ash- The Evil Dead movies. Ash will go down as my favorite quotable character ever written. I spent most of college reciting his dialogue. Of course most of the magic behind the character is Bruce Campbell. He is so pompous ans so sure of himself, yet such a jackass. Campbell was able to capture a sense of coolness and make it laugh out loud funny at the same time. Army of Darkness is one of those movies I have seen a hundred times and could watch a hundred more and its all because of Ash. Hail the king, baby!
3. Brodie- Mallrats. It is definitely the bitter sarcasm, not to mention the girl problems, that draws me to this character. I'd like to say he's as quotable as Ash, God knows he has some genius one liners, but there is something in Jason Lee's delivery that makes it unrepeatable. You could quote Lee, but it wouldn't be nearly as funny. There is something he brings to his characters that is essentially Jason Lee and no one else. Binky, his character from Chasing Amy, is right on par with Brodie, but forced to choose between the two, I'll go with Brodie. For whatever reason, there seems to be something appealing about a loser with huge personality.
2. Indiana Jones- Indiana Jones movies (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull never happened). Indiana Jones is one of my all time favorite childhood heroes. I couldn't imagine my youth without the thought of Indy dodging rocks, shooting down sword welding enemies, or swinging over huge crevices with his whip. To this day hearing the his theme music sends chills down my spine (ask anyone who has ridden the Disneyland ride with me). Indy is pretty much as cool as it gets, with one exception...
1. Han Solo- Star Wars movies. Notice that my top two favorite characters are a) both played by Harrison Ford and b) created by George Lucas. I'm not sure what that means, but there it is. I sure hope Mr. Lucas has no plans to do another Star Wars movie where he rapes Han Solo like he did Indy! In my eyes Solo is the greatest movie character to ever walk across the big screen. The cockiness, the coolness, the sarcasm. This guy has it all. A reluctant hero who overcomes his selfish nature to save the day. Oh yeah, and he gets the girl. I can't imagine my life without Star Wars and Han represents, to me, all that was great about those movies.
Honorable mentions go to James Bond, Trent from Swingers and Randell from Clerks
Today I'll start with Top 5 Favorite Movie Characters...
5. Jeffrey "Big" Lebowski aka The Dude- The Big Lebowski. When I first did this list, 8 years ago, this wasn't such a trendy pick. The Lebowski cult was just building steam, so a lot of people either hadn't seen the movie or just didn't get it. I remember seeing this in the theater and feeling like I was disturbing the other viewers because I was the only one laughing. And I wasn't just chuckling, I was busting a gut. Now it seems like everyone loves this movie. There are so many great characters that I feel weird picking out The Dude as being better from the rest. I don't know that John Goodman has ever been better and John Turturro steals the 5 minutes he's on screen. But at the end of the day I love the Dude. The way he responds to situations, the way he hears someone say something then repeat it as if its his own argument, the fact that he just wants a new rug. I mean, the guy paid for a half gallon on milk with a check for 99 cents! Pure genius.
4. Ash- The Evil Dead movies. Ash will go down as my favorite quotable character ever written. I spent most of college reciting his dialogue. Of course most of the magic behind the character is Bruce Campbell. He is so pompous ans so sure of himself, yet such a jackass. Campbell was able to capture a sense of coolness and make it laugh out loud funny at the same time. Army of Darkness is one of those movies I have seen a hundred times and could watch a hundred more and its all because of Ash. Hail the king, baby!
3. Brodie- Mallrats. It is definitely the bitter sarcasm, not to mention the girl problems, that draws me to this character. I'd like to say he's as quotable as Ash, God knows he has some genius one liners, but there is something in Jason Lee's delivery that makes it unrepeatable. You could quote Lee, but it wouldn't be nearly as funny. There is something he brings to his characters that is essentially Jason Lee and no one else. Binky, his character from Chasing Amy, is right on par with Brodie, but forced to choose between the two, I'll go with Brodie. For whatever reason, there seems to be something appealing about a loser with huge personality.
2. Indiana Jones- Indiana Jones movies (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull never happened). Indiana Jones is one of my all time favorite childhood heroes. I couldn't imagine my youth without the thought of Indy dodging rocks, shooting down sword welding enemies, or swinging over huge crevices with his whip. To this day hearing the his theme music sends chills down my spine (ask anyone who has ridden the Disneyland ride with me). Indy is pretty much as cool as it gets, with one exception...
1. Han Solo- Star Wars movies. Notice that my top two favorite characters are a) both played by Harrison Ford and b) created by George Lucas. I'm not sure what that means, but there it is. I sure hope Mr. Lucas has no plans to do another Star Wars movie where he rapes Han Solo like he did Indy! In my eyes Solo is the greatest movie character to ever walk across the big screen. The cockiness, the coolness, the sarcasm. This guy has it all. A reluctant hero who overcomes his selfish nature to save the day. Oh yeah, and he gets the girl. I can't imagine my life without Star Wars and Han represents, to me, all that was great about those movies.
Honorable mentions go to James Bond, Trent from Swingers and Randell from Clerks
Monday, August 9, 2010
I Fought So Hard I Have To Get Another Shot Of Botox
I'm going to start this blog as a writing exercise, a reason to get myself writing on a more regular basis and hopefully as a jump starter to the stuff I really want to be writing. Its hard sometimes to just jump into a project cold. I hope to use this as a warm up for any of my writing sessions. I'm going to focus on pop culture stuff, my opinions on TV, movies, music, that kind of stuff.
I thought I would begin by following a TV show, break down episodes of something I enjoy watching critic style. The middle of the summer is not really the opportune time to start such a project. My choices are limited. Everyone and their mother is writing about Mad Men, so as much as I would like to dissect those episodes, I'm not sure I could add anything of value that hasn't been mentioned elsewhere. Rescue Me has become so loathsome and silly, even though I still watch it, I'm not sure there is anything of substance to write about episode after episode. Everyone is an asshole and will always make the wrong choice... that's every episode of the show summed up in one sentence. I feel dirty watching Jersey Shore no matter how hard I laugh, so I couldn't imagine what writing about it would do to my soul. So, I'm left with Big Brother, my summer guilty pleasure for the last 9 years. I don't watch the on-line or Showtime stuff, nor read any of the feeds, so all my comments and reactions are based solely on the CBS shows. Without further ado...
Sunday's episode, Episode 14, began with a Head Of Household (HOH) competition. The alliances going in are Matt, Enzo, Lane and Hayden in a secret alliance they are calling The Brigade, Rachel and Braden in a very open showmance alliance, and Regan, Britney and Kathy left as floaters. The housemates are standing on a narrow plank surrounding a giant paint bucket. They are allowed to hold on to a rail behind them as they are sprayed with bursts of paint and hit with an equally giant paint brush. The last one standing on the bucket plank wins HOH. With Rachel as out going HOH, it was up to Braden to win in order to assure the couple would stay off the chopping block. Has there been a more annoying couple in the history of reality TV? When Rachel laughs it makes me want to punch my television. And Braden comes off as the most whipped human on the face of the planet. Braden falls out of the competition quickly and when Rachel gets mad he comments, "All I wanted to hear was that I did a good job." Is it an act? Does he realize that Rachel is a dead weight tied to his ankle? He may have thrown the competition to get her kicked out, but I'm not sure I believe that. I'm going with he's just plan pathetic.
Soon after Braden falls out, Britney comments that she feels safe this week and falls out as well. She may be safe this week, but is getting rid of Rachel and Braden in her best interest? It's hard to tell, not being in the house, what the housemates know and don't know about each other, but I find it hard to believe that nobody thinks the boys may have a pact. Kristen pointed out the possibility to everyone on her way out. Would it not make more sense for the three floaters to pair up with Rachel and Braden to knockout one or two of the others before they have numbers? I hope Britney plans to team up with the surviving member of the couple, but I would have tried to make my move this week. The same goes for Regan. He was one of the last two on the paint bucket with Matt. He never tried to cut a deal. Why didn't he try to cut a deal? When Rachel or Braden is gone at the end of the week, he's going to be on the outside. Why not try to do something about that now?
Matt ends up winning the HOH and in the process gets to choose to open Pandora's Box or not. He chooses to open it and gains the Diamond Power of Veto, which will allow him to veto any nomination over the next two weeks, but also allows there to be a new saboteur. The new saboteur is Regan. This new power seems to pretty much seal the Brigade's power hold on the game. No matter what happens next week, Matt will have final say on who will be on the block. Even if the floaters make a pact to gain a number advantage, Matt will be able to negate it.
To no one's surprise, Matt nominates Rachel and Braden. We are left with the image of a crying Rachel as she exclaims, "I fought so hard I have to get another shot of botox because I have so many wrinkles." Don't let the door hit you in the ass, Rachel!
I thought I would begin by following a TV show, break down episodes of something I enjoy watching critic style. The middle of the summer is not really the opportune time to start such a project. My choices are limited. Everyone and their mother is writing about Mad Men, so as much as I would like to dissect those episodes, I'm not sure I could add anything of value that hasn't been mentioned elsewhere. Rescue Me has become so loathsome and silly, even though I still watch it, I'm not sure there is anything of substance to write about episode after episode. Everyone is an asshole and will always make the wrong choice... that's every episode of the show summed up in one sentence. I feel dirty watching Jersey Shore no matter how hard I laugh, so I couldn't imagine what writing about it would do to my soul. So, I'm left with Big Brother, my summer guilty pleasure for the last 9 years. I don't watch the on-line or Showtime stuff, nor read any of the feeds, so all my comments and reactions are based solely on the CBS shows. Without further ado...
Sunday's episode, Episode 14, began with a Head Of Household (HOH) competition. The alliances going in are Matt, Enzo, Lane and Hayden in a secret alliance they are calling The Brigade, Rachel and Braden in a very open showmance alliance, and Regan, Britney and Kathy left as floaters. The housemates are standing on a narrow plank surrounding a giant paint bucket. They are allowed to hold on to a rail behind them as they are sprayed with bursts of paint and hit with an equally giant paint brush. The last one standing on the bucket plank wins HOH. With Rachel as out going HOH, it was up to Braden to win in order to assure the couple would stay off the chopping block. Has there been a more annoying couple in the history of reality TV? When Rachel laughs it makes me want to punch my television. And Braden comes off as the most whipped human on the face of the planet. Braden falls out of the competition quickly and when Rachel gets mad he comments, "All I wanted to hear was that I did a good job." Is it an act? Does he realize that Rachel is a dead weight tied to his ankle? He may have thrown the competition to get her kicked out, but I'm not sure I believe that. I'm going with he's just plan pathetic.
Soon after Braden falls out, Britney comments that she feels safe this week and falls out as well. She may be safe this week, but is getting rid of Rachel and Braden in her best interest? It's hard to tell, not being in the house, what the housemates know and don't know about each other, but I find it hard to believe that nobody thinks the boys may have a pact. Kristen pointed out the possibility to everyone on her way out. Would it not make more sense for the three floaters to pair up with Rachel and Braden to knockout one or two of the others before they have numbers? I hope Britney plans to team up with the surviving member of the couple, but I would have tried to make my move this week. The same goes for Regan. He was one of the last two on the paint bucket with Matt. He never tried to cut a deal. Why didn't he try to cut a deal? When Rachel or Braden is gone at the end of the week, he's going to be on the outside. Why not try to do something about that now?
Matt ends up winning the HOH and in the process gets to choose to open Pandora's Box or not. He chooses to open it and gains the Diamond Power of Veto, which will allow him to veto any nomination over the next two weeks, but also allows there to be a new saboteur. The new saboteur is Regan. This new power seems to pretty much seal the Brigade's power hold on the game. No matter what happens next week, Matt will have final say on who will be on the block. Even if the floaters make a pact to gain a number advantage, Matt will be able to negate it.
To no one's surprise, Matt nominates Rachel and Braden. We are left with the image of a crying Rachel as she exclaims, "I fought so hard I have to get another shot of botox because I have so many wrinkles." Don't let the door hit you in the ass, Rachel!
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