Monday, December 29, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
The End of Snowzilla
Seven front-yards' worth of snow, beer bottles for eyes, and arms that were attached with a power drill. (Insert Tim Allen-style man-grunt here.) That's the only way to build a snowman.
Yes, the bizarre storylines keep spilling from our 49th and largest state. (Including, among others, Sarah Palin's turkey pardon fiasco.) Apparently, this 16-foot snowmonster, dubbed "Snowzilla", has been among the top tourist attractions in Anchorage, Alaska, rivaling the Fraternal Order of Alaska State Troopers Museum (really).
But no more, according to this AP article: "Municipal officials in Anchorage have given a cease-and-desist order to builders of the giant snowman that made appearances the last three years in an east Anchorage neighborhood... City officials deemed Snowzilla a public nuisance and safety hazard. A few weeks ago, code enforcers left red signs at Snowzilla's bottom body ball telling its builders to cease and desist."
So, I formally announce the beginning of the "Save Snowzilla" foundation. Send donations to me; I'll make sure they get to the right place...
Monday, December 22, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Album Review #8: The Submarines
Declare A New State! (2006), by The Submarines
It was a little over a year ago that, one day at work, Pandora radio served up one of those really obscure songs that, while it plays, can't even find the album art for the song. It caught my attention somehow; maybe it was the aching lyrics, but more likely it was the subtle, electronicky percussion that dotted the melody.
I was so intrigued that, even after a futile attempt to locate the album in person, I actually ordered it from Amazon. Sure enough, no customer reviews yet, but I went for it anyway.
And as it turned out, it didn't take too long for The Submarines to snowball on the indie scene after various compositions made it to TV shows like Nip/Tuck, Weeds, Grey's Anatomy, and even Apple's iPhone 3G ads. Usually I'm not one to toot my own horn, but... beep beep. For once, I actually got into a group before they hit the mainstream.
But enough self-promotion; on to the real heroes. John Dragonetti and Blake Hazard (great-granddaughter of F. Scott Fitzgerald, by the way) comprise the LA duo. Interestingly, the album's conception began when the two romantically involved musicians broke up. As the story goes, they both independently began writing music about their former relationship, ran into each other a little later on, discovered that their songs were about each other, and boom, their debut album was born.
Happy ending, yes, but the pain and sorrow of breaking up ends up being pretty much the sole motif of all ten songs. One particular line from "Brighter Discontent" still haunts me: "A breaking heart in an empty apartment / was the loudest sound I never heard." All this after she laments that a brand new big TV and a new apartment doesn't keep her from noticing her ex-lover still in pictures all over her walls.
The album is only a downer if you sit and read the lyrics from the little booklet that always comes with the CD. Musically, it's a pretty captivating piece of art. It seems like just about every song tries something new: there are several different melodies and rhythms put to use within each track, but not so much that it distracts you (like, say, Beck). Hazard's soaring and lyrical voice hypnotizes me, too.
I also noticed that all of the songs have a deceptively positive key which act as a stark contrast to the lyrics, but may also suggest a slightly optimistic, "light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel" type of attitude for heartbreak. After all, notice the album's title.
Some songs are much weaker than others. "Hope" and "The Good Night" seem to wander around a little bit aimlessly without really mixing anything up like most of the other tracks. To me, the album has a few great songs ("Peace and Hate", "Brighter Discontent", "Darkest Things") and a few adequate ones that have a harder time holding my attention.
Declare A New State! is only about 35-40 minutes long, but that's really all it needs. Despite its weaknesses, the varied and occasionally off-kilter electronic influences and Hazard's stellar and graceful voice make it an interesting listen all the way through. Probably shouldn't buy it for your girlfriend for Christmas, though.
Grade: B+
It was a little over a year ago that, one day at work, Pandora radio served up one of those really obscure songs that, while it plays, can't even find the album art for the song. It caught my attention somehow; maybe it was the aching lyrics, but more likely it was the subtle, electronicky percussion that dotted the melody.I was so intrigued that, even after a futile attempt to locate the album in person, I actually ordered it from Amazon. Sure enough, no customer reviews yet, but I went for it anyway.
And as it turned out, it didn't take too long for The Submarines to snowball on the indie scene after various compositions made it to TV shows like Nip/Tuck, Weeds, Grey's Anatomy, and even Apple's iPhone 3G ads. Usually I'm not one to toot my own horn, but... beep beep. For once, I actually got into a group before they hit the mainstream.
But enough self-promotion; on to the real heroes. John Dragonetti and Blake Hazard (great-granddaughter of F. Scott Fitzgerald, by the way) comprise the LA duo. Interestingly, the album's conception began when the two romantically involved musicians broke up. As the story goes, they both independently began writing music about their former relationship, ran into each other a little later on, discovered that their songs were about each other, and boom, their debut album was born.
Happy ending, yes, but the pain and sorrow of breaking up ends up being pretty much the sole motif of all ten songs. One particular line from "Brighter Discontent" still haunts me: "A breaking heart in an empty apartment / was the loudest sound I never heard." All this after she laments that a brand new big TV and a new apartment doesn't keep her from noticing her ex-lover still in pictures all over her walls.
The album is only a downer if you sit and read the lyrics from the little booklet that always comes with the CD. Musically, it's a pretty captivating piece of art. It seems like just about every song tries something new: there are several different melodies and rhythms put to use within each track, but not so much that it distracts you (like, say, Beck). Hazard's soaring and lyrical voice hypnotizes me, too.
I also noticed that all of the songs have a deceptively positive key which act as a stark contrast to the lyrics, but may also suggest a slightly optimistic, "light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel" type of attitude for heartbreak. After all, notice the album's title.
Some songs are much weaker than others. "Hope" and "The Good Night" seem to wander around a little bit aimlessly without really mixing anything up like most of the other tracks. To me, the album has a few great songs ("Peace and Hate", "Brighter Discontent", "Darkest Things") and a few adequate ones that have a harder time holding my attention.
Declare A New State! is only about 35-40 minutes long, but that's really all it needs. Despite its weaknesses, the varied and occasionally off-kilter electronic influences and Hazard's stellar and graceful voice make it an interesting listen all the way through. Probably shouldn't buy it for your girlfriend for Christmas, though.
Grade: B+
Saturday, December 13, 2008
I Can Do That But I Don't Wanna
For whatever reason, whatever part of my brain is responsible for having inspiration to write has been on the blink of late. Why? Who knows. But thanks to one fellow blogger in particular, I suddenly felt a rush of inspiration. Plus, sitting on my couch and moving only my fingers around the keyboard is all I have the energy to do after a night of lighting up the basketball courts. (Note: by lighting up, I mean playing like Philip Seymour Hoffman in Along Came Polly. I've had better nights.) Hence, I hereby declare my blogging sabbatical over.
Now then.
I've gotten to thinking lately: what can I do that's actually interesting to people? Sure, I do a few off-the-wall and exciting things at my job, including typing, parking in a garage, and (get this!) setting up conference calls. My head is filled with useless trivia, but that's not really something you do. If I had seven seconds to convince someone I was cool, what would I tell them? What can I do that nobody else can?
The list is endless. But unfortunately I don't own a video camera, so you'll have to take my word for it. Luckily, we have YouTube. So, now to debut a new, exclusive Josh In Real Life feature which I'll call "I Can Do That But I Don't Wanna."
But enough with the cheezy introductions. First, this guy:
How about the guitar stylings of Andy McKee:
Awesome...it looks so easy. I tried. It's not.
Now then.
I've gotten to thinking lately: what can I do that's actually interesting to people? Sure, I do a few off-the-wall and exciting things at my job, including typing, parking in a garage, and (get this!) setting up conference calls. My head is filled with useless trivia, but that's not really something you do. If I had seven seconds to convince someone I was cool, what would I tell them? What can I do that nobody else can?
The list is endless. But unfortunately I don't own a video camera, so you'll have to take my word for it. Luckily, we have YouTube. So, now to debut a new, exclusive Josh In Real Life feature which I'll call "I Can Do That But I Don't Wanna."
But enough with the cheezy introductions. First, this guy:
How about the guitar stylings of Andy McKee:
Awesome...it looks so easy. I tried. It's not.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Adam Smith Was Wrong
I admit I know nothing at all about economic theory, so I'm not going to pretend I know why the Dow Jones is now lower than Kobe Bryant's assist-per-game average. Nor do I have any idea how exactly $780 billion dollars can be used to effectively bail out failed banks and mortgage firms. (And I gather I'm not alone.)
But I am very good at baseless speculation and philosophizing. (Fun!) I hear on the 24-hour news networks about how executives and CEOs haven't really been brought to justice. Instead, many of them are self-rewarded with "golden parachutes" consisting of exorbitant bonuses or pensions or whatever.
I do know that the purest form of capitalism is based upon everyone doing what's best for himself. Greed is good. But laissez-faire capitalism won't work in unideal conditions (like we humans like to create), just like communism only works in theory. All because humans are imperfect.
Which is why the best result, at least in our un-utopian civilization, comes when everyone does what's best for himself and for other people, in sort of an altruistic, we're-in-this-together attitude. I realize that not all big business are so greedy as to give themselves giant monetary pats-on-the-back each year; I'm not that cynical. But imagine if all big business promoted the well-being of everyone else, in addition to their own self-interests. Or at least by avoiding self-promotion at the expense of others.
OK, so I didn't come up with this all by myself. I was thinking about a particular scene from one of the top 10 movies ever, A Beautiful Mind. It explains these ideas in an interesting and easily grasped way:
I'm a dork.
But I am very good at baseless speculation and philosophizing. (Fun!) I hear on the 24-hour news networks about how executives and CEOs haven't really been brought to justice. Instead, many of them are self-rewarded with "golden parachutes" consisting of exorbitant bonuses or pensions or whatever.
I do know that the purest form of capitalism is based upon everyone doing what's best for himself. Greed is good. But laissez-faire capitalism won't work in unideal conditions (like we humans like to create), just like communism only works in theory. All because humans are imperfect.
Which is why the best result, at least in our un-utopian civilization, comes when everyone does what's best for himself and for other people, in sort of an altruistic, we're-in-this-together attitude. I realize that not all big business are so greedy as to give themselves giant monetary pats-on-the-back each year; I'm not that cynical. But imagine if all big business promoted the well-being of everyone else, in addition to their own self-interests. Or at least by avoiding self-promotion at the expense of others.
OK, so I didn't come up with this all by myself. I was thinking about a particular scene from one of the top 10 movies ever, A Beautiful Mind. It explains these ideas in an interesting and easily grasped way:
I'm a dork.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Say It Ain't So, Mark!
So the Mavericks barely eek out an OT win against those kinda-terrible New York Knicks last night, ending a five-game losing streak where they made a habit of just handing opposing teams the game on a silver platter. And now Mark Cuban got caught in an insider trading scheme?First, we were deprived an NBA crown in '06, then Cuban falls short of a Dancing With The Stars championship in '07. (Er, so I hear...not that I watched...) We tortured Mavs fans just can't catch a break.
Friday, November 14, 2008
"Are they ill-tempered?"
In honor of the new Bond movie released today, how about some love for the best theatrical spoof ever...
Oh, by the way, Austin Powers 4 is rumored (rumoured, if you will) to be in pre-production. This time, the story will be told from Dr. Evil's point of view. I, for one, hope these rumors are true...
Oh, by the way, Austin Powers 4 is rumored (rumoured, if you will) to be in pre-production. This time, the story will be told from Dr. Evil's point of view. I, for one, hope these rumors are true...
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The Doppelganger Alert Returns
On the left, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. On the right, actor Omar Epps, whom you might recognize from the FOX show, House. Uncanny.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Album Review #7: Bruce Springsteen
We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006), by Bruce Springsteen
I'm probably what you would call a casual fan of Bruce Springsteen. I was highly exposed to The Boss as a kid because Springsteen songs comprised about 85% of the music my dad and I would listen to when he'd drive me somewhere. As a result, I probably can (and do) recite the lyrics to "Tunnel of Love" and "Secret Garden" in my deepest sleep. But it never really clicked with me for an extended period of time. I like his music and appreciate his legendary influence on rock music for over 30 years, but I never have what we East Texan hillbillies might call a "hankerin'" to put a Springsteen CD in my car like I might other artists.
The premise for We Shall Overcome is an interesting one, and it intrigued me more than his other recent works. Take one look at the album art, and you might pick up on it. It consists entirely of Pete Seeger folk song covers with the country equivalent of a "big band", all recorded in only two days. I'm reminded of Thickfreakness, by The Black Keys, which was recorded in 14 hours. The result is a raw and somewhat disorganized, but very pure, form of music. And that goes very well with country folk rock.
It doesn't take long before you're exposed to the loose and decidedly fun attitude that dominates the album. A finger-pickin' banjo introduces track one, "Old Dan Tucker", followed by the strong (but not too strong) presence of a horn section (tuba, trombone, trumpet), and a raucous chorus. These elements, along with the upright bass, accordion, fiddle, and countrified percussion, are omnipresent throughout the album. I kinda feel like I'm listening to the opening act of the Soggy Bottom Boys in the movie O Brother Where Art Thou?
Most of the tracks are bouncy and almost playful, like "John Henry," "Jacob's Ladder," and "Pay Me My Money Down." "My Oklahoma Home" laments the mistake of settling down right in the middle of the Dust Bowl/Tornado Alley ("It blowed away / It blowed away / My Oklahoma home, it blowed away / It looked so green and fair when I built my shanty thar / But my Oklahoma home, it blowed away") to an ironically happy-go-lucky tune.
Some songs have a more subdued, sometimes even somber mood. "Mrs. McGrath", an old Irish anti-war folk song, is an example, and "Shenandoah" plods along with a gospel choir quietly backing up the vocals. "Erie Canal" is a highlight, with a very N'awlens-y instrumental solo.
In my opinion, it can get a little old after awhile, but then, maybe I don't know how to fully appreciate this genre yet. And I really like it when the time is right. If you're in the right mood, We Shall Overcome is flat out fun to listen to. Especially if you're driving way out in the country (as I occasionally do on those trips home to East Texas). Nice one, Boss.
Afterthought: Oh, by the way, this is the '07 Grammy winner for Best Traditional Folk Album.
Grade: B+
I'm probably what you would call a casual fan of Bruce Springsteen. I was highly exposed to The Boss as a kid because Springsteen songs comprised about 85% of the music my dad and I would listen to when he'd drive me somewhere. As a result, I probably can (and do) recite the lyrics to "Tunnel of Love" and "Secret Garden" in my deepest sleep. But it never really clicked with me for an extended period of time. I like his music and appreciate his legendary influence on rock music for over 30 years, but I never have what we East Texan hillbillies might call a "hankerin'" to put a Springsteen CD in my car like I might other artists.The premise for We Shall Overcome is an interesting one, and it intrigued me more than his other recent works. Take one look at the album art, and you might pick up on it. It consists entirely of Pete Seeger folk song covers with the country equivalent of a "big band", all recorded in only two days. I'm reminded of Thickfreakness, by The Black Keys, which was recorded in 14 hours. The result is a raw and somewhat disorganized, but very pure, form of music. And that goes very well with country folk rock.
It doesn't take long before you're exposed to the loose and decidedly fun attitude that dominates the album. A finger-pickin' banjo introduces track one, "Old Dan Tucker", followed by the strong (but not too strong) presence of a horn section (tuba, trombone, trumpet), and a raucous chorus. These elements, along with the upright bass, accordion, fiddle, and countrified percussion, are omnipresent throughout the album. I kinda feel like I'm listening to the opening act of the Soggy Bottom Boys in the movie O Brother Where Art Thou?
Most of the tracks are bouncy and almost playful, like "John Henry," "Jacob's Ladder," and "Pay Me My Money Down." "My Oklahoma Home" laments the mistake of settling down right in the middle of the Dust Bowl/Tornado Alley ("It blowed away / It blowed away / My Oklahoma home, it blowed away / It looked so green and fair when I built my shanty thar / But my Oklahoma home, it blowed away") to an ironically happy-go-lucky tune.
Some songs have a more subdued, sometimes even somber mood. "Mrs. McGrath", an old Irish anti-war folk song, is an example, and "Shenandoah" plods along with a gospel choir quietly backing up the vocals. "Erie Canal" is a highlight, with a very N'awlens-y instrumental solo.
In my opinion, it can get a little old after awhile, but then, maybe I don't know how to fully appreciate this genre yet. And I really like it when the time is right. If you're in the right mood, We Shall Overcome is flat out fun to listen to. Especially if you're driving way out in the country (as I occasionally do on those trips home to East Texas). Nice one, Boss.
Afterthought: Oh, by the way, this is the '07 Grammy winner for Best Traditional Folk Album.
Grade: B+
Thursday, November 6, 2008
7 Things I Think I Know After The First Week of the NBA Season
Life is good. The election is history (literally), and the 2008-2009 NBA season is one week old. Most of your sports columnists were smart enough to make lots of predictions before the season started. Not me. I'm no Bill Simmons. I needed a week to feel things out because, frankly, I don't get paid enough to give it that much thought. (Zero is not a friendly number in that regard.)
Nevertheless, after semi-fervently following the young NBA season, my keen insights are as follows:
1.) The New Orleans Hornets are for real. As a Mavericks fan, I was able to witness CP3 and company demolish the Big German, the Little General, and Josh "Hey, we're losing a playoff series...come to my birthday party to celebrate" Howard. After 23 straight wins by the Mavs since the 20th century over the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets, the futility finally caved, and the Hornets got good. Real good. Then adding James Posey, fresh off of a huge injection of Celtic Pride (it does wonders, I hear) from their championship run, only adds to this unbeatable nucleus. Prediction: The 1 seed in the Western Conference is theirs, beating out L.A. by 4 games in the end.
And oh, by the way, their court has a sweet new look:
2.) Pistons GM Joe Dumars is a genius. I hate that the Detroit Pistons lose Chauncey Billups (still one of the most underrated players in the game, along with Danny Granger of Indiana), and I'm lukewarm about their acquisition of Allen Iverson.
But they needed to shake things up, and from what I hear (I don't pretend to understand NBA salary cap law) it will clear up all kinds of cap space for the next, like, 57 seasons. When LeBron James becomes a free agent after the 2009-2010 season, you can bet that Detroit will be an alluring choice to keep him from jumping ship to Europe and a $200 million contract. Because if New Jersey was the only option, you know LBJ would set sail across the Atlantic. Back to the point: Detroit was good, is good, and will be good for a long time.
3.) Team names that don't end in the letter "s" are stupid. The Seattle Supersonics apparently got tired of coffee and rain and relocated to Oklahoma City. Since no airplanes have ever flown into the state of Oklahoma (really, who would want to go to Oklahoma?), it didn't make sense to have an aviation-related mascot. So they're now the Thunder, and have joined the other 3 s-less teams: the Heat, Magic, and Jazz. Lots of WNBA teams have adopted this approach (Shock, Sol, Storm), arena football teams (Rush), and even colleges (Tulane Green Wave). Something about that just doesn't seem right to me. But at least those sound half-good... the Thunder? I don't know about that. Sounds like it was Friday at 4:00 pm and the naming committee just wanted to go home. Probably there was a storm in the area, too.
4.) The Hawks will be for real. Of the four remaining undefeated teams in the NBA (as of tonight), the Atlanta Hawks are surely the biggest surprise. They've got great veteran leadership in Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson, and lots of spectacular talent in J.R. Smith and Marvin Williams. It's been a while since the Hawks first descended to the NBA's basement, but it looks like they're emerging once again. They took the eventual champion Boston Celtics to the brink in a 7-game series as an 8-seed in the first round of the playoffs yesteryear, so they sure don't lack confidence. Take it from me, the start is no fluke; they'll win 50 games this year. But that's about it; maybe after beating the Raptors in the first round, they'll fold to Detroit or Boston.
5.) This season will solidify the changing of the guard in the Western Conference. The Spurs are getting a little too old, the Suns are getting a little too slow, and the Mavericks are just not going to have enough. I think Dallas will be the best of these three teams, but it won't amount to any title runs. (Sorry, Dirk.) The Lakers, Rockets, Blazers, Jazz, and aforementioned Hornets will be there at the end this year.
6.) I can relate to president-elect Barack Obama. What does he do to unwind after voting and awaiting the results of whether he'll be leader of the free world? Nothing to take the edge off like a game of basketball. I'd be real nervous playing him that day. What if you accidentally gave him an elbow to the nose, just hours before his victory speech? Awkward!
7.) a.) The 2009 NBA Finals will be a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals. b.) The Boston Celtics will repeat as champs.Now how uncreative is that? Maybe so, but it's the most likely scenario. N'awlens is really good, but they can't turn away Kobe and Pau in a 7-game series, especially if Andrew Bynum's knee stays healthy. Cleveland and Toronto will get closer to challenging the Celts, but it just won't be enough, either. Celtic Pride will prevail again, and Kevin Garnett will celebrate with a pair of Red Auerbach cigars. This is one prediction that will make Bostonian Bill Simmons happy...
Nevertheless, after semi-fervently following the young NBA season, my keen insights are as follows:
1.) The New Orleans Hornets are for real. As a Mavericks fan, I was able to witness CP3 and company demolish the Big German, the Little General, and Josh "Hey, we're losing a playoff series...come to my birthday party to celebrate" Howard. After 23 straight wins by the Mavs since the 20th century over the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets, the futility finally caved, and the Hornets got good. Real good. Then adding James Posey, fresh off of a huge injection of Celtic Pride (it does wonders, I hear) from their championship run, only adds to this unbeatable nucleus. Prediction: The 1 seed in the Western Conference is theirs, beating out L.A. by 4 games in the end.And oh, by the way, their court has a sweet new look:
2.) Pistons GM Joe Dumars is a genius. I hate that the Detroit Pistons lose Chauncey Billups (still one of the most underrated players in the game, along with Danny Granger of Indiana), and I'm lukewarm about their acquisition of Allen Iverson.
But they needed to shake things up, and from what I hear (I don't pretend to understand NBA salary cap law) it will clear up all kinds of cap space for the next, like, 57 seasons. When LeBron James becomes a free agent after the 2009-2010 season, you can bet that Detroit will be an alluring choice to keep him from jumping ship to Europe and a $200 million contract. Because if New Jersey was the only option, you know LBJ would set sail across the Atlantic. Back to the point: Detroit was good, is good, and will be good for a long time.3.) Team names that don't end in the letter "s" are stupid. The Seattle Supersonics apparently got tired of coffee and rain and relocated to Oklahoma City. Since no airplanes have ever flown into the state of Oklahoma (really, who would want to go to Oklahoma?), it didn't make sense to have an aviation-related mascot. So they're now the Thunder, and have joined the other 3 s-less teams: the Heat, Magic, and Jazz. Lots of WNBA teams have adopted this approach (Shock, Sol, Storm), arena football teams (Rush), and even colleges (Tulane Green Wave). Something about that just doesn't seem right to me. But at least those sound half-good... the Thunder? I don't know about that. Sounds like it was Friday at 4:00 pm and the naming committee just wanted to go home. Probably there was a storm in the area, too.
4.) The Hawks will be for real. Of the four remaining undefeated teams in the NBA (as of tonight), the Atlanta Hawks are surely the biggest surprise. They've got great veteran leadership in Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson, and lots of spectacular talent in J.R. Smith and Marvin Williams. It's been a while since the Hawks first descended to the NBA's basement, but it looks like they're emerging once again. They took the eventual champion Boston Celtics to the brink in a 7-game series as an 8-seed in the first round of the playoffs yesteryear, so they sure don't lack confidence. Take it from me, the start is no fluke; they'll win 50 games this year. But that's about it; maybe after beating the Raptors in the first round, they'll fold to Detroit or Boston.5.) This season will solidify the changing of the guard in the Western Conference. The Spurs are getting a little too old, the Suns are getting a little too slow, and the Mavericks are just not going to have enough. I think Dallas will be the best of these three teams, but it won't amount to any title runs. (Sorry, Dirk.) The Lakers, Rockets, Blazers, Jazz, and aforementioned Hornets will be there at the end this year.6.) I can relate to president-elect Barack Obama. What does he do to unwind after voting and awaiting the results of whether he'll be leader of the free world? Nothing to take the edge off like a game of basketball. I'd be real nervous playing him that day. What if you accidentally gave him an elbow to the nose, just hours before his victory speech? Awkward!
7.) a.) The 2009 NBA Finals will be a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals. b.) The Boston Celtics will repeat as champs.Now how uncreative is that? Maybe so, but it's the most likely scenario. N'awlens is really good, but they can't turn away Kobe and Pau in a 7-game series, especially if Andrew Bynum's knee stays healthy. Cleveland and Toronto will get closer to challenging the Celts, but it just won't be enough, either. Celtic Pride will prevail again, and Kevin Garnett will celebrate with a pair of Red Auerbach cigars. This is one prediction that will make Bostonian Bill Simmons happy...
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Pascal's Triangle
I was a computer science major and a math minor. Here I'll pause while all the single ladies frantically scramble away in frightful panic. And now another pause, while all the male computer programmers and mathematicians, angry with my exceedingly unfair stereotype, hit the browser's X button in disgust.
Now that that unpleasantness is behind us...
One of the reasons why I made it all four years with my hopelessly left-brained minor in math was the frequency that one result was magically linked to something else completely different and unrelated. It's like we learned all these seemingly pointless things in middle and high school, but we managed to connect all of these dots in my college courses. I came across something the other day that reminded me of this. If you'll indulge me for about 10 paragraphs...
If you made it through high school algebra, you learned how to multiply what were called binomials by using something called the distributive property. The simplest of these is: (x+1) * (x+1), or (x+1)2, which is (x2 + 2x + 1). Remember those? Yeah, they sucked. But just because we have nothing better to do, let's try something:
(x+1)0 = 1
(x+1)1 = x + 1
(x+1)2 = x2 + 2x + 1
(x+1)3 = x3 + 3x2 + 3x + 1
(x+1)4 = x4 + 4x3 + 6x2 + 4x + 1
We could do this forever. But that's no fun, and if there's one thing I was taught as a math minor, it's to recognize patterns. Lo and behold, if you arrange the coefficients a certain way...
<
Way easier. This is called Pascal's Triangle. And you could keep going and going...
Now just for fun, let's shade in the boxes that contain numbers not divisible by three. (Why not?)
Where did all those triangles come from? Magic. In fact, if you were to keep doing this forever (in mathspeak, as the number of rows in the triangle approaches the infinite limit), you get the Sierpinski triangle.
The Sierpinski triangle is a fractal, which is what you get by splitting geometric shapes apart and duplicating them ("recursively"...there's more math jargon for you) infinitely until you get something purty, like the famous Mandelbrot Set, for example:
Call me whatever you want, but I think that's pretty fascinating. And it's amazing how often things just happen to work out perfectly that way.
See? That wasn't so bad...
Now that that unpleasantness is behind us...
One of the reasons why I made it all four years with my hopelessly left-brained minor in math was the frequency that one result was magically linked to something else completely different and unrelated. It's like we learned all these seemingly pointless things in middle and high school, but we managed to connect all of these dots in my college courses. I came across something the other day that reminded me of this. If you'll indulge me for about 10 paragraphs...
If you made it through high school algebra, you learned how to multiply what were called binomials by using something called the distributive property. The simplest of these is: (x+1) * (x+1), or (x+1)2, which is (x2 + 2x + 1). Remember those? Yeah, they sucked. But just because we have nothing better to do, let's try something:
(x+1)0 = 1
(x+1)1 = x + 1
(x+1)2 = x2 + 2x + 1
(x+1)3 = x3 + 3x2 + 3x + 1
(x+1)4 = x4 + 4x3 + 6x2 + 4x + 1
We could do this forever. But that's no fun, and if there's one thing I was taught as a math minor, it's to recognize patterns. Lo and behold, if you arrange the coefficients a certain way...
<
Way easier. This is called Pascal's Triangle. And you could keep going and going...
Now just for fun, let's shade in the boxes that contain numbers not divisible by three. (Why not?)
Where did all those triangles come from? Magic. In fact, if you were to keep doing this forever (in mathspeak, as the number of rows in the triangle approaches the infinite limit), you get the Sierpinski triangle.
The Sierpinski triangle is a fractal, which is what you get by splitting geometric shapes apart and duplicating them ("recursively"...there's more math jargon for you) infinitely until you get something purty, like the famous Mandelbrot Set, for example:
Call me whatever you want, but I think that's pretty fascinating. And it's amazing how often things just happen to work out perfectly that way.
See? That wasn't so bad...
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Trick Question
So Barack Obama has your vote, huh? Great. Now what do you admire about John McCain?And you, Bill the [insert occupation here], you're a John McCain supporter? What's a positive move Barack Obama would make if he's elected president next Tuesday?
I found a blog today on CNN, If you can’t (or can) say anything nice..., that explores the effects of not immediately tearing down, insulting, or calling opposing candidates "way too old" or "palling with terrorists". I've seen way too many chain e-mails and Facebook statuses that demolish opposing candidates with words, further dividing us as Americans. For a change, point something out that you actually can stand about the other candidate. Sure can't hurt.
By all means, point out all the (reasonable) potential flaws you want in the candidate who challenges your own opinions. Just acknowledge that the candidate is worthy of respect, first.
And, please, let next Tuesday get here so I can move on to other topics! Mr. Wyatt Cenac from The Daily Show agrees:
Sunday, October 26, 2008
No TV No Internet Make Josh Go Crazy
I had a painful realization last week.
After my cable went out two weeks ago each night after sunset like clockwork (apparently my cable box spontaneously became solar-powered) and TV was no longer an option, I felt a little handicapped. No Colbert Report, no It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, not even ESPN8. ("The Ocho.") Then after a few days, the internet (from the same provider...stupid Time Warner Cable) mysteriously stopped functioning, and Hulu (a very capable substitute for TV), The Onion, and my stupid blog were no longer options.
That night, at like 9:15, I was out of things to do. So I picked up a book and read it a while. Then strummed on my guitar aimlessly. By now it's 9:23.
Which got me thinking that I'm way too dependent on technology for entertainment. And I bet I'm not alone. I wonder what would happen if today's conventional entertainment sources (TV, internet, Wii, whatever) were suddenly unavailable to us during times of leisure. I bet that, after a few days of painful withdrawal, there'd be some kind of Great Awakening. Kind of like that episode of The Simpsons when "The Itchy & Scratchy Show", a comically and sometimes disturbingly violent cartoon to which many children in the show were hopelessly addicted, got canceled -- all the kids stepped outside, kinda rubbed their eyes for a minute, and then invaded the local softball field and did other comparatively productive activities.
But I guess then we'd be short of pop culture references. I've got three already in this entry, two to the same show, in fact. Since such references probably comprise 60% of my everyday dialogue, maybe it isn't such a great thing.
I like to think I'm not as bad about making an ass-groove in my couch in front of the TV as most people (three Simpsons references and counting). I rarely watched TV or mindlessly surfed the net in college, but apparently I am approaching an unhealthy addiction. Probably an hour or so is OK, but I'm thinking it's time to find another nighttime activity. Not really a coffee fan, so Starbucks is out. Getting colder and darker at night, so outdoor stuff is limited. I recently set my kitchen on fire, and I rather enjoy having eyebrows, so that's probably out, too. Don't really know anyone who hits up bars on weeknights, either. (Probably for the better.)
Ah well, guess it's time to start getting creative. Maybe kung fu. Or freelance writing or web development or something. Or maybe working part time pursuing my dream job: bowling alley employee. (Four references...a record.)
Oh crap, I'm missing Sportscenter! Gotta go. That's way too much self-examination for a blog entry anyway. But at least I didn't write about politics this time.
After my cable went out two weeks ago each night after sunset like clockwork (apparently my cable box spontaneously became solar-powered) and TV was no longer an option, I felt a little handicapped. No Colbert Report, no It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, not even ESPN8. ("The Ocho.") Then after a few days, the internet (from the same provider...stupid Time Warner Cable) mysteriously stopped functioning, and Hulu (a very capable substitute for TV), The Onion, and my stupid blog were no longer options.
That night, at like 9:15, I was out of things to do. So I picked up a book and read it a while. Then strummed on my guitar aimlessly. By now it's 9:23.
Which got me thinking that I'm way too dependent on technology for entertainment. And I bet I'm not alone. I wonder what would happen if today's conventional entertainment sources (TV, internet, Wii, whatever) were suddenly unavailable to us during times of leisure. I bet that, after a few days of painful withdrawal, there'd be some kind of Great Awakening. Kind of like that episode of The Simpsons when "The Itchy & Scratchy Show", a comically and sometimes disturbingly violent cartoon to which many children in the show were hopelessly addicted, got canceled -- all the kids stepped outside, kinda rubbed their eyes for a minute, and then invaded the local softball field and did other comparatively productive activities.
But I guess then we'd be short of pop culture references. I've got three already in this entry, two to the same show, in fact. Since such references probably comprise 60% of my everyday dialogue, maybe it isn't such a great thing.
I like to think I'm not as bad about making an ass-groove in my couch in front of the TV as most people (three Simpsons references and counting). I rarely watched TV or mindlessly surfed the net in college, but apparently I am approaching an unhealthy addiction. Probably an hour or so is OK, but I'm thinking it's time to find another nighttime activity. Not really a coffee fan, so Starbucks is out. Getting colder and darker at night, so outdoor stuff is limited. I recently set my kitchen on fire, and I rather enjoy having eyebrows, so that's probably out, too. Don't really know anyone who hits up bars on weeknights, either. (Probably for the better.)
Ah well, guess it's time to start getting creative. Maybe kung fu. Or freelance writing or web development or something. Or maybe working part time pursuing my dream job: bowling alley employee. (Four references...a record.)
Oh crap, I'm missing Sportscenter! Gotta go. That's way too much self-examination for a blog entry anyway. But at least I didn't write about politics this time.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Schooled
I still wish the Mavs hadn't dealt Devin Harris last year. But nevertheless, this clip of a very ordinary-looking Englishman schooling the NBA vet is a good watch (wait till about 1:20):
Monday, October 13, 2008
Extinguishing the Flame
'Tis the season to be political. "Look." It's time for at least one more dip into politics, "my friends," because "gosh darn it," even if you "Joe Six-Packs" are as tired of this presidential race as I am, current events dictate that I intervene. (Cheap and unfunny, I know. I need some SNL writers.)
It's inevitable that political campaigns will eventually incite some amount of rancor. They involve issues that all people will get emotional about. Opinions on issues that typically arise in political discussions tend to closely relate to beliefs and feelings rooted deep within our upbringing and life experiences. And if someone comes along and challenges those beliefs, we're quick to get defensive and argumentative. Which can be positive, if kept under control; it's always good to offer alternate perspectives.
But things are clearly getting out of hand, on both sides. It's not about the issues any more, it's about who makes it to the 270-electoral-vote finish line first. And a significant portion of those undecided voters are swayed by sweeping generalizations ("Senator X has voted yes 398 times on bills to dump toxic waste directly into our elementary schools!") and outrageous exaggerations ("Senator Y has a summer home in a cave in Afghanistan!"). The sad fact is, if you want to win, you have to play these games at some point or another.
So that's what we've been constantly hearing, and these lies are causing the emotions of many Americans to boil over. You've heard the insane oversimplification that connects Sen. Obama to terrorism. People hear it over and over again, and with enough repetition, a sketchy claim all of a sudden becomes a tightly clung-to belief. Exclamations of "Terrorist!" and "Kill him!" (referring to Obama) have been heard at McCain/Palin rallies, according to this very well-written column in last Sunday's Dallas Morning News: Frank Schaeffer: John McCain is fueling a dangerous hatred.
And be sure, Sen. Obama's campaign hasn't exactly been daises and butterflies, either.
Fortunately for the well-being of our country, at least one man has (finally) begun to realize this. Take a look at some clips from McCain's campaign trail:
It scares me that, with a rare and sincere sentiment of sanity in this presidential campaign, you hear angry groans. This is a product of the hatred this campaign has generated. And I am grateful that John McCain had the courage to say what he said, because I, and every American, needed to hear it (even if they didn't want to). This dangerous spark, a terrible side effect from overly negative politics, can ignite into a violent firestorm. We have to make sure we put it out.
Man, it sucks that Tony Romo's out for 4 weeks, doesn't it? The world really is in trouble.
It's inevitable that political campaigns will eventually incite some amount of rancor. They involve issues that all people will get emotional about. Opinions on issues that typically arise in political discussions tend to closely relate to beliefs and feelings rooted deep within our upbringing and life experiences. And if someone comes along and challenges those beliefs, we're quick to get defensive and argumentative. Which can be positive, if kept under control; it's always good to offer alternate perspectives.
But things are clearly getting out of hand, on both sides. It's not about the issues any more, it's about who makes it to the 270-electoral-vote finish line first. And a significant portion of those undecided voters are swayed by sweeping generalizations ("Senator X has voted yes 398 times on bills to dump toxic waste directly into our elementary schools!") and outrageous exaggerations ("Senator Y has a summer home in a cave in Afghanistan!"). The sad fact is, if you want to win, you have to play these games at some point or another.
So that's what we've been constantly hearing, and these lies are causing the emotions of many Americans to boil over. You've heard the insane oversimplification that connects Sen. Obama to terrorism. People hear it over and over again, and with enough repetition, a sketchy claim all of a sudden becomes a tightly clung-to belief. Exclamations of "Terrorist!" and "Kill him!" (referring to Obama) have been heard at McCain/Palin rallies, according to this very well-written column in last Sunday's Dallas Morning News: Frank Schaeffer: John McCain is fueling a dangerous hatred.
And be sure, Sen. Obama's campaign hasn't exactly been daises and butterflies, either.
Fortunately for the well-being of our country, at least one man has (finally) begun to realize this. Take a look at some clips from McCain's campaign trail:
It scares me that, with a rare and sincere sentiment of sanity in this presidential campaign, you hear angry groans. This is a product of the hatred this campaign has generated. And I am grateful that John McCain had the courage to say what he said, because I, and every American, needed to hear it (even if they didn't want to). This dangerous spark, a terrible side effect from overly negative politics, can ignite into a violent firestorm. We have to make sure we put it out.
Man, it sucks that Tony Romo's out for 4 weeks, doesn't it? The world really is in trouble.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
That One
A brief 3-second clip of the second presidential debate:
John McCain probably meant only to discredit his opponent. But that little comment has provided a whole new angle for Mr. Obama to appeal to those last 6% undecided:
More at www.thatone08.com. And by the way, I might add that someone had a lot of time on his/her hands to throw that site (and the products along with it) together in barely 24 hours.
John McCain probably meant only to discredit his opponent. But that little comment has provided a whole new angle for Mr. Obama to appeal to those last 6% undecided:
More at www.thatone08.com. And by the way, I might add that someone had a lot of time on his/her hands to throw that site (and the products along with it) together in barely 24 hours.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Crystal Ball
So I started looking into my crystal ball, and wondered what life would be like in exactly one month.
1: The Dallas Mavericks will be 4-0, after running and gunning the Spurs out of San Antonio. After growing tired of the extremely long-winded second presidential debate (except for when Tom Brokaw comically chastised both candidates for talking too much), I turned on the radio and listened to part of the Mavs' first preseason game. Too bad it's not on TV, because man, they sound fun to watch this year. It's probably a far cry from the apex of Dallas basketball from the days of Steve Nash, but it can't be that bad, seeing as they have about 30 fast break points halfway through the 3rd quarter, which is 28 more than they had all year last year. Dirk hitting a 3, Josh Howard throwing down an And-1 tomahawk to the tune of "Born in the USA". And we have Diop back! We can't lose! Unless we do. Again. Anyway... Thumbs up.
2: The Dow Jones just might be in the negative. It no longer surprises me when I open up CNN.com mid-day and see that it's down 354 points. And my puny (and I mean puny) little ventures in the stock market have slowly wilted. And these are the first two days after Congress passed the Magic Bailout Bill. Thumbs down.
3: About that aforementioned debate... the election, and this endless quagmire of political finger-pointing, attacking, and self-rightousness (guilty, though I at least try not to be) that comes with it, will be done. No matter who you're for, you've gotta admit this is getting incredibly old, just like how me talking about it in this blog is getting incredibly old. At the very least, you won't have to hear me talk about it anymore. Thumbs up!
4: I recently bought the entire collection of the old 1994-95 TV show The Critic, and have enjoyed some nostalgic entertainment for the last few weeks. No matter how hard I try to stretch it out, I'm running out of episodes. There were only 23 of them before the president of FOX inexplicably hated the show so much, he canceled it in the second season, despite its above-average-and-on-the-rise ratings. By Nov. 7, I will have run out of Critic episodes and all the great Orson Welles impressions that come with it. See the first 40 seconds and last 20 seconds of the following video:
Thumbs down.
5: Daylight savings time will have ended, meaning it stays dark until I get to work and turns dark before I get home. I think there's some condition called seasonal depression which is actually caused by less sunlight. Why don't we just go year-round with daylight savings time? Isn't it supposed to be more energy-efficient anyway? Thumbs down.
6: The American people will have recovered its sanity and run Beverly Hills Chihuahua out of theaters. Forever. Thumbs up.
And finally, my bold prediction: Boston Red Sox beat LA Dodgers in the "We Don't Need Manny Ramirez" Series, a.k.a., the World Series, in a classic 7-game series.
We'll see.
1: The Dallas Mavericks will be 4-0, after running and gunning the Spurs out of San Antonio. After growing tired of the extremely long-winded second presidential debate (except for when Tom Brokaw comically chastised both candidates for talking too much), I turned on the radio and listened to part of the Mavs' first preseason game. Too bad it's not on TV, because man, they sound fun to watch this year. It's probably a far cry from the apex of Dallas basketball from the days of Steve Nash, but it can't be that bad, seeing as they have about 30 fast break points halfway through the 3rd quarter, which is 28 more than they had all year last year. Dirk hitting a 3, Josh Howard throwing down an And-1 tomahawk to the tune of "Born in the USA". And we have Diop back! We can't lose! Unless we do. Again. Anyway... Thumbs up.
2: The Dow Jones just might be in the negative. It no longer surprises me when I open up CNN.com mid-day and see that it's down 354 points. And my puny (and I mean puny) little ventures in the stock market have slowly wilted. And these are the first two days after Congress passed the Magic Bailout Bill. Thumbs down.
3: About that aforementioned debate... the election, and this endless quagmire of political finger-pointing, attacking, and self-rightousness (guilty, though I at least try not to be) that comes with it, will be done. No matter who you're for, you've gotta admit this is getting incredibly old, just like how me talking about it in this blog is getting incredibly old. At the very least, you won't have to hear me talk about it anymore. Thumbs up!
4: I recently bought the entire collection of the old 1994-95 TV show The Critic, and have enjoyed some nostalgic entertainment for the last few weeks. No matter how hard I try to stretch it out, I'm running out of episodes. There were only 23 of them before the president of FOX inexplicably hated the show so much, he canceled it in the second season, despite its above-average-and-on-the-rise ratings. By Nov. 7, I will have run out of Critic episodes and all the great Orson Welles impressions that come with it. See the first 40 seconds and last 20 seconds of the following video:
Thumbs down.
5: Daylight savings time will have ended, meaning it stays dark until I get to work and turns dark before I get home. I think there's some condition called seasonal depression which is actually caused by less sunlight. Why don't we just go year-round with daylight savings time? Isn't it supposed to be more energy-efficient anyway? Thumbs down.
6: The American people will have recovered its sanity and run Beverly Hills Chihuahua out of theaters. Forever. Thumbs up.
And finally, my bold prediction: Boston Red Sox beat LA Dodgers in the "We Don't Need Manny Ramirez" Series, a.k.a., the World Series, in a classic 7-game series.
We'll see.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Darned Kids With Your Music and Facebook-ing
Found this blog entry and thought it to be kinda funny, kinda true, and not as gloomy as the economy nor as annoying as politics: Top 10 Most Annoying People on Facebook. In particular, I enjoyed this pictoral commentary on Facebook:
Also, I think number two should also have been applied towards ACL this year. It felt a little odd standing next to three incredibly enthusiastic 13-year-olds on my right and a guy lighting a bong on my left at the Mars Volta show.
But hey, Facebook has supplied me with hours of mindless entertainment and communication with people I, in some cases, said three words to at good ol' LHS. The good outweighs the bad. And I just can't decide if I like the new version. Kinda hated it at first, but it's growing on me... I just don't like how you used-ta-could see everything about one person on one page (unless it had a zillion applications), and now you can't. Seems like a step backward, at least from a software developer's standpoint.
In any case, Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook's creator) will one day be one rich dude whenever he finally sells it.
Also, I think number two should also have been applied towards ACL this year. It felt a little odd standing next to three incredibly enthusiastic 13-year-olds on my right and a guy lighting a bong on my left at the Mars Volta show.
But hey, Facebook has supplied me with hours of mindless entertainment and communication with people I, in some cases, said three words to at good ol' LHS. The good outweighs the bad. And I just can't decide if I like the new version. Kinda hated it at first, but it's growing on me... I just don't like how you used-ta-could see everything about one person on one page (unless it had a zillion applications), and now you can't. Seems like a step backward, at least from a software developer's standpoint.
In any case, Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook's creator) will one day be one rich dude whenever he finally sells it.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Album Review #6: The Raconteurs
So I'm back from a bit of a blogging hiatus, after trips to San Diego and Austin in the last 10 days. And judging from the mounds and mounds of fan mail ("Josh, please, start blogging again! How I miss your nonsensical and unfocused drivel!"), I figured now's as good a time as any.
The latter of my two recent expeditions can be blamed on my first visit to the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Whoa. Eight stages, 130-odd bands, six bazillion people. Acts varied quite a bit: from John Fogerty to N.E.R.D, from Foo Fighters to Patty Griffin. But one group clearly stood above the rest to me, just as I expected they would.
(seamless segue to album review)
Consolers of the Lonely (2008), by The Raconteurs
I nabbed this album about three weeks ago after hearing them on Pandora and immediately was totally blown away. These guys are good. But after seeing them from about 46 feet away at ACL, I have come to one conclusion:
Jack White is a bad-ass.
Yep, the pallid male half of the White Stripes has launched The Raconteurs (or The Saboteurs to the Aussies. No kidding.) to the cusp of stardom since the band's debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers, in '06. White splits the singing (and guitaring) duties with Brendan Benson. Benson's voice is much more refined, and White provides his usual raw and unfocused half-yelling/half-singing that has grown so popular throughout the decade. The two really balance each other out well. Bassist Jack Lawrence, complete with giant black-rimmed glasses, and Patrick Keeler on percussion (both from The Greenhornes) round out the quartet.
Many tracks do clearly show that White Stripes' influence that punches you in the face, in particular the first two tracks, "Consoler of the Lonely" and "Salute Your Solution" (the single you may have heard on NFL on FOX promos).
But (as I've preached in other reviews) the variation on this album makes it great. Jack White throws in a little piano on track 3, "You Don't Understand Me", which by the way also has great lyrics. The distorted voice and keyboard that dominate "Hold Up" rocks, too. (That just might have been the best part of their show at ACL.)
The album is just a tad top-heavy. After "Many Shades of Black", it fades into a slight dry spell until the Dylan-esque closer, "Carolina Drama".
But if you ever get a chance, see The Raconteurs live. If you can't do that, then just go buy Consolers of the Lonely and tell me I'm wrong. Or just check out their video for "Salute Your Solution".
Grade: A-
The latter of my two recent expeditions can be blamed on my first visit to the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Whoa. Eight stages, 130-odd bands, six bazillion people. Acts varied quite a bit: from John Fogerty to N.E.R.D, from Foo Fighters to Patty Griffin. But one group clearly stood above the rest to me, just as I expected they would.
(seamless segue to album review)
Consolers of the Lonely (2008), by The Raconteurs
I nabbed this album about three weeks ago after hearing them on Pandora and immediately was totally blown away. These guys are good. But after seeing them from about 46 feet away at ACL, I have come to one conclusion:Jack White is a bad-ass.
Yep, the pallid male half of the White Stripes has launched The Raconteurs (or The Saboteurs to the Aussies. No kidding.) to the cusp of stardom since the band's debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers, in '06. White splits the singing (and guitaring) duties with Brendan Benson. Benson's voice is much more refined, and White provides his usual raw and unfocused half-yelling/half-singing that has grown so popular throughout the decade. The two really balance each other out well. Bassist Jack Lawrence, complete with giant black-rimmed glasses, and Patrick Keeler on percussion (both from The Greenhornes) round out the quartet.
Many tracks do clearly show that White Stripes' influence that punches you in the face, in particular the first two tracks, "Consoler of the Lonely" and "Salute Your Solution" (the single you may have heard on NFL on FOX promos).
But (as I've preached in other reviews) the variation on this album makes it great. Jack White throws in a little piano on track 3, "You Don't Understand Me", which by the way also has great lyrics. The distorted voice and keyboard that dominate "Hold Up" rocks, too. (That just might have been the best part of their show at ACL.)
The album is just a tad top-heavy. After "Many Shades of Black", it fades into a slight dry spell until the Dylan-esque closer, "Carolina Drama".
But if you ever get a chance, see The Raconteurs live. If you can't do that, then just go buy Consolers of the Lonely and tell me I'm wrong. Or just check out their video for "Salute Your Solution".
Grade: A-
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Parallax
I just think this looks cool:
Notice the parallax effect. The sun is situated above the street lamp in real life, but if you look at the reflection in the water near the bottom of the picture, it looks like the street lamp is brightly lighting up the landscape at twilight.
"Wikipedia picture of the day". Reason #367 why I love Wikipedia.
Notice the parallax effect. The sun is situated above the street lamp in real life, but if you look at the reflection in the water near the bottom of the picture, it looks like the street lamp is brightly lighting up the landscape at twilight.
"Wikipedia picture of the day". Reason #367 why I love Wikipedia.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
A Brilliant* Idea
Say you're mailing a letter from Address A to Address B, and you realize you're out of stamps. And driving to the post office or Tom Thumb is an undesirable task at the moment. What's stopping you from just writing Address B as the return address and mailing it without a stamp? Wouldn't they just "return" it to your intended destination for insufficient postage?
Did I just single-handedly figure out how to beat the U.S. postal service? Am I a genius? Surely I'm missing something... Remember, this is from the same brain that once asked, with much gravity, "Why isn't there a place where you can rent books?"
Did I just single-handedly figure out how to beat the U.S. postal service? Am I a genius? Surely I'm missing something... Remember, this is from the same brain that once asked, with much gravity, "Why isn't there a place where you can rent books?"
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Hedberg-ians Rejoice! ...and Remember
"Imagine being killed by a bow and arrow. That would suck, they would never solve the crime. 'Hey, look at that dead guy...let's go that way...'"
No matter how many times you hear one of those priceless nuggets of wisdom from the late Mitch Hedberg, it's still hilarious.
"I was at a casino minding my own business. when this guy came up and says, 'You're gonna have to move, you're blocking the fire exit.' So if there was a fire, I wasn't gonna run? If you're flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a fire exit."
Ever see a Mitch Hedberg quote on a Facebook profile, or some other written media (e.g., the previous paragraph)? Just not the same as if you hear it out of his mouth. It's also an interesting phenomenon to watch the transformation of someone from before and after their first exposure to Mitch. At first, you recite a Mitch line, to which the other party gives you a puzzled gaze, thinking, "You seriously think that's funny?" Then you play some actual Mitch clips, and within about two minutes, they're turned into a lifetime fan. That's just how special his delivery is.
"I like vending machines because snacks taste better when they fall."
Mitch died a little over three years ago (wow, already three years). So just when I thought I'd memorized every last Mitch joke, I was sent this article. Do You Believe In Gosh? -- his first posthumous release -- is in stores today. Recorded in January 2005 (two months before he died), it consists of many jokes that were still works-in-progress. But knowing him, they were probably plenty funny already.
"I use a 2-in-1 shampoo, but 2-in-1 is a bullshit term because one is not big enough to hold two. That's why two was created. If it was 2-in-1, it would be overflowing; the bottle would be all sticky and shit..."
So I went to Best Buy right after work today to pick it up, and was surprised to find it had already sold out. The bad: Crap, I wanted it. Today. The good: Apparently, people haven't forgotten how great Mitch was, even after three years. It's a testament to his immense popularity, and it's amazing to think how renowned he would be now if he was still alive.
Now excuse me while I go to sleep, so I can dream about trying again to buy it tomorrow. Or maybe about "building a go-cart with my ex-landlord."
No matter how many times you hear one of those priceless nuggets of wisdom from the late Mitch Hedberg, it's still hilarious.
"I was at a casino minding my own business. when this guy came up and says, 'You're gonna have to move, you're blocking the fire exit.' So if there was a fire, I wasn't gonna run? If you're flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a fire exit."
Ever see a Mitch Hedberg quote on a Facebook profile, or some other written media (e.g., the previous paragraph)? Just not the same as if you hear it out of his mouth. It's also an interesting phenomenon to watch the transformation of someone from before and after their first exposure to Mitch. At first, you recite a Mitch line, to which the other party gives you a puzzled gaze, thinking, "You seriously think that's funny?" Then you play some actual Mitch clips, and within about two minutes, they're turned into a lifetime fan. That's just how special his delivery is.
"I like vending machines because snacks taste better when they fall."
Mitch died a little over three years ago (wow, already three years). So just when I thought I'd memorized every last Mitch joke, I was sent this article. Do You Believe In Gosh? -- his first posthumous release -- is in stores today. Recorded in January 2005 (two months before he died), it consists of many jokes that were still works-in-progress. But knowing him, they were probably plenty funny already."I use a 2-in-1 shampoo, but 2-in-1 is a bullshit term because one is not big enough to hold two. That's why two was created. If it was 2-in-1, it would be overflowing; the bottle would be all sticky and shit..."
So I went to Best Buy right after work today to pick it up, and was surprised to find it had already sold out. The bad: Crap, I wanted it. Today. The good: Apparently, people haven't forgotten how great Mitch was, even after three years. It's a testament to his immense popularity, and it's amazing to think how renowned he would be now if he was still alive.
Now excuse me while I go to sleep, so I can dream about trying again to buy it tomorrow. Or maybe about "building a go-cart with my ex-landlord."
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
It Would Be Way Easier If I Wasn't An Idealist
America is just too good for politically-motivated slander.
It's that time again, when certain political analysts on CNN and Fox News and overzealous supporters from both sides of the political aisle conjure up the gods of meaningless insult, acrid slander, and empty arguments. You've heard me rant on this before, but get ready, 'cause here comes another one.
I'm all for political debate, as long as it's at least loosely concerning issues that Americans will actually be affected by. Part of Mitt Romney's speech at the RNC earlier tonight, when considering that a movement away from recent conservatism sought by the Democratic Party isn't really accurate: "Is it liberal or conservative when the Supreme Court awards constitutional rights to prisoners at Guantanamo Bay? Is it liberal or conservative when Congress listens to the teachers' union instead of being concerned about our children's education?" I heartily disagree with that, but hey, at least he's addressing issues that matter without resorting to petty name-calling, rumor-spreading, or other inappropriate propaganda.
When you start involving a VP candidate's family (i.e., Sarah Palin) or insisting that, dammit, Senator Obama was sworn in on the Quran, then I've got a problem. It's a tactic employed by people who probably don't fully understand an issue, and so desperately scramble for other arguments that miss the point, play on emotion, and support their prior beliefs (or, more accurately, destroy opposing beliefs).
Now, to be fair, I've been watching both conventions on both CNN and Fox, looking for things to get mad about and put in this blog entry. And to their credit, both networks have for the most part refrained from any egregious (in my mind) cases of slander, etc. You kinda have to look for it. Although, once you start reading some far-right or -left blogs, you don't have to look that hard.
But you have to believe that as we get closer and closer to that first Tuesday in November, you'll start seeing negative campaigning, negative mudslinging, and a generally negative attitude towards politics engulf our country. True, we were meant to debate -- it's what we like to do -- but not to the point where it gets needlessly offensive.
Like when religion gets mixed with politics. (And weather...?) The result usually isn't good:
"I was just thinking that [Hurricane] Gustav is proof that there is a God... that it would be on its way to New Orleans on day one of the Republican National Convention."
-- Michael Moore on an interview on CNBC.
"Would it be wrong to ask people to pray for rain of Biblical proportions two minutes before [Barack Obama's] acceptance speech begins?"
-- Focus on the Family spokesman Stuard Shepard as quoted in this article. (And by the way, apparently he wasn't kidding...there was an urging for people to do just that.)
Not dignifying either with a response.
So please, let's not say things that demolish rather than accomplish. And let's try and avoid those "I'm Right, Those Other Guys Are Wrong, End Of Story" television advertisements, chain e-mails, or casual discussions over drinks (alright, those are usually harmless and way entertaining). It's an attitude that will do our country a lot of good. And I think the vast majority of Americans are fed up with it anyway and, no matter who's elected, would love to see Democrats reach out to Republicans (and Joe Liebermann) and Republicans (and Joe Liebermann) reach out to Democrats and actually get some good stuff done.
*Stepping down from soap box, to wild applause*
It's that time again, when certain political analysts on CNN and Fox News and overzealous supporters from both sides of the political aisle conjure up the gods of meaningless insult, acrid slander, and empty arguments. You've heard me rant on this before, but get ready, 'cause here comes another one.
I'm all for political debate, as long as it's at least loosely concerning issues that Americans will actually be affected by. Part of Mitt Romney's speech at the RNC earlier tonight, when considering that a movement away from recent conservatism sought by the Democratic Party isn't really accurate: "Is it liberal or conservative when the Supreme Court awards constitutional rights to prisoners at Guantanamo Bay? Is it liberal or conservative when Congress listens to the teachers' union instead of being concerned about our children's education?" I heartily disagree with that, but hey, at least he's addressing issues that matter without resorting to petty name-calling, rumor-spreading, or other inappropriate propaganda.
When you start involving a VP candidate's family (i.e., Sarah Palin) or insisting that, dammit, Senator Obama was sworn in on the Quran, then I've got a problem. It's a tactic employed by people who probably don't fully understand an issue, and so desperately scramble for other arguments that miss the point, play on emotion, and support their prior beliefs (or, more accurately, destroy opposing beliefs).
Now, to be fair, I've been watching both conventions on both CNN and Fox, looking for things to get mad about and put in this blog entry. And to their credit, both networks have for the most part refrained from any egregious (in my mind) cases of slander, etc. You kinda have to look for it. Although, once you start reading some far-right or -left blogs, you don't have to look that hard.
But you have to believe that as we get closer and closer to that first Tuesday in November, you'll start seeing negative campaigning, negative mudslinging, and a generally negative attitude towards politics engulf our country. True, we were meant to debate -- it's what we like to do -- but not to the point where it gets needlessly offensive.
Like when religion gets mixed with politics. (And weather...?) The result usually isn't good:
"I was just thinking that [Hurricane] Gustav is proof that there is a God... that it would be on its way to New Orleans on day one of the Republican National Convention."
-- Michael Moore on an interview on CNBC.
"Would it be wrong to ask people to pray for rain of Biblical proportions two minutes before [Barack Obama's] acceptance speech begins?"
-- Focus on the Family spokesman Stuard Shepard as quoted in this article. (And by the way, apparently he wasn't kidding...there was an urging for people to do just that.)
Not dignifying either with a response.
So please, let's not say things that demolish rather than accomplish. And let's try and avoid those "I'm Right, Those Other Guys Are Wrong, End Of Story" television advertisements, chain e-mails, or casual discussions over drinks (alright, those are usually harmless and way entertaining). It's an attitude that will do our country a lot of good. And I think the vast majority of Americans are fed up with it anyway and, no matter who's elected, would love to see Democrats reach out to Republicans (and Joe Liebermann) and Republicans (and Joe Liebermann) reach out to Democrats and actually get some good stuff done.
*Stepping down from soap box, to wild applause*
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Five Burning Questions
1. Why is the TV show House appealing?
There aren't any sarcastic undertones to that question either: I actually like watching it, and I can't really figure out why. Every episode (that I've seen) is cut from the same mold. Patient has some bizarre ailment, House yells at people while popping "tic-tacs" and orders 16 hard-to-pronounce drug regimens and tests, patient pushed to the brink of death, House does something funny with his cane. Finally, the mystery is solved, and its always some sorely disappointing and anticlimactic solution. "She's been having hallucinations, is going blind, suffers from crippling seizures...I've got it! She's been eating moldy bread...which, when combined with this genetic disorder, causes symptoms similar to taking LSD." And yet, I watch and love it! And since in real life he also has a British accent, Hugh Laurie is my hero.
2. What is former Cleveland Cavaliers all-star Brad Daugherty doing covering NASCAR?
Bizarro-world. It's like watching Comedy Central presents Pat Robertson, or maybe Mr. T hosting a show on the Weather Channel. (Resisting the temptation of a cheap "I pity the fool" quote...)
3. Why do I only want Chick-fil-a on Sunday?
It was Sunday afternoon at 1pm, and there was only one thing that actually sounded good to eat: a Chick-fil-A sandwich. Why is it that these cravings and temptations never come on a weekday, when they're actually OPEN? Does anyone else out there have this problem? I think I'm going to start hoarding them and turn one of my kitchen drawers into a Super Top Secret Chick-fil-A Sandwich Stash.
4. How is my bamboo plant still alive?
I happened upon a bamboo plant around last Thanksgiving, and I've somehow managed to keep this thing alive for 9 months now by supplying it only with Ozarka twice a week. Doesn't keeping a plant alive (even bamboo) involve some kind of fertilizer, or at least soil? There's a few pebbles around its base, but if I'm not mistaken it's mostly styrofoam keeping it in place. Not sure that's how God intended it.
5. Are the people in charge of road construction in the city of Dallas insane?
My office building is located on a really short street called Rambler Road that runs north-south and dead-ends on the north at Meadow Rd and on the south at Walnut Hill Rd. Both intersections are completely under construction; one is completely impassable, and the other is only navigable by coming at it from eastbound Meadow Rd and turning right. Our building is fourteen stories tall, so there are plenty of people trying to make it through that war zone at 8:30 am. And, oh yeah, there's a big elementary school zone all along this area on Meadow, which as of tomorrow, will be infinitely busier as the youngsters march back to school with Jonas Brothers lunchboxes in hand. All this is adding up to become the perfect storm of morning rush hour traffic tomorrow morning. I worry that one day I'll be trapped there forever, and will be forced to live off of vending machine foodstuffs for weeks.
Well, that's enough meaningless rambling for one blog entry. Maybe one day my blog will contain some nugget of useful information for some loyal reader out there.
But I wouldn't bet on it.
There aren't any sarcastic undertones to that question either: I actually like watching it, and I can't really figure out why. Every episode (that I've seen) is cut from the same mold. Patient has some bizarre ailment, House yells at people while popping "tic-tacs" and orders 16 hard-to-pronounce drug regimens and tests, patient pushed to the brink of death, House does something funny with his cane. Finally, the mystery is solved, and its always some sorely disappointing and anticlimactic solution. "She's been having hallucinations, is going blind, suffers from crippling seizures...I've got it! She's been eating moldy bread...which, when combined with this genetic disorder, causes symptoms similar to taking LSD." And yet, I watch and love it! And since in real life he also has a British accent, Hugh Laurie is my hero.
2. What is former Cleveland Cavaliers all-star Brad Daugherty doing covering NASCAR?
Bizarro-world. It's like watching Comedy Central presents Pat Robertson, or maybe Mr. T hosting a show on the Weather Channel. (Resisting the temptation of a cheap "I pity the fool" quote...)3. Why do I only want Chick-fil-a on Sunday?
It was Sunday afternoon at 1pm, and there was only one thing that actually sounded good to eat: a Chick-fil-A sandwich. Why is it that these cravings and temptations never come on a weekday, when they're actually OPEN? Does anyone else out there have this problem? I think I'm going to start hoarding them and turn one of my kitchen drawers into a Super Top Secret Chick-fil-A Sandwich Stash.
4. How is my bamboo plant still alive?
I happened upon a bamboo plant around last Thanksgiving, and I've somehow managed to keep this thing alive for 9 months now by supplying it only with Ozarka twice a week. Doesn't keeping a plant alive (even bamboo) involve some kind of fertilizer, or at least soil? There's a few pebbles around its base, but if I'm not mistaken it's mostly styrofoam keeping it in place. Not sure that's how God intended it.
5. Are the people in charge of road construction in the city of Dallas insane?
My office building is located on a really short street called Rambler Road that runs north-south and dead-ends on the north at Meadow Rd and on the south at Walnut Hill Rd. Both intersections are completely under construction; one is completely impassable, and the other is only navigable by coming at it from eastbound Meadow Rd and turning right. Our building is fourteen stories tall, so there are plenty of people trying to make it through that war zone at 8:30 am. And, oh yeah, there's a big elementary school zone all along this area on Meadow, which as of tomorrow, will be infinitely busier as the youngsters march back to school with Jonas Brothers lunchboxes in hand. All this is adding up to become the perfect storm of morning rush hour traffic tomorrow morning. I worry that one day I'll be trapped there forever, and will be forced to live off of vending machine foodstuffs for weeks.
Well, that's enough meaningless rambling for one blog entry. Maybe one day my blog will contain some nugget of useful information for some loyal reader out there.
But I wouldn't bet on it.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Funny Because It's Late In The Work Week And I'm Tired
From the guys who brought you the MAN-tage:
Oh, the things I could do if only I had a camera, Final Cut Pro, and hundreds of hours to waste...
Oh, the things I could do if only I had a camera, Final Cut Pro, and hundreds of hours to waste...
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
In Memoriam: LeRoi Moore
Not many people know that Dave Matthews Band was, in fact, not founded by Dave Matthews. It was saxophonist LeRoi Moore who, one Thursday night at a Charlottesville, Virginia, bar named Miller's, first suggested to a bartender named David J. Matthews that they start recording together. The rest is history.Yesterday, LeRoi Moore passed away at the unbelievably young age of 46.
I'll never be able to listen to that sax solo in "Rapunzel" in the same way again. So long, LeRoi. You will be missed.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Sometimes a Jimi Thing...
Each of my last three summers has drawn to a close with a real exclamation point. It's pretty much tradition now for me to, on a typical hot and muggy Dallas night, make the short 10-minute drive to Smirnoff Music Center (now Superpages.com Center, but whatever), a truly magical outdoor amphitheater in the sense that Coors Light and cotton t-shirts apparently quintuple in cost.
But I don't go for the beer. No, I go for the Dave Matthews Band experience. The show of '06 was pretty unforgettable, but last night's performance beat it out by about eight lengths. It's usually tough for me to let my guard down and start acting like I can sing and dance, but not on this night. Let's plow through an abridged version of the setlist, shall we?
Pantala Naga Pampa/Rapunzel - Stupid traffic! Missed the opening, but I'd seen both of these before. My cousin and I waltzed into our seats between Rapunzel and...
Proudest Monkey - Eh, a little slow. Took this opportunity to snap a picture of the stage for my new cell wallpaper.
So Damn Lucky - About here we realized that a wiry, long-haired, tank-top-clad Tim Reynolds, who appeared to walk straight out of a Led Zeppelin music video, was on stage! Only he could turn a usually dull song into a full-blown jamfest.
Eh Hee - A strange but absolutely infectious song, with a really interesting story about a tribe from southern Africa behind its origin.
Cornbread - "A little bit of heaven and a little bit of hell yeah." Never seen Dave dance like that to this bluegrass-y tune. Would've been even better had he donned overalls and a straw hat.
Lover Lay Down - Not my favorite. Got a beer.
Money - Cover of the Pink Floyd song. Don't think anyone expected that one. Also, learned Michael Phelps won his eighth gold during this song. USA! USA!
Jimi Thing - Here's where it really started picking up. Crowd sings the first two verses, Dave approves and lets us have the solo. Gave his vocal chords a rest. Probably 15 minutes of musical nirvana.
Halloween - Formerly a rarity on tour, they've started making this one a bit of a regular this year. I approve...easily the most frenetic and high-octane part of the show.
Ants Marching - Hadn't heard this one before live...lived up to my ridiculous expectations. Fiddlist Boyd Tinsley brought down the house.
Stay - Just when we were ready to endure the fake ending, they break into Stay. Crowd and Josh-pleaser.
Sledgehammer (encore) - Wish I knew this one, but good nonetheless.
Two Step (encore) - Everyone knew it was coming when Jeff Coffin picked up the barisax. 20-minute jam session, with Carter Beauford's insane drumming taking the blue ribbon for "Most Kick-Ass Solo", fittingly ends the night.
Nothing like a Dave show to make you forget all about life and free your mind. "Well sometime a Jimi thing just slide my way and keep me swinging." Couldn't have put it better myself, Dave.
But I don't go for the beer. No, I go for the Dave Matthews Band experience. The show of '06 was pretty unforgettable, but last night's performance beat it out by about eight lengths. It's usually tough for me to let my guard down and start acting like I can sing and dance, but not on this night. Let's plow through an abridged version of the setlist, shall we?
Pantala Naga Pampa/Rapunzel - Stupid traffic! Missed the opening, but I'd seen both of these before. My cousin and I waltzed into our seats between Rapunzel and...
Proudest Monkey - Eh, a little slow. Took this opportunity to snap a picture of the stage for my new cell wallpaper.
So Damn Lucky - About here we realized that a wiry, long-haired, tank-top-clad Tim Reynolds, who appeared to walk straight out of a Led Zeppelin music video, was on stage! Only he could turn a usually dull song into a full-blown jamfest.
Eh Hee - A strange but absolutely infectious song, with a really interesting story about a tribe from southern Africa behind its origin.
Cornbread - "A little bit of heaven and a little bit of hell yeah." Never seen Dave dance like that to this bluegrass-y tune. Would've been even better had he donned overalls and a straw hat.
Lover Lay Down - Not my favorite. Got a beer.
Money - Cover of the Pink Floyd song. Don't think anyone expected that one. Also, learned Michael Phelps won his eighth gold during this song. USA! USA!
Jimi Thing - Here's where it really started picking up. Crowd sings the first two verses, Dave approves and lets us have the solo. Gave his vocal chords a rest. Probably 15 minutes of musical nirvana.
Halloween - Formerly a rarity on tour, they've started making this one a bit of a regular this year. I approve...easily the most frenetic and high-octane part of the show.
Ants Marching - Hadn't heard this one before live...lived up to my ridiculous expectations. Fiddlist Boyd Tinsley brought down the house.
Stay - Just when we were ready to endure the fake ending, they break into Stay. Crowd and Josh-pleaser.
Sledgehammer (encore) - Wish I knew this one, but good nonetheless.
Two Step (encore) - Everyone knew it was coming when Jeff Coffin picked up the barisax. 20-minute jam session, with Carter Beauford's insane drumming taking the blue ribbon for "Most Kick-Ass Solo", fittingly ends the night.
Nothing like a Dave show to make you forget all about life and free your mind. "Well sometime a Jimi thing just slide my way and keep me swinging." Couldn't have put it better myself, Dave.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Album Review #5: John Mayer Trio
Try! (Live), by John Mayer Trio (2005)
For a while I kind of ignored John Mayer. I kinda figured he fell into the same category of artists as The Fray, Maroon 5, and Jason Mraz; that is, the "Non-Threatening Guys Who Kinda Play Guitar But Are Really Famous With The Ladies Because Of Their Looks And Cheezy Lyrics" category. (Note to the female readership: Excuse the preceding sentence as a shallow comment that probably is fueled more than anything by jealousy and an attempt to appear manly. I'm not a sexist jerk.) I don't know, something doesn't feel right to me about purchasing a CD whose hit track is titled "Your Body Is A Wonderland."
But that was the ignorant me. Turns out, my spontaneous purchase of John Mayer Trio's live cut, Try!, has proved to be one of the most pleasant surprises in my music-listening career. What actually sold me on my decision to buy it was the discovery that it included a cover of a Jimi Hendrix song, "Wait Until Tomorrow". That and the fact that it was live, which, as an avid Dave Matthews Band fan, always has the potential to earn major Josh points.
The reality is that I've probably run through this album, all eleven songs, probably damn near 30 or 40 times, either at the office, the car, or the crib. It's just so listen-able, and guitarist Mayer, bassist Pino Palladino, and drummer Steve Jordan just never go stale.
The first three tracks put any doubts I had regarding Mayer's talent with the guitar to rest. "Who Did You Think I Was", "Good Love Is On The Way", and the aforementioned Jimi cover are all lively tracks that feature a pretty good amount of jamming. Then he slows it down a bit with what is my favorite track, "Gravity", with an easy, slow-walking pace, eloquent solos, and emotional lyrics ("Gravity is working against me / And gravity wants to bring me down / ... / Oh gravity, stay the hell away from me / gravity has taken better men than me / Just keep me where the light is"). "Out Of My Mind" is purely a blues ballad that you might hear walking down Beale Street, and you get a touch of R&B in "Vultures" and a nod to the late great Ray Charles, "I Got A Woman".
There's really something for everyone on Try!, and its variety is part of what makes it so great. The texture of the music is excellent, too. The sound produced by these three musicians always seems to be just right; it's never overwhelming and over-the-top, but you never feel like something's missing, either. (No pun intended...see track number 9) The emotion with which Mayer sings and plays is always so expressive, as well. All of which are reasons that you don't get tired of listening to it.
Kudos, Mr. Mayer. Maybe now I'll give The Fray a chance.
Grade: A
For a while I kind of ignored John Mayer. I kinda figured he fell into the same category of artists as The Fray, Maroon 5, and Jason Mraz; that is, the "Non-Threatening Guys Who Kinda Play Guitar But Are Really Famous With The Ladies Because Of Their Looks And Cheezy Lyrics" category. (Note to the female readership: Excuse the preceding sentence as a shallow comment that probably is fueled more than anything by jealousy and an attempt to appear manly. I'm not a sexist jerk.) I don't know, something doesn't feel right to me about purchasing a CD whose hit track is titled "Your Body Is A Wonderland."But that was the ignorant me. Turns out, my spontaneous purchase of John Mayer Trio's live cut, Try!, has proved to be one of the most pleasant surprises in my music-listening career. What actually sold me on my decision to buy it was the discovery that it included a cover of a Jimi Hendrix song, "Wait Until Tomorrow". That and the fact that it was live, which, as an avid Dave Matthews Band fan, always has the potential to earn major Josh points.
The reality is that I've probably run through this album, all eleven songs, probably damn near 30 or 40 times, either at the office, the car, or the crib. It's just so listen-able, and guitarist Mayer, bassist Pino Palladino, and drummer Steve Jordan just never go stale.
The first three tracks put any doubts I had regarding Mayer's talent with the guitar to rest. "Who Did You Think I Was", "Good Love Is On The Way", and the aforementioned Jimi cover are all lively tracks that feature a pretty good amount of jamming. Then he slows it down a bit with what is my favorite track, "Gravity", with an easy, slow-walking pace, eloquent solos, and emotional lyrics ("Gravity is working against me / And gravity wants to bring me down / ... / Oh gravity, stay the hell away from me / gravity has taken better men than me / Just keep me where the light is"). "Out Of My Mind" is purely a blues ballad that you might hear walking down Beale Street, and you get a touch of R&B in "Vultures" and a nod to the late great Ray Charles, "I Got A Woman".
There's really something for everyone on Try!, and its variety is part of what makes it so great. The texture of the music is excellent, too. The sound produced by these three musicians always seems to be just right; it's never overwhelming and over-the-top, but you never feel like something's missing, either. (No pun intended...see track number 9) The emotion with which Mayer sings and plays is always so expressive, as well. All of which are reasons that you don't get tired of listening to it.
Kudos, Mr. Mayer. Maybe now I'll give The Fray a chance.
Grade: A
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Nothing Feels Worse
So the evening began as an attempt to relieve a little stress, after what's started off as a not-so-great week. Basketball has usually been my outlet for stress and one of my best ego-boosters. Considering mine was about as sturdy as a swaying Jenga tower, I figured it'd be a good thing to do.
I ventured through the UTD athletic center parking lot to the outdoor basketball court and was confronted with a group of guys who, clearly, where bigger, faster, and better than me. Undaunted (at least, that's how I tried to present myself), I began warming up as the half-court 3-on-3 match at the other end was wrapping up. I felt pretty good...it was a cool (relatively) 92 degrees outside, I swished about 5 or 6 shots in a row. Things were looking up.
Until the game started. 5-on-5, full court. A pass goes sailing over my head...if only I were 6' 6" like my teammates. Oh well, not my fault.
I make a good interior pass to a cutter, who lays it in. Alright, maybe we're on to something.
But that's when it fell apart. I missed several wide-open looks (including one that got sent back to the parking lot by who I think was Dwight Howard), one wide-open lay-up, and bumble a few passes out of bounds and another that careens off my forehead. The guys heckle me, saying things like (1) "He too scared to make it." (2) "Play off of him, he can't shoot." and my personal favorite, (3) "Man, your hair says you're Steve Nash, but your shot says you're Danny Devito." Great. There's no worse feeling than when, on defense, nobody's guarding you, so it's essentially 4-on-5. And they're right to do so.
We lost. And my teammates wanted nothing to do with me afterwards. What do you do in that situation? Walk off the court, head down, trying desperately to convey to anyone who may be watching that you're just off your game this one night. I felt like those warriors in The Last Samurai who, rather than fighting till the end, would rather acknowledge defeat and let the opponent finish you off. (Metaphorically. I could do without the katana to the head.)
It's all so frustrating, because you grow up spending countless hours in the driveway as a kid developing your game to the point where you know you can be consistent. But those guys on that court tonight didn't know that. To them, I was just some rookie who folded under pressure, and probably just got really lucky when I did make a few shots in a row while I was warming up. For every night that I'm a skinny little white guy who dominates (if that) the court, I have at least five nights like tonight...but I guess it's worth it.
Oh well. There's not much that can pick my spirits up after that, but "The Office" night on TBS will help. Speaking of...
I ventured through the UTD athletic center parking lot to the outdoor basketball court and was confronted with a group of guys who, clearly, where bigger, faster, and better than me. Undaunted (at least, that's how I tried to present myself), I began warming up as the half-court 3-on-3 match at the other end was wrapping up. I felt pretty good...it was a cool (relatively) 92 degrees outside, I swished about 5 or 6 shots in a row. Things were looking up.
Until the game started. 5-on-5, full court. A pass goes sailing over my head...if only I were 6' 6" like my teammates. Oh well, not my fault.
I make a good interior pass to a cutter, who lays it in. Alright, maybe we're on to something.
But that's when it fell apart. I missed several wide-open looks (including one that got sent back to the parking lot by who I think was Dwight Howard), one wide-open lay-up, and bumble a few passes out of bounds and another that careens off my forehead. The guys heckle me, saying things like (1) "He too scared to make it." (2) "Play off of him, he can't shoot." and my personal favorite, (3) "Man, your hair says you're Steve Nash, but your shot says you're Danny Devito." Great. There's no worse feeling than when, on defense, nobody's guarding you, so it's essentially 4-on-5. And they're right to do so.
We lost. And my teammates wanted nothing to do with me afterwards. What do you do in that situation? Walk off the court, head down, trying desperately to convey to anyone who may be watching that you're just off your game this one night. I felt like those warriors in The Last Samurai who, rather than fighting till the end, would rather acknowledge defeat and let the opponent finish you off. (Metaphorically. I could do without the katana to the head.)
It's all so frustrating, because you grow up spending countless hours in the driveway as a kid developing your game to the point where you know you can be consistent. But those guys on that court tonight didn't know that. To them, I was just some rookie who folded under pressure, and probably just got really lucky when I did make a few shots in a row while I was warming up. For every night that I'm a skinny little white guy who dominates (if that) the court, I have at least five nights like tonight...but I guess it's worth it.
Oh well. There's not much that can pick my spirits up after that, but "The Office" night on TBS will help. Speaking of...
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Not Your Usual Animated Flick
Isn't it nice when a story transcends any sort of political or ideological alignments to send a message that is audible to everyone?
I saw Wall-E for the second time over the weekend. Watching movies twice is something I often do. Since I know how the story itself unfolds the second time, I usually look for some of the more subtle elements of theatrical storytelling: the music, the technical aspects, the cinematography, or even searching for some sort of between-the-lines meaning that floats underneath the plot. Wall-E is most certainly not without deep and meaningful truths.
Caution: If you've haven't seen Wall-E yet, save reading this blog until after you've seen it. You really owe it to yourself to see this movie without any kind of preconceived notions. Really, go see it now.
Now that we got that out of the way, let's first give those geniuses at Pixar their due; it's truly a visually captivating film. There's not one frame in this 132-minute epic that isn't spectacular. I am continually impressed by the imagination of these guys. And might I point out that so many of the names in the end credits got their start on "The Simpsons": Brad Bird and Jim Reardon, to name two. The first half-hour contains no dialogue whatsoever, telling a story in a Charlie Chaplin-esque style to which most modern moviegoers are not accustomed. Allusions to other literary and cinematic works, most notably 2001, are sprinkled throughout.
But the technical brilliance of Wall-E is merely the beginning. The depth of its story and the gravity of some of its implications overwhelm you as you're watching it. It's nearly impossible to sum the premise this film up in five sentences, but in the interest of further analysis, I will try. Earth has been completely trashed by its inhabitants; not by greenhouse gases or nuclear waste, but literally with trash, as fueled by an ultra-consumerist government/corporation hybrid that really depends upon technology for everything. While robots are left behind to clean up the mess (one of which is Wall-E), all of Earth's inhabitants are sent to space on a five year uber-vacation where robots tend to humans' every need. Small problem: Earth actually has become so toxic that it's become uninhabitable, so the vacation turns permanent. Humans don't really seem to mind, as they're perfectly happy in an environment where their needs are always immediately fulfilled and all work (including walking) is eliminated. But, as the story unfolds, humans eventually rebel and prevail over the oppressive (not in the usual sense) regime of the ship's robotic auto pilot, Auto.
And of course, analysts on various 24-hour news networks stooped a little low and stirred up controversy around this movie. (Which shocked me, given the depth of their usual programming. I'm kidding.) Is Wall-E just tree-hugging environmentalist and anti-consumerist propaganda? Is it a criticism of liberalism, saying that big government will eventually choke the individuality out of us?
I believe that if you're making such an argument, you're kind of missing the point, and you're only trying to use the themes presented in this film to discredit those whose opinions don't match you're own. That's not to say that there aren't important lessons here: it's conceivable that we could end up as brainless and over-pampered blobs who must always have our eyes pasted to some sort of computer screen. And that's pretty undesirable.
Wall-E teaches us that humanity is unbelievably important and is something we cannot lose. The irony of Wall-E lies in the fact that the robots are the most human entities in this movie (at least until the end). The love story between robots Wall-E and Eve only can develop when they transcend their internal programming and circuitry that should compel them only to accomplish a certain set of tasks. Also, it seems to me (and some other columnists and bloggers) that Wall-E is easy to connect to because he (or it?) is charged with the relatively menial task of collecting and compacting trash. There's something awfully human about hard work.
I was pleased to read some approving columns from both sides of the political warzone. New York Times columnist Frank Rich wrote some interesting things in his column. To continue my Jon Stewart-esque criticism of 24-hour news, "While the real-life grown-ups on TV were again rebooting Vietnam, the kids at Wall-E were in deep contemplation of a world in peril — and of the future that is theirs to make what they will of it. Compare any 10 minutes of the movie with 10 minutes of any cable-news channel, and you’ll soon be asking: Exactly who are the adults in our country and who are the cartoon characters?"
And conservative columnist Rod Dreher provided some interesting analysis as well: "Wall-E says that humans have within themselves the freedom to rebel, to overthrow that which dominates and alienates us from our true selves, and our own nature. But you have to question the prime directive; that is, you have to become conscious of how the way you're living is destroying your body and killing your soul, and choose to resist. Wall-E contends that real life is hard, real life is struggle, and that we live most meaningfully not by avoiding pain and struggle, but by engaging it creatively, and sharing that struggle in community." (Full column at, yes, beliefnet.com)
The bottom line is that Wall-E is just a great story with lessons that we should all repeat to ourselves occasionally. (And by the way, even if it is "environmentalist propaganda", is that such a terrible thing?) But one thing is for sure: the fact that Wall-E has the depth to allow for such discussions, when compared to the usual fare in the animated film industry, let alone its technical brilliance, is reason enough to convince me that it should at least be in the running for Best Picture at next February's Academy Awards.
Anyone still reading? Didn't think so.
I saw Wall-E for the second time over the weekend. Watching movies twice is something I often do. Since I know how the story itself unfolds the second time, I usually look for some of the more subtle elements of theatrical storytelling: the music, the technical aspects, the cinematography, or even searching for some sort of between-the-lines meaning that floats underneath the plot. Wall-E is most certainly not without deep and meaningful truths.
Caution: If you've haven't seen Wall-E yet, save reading this blog until after you've seen it. You really owe it to yourself to see this movie without any kind of preconceived notions. Really, go see it now.
Now that we got that out of the way, let's first give those geniuses at Pixar their due; it's truly a visually captivating film. There's not one frame in this 132-minute epic that isn't spectacular. I am continually impressed by the imagination of these guys. And might I point out that so many of the names in the end credits got their start on "The Simpsons": Brad Bird and Jim Reardon, to name two. The first half-hour contains no dialogue whatsoever, telling a story in a Charlie Chaplin-esque style to which most modern moviegoers are not accustomed. Allusions to other literary and cinematic works, most notably 2001, are sprinkled throughout.
But the technical brilliance of Wall-E is merely the beginning. The depth of its story and the gravity of some of its implications overwhelm you as you're watching it. It's nearly impossible to sum the premise this film up in five sentences, but in the interest of further analysis, I will try. Earth has been completely trashed by its inhabitants; not by greenhouse gases or nuclear waste, but literally with trash, as fueled by an ultra-consumerist government/corporation hybrid that really depends upon technology for everything. While robots are left behind to clean up the mess (one of which is Wall-E), all of Earth's inhabitants are sent to space on a five year uber-vacation where robots tend to humans' every need. Small problem: Earth actually has become so toxic that it's become uninhabitable, so the vacation turns permanent. Humans don't really seem to mind, as they're perfectly happy in an environment where their needs are always immediately fulfilled and all work (including walking) is eliminated. But, as the story unfolds, humans eventually rebel and prevail over the oppressive (not in the usual sense) regime of the ship's robotic auto pilot, Auto.
And of course, analysts on various 24-hour news networks stooped a little low and stirred up controversy around this movie. (Which shocked me, given the depth of their usual programming. I'm kidding.) Is Wall-E just tree-hugging environmentalist and anti-consumerist propaganda? Is it a criticism of liberalism, saying that big government will eventually choke the individuality out of us?
I believe that if you're making such an argument, you're kind of missing the point, and you're only trying to use the themes presented in this film to discredit those whose opinions don't match you're own. That's not to say that there aren't important lessons here: it's conceivable that we could end up as brainless and over-pampered blobs who must always have our eyes pasted to some sort of computer screen. And that's pretty undesirable.
Wall-E teaches us that humanity is unbelievably important and is something we cannot lose. The irony of Wall-E lies in the fact that the robots are the most human entities in this movie (at least until the end). The love story between robots Wall-E and Eve only can develop when they transcend their internal programming and circuitry that should compel them only to accomplish a certain set of tasks. Also, it seems to me (and some other columnists and bloggers) that Wall-E is easy to connect to because he (or it?) is charged with the relatively menial task of collecting and compacting trash. There's something awfully human about hard work.
I was pleased to read some approving columns from both sides of the political warzone. New York Times columnist Frank Rich wrote some interesting things in his column. To continue my Jon Stewart-esque criticism of 24-hour news, "While the real-life grown-ups on TV were again rebooting Vietnam, the kids at Wall-E were in deep contemplation of a world in peril — and of the future that is theirs to make what they will of it. Compare any 10 minutes of the movie with 10 minutes of any cable-news channel, and you’ll soon be asking: Exactly who are the adults in our country and who are the cartoon characters?"
And conservative columnist Rod Dreher provided some interesting analysis as well: "Wall-E says that humans have within themselves the freedom to rebel, to overthrow that which dominates and alienates us from our true selves, and our own nature. But you have to question the prime directive; that is, you have to become conscious of how the way you're living is destroying your body and killing your soul, and choose to resist. Wall-E contends that real life is hard, real life is struggle, and that we live most meaningfully not by avoiding pain and struggle, but by engaging it creatively, and sharing that struggle in community." (Full column at, yes, beliefnet.com)
The bottom line is that Wall-E is just a great story with lessons that we should all repeat to ourselves occasionally. (And by the way, even if it is "environmentalist propaganda", is that such a terrible thing?) But one thing is for sure: the fact that Wall-E has the depth to allow for such discussions, when compared to the usual fare in the animated film industry, let alone its technical brilliance, is reason enough to convince me that it should at least be in the running for Best Picture at next February's Academy Awards.
Anyone still reading? Didn't think so.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Doppelganger Alert
It's amazing what realizations you come to after a couple of hours of meaningless surfing while you're confined to the indoors because of 295-degree outdoor temperatures.
Newly crowned number one ranked tennis star Rafael Nadal, and Pineapple Express stoner Saul Silver. Separated at birth? You decide.
Newly crowned number one ranked tennis star Rafael Nadal, and Pineapple Express stoner Saul Silver. Separated at birth? You decide.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Human = Battery?
So I think by now we're all familiar with this whole energy crisis thing. One day, we'll run out of bubblin' crude if today's trends continue. Really, that applies to all fossil fuels; coal, natural gas, whatever. And just like anyone familiar with SimCity, I'm thinking we're still a little far away from that magic fusion power plant that generates an insane amount of power with no pollution.
We've all become accustomed to hearing about the usual alternative energy sources, primarily wind, solar, and nuclear. But wind and solar power are dependent on nature, which in most locales is hardly reliable. Nuclear power plants aren't necessarily great either, given their propensity to turn squirrels radioactive, like that one Simpsons episode. For most people, the list of viable alternative energy sources ends here.
But according to this article on CNN, one major energy source is becoming more and more popular: the human body. In fact, humans are being used to supply all needed electricity to run a gym in Hong Kong and a dance club in London. Let me stop you before you think people are unconsciously held captive in orange tubs of goo while machines harness human body heat, a la The Matrix. No, think more in terms of kinetic energy. Think about it: the energy you expend to live a normal day could be somehow captured and converted into electricity. That's how hybrid cars work, right? Driver applies brakes, grinding of brakes against the wheel produces energy, car converts energy to electricity, which then powers the car.
This whole human energy thing sounds great, but how could we possibly harvest the energy generated by everyday motion? I for one think we as a society are intelligent and creative enough, especially after reading how that aforementioned dance club works. "Club Surya [utilizes] crystals in blocks under the dance-floor that rub together with the assistance of dancers on the floor. This generates an electrical charge which is then fed into batteries. A second method using wheels to generate energy under a slightly moving floor will be used at the soon-to-be-opened Club Watt. This model involves coils and magnets which move under the dance-floor to create a charge."
Who knows...maybe one day these methods can at least contribute to our energy crisis. It looks like the geniuses at ESPN have already figured this one out, too:
We've all become accustomed to hearing about the usual alternative energy sources, primarily wind, solar, and nuclear. But wind and solar power are dependent on nature, which in most locales is hardly reliable. Nuclear power plants aren't necessarily great either, given their propensity to turn squirrels radioactive, like that one Simpsons episode. For most people, the list of viable alternative energy sources ends here.
But according to this article on CNN, one major energy source is becoming more and more popular: the human body. In fact, humans are being used to supply all needed electricity to run a gym in Hong Kong and a dance club in London. Let me stop you before you think people are unconsciously held captive in orange tubs of goo while machines harness human body heat, a la The Matrix. No, think more in terms of kinetic energy. Think about it: the energy you expend to live a normal day could be somehow captured and converted into electricity. That's how hybrid cars work, right? Driver applies brakes, grinding of brakes against the wheel produces energy, car converts energy to electricity, which then powers the car.
This whole human energy thing sounds great, but how could we possibly harvest the energy generated by everyday motion? I for one think we as a society are intelligent and creative enough, especially after reading how that aforementioned dance club works. "Club Surya [utilizes] crystals in blocks under the dance-floor that rub together with the assistance of dancers on the floor. This generates an electrical charge which is then fed into batteries. A second method using wheels to generate energy under a slightly moving floor will be used at the soon-to-be-opened Club Watt. This model involves coils and magnets which move under the dance-floor to create a charge."
Who knows...maybe one day these methods can at least contribute to our energy crisis. It looks like the geniuses at ESPN have already figured this one out, too:
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Album Review #4: Whiskeytown
Pneumonia, by Whiskeytown (2001)
I've never been much into mainstream country (although I do go through phases once in a while), but one genre I have really grown to enjoy over the last couple of years is what some might call alternative country, or alt-country. (Easier to type.) My first real exposure was to The Jayhawks, which numerous websites have designated that grossly overused phrase, "Best Band You've Never Heard Of."
Whiskeytown drew similar comparisons during their short and fairly volatile history. They were only really in existence for two years, and only two members were constant over even that time: Caitlin Gary and Ryan Adams (not to be confused with Bryan Adams). I'd bought a couple of Ryan Adams's solo albums (he's had a pretty successful solo career), Heartbreaker and Easy Tiger, which I thought were starkly different. Heartbreaker was half near-punk and half extremely mellow rock, but the latter was decidedly more country, complete with slide guitars, etc. Pneumonia seems to fit somewhere in the middle, which works just fine with me.
Adams's voice is surprisingly versatile. In any of his (or his affiliated band's) albums, he could remind you of anyone from Harry Nilsson to Paul Simon to Gram Parsons to (insert very twangy-voiced country singer here), and you really get a taste of this in Pneumonia.
The album raises its proverbial curtain with a charmingly wheezy harmonica intro on "The Ballad of Carol Lynn". Each of the first three songs is of a certain flavor, light-hearted and walking-paced, with country influences. Really, most of the songs are like that. When trying to describe the album, I'm reminded of a phrase borrowed from the late Mitch Hedberg: "all exciting at first, but by the end your f---ing sick of it." (Note: Mitch's use of the phrase is quite different...that would be how he describes eating pancakes.) It really is nice to listen to for a while, especially on a road trip or something, but before too long I find myself skipping tracks, just a little bit bored.
When I do skip ahead, I usually look for "Jacksonville Skyline", with its really nostalgic lyrics. Sample: "Well Jacksonville's a city with a hopeless street light / Seems like you're lucky if it ever changes from red to green / Well I was born in an abundance of inherited sadness / and fifty-cent picture frames bought at a five-and-dime." I like the care-free-ness and rhythm of "Paper Moon", which has a faintly Latin taste. "Crazy About You" and "Bar Lights" are also favorites.
More than anything, it was a good experience to see where Ryan Adams came from. It's funny; kinda like he can't decide what kind of musician he is. Mainstream rock? Punk? Does he belong in Nashville? That musical indecisiveness and unpredictability is what makes his stuff appealing. At least to me.
Grade: B
I've never been much into mainstream country (although I do go through phases once in a while), but one genre I have really grown to enjoy over the last couple of years is what some might call alternative country, or alt-country. (Easier to type.) My first real exposure was to The Jayhawks, which numerous websites have designated that grossly overused phrase, "Best Band You've Never Heard Of." Whiskeytown drew similar comparisons during their short and fairly volatile history. They were only really in existence for two years, and only two members were constant over even that time: Caitlin Gary and Ryan Adams (not to be confused with Bryan Adams). I'd bought a couple of Ryan Adams's solo albums (he's had a pretty successful solo career), Heartbreaker and Easy Tiger, which I thought were starkly different. Heartbreaker was half near-punk and half extremely mellow rock, but the latter was decidedly more country, complete with slide guitars, etc. Pneumonia seems to fit somewhere in the middle, which works just fine with me.
Adams's voice is surprisingly versatile. In any of his (or his affiliated band's) albums, he could remind you of anyone from Harry Nilsson to Paul Simon to Gram Parsons to (insert very twangy-voiced country singer here), and you really get a taste of this in Pneumonia.
The album raises its proverbial curtain with a charmingly wheezy harmonica intro on "The Ballad of Carol Lynn". Each of the first three songs is of a certain flavor, light-hearted and walking-paced, with country influences. Really, most of the songs are like that. When trying to describe the album, I'm reminded of a phrase borrowed from the late Mitch Hedberg: "all exciting at first, but by the end your f---ing sick of it." (Note: Mitch's use of the phrase is quite different...that would be how he describes eating pancakes.) It really is nice to listen to for a while, especially on a road trip or something, but before too long I find myself skipping tracks, just a little bit bored.
When I do skip ahead, I usually look for "Jacksonville Skyline", with its really nostalgic lyrics. Sample: "Well Jacksonville's a city with a hopeless street light / Seems like you're lucky if it ever changes from red to green / Well I was born in an abundance of inherited sadness / and fifty-cent picture frames bought at a five-and-dime." I like the care-free-ness and rhythm of "Paper Moon", which has a faintly Latin taste. "Crazy About You" and "Bar Lights" are also favorites.
More than anything, it was a good experience to see where Ryan Adams came from. It's funny; kinda like he can't decide what kind of musician he is. Mainstream rock? Punk? Does he belong in Nashville? That musical indecisiveness and unpredictability is what makes his stuff appealing. At least to me.
Grade: B
Sunday, July 27, 2008
The Issues
Turn on CNN or Fox News, and all you see is people talking about the problems of the world today, usually from some political standpoint. How refreshing that a couple of guys from New Zealand can candidly talk (and sing!) about the dire problems facing the world today. Do watch:
(More Flight of the Conchords stuff.)
(More Flight of the Conchords stuff.)
Sunday, July 20, 2008
So Awkward!
I ran across a Facebook group called "I'm So AWKWARD!" today, which I thought was pretty funny because it had a list of "Have you ever..." questions related to the topic of awkwardness and social clumsiness. I'm no Larry David (see an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm if you don't know what I'm talking about), but I'm not immune to these unfortunate occurrences. Granted, they never result in situations as painful as the following Sonic commercial:
Anyway, here's an excerpt of that list. You know you're awkward if...
1. you have stubbed your toe twice in one day.
2. you have had a conversation that has gone like this:
You: 'Hey, how are you?'
Other person: 'Good, how are you?'
You: 'Good, how are you?'
3. you have fallen/tripped in public, simultaneously making a weird noise, and then looked around to see if anyone saw you.
4. said goodbye to your friend you were walking with and thought that you were going to part ways, but realized that you were both really headed in the same direction, so you either laughed uncomfortably and walked in silence or pretended that you actually had to go in a different direction and then took a longer route to your destination.
5. told someone you had to leave a party, but didn't for a long time, and then saw the same person looking at you some time later with a slightly bewildered gaze.
As a result of this last weekend, I have two more items to add:
1. Made a phone call, recipient answers, "Hey Josh", to which I ingeniously reply, "Hey Josh.....uh, I mean...".
2. Wanted to make a pop culture reference to, for example, a movie, and so asked "Hey, have you ever seen (insert movie here)?", only to get the response "No", followed by you replying "Oh" and a short period of silence, because the story you were about to tell would've only made any semblance of sense with a response of "Yes".
And I'm telling you, I do that #2 a lot. (Urgent clarification: That would be the item #2 in the preceding list. I swear that was by accident. Clearly, such a sophisticated blog wouldn't trifle with such low-brow humor. Looks like I have a new one to add to the list.) Sure wish life came with a rewind button sometimes. Or at least pause.
Anyway, here's an excerpt of that list. You know you're awkward if...
1. you have stubbed your toe twice in one day.
2. you have had a conversation that has gone like this:
You: 'Hey, how are you?'
Other person: 'Good, how are you?'
You: 'Good, how are you?'
3. you have fallen/tripped in public, simultaneously making a weird noise, and then looked around to see if anyone saw you.
4. said goodbye to your friend you were walking with and thought that you were going to part ways, but realized that you were both really headed in the same direction, so you either laughed uncomfortably and walked in silence or pretended that you actually had to go in a different direction and then took a longer route to your destination.
5. told someone you had to leave a party, but didn't for a long time, and then saw the same person looking at you some time later with a slightly bewildered gaze.
As a result of this last weekend, I have two more items to add:
1. Made a phone call, recipient answers, "Hey Josh", to which I ingeniously reply, "Hey Josh.....uh, I mean...".
2. Wanted to make a pop culture reference to, for example, a movie, and so asked "Hey, have you ever seen (insert movie here)?", only to get the response "No", followed by you replying "Oh" and a short period of silence, because the story you were about to tell would've only made any semblance of sense with a response of "Yes".
And I'm telling you, I do that #2 a lot. (Urgent clarification: That would be the item #2 in the preceding list. I swear that was by accident. Clearly, such a sophisticated blog wouldn't trifle with such low-brow humor. Looks like I have a new one to add to the list.) Sure wish life came with a rewind button sometimes. Or at least pause.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Here's to You, Jimmy V
As I drive my little Corolla to the office every morning, my radio is always turned to Mike & Mike in the Morning. Each year for I don’t know how long, they take a day in July and have a sort of “Jimmy V Day”, and auction off cool items whose proceeds go to the V Foundation. One such prize (which ended up going for some 5- or 6-figure pricetag) was for Mike & Mike to be aired from someone’s house. Pretty cool if you ask me.And just when I thought some rich guy would be hosting Mike & Mike from the third-floor balcony of his Florida mansion, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the winner of the auction was the head of Medical City Children’s Hospital in Dallas, right across the freeway from my office. Sometime in the fall, Mike & Mike in the Morning will be hosted from the children’s cancer hospital at Medical City. Which, of course, is appropriate, as the V Foundation is used to fund cancer research.
For those who don’t know, Jim Valvano was a legendary basketball coach primarily known for his tenure at NC State during the 80’s. The Wolfpack won the title in 1983, and Jimmy V was so ecstatic after the final buzzer sounded that he ran onto the court looking for somebody to hug. There really wasn’t anything not to like about him; sort of like how it’s hard not to like Mike Krzyzewski, coach of Duke basketball.
But at age 46, in June of 1992, he was diagnosed with metastatic bone cancer. Several months later in February of ‘93, he received the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award at the first annual ESPY awards, where he gave probably one of the most poignant speeches in American history. In addition, he announced the start of the V Foundation, which has so far raised over $70 million for cancer research in only 15 years of existence.
He died only two months later.
I try to watch his ESPY speech every once in a while. It really puts things in perspective, and frankly is life-changing advice. So I’m posting it here...
Here’s to you Jimmy V.
(Image credit: ESPN)
Monday, July 14, 2008
The Other Josh - The One Who Can Hit a Ball 500 feet
Wow. All I can say is just, wow.
As is normally the case on a Monday night, I was all set to watch an episode of Family Guy, so I could continue towards my unending quest to memorize each and every script. And lo and behold, according to my digital cable guide, it was going to be one I hadn't seen before. But I just happened to stop on ESPN, because I had read somewhere that the Home Run Derby was tonight.
I watched as Justin Morneau and Ryan Braun stroked some pretty decent totals of 7 and 8 home runs. I say decent; come on, they're hitting baseballs one and a half football fields in front of millions of viewers. And then a large man named Josh Hamilton made his way to the batters' box.
Holy crap.
Here's a retrospective (and so possibly slightly inaccurate) record of my thoughts as I watched what unfolded.
8:24pm - Hmm, Josh Hamilton. I've heard of this guy. I went to a couple of Rangers games, and in one they played Tampa. Having fallen behind 5-4, Hamilton had a chance to win the game with two on, one out in the bottom of the ninth. We Ranger faithful rose to our feet, hoping that our little team might pull off a miracle and pull that much closer to a .500 record. Fly out. Crap. Oh well, maybe this guy can show me something here at the Derby.
8:29pm - Good start, he has 6 home runs and only 4 outs. The first one went to left-center, which was crazy, because he's a leftie. Looks like he'll get the 8 he needs to get to the second round. Nice to know someone else named Josh is doing well for himself.
8:32pm - Wow, he just hit one over 500 ft. They mentioned the record was Sammy Sosa with 524. Sure seems like these are going farther.
8:35pm - Up to 10 home runs! Still only 6 outs. I bet those tattoos only work if you have actual muscles. Maybe I should exercise some restraint and hold off on that.
8:38pm - My buddy John from Longview just IMed me making sure I was watching. Luckily, I was able to honestly put on the "I love baseball" facade, because I already was watching. This is awesome, but I'm missing Family Guy, surely he'll lose some steam here.
8:42pm - John and I keep exhchanging Wows on AIM. We're up to 18, and only 8 outs! Only 6 away from Bobby Abreu's record. The guy who's pitching to him is like 71...he might need some Vitamin Water before it's all said and done. He'll have to pitch the next 2 rounds, too.
8:45pm - Jumping up and down in my room in disbelief. Calling people. Texting people. He's hit shots to the upper deck, to the back of center field, off a Mastercard sign. Holy crap. Chris Berman is running out of things to say. "Back, back, back, that ball is going all the way to...uh...um...Lake Erie!"
8:51pm - He just hit one that I could've sworn was a pop out. Yet it carried all the way out to the upper deck on right field! I'm looking forward to watching this on ESPN classic in 6 years. 22!
8:54pm - 26!!! Is this real?? He hasn't hit an out since Family Guy started at 8:30, which by the way, I'm missing for this! Oh, what I wouldn't give for a DVR. They just showed a stat on ESPN, he's hit over two miles' worth of home run goodness. Nuts.
9:01pm - Well, what a disappointment. He stopped at only 28! How dare he quit on us like that. No really, that was pretty frickin' awesome. Especially for a guy who had a drug problem like 4 years ago. It was weird, after a while, it was almost boring and exciting at the same time...he hit like 14 straight! Unreal. And it's great, because it looks like there's no asterisk with this guy like there was with Bonds.
Almost as entertaining was this commercial that kept coming on. "I'm gonna kick some dirt!"
Peace.
As is normally the case on a Monday night, I was all set to watch an episode of Family Guy, so I could continue towards my unending quest to memorize each and every script. And lo and behold, according to my digital cable guide, it was going to be one I hadn't seen before. But I just happened to stop on ESPN, because I had read somewhere that the Home Run Derby was tonight.
I watched as Justin Morneau and Ryan Braun stroked some pretty decent totals of 7 and 8 home runs. I say decent; come on, they're hitting baseballs one and a half football fields in front of millions of viewers. And then a large man named Josh Hamilton made his way to the batters' box.
Holy crap.Here's a retrospective (and so possibly slightly inaccurate) record of my thoughts as I watched what unfolded.
8:24pm - Hmm, Josh Hamilton. I've heard of this guy. I went to a couple of Rangers games, and in one they played Tampa. Having fallen behind 5-4, Hamilton had a chance to win the game with two on, one out in the bottom of the ninth. We Ranger faithful rose to our feet, hoping that our little team might pull off a miracle and pull that much closer to a .500 record. Fly out. Crap. Oh well, maybe this guy can show me something here at the Derby.
8:29pm - Good start, he has 6 home runs and only 4 outs. The first one went to left-center, which was crazy, because he's a leftie. Looks like he'll get the 8 he needs to get to the second round. Nice to know someone else named Josh is doing well for himself.
8:32pm - Wow, he just hit one over 500 ft. They mentioned the record was Sammy Sosa with 524. Sure seems like these are going farther.
8:35pm - Up to 10 home runs! Still only 6 outs. I bet those tattoos only work if you have actual muscles. Maybe I should exercise some restraint and hold off on that.
8:38pm - My buddy John from Longview just IMed me making sure I was watching. Luckily, I was able to honestly put on the "I love baseball" facade, because I already was watching. This is awesome, but I'm missing Family Guy, surely he'll lose some steam here.
8:42pm - John and I keep exhchanging Wows on AIM. We're up to 18, and only 8 outs! Only 6 away from Bobby Abreu's record. The guy who's pitching to him is like 71...he might need some Vitamin Water before it's all said and done. He'll have to pitch the next 2 rounds, too.
8:45pm - Jumping up and down in my room in disbelief. Calling people. Texting people. He's hit shots to the upper deck, to the back of center field, off a Mastercard sign. Holy crap. Chris Berman is running out of things to say. "Back, back, back, that ball is going all the way to...uh...um...Lake Erie!"
8:51pm - He just hit one that I could've sworn was a pop out. Yet it carried all the way out to the upper deck on right field! I'm looking forward to watching this on ESPN classic in 6 years. 22!
8:54pm - 26!!! Is this real?? He hasn't hit an out since Family Guy started at 8:30, which by the way, I'm missing for this! Oh, what I wouldn't give for a DVR. They just showed a stat on ESPN, he's hit over two miles' worth of home run goodness. Nuts.
9:01pm - Well, what a disappointment. He stopped at only 28! How dare he quit on us like that. No really, that was pretty frickin' awesome. Especially for a guy who had a drug problem like 4 years ago. It was weird, after a while, it was almost boring and exciting at the same time...he hit like 14 straight! Unreal. And it's great, because it looks like there's no asterisk with this guy like there was with Bonds.
Almost as entertaining was this commercial that kept coming on. "I'm gonna kick some dirt!"
Peace.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
In Josh's Head
WARNING: rambly, stream-of-consciousness, and ridiculously self-absorbed blog entry ahead. I pledged I wouldn't go in this direction on my blog, but hey, who reads this thing anyway?
Ever had one of those situations when you feel like you're supposed to be enjoying a moment, but other attitudes brought on by other circumstances just get in the way? For a few reasons, I have had a rather cynical, almost bitter view of the world lately. That cynical tone is there in my head and influences my thoughts, but those thoughts luckily don't come out in everyday conversation. (Which is good, because if it did, people would get tired of me very quickly.)
Occasionally I'll be doing something cool, interesting, or otherwise not-sucky, but all of a sudden I'll remember, "Josh, you should be cynical and bitter right about now." Then that attitude invades my psyche, and it takes a good deal of effort to quell it. It's happened sort of often in the last two or three weeks.
I figure it's just a phase. I've worked to avoid excessive cynicism in my life (OK, I seriously need a thesaurus right about now...I can only use the word "cynical" so many times in three paragraphs), so there's no reason to believe I can't overcome this pattern, too. Take politics for example. I grew up as the only Democrat I knew in school and was dismissed as misinformed and wrong mostly everywhere I turned. But I learned over time that the correct response is to not fire back childishly, "No, you're wrong." It's better (usually) to just accept that's the way the other person views the world, and just stick to what you believe in. Which I feel is a pretty positive, decidedly un-bitter attitude. As John Lennon famously crooned, "Let it be."
But lately, it's difficult to hold on to such positive attitudes. So much so that it encroaches on my day-to-day experiences. Guess it just needs to get out of my system. In due time.
Ever had one of those situations when you feel like you're supposed to be enjoying a moment, but other attitudes brought on by other circumstances just get in the way? For a few reasons, I have had a rather cynical, almost bitter view of the world lately. That cynical tone is there in my head and influences my thoughts, but those thoughts luckily don't come out in everyday conversation. (Which is good, because if it did, people would get tired of me very quickly.)
Occasionally I'll be doing something cool, interesting, or otherwise not-sucky, but all of a sudden I'll remember, "Josh, you should be cynical and bitter right about now." Then that attitude invades my psyche, and it takes a good deal of effort to quell it. It's happened sort of often in the last two or three weeks.
I figure it's just a phase. I've worked to avoid excessive cynicism in my life (OK, I seriously need a thesaurus right about now...I can only use the word "cynical" so many times in three paragraphs), so there's no reason to believe I can't overcome this pattern, too. Take politics for example. I grew up as the only Democrat I knew in school and was dismissed as misinformed and wrong mostly everywhere I turned. But I learned over time that the correct response is to not fire back childishly, "No, you're wrong." It's better (usually) to just accept that's the way the other person views the world, and just stick to what you believe in. Which I feel is a pretty positive, decidedly un-bitter attitude. As John Lennon famously crooned, "Let it be."
But lately, it's difficult to hold on to such positive attitudes. So much so that it encroaches on my day-to-day experiences. Guess it just needs to get out of my system. In due time.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Bears!
Did I not say a couple of blogs ago that bears were a threat to our society?
(Courtesy: Non Sequitur, by Wiley Miller)
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Album Review #3: South Austin Jug Band
Strange Invitation (2008), by South Austin Jug Band
Preceding side story: I kinda wish I had gone to UT for several reasons. One reason is that at UTD, our mascot is a flaming sperm, which is far less intimidating than even a large cow with big horns. Another reason is that the music scene in Richardson, TX (the community chock full of suburban neighborhoods and fast food joints that also happens to be home to my alma mater) left quite a bit to be desired. I'll begin making up for lost time in September when I go to Austin City Limits '08, an event I only hope lives up to my incredibly unrealistic expectations and dreams.
South Austin Jug Band used to be a perennial act in Austin (imagine that). According to my brother, they put on great shows with regularity. They had a guitarist/singer, kick-ass mandoliner and fiddler, an acoustic bassist/singer, and a heavily dreadlocked guitar virtuoso. As a casual late-comer fan, I really enjoyed SAJB's stylings, which sits on the fence between bluegrass and folk, as reflected in their first two albums, South Austin Jug Band and Dark and Weary World. The former boasts an unforgettable "Little Wing" cover, and the latter is played with high regularity on my (and I suspect others') iPod.
So imagine my enthusiasm when I ran across Strange Invitation one day at CD Source. A final side story: I finally got to see these guys at Threadgill's in Austin last fall. It was really chill; my fellow concert-goers were somewhat disenchanted by their lack of edge. Apparently they've lost a couple of their original crew in the last year or two. I hoped mightily as I struggled to un-shrink-wrap my purchase that Strange Invitation did not share the same fate.
It does, sadly.
I think there's some great music on this album, depending on what you like; it just is so different from what I'm used to. The first two tracks, "Come to Me" and "Falls So Fast" are really decent tracks, but not spectacular. But most of the songs are all the same: very tame tracks that put you right to sleep.
Even the big instrumental pieces (which occur in both SAJB's prior albums with excellent results), "Trek of Beandip Perkins" and "Reprise" don't get the blood going like good ol' straw-chomping, overall-wearing bluegrass is supposed to. It's like bluegrass on heavy-duty muscle relaxers.
If you haven't heard of South Austin Jug Band, consider this less a chastising of Strange Invitation and more a glorification of their earlier stuff. Plus, this happened to be in my work computer during a particularly crappy day at the office, so I have the whole negative association thing going on. (Had to stay until 9:30pm on a Friday, for those of you who are curious.) Ah well.
Grade: C
Preceding side story: I kinda wish I had gone to UT for several reasons. One reason is that at UTD, our mascot is a flaming sperm, which is far less intimidating than even a large cow with big horns. Another reason is that the music scene in Richardson, TX (the community chock full of suburban neighborhoods and fast food joints that also happens to be home to my alma mater) left quite a bit to be desired. I'll begin making up for lost time in September when I go to Austin City Limits '08, an event I only hope lives up to my incredibly unrealistic expectations and dreams.South Austin Jug Band used to be a perennial act in Austin (imagine that). According to my brother, they put on great shows with regularity. They had a guitarist/singer, kick-ass mandoliner and fiddler, an acoustic bassist/singer, and a heavily dreadlocked guitar virtuoso. As a casual late-comer fan, I really enjoyed SAJB's stylings, which sits on the fence between bluegrass and folk, as reflected in their first two albums, South Austin Jug Band and Dark and Weary World. The former boasts an unforgettable "Little Wing" cover, and the latter is played with high regularity on my (and I suspect others') iPod.
So imagine my enthusiasm when I ran across Strange Invitation one day at CD Source. A final side story: I finally got to see these guys at Threadgill's in Austin last fall. It was really chill; my fellow concert-goers were somewhat disenchanted by their lack of edge. Apparently they've lost a couple of their original crew in the last year or two. I hoped mightily as I struggled to un-shrink-wrap my purchase that Strange Invitation did not share the same fate.
It does, sadly.
I think there's some great music on this album, depending on what you like; it just is so different from what I'm used to. The first two tracks, "Come to Me" and "Falls So Fast" are really decent tracks, but not spectacular. But most of the songs are all the same: very tame tracks that put you right to sleep.
Even the big instrumental pieces (which occur in both SAJB's prior albums with excellent results), "Trek of Beandip Perkins" and "Reprise" don't get the blood going like good ol' straw-chomping, overall-wearing bluegrass is supposed to. It's like bluegrass on heavy-duty muscle relaxers.
If you haven't heard of South Austin Jug Band, consider this less a chastising of Strange Invitation and more a glorification of their earlier stuff. Plus, this happened to be in my work computer during a particularly crappy day at the office, so I have the whole negative association thing going on. (Had to stay until 9:30pm on a Friday, for those of you who are curious.) Ah well.
Grade: C
Monday, June 30, 2008
Doomsday Particle Accelerators
How did it come to this?
It looks like our scientific curiosity has swelled to the point that we will inevitably destroy ourselves. The shocking thing is that it has nothing to do with nukes and the like. Imagine my surprise a few days ago when one of my buddies informed me that a man-made black hole will eat our planet in five years.
Maybe you heard about this. The end of the world is fast approaching in August, when the largest particle accelerator in the world is finished and put to use. By sending tiny atoms at super-high speeds and making them collide, it is probable that a infinitely small black hole will form as a result. (I would reach back into my flawless understanding of quantum mechanics and explain why, but I'm tired and don't know how to make all the fancy mathematical symbols.) Most scientists seem to believe such black holes will either evaporate (So what, black holes are like rain puddles now?) or simply pass through the Earth's mass at an unbelievable speed and be thrust into outer space. But the possibility remains that the Earth's gravitational field could trap the black hole, causing it to sit tight in the Earth's core for the next few years and slowly swallow the entire planet.
Concerned parties who have the radical thought of keeping the Earth from propelling into another dimension have been trying for years to stop this madness, according to a CNN article: "Critics of the LHC filed a lawsuit in a Hawaiian court in March seeking to block its startup, alleging that there was 'a significant risk that ... operation of the Collider may have unintended consequences which could ultimately result in the destruction of our planet.'"
Seriously, this whole thing is crazy. I have no choice but to place this item in second place on my ThreatDown. Do you really have to ask what number one is?
Bears!
But seriously, this whole particle accelerator thing is supposed to answer all kinds of questions about quantum physics, string theory, and the like. Which I suppose will be useful, assuming we're still around after this experiment goes down.
And speaking of things that blow your mind, check out this animation of a Sierpinski triangle I found when I was (really) bored. Whoa. (Gimme a break, I was a math minor.)
And finally, your random quote for the day:
"How long is it going to take in our society to see someone with an eyepatch, and not think that they're a pirate? I saw a guy in a suit with a briefcase and an eyepatch the other day, and all I could think of was 'Yarrr!'"
- Demetri Martin
It looks like our scientific curiosity has swelled to the point that we will inevitably destroy ourselves. The shocking thing is that it has nothing to do with nukes and the like. Imagine my surprise a few days ago when one of my buddies informed me that a man-made black hole will eat our planet in five years.
Maybe you heard about this. The end of the world is fast approaching in August, when the largest particle accelerator in the world is finished and put to use. By sending tiny atoms at super-high speeds and making them collide, it is probable that a infinitely small black hole will form as a result. (I would reach back into my flawless understanding of quantum mechanics and explain why, but I'm tired and don't know how to make all the fancy mathematical symbols.) Most scientists seem to believe such black holes will either evaporate (So what, black holes are like rain puddles now?) or simply pass through the Earth's mass at an unbelievable speed and be thrust into outer space. But the possibility remains that the Earth's gravitational field could trap the black hole, causing it to sit tight in the Earth's core for the next few years and slowly swallow the entire planet.
Concerned parties who have the radical thought of keeping the Earth from propelling into another dimension have been trying for years to stop this madness, according to a CNN article: "Critics of the LHC filed a lawsuit in a Hawaiian court in March seeking to block its startup, alleging that there was 'a significant risk that ... operation of the Collider may have unintended consequences which could ultimately result in the destruction of our planet.'"
Seriously, this whole thing is crazy. I have no choice but to place this item in second place on my ThreatDown. Do you really have to ask what number one is?
Bears!
But seriously, this whole particle accelerator thing is supposed to answer all kinds of questions about quantum physics, string theory, and the like. Which I suppose will be useful, assuming we're still around after this experiment goes down.
And speaking of things that blow your mind, check out this animation of a Sierpinski triangle I found when I was (really) bored. Whoa. (Gimme a break, I was a math minor.)
And finally, your random quote for the day:
"How long is it going to take in our society to see someone with an eyepatch, and not think that they're a pirate? I saw a guy in a suit with a briefcase and an eyepatch the other day, and all I could think of was 'Yarrr!'"
- Demetri Martin
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