there's also a car show @ manchester that runs from 9-5. all sorts of free goodies.
Friday, September 28, 2007
saturday update
so, not only is there the downtown tour on saturday, but there's also a free hip hop show. i was wanting to go, and had forgot about it. starts at 2.
there's also a car show @ manchester that runs from 9-5. all sorts of free goodies.
there's also a car show @ manchester that runs from 9-5. all sorts of free goodies.
wii speaks the truth
well, my friday is off to a decent start.
my wii fitness age is now 20. for those of you unfamiliar, you can test your "fitness" on the wii. you can take a test everyday. the optimal age, 20. i hit it today for the first time today.
and, if you look closely you'll see that my last test yielded a...38. consistent, yes?
my wii fitness age is now 20. for those of you unfamiliar, you can test your "fitness" on the wii. you can take a test everyday. the optimal age, 20. i hit it today for the first time today.
and, if you look closely you'll see that my last test yielded a...38. consistent, yes?
Thursday, September 27, 2007
recycling culture
i don't feel bad that a fair amount of what i post here is being posted somewhere else. or, it being at least talked about elsewhere. but when you start to think about it all, it's weird how much blogs have contributed to the openness of culture, and the rapid spread of music, art and ideas.
some people think that this is a bad thing. bloggers and the internet kind are called amateurs and accused of killing culture. i don't see it that way. there is a lot of crap out there, yes. but, we've all been given a voice. and, it's not just average joe's like me putting up links/vids/etc from other places. you can see the same thing at stereogum that you saw at fader that you saw at coolhunting that you saw at boing boing.
think of the renaissance. if you were an artist, you had to have a sponsor, a patron. without this, forget getting your work out there. now, i will say that this did help to produce some of the best art, writing and culture of the time. but, more could have been done if more people had the access to showcase their ability?
yeah, i'm rambling, so what? jealous? anyway, i think it's great that we have opportunity to contribute to culture. and to ridicule other stuff out there.
some people think that this is a bad thing. bloggers and the internet kind are called amateurs and accused of killing culture. i don't see it that way. there is a lot of crap out there, yes. but, we've all been given a voice. and, it's not just average joe's like me putting up links/vids/etc from other places. you can see the same thing at stereogum that you saw at fader that you saw at coolhunting that you saw at boing boing.
think of the renaissance. if you were an artist, you had to have a sponsor, a patron. without this, forget getting your work out there. now, i will say that this did help to produce some of the best art, writing and culture of the time. but, more could have been done if more people had the access to showcase their ability?
yeah, i'm rambling, so what? jealous? anyway, i think it's great that we have opportunity to contribute to culture. and to ridicule other stuff out there.
don't take me on
one of my favorite little pop stars is covering the pretenders' "don't take me on."
it's not the actual video, but features the song. (via stereogum.)
it's not the actual video, but features the song. (via stereogum.)
experiences at work
i think i may have "discovered" adam's dilemma at work.
toothpastefordinner.com
just kidding, guy. have a nice friday.
toothpastefordinner.com
just kidding, guy. have a nice friday.
saturday downtown tour
anyone interested in taking a bus ride with me? on saturday, there is a tour of downtown fresno, showcasing all of the recent development and investment. They'll be conducting tours from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m., with buses picking up every 5-10 minutes over @ chuckchansi park.
i'm not exactly sure how long the tour will last, but i think it could be a fun thing to do as a group. it's free! and then we can grab a bite for lunch downtown.
who's coming?
i'm not exactly sure how long the tour will last, but i think it could be a fun thing to do as a group. it's free! and then we can grab a bite for lunch downtown.
who's coming?
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
heidi montag can sing!
or, at least she can pretend to. prepare yourself for about 2 minutes of crappy lip syncing.
don't know who this is? well, good for you. (well, bad for you because it means you watched the video and can't read.) she's heidi montag. psuedo d-lister from mtv's staged reality show the hills. i guess she has an album out now. and boy can she move her arms.
btw, yes, bill simmons put me onto this video (not personally, jerks). and he made elaine benes jokes. although i don't hear it here so much, it's circulating that she was boo'ed mercilessly afterwards.
the video here was posted on sept 19. a shorter version was posted on the 18th. i'm curious as to the actual date, because i was in vegas the previous weekend. in fact, we walked by that nightclub not too long before it opened on the 15th (saturday). it's located inside of the luxor. had we waited in a long line of skanks we might have seen this live! well, we probably would have been turned away for not being dressed nice enough.
don't know who this is? well, good for you. (well, bad for you because it means you watched the video and can't read.) she's heidi montag. psuedo d-lister from mtv's staged reality show the hills. i guess she has an album out now. and boy can she move her arms.
btw, yes, bill simmons put me onto this video (not personally, jerks). and he made elaine benes jokes. although i don't hear it here so much, it's circulating that she was boo'ed mercilessly afterwards.
the video here was posted on sept 19. a shorter version was posted on the 18th. i'm curious as to the actual date, because i was in vegas the previous weekend. in fact, we walked by that nightclub not too long before it opened on the 15th (saturday). it's located inside of the luxor. had we waited in a long line of skanks we might have seen this live! well, we probably would have been turned away for not being dressed nice enough.
bill o'reilly hates black people (or media matters is full of it)
scary. for once, i may actually agree with bill o'reilly. i know, i'm surprised, too. but, you see, o'reilly made some comments. and then media matters picked up on. they wrote an article. other people (nbc, cnn, alternet, etc.) picked up on their article and wrote their own. or they just passed it off as fact. and it goes on and on and on.
o'reilly is a bigot.
well, maybe he is. i don't know. what i do know is that media matters is guilty of yellow journalism. they butchered what he said terribly. they took comments completely out of context. hey, o'reilly's probably guilty of the same thing at times. but here, he's being smeared. and, i've got to think it's for publicity and to back an agenda. it's not for the sake of truth.
listen to the segment. the segment is 35 minutes, but i think all that was lifted was in the first 7-10 minutes. maybe another one is later, i can't remember. try your hardest to forget who is speaking and just listen to what is being said. you won't agree with everything. but, you should agree that it's not what is being attributed to him.
i'm not saying this excuses everything that o'reilly has done or said. heaven forbid that. but, it's not here now. here's a cut and paste of media matter's own summary:
o'reilly is a bigot.
well, maybe he is. i don't know. what i do know is that media matters is guilty of yellow journalism. they butchered what he said terribly. they took comments completely out of context. hey, o'reilly's probably guilty of the same thing at times. but here, he's being smeared. and, i've got to think it's for publicity and to back an agenda. it's not for the sake of truth.
listen to the segment. the segment is 35 minutes, but i think all that was lifted was in the first 7-10 minutes. maybe another one is later, i can't remember. try your hardest to forget who is speaking and just listen to what is being said. you won't agree with everything. but, you should agree that it's not what is being attributed to him.
i'm not saying this excuses everything that o'reilly has done or said. heaven forbid that. but, it's not here now. here's a cut and paste of media matter's own summary:
Summary: Discussing his recent dinner with Rev. Al Sharpton at the Harlem restaurant Sylvia's, Bill O'Reilly reported that he "couldn't get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia's restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean, it was exactly the same, even though it's run by blacks, primarily black patronship." O'Reilly added: "There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, 'M-Fer, I want more iced tea.' "
uhhh, that's a piss poor summary. condensing 35 minutes into 3 sentences using out of context quotes is hardly a summary. especially that last line. there he's commenting on rap, not on blacks or black culture in general, literally seven minutes later in the segment. he references back to his previous restaurant story, saying how the cultural presentation of blacks is being dominated by rappers rather than normal, upstanding people like he met at the restaurant. and frankly, i wouldn't be surprised to hear snoop, luda, 50, etc. saying "m-fer, i want more iced tea." not every rapper. but it definitely fits the character of some.Tuesday, September 25, 2007
cops writing cops
the other day, adam was wondering about cops and the relationship of religion and people assuming guilt. a lot of his thoughts hinge on the idea that cops can be abusive, power hungry jerks. well, i'm putting some words into his mouth on that, but i think that's a fair generalization of some of his feelings.
today, i was pointed to this website. it is almost a catalog of entitlement, written for police officers by police officers. what's the website about? well, it's a place for police to rant about...other police. you see, many police think that they should be above the law. they should be allowed to speed (or break other laws), and then pull the old, "do you know who i am?" routine. apparently, police should turn a blind eye to the lawlessness of fellow police officers.
and, they even have a "richard" of the month section. if a cop is acting like a cop while doing his sworn duty, feel free to nominate him.
some of the best letters deal with how these cops feel that their entitlement should be extended to everyone they know. or at least to their children, brothers, sisters, etc. as they complain about how these family members weren't let off for being related to a law enforcement officer. i wish i'd have known about this privilege before, it could have saved me some time and $, being the son of a retired sheriff.
sheesh. things like this don't inspire a lot of confidence in the "leaders" of society.
today, i was pointed to this website. it is almost a catalog of entitlement, written for police officers by police officers. what's the website about? well, it's a place for police to rant about...other police. you see, many police think that they should be above the law. they should be allowed to speed (or break other laws), and then pull the old, "do you know who i am?" routine. apparently, police should turn a blind eye to the lawlessness of fellow police officers.
and, they even have a "richard" of the month section. if a cop is acting like a cop while doing his sworn duty, feel free to nominate him.
some of the best letters deal with how these cops feel that their entitlement should be extended to everyone they know. or at least to their children, brothers, sisters, etc. as they complain about how these family members weren't let off for being related to a law enforcement officer. i wish i'd have known about this privilege before, it could have saved me some time and $, being the son of a retired sheriff.
sheesh. things like this don't inspire a lot of confidence in the "leaders" of society.
planting evidence?
three u.s. snipers claim that the u.s. is planting guns, ammo & explosives with the goal of baiting in insurgents. when people pick them up, they're gunned down.
now, this is a claim. and, it's a claim coming from 3 snipers accused of planting evidence on people they gunned down. so, are they just claiming this to cover their butts? of course, the gov't won't confirm or deny whether or not they've authorized any sort of baiting plans.
other reactions? well, "James Ross, the legal and policy director of Human Rights Watch, said the dispersal of ammunition and explosives by US forces as a method of targeting insurgents would present obvious human rights problems.
now, this is a claim. and, it's a claim coming from 3 snipers accused of planting evidence on people they gunned down. so, are they just claiming this to cover their butts? of course, the gov't won't confirm or deny whether or not they've authorized any sort of baiting plans.
other reactions? well, "James Ross, the legal and policy director of Human Rights Watch, said the dispersal of ammunition and explosives by US forces as a method of targeting insurgents would present obvious human rights problems.
yeah, that does seem quite problematic. would you pick up a gun you saw in the street? don't tell me that you'd call the police, because that's not really an option in a war zone. you may pick it up for your own personal safety, to get it off the street, or for whatever reason. you may pick it up to stop someone nefarious from picking it up. or, yeah, you may pick it up to use against the foreign occupiers.
if i'm in iraq, i'm not picking up anything. in fact, i'm probably staying inside. and when i go outside, i'm leaving the country.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
smog city roller grrls vs san joaquin valley vixens
thought i'd give you a few shots from last night's roller derby.
mike, adam and i got there and found some seats.
we were a part of the big, diverse crowd. estimating large numbers of people isn't really a strength of mine. i'm guessing there was about five hundred there.
the action got going.
brian showed up after the first period. i think he's awake in this picture. adam seems to be enjoying something.
another photo of the action.
overall, we had a very good time. it was fun to do something different, to have a new experience. and, our side won 124-95! the action was fun, and quick paced. the announcers did a good job to help keep the crowd informed on what was happening, which was very helpful for those of us not really familiar w/roller derby. and, the supressors played in between periods. good ska music. it too bad that this was the last match for the season, because i'd have liked to attend more, now that i've gotten a taste. i guess there's next year.
mike, adam and i got there and found some seats.
we were a part of the big, diverse crowd. estimating large numbers of people isn't really a strength of mine. i'm guessing there was about five hundred there.
the action got going.
brian showed up after the first period. i think he's awake in this picture. adam seems to be enjoying something.
another photo of the action.
overall, we had a very good time. it was fun to do something different, to have a new experience. and, our side won 124-95! the action was fun, and quick paced. the announcers did a good job to help keep the crowd informed on what was happening, which was very helpful for those of us not really familiar w/roller derby. and, the supressors played in between periods. good ska music. it too bad that this was the last match for the season, because i'd have liked to attend more, now that i've gotten a taste. i guess there's next year.
Friday, September 21, 2007
guiliani backpedals on guns
let's see, first he backpedaled on morality. rudy's been married, like 3 times now, and the previous ones ended when he began seeing the next wife while still married.
next, rudy backpedaled on how much he was @ ground zero, and how involved he was there.
now, rudy's backpedaling on guns. you see, during his nyc mayoral time, he filed a lawsuit against gun makers. in his own words, "The NRA, for some reason, I think, goes way overboard," he told television interviewer Charlie Rose in 1995. "It's almost -- it's what the extremists on the other side do. I think the extremists of the left and the extremists of the right have essentially the same tactic, the slippery-slope theory. If you give one point, then your entire argument is going to fall apart, and we kind of get destroyed by that."
now, it seems he's rethought that stance. it's amazing how you feel about someone when you're begging for their support of your candidacy.
here's his song now, "Giuliani told the NRA conference: 'I would love to have your support in the future. Mostly I'd like us to respect each other, because I think we have very, very legitimate and similar views, even though there may be some differences here and there."
i honestly can not understand how any republican supports this guy.
next, rudy backpedaled on how much he was @ ground zero, and how involved he was there.
now, rudy's backpedaling on guns. you see, during his nyc mayoral time, he filed a lawsuit against gun makers. in his own words, "The NRA, for some reason, I think, goes way overboard," he told television interviewer Charlie Rose in 1995. "It's almost -- it's what the extremists on the other side do. I think the extremists of the left and the extremists of the right have essentially the same tactic, the slippery-slope theory. If you give one point, then your entire argument is going to fall apart, and we kind of get destroyed by that."
now, it seems he's rethought that stance. it's amazing how you feel about someone when you're begging for their support of your candidacy.
here's his song now, "Giuliani told the NRA conference: 'I would love to have your support in the future. Mostly I'd like us to respect each other, because I think we have very, very legitimate and similar views, even though there may be some differences here and there."
i honestly can not understand how any republican supports this guy.
saturday night's all right
what do you have planned for saturday? here are some suggestions:
get up early, say 7:45. come down to the corner of olive & wishon. join me from 8-9:30 making our neighborhood beautiful.
that's right, it's the fourth saturday of the month, and there's a little thing called tower beautification going on. provided for you: trash bags & grabbers, snazzy orange vest. you bring: well, you. together we make it better.
after that, go home and rest. maybe watch some tv or something. rest up, because saturday night offers some potential good times.
smog city roller grrls vs san joaquin valley vixens.
doors @ 6
match @ 7
after party to follow (2 full bars)
live band
get up early, say 7:45. come down to the corner of olive & wishon. join me from 8-9:30 making our neighborhood beautiful.
that's right, it's the fourth saturday of the month, and there's a little thing called tower beautification going on. provided for you: trash bags & grabbers, snazzy orange vest. you bring: well, you. together we make it better.
after that, go home and rest. maybe watch some tv or something. rest up, because saturday night offers some potential good times.
smog city roller grrls vs san joaquin valley vixens.
doors @ 6
match @ 7
after party to follow (2 full bars)
live band
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
lightsaber on the wii, please
finally, i will be able to prove to luke that i am his father. and tell the rest of you who your daddy is, too.
man, i love the wii.
"LucasArts to Unleash the Force on the Wii in Spring 2008
Star Wars™: The Force Unleashed™ Coming to Nintendo's Platform with Exclusive Duel Mode
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Sept. 18, 2007 - LucasArts today revealed that Star Wars™: The Force Unleashed™ will come to the Wii™ home videogame system from Nintendo next spring, offering owners the unique chance to live out their Jedi fantasies by wielding the Wii Remote™ as a lightsaber while using the Nunchuk™ controller to torment foes with their Force™ powers.
The Force Unleashed casts players as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. The game's expansive story is set during the largely unexplored era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. In it, players will assist the iconic villain in his quest to rid the universe of Jedi - and face decisions that could change the course of their destiny.
The Wii version, in development by Krome Studios, will also add an exclusive duel mode in which players can compete head-to-head with their friends to determine the ultimate Jedi Master.
"The Wii is a great platform for The Force Unleashed, because the console's motion-oriented controllers really bring the game to life," said Jim Ward, President of LucasArts. "We've worked hard to make the Wii version of the game unique in order to truly let you unleash the Force."
thanks to kotaku and boing boing gadgets.
man, i love the wii.
"LucasArts to Unleash the Force on the Wii in Spring 2008
Star Wars™: The Force Unleashed™ Coming to Nintendo's Platform with Exclusive Duel Mode
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Sept. 18, 2007 - LucasArts today revealed that Star Wars™: The Force Unleashed™ will come to the Wii™ home videogame system from Nintendo next spring, offering owners the unique chance to live out their Jedi fantasies by wielding the Wii Remote™ as a lightsaber while using the Nunchuk™ controller to torment foes with their Force™ powers.
The Force Unleashed casts players as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. The game's expansive story is set during the largely unexplored era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. In it, players will assist the iconic villain in his quest to rid the universe of Jedi - and face decisions that could change the course of their destiny.
The Wii version, in development by Krome Studios, will also add an exclusive duel mode in which players can compete head-to-head with their friends to determine the ultimate Jedi Master.
"The Wii is a great platform for The Force Unleashed, because the console's motion-oriented controllers really bring the game to life," said Jim Ward, President of LucasArts. "We've worked hard to make the Wii version of the game unique in order to truly let you unleash the Force."
thanks to kotaku and boing boing gadgets.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
gas guzzlin death traps
you may feel safer in an suv, but you're more likely to die in an accident.
thanks tmq. for two pdf files, one from The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the other from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, click on the tmq link and find the part about suv's, about 1/2-2/3 down the page.
thanks tmq. for two pdf files, one from The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the other from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, click on the tmq link and find the part about suv's, about 1/2-2/3 down the page.
Monday, September 17, 2007
florida student tasered at kerry speech
i'm posting this video, along with the commentary that the guy that posted it says.
"I couldnt get to my camera in time to record his entrance, but this guy basically comes running in with 4 or 5 cops in tow and says he has been running around trying to get in to ask a question and the cops are going to arrest him for it. they almost do it then but Sen. Kerry says he will answer it. he then answers a previous question someone else asked (i cut that part out because it isnt important to this video) then the guy asks his questions and when he is done all hell breaks lose. to the cop haters: i have no doubt the cops were going exactly by the book, the problem isnt them, its the book! they were doing their job and looked just as confused as this kid (this isnt something that they deal with often)."
this may turn out to be a big deal, it may not. some issue i'm curious about:
1. did kerry actually win? what sort of proof is out there on this claim?
2. is this police brutality? how do we define that? i'm sure there are issue of reasonable force, but i wonder about tasering someone, in handcuffs, especially if they're not being violent. i remember a case in madera a few years back where a suspect was in cuffs, in the back of a cop car. the officer mistakenly shot the guy, but said she was going for her taser and grabbed the wrong weapon. now, obviously that went too far, but the whole idea that they were going to taser someone that was already restrained, in custody bothers me.
civil war fresno & mythbusters
today, i caught an episode of mythbusters that included a myth about a civil war soldier that was shot, and the bullet impregnated a lady.
the mythbuster crew works out of san francisco, and so they came and checked out the reenactment in fresno. it is the largest civil war reenactment on the west coast (there may be some stipulations to that claim, i don't know).
the mythbuster crew works out of san francisco, and so they came and checked out the reenactment in fresno. it is the largest civil war reenactment on the west coast (there may be some stipulations to that claim, i don't know).
Sunday, September 16, 2007
now where did i put that?
i met up with tim & two of his friends in vegas this weekend. he wanted to celebrate his 30th birth day. it was a fun time, and i got a few stories. like, there's a whole lot of funny that happened at the restaurant i took this photo in. i won't tell you now though.
so, i was riding my motorcycle to vegas. that's right, i took my vegas to vegas. i was a nice ride, especially the way there. the way back was quite windy, and i just wanted to be home. since i was on the bike, i needed to figure out how to carry luggage. i was traveling light (two shirts, a pair of pants, etc.) so i was just packing my clothes in a messenger bag. i bought a cargo net deal to strap the bag to the back seat.
(actual cargo net)
the system worked very well on the way over. i also had my camel back, so i'd have water on the trip. i put my valuables (wallet, phone, $) in the pockets on the camel back. on the way back, it seemed to work well, too. that is, until i was about an hour from home. i stopped for gas in bakersfield, and hopped back on the highway. i don't know why, but about 30 miles down the road i had some weird feeling to check on my bag. reach back behind me and all i feel is seat. crud! where did i lose my bag in the last 30 miles? what's in it? do i just cut my losses or go back and try to find it. it was mostly clothes, but i knew there was a credit card receipt in it as well. i freak out about stuff like that, so i knew i had to go look for the bag. but, i didn't want to ride all the way back to bakos. i got off the highway and headed back towards bakersfield. i decided i would go half way back, and then head towards fresno and see if i could spot it. it was night (8ish) and it's pretty difficult to look for a dark blue bag while driving @ freeway speed. twice i thought i saw something, but neither were it. one was a tire tread. i was pretty discouraged, and was almost back to the spot where i realized that the bag was missing. i think i was an exit away from where i turned around, and then i saw it: some of my clothes! i slowed down, pulled over, and walked back. now, the clothes and stuff was across 3 lanes of traffic, so i'm walking and trying to see what's there. i crossed the highway and started picking up clothes. i got it all back! well, i did lose one pair of socks, and my swimsuit was tore up, but everything else was good. and, i found the credit card receipt. super sweet. what i didn't find was the bag itself. gone. i also lost my u-lock that i use to lock up my bike. and, i saw half of the pliers that i had with me (one arm of it completely gone, i left it all behind).
and i still have the cargo net. it let my bag go, and just sorta slid down.
so, i was riding my motorcycle to vegas. that's right, i took my vegas to vegas. i was a nice ride, especially the way there. the way back was quite windy, and i just wanted to be home. since i was on the bike, i needed to figure out how to carry luggage. i was traveling light (two shirts, a pair of pants, etc.) so i was just packing my clothes in a messenger bag. i bought a cargo net deal to strap the bag to the back seat.
(actual cargo net)
the system worked very well on the way over. i also had my camel back, so i'd have water on the trip. i put my valuables (wallet, phone, $) in the pockets on the camel back. on the way back, it seemed to work well, too. that is, until i was about an hour from home. i stopped for gas in bakersfield, and hopped back on the highway. i don't know why, but about 30 miles down the road i had some weird feeling to check on my bag. reach back behind me and all i feel is seat. crud! where did i lose my bag in the last 30 miles? what's in it? do i just cut my losses or go back and try to find it. it was mostly clothes, but i knew there was a credit card receipt in it as well. i freak out about stuff like that, so i knew i had to go look for the bag. but, i didn't want to ride all the way back to bakos. i got off the highway and headed back towards bakersfield. i decided i would go half way back, and then head towards fresno and see if i could spot it. it was night (8ish) and it's pretty difficult to look for a dark blue bag while driving @ freeway speed. twice i thought i saw something, but neither were it. one was a tire tread. i was pretty discouraged, and was almost back to the spot where i realized that the bag was missing. i think i was an exit away from where i turned around, and then i saw it: some of my clothes! i slowed down, pulled over, and walked back. now, the clothes and stuff was across 3 lanes of traffic, so i'm walking and trying to see what's there. i crossed the highway and started picking up clothes. i got it all back! well, i did lose one pair of socks, and my swimsuit was tore up, but everything else was good. and, i found the credit card receipt. super sweet. what i didn't find was the bag itself. gone. i also lost my u-lock that i use to lock up my bike. and, i saw half of the pliers that i had with me (one arm of it completely gone, i left it all behind).
and i still have the cargo net. it let my bag go, and just sorta slid down.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
velvet revolver, alice in chains, sparta and chris brown
wednesday night i had the pleasure of hanging out with chris brown. well, not the young, dancing r & b chris brown, but still. i was also hanging out with steve. the three of us went and saw sparta, alice in chains and velvet revolver @ the selland arena in fresno. very good show. here are some photos i took.
sparta opened. i have their first album, and like them. seeing them live makes me want to pick up their subsequent releases. also, these guys are skinny. what's with rocker being skinny, and wearing tight, black pants?
alice in chains. i wish i'd seen them back in the day. this was almost as good. they rocked hard. very hard. and the new singer does a great job completing the sound they had. aic played all the hits. only song i would have liked to hear was sea of sorrow. but, hey, i wasn't making the set list.
let me just say that the new lead singer looks a whole lot like warrick from csi. with bigger hair.
from here on out is velvet revolver pics. scott weiland is a great frontman, and quite the rockstar. certainly a performer. dude struts around the stage a la jagger, bowie or iggy pop. i'd seen him do it before w/stp, and this tiger hasn't changed his stripes.
same tight, black pants. well, sort of. weiland started out w/a coat, and worked in phases down to shirtless, and then was wearing a blanket. okay, it was a sarape. later, you may notice he's rocking a fur coat.
mid way through the show this guy comes up to me and says, "that's slash!" and i respond, "uhhhh, yeah."
i was surprised by how many guns n roses and stone temple pilot songs that they played during the night. very cool. i remember patience, it's so easy and mr brownstone from gnr, vaseline, interstate love song, and sex type thing from stp. they may have done more, but i can't remember now. they also covered pink floyd's i wish you were here. all that and velvet revolver songs, of course. i think they played around an hour and a half.
very good show. fun night.
sparta opened. i have their first album, and like them. seeing them live makes me want to pick up their subsequent releases. also, these guys are skinny. what's with rocker being skinny, and wearing tight, black pants?
alice in chains. i wish i'd seen them back in the day. this was almost as good. they rocked hard. very hard. and the new singer does a great job completing the sound they had. aic played all the hits. only song i would have liked to hear was sea of sorrow. but, hey, i wasn't making the set list.
let me just say that the new lead singer looks a whole lot like warrick from csi. with bigger hair.
from here on out is velvet revolver pics. scott weiland is a great frontman, and quite the rockstar. certainly a performer. dude struts around the stage a la jagger, bowie or iggy pop. i'd seen him do it before w/stp, and this tiger hasn't changed his stripes.
same tight, black pants. well, sort of. weiland started out w/a coat, and worked in phases down to shirtless, and then was wearing a blanket. okay, it was a sarape. later, you may notice he's rocking a fur coat.
mid way through the show this guy comes up to me and says, "that's slash!" and i respond, "uhhhh, yeah."
i was surprised by how many guns n roses and stone temple pilot songs that they played during the night. very cool. i remember patience, it's so easy and mr brownstone from gnr, vaseline, interstate love song, and sex type thing from stp. they may have done more, but i can't remember now. they also covered pink floyd's i wish you were here. all that and velvet revolver songs, of course. i think they played around an hour and a half.
very good show. fun night.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
iron man
holy cow. you've got to see the trailer for the next iron man movie. looks really well done.
velvet revolver + alice in chains + sparta in fresno
tonight i'm seeing these guys
that's right, i'll be watching scott weiland and slash, two big parts of velvet revolver. they're playing w/alice in chains and sparta. in my opinion, sparta is the better half of the at the drive in break up, which was so long ago. and velvet revolver is definitely the better remanent of guns n roses.
if i'm able, i'll take a video or two. or, maybe i'll just go and not tell you about it.
that's right, i'll be watching scott weiland and slash, two big parts of velvet revolver. they're playing w/alice in chains and sparta. in my opinion, sparta is the better half of the at the drive in break up, which was so long ago. and velvet revolver is definitely the better remanent of guns n roses.
if i'm able, i'll take a video or two. or, maybe i'll just go and not tell you about it.
more famous than i thought
just found out i'm modesto famous, too!
how you like me now?
that's right, i'm a blogger/fan.
and i am. i hearts el olio wolof. now release your full album ladies and gentlemen.
it's too bad that article is from august, or maybe i would have tried to go up and see the show.
and in case you missed it, here's the fresno famous feature on me.
how you like me now?
that's right, i'm a blogger/fan.
and i am. i hearts el olio wolof. now release your full album ladies and gentlemen.
it's too bad that article is from august, or maybe i would have tried to go up and see the show.
and in case you missed it, here's the fresno famous feature on me.
9 things i dislike about blogs
i am a blogger. this is my blog. i post a lot, and not always about important stuff. usually not about unimportant stuff. i am also a frequenter of blogs. and list-serves. and other websites. there's a lot that happens in cyberspace, and i thought i'd crank out a list of things i dislike about blogs (list serves, forums, etc). this is not a comprehensive list, just some things that came to mind.
1. it seems that they either echo chambers or arguments, and nothing in between. (this is obvious hyperbole.) not everything must be completely agreed with, and not every statement is intended to provoke a fight. and just because you completely agree you don't have to tell us. the same goes if you don't agree.
2. people don't know how to select when they cut and paste. it's all or nothing.
3. a few people dominate the arena. that is, there are a lot of lurkers, some casual commenters, and the two people that comment on everything. i get a daily email that's intended to stimulate creative discussion. i know there are 4 people on this list that will have at least one comment/submission/reply each day. (i realize that although not the case of that particular list, i am one of these people.)
4. automatic running things (song, video, some dumb crap that scrolls @ across the bottom, whatever). if i want to see/hear/whatever some additional content, tell me about it and give me the option. this is done by big and little sites. espn.com does it, annoys the crap out of me when some video just randomly starts playing.
5. irregular frequency of updates. i know not everyone updates as much as i do, but develop a rhythm (how ever frequent or infrequent you want) and try and stick to it. (i'm guilty of this. most of the time i'm 1-2 a day. others it's 5, and then not post for 4 days.) there's a blog is was reading that updated every tuesday. that's it. i know it. the posts were themed on it being tuesday. then they didn't update for like a month. now, i have stopped reading, even though it's been updated.
6. broken or nonexistent links. if you're telling me about a story you saw/read/etc why not give me the link? then i can read it and make an assessment rather than just trusting that your view isn't that skewed. and when you give me a link, it's really helpful that it works. i don't want to have to try and figure out what you left out, mistakenly included, etc.
7. if it's an older post or thread, you probably don't need to add a new comment. and by older, i mean 6 months to a year. especially if it was about a specific thing that has passed. we've all moved on. feel free to read it though.
8. deliver what you advertise. that is, if you title tells me that you're going to complain about blogs, go right ahead. if you say that you've got a hot story about paris hohan, bring it. but if i'm searching for something, see that you say you've got it, but really you just threw 100 terms into your labels to get hits from search engines i call foul.
9. the "if you don't like it, leave" mentality. true, it's your blog/site/whatever and i'm not forced to read. but, if i make a comment and your only comeback is, "my site, get off it if you don't like what i say," then i may tell you that, "yes, it is your blog, but unless you're going to approve only comments with those that agree, i'm also free to give input." this doesn't mean you have to change you blog, but at least be willing to engage in dialogue. or don't take comments (which is also fine).
1. it seems that they either echo chambers or arguments, and nothing in between. (this is obvious hyperbole.) not everything must be completely agreed with, and not every statement is intended to provoke a fight. and just because you completely agree you don't have to tell us. the same goes if you don't agree.
2. people don't know how to select when they cut and paste. it's all or nothing.
3. a few people dominate the arena. that is, there are a lot of lurkers, some casual commenters, and the two people that comment on everything. i get a daily email that's intended to stimulate creative discussion. i know there are 4 people on this list that will have at least one comment/submission/reply each day. (i realize that although not the case of that particular list, i am one of these people.)
4. automatic running things (song, video, some dumb crap that scrolls @ across the bottom, whatever). if i want to see/hear/whatever some additional content, tell me about it and give me the option. this is done by big and little sites. espn.com does it, annoys the crap out of me when some video just randomly starts playing.
5. irregular frequency of updates. i know not everyone updates as much as i do, but develop a rhythm (how ever frequent or infrequent you want) and try and stick to it. (i'm guilty of this. most of the time i'm 1-2 a day. others it's 5, and then not post for 4 days.) there's a blog is was reading that updated every tuesday. that's it. i know it. the posts were themed on it being tuesday. then they didn't update for like a month. now, i have stopped reading, even though it's been updated.
6. broken or nonexistent links. if you're telling me about a story you saw/read/etc why not give me the link? then i can read it and make an assessment rather than just trusting that your view isn't that skewed. and when you give me a link, it's really helpful that it works. i don't want to have to try and figure out what you left out, mistakenly included, etc.
7. if it's an older post or thread, you probably don't need to add a new comment. and by older, i mean 6 months to a year. especially if it was about a specific thing that has passed. we've all moved on. feel free to read it though.
8. deliver what you advertise. that is, if you title tells me that you're going to complain about blogs, go right ahead. if you say that you've got a hot story about paris hohan, bring it. but if i'm searching for something, see that you say you've got it, but really you just threw 100 terms into your labels to get hits from search engines i call foul.
9. the "if you don't like it, leave" mentality. true, it's your blog/site/whatever and i'm not forced to read. but, if i make a comment and your only comeback is, "my site, get off it if you don't like what i say," then i may tell you that, "yes, it is your blog, but unless you're going to approve only comments with those that agree, i'm also free to give input." this doesn't mean you have to change you blog, but at least be willing to engage in dialogue. or don't take comments (which is also fine).
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
get him a body bag johnny!
take 6 parts karate kid + 1 part raising arizona + .5 parts matrix + average song = sweep the leg
i'll decide when he's had enough.
i'll decide when he's had enough.
Rx Fine Print
so, i've learned* that ambien can cause drowsiness, which it's intended to do. it can also cause amnesia, hunger, poor decision making, and other problems. the problem is so well documented that a senator has used it as a defense, and the simpsons have mocked it.
but what about other drugs? do you know what they may do, at least according to their own fine print? click here and test your knowledge.
i got 7/10. i would have had 8, but somehow i forgot to answer one question.
*not by taking it but by watching
but what about other drugs? do you know what they may do, at least according to their own fine print? click here and test your knowledge.
i got 7/10. i would have had 8, but somehow i forgot to answer one question.
*not by taking it but by watching
Monday, September 10, 2007
wu tang's new song
the wu is back! check out wu tang's new song over here (fader magazine). well, that is, if you ever liked wu tang clan.
sounds like they've got the whole clan together here. i dig the music, very reminiscent of their first album. let's hope the whole album delivers. that is, if you like the wu tang clan.
sounds like they've got the whole clan together here. i dig the music, very reminiscent of their first album. let's hope the whole album delivers. that is, if you like the wu tang clan.
kid rock fights tommy lee
so, if you watch this video, right at the very beginning, you see the very brief fight between tommy lee and kid rock @ last night's vma's. you also get jamie foxx and diddy's reactions.
i can't stop posting about an event i really cared very little for!
UPDATE- apparently tommy lee and pam wear making out. and so it was time to fight. and kid rock's been charged with misdemeanor battery.
and i'm really not sure that whatever punch/slap/hand wag that happened was actually a fight, but hey, kid rock and tommy lee want to get it on. take that however you want.
i can't stop posting about an event i really cared very little for!
UPDATE- apparently tommy lee and pam wear making out. and so it was time to fight. and kid rock's been charged with misdemeanor battery.
and i'm really not sure that whatever punch/slap/hand wag that happened was actually a fight, but hey, kid rock and tommy lee want to get it on. take that however you want.
kanye is ticked
mr. west is hoppin mad @ mtv. poor guy didn't win an award even though he was nominated in five categories. oh well. it must be that mtv hates black people. or that his song isn't that good, the video isn't that innovative, and so on.
world's fastest man
it's official, asafa powell can be called the world's fastest man. yesterday he broke the world record in the 100m. it now stands @ 9.74 seconds. they say he eased off at the end. yikes. this guy is good. although the top americans weren't @ this meet, he still is clearly the fastest man in the world currently and over the last 2 years. in the 7 top times ever, 4 are him. heck, he's 4 of the top 6. and the two american's in the top 6 times? well, one is justin gatlin, who is awaiting an arbitration hearing for exceeding the limits of testosterone. the other is tim montgomery, who's record has since been wiped off the books and he received a two year ban due to his connection to balco labs and hgh. so, yes, although powell finished third @ the world championships a few weeks ago, he is the fastest man on the planet (at that distance).
house husbandry?
it's not exactly what i do. and, it's nowhere close to animal husbandry. but, i do admit that i spend a fair amount of time at home. today, i vacuumed.
lest you think that this is all that i have done, let me tell you that i am currently in the midst of a fairly busy streak.
last weekend i taught a course over at the university.
today, i began a 5 week course at the j.c.
tonight, i have my ongoing t.a. gig for the university.
tomorrow night, i start a 6 week course for the university.
so, for at least the next 6 weeks i have a bit to do. and that 5 week course @ the j.c. is a 7:15 a.m. course. getting such an early start actually helps me be so productive. i get up, go to work, and am back home by 10. this means that i have much of the day to do work, whether it be around the house, painting, or just prepping for whatever is next.
lest you think that this is all that i have done, let me tell you that i am currently in the midst of a fairly busy streak.
last weekend i taught a course over at the university.
today, i began a 5 week course at the j.c.
tonight, i have my ongoing t.a. gig for the university.
tomorrow night, i start a 6 week course for the university.
so, for at least the next 6 weeks i have a bit to do. and that 5 week course @ the j.c. is a 7:15 a.m. course. getting such an early start actually helps me be so productive. i get up, go to work, and am back home by 10. this means that i have much of the day to do work, whether it be around the house, painting, or just prepping for whatever is next.
Sunday, September 09, 2007
VMA recap
so, i forgot that the vma's were on tonight, sorta. i was getting ready to watch the train wreck that is rock of love on vh1 when i was reminded that we would not be watching rock of love because the vma's were on. so, with about fifteen minutes of pre-show remaining we flipped it on. what follows below is my running diary. i'll try to keep each update brief. i'll also compare to my picks.
8:48 -paris hilton is there. and, sheesh not using the baby voice. good for you.
8:51 -panic at the disco is there. surprisingly, they're not all decked out in make up. maybe they're trying to distance themselves from the vaudeville scene. but, 3 out of 4 are wearing little girl jeans.
8:56 -john norris has his makeup on though. nice eyeliner buddy.
8:59 -n'syncin park, err, linkin park is there. 2 of 4 have faux hawks. that's so 4 years ago.
9 - britney spears kicks the show off with a lip synched number. really, she didn't even have a microphone to pretend. okay, she did, but there's no way she was singing. she looked a step slow on most of the dance moves. brooke hogan called and she wants her look and crappy dance moves back.
9:04 - sarah silverman appears. and holy ish did she talk mess about britney. but overall and underwhelming opening monologue.
9:08 - alicia keys says "on blast." and she explained how there a 4 different parties going on during the show. so, it's like we're there.
9:11 - eve & some chick i didn't recognize (turns out she's a pussycat doll) gave out the award for monster single of the year. winner: rihanna - umbrella. i'm 1 for 1 so far.
9:21 - the cops from superbad talk about voting for best new artist. we're watching a replay on the west coast, so, they'll be no voting for us. well, is it taped? i mean, i can't imagine that it started @ midnight eastern, even if it is being done @ the palms in las vegas. which i've been to, not like you care.
9:23- robin thicke & jennifer hudson present the quadruple threat award. justin timberlake wins. i thought kanye would. in his speech j.timberbox challenges mtv to play more videos. i'm 1 for 2 so far.
9:25 - fat old boy, i mean fall out boy plays thnks 4 tha mmrs, which i'm told means thanks for the memories, live.
9:30 - foo fighters do a song, they're not nominated for anything. but, pat smear is playing with them, which we were shocked about because he left the band a few years back.
9:33 - kanye west and 50 (fitty) cent present the award for earth shattering collabo to beyonce & shakira - beautiful liar. 1/3 now. j.timberpool was robbed.
9:43 - chris brown performs. like charlie chaplin. i mean, he was dressed like it, and danced about while he pretend to sing. just like the before the talkies. and it mixed into rihanna's song.
(let me interject that kelly sweet, an artist i've never heard of, has an album coming out on a music sales website i've never heard of. and she does a cover of aerosmith's dream on. that's probably a bad idea.)
9:56 - three of the girls from the hills come out and give the award for the male artist of the year to...justine timberlake. and timbaland comes out with him. 2/4. when they showed him earlier in his "party" and t.i. was rapping he looked very, um, uncomfortable. and alone in a crowd. now he tells mtv to play more videos again, not the simpons or reality tv. kinda funny that some pseudo-reality "stars" gave him that award. maybe even ironic (doncha think?). 2/4.
10:06 - shia lebeouf announces the winner for female artist of the year. damn. damn. i said anybody but fergie. and she does. if this were an important awards show i'd be pissed. wha? there's no such thing as that? 2/5. really, i had a 80% chance of picking this one by anyone but fergie and failed. this may not bode well for my upcoming vegas trip.
10:18 - megan fox (from transformers) introduce a show @ rain, which is supposed to be some never been done thing. it's timbaland. and linkin park. not really sure how this has never been done. unless they just mean at this venue.
10:23 - two of the guys from entourage present the vma for best group. fall out boy. i want to punch myself in the face. 2/6. and they say big ups several times.
10:25 serj tankian is sitting in w/the foo's. earlier they had c-lo. that would have been a cool room to hang out and see performances in.
10:33 - nelly introduces alicia keys. and, the only thing he can say, repeatedly, is that she's lovely and talented. genius. he should be in p.r. keys was aight, but she morphed her song into george michael's freedom (aka freedom 90), which was a cool little throwback.
10:44 - jamie foxx and jennifer garner come out and jamie talks about a fight between kid rock and tommy lee, and about white folks acting like black folks. really, he joked about white guys acting like black guys by fighting. and he asks some guy in the crowd who won they fight and the guy starts shouting something. i guess there may have been a fight. but, these two are actually entertaining on stage. and plug their movie the kingdom at least 4 times. then they announce best new artist. but not before plugging the kingdom again. and j.garner calls them gym class fallout. that's funny, too. it almost makes me feel alright about being 2/7 on picks right now.
there's only 10 minutes left in the schedule and we're going to a commercial break. and we still haven't announced: choreography, director, editing, vid of year. this doesn't look good for ending on time.
10:56 - mary j. blige somewhat incoherently introduces dr. dre. i'm not sure why. she doesn't say if he won something or is being honored. but dre looks like he's been lifting some weights and is quite yoked. dre gives out the award for video of the year. rihanna. i forgot to make a pick on this one, but probably would have gone with one justin - dance or justin timberlake's - what goes around. 2/8.
11:00 - puff daddy, puffy, p.diddy, diddy, doodle, whatever his name is announces that he was supposed to be there with kid rock but since he's not there, young joc is. and we need to stop white on white violence. and violence in rock music.
11:04 - diddy (sean combs) announces the next performance featuring nelly furtado, timbaland, justin timberlake, and some others.
11:11 - the show is over. huh? did you forget something? or 3 somethings?
what have i learned from this awards show? justin timberlake likes to beatbox and wants more videos on mtv. the official title of the next indiana jones movie is indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull. they must tell the winners beforehand because only 1 winner wasn't there and i'm glad fergie wasn't. the kingdom comes out soon. the kingdom comes out soon. kid rock and tommy lee got in a fight over pam anderson, their mutual ex. mtv cares so little about best director, best editor and best choreography that they didn't even show the awards even thought they only give away a total of 11 awards. oh yeah, and britney's career may be officially dead (or it should be based on that terrible "performance").
8:48 -paris hilton is there. and, sheesh not using the baby voice. good for you.
8:51 -panic at the disco is there. surprisingly, they're not all decked out in make up. maybe they're trying to distance themselves from the vaudeville scene. but, 3 out of 4 are wearing little girl jeans.
8:56 -john norris has his makeup on though. nice eyeliner buddy.
8:59 -n'syncin park, err, linkin park is there. 2 of 4 have faux hawks. that's so 4 years ago.
9 - britney spears kicks the show off with a lip synched number. really, she didn't even have a microphone to pretend. okay, she did, but there's no way she was singing. she looked a step slow on most of the dance moves. brooke hogan called and she wants her look and crappy dance moves back.
9:04 - sarah silverman appears. and holy ish did she talk mess about britney. but overall and underwhelming opening monologue.
9:08 - alicia keys says "on blast." and she explained how there a 4 different parties going on during the show. so, it's like we're there.
9:11 - eve & some chick i didn't recognize (turns out she's a pussycat doll) gave out the award for monster single of the year. winner: rihanna - umbrella. i'm 1 for 1 so far.
9:21 - the cops from superbad talk about voting for best new artist. we're watching a replay on the west coast, so, they'll be no voting for us. well, is it taped? i mean, i can't imagine that it started @ midnight eastern, even if it is being done @ the palms in las vegas. which i've been to, not like you care.
9:23- robin thicke & jennifer hudson present the quadruple threat award. justin timberlake wins. i thought kanye would. in his speech j.timberbox challenges mtv to play more videos. i'm 1 for 2 so far.
9:25 - fat old boy, i mean fall out boy plays thnks 4 tha mmrs, which i'm told means thanks for the memories, live.
9:30 - foo fighters do a song, they're not nominated for anything. but, pat smear is playing with them, which we were shocked about because he left the band a few years back.
9:33 - kanye west and 50 (fitty) cent present the award for earth shattering collabo to beyonce & shakira - beautiful liar. 1/3 now. j.timberpool was robbed.
9:43 - chris brown performs. like charlie chaplin. i mean, he was dressed like it, and danced about while he pretend to sing. just like the before the talkies. and it mixed into rihanna's song.
(let me interject that kelly sweet, an artist i've never heard of, has an album coming out on a music sales website i've never heard of. and she does a cover of aerosmith's dream on. that's probably a bad idea.)
9:56 - three of the girls from the hills come out and give the award for the male artist of the year to...justine timberlake. and timbaland comes out with him. 2/4. when they showed him earlier in his "party" and t.i. was rapping he looked very, um, uncomfortable. and alone in a crowd. now he tells mtv to play more videos again, not the simpons or reality tv. kinda funny that some pseudo-reality "stars" gave him that award. maybe even ironic (doncha think?). 2/4.
10:06 - shia lebeouf announces the winner for female artist of the year. damn. damn. i said anybody but fergie. and she does. if this were an important awards show i'd be pissed. wha? there's no such thing as that? 2/5. really, i had a 80% chance of picking this one by anyone but fergie and failed. this may not bode well for my upcoming vegas trip.
10:18 - megan fox (from transformers) introduce a show @ rain, which is supposed to be some never been done thing. it's timbaland. and linkin park. not really sure how this has never been done. unless they just mean at this venue.
10:23 - two of the guys from entourage present the vma for best group. fall out boy. i want to punch myself in the face. 2/6. and they say big ups several times.
10:25 serj tankian is sitting in w/the foo's. earlier they had c-lo. that would have been a cool room to hang out and see performances in.
10:33 - nelly introduces alicia keys. and, the only thing he can say, repeatedly, is that she's lovely and talented. genius. he should be in p.r. keys was aight, but she morphed her song into george michael's freedom (aka freedom 90), which was a cool little throwback.
10:44 - jamie foxx and jennifer garner come out and jamie talks about a fight between kid rock and tommy lee, and about white folks acting like black folks. really, he joked about white guys acting like black guys by fighting. and he asks some guy in the crowd who won they fight and the guy starts shouting something. i guess there may have been a fight. but, these two are actually entertaining on stage. and plug their movie the kingdom at least 4 times. then they announce best new artist. but not before plugging the kingdom again. and j.garner calls them gym class fallout. that's funny, too. it almost makes me feel alright about being 2/7 on picks right now.
there's only 10 minutes left in the schedule and we're going to a commercial break. and we still haven't announced: choreography, director, editing, vid of year. this doesn't look good for ending on time.
10:56 - mary j. blige somewhat incoherently introduces dr. dre. i'm not sure why. she doesn't say if he won something or is being honored. but dre looks like he's been lifting some weights and is quite yoked. dre gives out the award for video of the year. rihanna. i forgot to make a pick on this one, but probably would have gone with one justin - dance or justin timberlake's - what goes around. 2/8.
11:00 - puff daddy, puffy, p.diddy, diddy, doodle, whatever his name is announces that he was supposed to be there with kid rock but since he's not there, young joc is. and we need to stop white on white violence. and violence in rock music.
11:04 - diddy (sean combs) announces the next performance featuring nelly furtado, timbaland, justin timberlake, and some others.
11:11 - the show is over. huh? did you forget something? or 3 somethings?
what have i learned from this awards show? justin timberlake likes to beatbox and wants more videos on mtv. the official title of the next indiana jones movie is indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull. they must tell the winners beforehand because only 1 winner wasn't there and i'm glad fergie wasn't. the kingdom comes out soon. the kingdom comes out soon. kid rock and tommy lee got in a fight over pam anderson, their mutual ex. mtv cares so little about best director, best editor and best choreography that they didn't even show the awards even thought they only give away a total of 11 awards. oh yeah, and britney's career may be officially dead (or it should be based on that terrible "performance").
Friday, September 07, 2007
guinness is good...for your heart!
it's official. sort of. a wisconsin university study has shown that guinness can help reduce clotting activity in your arteries, similar to a daily aspirin. 24 ounces of the black gold taken at mealtime will yield best results.
brilliant.
brilliant.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
street justice stops car thief
would you kill a man for your car stereo?
i hope you all would say no to that question. and, yet, it happened. i'm not surprised that it could happen, that someone could die over something so insignificant. what does surprise me a bit are some of the sentiments expressed in the comments of the article. i didn't read all 22 pages of comments, but ones like, "karma," or "justice," and so on sadden me. and this one, "The Lord works in mysterious ways. Society has just been improved," really takes the cake. the callousness and lack of humanity displayed by people in online settings is almost unimaginable. i say almost because if you spend any time online in forums, you frequently see this sort of behavior in a vacuum.
finally, what drew me to this article was the title, which i've swiped part of for my own title. what happened to this man should not be called justice in any form. yes, it was retribution meted out on the streets, but in no way is it justice.
i hope you all would say no to that question. and, yet, it happened. i'm not surprised that it could happen, that someone could die over something so insignificant. what does surprise me a bit are some of the sentiments expressed in the comments of the article. i didn't read all 22 pages of comments, but ones like, "karma," or "justice," and so on sadden me. and this one, "The Lord works in mysterious ways. Society has just been improved," really takes the cake. the callousness and lack of humanity displayed by people in online settings is almost unimaginable. i say almost because if you spend any time online in forums, you frequently see this sort of behavior in a vacuum.
finally, what drew me to this article was the title, which i've swiped part of for my own title. what happened to this man should not be called justice in any form. yes, it was retribution meted out on the streets, but in no way is it justice.
bee good or bee gone
really, it isn't cell phones causing the bees to die off?
of course, it doesn't matter of you confront a urban legend w/facts, the myth will prevail.
and, it looks like it came from australia. criminal island.
of course, it doesn't matter of you confront a urban legend w/facts, the myth will prevail.
and, it looks like it came from australia. criminal island.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
more apples to eat
i knew it would happen. i just didn't figure it would happen quite so fast.
the iphone price is dropping. the 8 gig i have will soon cost $200 less than i paid. i had considered waiting until the 2nd or 3rd run of the phone to wait for all the kinks to be ironed out and any possible price drops. but, i wanted the phone then. i don't feel bad about the extra expense.
apple also unveiled a new ipod, call the ipod touch. same touch screen tech as the phone. also, has a wireless internet connection! wow. maybe this will convert you anti-apple cultists (jay, i'm looking squarely at you). and, maybe those who are thinking of dropping of the bandwagon won't (adam). they're also putting out a new nano that plays video. sheesh. the prices on these two new ipod versions are decent.
the iphone price is dropping. the 8 gig i have will soon cost $200 less than i paid. i had considered waiting until the 2nd or 3rd run of the phone to wait for all the kinks to be ironed out and any possible price drops. but, i wanted the phone then. i don't feel bad about the extra expense.
apple also unveiled a new ipod, call the ipod touch. same touch screen tech as the phone. also, has a wireless internet connection! wow. maybe this will convert you anti-apple cultists (jay, i'm looking squarely at you). and, maybe those who are thinking of dropping of the bandwagon won't (adam). they're also putting out a new nano that plays video. sheesh. the prices on these two new ipod versions are decent.
lucky
so i think i am riding my bike to meet tim in vegas. thought i should change the oil
before I went. mentioned a rubbing sound on the rear wheel. they check it out. the verdict: rear brakes almost nonexistant. so, getting that done, too.
here's photo's of the old brake pads
side view
yeah, there should be about a quarter inch of pad there. nope, just touches left in a few spots
before I went. mentioned a rubbing sound on the rear wheel. they check it out. the verdict: rear brakes almost nonexistant. so, getting that done, too.
here's photo's of the old brake pads
side view
yeah, there should be about a quarter inch of pad there. nope, just touches left in a few spots
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
scritchy scratch wahhhhhh
if you have about 6 minutes and some speakers, click here and check out the love child of turntables and a violin.
or now i'm embedding it
via videosift.com
or now i'm embedding it
via videosift.com
guess the celeb
who said these quotes? take a guess and click to see if you're right
"from where he comes from" in the South, dogfighting isn't that unusual."
"It's like cockfighting in Puerto Rico," x said. "There are certain things that are indicative to certain parts of the country."
wow. that's some of the dumbest crap i've ever heard. you know what also has deep history in the south, may not be that unusual, and is also where mike vick comes from: racism. is it indicative to the south? should we just accept that until the light bulb turns on inside a person's head?
look, i understand some people might want to defend mike vick because they feel that the media is piling on him. but, you know what, he's pleading guilty to violating federal laws. he's a high profile guy. in the most high profile sport in america. he just signed a contract for more money than he can ever spend. if you're going to defend him, try not to go with some dumb, "that's how we do," type defense. maybe talk about the nature of sentencing especially mixed with emotional cases, such as this one.
i mean, i'm not even totally against dog fighting. something about pitting two animals against each other is strangely intriguing. yet, i wouldn't endorse it, practice it, go to one, and so on. and, in a country where it is illegal, i refuse to just accept it as "this is where he's from." i do feel bad that everyone is acting like mike vick is hitler. let's put this in perspective: he was involved in killing some animals in a terrible fashion. yes, this particular species of animal is a beloved, domesticated animal. he will be punished for it. he didn't go and have his posse shoot up a strip club.
will this celeb be defending pacman jones' actions next? i mean, in the south it's cultural to go to the strip club and make it rain. and, if you roll with a posse, it's not completely uncommon for them to get to shootin.
"from where he comes from" in the South, dogfighting isn't that unusual."
"It's like cockfighting in Puerto Rico," x said. "There are certain things that are indicative to certain parts of the country."
wow. that's some of the dumbest crap i've ever heard. you know what also has deep history in the south, may not be that unusual, and is also where mike vick comes from: racism. is it indicative to the south? should we just accept that until the light bulb turns on inside a person's head?
look, i understand some people might want to defend mike vick because they feel that the media is piling on him. but, you know what, he's pleading guilty to violating federal laws. he's a high profile guy. in the most high profile sport in america. he just signed a contract for more money than he can ever spend. if you're going to defend him, try not to go with some dumb, "that's how we do," type defense. maybe talk about the nature of sentencing especially mixed with emotional cases, such as this one.
i mean, i'm not even totally against dog fighting. something about pitting two animals against each other is strangely intriguing. yet, i wouldn't endorse it, practice it, go to one, and so on. and, in a country where it is illegal, i refuse to just accept it as "this is where he's from." i do feel bad that everyone is acting like mike vick is hitler. let's put this in perspective: he was involved in killing some animals in a terrible fashion. yes, this particular species of animal is a beloved, domesticated animal. he will be punished for it. he didn't go and have his posse shoot up a strip club.
will this celeb be defending pacman jones' actions next? i mean, in the south it's cultural to go to the strip club and make it rain. and, if you roll with a posse, it's not completely uncommon for them to get to shootin.
govuhnator terminates crime
i love ambiguous headlines. take this one for example:
headline - governor in fresno for gang announcement.
is he joining one? or, is he just admitting to the one he's been a part of?
oh, i see, he's announcing who will lead some sort of california gang reduction program. here in fresno. i wonder if it'll be ol' chief dyer?
headline - governor in fresno for gang announcement.
is he joining one? or, is he just admitting to the one he's been a part of?
oh, i see, he's announcing who will lead some sort of california gang reduction program. here in fresno. i wonder if it'll be ol' chief dyer?
Monday, September 03, 2007
deadline ffl
today @ 1 is my fantasy football draft. we've got 10 teams in our league, and most i've played with before.
this year, we're switching from the normal draft style to an auction style draft. it will be interesting to see how it goes. each player gets $100 and has to draft all 15 roster slots for his team using that money. each player will cost at least $1. it'll be a silent auction.
i'll post my roster and thoughts later today.
as for team name, i'm still trying to think of something witty, and mildly inappropriate. i've already had 4 team names in this league, just because i keep just switching as a goof. right now, we're the lego death squad. i like that name, but it hasn't won me over completely. btw, in past years, my team name has been around my street (wishon) and current hair cut (fauxhawks, greasehawks).
this year, we're switching from the normal draft style to an auction style draft. it will be interesting to see how it goes. each player gets $100 and has to draft all 15 roster slots for his team using that money. each player will cost at least $1. it'll be a silent auction.
i'll post my roster and thoughts later today.
as for team name, i'm still trying to think of something witty, and mildly inappropriate. i've already had 4 team names in this league, just because i keep just switching as a goof. right now, we're the lego death squad. i like that name, but it hasn't won me over completely. btw, in past years, my team name has been around my street (wishon) and current hair cut (fauxhawks, greasehawks).
Sunday, September 02, 2007
looky looky
so, i posted not long ago about my search for sunglasses. i had zeroed in on some oakleys, and was looking to find them locally. so, i went to a sunglass place that i've purchased from before. they treated me very nicely, and i ended up buying a nice pair of glasses for a lot less than the oakleys i was looking at. so of course, today i find something that might be better.
and, they're by adidas, so i could continue my label-whoring style (adidas is one of the few brands i wear). not too expensive. maybe i'll look around some of the fresno dealers, see if i can find them, try them on and check the fit. because, you know, you can never have too many pairs of sunglasses.
and, they're by adidas, so i could continue my label-whoring style (adidas is one of the few brands i wear). not too expensive. maybe i'll look around some of the fresno dealers, see if i can find them, try them on and check the fit. because, you know, you can never have too many pairs of sunglasses.
big ups b.
congrats to bernard lagat. he did something for the u.s. that had never happen: win the 1500m @ the world championships. and, today he did something that no one had ever done @ the world championships: win both the 1500m & the 5k! (it's happened twice in the olympics but never in the world championships.)
lagat's originally for kenya, and this is the first championships that he's ever competed for in u.s. gear. he even sprinted past two kenyans in the final 100m of the 1500m, running the final 400 in 54 seconds.
the 5k was a slower paced race, and lagat was one of 3 u.s. men in the race. he hung back around 4th or fifth for a good part of the race, and kicked it in for the last 200m, again, out sprinting a kenyan.
i'm proud he's a part of our team.
another b that gets props, breaux greer. he won the first u.s. medal in the javelin since the like 1983. finished 3rd. good stuff, especially from a guy who's career has been plagued by injuries.
lagat's originally for kenya, and this is the first championships that he's ever competed for in u.s. gear. he even sprinted past two kenyans in the final 100m of the 1500m, running the final 400 in 54 seconds.
the 5k was a slower paced race, and lagat was one of 3 u.s. men in the race. he hung back around 4th or fifth for a good part of the race, and kicked it in for the last 200m, again, out sprinting a kenyan.
i'm proud he's a part of our team.
another b that gets props, breaux greer. he won the first u.s. medal in the javelin since the like 1983. finished 3rd. good stuff, especially from a guy who's career has been plagued by injuries.
vma 2007
so, next sunday, september 9th is the latest round of mtv's video music awards. now, i'll be honest, i don't watch mtv anymore. heather does though. well, to be honest, it's not mtv, because then we would have to be watching the hills, real world, or some other non-video television. heather watches mtv hits and mtv jams. me, i watch videos occasionally while she watches. then i get tired of seeing the same videos
over and over. but anyway, back to the purpose of this post. next week is the vma's and i thought i would try and pick the winners, or at least let you know who i thought should win.
best group:
-fall out boy - mainstream emo, all polished and shiny. let me give this analogy: f.o.b. = emo as good charlotte = punk.
-gym class heroes - it's fall out boy with a hip hop feel. this band is pretty much doing the puffy. that is, taking the hook from 80's hits, barely making any changes, and calling them their own
-lincoln park - so, every time i hear the song 'what i've done' i think to myself, what you've done is put out a mediocre song. fort minor was an interesting side project though.
-maroon five - your mom and dad think these maroon five kids really make nice music.
-the white stripes. - a lot of people i know love, and i mean, love this album. i've only heard a little, but enjoyed the song.
please, lord, let it be the white stripes. i haven't heard more than a lick or two off their new album but i guarantee it's better than the other four.
best new artist
-lily allen - brit pop singer trying to make it big here. it is what it is, unashamed popiness. but, i'll give you that some of the lyrics on this album are deeper than they seem
-gym class heroes - see above review of this group
-peter bjorn & john - i like pete yorn. peter bjorn & john are getting by on a jetta (or whatever car) commercial. you can file them under: whatever happened to _____.
-carrie underwood - maybe she's best new american idol winner, but she's not great. well, she's decent at making this new country garbage about breaking the headlights on your ex's truck, but whatever. she's also good at getting linked in rumors to pro football players.
-amy winehouse - they tried to make me go to rehab, i said 'no, no no.' how's that working out for you amy? take some advice. go to rehab. you've got a nice voice that you're only going to trash with your crazy lifestyle. get help so we can enjoy music from you in the future.
i'm going with the poppy lily allen here. i have the albums from both of the english birds in this category, and lily's is better. amy winehouse's has a nice-retro motown feel and is good, but it also seems a bit boring.
female artist of the year
-beyonce - she just played in fresno. i didn't go. her mom needs to make her some better outfits because the ones she does are u-g-l-y. and beyonce needs to make some songs that don't all sound the same.
-fergie - fergie yoko'd the black eyed peas, imho. sure, they haven't broken up, but they went from being a decent hip hop act to will.i.am and fergie + 2 other guys in the background putting out rip off songs. awesome. and her solo music is a hobo's gwen stefani album.
-nelly furtado - remember her early stuff. it was light, but it was also hip hop. her new stuff, just dance pop. which is alright. it's fine to change up your style. but, it seems that this album relies a bit too much on timbaland.
-rihanna - i've heard one song (not the one nominated below) and it was like they were trying to pass rihanna as some sort of pseudo rock act. it wasn't convincing or good. and, to me, if you're going to be female artist of the year you probably should have had more than one "hit".
-amy winehouse - see above thoughts on ol' wino + the hit thing in my rihanna review.
of these, beyonce will win. i don't know if she's the "artist" of the year, but she's good. i like nelly furtado's recent stuff, as well as winehouse's. i implore the mtv decision makers to let this be anyone but fergie.
male artist of the year
-akon - i only know akon's old song. so, it's obvious i don't listen to mainstream radio because he's had 3 #1 hits this year.
-robin thicke - alan's son. he's apparently sexy.
-t.i. - his current album has a t.i. verses himself theme to it. so, my take is, crappy rap vs. crappy rap. and crappy rap wins in a landslide.
-justin timberlake - michael jackson used to be way better than j.timberlake could ever be. but, this is decent pop.
-kanye west - "george bush hates black people." kanye's always got interesting quotes. sadly, i think his stuff still is mainly boring. so, you speed up records from the 70's and early 80's? wow. your new song is basically a daft punk one that you rap on? wow.
i'll be honest, i'm not sure how kanye is nominated. did he have an album out this year? his comes out next week. akon and t.i. suck, especially t.i. robin thicke's earlier stuff was nice, neo-soul sounding stuff and he looked dirty. now he's all polished, whatever. i'm picking j.timberlake.
monster single of the year
-daughtry - home - i remember seeing clips of this poseur from am.idol. he's sucks as a supposed "rocker"
-fall out boy - thnks 4 th mmrs - does that mean thanks for the mammary?
-avril lavigne - girlfriend - this song is terrible and it's shameful that anyone would think this pop punk dribble would inspire anything.
-lil mama - lip gloss - heather says that at least this song seems age appropriate. i say it's not good. lil mama also did a remake of girlfriend with avril lavigne.
-mims - this is why i'm hot - you're hot because people have bad taste in music. crap is pushed out by the industry all the time and you're a good example of the garbage that sells.
-plain white t's - hey there delilah - ooh, it's emo acoustic. played a million times.
-rihanna feat jay z - umbrella - i'll admit, i've never heard this song. and i'm not going to play the video now to find out. (update, i watched the video because it was nominated for best video. not bad, just not that great either.)
-shop boyz - party like a rock star - hmmm, see my criticism of mims? now, multiply that by ten for this one.
-t-pain feat. yung joc - buy u a drank - this song is boring. it tries to have a snappy anthem but fails, just seems to be a rehash of cliches from other songs of this ilk.
-timbaland feat keri hilson, d.o.e. & sebastien - the way i are - what's up with the title of this song. i are? tim, i know you speak better english than that. this song reminds me of the stuff he's done with nelly furtado. except this doesn't have nelly furtado. average timbaland stuff. and the video confuses me because there are guys inexplicably juggling a soccer ball. and, the song, well it says the way you are a lot. huh?
i'll go with rihanna because...well, because i think these all are pretty bad. so, why not pick the one that hasn't bothered me?
most earth shattering collaboration
-akon feat eminem - smack that -
-beyonce feat shakira - beautiful liar -
-gwen stefani feat akon - the sweet escape -
-justin timberlake feat timbaland - taking sexy back - i'm not really all that sure how this is a collabo. i mean, timbaland is the producer and raps a little. it's pretty much just a timberlake song.
-u2 feat green day - the saints are coming - u2 & green day make a song for new orleans. and the video is supposed to be inspiring. in my opinion, it's a mediocre song.
to me, this category comes down to the last two, mainly because i haven't heard the first three songs. but, timberlake's song was so overwhelming in the public consciousness that it will win. i mean, which of us out there haven't claimed that we were talking sexy back? blame justin.
quadruple threat of the year
-beyonce - singer, actress, clothing line. that's only three that mtv gives you. i'll throw in dancer because i hear you do that @ your shows. and fall down stairs.
-bono - singer, activist...that's only two. i'll throw in speaker to politicians and...?http://www2.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
-jay z - rapper, ceo(?) of rockafeller & def jam records (whatever that means), part of ownership group of nba team, clothing line, nightclub.
-justin timberlake - singer, dancer, actor, restraunteur. and you date "hot chicks".
-kanye west - rapper, producer, clothing line, and they say you started your own foundation. and are anti-homophobia in hip hop. and, your big mouth & ego definitely make you a threat.
i want to go with bono, because it seems like he's really trying to make a difference in the world. but, i think kanye wins it. then again, maybe mtv picks bono just so he can show up and say something about aids, poverty and africa.
video of the year
-beyonce - irreplaceable - in this video beyonce throws out her man. that's a new concept. wait, no it's not. at least it's not just some remake of a movie.
-justin - d.a.n.c.e. - t-shirt art. well done. average song, but the video stands out.
-rihanna feat jay z - umbrella -this video is boring as all get out. the concept seems to be rihanna moving around mostly by herself on a sound stage. and some water effects thrown in. and the video is supposed to be sexy because rihanna is barely dressed in it.
-justin timberlake - what goes around...comes around - hey, a video actually with a storyline. wow! it's almost 9 minutes long, but it's decent. well made, good visuals. and, the story of the video works well with the theme of the song (novel idea these days it seems.) and timberlake as a "tough guy" is a crack up, so there's a bonus.
-kanye west - stronger - kanye makes a futuristic video that seems to be set in japan. but, there are no japanese people there. and, i guess, in the video kanye is crazy. well, he's crazy boring at least. kanye is good at saying names of brands though.
-amy winehouse - rehab - this song is catchy. the song did get me to buy the album, which was worth the purchase price. but if you ever see her perform, she looks half awake. little entertainment value here. the video is almost interesting, but then again, it's not.
best choreography
-beyonce feat shakira - beautiful liar - a lot of posing about and shoulder shakes from two ladies known as good dancers. and whipping hair around. the last minute offers a bit of choreographed dance but not very impressive stuff.
-chris brown - wall to wall - i don't like chris brown. but, i know he's a good dancer. this video has: vampires, little kid versions of chris brown dancing along with him, big group dancing.
-ciara- like a boy - ciara's first album produced a lot of internet rumors that she was a post-op transexual. in this video, she dresses as both a man and a woman. and i think that's reggie bush in the video. pretty good solo & group dancing.
-eve - tambourine - the video is visually cool, especially the use of color. and, the song is enjoyable. the choreography is minimal and isn't that interesting.
-justin timberlake - my love - justin nods his head. justin snaps his fingers. justin dances by himself and with a group. t.i. shows up and waves his hand about and pops his collar.
to me, this category is kinda stupid. you're judging how well the dance routines in a music video are. the timberlake, c.brown and ciara entries here a way ahead of the other two in the category. i'm picking ciara's as the best.
best director
-christina aguilara - candyman - christina in full pin up mode. not sure what was directed here. now you're a pin up from this era. now this era.
-beyonce feat shakira - beautiful liar - not sure what was actually directed here. you two, dance around a little.
-kanye west - stronger - kanye, act crazy. well done. now, stand there and rap. move your head back and forth.
-lincoln park - what i've done - band, play the song. you, jump into the air. cue clips of hitler. cue clips of world destruction. show the band. more clips.
-rihanna feat jay z - umbrella - not sure what was the direction here. dance around by yourself with an umbrella. sit there naked painted gold.
-justin timberlake - what goes around...comes around - since this video actually has a storyline to it, it has a bit more direction. justin, steal this girl away. now, make out. we see you're devoted to her, but you've got doubts. have your friend watch her. find them making out. now, act tough. chase after her. look devastated. good.
uhh, i'll go with justin timberlakes entry.
best editing.
-beyonce + shakira - beautiful liar
-gnarls barkley - smiley faces
-lincoln park - what i've done
-justin timberlake - what goes around comes around
-kanye west - stronger
you thought i didn't care about the last category. i care even less about this one. really, how well did you put the video together is a category? i'm not even going to break these videos down, and will just pick the gnarls barkley song because it's not nominated for anything else.
so, there it is. the mtv music video awards has 9 categories. and the show will take at least 3 hours. i suppose i'll watch some of it. maybe i'll torture myself, and you, with a running diary.
over and over. but anyway, back to the purpose of this post. next week is the vma's and i thought i would try and pick the winners, or at least let you know who i thought should win.
best group:
-fall out boy - mainstream emo, all polished and shiny. let me give this analogy: f.o.b. = emo as good charlotte = punk.
-gym class heroes - it's fall out boy with a hip hop feel. this band is pretty much doing the puffy. that is, taking the hook from 80's hits, barely making any changes, and calling them their own
-lincoln park - so, every time i hear the song 'what i've done' i think to myself, what you've done is put out a mediocre song. fort minor was an interesting side project though.
-maroon five - your mom and dad think these maroon five kids really make nice music.
-the white stripes. - a lot of people i know love, and i mean, love this album. i've only heard a little, but enjoyed the song.
please, lord, let it be the white stripes. i haven't heard more than a lick or two off their new album but i guarantee it's better than the other four.
best new artist
-lily allen - brit pop singer trying to make it big here. it is what it is, unashamed popiness. but, i'll give you that some of the lyrics on this album are deeper than they seem
-gym class heroes - see above review of this group
-peter bjorn & john - i like pete yorn. peter bjorn & john are getting by on a jetta (or whatever car) commercial. you can file them under: whatever happened to _____.
-carrie underwood - maybe she's best new american idol winner, but she's not great. well, she's decent at making this new country garbage about breaking the headlights on your ex's truck, but whatever. she's also good at getting linked in rumors to pro football players.
-amy winehouse - they tried to make me go to rehab, i said 'no, no no.' how's that working out for you amy? take some advice. go to rehab. you've got a nice voice that you're only going to trash with your crazy lifestyle. get help so we can enjoy music from you in the future.
i'm going with the poppy lily allen here. i have the albums from both of the english birds in this category, and lily's is better. amy winehouse's has a nice-retro motown feel and is good, but it also seems a bit boring.
female artist of the year
-beyonce - she just played in fresno. i didn't go. her mom needs to make her some better outfits because the ones she does are u-g-l-y. and beyonce needs to make some songs that don't all sound the same.
-fergie - fergie yoko'd the black eyed peas, imho. sure, they haven't broken up, but they went from being a decent hip hop act to will.i.am and fergie + 2 other guys in the background putting out rip off songs. awesome. and her solo music is a hobo's gwen stefani album.
-nelly furtado - remember her early stuff. it was light, but it was also hip hop. her new stuff, just dance pop. which is alright. it's fine to change up your style. but, it seems that this album relies a bit too much on timbaland.
-rihanna - i've heard one song (not the one nominated below) and it was like they were trying to pass rihanna as some sort of pseudo rock act. it wasn't convincing or good. and, to me, if you're going to be female artist of the year you probably should have had more than one "hit".
-amy winehouse - see above thoughts on ol' wino + the hit thing in my rihanna review.
of these, beyonce will win. i don't know if she's the "artist" of the year, but she's good. i like nelly furtado's recent stuff, as well as winehouse's. i implore the mtv decision makers to let this be anyone but fergie.
male artist of the year
-akon - i only know akon's old song. so, it's obvious i don't listen to mainstream radio because he's had 3 #1 hits this year.
-robin thicke - alan's son. he's apparently sexy.
-t.i. - his current album has a t.i. verses himself theme to it. so, my take is, crappy rap vs. crappy rap. and crappy rap wins in a landslide.
-justin timberlake - michael jackson used to be way better than j.timberlake could ever be. but, this is decent pop.
-kanye west - "george bush hates black people." kanye's always got interesting quotes. sadly, i think his stuff still is mainly boring. so, you speed up records from the 70's and early 80's? wow. your new song is basically a daft punk one that you rap on? wow.
i'll be honest, i'm not sure how kanye is nominated. did he have an album out this year? his comes out next week. akon and t.i. suck, especially t.i. robin thicke's earlier stuff was nice, neo-soul sounding stuff and he looked dirty. now he's all polished, whatever. i'm picking j.timberlake.
monster single of the year
-daughtry - home - i remember seeing clips of this poseur from am.idol. he's sucks as a supposed "rocker"
-fall out boy - thnks 4 th mmrs - does that mean thanks for the mammary?
-avril lavigne - girlfriend - this song is terrible and it's shameful that anyone would think this pop punk dribble would inspire anything.
-lil mama - lip gloss - heather says that at least this song seems age appropriate. i say it's not good. lil mama also did a remake of girlfriend with avril lavigne.
-mims - this is why i'm hot - you're hot because people have bad taste in music. crap is pushed out by the industry all the time and you're a good example of the garbage that sells.
-plain white t's - hey there delilah - ooh, it's emo acoustic. played a million times.
-rihanna feat jay z - umbrella - i'll admit, i've never heard this song. and i'm not going to play the video now to find out. (update, i watched the video because it was nominated for best video. not bad, just not that great either.)
-shop boyz - party like a rock star - hmmm, see my criticism of mims? now, multiply that by ten for this one.
-t-pain feat. yung joc - buy u a drank - this song is boring. it tries to have a snappy anthem but fails, just seems to be a rehash of cliches from other songs of this ilk.
-timbaland feat keri hilson, d.o.e. & sebastien - the way i are - what's up with the title of this song. i are? tim, i know you speak better english than that. this song reminds me of the stuff he's done with nelly furtado. except this doesn't have nelly furtado. average timbaland stuff. and the video confuses me because there are guys inexplicably juggling a soccer ball. and, the song, well it says the way you are a lot. huh?
i'll go with rihanna because...well, because i think these all are pretty bad. so, why not pick the one that hasn't bothered me?
most earth shattering collaboration
-akon feat eminem - smack that -
-beyonce feat shakira - beautiful liar -
-gwen stefani feat akon - the sweet escape -
-justin timberlake feat timbaland - taking sexy back - i'm not really all that sure how this is a collabo. i mean, timbaland is the producer and raps a little. it's pretty much just a timberlake song.
-u2 feat green day - the saints are coming - u2 & green day make a song for new orleans. and the video is supposed to be inspiring. in my opinion, it's a mediocre song.
to me, this category comes down to the last two, mainly because i haven't heard the first three songs. but, timberlake's song was so overwhelming in the public consciousness that it will win. i mean, which of us out there haven't claimed that we were talking sexy back? blame justin.
quadruple threat of the year
-beyonce - singer, actress, clothing line. that's only three that mtv gives you. i'll throw in dancer because i hear you do that @ your shows. and fall down stairs.
-bono - singer, activist...that's only two. i'll throw in speaker to politicians and...?http://www2.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
-jay z - rapper, ceo(?) of rockafeller & def jam records (whatever that means), part of ownership group of nba team, clothing line, nightclub.
-justin timberlake - singer, dancer, actor, restraunteur. and you date "hot chicks".
-kanye west - rapper, producer, clothing line, and they say you started your own foundation. and are anti-homophobia in hip hop. and, your big mouth & ego definitely make you a threat.
i want to go with bono, because it seems like he's really trying to make a difference in the world. but, i think kanye wins it. then again, maybe mtv picks bono just so he can show up and say something about aids, poverty and africa.
video of the year
-beyonce - irreplaceable - in this video beyonce throws out her man. that's a new concept. wait, no it's not. at least it's not just some remake of a movie.
-justin - d.a.n.c.e. - t-shirt art. well done. average song, but the video stands out.
-rihanna feat jay z - umbrella -this video is boring as all get out. the concept seems to be rihanna moving around mostly by herself on a sound stage. and some water effects thrown in. and the video is supposed to be sexy because rihanna is barely dressed in it.
-justin timberlake - what goes around...comes around - hey, a video actually with a storyline. wow! it's almost 9 minutes long, but it's decent. well made, good visuals. and, the story of the video works well with the theme of the song (novel idea these days it seems.) and timberlake as a "tough guy" is a crack up, so there's a bonus.
-kanye west - stronger - kanye makes a futuristic video that seems to be set in japan. but, there are no japanese people there. and, i guess, in the video kanye is crazy. well, he's crazy boring at least. kanye is good at saying names of brands though.
-amy winehouse - rehab - this song is catchy. the song did get me to buy the album, which was worth the purchase price. but if you ever see her perform, she looks half awake. little entertainment value here. the video is almost interesting, but then again, it's not.
best choreography
-beyonce feat shakira - beautiful liar - a lot of posing about and shoulder shakes from two ladies known as good dancers. and whipping hair around. the last minute offers a bit of choreographed dance but not very impressive stuff.
-chris brown - wall to wall - i don't like chris brown. but, i know he's a good dancer. this video has: vampires, little kid versions of chris brown dancing along with him, big group dancing.
-ciara- like a boy - ciara's first album produced a lot of internet rumors that she was a post-op transexual. in this video, she dresses as both a man and a woman. and i think that's reggie bush in the video. pretty good solo & group dancing.
-eve - tambourine - the video is visually cool, especially the use of color. and, the song is enjoyable. the choreography is minimal and isn't that interesting.
-justin timberlake - my love - justin nods his head. justin snaps his fingers. justin dances by himself and with a group. t.i. shows up and waves his hand about and pops his collar.
to me, this category is kinda stupid. you're judging how well the dance routines in a music video are. the timberlake, c.brown and ciara entries here a way ahead of the other two in the category. i'm picking ciara's as the best.
best director
-christina aguilara - candyman - christina in full pin up mode. not sure what was directed here. now you're a pin up from this era. now this era.
-beyonce feat shakira - beautiful liar - not sure what was actually directed here. you two, dance around a little.
-kanye west - stronger - kanye, act crazy. well done. now, stand there and rap. move your head back and forth.
-lincoln park - what i've done - band, play the song. you, jump into the air. cue clips of hitler. cue clips of world destruction. show the band. more clips.
-rihanna feat jay z - umbrella - not sure what was the direction here. dance around by yourself with an umbrella. sit there naked painted gold.
-justin timberlake - what goes around...comes around - since this video actually has a storyline to it, it has a bit more direction. justin, steal this girl away. now, make out. we see you're devoted to her, but you've got doubts. have your friend watch her. find them making out. now, act tough. chase after her. look devastated. good.
uhh, i'll go with justin timberlakes entry.
best editing.
-beyonce + shakira - beautiful liar
-gnarls barkley - smiley faces
-lincoln park - what i've done
-justin timberlake - what goes around comes around
-kanye west - stronger
you thought i didn't care about the last category. i care even less about this one. really, how well did you put the video together is a category? i'm not even going to break these videos down, and will just pick the gnarls barkley song because it's not nominated for anything else.
so, there it is. the mtv music video awards has 9 categories. and the show will take at least 3 hours. i suppose i'll watch some of it. maybe i'll torture myself, and you, with a running diary.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
i heart t & f
i love soccer. that should be obvious by all the posts i do about beckham, the galaxy, real madrid, the rangers, u.s. soccer, the fuego and so on.
some of you know i'm a track coach. as much as i love soccer, i love a track meet. so, i've been loving this week and cable tv. versus network, you know, used to be oln but changed to versus. anyway, they've been showing footage everyday of the world championships of track and field that is going on in osaka, japan.
since it's just a track meet, you actually get to see most of the events. i don't have to watch diving, or the floor routine of some 26 year old lady that hasn't hit puberty yet. i mean, i got to watch hammer throw. not as it happened, mind you, but i still got to see several throws. the women's 100m was fantastic. photo finish between like 4 ladies, just amazing.
i mean, you get to see preliminary rounds, semifinals and finals. good stuff.
some other highlights: some german dude, relatively unheard of, finished 2nd in the discus, a real shocker. the u.s. men finished 1-2 in the shot put. tyson gay winning the 100m, 200m, and helping the u.s. win the 4x100m. the heptathlon (women's multi-event) was great. kluft from sweden, that won, is so dominant.
and the sportsmanship of track...i love it. i mean, there is plenty of chest thumpin and what not, but there is also a lot of camaraderie in the sport. after the heptathlon, all the competitors took a victory lap together, holding hands. after the men's 4x100, an event full of bragadocious characters, guys were shaking hands out of respect for each other's talent and a great race.
if you have a chance on sunday, look for some track and field on either nbc or versus. for comprehensive results of the whole week, hit up the iaaf site.
some of you know i'm a track coach. as much as i love soccer, i love a track meet. so, i've been loving this week and cable tv. versus network, you know, used to be oln but changed to versus. anyway, they've been showing footage everyday of the world championships of track and field that is going on in osaka, japan.
since it's just a track meet, you actually get to see most of the events. i don't have to watch diving, or the floor routine of some 26 year old lady that hasn't hit puberty yet. i mean, i got to watch hammer throw. not as it happened, mind you, but i still got to see several throws. the women's 100m was fantastic. photo finish between like 4 ladies, just amazing.
i mean, you get to see preliminary rounds, semifinals and finals. good stuff.
some other highlights: some german dude, relatively unheard of, finished 2nd in the discus, a real shocker. the u.s. men finished 1-2 in the shot put. tyson gay winning the 100m, 200m, and helping the u.s. win the 4x100m. the heptathlon (women's multi-event) was great. kluft from sweden, that won, is so dominant.
and the sportsmanship of track...i love it. i mean, there is plenty of chest thumpin and what not, but there is also a lot of camaraderie in the sport. after the heptathlon, all the competitors took a victory lap together, holding hands. after the men's 4x100, an event full of bragadocious characters, guys were shaking hands out of respect for each other's talent and a great race.
if you have a chance on sunday, look for some track and field on either nbc or versus. for comprehensive results of the whole week, hit up the iaaf site.
halloween
is an enjoyable move.
if:
you like scary movies (woody is out).
and, you're not taking someone under 15.
really, why are people taking children under 10 to see a horror movie?
if adam could, he would have an angry rant.
if:
you like scary movies (woody is out).
and, you're not taking someone under 15.
really, why are people taking children under 10 to see a horror movie?
if adam could, he would have an angry rant.
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