2010 mtv vmas: lady gaga vs. everyone else

In case you haven’t heard, it’s time for the 2010 MTV VMAs. (I’m a bit late, but it’s also Emmy season too, but I’ll talk about that later.) It’s too early for me to say whether or not I’m actually going to tune in. For the past few years, MTV’s award shows, like many other award shows actually, have been hit or miss. Plus, even if you miss it when it airs, there’s always the chance to see it immediately afterwards and various times that month. However, there are those classic moments like the now infamous “Kanye incident.”

Something else I’ve been hearing a lot lately is that MTV is losing its relevance. How it relates to pop culture or just entertainment altogether, I’m not sure. One thing I am sure is that it makes me feel old when I utter the phrase to kids “When I was your age, MTV played music videos.” Actually, anytime anyone says “When I was your age…” you are automatically outdating yourself. “Back in my day…” is included too. I hate that you either have the extended cable if you want to get to the old school MTV that plays nothing but music videos. And of course there’s always YouTube. But it’s the way of the world. Everyone wants reality TV starring Snooki.

Anyway, the nominations for the 2010 videos were announced yesterday. To be honest and frank, I don’t like it. Kudos to Lady Gaga and all for a record 13 nods, I’m not hating on her. When I first saw “Bad Romance” I predicted it would win a couple VMAs. But seriously! Take a look at the list!

My problem with this list is the lack of variety. According to the nods this year, it looks like we only had a few popular songs and videos out there. Or maybe just a few artists. I have no problems with any of the artists or songs mentioned. And if I continue with my honesty, I will admit that I haven’t seen most of them up until last night and probably throughout the rest of the week. So again, credit is given where credit is due. But aren’t there more artists and songs out there? Or is death of the music video a growing trend? Is it tragic irony that MTV killed the music video? Okay, so I don’t really believe that since most videos premiere via internets anyway these days. But I actually liked watching videos on TV once upon a time.

I won’t even mention VH1 or BET… even though I just did. In BET’s defense, they never set out to be a music video channel.

So now that my rant is over, I will revisit this topic with my picks of who I would like to see win in their respected category. As I am an admitted fan of Gaga, I don’t necessarily want her to take home every award. Besides, it’s not possible since she’s nominated twice in a couple categories. I can’t be mad at her for staying busy and highly creative and productive. Consider this “to be continued…”

I might write about the Emmys before the VMAs… just saying.

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Posted in awards, music video, rant

fripodding and changing: “changes” by david bowie

Last week I said goodbye to a handful of my friends who are moving away to start the next book in their lives. And when it comes to anyone making a big move, it’s a ripple effect for them and the people in their lives. A change. Whether you are moving or staying put, change is inevitable. You can’t avoid it, you can’t deny it, you can’t resist it. Change will come sooner or later if it hasn’t already. For the record, I’m writing a poem about this, as I stated earlier this week I’ve been working on new poetry.

While there are still many songs out there about change, today I’m going with “Changes” by David Bowie which is about cheddar cheese. I jest… However, the changes described in his song may or may not relate to me and my friends… a few lines here and there due… but I just like the song and in a sense, this is a special request from and shout out to one of dearest friends that I call my cousin who is also leaving, Felicia.

A few years ago she wrote about this song as she felt she was going through life changes of her own as she was growing up. Whatever she wrote and wherever it is is anyone’s guess, but it stuck with me. And anytime I hear this song, as confusing as the lyrics are to me and as weird of a guy David Bowie was (he seems to have mellowed out now), I think of her and accepting that change is inevitable. And in the long run, change can be a very good thing. So once again, cheers to those starting a new life, or a new book, as I call it.

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Posted in change, Friends, fripodding, music

revisiting summer poetry

I’m working on some new poems for this summer season, regardless if they have to do with summer or not, but I will post them when they are ready to be read. In the meantime, I thought I would showcase some past poems again that I either recall writing in the summer, or writing about summer. I may post one or two throughout the week in their own special post, but here are a few links to what I will post later… until I’m ready to post something new, of course.

And even though I’m putting my poetry hat on, I’m still working on telling my adventures in Canada. To be frank about it all, life has been in fast forward since I’ve been back and I’ve barely had time to sit down to recount all the events that happened in those few days. But no worries, those stories will be posted soon. In the meantime, enjoy some oldies but goodies. When I repost these poems, I will give more of a back story as to how I was inspired and what the story is behind it… if it isn’t obvious.

The Night We Ruled the World” – a poem detailing the adventures I had at Purchase College with a great friend of mine named Dan around the time the semester was over.

Forever Lasts Tonight” – an imagined memory of friends enjoying a summer’s night.

Gravity” – okay, so this one is about spring… but I think I wrote it during the summer.

Summer Haiku – self explanatory.

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Posted in poetry, writing

fripodding and saying goodbye

As time got closer to the ending of LOST, I had the conflicting bittersweet feeling that I’m sure many other had experienced as well. The sweet anticipation of the ending to a really great show and an awesome story that took 6 years to tell, as well as the sadness of not having new adventures to tune into every week. But alas, the time came and went. Most of us have coped with it (and are probably just waiting for the DVD to complete the set), while others are looking for replacements to fill that void. Or at least try.

On a more personal matter, that bittersweet feeling has returned. Instead of a TV show, it’s a few of the most awesome people who have had a profound influence on my life that are having their series finale. At one time or another, they have been what I would consider my rock. They are members of my exclusive, small inner circle that I tell my deepest, darkest secrets to. They kept me stable and sane as well as supported me in various ways as well as with many of my creative projects in the past. I am eternally grateful to call them my companions in this journey called life. Although this sounds like I’m on a suicide mission to reignite the sun, that’s simply not the case. You’re supposed to give flowers while they can still smell them, right?

They are just moving to a new location. Some in day-trip driving distance, others, not so close. But it’s an inevitable change we all come to at some point in our lives. Whether it’s us that leave, or those people we deem to be our best friends traveling to the ends of the earth to fulfill their hopes and desires, to which I would never hold them back but only wish them the best. And while it may seem like we are saying goodbye, it doesn’t have to be “Goodbye forever.”

So this post is dedicated to those special people in my life that are making that change in their life and moving to new locations. I pray they have success and continue to pursue their dreams. Surely I will do my best to stay in contact, and hope they don’t complain about my novel-esque emails I’m accustomed to sending. Get over if, I’m a writer… and I consider them my #1 fans so I’m expecting fan mail in return. Phone calls are also welcome, and I know they work both ways. If I need to, I’ll break out the old pen and paper until I’m able to board a plane or fill my gas tank to reach them. But since this is 2010, there’s Facebook and text messages… but don’t get me started on the limited abilities of text messaging. Needless to say, it’s not the same as riding in cars together.

So while it may seem silly to them, or anyone else, I wanted to choose “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” for today’s song, but I couldn’t find the correct version I wanted, yet it still says how I feel about them. When seriously listening and considering the lyrics, it’s what true friendship is all about. And I know that they know I don’t take the word “friend” lightly. I only hope they feel the same way about me. Actually I know they do, because I know I’m more than a friend to them just as they mean more than a friend to me. And time has shown me that these people will still be around for many years to come.

So instead, I chose what may be considered a “funeral song” but didn’t start out that way. The tear-jerking “Its So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” by Boyz II Men is a song about change and moving on.

It was first heard on a movie called Cooley High and the characters had to deal with moving on after graduating. This song also forces listeners to look back on the past, the good times, the bad times, and what’s really important with those relationships to the people we would call a friend. While it’s definitely a great change in their lives, to me it feels like a part of my life has just been hit with a huge sledgehammer. Let me tell you, it doesn’t tickle. But it’s inevitable. So we must roll with the punches because it’s all for the best.

Again, this isn’t really “goodbye” but more of a “God bless” on your journey. Michelle, Felicia, Carlton, Chris and Miss Jo, there aren’t words I can find to describe what you mean to me. This blog post is an attempt, though. And if I needed to pick one: irreplaceable.

We’ll meet again soon, my friends.

(I decided to post this song anyway because it makes me cry less.)

P.S. To those who knew him, RIP Edwin.

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Posted in friday, Friends, fripodding, life update, music

can m. night shyamalan redeem himself?

I’m writing this while still being caught up with Inception and its crucial last scene ending. I want to call it a “twist-ending” but I think it’d be more correct to call it an ambiguous ending, since so many people are debating about it and what it means to the overall story. I’m not about to say what I think here in this format, but if you want to discuss further, write a comment, or send me a message and we’ll chat. But this only applies if you’ve seen the movie… and you should if you haven’t!

As for Mr. M. Night… we tend to relate him to having a shocking twist at the end of his movies. Even Robot Chicken made a sketch out of it! Major spoilers follow: The Sixth Sense has Bruce Willis dead the whole time, and we, as audience, don’t realize it until the end. In Unbreakable, Bruce Willis is being crafted as a superhero. Although is that really a twist? Is there a twist in Signs? That was a mixed bag overall for people, but I liked it. It relied more on suspense and the payoff was decent. The Village I personally yawned on and discovered “the twist” long before it happened–the monster thing was a costume someone wore to keep people from venturing in the woods and away from the village, and the village itself was nestled in or on the outskirts of modern day town. Lady in the Water was forgettable. I remember watching it and thought it was a good story, but I couldn’t tell you how it ended because I don’t remember nor do I have the need or want to see it again to remember. And then we have The Happening. The trees/plants were making people commit suicide. I don’t know if you want to qualify that as a twist or what, but that was that movie’s punch line. Humanity was getting out of hand, so nature took matter into its own leaves. This was just too morbid and depressing for me, overall.

I haven’t seen The Last Airbender, which I’ve already heard horrible things about. Not only that, people keep asking (rhetorically) how he keeps getting money and attracting stars to his projects with all these failures (according to the box office, top critics and everyday movie goers like you and me).

But here I am, constantly trying to defend him as a storyteller. I respect the writer/directors and sometimes value their work a bit higher than other films, just because they have more control over their projects than if a writer sold a script to a studio and that would be the last said writer would have any say in the story he or she penned. That’s not always the case though. And I usually like where Night’s mind is at, because it’s something new or unique. But the problem is having a great build up with a payoff this is equal or greater. Sometimes you hit the mark, sometimes you don’t.

So I recently saw the trailer for the next Shyamalan picture. I want to have high hopes for this one. Although he’s not directing, this is apparently one of many stories he has in his mind and letting someone else direct. If it bombs, my guess is the majority of fingers will be pointing at Night for its failure. I could be wrong though. And for the sake of storytelling, I hope it does well. Horror really isn’t my genre, but I’d get around to watching it sooner or later.

The trailer looks promising. The premise seems simple enough, full of mystery and intrigue. It’ll probably be packed with a bunch of gotcha-scares before it’ll deliver on some of the real ones. And perhaps this movie will do for elevators what Psycho did for showers. Perhaps. I know there are a few terrorized elevator movies out there already, but none that I can remember going to mainstream cinemas.

So if this film works out, would we be able to forgive Mr. Shyamalan for a few of past films that so many seem to hate him for? Can he be redeemed? Can he ever follow up to the success of The Sixth Sense? And, unless he wants to be the Twist King, will we ever view him as a great storyteller and filmmaker? Only time will tell. Maybe 20 years from now, we will look back on his movies (which will probably have a cult following) and regard him as one of the greats. One thing is for certain, he tells the stories he wants to tell, how he wants to tell them. And for that, I respect him still. But I refuse to watch The Happening again, sorry.

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Posted in movie

inception: film review

There was some hype built around this movie months before it was released. Very few people knew about it, and the few that did, had no real clue as to what it was about. And that’s exactly how Christopher Nolan wanted it.

I’m specifically name-dropping Christopher Nolan because he is a consistent, uniquely original, reliable, and expert storyteller. (See Memento, The Prestige, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight. There are more to this list, but I haven’t seen all his films… yet.) To date, he’s one of my top favorite film directors and most successful in Hollywood.

Enter the 8-10 year personal project called Inception. The story is Nolan had been working on the screenplay for a very long time and I certainly can understand why after watching such an intricate story. Another note: most of Nolan’s previous films have been based on other works, like comics or novels. His newest is his own creation.

So what’s this movie about anyway? And what the stank does “inception” mean anyway?

The dictionary on my phone says: (noun) an event that is a beginning; a first part or stage of subsequent events. The movie is about a group of thieves who break into people’s minds to steal their ideas. Nutshelling it like that makes me say “what?” and I’ve already seen it, but that’s basically what’s happening. Except, our band of mind bandits gets an offer our anti-hero (played by Leo DiCaprio) can’t refuse. His task is the opposite of his job: instead of stealing an idea, he is to plant one instead via some serious dreaming. However, in order to plant an idea in someone’s mind in their dream, it’s key for them to feel as if they came up with the idea on their own. And in order for that to happen, you’ve got to go pretty deep. Are you still with me? It’s pretty easy to understand once you get introduced to the story.

And there is a lot about this story I loved. Sometimes movies have a tendency to get a little dry or boring. You might even shy away from a 2 ½ hour movie. But this movie is dense and every scene is important. It may not make sense the first time you see a scene, but you’ll be rewarded if you pay attention and listen closely. Trust me, it’ll pay off in the end. I might need to write a spoiler version and talk about the audience’s reaction at the end. All I’ll say is usually at showings like this, there’s applause. Not this time. I think Nolan put’s M. Night Shyamalan to shame. I’m just sayin’.

Let’s talk about all the special effects you see in the trailers. There’s more in the movie. It’s also not just eye candy. It totally makes sense why people are flying around in midair or the street grows out of the ground. Let’s not forget, the majority of Inception takes place in a dream. Fortunately, everything is explained to us so we understand what’s happening while they are doing these amazing things.

With that said, what I really liked, is how plausible the whole story seems. There’s a special device and procedure to enter dreamland. It’s never really explained, and it doesn’t need to be. In fact, you don’t even think about “how does it work?” you just know that it does and whenever you see the metal suitcase, you know what’s about to happen.

Kudos to the cast too, by the way. I’m being lazy and not naming them but all of them were excellent choices. It felt like a serious and dream version of Ocean’s Eleven’s crew. Or maybe Ocean’s mixed with a little Matrix. And for the record, I might even go as far as to say Inception is superior to The Matrix. That’s tough…

This movie is worth a second viewing. I’d even say it’s worth checking out in theaters. There are some awesome and unique fight scenes and visuals that big screens take advantage of. Even though it’s rated PG-13, I recommend leaving little kids at home. It might too long, dry and complicated for them to stay interested or understand. Lastly, this is a movie I’d add to my buy list. Which is no surprise, I already want to see it again in theaters. It takes a lot for me to want to see something in the theater twice.

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Posted in movie, review, storytelling

fripodding and roadtripping to canada

image

Long story short, I haven’t had time to write a friPod post today due to an all day drive to lovely Niagra Falls. As I type, I’m being entertained by a free concert in the park. I’m ashamed to admit I have no idea who’s playing (Matt Dell?). They are ok. They are new. It’s free.

In the far background you can seel the Falls. On the left is a group of Spanish tourists, probably celebrating their World Cup win.

Right now a comedienne is up. She’s not doing so well. Even the Spanish left.

But it’s free and there’s guarenteed fun later.

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Posted in Uncategorized

bubba ho-tep: film review

My friend Jaden had recommended this movie, not necessarily to me personally, but to those who are looking for a different kind of a movie. A type of movie that is hard to fit into a specific genre. Is it a comedy? Is it horror? Action? Kinda all three.

Now that I think of it, there are a couple other movies that come to mind that might fit in that bracket, like Shaun of the Dead or Planet Terror. But I digress.

Bubba Ho-Tep­ is a story about Elvis and JFK battling an evil Egyptian mummy that’s terrorizing the nursing home they live in. Seriously. Does that sound like anything you’ve watched before? Does that sound like something you wanna see? Don’t lie! You know you wanna!

Seriously though, this movie was pleasantly surprising. I didn’t really know what I was getting into even after reading the premise. But that’s a good thing. Not knowing keeps me on my toes. Besides, it’s so out there yet so original, even if I knew how it would end I would still watch.

I also was in the perfect mood to watch this movie. A perfect mood is when I’m in need of escapism. This film fit the bill. It didn’t relate in the slightest to the real world that I live in and brought me to a land about two legends who somehow got transported to another body before/after they died. I mean that part alone was enough to go “Hmmm.”

Then you add the whole mummy story, and why the mummy was there in the first place, and then you have a crazy story. It makes you wonder, could this really be happening? Is it all in their heads? Are they really the King and the President? I agree with Jaden, the story is told in such a way that it’s possible to believe this could happen.

So who is this movie for? That’s hard to say. Which is possibly why this movie might be a little known film (at least to my circle of friends, who had never heard of it). But Netflix had been recommending it to me for who knows how long, so I finally gave in after getting that push to check it out. This is another movie I don’t think I’d watch enough times to want to own. But it’s still worth checking out and telling others to check out, especially if you are a fan of the movies I mentioned above. The main difference is that those movies have bigger budgets, slightly more popular names (no offense to Bruce Campbell or Ossie Davis), and much better promotion. It’s rated R, but I think the kiddies can handle most of it. In other words, parents should screen it first.

I hear rumor that a sequel/prequel is in the mix. I’ll check that out whenever it happens.

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Posted in movie, review

orange juice and caffeine pills

Every so often, I take a break from my usual iced coffee that I seem to love so much and replace it with a yellow, bitter caffeine pill. That is, of course, when I need to be alert. Or as the tiny bottle says: “When alertness is needed.” Most days at work, I need to be alert enough to catch inaccuracies on the applications I’m reviewing or whether or not the red light on my phone is rapidly flashing.

True story, the ringer on my office phone is defective. Even with the volume turned up to 11, the phone will not ring. Yet if the backup battery that keeps the phone’s info (clock, date, last numbers called) is taken out, the phone will ring. The speaker phone also is affected by this. I don’t understand it, but I’m so passive about getting it fixed that I’d rather blog about it than contact my job to report it and possibly get a new phone. Why? It might require me going to the main office which in my eyes defeats the purpose of working at home. There’s a method to laziness.

Anyway, today I managed to finally “get back on my game” and wake up at the crack of dawn, go to the gym, and get a sack-o-potatoes worth of work done early on a Monday morning. The past few months have been rather lackluster and I only have myself to blame. I’d also like to blame a few of my friends, but they aren’t responsible for waking me up in the morning. Although I give one of those friends credit since she gets up around the same time my alarm goes off and occasionally sends me text messages to make sure I’m awake. (Actually she demands I bring her coffee on her lunch break, but that’s another story.)

There's a story about that bottle of Purell hand sanitizer too. Notice, also, the chewable orange flavored vitamins.

Some mornings I’ll actually make a cup of coffee when I’m not quite feeling up to par with the chirpy birds, frolicking squirrels, and other bright eyed and bushy tailed morning creatures like the sun and construction workers. Other mornings, like today, I’ll skip out on the coffee and pour a refreshing glass of cold orange juice. I’ll add in a caffeine pill because I know I’ll feel I’ll need a kick to keep going, even after a trip to the gym.

They say you get more energy after a good work out. But since I’ve been off my game for so long, I’ve just been feeling sore and I’m crawling out of the gym and into my car, trying to stay alert and focused enough to get home so I can die in a safe place. By that time, I’m usually okay, so I go to work.

Such was the case today, and I felt myself continuing the drag while on the clock, so I had my hyper orange juice (I actually don’t mix the pill with anything… it fails miserably dissolving into anything–hot chocolate, tea, juice, applesauce) and began to feel the get-up-and-go an hour or so later as I blazed through a hefty number of files. Another note on the pill, and all pills for that matter, I think I have a phobia of swallowing pills. So if possible, I end up chewing them. I’m aware it’s not good for me. But unless I have chewables or liquids, I’m going to suffer the bitterness and any other affect (like tongue numbing) that chewing these pills has to offer.

I probably made the mistake of getting a cup of coffee at lunch. That’s the reason for this now. I’m thinking about what I did so much that I’m distracted from doing more work. I may have mentioned “unraveling” before… I think this is me wound up. Or at least a portion of it. If I were speaking to you, I’d be highly animated as I told you a story with heavy embellishments. I’d probably be shaking a little too. I’m shaking now, and it’s actually helping me type faster.

But now that I’ve got some of this energy out, I’ll be able to continue on with work. The funny thing is, I have quite a few different things I’ve could’ve used this energy to write. The Emmys, recent viewing of movies, future friPods posts, or even working on scripts that have been piling up in various idea notebooks I carry around with me. I even owe some people emails! I’m slacking on a lot, so it seems.

The good thing I’m looking forward to is the inevitable crash, which I’m hoping will begin between 8-9pm. However, these are the times I’m actually around a TV. My shows that I like to watch if I’m home: Adventure Time (which is an awesome show that completely caters to the state of mind I’m in as I’m typing, or just makes me laugh for being so random), Misadventures of Flapjack (optional viewing, but quite entertaining if I’m in the mood), and The Good Guys. I’ll probably force myself to stay awake one more hour after that just so I don’t wake up in the wee hours and forage for food. It’s a bad habit, but as long as I can sleep through the night, I can count on waking up with the sun and squirrels and repeat the process I described above, but be wise enough to skip the second helping of caffeine so I’m not writing another useless blog post.

Time to get back to work!

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Posted in babbling, caffeine, coffee, office, random

fripodding and lost: “the constant” composed by michael giacchino

You would think this friPod post would’ve been posted a couple weeks ago along with my LOST reflections that I posted all of that week. But I figured I’d talk about Michael Jackson instead since the date fell on a friDay. Why not honor one of the greatest, right?

But I don’t want to overlook one of the greatest TV shows and one of the greatest composers of our time.

Oscar winner: Michael Giacchino.

If you are not as musically-versed as other people I know (I don’t know everyone and everything either, especially composers), but he is the man behind the music of many movies and TV shows I’m sure you’re aware of. By the way, the Academy Award he won was for the movie Up. Yes, go watch that again and listen to the brilliance. Other places you may have heard him: Star Trek, Alias, Fringe… pretty much anything J. J. Abrams related, actually. I’ll add that he does considerable work for Disney/Pixar as well. So you may not have heard of him, but you’ve heard him.

Anyway, rather than pick apart all the themes of LOST, I will just pick my favorite. And it might be easy to remember since it’s from what many consider the best episode of the series. I might contend that it might not be the most recognizable, but on the same token, pretty much any score you hear from LOST, if you are a true fan, you know it’s from the show. And if you are a true Lostie, you know what character(s) is attached to the theme, when it was played and/or what’s going on when it happens.

Click to watch episode

One of the pieces that I love the most is what iSaac call’s “The Constant” which is from the very episode of the same name. Need a refresher of the famous tear-jerking scene that made the awesome brutha one of the show’s most favorite characters? Of course you do. (For those who don’t know anything about what I’m talking about, we find our hero, Desmond, having his conscience flash back and forth through time. He is told that these flashes will get worse and eventually kill him unless he is able to lock onto something that exists in both times he’s flashing to—a constant—which can be an object or a person, anything that will allow him to pretty much keep him sane and consequentially alive. His constant is estranged girlfriend, Penny, who was the only girl he truly loved, lost, and knew he would reconnect with her somehow by any means necessary. He hasn’t seen or spoken to her for years, and being trapped on the island didn’t help matters. But Penny had been on a mission of her own to find him. Much to her delight, as well as Desmond being surprised himself; a simple phone call (which was very complicated to get to) changed everything. It’s much easier if you just watch the episode for yourself.)

I’m pretty sure everyone can agree that without the score, that scene wouldn’t be as powerful. Granted, the scene is very strong on its own… but I think its one of the greatest moments in the show and I just love listening to this piece and being reminded of it. Plus, it just sounds awesome. And then at the end of it, I begin to wonder… who will be my constant?

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Posted in friday, fripodding, music

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