Saturday, February 28, 2009

The Greatest Show Ever (Sometimes dreams do come true)

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I had a dream once, and it was to be in a saves the day cover band. This year that dream came true. If you're around next Friday make sure to come out and hang.


Updates*
Enya is no longer playing. Bop Jizz (acidjazzfunk covering popular rap songs) and another funky cover band are replacing her.

Also, no more Blue Oyster Cult. But a Band cover band. I should of just made a new flyer.

Sorry for the confusion.
If you can't make the show, you can stream it online. www.purchaseradio.org

love always,

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Raquetball?

Who would of thought that a college student could take a Racquetball class? Well then you've obviously never heard of Purchase College. I had no idea how exciting this sport could be because I was never a member of a country club or a gym. As most people know the sport is designed to be played by rich white men. To play a game, one must have a racquet, a ball and a huge fucking white room with at least five walls. I now know understand why I've never seen a pickup game of Racquetball being played outside. Anyhoo, here are some brief rules, if you've ever wondered how this majestic tennis like game works.


To serve, and start play of the game, the serving player must bounce the ball on the floor once and forcefully strike it against the front wall — making the ball rebound beyond the short line and strike the floor, either with or without touching a side wall, otherwise the serve counts as a fault. After the ball bounces behind the short line, or passes the receiving line, the ball is in play and the opposing player(s) may strike it in turn.

Per USA Racquetball, the server must wait until the ball passes the short line before stepping out of the service zone, otherwise it is a fault serve. The server is allowed two service attempts if a fault serve is committed. There are many different methods of determining who receives first serve. One method determines that by each player striking the ball against the front wall and seeing whose serve lands closest to either back red line or the back wall.
The server must stand within the service zone when serving, and the service receiver must stand behind the receiving line when service is made, and until the ball bounces on the floor or crosses the receiving line. After the receiver player strikes the served ball, where a player stands for play is unrestricted. The player who won the last point or rally serves next.

After a successful serve, players alternate hitting the ball against the front wall. The player returning the hit may allow the ball to bounce once on the floor or hit the ball on the fly, however, once the player returning the shot has hit the ball, either before bouncing on the floor or after one bounce, it must strike the front wall before it hits the floor. Unlike during the serve, a ball in play may touch as many walls, including the ceiling, as necessary so long as it reaches the front wall without striking the floor.

Only the serving player scores points, like-wise, in a doubles game, only the serving team, when the opposing player does not return the served ball, or for some other reason as determined by the rules. Professional players play best-of-five 11-point games, requiring a two-point margin for victory. Amateur players play two 15-point games, with an 11-point tie-breaking game if needed. If the game is tied 10 to 10 the game must continue until a player wins by 2 points

-Wikipedia


Although I said that would be brief, it wasn't. But the game is a pretty simple one to understand, just take a look at these vids.

Amateurish


Professional


Even Priests enjoy a fun game!


After watching a few videos online, it is possible to play outside, just not in the "hood".


If your gym doesn't have a Racquetball court, then demand one! If they still don't give in, write to your senator for that shit.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Patton Oswalt interview




I swear i wasn't lying.

America: Fuck Yeah?

Although the last eight years of freakishly aggresive and alienating foreign policy have made it trendy on the left to bitch endlessly about the negative consequences of American hegemony, chances are good that the global economic crisis will change that a bit. In today's NYTimes, Tom Friedman has a defense of a renewed sense of nationalism:
While it is true that since the end of the cold war global leaders and intellectuals often complained about a world of too much American power, one doesn’t hear much of that grumbling today when most people recognize that only an economically revitalized America has the power to prevent the world economy from going into a global depression. It was always easy to complain about a world of too much American power as long as you didn’t have to live in a world of too little American power. And right now, that is the danger: a world of too little American power.

To some degree, this just means that the rest of the world is not inclined to hate us for our freedom, tolerance and comparative power, but instead they'll just hate us when we're assholes. Right?

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

The Schwartz Journal of Hockey.


Launy “The” Schwartz is your faithful bucket sporting host and regular contributor to HockeyBarn.com. After 25 years as a player, fan, coach, and now a goalie instructor, he brings to you his keen and sometimes off centre view about the game that defines him.

The Kovalev Identity, Supremacy, & Ultimatum. 

If you were to ask just about any player or goalie to name one of the most gifted players in the NHL, it’s likely the name Alexei Kovalev would fall off the tip of his tongue.

Kovalev has the skill set of a highly trained assassin. His snap shot can be unloaded with deadly accuracy from locations where most players wouldn’t even attempt a shot. He can dangle the puck in the corner and escape even the burliest of armed guards. On a breakaway he strikes fear in to the heart of even the most hardened goaltender. 

Too bad when Kovie shows up to play, he doesn’t always put these gifts on display.  And therein lies the problem in Montreal.

Let’s do some target practice…

1. Now, Kovalev is set to receive his senior’s discount at the Canadiens’ gift shop. At 36, most players his age begin to lose the speed and ability to control a game. Look no further than his countryman Sergei Federov.

2. After this season the Russian becomes an unrestricted free agent. He currently skates away with $4.5 million a year. Most players’ fair market value is based on their previous season’s performance. For many of us, we only have to look at the standings in our fantasy pool to know he’s not producing at last year’s pace. (Thankfully, for me, Jeff Carter has picked up his slack… 

3. Many players have their trademark moves in their career. Kovalev’s trademark move is going up and down in stats. As the first Russian ever to be drafted in the first round, he would make his NHL debut in 1992/93. Kovie’s 38 points in 65 games wasn’t too shabby for a rookie. He wouldn’t show his full potential until he got traded to Pittsburgh in 1998. A 95-point season in 2000/01 prepared fans and the League for great expectations.

4. What Kovie’s up, must Kovie down…. He would return to the Rangers in 02/03 with a torrid point per game average, and his offensive output had virtually disappeared upon his trade to the Habs. But, in typical Kovalev form he would dazzle once again in his new uniform, falter a year later, and then recover once again with one of his best seasons. His off-years have not always been that bad statiscally, but when compared to his talent and potential, very disappointing. 

5. In a city where hockey is arguably akin to religion, and the Arch Bishop is Bob Gainey, Kovalev’s Priesthood with his team may seem sacrilegious. ‘C’ or not, he has to lead the prayer service for the faithful, or else he may be forced to find another church to pray in.

Many pundits proclaim Kovie will return to form after his sabbatical, and fail to mention that this is at the very core of the problem. His “form” is inconsistent. It’s not about returning to form. It’s about breaking it.

Now the question for Gainey is how to proceed? All things considered, it’s a huge gamble because Alex is set to go on his standard killing spree after a year of dormancy. With the trade deadline approaching, who knows if the Habs’ GM is willing to bank on his sniper hitting the target.

 

 

 

Soundtrack To Your Life

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http://www.sendspace.com/file/8i3cce


Tracklist

Brand New- "Fork and Knife"
YeahYeahYeah's- "Heads Will Roll"
Grizzly Bear- "Graceland" (Paul Simon cover)
Lilly Allen- "Not Fair"
Patton Oswalt- "The Miracle Of Childbirth"
John Coltrane-"Naima"
Shugo Tokumuro- "Sanganichi"
The Hood Internet-"Lump Sum Of Paris"
Pains Of Being Pure At Heart-"This Love Is Fucking Right"



Enjoy.
Stay Tuned for the interview, i promise it will be here.

Monday, February 23, 2009

7 Days

7 Days
by Brendan Taylor



Memories ash
Paler now than the
Mountain misunderstood
In an appetite for your hunger.
Undertaking destruction, legalizing thunder.
In the belly of a sigh squalling,
In broken off fingers, chewed-up paranoia,
Sawed-off false claims align.
The tune hums numbness through anger…

Slammed-in martyrdom scars
Like the gnarled tree a pastry chef cannot shape.
A spot where no birds will flock, no animals will take pity on.
Where dust shovels a poison headache
Aimlessly unfolding a
Regrettable skin cold.
Inside, blood-tears cloud as atriums empty, breath sunders/
Crumbling toes asphyxiate
A cigar dries out the humidor,
Hangover sods the folklore,
And humor plays the misplaced one
Like never before, he swims.

Winds connect
Wilted branches suddenly
Correcting trances.
Asymmetrical leaf pattern dances
Absent hand-holds
Fleeing hip-touches
Forecast future let-downs,
He’s drowning.

A son will separate the womb
A son will plague worlds within.
As a sun will capsize this day,
A son will depart you all too soon.


A daughter reaches for imaginary air,
A table will clutch her underneath,
Where windows rob shrugging views.
Hands wrap-ankles
And prayers sigh like a whore.
A youth void of Dad, alone
Just as never before.

North of Somewhere
Calm growls/ calm grows
In alleviation’s tones.
Solemn--he stares at me, unrequitedly.
Mixtures of self-perseveration in a pit of angst.
Monsters canonize, the séance is breached.

Inside piles of muddy violence,
Intuition grows naturedly, secondly.
Oh the guilt…will can bring.
Caught in between these river banks
An ironed out slave,
An ancient rut proclaims/ defames
Words of the unwritten
For under-written ones.

Dissenting eyes rip,
Outward-sockets fall
Paradise looms
Inward tears a cornea,
Down falls the crown.

And so it was written…
Alien to the ground
Sleeping through clock’s pain,
A wreath of sadness,
The cereal box’s dismay
At morning loudness,
Only a murderess can bring to a small town.
Now, I write him away…



7 days fuel the week out
7 days they said it was all made
Without a sound.
7 days number in plain
Contrast.
7 days Apollo reverses an island of wills
The mediocre moon wails
Pain insidenial…shrill.




7 days without context, sleeping bag nor hair tie.
No comfort through avoidance.
Aphrodite and Eros,
Swimming through him to stardom, alone.

7 days, “I don’t think so….”
In the eighth, he lasts.

Soon Brendan will learn the ways of the internet and be able to be contacted, until then leave a comment.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Brick Talk Episode 2.




In other news, I got the interview with Patton Oswalt! At the moment I'm editing the footage down so i can upload to you-tube. If you don't know his name off the top of your head. Think voice of Ratatouille. It's going to be greatttt.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Conan's Last Day In New York

Conan's gathering his things and flying out to LA, leaving us dedicated fans back in New York City. Yesterday I was lucky enough to go to his 2nd to last taping! It's amazing what an e-mail can do. I had never been to a taping before, but had heard great things. The set isn't as big as you would imagine, and Conan really is 8 feet tall. I'm not going to go on about how much I think he means to our generation, but I'll leave you with some of my favorite Conan moments.


Death From Above receives a special guest.

death from above 1979


Forss Fagerstrom


Hornymanatee.com


The Pale Force


The Emmy's Cut


Before I end the post, I wanted to tell you about my personal "run-in" I once had with Conan. When I was living in the city and going to Marymount, we would have to walk 16 blocks from the dorms to campus. One Tuesday while I was walking with a friend we notice what we thought was Conan. Like a little child I yelled "hey conan!" and he returned the exchange, but unfortunately didn't say my name. He returned back on that walk three weeks later, I said it again and he replied. Do you have any interesting stories about Conan or the show? Leave them in the comments section.

Watch Conan Brien's last NYC show tonight on NBC @12:35

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Man from the Sea




"I am a traditional outsider. I am an immigrant (from Russia!) and a Jew (sorry)."
-The Will to Whatevs by Eugene Mirman

Way back in the year 2005, I sent Mr. Mirman an email asking if I had seen him in a web TV show called "I Love the 30s". Within a half-hour, he promptly responded "no", along with this tidbit in response to my name:

"And if I see you at some point I will try to pronounce your name with the slight difference that let's you know I know about the K."

Some people have trouble pointing to the exact moments in their life when they fell in love. The minute I read that email I gave my heart to Mr. Mirman, and he has had it ever since.

Over the years, I have watched Eugene Mirman emerge from a humble beginning in stand up comedy and video making to the breakneck world of voice overs and television commercials. You may recognize his charming vibrato on Adult Swim programs such as "Lucy, The Daughter of the Devil" or "Home Movies" or on HBO's "The Flight of the Conchords". He has also recently released a book:



Mr. Mirman's comedy attracts many and alienates more. Some equate his selective brand of humor to that of a fine wine or fermented human feces. Like it or not, either way you're bound to get wasted.

Here are some of my favorite Mir-moments:

Eugene restores justice and protects his honor via stand up:



Eugene marvels at the wonders of modern society, including the Honda Civic:


"A Video Eugene Sent Himself from the Future":


Check out Eugene's new book, "The Will to Whatevs", in addition to his comedy albums including "En Garde, Society!" and "The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman".

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

New Music!!!!

I've been listening to some new releases that I believe are worthy of note.

Morrissey- "Year Of Refusal"
If you know me, you probably know that the Moz is the one guy I would break my heterosexuality for. If you don't know me, then now you know that. I hope i didn't just turn you off from his incredible music because that would be tragic for you. Nothing out of the ordinary for Morrissey and crew, but I think this song is one of his finest to date. I couldn't embed the actual video so you have to settle for this, my apologies.



Two Tongues- "s/t"- It's a rare event that two of my favorite artists combine forces to create an album. Chris Conley from Saves The Day and Max Bemis from Say Anything have stirred up an outstanding album featuring some of the most infective pop rock tunes I've heard in some time. There are no official videos of them playing together because they have yet to play a live show! So stay tuned for dates!


Thursday- "Common Existance"- Growing up, I used to idolize Thursday. I've been into every album since the last one which I was heavily disappointed with. I then kind of "moved on" like most people have done with this band. I'm glad I gave them a shot again because this album is a true gem.


Beirut- "March Of The Zapotec"- I haven't listened to this album throughout but this song is great, if not just for the title.


*In personal news, I'll be going to see Patton Oswalt on Friday night @ Carolines, I'm trying to get a video interview, wish me luck.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The Breakfast Club/ Part 2

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This week the breakfast club ventured to one of the classiest breakfast joints in the tri-state area, to a little place called The Star Diner. Located on 66 East Post Road, White Plains, New York. Star is literally the size of a train car. It's maximum capacity holds approximately 40 people, who might all be anorexic. Although a great place to grab a cheap bite, the diner is located in a neighborhood where what some people might classify as the "hood". If it's one in the morning or one in the afternoon, you can always count on the Star to deliver a delicious, greasy, hot meal.



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Blythe: let's face it: we all knew we were going to be satisfied with the star from the beginning. small, hot, dirty - this place is everything you can ask for in a diner. for my breakfast, i got 2 eggs scrambled, toast, homefries, and bacon. for just 5.50, i dined like a queen. on to the ratings...

1. service - as always, A
2. food - good, but i'm still sweating out the grease, B+
3. atmosphere - full of the best and worst of white plains, always an interesting environment, A

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Frank: The Star Diner is a staple for any person living near the White Plains area. I've usually reserved the Star Diner for late night, most likely intoxicated meals, but this Sunday morning breakfast was more than I could ask for. I ordered Two Eggs (over easy) with Canadian Bacon, but truthfully I probably could have ordered anything and I would of liked it, that's just the type of place the Star Diner is. It is a tiny, cramped, personal restaurant where you literally hear the waiters yell your order to the cook who is standing just on the other end of the counter. The food always comes up fast, hot, and delicious. If your looking for a great breakfast either before or after you actually sleep, then the Star Diner comes highly recommended.

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Rob: My first daylight trip to the Star. What craziness! Usually I go for a short stack or a burger deluxe, but this time around, I was feeling saucy, so I ordered the corned beef hash: a healthy portion topped over-easy and a shire of homefries and white toast. The coffee presidential, the toast just toast. Stellar homefries seasoned to perfection. Entreé superb: the salty beef, the dripping egg... ahh... no words...

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Sam: I just want to start off by saying that being from New Jersey, I strongly believe I am one to critique. I've been to the Star about 5 times already this semester and have yet to be let down. This time I got coffee, my usual 2 eggs over easy with french fries and a charity piece of bacon from Blythe. Although the meal was nothing out of the ordinary, the meal was out of this world. We received great service from our Spanish speaking waitress, I even attempted to speak Spanish to the waitress but thought I would save myself the embarrassment for next time. Everything was cozy and enjoyable and when you only have to wait 5 minutes for your meal, you know this place is doing it's job right. Overall A

Keep showing us some love, follow the blog, leave a comment or write for this goddamn thing. Until next week.

THE BREAKfast KLUB
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Monday, February 16, 2009

I'd like to thank the Academy...

The 81st Annual Academy Awards will be broadcast live this Sunday, honoring the films that transported us away from our menial, painful lives and into worlds of vivid fantasy, such as the slums of Mumbai or WWII Germany. It was in those and other exotic locales that our hearts were warmed with simple tales, such as an ex-president looking for redemption, a middle aged man finding illegal immigrants in his home, and a frantic mother looking for her son. These and other wacky characters took us on fantastic journeys, that after all sorts of twists and turns ended on high notes, like the assassination of the America's first openly gay politician, the suicide of a Nazi war criminal, and of course, the mental insanity and physical scarring of Gotham city's white knight District Attorney.

Betting on the Oscars has always been a difficult task for me. Rather than view previous awards garnered and critical popularity and base my decisions on that, I tend to bet on the films and people that I want to win (last year's "No Country For Old Men" won against my pick for "There Will Be Blood"). Also, there's always the chance that I hadn't seen all the films nominated, in which I fall back on the old stand by of making my picks based on how foreign the names sound in hopes of sounding intellectual and cultured (which worked in my favor when I picked Marion Cotillard for "Best Actress" last year).

This year, however, I've done my homework by seeing all the movies up for nomination and am fully prepared to reveal to you my 75.6% accurate Oscar winners list. There's a few sure bets (a complex tale of a robot looking for romance or an over weight panda trying to learn kung fu...yeah...) and a few dark horses (actors and actresses from other films besides "Best Picture" picks compose most of their categories).

FILM: "Slumdog Millionaire"
DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle for "Slumdog Millionaire"
ACTOR: Sean Penn for "Milk"
ACTRESS: Kate Winslet for "The Reader"
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Ledger (no kidding) for "The Dark Knight"
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Penelope Cruz for "Vicky Christina Barcelona"
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: John Patrick Shanley for "Doubt"
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Dustin Lance Black for "Milk"
ANIMATED FILM: "WALL-E"
FOREIGN LANGUAGE: "Waltz With Bashir"
DOCUMENTARY: "Man on Wire"

*I am not responsible for any money, personal items, clothing or virginity lost due to wagers made based on this list. Also, in case your gambling pool is betting on the technical categories (Cinematography, Sound Editing, etc.), "The Dark Knight" will win them to make up for Christopher Nolan's lack of "Best Director" nomination.

So make sure to tune in this Sunday and enjoy the three plus hours of slide shows of dead people, Hugh Jackman awkwardly reading off a teleprompter, and everyone crying when Heath Ledger wins his posthumous Oscar. Take a shot every time an acceptance speech is cut off by the orchestra.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Not Musak.

As we mourn the loss of Musak, let us listen to some good .... music.







While both songs are my top tunes at the moment, I've chosen the videos for superficial reasons - Trouble Andrew is hot, and I like the way Friendly Fires moves.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

The Breakfast Club/ Part 1

I enjoy eating, I enjoy going out to eat, and i enjoy watching Top Chef. I thought that the blog could use a food section, So along with a couple of friends, we decided to create the breakfast club. The breakfast club is an exclusive bunch that goes out to breakfasts every Sunday to eat delicious food and give our thoughts on what we think of the food that we've consumed.

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This week the bunch ventured to America's favorite diner, Denny's. We chose the closest restaurant near Purchase which was located in Danbury Connecticut. Here are our reviews:



Emily:Photobucket

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Blythe: 1) bathrooms smelled very nice and the staff was very attentive when it came to toilet paper.
A-
2) our waiter, though he only spoke in one tone, was very friendly, accepting of the fact that we acted like assholes most of the time, interested in not only the breakfast club, but also the price of sam's camera, AND most importantly, willing to ask us if we would like pancake puppies.
again, gonna give this one an A-
3) a staff member who was not obligated to wait on our table provided emily with crayons and powder that made her water blue...and she did it without a sly remark or funny look.
this one deserves an A
4) grits sucked. they looked like snow that had been peed on.
D


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Frank: For my Denny's meal experience, i choose the infamous Western Burger. This bad boy was topped with onion rings and a steak sauce. I'm not gonna lie, when i saw the burger I was about to consume, i was a nervous man. The only rational thought that came to my head was "Ok...maybe if i eat it slow enough, I won't feel sick." This unrealistic solution of mine actually paid off though. I felt just fine after my Western Burger and enjoyed my Denny's experience to say the least. High points included: drawing with ketchup over un-eaten gritz, our waiters enthusiasm in asking us if we wanted any Pancake Puppies, and the blue water.

*I forgot to take a picture :(
Sam: "Going to a restaurant almost 40 minutes away, I thought that it was appropriate to order the most well known dish that Denny's has to offer, THE GRAND SLAM/$5.99. The Denny's Grand Slam offers the customer a choice of 4 sides from 8, including 2 pancakes, 2 Eggs, Sausage, Bacon, creamy grits, oatmeal, french toast or hash browns. I was feeling adventurous so i chose the pancakes, eggs, bacon, hash browns and for an extra 99 cents thought I would try some creamy grits. Everything came out pretty quickly, in the meantime while waiting, we watched Emily do the zig-zag puzzle with her two flimsy crayons. Once the meal arrived, I grabbed my fork and knife and dug into my meal, the eggs tasted great, the bacon was crispy, the hash browns along with the right amount of ketchup also tasted pretty scrumptous. The Pancakes could have been a little more cooked, but whatever. Wondering where the creamy grits went? They stayed right on the table, I'm sorry that i didn't take a picture of what they looked like, but imagine what snow oatmeal would look like and taste like and that's exactly what I received. So excluding the grit mush bowl, I was pleasantly satisfied with the meal. Overall B-"

Stay Tuned for next week's, when The B.C take a visit to the Cracker Barrel.

Love,
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PS- This post is dedicated to Jeff, thanks for the great service!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

THEY'REEEE BACKKKK

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Whose coming to the reunion show with me?

Comedy Sunday's





Friday, February 6, 2009

Brick Talk. Episode 1




it's a step in the right direction.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

The Real World Wrap-up

My apologies for the tardiness of this post but i was in the editing lab finishing up a video for my new interview section on THEPURCHASEBRICK.COM. (That's another discussion)


I just finished watching the new episode on MTV.COM and can say that i am still not proud about being hooked on this show. So if you also missed the episode, here is a brief synopsis:

-Gang goes to Fashion Week gala thing, Scott gets numbers from model chicks.
-Ryan plays prank on the gang.
-JD finds out and sprays shaving cream on Ryan and Chet while they're sleeping
-Ryan freaks out (PTSD)
-Scott brings home 2 model girls (both black) back to the apartment and shows them his modeling portfolio, nothing sexual occurs.
-Devyn and Chet are both jealous and do obnoxious things, trying to gain Scott's attention. Devyn wants Scott's dick and so does Chet.
-Chet's dream is to be the new host of TRL.
-He finds out it got cancelled, lolz.
-Chet calls up his connection at fall out boy management company and does an interview in asbury park for someshitty band
-Ryan talks about his time in Iraq
-Cast feels bad for him
-Ryan and army friend go to a memorial service at ground zero on 9/11
-Chet interviews Pete Wentz
-Chet wants to suck his dick
-Fin


So overall I had a good time during this episode, even though I was continuously interrupted.
What I enjoyed Finally getting a glimpse into Scott's character. Like I said before in my first post, i knew nothing at all about him except he was from Massachusetts, which by itself is kind of lame. This episode I really enjoyed his interactions with the rest of the house. I liked how he macked model hunnies and got two of them back to the apartment on two separate occasions. I also enjoyed the part in the episode where after Chet makes a "dating guide" for Scott, Scott begins to get angry. I was just waiting for there to be a fight, which i'm predicting to occur sometime soon. The 9/11 trip was interesting and definitely added a humane perspective to the show, that is almost never exposed in any of the other episodes. I laughed out loud when Chet found out that TRL was cancelled.


What I didn't
Chet, just take a look at this one picture:

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Take a real look at this picture!
HE'S WEARING A HAT WITH HIS FUCKING NAME ON IT! How vein can he possibly be? We know that you're mormon and proud of it, but please dude, spare us. I'm not going to continue with this because i am extremely uncomfortable with myself due to the immense emotional attachment I have with a reality show character. Another thing that made me upset was Devyn's agreeing attitude with Chet towards Scott. We all know that you want to fuck him, great, he doesn't want your skanky silicon boobs, get over it, move on.
PETE WENTZ'S influence on this show. They go to his bar every episode, they hang out with his management agency, and give Chet an oppurtunity to be on his networking site. We all know how rich and self involved he is but please MTV give it a break, there is more hip things going on in New York City than Pete Wentz. I know this might upset a few of you, but i don't like Ryan's attitude towards his war experiences. Obviously he is going to have stresses concerning his time served, but when they focus on him and then he's says things like " I don't have a problem. I don't want to be one of those guys with a problem." I say to myself, then shut up and stop discussing it, but he doesn't. Hopefully, the producers of the show will move away from that theme, but probably not because it provides discussion for lame, no live having people like me.


If you're not watching this show, you are missing out. MTV is always streaming past episodes, so take some time out of you're extremely busy day and watch an episode or four.


Until Pete Wentz invents another company,

Brendan's Note

Kurdt
by Brendan Taylor

Dying prematurely is the most striking part to him to you. That and his voice I suppose; his ephemeral, compelling voice. Suffocating is all you tend to do and perhaps he chose to bring the pillow in a bit closer. Some don’t want the last words or all-wrong floral arrangements compromising their final bubble-wrapped moments. Some dictate their last breath, if this is even the case, but it’s not the point.
Kurt Cobain never trailed off into the beating unconsciousness brings with it. He never wanted to relive days of youth or grandeur. He was “married, buried,” had a daughter that needed changing, a house that needed chipping and painting, music that needed retooling and promoting, and perhaps these were more chains to his persona than anything else. Really, he never grew up.
Some choose to tell their own stories for you to be left guessing at them as a detective/victim to their sheer fame, searching the remaining pieces of a lousy crime scene. Like James Dean or Robert Johnson, some become folklore unto themselves. You never see where exactly the surge of their pathway is leading, if to anywhere. This turns into another form of rationalizing a boring existence in hoping for the other side of consciousness. We lean often for some kind of energy.
Cobain was the energy he so sang of. This is also why he is not here anymore. Perceiving the worst forms of one’s reality is part of battling one’s self; some choose to dictate the fight and others keep on ignoring, keep on drowning. As screwed up and torrentially misguided as this will sound, it was the art of never allowing youthful naiveté or devotion to music be taken from him, that original notion of never straying into reunion tours or sad songs that try to recapture the light of what was. He never talked about which route will be more efficient to pick his daughter up from school. He never had his hair fall out, never started playing golf or shaming the Bush administration. Cobain never lamented in someone else’s pride or anxiety concerning his creations. By giving up, he never quite gave in.
Perhaps he should have stopped playing is all, but how can one ever stop when all they are attempting to do is start over? It’s as if you get high on art, then in the same swift backward motion: kill it forcefully. Is that victimizing your so-called idols, is it martyrdom? Or is it selfishness getting in the way, always expecting what you’re tritely familiar with? If in fact selfishness leads to suicide, then suicide derives from a self-driven world that manipulates, conjures and falsifies an individual’s very being.
Marlon Brando said, “There are no artists anymore.” He cited the modern forms of celebrity, vanity and wealth as the downfalls to the actual process of creation. Surely he forgets art is not just the scene he was involved in. But perhaps the suffocation is an art unto itself. Art is meant to resist, someone, something. Kurt resisted everything. To quote another heavy namesake, Bob Dylan remarked, “All my songs are protest songs,” when he was faced with animosity toward his new “sound” away from acoustic, topical songs.
Kurt was a rare form, a moving protest, one in the substandard MTV culture which became a paradise for those “trying to be”… anything, those self-rated who parallel everyone else as a measure of and for themselves. They didn’t have the chance to rate him, they couldn’t touch him; they were all over, smothering him, he couldn’t bear to think what he had become.
Yes there are artists, Mr. Brando, not only Shakespeare and Picasso, who did it for the sake of it, but there are ones who do it because they have to be recognized in order to rest; there are ones who do it because they know they’re bound to be heard, have to be heard, need to be-- what grows inside is a world within a world.
Cobain was an exception in modern pop music, he wrote in the grossest forms of irony and sang in the rigorous truths of originality. The rest can be left for duplicators to carbon-copy or discuss over the mediocrity of their late-night smokes.
You end up bothering still with what was made because it’s been approved almost, ridiculously, by someone, by something. That’s also because there was something there--Cobain’s humdrumness was so similar, so customary to our own passiveness. His pain was foreseeable, not comprehendible. His path is one stuck, maimed; preserved in a time warp.
When I still listen to Nirvana, Kurt’s voice emanates a tone of sarcasm that cannot be denied in most instances. Yet it is a sarcasm of ironic wit plagued by monotony. He takes the perspective of an outsider with simplistic lyrics that have the ability to reach and be interpreted in variant ways, while communicating how easy the game looks; how pathetic it may all be viewed if you’re not a regular participant in situations.
The simplicity with which Cobain executes is his greatest strength; in his words, in his melodies, even in his voice, for simplicity brings rawness, which brings passion. Maybe he was passionately ambivalent; maybe he decided to go in the polar opposite direction from most of the people in his logging home-town out of desperation. For, Cobain was not courageous; he was courageous in voice, in spirit, he was humbled by his overtly narcissistic placement in the world. Kurt was irregularly sensitive to the transience of things and maybe as a child he became too attached to have to watch them die all over again. Perhaps like all great artists, his head wouldn’t leave him alone; his heart wouldn’t leave him alone. Krist Novoselic said once, “Kurt was a great artist, completely original. The best artists create their own voice, Kurt created his own world.”
Maybe we’re all just dramatists trying to save everything as its happening, trying to capture what’s written while it’s being read; maybe Kurt knew to end it before things got a little awry; maybe he was a stupid kid who should have stuck things out and realized that times smooth over. Maybe some are too honest they never learn how to die the way we want them to.
Well, whatever… nevermind.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Save Yer Ears

This evening I heard "Untouched" by the Veronicas at least ten times on various stations within one hour. I hate that song. It sucks. A lot. It actually makes me angry to hear it, and for a moment I feel the need to scream obsenities at anyone remotely enjoying it whilst simultaneously tearing off my ears.

I like my ears, so thankfully I have the "Saving Grace" musicians - as I like to call them. The artists I can turn to when I lose hope in the world o' music. They are Sean Hayes and Yann Tiersen. You might recognize both names - Yann Tiersen composed the "Goodbye, Lenin" and "Amelie" soundtrack; Sean Hayes shares his namesake with one of the stars of Will and Grace.

Personally, I love that they're not so well known. If that was the case, they'd probably take the Coldplay route and I'd hear their songs so much they'd start to annoy me. But at the same time, they're so damn good that I think they deserve a little recognition. So, take some time to nurse your ears and give these tunes a listen. While your at it, answer this: What are your Saving Grace musicians?



LoveSchackMix: Volume 3: SSS

Photobucket

http://www.sendspace.com/file/kybdqd

A wolf at the door- Radiohead
Sure Shot- Beastie Boys
If I could make you do things- Two Tongues
Apple Orchard- Beach House
Family Tree- TV On The Radio
My girls- Animal Collective
Love Song (The Cure Cover)- Death Cab For Cutie
Ay Man- Pharrell ft. Lil Wayne
Transmission (joy division cover)- Hot Chip


If you listen to the show, you know what this is about, if not I'll give you a brief description. I have a radio show, where i play music and talk bullshit. This is the music that was played on the show.
Monday night's @ 10pm/www.purchaseradio.org


If you like the music, listen to the show. I'll be posting a new mix every week.

Also, Brendan's notes will be featured soon (whenever he emails them to me), so watch out!

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Let Me Tell You How It Will Be...

UPDATE: 2:15 pm Only a few minutes after I confidently declared the Daschle nomination would be pushed through, he withdraws. Great. In hindsight, this already seems like it was a foregone conclusion. Live and learn.

Does anyone pay their taxes?

First it was Timothy Geithner, the now-confirmed Treasury Secretary. Then it was Tom Daschle, Obama's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services (i.e. the guy who's supposed to fix health care). It didn't end there, when today, Nancy Killefer, nominee for Chief Performance Officer, withdrew her candidacy, citing some tax issues that she didn't want to become a distraction for the Obama Administration.

The excuse given for Geithner and Daschle is that they have been designated to fill such vital roles in the new administration that they're indispensable. If you believe healthcare reform is important, then there's a compelling public interest in seeing Daschle pushed through. On the one hand, it's a refreshing departure from the Bush appointments, where utterly unqualified hacks were appointed to run things like FEMA. Obama is making appointments on the basis of competence - no one is saying Geithner and Daschle aren't two of the top dogs in their respective fields.

But when you try to balance the competency argument with Obama's promise of a more ethical government, someone ends up flying ass-up off the seesaw. Of course, this is more of a political embarrassment than a substantive issue. It's got a big fat ironic red bow on it for Republicans who like to whine about tax-and-spend liberals. It also just makes people angry; it straddles the line between cozy and corrupt, depending on who you talk to.

Eventually, Tom Daschle will be confirmed, because Democrats have the votes and Daschle has the political capital. But Republicans will be making lots of loud noises in the process. If any of those loud noises include viable alternatives to his nomination though, I'll be very surprised.
 
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