A list of the movies that I watched in April...now with new and improved links! Total movie count for the month: 14
6: Amores Perros
8: Evil
9: The King and I
10: This Film is Not Yet Rated
11: Sexy Beast, The Believer
12: US v. John Lennon
15: Gunner Palace
16: Brown Bunny
18: Hard Candy
21: Noises Off
26: Half Nelson
27: The Dreamers
29: Occupation: Dreamland
Monday, April 30, 2007
Saturday, April 21, 2007
A Brief Look at the State of the Media
We're always talking about the State of the State, and the State of the Union, and the various mental and emotional states of the people living in the states. But we're all products of our environment (for better or worse) and part of this environment, obviously, is the media.
Unfortunately, the media has decided to bombard us with the most sensational, irrational and headline selling stories in big bold 36 point font, then burying or completely ignoring other stories according to some sort of um, well, I don't know what it's according to. But take into consideration the picture here. This is from the front page of a "well known, respected" news source. Let's examine it point by point.
Let's start with the headline. This is traditionally the point in any newspaper where they will put out the day's biggest news. Apparently, the most important thing that happened in the world today was the death of a single American entertainment pilot. Now, while a true tragedy to be sure...is this really the most important news headline of the day?
Let's get to the second line though...did they back it up with a solid story in the wings? Not hardly. A story about clues to the VaTech killer's motives. Ok. Let's be clear. I mean no insensitivity to the tragedy suffered by the students, staff and families both directly and indirectly through this guy's actions. But this has occupied the news far too long at this point. He was fucked up. He shot a ton of unarmed and helpless people, then he shot himself. I think the fact that this is still in the news does a few things. First, it tries to rationalize and find an answer to something that doesn't have one. Secondly, it serves as motivation for any other sick soul that sees the deceased get this kind of attention and scrutiny far after his suicide and thinks, "why not me?"
Second headline...more VaTech. Third headline, NASA shooter. Then it goes humanitarian rice story, us building a wall around a sect of Iraqis and our troops benefiting from "dumb luck." In fact, when you look at all the side stories, you wonder if anything really happened in the world today at all. I mean, did any news happen that wasn't directly related to Americans and/or some stupid story line meant to get readers?
It's easy to show a Blue Angel's death as a headline and sell papers. But isn't CNN's responsibility to keep Americans informed on the state of the world and their increasingly tentative place in it? Make Blue Angels a side story, and give us another story about a bus bomb killing 148 Iraqis. Unfortunately, it's sensational, sells papers, and is just more Iraq news (you almost get the feeling from the hasty Blue Angel Headline that they were looking to be able to put anything in that top spot OTHER than Iraq (let's face it, everyone is tired of hearing how bad things are over there, so let's talk about something else)), but at least it tells an important story that we have slept through for far too long now.
In conclusion, I would encourage everyone to look for some alternative news sources.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Fellatio
That's right. Fellatio. Would you believe it? I didn't. I watched a movie the other day (I won't say which one in case some people don't want the surprise spoiled for them, but if anyone wants to know what the movie is, they can ask me) and there, at the end of this feature length studio film is a full on, non-simulated blow job scene. I felt like I had fallen out of the movie I had been watching and into a porn video, and I'm not too partial to porn.
It was quite shocking! All in all, I didn't think the movie was that great, aside from its surprise ending (and I'm not talking about the happy ending, I'm talking about an actual surprise), but I can tell you that it is probably one of the bigger stars you'll ever see give head on camera. I was going to name this blog, "_____ _____ gives head!" but then I realized that I didn't want to ruin the (and don't click on these if you don't want the surprise ruined!) movie, actress or surprise (this was going to be a link to the actual scene from the movie, but I couldn't find it anywhere) for anyone that wanted to find out for themselves.
I will say, even if you want to fast forward through this A-lister giving this schmoe a blow job, the movie might still get you at the end when you realize the point. I will say, I think every movie she's in is fantastic just for the fact that she's in it...she always tackles the risqué roles with style and grace. Cheers to her!
It was quite shocking! All in all, I didn't think the movie was that great, aside from its surprise ending (and I'm not talking about the happy ending, I'm talking about an actual surprise), but I can tell you that it is probably one of the bigger stars you'll ever see give head on camera. I was going to name this blog, "_____ _____ gives head!" but then I realized that I didn't want to ruin the (and don't click on these if you don't want the surprise ruined!) movie, actress or surprise (this was going to be a link to the actual scene from the movie, but I couldn't find it anywhere) for anyone that wanted to find out for themselves.
I will say, even if you want to fast forward through this A-lister giving this schmoe a blow job, the movie might still get you at the end when you realize the point. I will say, I think every movie she's in is fantastic just for the fact that she's in it...she always tackles the risqué roles with style and grace. Cheers to her!
Monday, April 16, 2007
Gunner Palace (movie review)
The war in Iraq, which technically is no longer a war, has been going on since March of 2003. Shortly after the fall of Baghdad, a documentary film maker went into Iraq to look closely at the troop situation on the ground, focusing on a segment housed in Uday Hussein's old palace. Called Gunner Palace, this film offers views of the situation in Iraq that are hopeful, frightening, sad, and desperate all at the same time.
There are a few things I find noting about this movie...the first is how obvious it was that the average troops serving us over there are fresh out of high school, usually from small and often poverty stricken towns. While they can't usually compare their towns to Iraq, they also don't have much of a visual idea of how to make it better. Some of these troops discuss the raids and attacks looking for insurgents in much the same way that they would discuss a cool method of killing someone in a video game. It makes you wonder, if that is the general mindset of troops on the ground, what kind of progress we can make with a post high school pre collegiate troop force.
Secondly, it brought to mind how much we have to fear with the situation in Iraq (not that anyone needs a reminder). This film was shot 4 years ago, and yet you can see the beginning of anti-US sentiment. Pro-Saddam uprisings happen a few times, and this is long before he was captured, let alone tried and hung for a worldwide audience. The population seems split over whether they want to attack the opposite sect of Islam (Sunni v. Shiite), the US troops, or the terrorists already working at both of the previous two.
The movie is told through the eyes of the cameraman, the adventures of the troops living in "Gunner's Palace," and the scenes and activities that pervade the street life of Iraq. Often, troops freestyle about their conditions. What's hard to comprehend is that now, three years later, it is likely that the majority of the stars of this film are either dead, injured, or on a second or maybe even third tour of duty in Iraq.
Finally, my ultimate shock, following on the heels of the previous documentary I reviewed here last week, was that this film was rated PG-13. It featured real life violence, some nudity and an exorbitant amount of vulgar language. I'm not sure if the idea here was to keep the rating low so that a majority of people could see this important film, or if it just slid by the MPAA, but I was shocked when I looked at some of movies rated PG-13, R and NC-17, compared this one and thought it deserved the R.
I watched another documentary last week that would bring tears to your eyes when you think of the impact, social strategy and overall genius of John Lennon, and just how much we could use him given our current global and political climate. Both Gunner Palace and US. v. John Lennon are worth your time and energy if you want to see something a little less fictional than your usual fare.
There are a few things I find noting about this movie...the first is how obvious it was that the average troops serving us over there are fresh out of high school, usually from small and often poverty stricken towns. While they can't usually compare their towns to Iraq, they also don't have much of a visual idea of how to make it better. Some of these troops discuss the raids and attacks looking for insurgents in much the same way that they would discuss a cool method of killing someone in a video game. It makes you wonder, if that is the general mindset of troops on the ground, what kind of progress we can make with a post high school pre collegiate troop force.
Secondly, it brought to mind how much we have to fear with the situation in Iraq (not that anyone needs a reminder). This film was shot 4 years ago, and yet you can see the beginning of anti-US sentiment. Pro-Saddam uprisings happen a few times, and this is long before he was captured, let alone tried and hung for a worldwide audience. The population seems split over whether they want to attack the opposite sect of Islam (Sunni v. Shiite), the US troops, or the terrorists already working at both of the previous two.
The movie is told through the eyes of the cameraman, the adventures of the troops living in "Gunner's Palace," and the scenes and activities that pervade the street life of Iraq. Often, troops freestyle about their conditions. What's hard to comprehend is that now, three years later, it is likely that the majority of the stars of this film are either dead, injured, or on a second or maybe even third tour of duty in Iraq.
Finally, my ultimate shock, following on the heels of the previous documentary I reviewed here last week, was that this film was rated PG-13. It featured real life violence, some nudity and an exorbitant amount of vulgar language. I'm not sure if the idea here was to keep the rating low so that a majority of people could see this important film, or if it just slid by the MPAA, but I was shocked when I looked at some of movies rated PG-13, R and NC-17, compared this one and thought it deserved the R.
I watched another documentary last week that would bring tears to your eyes when you think of the impact, social strategy and overall genius of John Lennon, and just how much we could use him given our current global and political climate. Both Gunner Palace and US. v. John Lennon are worth your time and energy if you want to see something a little less fictional than your usual fare.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Much ADuke About Nothing
Almost a year ago now, I blogged on what seemed to me an all too hasty rush to judgment against the Duke Lacrosse Players. Following several months of investigations, many changed stories and a few outrageous lies by a prosecutor, I blogged again on what appeared to be mounting evidence of their innocence.
Now, I don't think this needs anything more than one last follow up and a warning: Be slow in your rush to judgment. In today's ultra saturated media climate, it's easy to think because some reporter said it or some newspaper printed it, it's true. This is a real good case of a sports program, a university and several innocent individuals being dragged through the mud with no good reason whatsoever.
Now, I don't think this needs anything more than one last follow up and a warning: Be slow in your rush to judgment. In today's ultra saturated media climate, it's easy to think because some reporter said it or some newspaper printed it, it's true. This is a real good case of a sports program, a university and several innocent individuals being dragged through the mud with no good reason whatsoever.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
This Film Will Never Be Rated
If you get a chance or have Netflix, check out "This Film Is Not Yet Rated." It's a documentary that examines the MPAA's method and madness in terms of giving ratings to films. Most interesting in this examination are the following points (the cliff's notes if you will, for those not inclined to sit through the movie):
1) Sex always draws a worse rating than violence
2) Homosexual and "aberrational" sex are more likely to receive NC-17's (keep in mind that studios stop marketing and spending ad money on NC-17 flicks, basically condeming them to a slow video death or cult ramp-up), for the same or lesser act than a straight sex film
a) Masturbation scene from American Pie v. masturbation scene from But I'm a Cheerleader
b) Anal sex scenes in American Psycho v. anal sex scene in Boys Don't Cry
3) The members of the ratings committee are kept secret, but the members of the appeals board for directors that don't like the rating they receive include several heads of theaters, as well as....get this.....two clergymen.
4) The MPAA claims that all of its raters have kids between 3 and 17. In fact, most of them are 17 or older, the majority in their 20s.
5) The rating system is vague, arbitrary and established nowhere in law, yet their members consistently have an incredible amount of influence over the way movies get released and their content.
Don't believe me that it's vague? Check this out:
http://www.mpaa.org/flmrat_ratings.asp
I specifically like the line, "NC-17 does not necessarily mean obscene or pornographic; in the oft-accepted or legal meaning of those words. The Board does not and cannot mark films with those words. These are legal terms for courts to decide. The reasons for the application of an NC-17 rating can be excessive violence, sex, aberrational behavior, drug abuse or any other elements which, when present, most parents would consider too strong and therefore off-limits for viewing by their children."
Now would you want major studio heads, clergymen and average parents telling you that violence, killing, raping, assault against women...these things can usually stay PG-13 if they're done right, and R if they aren't. You can watch a 16 year old boy masturbate half naked on top of an apple pie at an R level, but a girl masturbating on top of her pajamas, with her finger, nothing showing (But I'm a Cheerleader), earns an NC-17.
Consider this: Excessive violence, dismemberment and degradation of women is totally cool for an R rating (Sin City), but a story of three young people finding their way in the world and exploring their sexuality with each other (the Dreamers) gets an NC-17. Exactly what are we trying to show our society, and especially our youngest generation is ok here? Would we rather have more high schoolers trying blow jobs and sex, looking for ways to enjoy themselves and discover themselves in the process because they saw some explicit sexuality in a movie. Or would we rather they load up some guns, thinking about how many people they might be able to kill in their high school, and then have hundreds, maybe thousands of movies vividly depicting various ways to accomplish such a feat?
The same guy (Jack Valenti, who, scary enough, came from politics) ran the MPAA from its inception in the 40s to 2005. How good can a censorship board be if the guy running it is that antiquated? In Basic Instinct, you can see Sharon Stone as she uncrosses and recrosses her legs, clearly seeing pubic hair. In this scene, she does this as an act of distraction, clearly exploiting her own sexuality. It's one of the calling card scenes of the movie. This movie was rated R.
The Cooler with Maria Bello and William H. Macy had to cut a scene to avoid an NC-17 rating...the scene was late in the film when the two stars have finally brought their relationship and care for each other...they're in bed, and as Macy goes down on her, you can see some of her pubic hair.
So blatant exhibitionism, and what in fact amounts to an extreme objectification of women should be seen by people...but pubic hair in an act of physical and emotional connection...now you've just gone too far.
I could go on and on with this, but start looking at whether or not you can see the difference between a PG-13 and an R. Then see if you can pinpoint why one movie is worse than another. Ask yourself why a bit of pubic hair during a lovemaking scene might grab an NC where a masked man stabbing in the breast and then using the knife to pull out the breast implant (Scary Movie) only earns you an R.
We're setting people up to accept violence, usually without realizing the consequences, and becoming numb to it. In Bonds movies, he can kill 20 guys in a scene, and as long as there is no blood, they can keep it PG-13. Kids don't watch that and ever get shown the true nature of death, or the gore that will inevitably accompany it. Violence is glorified, readily available and accepted. It is also often downplayed in terms of actual outcome of violence.
Sex though...sex is bad. Our society and culture has placed such a ridiculous taboo on the exposure and use of the human body that we hide it, obscure the wonders of it, and push sexuality behind closed doors. A disappointing majority of the American population refuses to acknowledge and accept people with differing views and feelings on sexuality, but find it acceptable that we march guns, tanks and all the violence that follows into Iraq in order to "spread freedom."
Gimme a break.
When I was watching this movie, I thought of Eyes Wide Shut and the orgy scenes in that. I had overlooked what this movie pointed out...there had been characters digitally placed into the orgy scenes to cover the actual sex. The following is a clip I pulled from the Wikipedia article on the movie that can be found here:
(it's an amazing movie if you haven't seen it...Despite rumors that Kubrick didn't like it, I found it eerie, suspenseful and shot with some pretty spectacular camera techniques.)
"American censorship controversy
Citing contractual obligations to deliver an R rating, Warner Bros. digitally altered the orgy scene for the American release of Eyes Wide Shut, blocking out images of graphic sexuality by inserting additional figures into the scene to obscure the view, thus avoiding an adults-only NC-17 rating that might have limited distribution of the film, as some large American theaters and video store operators have a policy that disallows films with that rating. This alteration of Kubrick's vision antagonized many cinephiles, as they argued that Kubrick had never been shy about ratings: A Clockwork Orange had an X-rating.
The version released in Europe and Australia was completely unchanged (theatrical and DVD release) with ratings mostly for people of 16 (Europe, in Germany) and 18+ (Australia) years of age. In New Zealand and in Europe, the uncensored version has been shown on public television without controversy. In Australia, it was broadcast on public television (on Network Ten) with the alterations in the American version for people of 15 years of age and older, blurring out, and cutting the images of explicit sexuality."
Anyone wanna go see a movie with me?
1) Sex always draws a worse rating than violence
2) Homosexual and "aberrational" sex are more likely to receive NC-17's (keep in mind that studios stop marketing and spending ad money on NC-17 flicks, basically condeming them to a slow video death or cult ramp-up), for the same or lesser act than a straight sex film
a) Masturbation scene from American Pie v. masturbation scene from But I'm a Cheerleader
b) Anal sex scenes in American Psycho v. anal sex scene in Boys Don't Cry
3) The members of the ratings committee are kept secret, but the members of the appeals board for directors that don't like the rating they receive include several heads of theaters, as well as....get this.....two clergymen.
4) The MPAA claims that all of its raters have kids between 3 and 17. In fact, most of them are 17 or older, the majority in their 20s.
5) The rating system is vague, arbitrary and established nowhere in law, yet their members consistently have an incredible amount of influence over the way movies get released and their content.
Don't believe me that it's vague? Check this out:
http://www.mpaa.org/flmrat_ratings.asp
I specifically like the line, "NC-17 does not necessarily mean obscene or pornographic; in the oft-accepted or legal meaning of those words. The Board does not and cannot mark films with those words. These are legal terms for courts to decide. The reasons for the application of an NC-17 rating can be excessive violence, sex, aberrational behavior, drug abuse or any other elements which, when present, most parents would consider too strong and therefore off-limits for viewing by their children."
Now would you want major studio heads, clergymen and average parents telling you that violence, killing, raping, assault against women...these things can usually stay PG-13 if they're done right, and R if they aren't. You can watch a 16 year old boy masturbate half naked on top of an apple pie at an R level, but a girl masturbating on top of her pajamas, with her finger, nothing showing (But I'm a Cheerleader), earns an NC-17.
Consider this: Excessive violence, dismemberment and degradation of women is totally cool for an R rating (Sin City), but a story of three young people finding their way in the world and exploring their sexuality with each other (the Dreamers) gets an NC-17. Exactly what are we trying to show our society, and especially our youngest generation is ok here? Would we rather have more high schoolers trying blow jobs and sex, looking for ways to enjoy themselves and discover themselves in the process because they saw some explicit sexuality in a movie. Or would we rather they load up some guns, thinking about how many people they might be able to kill in their high school, and then have hundreds, maybe thousands of movies vividly depicting various ways to accomplish such a feat?
The same guy (Jack Valenti, who, scary enough, came from politics) ran the MPAA from its inception in the 40s to 2005. How good can a censorship board be if the guy running it is that antiquated? In Basic Instinct, you can see Sharon Stone as she uncrosses and recrosses her legs, clearly seeing pubic hair. In this scene, she does this as an act of distraction, clearly exploiting her own sexuality. It's one of the calling card scenes of the movie. This movie was rated R.
The Cooler with Maria Bello and William H. Macy had to cut a scene to avoid an NC-17 rating...the scene was late in the film when the two stars have finally brought their relationship and care for each other...they're in bed, and as Macy goes down on her, you can see some of her pubic hair.
So blatant exhibitionism, and what in fact amounts to an extreme objectification of women should be seen by people...but pubic hair in an act of physical and emotional connection...now you've just gone too far.
I could go on and on with this, but start looking at whether or not you can see the difference between a PG-13 and an R. Then see if you can pinpoint why one movie is worse than another. Ask yourself why a bit of pubic hair during a lovemaking scene might grab an NC where a masked man stabbing in the breast and then using the knife to pull out the breast implant (Scary Movie) only earns you an R.
We're setting people up to accept violence, usually without realizing the consequences, and becoming numb to it. In Bonds movies, he can kill 20 guys in a scene, and as long as there is no blood, they can keep it PG-13. Kids don't watch that and ever get shown the true nature of death, or the gore that will inevitably accompany it. Violence is glorified, readily available and accepted. It is also often downplayed in terms of actual outcome of violence.
Sex though...sex is bad. Our society and culture has placed such a ridiculous taboo on the exposure and use of the human body that we hide it, obscure the wonders of it, and push sexuality behind closed doors. A disappointing majority of the American population refuses to acknowledge and accept people with differing views and feelings on sexuality, but find it acceptable that we march guns, tanks and all the violence that follows into Iraq in order to "spread freedom."
Gimme a break.
When I was watching this movie, I thought of Eyes Wide Shut and the orgy scenes in that. I had overlooked what this movie pointed out...there had been characters digitally placed into the orgy scenes to cover the actual sex. The following is a clip I pulled from the Wikipedia article on the movie that can be found here:
(it's an amazing movie if you haven't seen it...Despite rumors that Kubrick didn't like it, I found it eerie, suspenseful and shot with some pretty spectacular camera techniques.)
"American censorship controversy
Citing contractual obligations to deliver an R rating, Warner Bros. digitally altered the orgy scene for the American release of Eyes Wide Shut, blocking out images of graphic sexuality by inserting additional figures into the scene to obscure the view, thus avoiding an adults-only NC-17 rating that might have limited distribution of the film, as some large American theaters and video store operators have a policy that disallows films with that rating. This alteration of Kubrick's vision antagonized many cinephiles, as they argued that Kubrick had never been shy about ratings: A Clockwork Orange had an X-rating.
The version released in Europe and Australia was completely unchanged (theatrical and DVD release) with ratings mostly for people of 16 (Europe, in Germany) and 18+ (Australia) years of age. In New Zealand and in Europe, the uncensored version has been shown on public television without controversy. In Australia, it was broadcast on public television (on Network Ten) with the alterations in the American version for people of 15 years of age and older, blurring out, and cutting the images of explicit sexuality."
Anyone wanna go see a movie with me?
Monday, April 9, 2007
Red Doves/Blue Moons
There have been enough questions recently about what I'm saying in my song that I thought I'd post the lyrics. I also didn't have anything really exciting to say about the weekend and thought this might make interesting reading, and at the very least, a new post. If you want a copy of the song, email me or tell me on myspace and I'll send it on over. Click if you'd like to hear Alan's version of the song.
Red Doves & Blue Moons:
Red doves green horses and blue moons,
Omens of things that are coming soon,
Psychadelic relic purple mushrooms, stranded in a token broken room
As we look to the sky for a sign of why, cryptic wishes multiply,
Falsify, rectify, then silently, rapidly amplify,
Will we fly in the future sky? With broken dreams as a cause to cry?
Watch from the side as the vultures ride, drain our times with the truths they’ve lied
Locked in the heavy chains of pride, with every strain as a way to die
Listen carefully to the things you see as every drop is a pop at new beauty
As the forgotten songs of a time long gone filter through memories like smoke through bongs,
I nightly hold tightly to the melodies left before I’m alone and cast asea
I laugh at the brutal things around, the deafening silence of a sound
As it bounds, breaks, echoes fake, mingled in nicely with the last mistake.
Has it come to pass?
This poorly written moment lost again from my grasp,
And I never hoped to hold it
If yesterday’s a memory, tomorrow a vision,
The only way I can see it is today’s a sort of prison.
Red d___ and blue mo__s, omens of things that are coming soon
As the day gains a nightly bloom,
Cast quickly into next week’s hue,
Swept under the rug with next year’s broom,
Always obscured by the promise of soon
If we can’t all stay in yesterday and can’t escape today, there’s not that much more to say.
Crystal leaves and golden looms, omens of things that are coming soon
Lost in the maze of another haze, thinking of days that could have been saved
In the busted dawn of a love gone wrong, blown apart by words of psalms
Is a wicked trust too much to touch? Frosted over with licks of golden rust,
Watch it burst then watch it bleed, frozen in the thirst of forgotten greed
You can’t deceive tormented wrath, festered into fragmented laughs
Let it pass, make it dash, close your eyes to the pry of the camera’s flash
As social lightning crashes down, buried in the garbage of your old hometown.
The tortured scream of a midnight dream, lost forever in a classic movie scene
Watch as the screen turns to melted flesh, boiled and spoiled with all the rest
Ice it drowns, cold water burns, looking frantically for a misguided turn
Slowly pirourette then reset, jumbled in the loss of a discarded bet
As we sit here, you and I, silently contemplating reasons why
Not really sure what we need to find
As skyscrapers taper through fragile minds
Will we know, will we be, will we find the locale of our destinies?
Can we really hold out any hope of life being more than an elaborate joke?
I don’t think so, but I’ll hold my breath, ironically bringing on an early death
What is left, what is fixed, how much more can join the mix?
The fix is already in, make the call, read the writing on the bathroom stall
While a limp may be better than a crawl, it’s much more likely to bring the fall
And when it comes, brings us low, how much more will there be to know?
As the pure white snow turns quickly brown, making shit of the virgin newborn ground
Mountain mechanizations of moving motivation
Sleek hesitations bring salutations
Lost with the wealth of the forgotten nations, sullied, burdened and already tainted
Lumped together with the rotten brood, scrambling, fractured, tortured, skewed
With the clock ticking down to the count of two,
There’s not too much left for us to do.
Has it come to pass?
This poorly written moment lost again from my grasp,
And I never hoped to hold it
If yesterday’s a memory, tomorrow a vision,
The only way I can see it is today’s a sort of prison.
Red doves & blue moons, omens of things that are coming soon
As the day gains a nightly bloom,
Cast quickly into next week’s hue,
Swept under the rug with next year’s broom,
Always obscured by the promise of soon
If we can’t all stay in yesterday and can’t escape today, there’s not that much more to say.
Red Doves & Blue Moons:
Red doves green horses and blue moons,
Omens of things that are coming soon,
Psychadelic relic purple mushrooms, stranded in a token broken room
As we look to the sky for a sign of why, cryptic wishes multiply,
Falsify, rectify, then silently, rapidly amplify,
Will we fly in the future sky? With broken dreams as a cause to cry?
Watch from the side as the vultures ride, drain our times with the truths they’ve lied
Locked in the heavy chains of pride, with every strain as a way to die
Listen carefully to the things you see as every drop is a pop at new beauty
As the forgotten songs of a time long gone filter through memories like smoke through bongs,
I nightly hold tightly to the melodies left before I’m alone and cast asea
I laugh at the brutal things around, the deafening silence of a sound
As it bounds, breaks, echoes fake, mingled in nicely with the last mistake.
Has it come to pass?
This poorly written moment lost again from my grasp,
And I never hoped to hold it
If yesterday’s a memory, tomorrow a vision,
The only way I can see it is today’s a sort of prison.
Red d___ and blue mo__s, omens of things that are coming soon
As the day gains a nightly bloom,
Cast quickly into next week’s hue,
Swept under the rug with next year’s broom,
Always obscured by the promise of soon
If we can’t all stay in yesterday and can’t escape today, there’s not that much more to say.
Crystal leaves and golden looms, omens of things that are coming soon
Lost in the maze of another haze, thinking of days that could have been saved
In the busted dawn of a love gone wrong, blown apart by words of psalms
Is a wicked trust too much to touch? Frosted over with licks of golden rust,
Watch it burst then watch it bleed, frozen in the thirst of forgotten greed
You can’t deceive tormented wrath, festered into fragmented laughs
Let it pass, make it dash, close your eyes to the pry of the camera’s flash
As social lightning crashes down, buried in the garbage of your old hometown.
The tortured scream of a midnight dream, lost forever in a classic movie scene
Watch as the screen turns to melted flesh, boiled and spoiled with all the rest
Ice it drowns, cold water burns, looking frantically for a misguided turn
Slowly pirourette then reset, jumbled in the loss of a discarded bet
As we sit here, you and I, silently contemplating reasons why
Not really sure what we need to find
As skyscrapers taper through fragile minds
Will we know, will we be, will we find the locale of our destinies?
Can we really hold out any hope of life being more than an elaborate joke?
I don’t think so, but I’ll hold my breath, ironically bringing on an early death
What is left, what is fixed, how much more can join the mix?
The fix is already in, make the call, read the writing on the bathroom stall
While a limp may be better than a crawl, it’s much more likely to bring the fall
And when it comes, brings us low, how much more will there be to know?
As the pure white snow turns quickly brown, making shit of the virgin newborn ground
Mountain mechanizations of moving motivation
Sleek hesitations bring salutations
Lost with the wealth of the forgotten nations, sullied, burdened and already tainted
Lumped together with the rotten brood, scrambling, fractured, tortured, skewed
With the clock ticking down to the count of two,
There’s not too much left for us to do.
Has it come to pass?
This poorly written moment lost again from my grasp,
And I never hoped to hold it
If yesterday’s a memory, tomorrow a vision,
The only way I can see it is today’s a sort of prison.
Red doves & blue moons, omens of things that are coming soon
As the day gains a nightly bloom,
Cast quickly into next week’s hue,
Swept under the rug with next year’s broom,
Always obscured by the promise of soon
If we can’t all stay in yesterday and can’t escape today, there’s not that much more to say.
Friday, April 6, 2007
A New Season, New TV and other New Junk
Baseball season kicked off for the Giants on Tuesday, and we had a crew there in full force. Picture a 4th floor rooftop with fridge and bbq, beer, mimosas, handmade burger patties and 20 of your nearest and dearest. Then picture that on a workday. That was the scene at 11 am on Tuesday morning as many of us took off work to get faded and watch the Giants lose 7-0 to the Padres.
That sucks, but hey, when you can spend a work day out in the sunshine rather than stuck in a cubicle, and faded with friends than under the watchful eye of your meaner boss, all is well. Besides, Bonds hit a single and then stole a base. Talk about 2001 all over again!
Got paid on my second sale this week, so the next few are going to be focused on picking out my new tv, which is going to be an exciting endeavor. I'm looking at 46" flat screen LCDs. Sweetness.
Went to the ballgame last night to see the Giants beat the Padres 5-3, even though Benitez was intent on giving the game up with 2 outs in the ninth. Painful, but worthwhile. Maybe that one out will give him some confidence going forward.
That's all from this end. The weekend should be pretty busy, with a meet tomorrow, partying on Saturday night and the annual Easter brunch at the country club, where all sorts of amazing food awaits.
In other news, I got my camera back from Best Buy yesterday, so there will be more visuals for you all to enjoy as you read the blogs!
Cheers for now.
That sucks, but hey, when you can spend a work day out in the sunshine rather than stuck in a cubicle, and faded with friends than under the watchful eye of your meaner boss, all is well. Besides, Bonds hit a single and then stole a base. Talk about 2001 all over again!
Got paid on my second sale this week, so the next few are going to be focused on picking out my new tv, which is going to be an exciting endeavor. I'm looking at 46" flat screen LCDs. Sweetness.
Went to the ballgame last night to see the Giants beat the Padres 5-3, even though Benitez was intent on giving the game up with 2 outs in the ninth. Painful, but worthwhile. Maybe that one out will give him some confidence going forward.
That's all from this end. The weekend should be pretty busy, with a meet tomorrow, partying on Saturday night and the annual Easter brunch at the country club, where all sorts of amazing food awaits.
In other news, I got my camera back from Best Buy yesterday, so there will be more visuals for you all to enjoy as you read the blogs!
Cheers for now.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Don't Drink Pear Vodka
That's my warning to you all. That shit is tricky. Let me walk you through my day. It starts at 3pm at Zena's house for a bbq that's going to last all night. It's T's birthday, so the celebration is on, and I show up with 2 Mickey's for me and one bottle of Pear Absolut for the party. I finish my first forty in conjunction with the end of the first basketball game, and am crushed that Georgetown loses. But I know that all of that will be erased if Florida succeeds in knocking off UCLA.
At this point, it's early yet, and the party is myself, Jessie, Renee, Zena, Tiff, T, Blair, and a few others. I start my second forty as the second game starts, and people start to show up in numbers. As UCLA goes steadily down the tubes, so does my forty, and the joints start kicking in. It's at this point that I get to meet Haley, X's ex, and I start to feel a little loopy from the combination of the substances I'm downing like there's not going to be a tomorrow.
The night wears on and the party is packed now. Christina shows up from work, the couches are moved and a dance party ensues. At this point I break out the half of the Bonne Sante sandwich I've been storing in the fridge (prosciutto, bacon and thousand island dressing sounds about right)and chow into that. I'm approached by a few smokers, Julia included, and luckily I came prepared with a strawberry swisher. It's blunt time in the city.
This is where my night disappears. Someone begs me to do a shot. I explain that I am not a shot taker. They tell me it's really easy, very tasty, and I should try one. Not being one to disappoint, I do. It tastes like heaven. I ask what's in it and am told that it's pomegranate juice mixed with pear vodka. I'm enthralled. I've never had an easier shot in my life. This kind of thing should be illegal.
I convince Aliza that she needs some too. I'm told this morning that I force feed both of us somewhere around ten of these things. Not so good of an idea. I don't know how I get outside, but before I know it, I'm standing on the steps outside Zena's door, and much to my surprise, I'm throwing up all over them.
Now usually, I can backtrack and pinpoint a cause of throwing up. A shot didn't go down well. I coughed so much that I threw up, I'm too drunk. I remember the feeling of needing to throw up and make it someplace safe. Not this time. I have no idea how I chose the spot, how I got to the spot, or what triggered me. All I know is that Renee is rubbing my back and I can't stop puking. So. Fucking. Gross. However, while I usually hate it, I remember this as being cathartic, even telling Renee several times "oh that's better, I think I'm done now," before starting in again. I'm not sure how we get back to Christina's house, but I'm sure a cab had to be involved. I'm told that she needed to undress me because I passed out on top of her bed in all my clothes.
Today, I feel like a truck ran me over, then backed up for seconds. Don't trust that pear vodka...it'll taste and feel like you're drinking a Clearly Canadian, and then hit you like a brick when you're through. In the shower, I almost lost it because my shampoo smelled like pear. There is currently a pit of confusion where my stomach used to be, and if my headache goes away sometime in the next two hours, I'll consider myself lucky.
Big apologies to the neighbors who had to find that on their stairs this morning, and many thanks to Zena for hosting, T for having, and the rest of the revelers for attending what was a most excellent house party. Hopefully I'll be sober in time for Tuesday's opening day festivities. If you don't know, I recommend asking somebody.
At this point, it's early yet, and the party is myself, Jessie, Renee, Zena, Tiff, T, Blair, and a few others. I start my second forty as the second game starts, and people start to show up in numbers. As UCLA goes steadily down the tubes, so does my forty, and the joints start kicking in. It's at this point that I get to meet Haley, X's ex, and I start to feel a little loopy from the combination of the substances I'm downing like there's not going to be a tomorrow.
The night wears on and the party is packed now. Christina shows up from work, the couches are moved and a dance party ensues. At this point I break out the half of the Bonne Sante sandwich I've been storing in the fridge (prosciutto, bacon and thousand island dressing sounds about right)and chow into that. I'm approached by a few smokers, Julia included, and luckily I came prepared with a strawberry swisher. It's blunt time in the city.
This is where my night disappears. Someone begs me to do a shot. I explain that I am not a shot taker. They tell me it's really easy, very tasty, and I should try one. Not being one to disappoint, I do. It tastes like heaven. I ask what's in it and am told that it's pomegranate juice mixed with pear vodka. I'm enthralled. I've never had an easier shot in my life. This kind of thing should be illegal.
I convince Aliza that she needs some too. I'm told this morning that I force feed both of us somewhere around ten of these things. Not so good of an idea. I don't know how I get outside, but before I know it, I'm standing on the steps outside Zena's door, and much to my surprise, I'm throwing up all over them.
Now usually, I can backtrack and pinpoint a cause of throwing up. A shot didn't go down well. I coughed so much that I threw up, I'm too drunk. I remember the feeling of needing to throw up and make it someplace safe. Not this time. I have no idea how I chose the spot, how I got to the spot, or what triggered me. All I know is that Renee is rubbing my back and I can't stop puking. So. Fucking. Gross. However, while I usually hate it, I remember this as being cathartic, even telling Renee several times "oh that's better, I think I'm done now," before starting in again. I'm not sure how we get back to Christina's house, but I'm sure a cab had to be involved. I'm told that she needed to undress me because I passed out on top of her bed in all my clothes.
Today, I feel like a truck ran me over, then backed up for seconds. Don't trust that pear vodka...it'll taste and feel like you're drinking a Clearly Canadian, and then hit you like a brick when you're through. In the shower, I almost lost it because my shampoo smelled like pear. There is currently a pit of confusion where my stomach used to be, and if my headache goes away sometime in the next two hours, I'll consider myself lucky.
Big apologies to the neighbors who had to find that on their stairs this morning, and many thanks to Zena for hosting, T for having, and the rest of the revelers for attending what was a most excellent house party. Hopefully I'll be sober in time for Tuesday's opening day festivities. If you don't know, I recommend asking somebody.
March Movie Madness (10)
The movies that I watched in March...
5: The Warrior
7: Babel
10: Black Snake Moan
12: Fast Food Nation
13: An Inconvenient Truth
15: Casino Royale
18: Hurlyburly
19: Malcolm X
25: The Science of Sleep
29: Little Miss Sunshine
5: The Warrior
7: Babel
10: Black Snake Moan
12: Fast Food Nation
13: An Inconvenient Truth
15: Casino Royale
18: Hurlyburly
19: Malcolm X
25: The Science of Sleep
29: Little Miss Sunshine
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