9.30.2006
goldmine.
my roommate alerted me to this web site. it's... well... look:
eighteen seasons. every episode. in its entirety. no commercials. no buying dvds. streaming. simpsons.
mmmmmm.... simpsons.... aaaauuggghhhhghghghghghgh (*drools...*)
i hope this takes up as much of your time as it will mine: allsimps.com.
eighteen seasons. every episode. in its entirety. no commercials. no buying dvds. streaming. simpsons.
mmmmmm.... simpsons.... aaaauuggghhhhghghghghghgh (*drools...*)
i hope this takes up as much of your time as it will mine: allsimps.com.
9.29.2006
farewell, randy, and aidee-eye.
i write often, and i write much. i have papers due all the time, i have at least two pieces run in the newspaper every week (column and at least one staff editorial), i blog. i'm a writer.
and i feel diverse in my writings. i feel like if i want to write the personal narrative, i can do it reasonably well. if i want to write a fictional piece, i know the basics of that. i have all kinds of practice at the non-fiction political rant. but there's one type of writing that i don't think i could do, one piece of publication that i wouldn't ever think i could do justice.
obituaries.
they seem so formulaic and impersonal. and i know they're supposed to be formulaic - tell when the person died, what she or he did during life, who she or he left behind, when the services are, how gifts or donations are to be handled. maybe, in a sense, the formula works in that people know just to which paragraph to look for particular information (birthplace, siblings, etc.).
but how are we to get a sense of who this person was in 300 words or fewer? how are we to understand the impact a person had on a community or an individual in four succinct paragraphs?
i got a call from my mom on wednesday. she told me one of my little league coaches passed away. he was hit by a car after pulling over in a fire station parking lot to get something out of his car. the driver who hit him called 911 immediately - it was, by all accounts, an accident.
here's an excerpt from the most important part of the obituary in the providence journal:
none of this is untrue. randy did love baseball, and he loved the kids he coached. twenty-eight years in lincoln little league - that alone demonstrates his dedication and love for the game and the people associated with it.
but an article about the accident in the same paper tells more about randy, no doubt because of the space allowed and the nature of the writing. through interviews with people that knew him, you get more of a sense of the man's personality:
more...:
and, if that weren't enough:
i don't have many heroes. there are lots of people i respect and lots of people that i look up to. there are qualities other people have that i wish i had. there are outlooks and perspectives that people keep that i try to channel. but i don't have many heroes.
randy hein is one of my heroes. aside from all that he taught me about the game of baseball - which is likely about a third of all i know, and i played the game for twelve years - it's what he taught me about everything else that i'm going to remember about him.
he had this spirit about him that was so contagious. he was always upbeat and optimistic about outcomes, he always had this confidence in even the worst of his players, and he always made sure that we knew just how much confidence he had in us. and he had this ridiculous hat with a laughably long visor that was his signature attire. we never let him hear the end of it for that beloved hat.
randy had a catch phrase - it's tough to type, but it's something like "aidee-eye," some amalgamation of "'atta boy," "good eye," and "'atta way." he would mainly yell it when "good eye" was appropriate - when a batter doesn't swing at a ball outside the strike zone. but he would use it when his pitchers did something well, when his player successfully stole a base, when someone made a spectacular play in the field....
he got his players so excited about everything. now and then, when we were in the field, he'd step out of the dugout and yell, "hey, who's gonna make the next play? who's gonna make a running, diving, tumbling catch!?" everybody knows the running, diving, tumbling catches are both the most fun to watch and the most fun to make. and randy was always - but always - about making baseball the most fun, and that ended up making it competitive, too.
my town will not be the same without him. my baseball league - of which i have absolutely no blemished memories - will not be the same without him. there's a hole there that nobody will be able to fill. but his spirit and memory will live on. check out this kicker quote from that same projo story cited above:
i would be proud to play and coach on randy hein field. the man gave so much to me and to so many other kids. it's strange to think just how much he shaped me and how influential he was on me when i was eleven and twelve.
and for all that he did, for all that he was, and for all that he made the rest of us, here's a big "aidee-eye" to one of my heroes.
thanks, randy. we're all better for having known you.
and i feel diverse in my writings. i feel like if i want to write the personal narrative, i can do it reasonably well. if i want to write a fictional piece, i know the basics of that. i have all kinds of practice at the non-fiction political rant. but there's one type of writing that i don't think i could do, one piece of publication that i wouldn't ever think i could do justice.
obituaries.
they seem so formulaic and impersonal. and i know they're supposed to be formulaic - tell when the person died, what she or he did during life, who she or he left behind, when the services are, how gifts or donations are to be handled. maybe, in a sense, the formula works in that people know just to which paragraph to look for particular information (birthplace, siblings, etc.).
but how are we to get a sense of who this person was in 300 words or fewer? how are we to understand the impact a person had on a community or an individual in four succinct paragraphs?
i got a call from my mom on wednesday. she told me one of my little league coaches passed away. he was hit by a car after pulling over in a fire station parking lot to get something out of his car. the driver who hit him called 911 immediately - it was, by all accounts, an accident.
here's an excerpt from the most important part of the obituary in the providence journal:
(randy) hien was the owner of the living room in providence since 1975 and also hien's family restaurant in lincoln. he was a communicant of st. jude church, lincoln. mr. hien was very active and dedicated to the sport of baseball. he coached cumberland farm league for two years, cumberland babe ruth for five years and lincoln little league for twenty-eight years. he also coached the lincoln parks and recreation basketball league for two years.
none of this is untrue. randy did love baseball, and he loved the kids he coached. twenty-eight years in lincoln little league - that alone demonstrates his dedication and love for the game and the people associated with it.
but an article about the accident in the same paper tells more about randy, no doubt because of the space allowed and the nature of the writing. through interviews with people that knew him, you get more of a sense of the man's personality:
"i was at one of his practices saturday," (president of lincoln little league john) sharkey said, "and he had all the kids lined up on the first base and third base lines, instructing them on swinging the bat. they were free-swinging. he couldn't see all of them so he turns his hat around and puts his sunglasses on his neck, 'i'm watching yous all,' he said."
more...:
"he never, never said a discouraging word about any kid, ever," (lincoln parks and recreation director paul) prachniak said. "i'd try to bait him, get him to say something bad, but he'd always say, 'nah, he's an angel,' or 'he'll be all right.' "
one day this year, prachniak said, he and hien were talking about lincoln's little league team lineup and someone suggested putting a certain player at a different position.
"and randy said, no he stinks," prachniak said, "and i said 'see,' but then he said, 'no, it's because he's great over there.' "
and, if that weren't enough:
(two years ago) hien's car had been hit by a vehicle driven by town planner albert v. ranaldi jr., who was cited for driving while intoxicated, and driving to endanger.
hien suffered two broken legs and internal injuries from the crash.
but hien went to court and asked that ranaldi not be sent to jail.
"i told the judge i didn't want to see him go to jail," hien said at the time. "he's not a drunk. he just made a mistake that night. i think he deserved a break."
i don't have many heroes. there are lots of people i respect and lots of people that i look up to. there are qualities other people have that i wish i had. there are outlooks and perspectives that people keep that i try to channel. but i don't have many heroes.
randy hein is one of my heroes. aside from all that he taught me about the game of baseball - which is likely about a third of all i know, and i played the game for twelve years - it's what he taught me about everything else that i'm going to remember about him.
he had this spirit about him that was so contagious. he was always upbeat and optimistic about outcomes, he always had this confidence in even the worst of his players, and he always made sure that we knew just how much confidence he had in us. and he had this ridiculous hat with a laughably long visor that was his signature attire. we never let him hear the end of it for that beloved hat.
randy had a catch phrase - it's tough to type, but it's something like "aidee-eye," some amalgamation of "'atta boy," "good eye," and "'atta way." he would mainly yell it when "good eye" was appropriate - when a batter doesn't swing at a ball outside the strike zone. but he would use it when his pitchers did something well, when his player successfully stole a base, when someone made a spectacular play in the field....
he got his players so excited about everything. now and then, when we were in the field, he'd step out of the dugout and yell, "hey, who's gonna make the next play? who's gonna make a running, diving, tumbling catch!?" everybody knows the running, diving, tumbling catches are both the most fun to watch and the most fun to make. and randy was always - but always - about making baseball the most fun, and that ended up making it competitive, too.
my town will not be the same without him. my baseball league - of which i have absolutely no blemished memories - will not be the same without him. there's a hole there that nobody will be able to fill. but his spirit and memory will live on. check out this kicker quote from that same projo story cited above:
hien had been active recently in efforts to get a new little league field built in town.
"if we ever get that field," sharkey said, "i guess we know what the name will be."
i would be proud to play and coach on randy hein field. the man gave so much to me and to so many other kids. it's strange to think just how much he shaped me and how influential he was on me when i was eleven and twelve.
and for all that he did, for all that he was, and for all that he made the rest of us, here's a big "aidee-eye" to one of my heroes.
thanks, randy. we're all better for having known you.
9.28.2006
postsecret pick of the week.
9.26.2006
a monday night to remember at o'leaver's.
i feel like i have so much to write about. i don't know what to channel first, though. i attended an amnesty meeting tonight, only the third one i've been able to make this semester. i've forgotten what it feels like to seal the envelope on a letter i've written to a government official in a repressive state. that's really fresh in my mind...
but i had a really great experience last night that i really ought to tell you about. it's by no means once-in-a-lifetime, but definitely once in a very long time. and every time it gets better and better.
despite my better judgement, i drove to omaha last night. i had about 200 pages of reading to do. i had a 2-page paper to write on said readings. luckily, i got all my work done at the paper early last night. all of it. this freed me up to catch up on homework!
nope. i went to a show.
for the last five years or so, i've been a regular on the grüvis malt message board for the majority of those five years, i've been in nebraska (more specifically, four of those five years). and every time grüvis malt or gavin castleton go out on tour, i suggest they stop in nebraska.
well, four years later, gavin was in omaha. and even though he wasn't touring solo (he is on tour playing keys for facing new york [myspace page], doing some of his own solo stuff here and there, too), and even though i didn't have anyone to go with me, and even though it required me to put about 110 extra miles on my car (and a detour that took me through dark, desolate corn fields! creepy ashland, nebraska, i don't like you), it was totally worth it.
it was absolutely worth it.
first off, the set was amazing. i had never heard facing new york before, and was afraid that i wouldn't like them much. i'd heard that they were more rock than anything i'd heard from gavin before, which is true. but i didn't expect them to be so... so... good.
meter changes. odd drum rhythms. fret-patting guitar phrases. puffy hair. it was awesome. i couldn't discern much of the vocals, but i was much more focuses on the music, which was well-written, tight, and entertaining.
and they got a curtain call. after making sure the headlining band was cool with them playing one more, they finished their set on a really energetic note, much to the appreciation of the admittedly small - we'll call it "intimate" - crowd at o'leaver's pub. it's a small venue, so the 30-or-so people there actually filled it out pretty well.
surprisingly, the show wasn't even the best part. after the performance i approached gavin, the musician i'd gone to see, and said hello. he recognized me from other shows and remembered that i was from the message board. we walked outside and talked a bit.
hah. a bit, i says. we talked for more than an hour. mostly one-on-one, but sometimes the lead singer of facing new york would stop in and talk a bit. here and there were a couple of breaks, but really it was just me speaking with one of my musical heroes on a very personal level.
and not just about menial things. i mean i asked the obligatory, "how's the tour going?" and "what's next after this?" stuff, but we also talked about really personal stuff. i asked him at least one question that i'd wanted to ask him since his first solo records (i prefaced it with, "i hope this isn't too personal a question...," and he said "uh, i'm not gay." awesome). i'd share here, but i don't think it would be appropriate. just know that it was related to his music, which, if you listen to gavin castleton, you'll know is very personal.
something entertaining: we were talking outside the venue and this young woman, maybe 22 or 23 years old, approached us with a big smile on her face. "you guys were great," she said to both of us. she proceeded to talk to us as if we were both in the band. big smile at gavin. big smile at me. "what were you guys called again?" and "this your first time in omaha?," stuff like that. she was obviously aloof. gavin got her to ask the guys from facing new york if they were the gavin castletons. it was great.
(fun stuff tends to happen to me at shows when talking with either gavin or brendan [1/2 vocals for grüvis malt] - remember the dane cook story?)
once she walked away i said to him, "i think she thought i was on stage with you." "oh, she definitely did," he says, after mumbling "where are we...."
and we kept talking. we talked about nebraska's football culture, city sizes (is it that weird of me to know the size of omaha, lincoln, providence and nebraska's memorial stadium? he thought so.), the news mars volta record, his music, facing new york, ebu gogo, a prospective label deal....
eventually he headed out and i was on my way back to lincoln, smile on my face and two new cds in my hand: facing new york's newest lp and gavin's latest ep, hospital hymns. i'm listening to it right now, and it's... it's beautiful. sister release to grace land. beauty vs. ugliness.
the thing about gavin's music is that i don't just love the melodies, the rhythms and the musicianship that he brings. i love the concept behind his stuff. he refuses to remain boxed into any sort of genre - he doesn't even just rap or sing or play keyboard, he does all of that and then some. he produces. he writes. he croons. really, he can do it all. and he does it with fluency and a liquid grace that just seems to fit him.
i ended up back at the dn office, reading more, sleeping for about 3 hours on the opinion couch, then up at 8am to buy the book i had to read and write about from the bookstore as soon as it opened. i ended up skipping my first class and getting my paper written just in time to make it to my second - and the paper was probably above-average quality, which is kinda cool (but it was a little short).
but given the circumstances - the lack of sleep, the backseat academics, the not-being-home-since-monday-morning-and-now-
it's-technically-wednesday-morning, the poor diet i've kept today, the amount of coughing i've done - it was absolutely worth it.
no question.
but i had a really great experience last night that i really ought to tell you about. it's by no means once-in-a-lifetime, but definitely once in a very long time. and every time it gets better and better.
despite my better judgement, i drove to omaha last night. i had about 200 pages of reading to do. i had a 2-page paper to write on said readings. luckily, i got all my work done at the paper early last night. all of it. this freed me up to catch up on homework!
nope. i went to a show.
for the last five years or so, i've been a regular on the grüvis malt message board for the majority of those five years, i've been in nebraska (more specifically, four of those five years). and every time grüvis malt or gavin castleton go out on tour, i suggest they stop in nebraska.
well, four years later, gavin was in omaha. and even though he wasn't touring solo (he is on tour playing keys for facing new york [myspace page], doing some of his own solo stuff here and there, too), and even though i didn't have anyone to go with me, and even though it required me to put about 110 extra miles on my car (and a detour that took me through dark, desolate corn fields! creepy ashland, nebraska, i don't like you), it was totally worth it.
it was absolutely worth it.
first off, the set was amazing. i had never heard facing new york before, and was afraid that i wouldn't like them much. i'd heard that they were more rock than anything i'd heard from gavin before, which is true. but i didn't expect them to be so... so... good.
meter changes. odd drum rhythms. fret-patting guitar phrases. puffy hair. it was awesome. i couldn't discern much of the vocals, but i was much more focuses on the music, which was well-written, tight, and entertaining.
and they got a curtain call. after making sure the headlining band was cool with them playing one more, they finished their set on a really energetic note, much to the appreciation of the admittedly small - we'll call it "intimate" - crowd at o'leaver's pub. it's a small venue, so the 30-or-so people there actually filled it out pretty well.
surprisingly, the show wasn't even the best part. after the performance i approached gavin, the musician i'd gone to see, and said hello. he recognized me from other shows and remembered that i was from the message board. we walked outside and talked a bit.
hah. a bit, i says. we talked for more than an hour. mostly one-on-one, but sometimes the lead singer of facing new york would stop in and talk a bit. here and there were a couple of breaks, but really it was just me speaking with one of my musical heroes on a very personal level.
and not just about menial things. i mean i asked the obligatory, "how's the tour going?" and "what's next after this?" stuff, but we also talked about really personal stuff. i asked him at least one question that i'd wanted to ask him since his first solo records (i prefaced it with, "i hope this isn't too personal a question...," and he said "uh, i'm not gay." awesome). i'd share here, but i don't think it would be appropriate. just know that it was related to his music, which, if you listen to gavin castleton, you'll know is very personal.
something entertaining: we were talking outside the venue and this young woman, maybe 22 or 23 years old, approached us with a big smile on her face. "you guys were great," she said to both of us. she proceeded to talk to us as if we were both in the band. big smile at gavin. big smile at me. "what were you guys called again?" and "this your first time in omaha?," stuff like that. she was obviously aloof. gavin got her to ask the guys from facing new york if they were the gavin castletons. it was great.
(fun stuff tends to happen to me at shows when talking with either gavin or brendan [1/2 vocals for grüvis malt] - remember the dane cook story?)
once she walked away i said to him, "i think she thought i was on stage with you." "oh, she definitely did," he says, after mumbling "where are we...."
and we kept talking. we talked about nebraska's football culture, city sizes (is it that weird of me to know the size of omaha, lincoln, providence and nebraska's memorial stadium? he thought so.), the news mars volta record, his music, facing new york, ebu gogo, a prospective label deal....
eventually he headed out and i was on my way back to lincoln, smile on my face and two new cds in my hand: facing new york's newest lp and gavin's latest ep, hospital hymns. i'm listening to it right now, and it's... it's beautiful. sister release to grace land. beauty vs. ugliness.
the thing about gavin's music is that i don't just love the melodies, the rhythms and the musicianship that he brings. i love the concept behind his stuff. he refuses to remain boxed into any sort of genre - he doesn't even just rap or sing or play keyboard, he does all of that and then some. he produces. he writes. he croons. really, he can do it all. and he does it with fluency and a liquid grace that just seems to fit him.
i ended up back at the dn office, reading more, sleeping for about 3 hours on the opinion couch, then up at 8am to buy the book i had to read and write about from the bookstore as soon as it opened. i ended up skipping my first class and getting my paper written just in time to make it to my second - and the paper was probably above-average quality, which is kinda cool (but it was a little short).
but given the circumstances - the lack of sleep, the backseat academics, the not-being-home-since-monday-morning-and-now-
it's-technically-wednesday-morning, the poor diet i've kept today, the amount of coughing i've done - it was absolutely worth it.
no question.
9.24.2006
on futures and presents (but not so lofty).
i don't have much to write here. just that i have lots to look forward to. i have trips to plan, ones that i have a feeling will likely maintain an air of spontenaity (can something be both planned and spontaneous? i say yes). i like that. it gives me structure and keeps me on my toes. hey, what's around the next corner? no, i don't know, either. and i like that.
i have a graduation to apply for this week, likely friday (after i get my paycheck!). i have deadlines to make. i have a thesis to write. i have upcoming tests.
i have two great jobs. i worked at recycled sounds this weekend and forgot how much i like being there. i really don't mind my boss, even if he is mildly creepy. he talks a bunch, but once you get used to his humor and personality he's really not bad to be around. a great exchange between me and my boss from saturday. it reminded me why i love working in a record store (even if i do mostly data entry):
stuart: "oh, this is my ticket from the james brown show."
me: "oh, right, how was that show?"
stuart: "he felt good."
awesome.
and i almost got a sweet perk tonight. tim reynolds (perhaps most famous for his work with the dave matthews band) is playing at knickerbockers tonight for cheap. since my store sells tickets to all (or almost all) knickerbockers shows, i figured i could grab a ticket from the drawer for free (stuart once told me "employees at this store don't pay for knickerbockers shows." that was really good to hear). unfortunately, they didn't make much money on the show, so their weary of giving tickets away. knickerbockers wanted their money from our store. no free ticket for collin. meh. next time.
i don't have a column this week (had an extra last week). it's been 60 years this week since the verdicts were handed down at nuremburg. maybe i'll write on that next week. victor's justice, international courts, all that stuff. i guess i have more time to write on it, but... well, we'll see if that happens.
you know, i just might make it to bed before 2am tonight. but no promises.
i have a graduation to apply for this week, likely friday (after i get my paycheck!). i have deadlines to make. i have a thesis to write. i have upcoming tests.
i have two great jobs. i worked at recycled sounds this weekend and forgot how much i like being there. i really don't mind my boss, even if he is mildly creepy. he talks a bunch, but once you get used to his humor and personality he's really not bad to be around. a great exchange between me and my boss from saturday. it reminded me why i love working in a record store (even if i do mostly data entry):
stuart: "oh, this is my ticket from the james brown show."
me: "oh, right, how was that show?"
stuart: "he felt good."
awesome.
and i almost got a sweet perk tonight. tim reynolds (perhaps most famous for his work with the dave matthews band) is playing at knickerbockers tonight for cheap. since my store sells tickets to all (or almost all) knickerbockers shows, i figured i could grab a ticket from the drawer for free (stuart once told me "employees at this store don't pay for knickerbockers shows." that was really good to hear). unfortunately, they didn't make much money on the show, so their weary of giving tickets away. knickerbockers wanted their money from our store. no free ticket for collin. meh. next time.
i don't have a column this week (had an extra last week). it's been 60 years this week since the verdicts were handed down at nuremburg. maybe i'll write on that next week. victor's justice, international courts, all that stuff. i guess i have more time to write on it, but... well, we'll see if that happens.
you know, i just might make it to bed before 2am tonight. but no promises.
9.22.2006
it's constitution week.
i worked ridiculously late last night not just because i was web editing, but because we have a 16-page paper today, two of which are my section. i usually only have to deal with maybe 5 pieces: two columns, a staff editorial, a letters to the editor section and a cartoon.
yesterday was a longer day. i dealt with all that stuff, plus edited four other columns, wrote one of my own and helped with suggestions for the design of the page. the feature was a constitution feature, and the extra columns (including mine) were all themed around the u.s. constitution.
here's my column. it turned out really short (space problems! arg!), but pretty well, i think. i'm happy with this one, though i wanted to include two other amendments, but eh. such is the journalistic life, i suppose.
sullivan: constitution's flexibility lends itself to changing culture
don't be afraid to comment.
also, the art and design turned out really well, i think. unfortunately, the computer that can make pdf files didn't have the fonts installed (or there was a licensing problem with one of them) so the image of our paper online doesn't look like the actual printed page today. i'll see if i can find a way around this and post a pdf or jpeg of what the page looks like. i know i'll be keeping a copy for myself, and maybe a copy or two for some others that may or may not want a copy.
i left work late yesterday, but i'm very satisfied. i think this issue turned out well. read the other columns, too: dn opinion section (this weekend only! then you'll have to search for them.)
yesterday was a longer day. i dealt with all that stuff, plus edited four other columns, wrote one of my own and helped with suggestions for the design of the page. the feature was a constitution feature, and the extra columns (including mine) were all themed around the u.s. constitution.
here's my column. it turned out really short (space problems! arg!), but pretty well, i think. i'm happy with this one, though i wanted to include two other amendments, but eh. such is the journalistic life, i suppose.
sullivan: constitution's flexibility lends itself to changing culture
don't be afraid to comment.
also, the art and design turned out really well, i think. unfortunately, the computer that can make pdf files didn't have the fonts installed (or there was a licensing problem with one of them) so the image of our paper online doesn't look like the actual printed page today. i'll see if i can find a way around this and post a pdf or jpeg of what the page looks like. i know i'll be keeping a copy for myself, and maybe a copy or two for some others that may or may not want a copy.
i left work late yesterday, but i'm very satisfied. i think this issue turned out well. read the other columns, too: dn opinion section (this weekend only! then you'll have to search for them.)
ugh.
it's 4:41 am.
i'm finally leaving work.
ugh.
i'm finally leaving work.
ugh.
9.20.2006
amputechture.
i've been waiting for this for months.
for a long time, i was satisfied with the ambiguous storylines and musical ecclecticism of the mars volta's second lp, frances the mute. i haven't given up on it - more than a year after its release, the album still enjoys regular rotation in my playlist selection. "miranda that ghost just isn't holy anymore" is still one of my favorite songs, and "cassandra geminni" remains one of the most complete rock songs i've heard (it's got an advantage, though, as it's more than a half hour long).
but last wednesday (a day later than i'd have liked) i picked up the latest release from what may be my favorite band (giving grüvis malt a run for their money, and threatening 311's staying power). on tuesday, amputechture, the third long-play release from the mars volta, hit shelves and promptly left them, debuting at no. 10 on the billboard top 200 in its first week. i had mine within 48 hours of its official release.
and i listened. and then listened again. in the week since i've bought it, i probably spun the disc or clicked the mp3s for five full plays. the verdict? i like this album. i really, really like this album.
reviews of mars volta records tend to fall into one of two categories: they're either blatantly masturbatory, lauding the band for pushing modern rock music to its boundaries; or they're pretentiously condescending, chiding the band for egotism and self-indulgence.
and the critics came out in full force for this one. the indie-famous pitchfork media (maybe ironically, a publication that, like the band, is either loved or hated by readers and critics alike) looked a bit hypocritical when it wrote its review of the new album, giving it 3.5/5 stars.
the mars volta's piss-soaked indulgence often pushes critics to similarly bombastic, mouth-foaming performances. it's understandable. the boys have created an oeuvre that, while technically adventurous, is more or less a hodgepodge of a-d-d prog trope noodles.
and after meandering through backhanded pop-culture references (fred durst?! seriously?) and passive-aggressive commentary, author brandon stosuy hammers his point home:
(lead singer cedric) bixler-zavala and volta keyboardist ikey owens guest on Mastodon's new blood mountain album. maybe they'll brainwash atlanta's finest metal band into this kinda bullshit so the world can celebrate the crushing loss of two great bands together.
(for reference, the first "great band" to which stosuy is referring is at the drive-in, which split into two bands - the mars volta and sparta.)
but to imply that the creative and experimental direction the mars volta have taken, a far cry from the terribly safe (though often redeemable) emo-punk stylings of at the drive-in, is something to be mourned, well, it's missing the point.
the best part about the mars volta is the challenge it poses to otherwise closed-minded listeners. when the band tours with metalheads system of a down or rap-rock icons red hot chili peppers, it opens their fans up to a different style of music. (sometimes this backfires. i know someone who saw the mars volta play with the chili peppers in omaha. they said the mars volta was the loudest band they'd ever heard. i suppose some of the art could be lost in the dissonance and the volume...)
what's even more upsetting about the pitchfork review is that it doesn't even touch on the album's best track - hands down, no question, "meccamputechture" is the best consecutive eleven minutes of music i've heard since frances. it doesn't drag, it doesn't meander, it's never boring. it begins immediately with cedric's growling vocals and moves from there. there are dancy, driving rhythms, balls-out, gnashing guitars, meter changes... it's typical mars volta, and it's excellent.
and it was conspicuously missing from the pitchfork review.
but, as those who watch my blog (all three of you, ha) know, i like allmusic.com. it's not so much that i trust their judgement as i trust their breadth. they always seem to be pretty in-depth, and anytime i have a question about an artist it's the first place i go (i know, i know, even before i go to wikipedia). their review of amputechture was much more positive:
the album is little different than their two previous atom bombs, de-loused in the comatorium and frances the mute -- tense and anxious, continually pushing the boundaries of extreme production, with long periods of dynamics that rise ever higher, followed by an explosion of release (usually screaming hard rock with storms of atonal brass and horns).
it finishes with the right sentiment:
the mars volta are one of the most intriguing bands in rock, but their huge musical power is often deflected by bixler-zavala's conceptual themes (which are difficult to follow, but also, perversely, impossible to ignore) and blitzkrieg dynamics that are either dialed down to one or up to ten (but rarely in-between).
this album is going to keep me busy. there are a million metaphors to decipher and interpret, backwards parts that i have to put frontwards and speculation that the tracks flow better together if you rearrange them.
rest assured, for the next few weeks (and likely until their next release), i'll have mine up to ten.
9.19.2006
the public service announcement to end all public service announcements.
my roommate sent this to me yesterday. it's a u.s.-funded anti-suicide bombing public service announcement running on television in iraq. beware: it's graphic. there's no blood, but, as psa's tend to do, it builds a rapport between the viewer and a character and, well... just watch. it's pretty heavy.
alright. maybe this question begs an obvious answer, but i'm going to ask it anyway: why? why run this in iraq? what does it add to the conversation about suicide bombing? (is there actually a conversation about suicide bombing?)
if young radicals see this announcement, what are they thinking? what happened to the suicide bomber? he disappeared in a puff of smoke. poof. it looked entirely painless, and maybe something like that is pretty painless (by which i mean, instant).
the psa emphasized what happened to the people around the bomber - particularly the little boy with the shoe. and, to boot, the slow motion camera panning and matrix graphics only further sensationalize what might be one of the most serious topics one might discuss.
but if somebody's considering suicide bombing in the first place, the very idea behind the tactic is to affect as many civilians as possible. so a person bent on blowing a marketplace to bits will not be swayed by this sort of demonstration, one that portrays the suffering of innocent bystanders as its argument.
i would more expect this to run in the united states. can you see it? show the american people what we're up against: mindless, selfless, fearless zealots who make eye contact with innocent boys before they detonate themselves. it's entirely consistent with the current american sociopolitical climate - undoubtedly one of fear.
the president and his colleagues have been quick to mention september 11 as often as they can. they've made us fearful of the taliban and its support of al qaeda; fearful of saddam and iraq's alleged cache of chemical and biological weapons (and don't forget that "mushroom cloud" warning from then-national security advisor rice); fearful of the madmen in north korea and iran; fearful of new immigrants; fearful of muslims; fearful of change, freedom and our own inherent rights; fearful of limited government.
i don't read arabic, but if someone who does (shilly? are you out there, buddy?) wants to translate that message at the end of the psa, i would appreciate it. maybe it would clarify things a little better. somehow, i don't think it will, but i'm still curious.
as one last point: beyond all this, beyond what this might accomplish, what family in iraq doesn't understand by now the power of a bomb, whether from strapped dynamite or dropped from the sky? the psa seems to try to sully suicide bombing's "good name," as if the people affected by the tactic might ever legitimate it. i find it hard to believe that there are many people left in iraq who, now three years into the invasion and occupation of american and coaliton troops, haven't seen the devastation caused either by suicide bombers, tanks or aerial bombs.
if anything, this is only further reminding these people of the danger they face every day. it's only further reminding them - needlessly - of the horrific conditions that have befallen their country.
and and it was done with a real hollywood twist.
alright. maybe this question begs an obvious answer, but i'm going to ask it anyway: why? why run this in iraq? what does it add to the conversation about suicide bombing? (is there actually a conversation about suicide bombing?)
if young radicals see this announcement, what are they thinking? what happened to the suicide bomber? he disappeared in a puff of smoke. poof. it looked entirely painless, and maybe something like that is pretty painless (by which i mean, instant).
the psa emphasized what happened to the people around the bomber - particularly the little boy with the shoe. and, to boot, the slow motion camera panning and matrix graphics only further sensationalize what might be one of the most serious topics one might discuss.
but if somebody's considering suicide bombing in the first place, the very idea behind the tactic is to affect as many civilians as possible. so a person bent on blowing a marketplace to bits will not be swayed by this sort of demonstration, one that portrays the suffering of innocent bystanders as its argument.
i would more expect this to run in the united states. can you see it? show the american people what we're up against: mindless, selfless, fearless zealots who make eye contact with innocent boys before they detonate themselves. it's entirely consistent with the current american sociopolitical climate - undoubtedly one of fear.
the president and his colleagues have been quick to mention september 11 as often as they can. they've made us fearful of the taliban and its support of al qaeda; fearful of saddam and iraq's alleged cache of chemical and biological weapons (and don't forget that "mushroom cloud" warning from then-national security advisor rice); fearful of the madmen in north korea and iran; fearful of new immigrants; fearful of muslims; fearful of change, freedom and our own inherent rights; fearful of limited government.
i don't read arabic, but if someone who does (shilly? are you out there, buddy?) wants to translate that message at the end of the psa, i would appreciate it. maybe it would clarify things a little better. somehow, i don't think it will, but i'm still curious.
as one last point: beyond all this, beyond what this might accomplish, what family in iraq doesn't understand by now the power of a bomb, whether from strapped dynamite or dropped from the sky? the psa seems to try to sully suicide bombing's "good name," as if the people affected by the tactic might ever legitimate it. i find it hard to believe that there are many people left in iraq who, now three years into the invasion and occupation of american and coaliton troops, haven't seen the devastation caused either by suicide bombers, tanks or aerial bombs.
if anything, this is only further reminding these people of the danger they face every day. it's only further reminding them - needlessly - of the horrific conditions that have befallen their country.
and and it was done with a real hollywood twist.
on fuel economy.
one of these days i'm going to run out of gas.
hey. that could be a metaphor. i guess these late nights might catch up with me (as they began to last night, see my last post). i've been web editing late nights, and really i don't have to. i could have it all done by 11:30 if my time management skills were a little stronger.
but they're not. and that means sometimes, well, sometimes i finish work at quarter of 3 in the morning. sometimes that's before i begin my homework, which requires me to read about 225 pages of text and write something substantive about it. sometimes that's because i've had the assignment for weeks and have put it off to a mere 10 hours before it's due.
i should ask quentin how he dealt with it. i'm starting to resemble him: i come home at odd hours of the morning after a long day in the newsroom; my facial hair is getting unruly (that's not fair - quentin's was always quite ruly); i slept here the other night; i don't see my roommates near as much as i'd like.
and despite my busy schedule, despite my late nights and my time mismanagement, i still manage to make time for that most important of daily practices - that wonderful nightly phone call.
i need to get myself in gear. i need to use my free time to work on my thesis. or study for the gre. or prepare for any of the three major papers that will be due in november or december (erm... four, maybe? crap i can't remember). or apply to graduate school. or read for class tomorrow so i don't have to cram before the upcoming tests.
if i don't start with a strict schedule, which will include getting up reasonably early, even on days when i don't have class until 2:30, then this is all going to come to a head. i'll have no energy left and i will have hit a wall. i should do something about this, before it gets serious.
what i really meant, though, is that my car is on 'e.' the last time i filled up was somewhere east of des moines a couple of weeks ago. it was about 3am and i was making my way back from a semi-secret rendezvous in chicago.
every time i drive to or from campus - which may be 2 miles from my house, if that far - i imagine what i'd do if i ran out of gas.
i guess i'd just walk home. i probably can't do that if i run out of that metaphorical gas.
hey. that could be a metaphor. i guess these late nights might catch up with me (as they began to last night, see my last post). i've been web editing late nights, and really i don't have to. i could have it all done by 11:30 if my time management skills were a little stronger.
but they're not. and that means sometimes, well, sometimes i finish work at quarter of 3 in the morning. sometimes that's before i begin my homework, which requires me to read about 225 pages of text and write something substantive about it. sometimes that's because i've had the assignment for weeks and have put it off to a mere 10 hours before it's due.
i should ask quentin how he dealt with it. i'm starting to resemble him: i come home at odd hours of the morning after a long day in the newsroom; my facial hair is getting unruly (that's not fair - quentin's was always quite ruly); i slept here the other night; i don't see my roommates near as much as i'd like.
and despite my busy schedule, despite my late nights and my time mismanagement, i still manage to make time for that most important of daily practices - that wonderful nightly phone call.
i need to get myself in gear. i need to use my free time to work on my thesis. or study for the gre. or prepare for any of the three major papers that will be due in november or december (erm... four, maybe? crap i can't remember). or apply to graduate school. or read for class tomorrow so i don't have to cram before the upcoming tests.
if i don't start with a strict schedule, which will include getting up reasonably early, even on days when i don't have class until 2:30, then this is all going to come to a head. i'll have no energy left and i will have hit a wall. i should do something about this, before it gets serious.
what i really meant, though, is that my car is on 'e.' the last time i filled up was somewhere east of des moines a couple of weeks ago. it was about 3am and i was making my way back from a semi-secret rendezvous in chicago.
every time i drive to or from campus - which may be 2 miles from my house, if that far - i imagine what i'd do if i ran out of gas.
i guess i'd just walk home. i probably can't do that if i run out of that metaphorical gas.
it's catching up with me.
it's 3:14am. i'm still at work. well, i finished work about 45 minutes ago. but i'm at work and i should be reading. i have this great plan to get 5 hours of sleep tonight so i can read a reasonable amount and be prepared to write on it. just two pages. easy. but they have to be substantive. meh...
the daily nebraskan is quite silent after 3am. only the din of the air system and the light hum of computer monitors.
i feel like i should shut some of these lights off.
there's something i'd like to write about now, but i'll save it for tomorrow. it has to do with something my roommate sent me. anyway, you'll just have to wait. it's... well, just wait.
back to "democracies" by arend lijphart. woot.
the daily nebraskan is quite silent after 3am. only the din of the air system and the light hum of computer monitors.
i feel like i should shut some of these lights off.
there's something i'd like to write about now, but i'll save it for tomorrow. it has to do with something my roommate sent me. anyway, you'll just have to wait. it's... well, just wait.
back to "democracies" by arend lijphart. woot.
9.18.2006
postsecret.
it's been a while since i looked at postsecret, and i wish it hadn't been. i love this project. i think this one is my favorite from this week's batch of postcards.
what can i say? sometimes i'm a sucker for throwing caution to the wind, for taking major, major chances, for leaving behind all you know and looking ahead to uncertainty. that's what draws me to this postcard.
sometimes i'm just a hopeless romantic.
[also, if you like postsecret, check out quentin's stains on paper project. it's not as heavy as postsecret, but the methods are similar and it's another strong inquiry into the human condition. really, it's a great idea.]
what can i say? sometimes i'm a sucker for throwing caution to the wind, for taking major, major chances, for leaving behind all you know and looking ahead to uncertainty. that's what draws me to this postcard.
sometimes i'm just a hopeless romantic.
[also, if you like postsecret, check out quentin's stains on paper project. it's not as heavy as postsecret, but the methods are similar and it's another strong inquiry into the human condition. really, it's a great idea.]
welcome. please come in.
this is something of a reincarnation, something of a reconstruction, and something of a redesign. i used the idea and theme consistent with my summer blog, only i'm not in the east anymore. i'm in the (mid)west. hence the name. and the sidebar's shift to the other side.
and to all you livejournal enthusiasts out there, i'm sorry. blogger just offered me more customization. i'm of the impression that i can't do all this personalized stuff with livejournal without paying for it. i was also looking into wordpress, but you have to pay to customize that, too. so here we are, back with blogger. i really don't mind it. i got rid of that pesky navigation bar (find out how here), so it's cool with me.
i intend for this to chronicle my final semester at nebraska. so, while fielding 15 credits, working altogether too much at the daily nebraskan, applying to graduate school, taking the graduate record examination, eventually preparing for the law school admission test, writing an undergraduate thesis, working part-time at a local record store, participating in and helping with amnesty international, and hopefully occasionally making it to the gym, well... you get to read about it. or at least i get to write about it.
so walk with me down this path toward uncertainty. will i end up in boston? will i finish everything i need to finish before december 16? will i get the graduate teaching or research assistantship necessary for me to attend a $40,000-per-year graduate school? i suppose you'll just have to read on to find out! i promise, it will be an adventure.
and rest assured, i'm glad you're here.
(p.s. i have a column running today. it's about george clooney. sort of. check it: sullivan: clooney proves celebrities can use fame for good.)
(p.p.s. i haven't shaved in maybe two solid weeks. i look... mangy. but i kind of like it. and today, when i was wearing my hat either sideways or backwards [i'm not sure which], a columnist told me i looked like che guevara. awesome.)
and to all you livejournal enthusiasts out there, i'm sorry. blogger just offered me more customization. i'm of the impression that i can't do all this personalized stuff with livejournal without paying for it. i was also looking into wordpress, but you have to pay to customize that, too. so here we are, back with blogger. i really don't mind it. i got rid of that pesky navigation bar (find out how here), so it's cool with me.
i intend for this to chronicle my final semester at nebraska. so, while fielding 15 credits, working altogether too much at the daily nebraskan, applying to graduate school, taking the graduate record examination, eventually preparing for the law school admission test, writing an undergraduate thesis, working part-time at a local record store, participating in and helping with amnesty international, and hopefully occasionally making it to the gym, well... you get to read about it. or at least i get to write about it.
so walk with me down this path toward uncertainty. will i end up in boston? will i finish everything i need to finish before december 16? will i get the graduate teaching or research assistantship necessary for me to attend a $40,000-per-year graduate school? i suppose you'll just have to read on to find out! i promise, it will be an adventure.
and rest assured, i'm glad you're here.
(p.s. i have a column running today. it's about george clooney. sort of. check it: sullivan: clooney proves celebrities can use fame for good.)
(p.p.s. i haven't shaved in maybe two solid weeks. i look... mangy. but i kind of like it. and today, when i was wearing my hat either sideways or backwards [i'm not sure which], a columnist told me i looked like che guevara. awesome.)
