Friday, July 5, 2013
Thursday, July 4, 2013
update?
 |
| May I entertain you? |
Well, it's been a while since I posted anything. In fact it's been a little over a year but that doesn't matter because no one is reading this anyway.
According to my stats there have been 467 page views over the past year, which means that someone is clicking on this page a lot or the title is generating interest. Either way, there is no real content on this blog as most of it was posted to appease a classroom requirement. But since I'm here typing away perhaps I should keep it going.
I am currently thinking of a fiction-based project but I also don't want to be ripped off by someone snagging my short story. But then again, maybe that's exactly what I want so I can generate some nice interest when I sue someone's ass. I might even get a reward for all the trouble someone went through stealing my work. It pains me to say at this time that my work is not very good anyway and if someone wanted to steal it then that person is probably more of a fool than I am -- and I'm a pretty big fool. Are you ready to read my work yet?
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Jazz Festival: A show of talent, lacks heart
People try to create a formula for everything so that there can be a clear way to distinguish the right way from the wrong. Art, unfortunately, has its issues with this concept as people try to formulate exactly how something should be. In the case of music, jazz seems to be one of the contenders for "best music out there."
Don\'t get me wrong, jazz requires an amazing talent to play — or, play well, anyway — so it\'s easy for many to assume the logic that: an amazing group of musicians, playing an amazingly difficult sheet of music, equals to an amazingly good show. Not quite.
Here\'s the issue I take with jazz, and I should add that I\'m currently in a jazz appreciation class so I\'ve been inundated with everything jazz lately, but my issue is that jazz lacks heart.
Throughout this jazz course I have heard some really good music by great artists that have a lot of heart as well as virtuosity, but then again, we\'re studying the innovators, originators and icons of the genre, so of course they\'re going to have the whole package. But I don\'t think it\'s unfair to assume that the same message would transfer to today\'s artists.
As the evolution of jazz goes, the best instrumentalists (notice I\'m reserving the word artists) play jazz because it allows them to show off their skills, which are often phenomenal, but where\'s the passion that makes music great? The story telling element of composed music? I could care less about watching people take turns playing solos for five minutes each.
Jazz music takes the idea that the perfect music could be quantified into one genre because of the skill it requires. But I don\'t feel that way. Music, I feel, is completely subjective, and therefore cannot be placed into classes or degrees of best music to worst music.
Furthermore, watching jazz bands — not all, of course — is like watching the cogs of a finely crafted machine, each with its incredibly intricate parts perfectly working in pristine order. The image fails in comparison to watching a leaf blow to and fro in the wind without a sense of direction or design, yet it is also a thing of wonder because even though it Lacks the complexity of the machine it still renders the mind silent as you watch the leaf\'s shifting and swerving flint pattern. Music doesn\'t have to be complicated to be amazing.
while at the festival I bumped into another student (Sonia) in my class that shared my thoughts.
She said that the music. Was "boring and uninspired," which I totally agree with.
Don\'t get me wrong, jazz requires an amazing talent to play — or, play well, anyway — so it\'s easy for many to assume the logic that: an amazing group of musicians, playing an amazingly difficult sheet of music, equals to an amazingly good show. Not quite.
Here\'s the issue I take with jazz, and I should add that I\'m currently in a jazz appreciation class so I\'ve been inundated with everything jazz lately, but my issue is that jazz lacks heart.
Throughout this jazz course I have heard some really good music by great artists that have a lot of heart as well as virtuosity, but then again, we\'re studying the innovators, originators and icons of the genre, so of course they\'re going to have the whole package. But I don\'t think it\'s unfair to assume that the same message would transfer to today\'s artists.
As the evolution of jazz goes, the best instrumentalists (notice I\'m reserving the word artists) play jazz because it allows them to show off their skills, which are often phenomenal, but where\'s the passion that makes music great? The story telling element of composed music? I could care less about watching people take turns playing solos for five minutes each.
Jazz music takes the idea that the perfect music could be quantified into one genre because of the skill it requires. But I don\'t feel that way. Music, I feel, is completely subjective, and therefore cannot be placed into classes or degrees of best music to worst music.
Furthermore, watching jazz bands — not all, of course — is like watching the cogs of a finely crafted machine, each with its incredibly intricate parts perfectly working in pristine order. The image fails in comparison to watching a leaf blow to and fro in the wind without a sense of direction or design, yet it is also a thing of wonder because even though it Lacks the complexity of the machine it still renders the mind silent as you watch the leaf\'s shifting and swerving flint pattern. Music doesn\'t have to be complicated to be amazing.
while at the festival I bumped into another student (Sonia) in my class that shared my thoughts.
She said that the music. Was "boring and uninspired," which I totally agree with.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Avengers movie doesn\'t disappoint.
This weekend my friends and I waited in line at the Maya Cinemas Theatre to see the much-anticipated Avengers movie, and by much-anticipated I mean that we had been waiting for this film for a few years now and were nervous about how it would turn out.
Like all fans of The Avengers, I had my doubts as to whether the new film would carry with it all the charm and character that has made it such a strong series in the world of comic books. Additionally, Marvel has been building to this moment over the past four years with their other comic book movies, teasing us all along the way.
I\'m glad to say that I think it was a success and I was happy with the way that the plot and characters were handled.
Not only that, but my wife and friends were also happy and felt that the film didn\'t disappoint.
My wife, Amber, who is only vaguely familiar with the characters, said, "the movie had a lot of the character-building drama that really got me to know who these people were."
As someone who didn\'t grow up with Avengers comics stashed all over her room (next to all the Batman and Spider-Man comics like I did) she said that the movie was easy to get into without having to know all of the history between the characters — of course, if you did know all of that fine history you may be treated to some inside references that would just skip over the average viewer.
But the accessibility for viewers new to the material is really what surprised me most about the film\'s plot and dialogue.
Any die-hard fan will know that some plot elements have to happen between certain characters and for key elements to take place, so at some point the film is sort-of predictable. But this film nailed those elements with such a style that it kept my interest as a fanboy by keeping the pace fast and entertaining during these absolutely necessary scenes. It\'s not an easy thing to do to please two entirely different audiences with the same body of work.
Of the five friends there, including my wife, only one of them has the insight into the Avengers universe like I do and he was ecstatic as well, especially at the end of the film when the sequel\'s next villain is briefly introduced.
"Dude, it\'s Thanos!," said my brother-in-law Jeremiah. "I can\'t wait to see how they play this out."
If the name Thanos means nothing to you, don\'t worry, it doesn\'t have to. The name isn\'t even said in the film, it\'s just a smiling face teasing the audience. But if you are familiar with that name then you know exactly what\'s going to happen and you\'re asking yourself the same question: "I wonder how they\'re going to play this out."
Basically, a movie like this should welcome new viewers, and it does. It should also treat the long-time fans well with sub-layered content, which it does, gratuitously.
Like all fans of The Avengers, I had my doubts as to whether the new film would carry with it all the charm and character that has made it such a strong series in the world of comic books. Additionally, Marvel has been building to this moment over the past four years with their other comic book movies, teasing us all along the way.
I\'m glad to say that I think it was a success and I was happy with the way that the plot and characters were handled.
Not only that, but my wife and friends were also happy and felt that the film didn\'t disappoint.
My wife, Amber, who is only vaguely familiar with the characters, said, "the movie had a lot of the character-building drama that really got me to know who these people were."
As someone who didn\'t grow up with Avengers comics stashed all over her room (next to all the Batman and Spider-Man comics like I did) she said that the movie was easy to get into without having to know all of the history between the characters — of course, if you did know all of that fine history you may be treated to some inside references that would just skip over the average viewer.
But the accessibility for viewers new to the material is really what surprised me most about the film\'s plot and dialogue.
Any die-hard fan will know that some plot elements have to happen between certain characters and for key elements to take place, so at some point the film is sort-of predictable. But this film nailed those elements with such a style that it kept my interest as a fanboy by keeping the pace fast and entertaining during these absolutely necessary scenes. It\'s not an easy thing to do to please two entirely different audiences with the same body of work.
Of the five friends there, including my wife, only one of them has the insight into the Avengers universe like I do and he was ecstatic as well, especially at the end of the film when the sequel\'s next villain is briefly introduced.
"Dude, it\'s Thanos!," said my brother-in-law Jeremiah. "I can\'t wait to see how they play this out."
If the name Thanos means nothing to you, don\'t worry, it doesn\'t have to. The name isn\'t even said in the film, it\'s just a smiling face teasing the audience. But if you are familiar with that name then you know exactly what\'s going to happen and you\'re asking yourself the same question: "I wonder how they\'re going to play this out."
Basically, a movie like this should welcome new viewers, and it does. It should also treat the long-time fans well with sub-layered content, which it does, gratuitously.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Gotyee should rethink their celebrity status
Not too long ago a song on the radio started to become popular and has now become mind-numbingly annoying because it has become so popular that many stations are playing it in heavy rotation. The artists are also getting a lot of recognition — much of it they really don\'t deserve.
The song in question is by Gotyee (Go-TEE-Ay) and is titled "Somebody that I used to know." the song, which I think is just OK, is ridiculously popular now and has recently been featured on an episode of "Glee," a TV show that takes popular music and incorporates the tunes into a musical-style show. The weird thing is, Gotyee, decided that the show\'s rendition of their song was horrible and felt that they needed to vent.
Venting about somebody "doing you wrong," as the band said in an interview with The Sunday Mail, an Australian newspaper — where the band is from — is one thing if the cover was bad, but something entirely different when it\'s good. This makes me think that the band feels they\'re so famous and untouchable that nothing anyone can do is good enough.
They have one hit single and top-selling record. "Glee" covers many famous, proven artists as well as new ones, and, is watched by millions of people, I\'m not one of them but I still have to call foul on Gotyee for having the nerve to say such things.
Whatever happened to mimicry being the best form of flattery?
The band, a few days later, would eventually retract their statements and pretend to shrug off the comments as something blown out of proportion by the media. Gotyee said, "I thought it was really clever ... It was a great idea."
I get the feeling that people with power and influence jumped in and slapped these guys around and asked them "Just exactly who do you think you are?"
I neither watch the show nor care for the band but I have to call out these guys just the same.
From Spin Magazine
http://www.spin.com/articles/gotye-bummed-glee-did-him-wrong
Sunday, April 22, 2012
The twenty-third century might look something like this
One of the neat things about life is that people are trendy and self-conscious about what they look like, and more importantly, perhaps, personify. Without jumping into a philosophical prose about today\'s socio-cultural world, I thought it would be fun to look back and admire the history of trends and how people once thought a certain style of dress was the pinnacle of style, and, how past styles have influenced modern design and creativity.
Today I met a group of women that design and make their own historical costumes and clothing for their organization called the Bakersfield Historical Costume Society. This easy going group of gals was at the Garden Fest at Bakersfield College promoting interest in their group while also raising some money from handmade crafts.
Group organizer Sara Tielsch said that their organization was all about enjoying the fun fashions of the past as well as putting their own touches to it.
"We create all of our own clothes through recycled materials like old curtains or even tablecloths," said Tielsch. "We\'re also really into the Steampunk style and creating clothes that represent that look, too."
The group also goes to costume fairs to engage with other like-minded individuals that share their passion for fashion. Most of these events are themed for a certain time period or style such as the \'50s or Steampunk — an invented fashion that derived from Victorian-era style combined with Jules Verne-esque science fiction all wrapped up into a world where steam is used instead of electricity. That\'s the short version anyway.
This trip through the timeline got me thinking that today\'s trends may someday be used in a similar way by some imaginative stylists to create a unique genre, too. And though I may not look out at the crowds of people and see what that look may be, I\'m sure that people back in the Victorian era didn\'t think that their styles were "costumes" just waiting to be inserted into someone\'s artistic vision either, and I think that\'s cool.
People are a strange species but we never notice it until we examine the past and realize that the definition of normal is completely relative. Someday a Polo shirt will have an entirely new appeal and meaning, maybe. From left: Jenny Sanchez, Sara Tielsch, Caitlin Murphy, Angela Ponsetta, and Jetye Bryant
Today I met a group of women that design and make their own historical costumes and clothing for their organization called the Bakersfield Historical Costume Society. This easy going group of gals was at the Garden Fest at Bakersfield College promoting interest in their group while also raising some money from handmade crafts.
Group organizer Sara Tielsch said that their organization was all about enjoying the fun fashions of the past as well as putting their own touches to it.
"We create all of our own clothes through recycled materials like old curtains or even tablecloths," said Tielsch. "We\'re also really into the Steampunk style and creating clothes that represent that look, too."
The group also goes to costume fairs to engage with other like-minded individuals that share their passion for fashion. Most of these events are themed for a certain time period or style such as the \'50s or Steampunk — an invented fashion that derived from Victorian-era style combined with Jules Verne-esque science fiction all wrapped up into a world where steam is used instead of electricity. That\'s the short version anyway.
This trip through the timeline got me thinking that today\'s trends may someday be used in a similar way by some imaginative stylists to create a unique genre, too. And though I may not look out at the crowds of people and see what that look may be, I\'m sure that people back in the Victorian era didn\'t think that their styles were "costumes" just waiting to be inserted into someone\'s artistic vision either, and I think that\'s cool.
People are a strange species but we never notice it until we examine the past and realize that the definition of normal is completely relative. Someday a Polo shirt will have an entirely new appeal and meaning, maybe. From left: Jenny Sanchez, Sara Tielsch, Caitlin Murphy, Angela Ponsetta, and Jetye Bryant
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Forget the nay-sayers, \'John Carter\' was a good movie.
Over the weekend I got a chance to see the much talked about summer flop, "John Carter." essentially, it\'s being touted as one of the biggest flops of all time with losses estimated upward to $200 million, according to studiobriefing.net.
The film, which cost a reportedly $300-$350 million to make, has so far earned an estimated $184 million worldwide. Add to that figure my $2 plus two more from my brother-in-law.
Yet as we watched this "terrible" movie to the end, we were both perplexed by what it was that caused this movie to flop so badly. Sure, this isn\'t going to be an Academy Award winning movie, except for possibly the CGI categories (though real "film critics" disregard these accolades, apparently). But it was a lot of fun for what it was meant to be and I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would like to see a sequel.
Perhaps too many people are focused on the words of the few critics out there trashing everything that isn\'t worthy of an award, and, therefore, deny themselves the opportunity to get out and enjoy something that was obviously not just thrown together — unless of course you actually think Hollywood wants to just throw money away.
I think Jeremiah said it best when he admitted that all the negative press really deterred him from wanting to see the movie. "It\'s a shame I waited for the movie to make it to the dollar theaters. I would have been happy to pay full price to see this movie," Jeremiah said, as he continued to comment on how much he liked the movie.
Of course not all movies that are touted as garbage are actually gems to treasure, but sometimes you gotta let go of what everything around you is telling you and just experience what\'s out there without all the biases and praises and decide for yourself. Now we may not get to see another "John Carter," a character that was actually created for serialized comics a century ago in 1912. Thanks.
The film, which cost a reportedly $300-$350 million to make, has so far earned an estimated $184 million worldwide. Add to that figure my $2 plus two more from my brother-in-law.
Yet as we watched this "terrible" movie to the end, we were both perplexed by what it was that caused this movie to flop so badly. Sure, this isn\'t going to be an Academy Award winning movie, except for possibly the CGI categories (though real "film critics" disregard these accolades, apparently). But it was a lot of fun for what it was meant to be and I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would like to see a sequel.
Perhaps too many people are focused on the words of the few critics out there trashing everything that isn\'t worthy of an award, and, therefore, deny themselves the opportunity to get out and enjoy something that was obviously not just thrown together — unless of course you actually think Hollywood wants to just throw money away.
I think Jeremiah said it best when he admitted that all the negative press really deterred him from wanting to see the movie. "It\'s a shame I waited for the movie to make it to the dollar theaters. I would have been happy to pay full price to see this movie," Jeremiah said, as he continued to comment on how much he liked the movie.
Of course not all movies that are touted as garbage are actually gems to treasure, but sometimes you gotta let go of what everything around you is telling you and just experience what\'s out there without all the biases and praises and decide for yourself. Now we may not get to see another "John Carter," a character that was actually created for serialized comics a century ago in 1912. Thanks.
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