HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP! Yeah, I know it’s been sometime without an update, but here’s what’s gone on since then. A job, school problems, still no laptop, getting a Wii, the Phillies winning the World Series, the Cowboys losing out and not making the playoffs, gaining a new best friend?, the Spurs looking like crap, the Spurs looking respectable, losing the job. Yeah that about covers it.
It’s the holiday season and I’ve had time on my hands, so why not post here and build on all of the above. Yes, I had a job in which I applied part-time, was told part-time, but guess what? NO PART TIME! It sucked, I worked for a toy conglomerate which uses a long necked animal as their mascot and even though I was the best seasonal employee, I got cut at the last second, like a rookie trying to make the team. Here are some thoughts about that job: the women employees were beyond hot, the parents are just as bad as the kids (maybe even worse), and fetching carts at 30 degree weather is demeaning.
School problems- Well, we know I’m not too bright; I’m as surprised as you are that I’m actually able to type something out.
Still no laptop- we’re working on this one, this week hopefully.
Getting a Wii- This is like getting a child. I’ve never been a huge gamer, but boy is this fun. Wii Sports has been epic and I rekindled my love for Guitar Hero, I was totally shredding on Love in an Elevator. I’ve developed Elbow Bursitis as a result, but it’s totally worth it.
The Phillies- Well this happened before my last update, but I didn’t mention it. I have two favorite baseball teams, the Boston Red Sox, and the Philadelphia Phillies. One team barely missed the series, the other crushed the competition. Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Pat Burrell, the list goes on…, they did it! It was a happy moment for me, to see my two favorite teams go back to back in consecutive years winning the World Series. The Yankees and Mets can spend all the money they want, but come October, I’m willing to bet we’ll see my dream match up in a month that actually matters.
Football- the Dallas Cowboys disappointed once again, this time doing it in December instead of prolonging the agony till January. There’s not much to say here. We need changes. Coaching changes, players (T.O. and Roy Williams’s) it’s just embarrassing now. Oh and I did badly in fantasy football. I broke even, but I missed the playoffs, talk about disappointing. I don’t even think I had more than three players from my original roster.
New BFF- She knows who she is, she’s my Oklahomie. Yes I don’t talk to Litany Ray anymore because she needs to mature and find some stability. Pleas, get some help Ditany Bay, you used to be alright, what happened? You were hot, now all you do is act like Paris Hilton and Tara Reid rolled up into one, it’s disturbing.
The Spurs- Let’s wait till April to get to them.
That pretty much sums up all I have to say at this point. I predict a Colts/Giants Super Bowl and the winner will have a Manning as a Quarterback. I’m also single for you ladies out there if you can believe it. I look like Nick Jonas; shouldn’t I be fighting them off? Oh well. Be sure to check back later this week, maybe next week, I’ll probably have a best/worst of music list out by then. I’ll spoil it and tell you that TV on the Radio’s Dear Science and Deerhunter’s Microcastle are 1-2, and the worst list is almost too short, so much crap was released and there’s only ten spots, expect to see Nickelback, Motley Crue, Fall Out Boy, Underoath and many others on the list. I will also release a best of film list sometime in January, so be on the look out for that. So, happy holidays and take care of each other.
J.G.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
HOPE
Yesterday was a historic day for my country. We elected our first Black president to lead this country, and I for one couldn’t be happier. Growing up every election, I’ve sat through one election where the outcome was in our family’s favor, and I sat through one that was stolen, as well as one that might’ve been stolen. So voting for the first time thrilled me. Voting and winning thrilled me even more.
I’d like to think that my parents have done an excellent job of making sure my brother and I could think for ourselves. We’re very strong liberals and voting Republican under any circumstance isn’t justifiable to us. Even though the two candidates I supported earlier in the presidential race since last year didn’t get the nomination, I’m still happy with the outcome.
There’s talk that either candidate wouldn’t live to see the four years of the term, its grim thinking if you ask me, and something I choose not to think about. It almost came down to who would be the better VP to some people. I’ve been watching politics since I was seven years old, and never had I seen someone as ridiculous and unqualified for a position in the White House quite like Sarah Palin. Her conservative thinking and ideals are something that any idiot from my high school would go nuts for. Playing herself off like a “maverick” when she’s essentially GW2 is laughable. If she is the future of the Republican Party, I’d be scared if I bleed red, because she ruined the campaign for McCain and still thinks that she’s called by God to lead the American people. To me, anyone who uses and hides behind their religion for any kind of gain, is scary and should be nowhere near a leadership position.
I came from a school where I was the odd man out; I had different beliefs and a different upbringing, because my parents let me think for myself. They put trust in me that I could make the better decision and if I didn’t, they’d correct me and teach me. These Christian Conservatives make me sick though. Thinking that God calls them and using religion as a crutch. It’s people like them who make all these young people hate religion for no good reason. Christianity has become bastardized because of a few bad apples and a hell of a lot of misguided souls. I consider myself a Christian. I may not be a good one, but I believe that there is a higher power and that he should be the only one to judge us, not a bunch of close minded folks who can’t interpret the Bible correctly. Jesus is tolerant of EVERYONE, he doesn’t discriminate, and he loves us all, even those nonbelievers and those who worship elsewhere. Jesus hung out with people who were the bottom of the barrel, the guy even hung out with prostitutes. What makes you people think that he’d hate gays and everyone else who doesn’t follow Christianity? If any of you are Christian Conservative and attend one of those mega churches, stop and think for a second. Do you have the right to judge and discriminate against people who don’t share your views, or should that be left to the almighty Lord and Savior?
On Myspace last night, one person I went to high school with posted a bulletin calling Obama supporters “stupid” for voting for a guy who’s “Muslim”. First off, he’s not Muslim, and secondly, what if he is? Aren’t we as the free world supposed to have Religious Freedom? I can honestly say that I hope I never talk to him again and I hope one day, his narrow mind will see the light and he’ll actually pick up a book or newspaper or watch the news instead of Family Guy.
I’m happy for the outcome of the election, and I think great things will be in store for a while. It’s not going to be an overnight process, but slowly we will take back this country and make it the greatest nation in the world again. Due to the past eight years, we’ve become a laughing stock and the butt of the joke for other countries, but that will change. I guarantee it.
I’d like to congratulate Obama and Biden for their victory, and I wish them nothing but the best of luck. This is truly a new day for America, not because we have a black president, but because there are higher turnouts for voting and now more than ever, we as a whole, care about this nation.
I’d like to think that my parents have done an excellent job of making sure my brother and I could think for ourselves. We’re very strong liberals and voting Republican under any circumstance isn’t justifiable to us. Even though the two candidates I supported earlier in the presidential race since last year didn’t get the nomination, I’m still happy with the outcome.
There’s talk that either candidate wouldn’t live to see the four years of the term, its grim thinking if you ask me, and something I choose not to think about. It almost came down to who would be the better VP to some people. I’ve been watching politics since I was seven years old, and never had I seen someone as ridiculous and unqualified for a position in the White House quite like Sarah Palin. Her conservative thinking and ideals are something that any idiot from my high school would go nuts for. Playing herself off like a “maverick” when she’s essentially GW2 is laughable. If she is the future of the Republican Party, I’d be scared if I bleed red, because she ruined the campaign for McCain and still thinks that she’s called by God to lead the American people. To me, anyone who uses and hides behind their religion for any kind of gain, is scary and should be nowhere near a leadership position.
I came from a school where I was the odd man out; I had different beliefs and a different upbringing, because my parents let me think for myself. They put trust in me that I could make the better decision and if I didn’t, they’d correct me and teach me. These Christian Conservatives make me sick though. Thinking that God calls them and using religion as a crutch. It’s people like them who make all these young people hate religion for no good reason. Christianity has become bastardized because of a few bad apples and a hell of a lot of misguided souls. I consider myself a Christian. I may not be a good one, but I believe that there is a higher power and that he should be the only one to judge us, not a bunch of close minded folks who can’t interpret the Bible correctly. Jesus is tolerant of EVERYONE, he doesn’t discriminate, and he loves us all, even those nonbelievers and those who worship elsewhere. Jesus hung out with people who were the bottom of the barrel, the guy even hung out with prostitutes. What makes you people think that he’d hate gays and everyone else who doesn’t follow Christianity? If any of you are Christian Conservative and attend one of those mega churches, stop and think for a second. Do you have the right to judge and discriminate against people who don’t share your views, or should that be left to the almighty Lord and Savior?
On Myspace last night, one person I went to high school with posted a bulletin calling Obama supporters “stupid” for voting for a guy who’s “Muslim”. First off, he’s not Muslim, and secondly, what if he is? Aren’t we as the free world supposed to have Religious Freedom? I can honestly say that I hope I never talk to him again and I hope one day, his narrow mind will see the light and he’ll actually pick up a book or newspaper or watch the news instead of Family Guy.
I’m happy for the outcome of the election, and I think great things will be in store for a while. It’s not going to be an overnight process, but slowly we will take back this country and make it the greatest nation in the world again. Due to the past eight years, we’ve become a laughing stock and the butt of the joke for other countries, but that will change. I guarantee it.
I’d like to congratulate Obama and Biden for their victory, and I wish them nothing but the best of luck. This is truly a new day for America, not because we have a black president, but because there are higher turnouts for voting and now more than ever, we as a whole, care about this nation.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Just slowly fade away...
Yeah, I know I haven’t updated this in a while, but my laptop broke, and it’s not like anything cool has happened to me lately. Life sucks when you’re in junior college, and nobody cares about you.
That said, I did see Nine Inch Nails on Thursday night and it was something of a non memorable show.
I got to Northwoods around 6 P.M. hoping to meet Day and her friend, well Day was there, but no friend. 45 minutes later and six bad conversations later, Day’s friend finally shows up, she looked like Sarah Palin with tattoos and in boy’s clothing. Anyway, we finally make our way to the AT&T Center and I was able to retrieve my ticket from the NIN.com presale, because I’m a nerd and am in the fan club. I was let into the venue early where I then bought an overpriced long sleeve shirt to weather the less than Texas weather we’ve been having. Now it was time to stand with all the other rabid ones in the GA area, what a ride.
As I stood with everyone in GA, I noticed a crowd pattern. Douchebags, Cholo’s and Chola’s, Posers, and Fat Goths. I’m ashamed to be from San Antonio because the crowd sucked and 75% of them probably haven’t heard a NIN song that wasn’t on the radio, plus, they don’t know how to behave. An hour after grabbing my spot in line, the first band started, Ghostland Observatory, and wow, they were bad. The DJ comes out in a cape, and what appears to be a guy comes out and his voice sounds like Kristen Wiig’s Target lady character on SNL. It was Daft Punk for douchebags. Every song sucked and the lead singer moved like Scott Weiland meets Axl Rose, I was hoping that they’d break into Sex Type Thing or Mr. Brownstone, but no dice. One of the worst 35 minutes of my life.
NIN hit the stage around 9:15, mind you, I was in GA, so three songs in, I had to crowd surf to the front to make my way to the side and stand there for the rest of the night because I feared for my life with all the rowdy idiots who think it’s cool to push everyone. Here is a song by song review of the show.
1.999,999- Oh it’s dark, I wonder what the opener will be?
2.1,000,000 –Awesome opener, rowdy…OH NO, I CAN’T BREATHE!
3. Letting You –Oh no, still rowdy, good song, damn, my life might end at a NIN show, how lame am I
4. Discipline- Okay, I’ll crowd surf my way to the front so I ca watch it from the side, this crowd sucks, I wish I could’ve danced shirtless to this one.
5. March of the Pigs- Jesus Christ, this song is still being played and the crowd is rowdy as ever, I feel sorry for the guy next to me whose lithograph is trashed.
6. Head Down- Christ, this song sucks; don’t make me laugh Trent, DON’T MAKE ME LAUGH!
7. The Frail- Ooh piano, pleas break into…YES…YES…Oh thank the heavens you gave us…
8. The Wretched- One of the best songs of the night, Robin Finck’s guitar playing was flawless, I love this song. Thanks Trent.
9. Closer- Wow, I hate this song, probably the only song everyone in the crowd knew, what a shame.
10. Gave Up- RAW! I love this song, intense as ever and still one of the best live songs from the band.
11. Corona Radiata- BORING!
12. The Warning- Oh lord, really, oh, I guess its okay
13. The Great Destroyer- Seriously Trent, this Year Zero business has to stop, these songs sucks.
14. Ghosts
15.Ghosts
16. Ghosts- These songs are boring and lame, I took a potty break because it killed the mood and I needed to go.
17. Ghosts Piggy- Not much of a difference from the original one, but it’s still one of my favorite NIN songs ever.
18. The Greater Good- More boring Year Zero crap. YAWN!
19. Pinion- I guess Wish is next.
20. Wish- Thank God, I love this song too, everyone is rowdy again, but it’s so intense, I don’t care, awesome version.
21. Terrible Lie- Wow I didn’t expect this. /sarcasm
22. Survivalism- One of my favorite Year Zero songs, and yet it was weak, at least the video screens were cool.
23. The Big Comedown- WOOO! Another Fragile song, Robin can play it, great job, always a good choice.
24. Ghosts- Seriously Trent, cut it out.
25. Only- I love this song, its different live, but it’s still good.
26. The Hand That Feeds- Overplayed, but the picture of Bush morphing into McCain was cool.
27. Head Like a Hole- Expected, nothing different from any other performance.
Encore:
28. Echoplex- Great song, I love it, the visual was awesome.
29. God Given- Hands down, best song of the night, way better than the studio version, simply awesome.
30. The Good Soldier- Yawn
31. Hurt- Yawn
32. In This Twilight- Yawn
As you could tell, it wasn’t great, but it was good. Robin is an amazing guitarist, and Trent was as intense and spectacular as ever, Josh was beating the skins and Justin was way better than Jeordie. Great performance, bad crowd, but it was worth it. I got home late and met the manager of Sugar’s who agreed to hook me up for an after party, how awesome. See them if you can, because they still put on a great show, just hope and pray that your crowd is better than mine.
That said, I did see Nine Inch Nails on Thursday night and it was something of a non memorable show.
I got to Northwoods around 6 P.M. hoping to meet Day and her friend, well Day was there, but no friend. 45 minutes later and six bad conversations later, Day’s friend finally shows up, she looked like Sarah Palin with tattoos and in boy’s clothing. Anyway, we finally make our way to the AT&T Center and I was able to retrieve my ticket from the NIN.com presale, because I’m a nerd and am in the fan club. I was let into the venue early where I then bought an overpriced long sleeve shirt to weather the less than Texas weather we’ve been having. Now it was time to stand with all the other rabid ones in the GA area, what a ride.
As I stood with everyone in GA, I noticed a crowd pattern. Douchebags, Cholo’s and Chola’s, Posers, and Fat Goths. I’m ashamed to be from San Antonio because the crowd sucked and 75% of them probably haven’t heard a NIN song that wasn’t on the radio, plus, they don’t know how to behave. An hour after grabbing my spot in line, the first band started, Ghostland Observatory, and wow, they were bad. The DJ comes out in a cape, and what appears to be a guy comes out and his voice sounds like Kristen Wiig’s Target lady character on SNL. It was Daft Punk for douchebags. Every song sucked and the lead singer moved like Scott Weiland meets Axl Rose, I was hoping that they’d break into Sex Type Thing or Mr. Brownstone, but no dice. One of the worst 35 minutes of my life.
NIN hit the stage around 9:15, mind you, I was in GA, so three songs in, I had to crowd surf to the front to make my way to the side and stand there for the rest of the night because I feared for my life with all the rowdy idiots who think it’s cool to push everyone. Here is a song by song review of the show.
1.999,999- Oh it’s dark, I wonder what the opener will be?
2.1,000,000 –Awesome opener, rowdy…OH NO, I CAN’T BREATHE!
3. Letting You –Oh no, still rowdy, good song, damn, my life might end at a NIN show, how lame am I
4. Discipline- Okay, I’ll crowd surf my way to the front so I ca watch it from the side, this crowd sucks, I wish I could’ve danced shirtless to this one.
5. March of the Pigs- Jesus Christ, this song is still being played and the crowd is rowdy as ever, I feel sorry for the guy next to me whose lithograph is trashed.
6. Head Down- Christ, this song sucks; don’t make me laugh Trent, DON’T MAKE ME LAUGH!
7. The Frail- Ooh piano, pleas break into…YES…YES…Oh thank the heavens you gave us…
8. The Wretched- One of the best songs of the night, Robin Finck’s guitar playing was flawless, I love this song. Thanks Trent.
9. Closer- Wow, I hate this song, probably the only song everyone in the crowd knew, what a shame.
10. Gave Up- RAW! I love this song, intense as ever and still one of the best live songs from the band.
11. Corona Radiata- BORING!
12. The Warning- Oh lord, really, oh, I guess its okay
13. The Great Destroyer- Seriously Trent, this Year Zero business has to stop, these songs sucks.
14. Ghosts
15.Ghosts
16. Ghosts- These songs are boring and lame, I took a potty break because it killed the mood and I needed to go.
17. Ghosts Piggy- Not much of a difference from the original one, but it’s still one of my favorite NIN songs ever.
18. The Greater Good- More boring Year Zero crap. YAWN!
19. Pinion- I guess Wish is next.
20. Wish- Thank God, I love this song too, everyone is rowdy again, but it’s so intense, I don’t care, awesome version.
21. Terrible Lie- Wow I didn’t expect this. /sarcasm
22. Survivalism- One of my favorite Year Zero songs, and yet it was weak, at least the video screens were cool.
23. The Big Comedown- WOOO! Another Fragile song, Robin can play it, great job, always a good choice.
24. Ghosts- Seriously Trent, cut it out.
25. Only- I love this song, its different live, but it’s still good.
26. The Hand That Feeds- Overplayed, but the picture of Bush morphing into McCain was cool.
27. Head Like a Hole- Expected, nothing different from any other performance.
Encore:
28. Echoplex- Great song, I love it, the visual was awesome.
29. God Given- Hands down, best song of the night, way better than the studio version, simply awesome.
30. The Good Soldier- Yawn
31. Hurt- Yawn
32. In This Twilight- Yawn
As you could tell, it wasn’t great, but it was good. Robin is an amazing guitarist, and Trent was as intense and spectacular as ever, Josh was beating the skins and Justin was way better than Jeordie. Great performance, bad crowd, but it was worth it. I got home late and met the manager of Sugar’s who agreed to hook me up for an after party, how awesome. See them if you can, because they still put on a great show, just hope and pray that your crowd is better than mine.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Fantasy Football Fun!!!!
Football season is upon us, and what better way to get ready for the season than to draft for Fantasy Football. I know what you’re probably thinking, “That’s pretty lame dude, what kind of geek plays Fantasy Football?”, well, this guy does and he’s in a league with a bunch of other cool people who frequent a Nine Inch Nails message board. In between downloading My Morning Jacket bootlegs and doing things for school, I’ve been reading up on how to draft, to be competitive. I took place in Fantasy Baseball this season with most of the same people, so I have to bounce back and show I’m not a poser. My team is as follows:
Quarterbacks: Ben Roethlisberger and Matt Hasselbeck
Wide Receivers: Randy Moss, Reggie Wayne, Donald Driver, Bobby Ingram, Derrick Mason, and Ronald Curry
Running Backs: Lendale White, DeAngelo Williams, and Rashard Mendenhall
Tight End: Dallas Clark
Kicker: David Akers
Defense: Jacksonville
Not too shabby if I say so myself. I don’t have much depth at Running Back, but I do have two good Quarterbacks and a nice little Wide Receiving core.
In my opinion, Fantasy Football makes watching the game much more fun. You get to follow players and show more interest in the league opposed to just watching and following one single team. If you guys know me well, you know that I can get crazy during football season and even a tad bit obsessive. Well, this season isn’t going to be different because expectations are high for my beloved Dallas Cowboys. We’re talking possible Super Bowl high.
Yes school is in session and I have been spending an enormous amount of time on the Nine Inch Nails chat room, but football always comes first, no matter what. So sometimes instead of hitting on hot singles in the Nine Inch Nails chat room, or planning my funeral(make sure they play Goin’ to Acapulco by Jim James and Calexico), I’ll be watching football.
I know I haven’t updated this in a while but nothing new has happened. I’m back in school and that’s about it. I can almost guarantee that I’ll update this after October 23rd since Nine Inch Nails are coming and I’ll be sure to review that show, hell, maybe I’ll update it beforehand if anything relevant happens, but yeah, I’m still alive.
Quarterbacks: Ben Roethlisberger and Matt Hasselbeck
Wide Receivers: Randy Moss, Reggie Wayne, Donald Driver, Bobby Ingram, Derrick Mason, and Ronald Curry
Running Backs: Lendale White, DeAngelo Williams, and Rashard Mendenhall
Tight End: Dallas Clark
Kicker: David Akers
Defense: Jacksonville
Not too shabby if I say so myself. I don’t have much depth at Running Back, but I do have two good Quarterbacks and a nice little Wide Receiving core.
In my opinion, Fantasy Football makes watching the game much more fun. You get to follow players and show more interest in the league opposed to just watching and following one single team. If you guys know me well, you know that I can get crazy during football season and even a tad bit obsessive. Well, this season isn’t going to be different because expectations are high for my beloved Dallas Cowboys. We’re talking possible Super Bowl high.
Yes school is in session and I have been spending an enormous amount of time on the Nine Inch Nails chat room, but football always comes first, no matter what. So sometimes instead of hitting on hot singles in the Nine Inch Nails chat room, or planning my funeral(make sure they play Goin’ to Acapulco by Jim James and Calexico), I’ll be watching football.
I know I haven’t updated this in a while but nothing new has happened. I’m back in school and that’s about it. I can almost guarantee that I’ll update this after October 23rd since Nine Inch Nails are coming and I’ll be sure to review that show, hell, maybe I’ll update it beforehand if anything relevant happens, but yeah, I’m still alive.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Merry Mayhem
I know I don’t seem like a “metal-head” and to be honest, I’m not. But coming from Mayhem fest made me think “No, I really don’t want to be a metal-head”. Let me explain, I came to this concert wanting to see two bands, Mastodon, who in my opinion, are the kings of thrash metal right now, and Slipknot. Well I got there just in time to see Mastodon play. They got a bad crowd and a bad time slot for a band that is better than everyone else on the lineup. They played for forty five minutes and played material from Blood Mountain and Leviathan, that’s all. The bass overrode all the other sounds, including vocals, but they rocked it, and everyone paying attention to them knew how good they were and why they were on the main stage. Afterwards, I high tailed it to the merchandise booth to buy a reasonably priced Mastodon shirt to add to my endless collection. Little did I know how bad the second stages were going to be.
I walked around for about an hour because I couldn’t find my uncle/buddy, so I got a chance to check out the other stages. Underoath was wrapping up their set which seemed lame. I caught the last three songs, but to be honest, I didn’t know where one ended and began, they all sounded the same and they sucked. After watching their sad set, Machine Head took a stage, I caught their first two songs, but that was enough for me. Nothing ground breaking, just hard rock for your typical metal chow crowd, mindless and boring. I couldn’t take it anymore, I was done.
I made my way back to the main stage where my uncle showed up and we waited and sat through the worse band of the night, Dragonforce. Dragonforce aren’t just bad, they’re something that’s way worse than bad, if that’s possible. Bad Maiden styled riffs and a bad lead singer, but that’s not the worst part, they have a keyboardist. Now, I like a little electro in my music, but this was sad. When the keyboardist wasn’t dancing around like an idiot, he was playing a keytar. No kidding, an actual keytar. I could not take them serious and I really hope this band just disappears or has trouble coming over the states again. They also referred to Beethoven’s Fifth as “gay”.
Disturbed was up next and I was already tired of them. I used to like this band, but they’re bland, blander than bland. Every song has the same formula and it just doesn’t work after three sub par albums. The lead singer came out in full Hannibal Lectar garb complete with mask, jumpsuit, straight jacket and stretcher. Yes it was that ridiculous. I’d seen this bad twice before when they toured for their last album and nothing’s changed. They say the same things they said last time and it was the same basic set list but with a couple of new songs thrown in. NEXT!
Slipknot came on last and killed it. Yes the masks and jumpsuits are goofy, and yes lyrically they’re not good, but heavy is heavy and Slipknot is heavy done right. They played some hits, and some rarities (Prosthetics ruled!) and they played their new song, Psychosocial, which is pretty decent. I loved every minute of their set, including Duality, Before I Forget, The Heretic Anthem, and People = S*it. They were full of energy and great to the crowd and didn’t let down. They were worth the price of admission alone.
Between the hot weather, the obnoxious, overweight, ugly woman right and back of me, and the horrible smell of pot, it was a good show. Definitely not my crowd, but I saw two bands I really enjoy and carry on the true spirit of rock. I wouldn’t recommend this show to everyone, but if you enjoy listening to a good number of the bands and have the money, go for it. Just be sure to check out Slipknot (obviously) and Mastodon who are the best thrash band this side of ‘80’s Metallica.
I walked around for about an hour because I couldn’t find my uncle/buddy, so I got a chance to check out the other stages. Underoath was wrapping up their set which seemed lame. I caught the last three songs, but to be honest, I didn’t know where one ended and began, they all sounded the same and they sucked. After watching their sad set, Machine Head took a stage, I caught their first two songs, but that was enough for me. Nothing ground breaking, just hard rock for your typical metal chow crowd, mindless and boring. I couldn’t take it anymore, I was done.
I made my way back to the main stage where my uncle showed up and we waited and sat through the worse band of the night, Dragonforce. Dragonforce aren’t just bad, they’re something that’s way worse than bad, if that’s possible. Bad Maiden styled riffs and a bad lead singer, but that’s not the worst part, they have a keyboardist. Now, I like a little electro in my music, but this was sad. When the keyboardist wasn’t dancing around like an idiot, he was playing a keytar. No kidding, an actual keytar. I could not take them serious and I really hope this band just disappears or has trouble coming over the states again. They also referred to Beethoven’s Fifth as “gay”.
Disturbed was up next and I was already tired of them. I used to like this band, but they’re bland, blander than bland. Every song has the same formula and it just doesn’t work after three sub par albums. The lead singer came out in full Hannibal Lectar garb complete with mask, jumpsuit, straight jacket and stretcher. Yes it was that ridiculous. I’d seen this bad twice before when they toured for their last album and nothing’s changed. They say the same things they said last time and it was the same basic set list but with a couple of new songs thrown in. NEXT!
Slipknot came on last and killed it. Yes the masks and jumpsuits are goofy, and yes lyrically they’re not good, but heavy is heavy and Slipknot is heavy done right. They played some hits, and some rarities (Prosthetics ruled!) and they played their new song, Psychosocial, which is pretty decent. I loved every minute of their set, including Duality, Before I Forget, The Heretic Anthem, and People = S*it. They were full of energy and great to the crowd and didn’t let down. They were worth the price of admission alone.
Between the hot weather, the obnoxious, overweight, ugly woman right and back of me, and the horrible smell of pot, it was a good show. Definitely not my crowd, but I saw two bands I really enjoy and carry on the true spirit of rock. I wouldn’t recommend this show to everyone, but if you enjoy listening to a good number of the bands and have the money, go for it. Just be sure to check out Slipknot (obviously) and Mastodon who are the best thrash band this side of ‘80’s Metallica.
Friday, July 18, 2008
I know this review probably sucks but I want to talk about how great this movie is
When something lives up to the hype, it’s very special and you cannot stop talking about it. This is the case with The Dark Knight. So much hype, and so much payoff and then some. Whether it be the trailer, the death of Heath Ledger, the perfect casting, or the standard the Batman Begins left for all comic book adaptations, there was much hype. I am proud to say everything about this film is simply flawless.
A good script from Christopher and Jonathan Nolan is elevated to a great film with the performances of its cast. Heath Ledger is superb as The Joker as expected. Christian Bale reminds us that we’re a long way from the Clooney/Kilmer Batman’s that nearly killed the franchise, and turns in his best performance since American Psycho. But with those two performances that were greatly expected, in my eyes, the show was stolen by Gary Oldman, and Aaron Eckhart. Oldman portrays Lt. Gordon who is greatly involved with this film more than Batman Begins. Gary Oldman has been one of the most underrated actors of our time but in this role, you can’t help but feel sorry for him and root for him for being squeaky clean and uncorrupt. Eckhart on the other hand, is destined to become a star with this role. As District Attorney Harvey Dent, Eckhart plays the role perfectly, whether he’s trying to clean up the city, or use vigilante justice to get his way, Eckhart plays the role without flaw and leaves you wanting him back for more screen time.
The film features more gadgets and more special effects than its predecessor, but it’s not a bad thing. Usually, sequels are hurt because they use more effects and gadgets to heighten the weak plot, in this film; you hardly care because the writing and acting are so good and those scenes featuring gadgetry and CGI are hardly pivotal or are just as exciting and intense as those “regular” scenes. Christopher Nolan directs it so perfectly and makes it more realistic and believable than it should be. We know there aren’t any psychopathic guys wearing clown makeup as much as we know there isn’t a guy in a bat costume putting bad guys away. At the end of it all, you have to remind yourself it’s just a movie because everything is done perfectly.
Along with the welcomed additions of Eckhart and the late Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal fits into the role of Rachel Dawes so good, you hardly even notice Katie Holmes is gone. It’s not like they even look like each other either. Gyllenhaal is the better actress and more believable as the love interest of Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent. The love triangle is inevitable but it works and is one of the best love stories worked into a comic book adaptation, even better than the love triangle in the Spider Man series. The triangle never feels sappy or never feels like it takes away from the action, it simply works.
I could go on and on about how amazing this film was. I would go as far as to call it a masterpiece. Come awards season, expect a nomination for Ledger and a much deserved screenplay nomination for the Nolan brothers. They’ve created the best comic book film of all time and one of the best films of the year. They’ve resurrected a comic book franchise that was turning into a joke once Tim Burton left. In a summer where superhero films have dominated box office receipts, The Dark Knight stands alone. Not only is it a great super hero film, it’s a great thriller, it’s a great drama, and most of all, it’s a great reminder of why we love summer movies.
A good script from Christopher and Jonathan Nolan is elevated to a great film with the performances of its cast. Heath Ledger is superb as The Joker as expected. Christian Bale reminds us that we’re a long way from the Clooney/Kilmer Batman’s that nearly killed the franchise, and turns in his best performance since American Psycho. But with those two performances that were greatly expected, in my eyes, the show was stolen by Gary Oldman, and Aaron Eckhart. Oldman portrays Lt. Gordon who is greatly involved with this film more than Batman Begins. Gary Oldman has been one of the most underrated actors of our time but in this role, you can’t help but feel sorry for him and root for him for being squeaky clean and uncorrupt. Eckhart on the other hand, is destined to become a star with this role. As District Attorney Harvey Dent, Eckhart plays the role perfectly, whether he’s trying to clean up the city, or use vigilante justice to get his way, Eckhart plays the role without flaw and leaves you wanting him back for more screen time.
The film features more gadgets and more special effects than its predecessor, but it’s not a bad thing. Usually, sequels are hurt because they use more effects and gadgets to heighten the weak plot, in this film; you hardly care because the writing and acting are so good and those scenes featuring gadgetry and CGI are hardly pivotal or are just as exciting and intense as those “regular” scenes. Christopher Nolan directs it so perfectly and makes it more realistic and believable than it should be. We know there aren’t any psychopathic guys wearing clown makeup as much as we know there isn’t a guy in a bat costume putting bad guys away. At the end of it all, you have to remind yourself it’s just a movie because everything is done perfectly.
Along with the welcomed additions of Eckhart and the late Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal fits into the role of Rachel Dawes so good, you hardly even notice Katie Holmes is gone. It’s not like they even look like each other either. Gyllenhaal is the better actress and more believable as the love interest of Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent. The love triangle is inevitable but it works and is one of the best love stories worked into a comic book adaptation, even better than the love triangle in the Spider Man series. The triangle never feels sappy or never feels like it takes away from the action, it simply works.
I could go on and on about how amazing this film was. I would go as far as to call it a masterpiece. Come awards season, expect a nomination for Ledger and a much deserved screenplay nomination for the Nolan brothers. They’ve created the best comic book film of all time and one of the best films of the year. They’ve resurrected a comic book franchise that was turning into a joke once Tim Burton left. In a summer where superhero films have dominated box office receipts, The Dark Knight stands alone. Not only is it a great super hero film, it’s a great thriller, it’s a great drama, and most of all, it’s a great reminder of why we love summer movies.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Josh in Germany
No this isn’t my first time blogging; it’s just my first time using this page. See, I used to bog on MySpace but I realized I’m not 16 anymore and if I’m going to try to go for that Journalism degree, I should probably use a better blogging network and most importantly, write about things that are worthwhile instead of posting random blurbs then having someone I really don’t want to talk to (like most people I went to high school with) to read then post some random, borderline idiotic comment. Anyways, welcome, hello, and I hope those of you who will actually read this, will enjoy.
With that out of the way, I just came back from Germany. Yes, the guy that never gets out, spent three weeks in a foreign country. The first week was full of fun, between taking off my shoes in the airport to get them checked and buying a magazine, there wasn’t much to remember before boarding the flight. We left around 1 P.M. CST on that day (I believe it was the 23rd of June) and ended up in Germany thirteen hours later. There’s not much to do on a huge flight like that, there were two in flight movies, one being The Other Boleyn Girl, which sucked, and the other being Dan in Real Life, which was halfway decent. The in flight stations were cool, they had a rock station which played mostly Alt-Rock but when you’re on a plane that long, you don’t care. At least they played some Nick Cave, Coldplay and Deep Purple. When we finally arrived in Germany, I felt dirty and sick. Not five minutes after we arrived in the Frankfurt Airport, I already threw up because of the mixture of traveling and bad airline food. After claiming our luggage, we drove an hour to our first destination, Kaiserslautern Germany and the Ramstein Air Force Base.
As soon as we checked into our room, I slept for basically eight hours and messed up my sleep pattern for a whole week. The first place we dined at was none other than a Chili’s on the base. Yeah we’re in Germany, but with that much jet lag, you’ll go to the closest place there and well, Chili’s was in walking distance. For those first couple of days, we saw some castles in that area and walked around downtown K-town. Our first big venture didn’t come till about a week later when we went to Paris which my two cousins didn’t enjoy at all despite how beautiful and historic that city is. The best thing on that trip however, wasn’t going to Notre Dame, or looking at all the other landmarks, it was my cousin Jason nearly getting hustled by some weirdo standing outside of one of the many cathedrals. Other than Paris, there wasn’t much of anywhere we went to in that first week. We were in Germany just in time for the Euro Cup final in which Germany was set to play Spain. It prompted me to purchase a German soccer jersey and root for some guy named Michael Ballack who apparently is the Dan Marino of soccer because he’s yet to win when it counts. Watching the Euro final and seeing Germany lose was reminiscent of watching a Cowboys or Spurs game with my family, but instead of rooting for a city, these guys are rooting for national pride.
Our second week is kind of a blur, but like the first week, we looked around some of the different landmarks around Germany. Luxembourg was my favorite, seeing General Patton’s grave site gave me shivers and seeing all the guys from World War II was truly moving. In that same week, we spent the 4th of July in Amsterdam. We had a choice of seeing either Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band or going to Amsterdam, and I must say, we made the better choice. After an endless car ride to Holland, we finally made it to Amsterdam. Like most tourists, we walked downtown and yes, we ended up accidentally going through the Red Light District. Aside from all the sex shops and hash bars, the other shops are nice and the people there were as friendly as can be. We spent the night there and left the next afternoon, thus ending our second week there.
We spent our third and final week in the Bavarian part of Germany. My uncle had set it up to stay the week at his friend’s mom’s house. His friend, Glen, had his family there so it was two families sharing a four storied house. Their eldest son got along perfectly with my cousin Jeremy while Jason quickly made friends with the others. The wonders of gangster rap helped bridge a gap between two people on two different countries. We spent most of the time at the house but we did take day trips to Munich and to a nearby site which was formerly Dachau Concentration Camp during World War II. Dachau was depressing but very moving and interesting to see, especially for anybody interested in learning about the Nazi regime during World War II. Munich was fun though, we saw yet another castle, and walked around the downtown area. The funny part of that trip was despite being in the heart of Germany, there were hardly any Germans and we were surrounded by nobody but tourists from what it seemed like every other part of the world. We ended the trip back at Ramstein again waiting for our plane back to the states.
The day of our departure was one bad thing after another. We checked in to Frankfurt around 10 A.M. and it was the start of a long wait. We had to check my backpack with wine, into luggage instead of carry one which was a bad sign. We then had to re check into the gate before actually taking off. Our plane took off at 1 P.M. and lasted for eight hours. On the flight back, we got to sit through the cinematic crapterpiece which was Fool’s Gold and on the Airline radio I enjoyed Iggy Pop, more Nick Cave and some Rolling Stones which made the trip a little better. Our second in flight movie was Definitely, Maybe which to an extent, I enjoyed. The flight was less than the one we took going to Frankfurt, but it felt a hell of a lot longer than it actually was. We then arrived in Philadelphia where it was the worst three hours of my life. We waited an hour for our luggage to actually get in before finding the wine that I brought home to my parents, was busted, leaving me with a smelly backpack and feelings of depression for my belongings. The workers at the airport sucked too. None of them were nice, none of them were helpful, and none of them seemed smarter than a middle school pre teen. By that time, I was tired, nauseated and eager to get home. We went to our gate before being told angrily that our gate had changed. We boarded our flight around 7 P.M. and never had I felt so sick and so tired, I just wanted to get back home. I spent most of the flight sleeping because if I stayed awake, I probably would not have been able to keep whatever food I had in my stomach, down. After another long three hours, we were in Houston, home sweet home…well, for the most part.
I hardly ever get out, but this was the chance of a lifetime, and I’m so happy I went. Never in all my years, did I think that I was going to be able to go to Europe. It was a really great experience and something I’ll never forget. If you ever get a chance to go, I strongly urge you to take that chance it make it there, you will fall in love with all it has to offer and will be moved by so many of the sights.
With that out of the way, I just came back from Germany. Yes, the guy that never gets out, spent three weeks in a foreign country. The first week was full of fun, between taking off my shoes in the airport to get them checked and buying a magazine, there wasn’t much to remember before boarding the flight. We left around 1 P.M. CST on that day (I believe it was the 23rd of June) and ended up in Germany thirteen hours later. There’s not much to do on a huge flight like that, there were two in flight movies, one being The Other Boleyn Girl, which sucked, and the other being Dan in Real Life, which was halfway decent. The in flight stations were cool, they had a rock station which played mostly Alt-Rock but when you’re on a plane that long, you don’t care. At least they played some Nick Cave, Coldplay and Deep Purple. When we finally arrived in Germany, I felt dirty and sick. Not five minutes after we arrived in the Frankfurt Airport, I already threw up because of the mixture of traveling and bad airline food. After claiming our luggage, we drove an hour to our first destination, Kaiserslautern Germany and the Ramstein Air Force Base.
As soon as we checked into our room, I slept for basically eight hours and messed up my sleep pattern for a whole week. The first place we dined at was none other than a Chili’s on the base. Yeah we’re in Germany, but with that much jet lag, you’ll go to the closest place there and well, Chili’s was in walking distance. For those first couple of days, we saw some castles in that area and walked around downtown K-town. Our first big venture didn’t come till about a week later when we went to Paris which my two cousins didn’t enjoy at all despite how beautiful and historic that city is. The best thing on that trip however, wasn’t going to Notre Dame, or looking at all the other landmarks, it was my cousin Jason nearly getting hustled by some weirdo standing outside of one of the many cathedrals. Other than Paris, there wasn’t much of anywhere we went to in that first week. We were in Germany just in time for the Euro Cup final in which Germany was set to play Spain. It prompted me to purchase a German soccer jersey and root for some guy named Michael Ballack who apparently is the Dan Marino of soccer because he’s yet to win when it counts. Watching the Euro final and seeing Germany lose was reminiscent of watching a Cowboys or Spurs game with my family, but instead of rooting for a city, these guys are rooting for national pride.
Our second week is kind of a blur, but like the first week, we looked around some of the different landmarks around Germany. Luxembourg was my favorite, seeing General Patton’s grave site gave me shivers and seeing all the guys from World War II was truly moving. In that same week, we spent the 4th of July in Amsterdam. We had a choice of seeing either Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band or going to Amsterdam, and I must say, we made the better choice. After an endless car ride to Holland, we finally made it to Amsterdam. Like most tourists, we walked downtown and yes, we ended up accidentally going through the Red Light District. Aside from all the sex shops and hash bars, the other shops are nice and the people there were as friendly as can be. We spent the night there and left the next afternoon, thus ending our second week there.
We spent our third and final week in the Bavarian part of Germany. My uncle had set it up to stay the week at his friend’s mom’s house. His friend, Glen, had his family there so it was two families sharing a four storied house. Their eldest son got along perfectly with my cousin Jeremy while Jason quickly made friends with the others. The wonders of gangster rap helped bridge a gap between two people on two different countries. We spent most of the time at the house but we did take day trips to Munich and to a nearby site which was formerly Dachau Concentration Camp during World War II. Dachau was depressing but very moving and interesting to see, especially for anybody interested in learning about the Nazi regime during World War II. Munich was fun though, we saw yet another castle, and walked around the downtown area. The funny part of that trip was despite being in the heart of Germany, there were hardly any Germans and we were surrounded by nobody but tourists from what it seemed like every other part of the world. We ended the trip back at Ramstein again waiting for our plane back to the states.
The day of our departure was one bad thing after another. We checked in to Frankfurt around 10 A.M. and it was the start of a long wait. We had to check my backpack with wine, into luggage instead of carry one which was a bad sign. We then had to re check into the gate before actually taking off. Our plane took off at 1 P.M. and lasted for eight hours. On the flight back, we got to sit through the cinematic crapterpiece which was Fool’s Gold and on the Airline radio I enjoyed Iggy Pop, more Nick Cave and some Rolling Stones which made the trip a little better. Our second in flight movie was Definitely, Maybe which to an extent, I enjoyed. The flight was less than the one we took going to Frankfurt, but it felt a hell of a lot longer than it actually was. We then arrived in Philadelphia where it was the worst three hours of my life. We waited an hour for our luggage to actually get in before finding the wine that I brought home to my parents, was busted, leaving me with a smelly backpack and feelings of depression for my belongings. The workers at the airport sucked too. None of them were nice, none of them were helpful, and none of them seemed smarter than a middle school pre teen. By that time, I was tired, nauseated and eager to get home. We went to our gate before being told angrily that our gate had changed. We boarded our flight around 7 P.M. and never had I felt so sick and so tired, I just wanted to get back home. I spent most of the flight sleeping because if I stayed awake, I probably would not have been able to keep whatever food I had in my stomach, down. After another long three hours, we were in Houston, home sweet home…well, for the most part.
I hardly ever get out, but this was the chance of a lifetime, and I’m so happy I went. Never in all my years, did I think that I was going to be able to go to Europe. It was a really great experience and something I’ll never forget. If you ever get a chance to go, I strongly urge you to take that chance it make it there, you will fall in love with all it has to offer and will be moved by so many of the sights.
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