Oh Stewardess, I Speak Jive!

Heath Ledger: Conspiracies and Nothingness

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 04:01:00 +0000

There are some who will read too much into the death of Heath Ledger, the prodigiously talented actor who passed this week at the age of 28. These conspiracy theorists will suggest that Ledger died at the hands of some shadowy organization, his wife, a jealous lover, etc.

It's difficult to particularly believe in any of these particular theories because nothing in this story pans out to suggest such a hypothesis. The facts of the story lead one to believe that Heath Ledger was one of the most depressed people in Hollywood and the world in general. There were no notes, no suggestion that he even cared what others thought; Ledger was doing what he felt was appropriate for himself. Unfortunately, that was to pass into the next realm of this experience we call life.

And, this reality, and its suddenness, is what disturbs us all, what makes his death so intensely haunting. Ledger seemingly had it all: a new baby, a booming, critically acclaimed acting career, and so many fans of the fairer sex that even Wilt Chamberlain would be impressed. What would make Ledger turn his back on such riches? An inner sadness that cannot be filled with the material success that Hollywood and celebrity can bring.

If there is any positive that can be learned from this suicide, it is a bracing reminder of our overall humanity. We all might be from different classes and racial/ethnic backgrounds, but there is an universality to our lived experience that cannot be avoided. Just because Heath Ledger might be more attractive and better-off than the overweight boy in Montana who just hit puberty, it does not mean that they do not have the same lived experience. Both of them are looking for something that will make them happy. They may find it in this world; they may find it in another.

Really, Heath Ledger's death should not be a sad occasion. Like with every death, this should be an opportunity to look within ourselves and remember who we are and what makes us truly happy because it is not money and material accomplishments.

RIP HL

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 03:52:00 +0000

Heath Ledger: Gone, but not forgotten. One!

AWOL from Here, not the Net

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:50:00 +0000

Yo, if you have found this website in your travels through the internet, props and hello. As you will notice, this isn't the most up-to-date site right now. I'm not blogging here for now. I'm still writing. You can find me making contributions at thisrecording.wordpress.com

one, Ace

Gossiping about Gossip Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:56:00 +0000

On Wednesday nights, the demoralization of America's Youth is taken on with great glee by the executives of the CW. There is the whole institution of America's Next Top Model, which is a complete farce of a program in my opinion. The show lost credibility when the houses became huge shrines to the washed-up model-cum-talk show host/investigative reporter that is Tyra Banks and a testament to her life instead of an actually legitimate search for a good model. If you don't understand what I mean, ask yourself this question: when was the last time you saw Naima? I apologize for the young heads, but she was the most recent one that I could think of because I haven't watched the show for years. But, I'm going to put my animosity towards Ty Ty on the shelf for a moment.

My ire needs to be focused on the show after it, Gossip Girl. Although I am only 23, I am surprisingly out of touch with the youth of America. Apparently, this show is based of a series of wildly successful young adult books that read like an unrestrained Bonfire of the Vanities. From what I've read about them, the content of these books would set Tom Wolfe's seersucker suits ablaze with hedonism. But, that does not concern me. I'm only concerned with the quality of the program because that's what I'm about as a viewer.

For those who are unaffiliated with either the Gossip Girl books or Bonfire of the Vanities, the show Gossip Girl revolves around an unknown blogger who writes about the goings-on of the elite prep schoolers of Manhattan's notoriously tony Upper East Side. Central to the story are Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf, BFF's who had a falling out because of Serena sleeping with Blair's man Nate, who secretly has a thing for Serena. I think the cliché of this show made me gag a little.

Anyway, this show is exactly what that little bit of talking suggests it is: a teen soap much in the vein of The O.C., which is fitting because the executor of this show is Josh Schwartz aka the guy who created The O.C. Now, this clearly means that stereotypical characters from that show must be fulfilled on this one. To do a comparison of sorts, let's take this line. Serena is Marissa. Blair is Summer only in hair color (both are brunettes). Dan is Ryan, but way more loaded; he's new money which is looked down upon in this clique. Dan's Pops is like Sandy Cohen. There's no Kirsten. Julie Cooper is Serena's mom: trashy background but being elitist now. But, notice who's left out: Seth Cohen. And, this is why Gossip Girl fails as a show. I'm not trying to suggest that all of these characters are picture-perfect recastings of their west coast brethren, but I am trying to suggest that they all play on pretty generic archetypes of the teen drama.

Additionally, the absence of Seth Cohen allows this show to run itself into overly serious self-commentary without any real sense of irony or humor. Sure, Gossip Girl is funny, but it's an unintentional humor, a humor brought on by overgrown sense of self-importance than a realization of its own innate absurdity. While lacking Seth Cohen's caustic humor is alright, that absence would be tempered by the realization that the show is patently ridiculous, much in a move similar to those of Melrose Place, Beverly Hills 90210, and Dynasty. But, Gossip Girl fails in this respect as well as it takes itself far too seriously. The characters deliver their lines with sincerity, and they actually seem to care about each other, which is just tragic.

So, if you are keeping track, I hate the show because it's a soap opera that takes itself seriously, but not seriously enough. You'd be half right. I'd throw in that it's cliché, wooden, overly sincere for a soap opera, and constantly laced with the jamz that the cool kids like. I've never watched a show with a constant soundtrack like Gossip Girl. Frankly, it's distracting. So, if you know what's good for you, stay away from this show. If you want to be dangerous, you will soon be wishing for the return of the Walshes and Dylan from that magical zip code in Beverly Hills.

The Vacation From My Regular Life

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:42:00 +0000

As you well know, I have taken a bit of a hiatus from the constant stream of blogging that once paraded across your RSS feeds and computer screens. While I was blogging, I had to absorb a lot of information, reading feeds, reading Fark.com, watching cable news, yelling at Wolf Blitzer, the regular.

I found my eyes and my mind becoming fatigued at all of the intake, so I did what any other responsible person does when they become fed up with their (non-paying) job: I took a vacation. Unlike most other people who go to exotic locales like Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, London, Tokyo, Dollywood, Omaha, Branson, and Burma, I decided that I didn't need to leave my comfortable surroundings at home in West Virginia. Yes, that's right, I took a media vacation.

For one week, I watched nothing relating to the content of this website. I read nothing about Hillary, Barry, John Edwards, Fred D. Thompson, Rudy "9/11" Giuliani, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, etc. Nothing.

So, while Buddhist monks were getting their shit ripped in Burma, Britney Spears was losing her kids, and Rudy Giuliani was figuring out how many ways he could refer to 9/11 in a minute, I was kicking it, reading, watching soccer, learning how things are made, and gaining a fuller appreciation for women's volleyball.

Taking a media vacation is a lot harder than you think it would be. For someone who reads a lot of news even on vacation (read the daily paper when I was in Jamaica), it was awkward to step away from the news all together. After about three days, it became easier. But, those first three days were like getting cut off from heroin. I had withdrawals, twitching for a fix. Seriously, I'm not exaggerating. I had to physically train myself to stay away from the stuff.

Now, after a successful experiment with my mind at a new ease, I have turned on the news to find that I've missed absolutely nothing at all, and I'm just as critical of the news as ever. Britney Spears is still a mess. Rudy Giuliani's still an asshat. Fred Thompson's getting by on the fact that he was the DA on Law and Order, bringing nothing substantive to the party. The only thing that has changed is that Lindsay Lohan's now out of rehab. Oh, and Black professors are being threatened at Columbia. If anything has changed about me, I now have a fuller appreciation of women's volleyball primarily because it was on everyday, at least five times a day.

I always dug women's soccer. The 1999 Women's World Cup sealed that one for me. I watched the WNBA for years. I stopped after a while because the game wasn't as good as on the college level and just seemed like slightly advanced college ball without the collegiate passion. I watch track, so I know about Allison Felix and Sanya Richards being complete beasts on the track. So, I have a history with women's sports.

Women's volleyball is one of those sports that, for me, popped up when I would come for Christmas vacation from college. There were a lot of girls running around in short shorts, wailing on a ball, and yelling a lot. Frankly, I had no idea of what was going on. The only things that I was sure of was a) I had played volleyball before and knew it was really hard and b) those girls's shorts are really short. They have like JUST enough ass coverage to keep it from being obscene to the FCC and NCAA. I also knew that it left me conflicted.

On one hand, there are these girls who are amazing amazonian women. They are six feet tall (and taller) with the grace of a swan. It is a thing of art to watch these women float across the court, jump into the sky, and pound the crap out of the ball. They hit with such intense force that it blows the mind. As well, they do it so smoothly and have fun. It's telling of an athlete when a girl hits a ball right on another girl's head and proceeds to smile and laugh after the point with her teammates. That's cold blooded, but so awesome at the exact same time. As you can realize, there's nothing inherently conflicting about this.

The conflict arises in the fact that while these girls are doing all of this, it's hard to pay attention because the girls are playing in ridiculously short shorts. Daisy Dukes might be less revealing than these shorts. So, while you're watching these girls show fantastic athleticism, there's also a recognition of the fact that these girls are a) really fit and b) really quite attractive. So, while I totally respect their athletic abilities, I feel like a pervert watching them running around the court kind of scantily clad. In reality, this aspect is the thing that you first notice: the sexiness.

As my week went along, I eventually got past this (it's still there for sure. I'm straight, this is what happens) and got into the reality of the sport: a fast-paced, exciting sport. I don't root for anyone, but it becomes clear to see that these women are more than bobbing ponytails in short shorts. They are legit, amazing athletes who spend a lot of time becoming awesome and having fun while doing it. I just wonder if there's a legit reason for the girls to be wearing the short shorts. And, for the record, I would still watch if they didn't. The game's really quite fun.

And, with that piece of insight, I end the report of my media vacation. In the end, I've gained some new found critical skills, a greater piece of mind, and a new fall sport to watch when the Ravens are getting taken behind the woodshed on Sundays (I told you it's on all of the time).

Today is a Good Example of How The Media Has Failed Us

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 15:16:00 +0000

As I usually do, I have been watching MSNBC this morning, and people are taking a hard line against his appearance at Columbia. The main thing that I've been noticing is that there are a lot of voices against the speech, but not a lot of voices for the speech. No one is taking the opportunity to recognize how this speech is, in fact, helpful for America to understand the Iranian position towards us and other issues.

While no one likes Ahmadinejad (Iranians and myself included), he is the public voice of the government and decides policies along with the Ayatollah. More than all of this, Columbia is supporting the first amendment, something that the right stands against seeing as many of his previous comments have been taken out of context and manipulated for their own needs. On this issue, all one needs to do is search Ahmadinejad on Wikipedia. While other articles are suspect, luminaries get well-researched, unbiased write-ups, so I express no hesitation in recommending them.

I implore anyone who comes upon this in time to watch the speech at 1.30 on CNN.

Daytime Hangout

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 13:50:00 +0000

So, it has been a while, but I have to post about this. As you may know, Columbia has decided to bring Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to their campus. Apparently, this offends the Fox News Sunday panel along with the fact that Columbia doesn't have an ROTC program on campus. The reason that Columbia gave was because it was uncomfortable with the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, which is a completely legitimate reason in my opinion. But, the panel seems to disagree. Oh, I should note that this panel is chocked full of Republican ideologues like William Kristol of The Weekly Standard, host Chris Wallace, and Fox News Washington Editor Brit Hume. Remember, Fox News is "fair and balanced" and "they report and you decide." Wow, I think that Orwell'd be proud of that sort of spin.

To deal with the ROTC problem first, a lot of colleges don't have ROTC programs. Every college that I applied to didn't have a ROTC program. I figured that not having one is a fairly common occurrence. Anyway, my larger fish to fry is with regards to the vitriol they spewed towards Ahmadinejad. Now, before everyone starts tripping and shit, I'm not support Ahmadinejad. It's hard to support someone who denies empirical, unbiased evidence that 6 million Jews were killed by the Third Reich. But, as much as he believes this, I believe that Columbia has done the right thing by inviting him to talk.

Columbia has done the right thing because they are holding up one of the most important civil rights that we have: to discuss conflicting viewpoints. The Fox News chatterboxes believe that Columbia should not support the president of a state sponsor of terror. Now, if that were the case, no American president during the Cold War and post-Cold War era should ever be invited to speak at Columbia as each one has played a part in supporting right-wing insurgent forces to fight against something we found unsuitable. So, let's clear that idea out right now.

With that viewpoint out, the Fox News wonks say that Columbia is being irresponsible by doing this. No, absolutely not. Ahmadinejad is going to the International Policy school at Columbia. They have already studied Ahmadinejad, thought about his policies. The kids at this school aren't stupid nor are they to be swayed by a guy who dresses business casual, as we all know business casual appearance conveys no gravitas. Comfort? Yes. Bravado and confidence? Not so much. I think that his appearance will give these students a good insight on what the M.O. is for one of the more important presidents in the Middle East. In a country that is fighting a war against a topic that none of us know intimately, everyone should be jumping at this opportunity to gain further understanding.

And, above all of the technical reasons, we have the necessity to give Ahmadinejad a platform. 9/11 changed things, but it did not change the fundamental nature of our country: to give all people the right to speak their minds and debate with one another. Ahmadinejad's appearance will be nothing more than a debate with one of the most provocative thinkers in the modern world.

Bob Herbert Is Amazing

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:21:00 +0000

While I was surfing through my feeds, I came across this article asking why Bob Herbert, a sane, articulate Black columnist for The New York Times, is read by pretty much no one. The article pretty much comes to the conclusion that no one reads Herbert because he's too real. I wanted to just get his hits up because I think that Bob Herbert is one of the most important columnists out there right now with Frank Rich. He's always smart, poignant, and giving voice to smaller issues that are very important and surround us from day to day. He's the This American Life of newspaper columnists. I'm glad that I can read him again. What? You thought I was going to pay for the subscription to TimesSelect? You clearly don't know me very well.

It's Dry Season

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:41:00 +0000

After sitting down yesterday and realizing that I actually have a lot of work to do if I want to get all of my grad school work done on time, I had to make a decision: spend more time on that or spend more time on this.

I clearly chose the former. With that said, this blog isn't dead. It will never die like rock and roll. I will continue to post, but it will be at a much more sporadic rate, not to suggest that I was kicking out posts with great efficiency before. I will hopefully be able to pick up more sustained blogging again in the beginning of 2008 when I'm finally done with putting in applications and taking pointless standardized tests.

And, to leave you with something more pointless, this is the video for Make Em Say Ugh by Master P, possibly one of the tackiest and, for certain, the most poorly rapped video of all-time. The only thing that is impressive about this video is the fact that Shaq was allowing himself to be connected to it. Actually, that's not really surprising as this is the same man who made Shazaam.

OJ: Who Cares?

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 21:24:00 +0000

So, if you have been living under a rock, Orenthal James Simpson was arrested yesterday on armed robbery. If you need more information about it, google it. It's literally everywhere. And, I refuse to link to any of it because that would condone it. I'm not going to write about this because this case is bullshit and only acknowledgment of OJ's existence on this earth. He makes Black men look bad, and I really don't need that. But, more generally, I just find myself not caring.

Ace is So Sad. How Sad Is He?

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 19:04:00 +0000

If that title seems really random to you, that makes it clear that you didn't watch one of the greatest game shows of all time: Match Game. While it had multiple versions (they changed the year number and incorporated a night version), two things were pretty constant about the show: Brett Somers and Charles Nelson Reilly held down the top row.

While Richard Dawson was on the lower road and loved by all of the women, Brett and Charles pretty much delivered all of the comic relief. Their detachment from the actual show as well as the fact that Charles Nelson Reilly smoked a pipe made the show an enjoyment to watch. If you are asking how I watched a show that ended before I was born, I only have three words for you: Game Show Network.

But, this is not about my television habits, this is a mourning post. Charles Nelson Reilly passed a few years ago. Now, Brett Somers has passed too. It's a sad, sad day indeed.

Photo Source

Dead Milkmen

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 04:51:00 +0000

Best song by The Dead Milkmen ever with a crappy animation. Honestly, the animation is fitting to the song. But, I digress. The name of this song is Bitchin' Camaro! (without the exclamation point)

Shoot 'Em Up

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 22:32:00 +0000

While I was preparing my Information Blast this afternoon, I came across an article at The Huffington Post about a movie called Shoot 'Em Up. The title said that it was the best dumb action movie ever. Seeing as I've been trying to watch a pointless action movie for a while, my interest was piqued. I hadn't seen a good pointless action movie since I watched Passenger 57 the other weekend.

Shoot 'Em Up puts Passenger 57 to shame. Firstly, Shoot essentially eschews the traditional plot. Oh, there's a plot. It involves a mystery man, a baby, and a lactating hooker. No, seriously, a lactating hooker. Honestly, if this movie took itself seriously, I have no idea when. The plot was ridiculous, the action scenes were crazy (awesome), and the political commentary on--wait for it--gun control was completely misplaced. All of the things that would normally dissuade other viewers, including levels of violence even Tarentino hasn't reached (and, if you have seen Kill Bill, you know that Tarentino loves the ultraviolence), but not me. It made it endearing to me, especially because the movie took such a tongue-in-cheek tone to its own innate absurdity.

Each character was a trope of the action stereotype. Clive Owen played the enigmatic loner hero; Paul Giamatti, the wickedly evil villain; and Monica Bellucci, the ridiculous hot woman whose hard-boiled exterior covers a heart of gold. Honestly, this movie wouldn't have worked as well in the hands of less-talented actors. Owen's character wouldn't have been as interesting if it weren't delivered in a complete deadpan, something Owen does well. Giamatti's cool, calculating nature helps him in exerting his evilness in the movie. Also, I loved Bellucci's half-grasp of English; it worked really well for her.

All in all, Shoot 'Em Up was hyper-violent, campy, and super stylized. And, I loved every second of it. Here's the gauge that I will give you to whether or not you should see this movie. Did you see Kill Bill? If no because it's violent, stay away. If you saw it and were grossed out, stay away as well. Anyone else, please see this movie as it was really fun and (un)intentionally hilarious. The rant about ponytails and the skydiving gun fight really made the 87 minutes (also, that kept it interesting: it was too short to lose interest) worthwhile. Do It!

Aye Aye Aye!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 19:30:00 +0000

Last night, the 43rd President of the United States George Walker Bush dedicated himself to the perpetuation of an unjust, unreasonable, and unnecessary war. While that sentence was tainted with editorial bias, that's actually what happened. In a speech that ran 18 minutes, Bush announced the withdrawal of the surge from Iraq due to the "success" in the region. Some people have been very polite about the way in which Bush decided to address the country last night. Some people decided to sleep through it. I opted to tape it because I wanted to watch West Virginia take it to Maryland, which they did.

Anyway, when I got around to actually watching the address, Bush made a speech littered with factual inaccuracies and a replacement of the onus from the President current to the President future, burdening whoever becomes the next resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW with the responsibility of ending this war. Also, it seemed to me as if Bush is positing the idea that America is seriously contemplating an attack against Iran in the not-too-distant future. That might be my own paranoia about another war, but it wouldn't surprise me that he would try to sell this non-existent angle.

This attempt to sell a new angle was pretty resounded panned by the media and all onlookers except for the people who actually support Bush, which have to be rarely than a coherent idea from Bush.

Seeing as this speech announced that troops would "return upon success," CNN realized that this is more spin. Rightfully so, they did a compelling look at all of the spin done by the administration with regards to this war. It's a lot more than you think. In addition to the new message, Bush tried to pull the heartstrings with a note from the family of a dead soldier. It suggested that we are fighting a battle between good and evil. While this idea might be true, our prosecution of this war leaves very much to be desired and led to the unnecessary death of their song. Freedom could have been defended without attacking a defenseless, unrelated country. Iraq was not innocent, but it also wasn't a real threat.

To get away from this point, Bush also said that there were 36 countries still with troops on the ground. I heard this and called poppycock. Chris Matthews heard this and called poppycock. Steve Benen supports Matthews and I's poppycock. Difference is that Benen actually knows who is in the Coalition. I could only named Iraq, US, UK, and Australia. Seriously, I have no idea.

As you can pretty much tell, the grand message of the speech last night was that Bush is a huge-ass lame duck. He cannot do anything. The charm is gone. The charisma is gone. The cocksureness has disappeared. Bush is only a shell of the man that he once was. One of the articles that I read made a comparison between Bush and Nixon during the 1960 Presidential Debate against Kennedy, and I'd pretty much agree. Both of them sounded fine in voice, but you could see the terror and discomfort on their faces as they didn't know what to do in the face of the larger issue. As Bush pretty much said in his speech, the ball is now in the Democrat's court. They are posted up at the free throw line. All they have to do is sink it, a simple yet seemingly difficult proposition.

Information Blast: Hustlin'

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 19:13:00 +0000

I'm trying to see Shoot 'Em Up in about 50 minutes, so I've gotta book it.

National televised high school football is creepy. Turns up, that's really only the tip of the iceberg.
Unemployed? Have 100 million dollars and an unused Aeronautical Engineering/Rocket Science degree? If those are both yes, then you should enter Google's contest to send a privateer to the Moon.
In a piece of what's new news, following the outbreak of E. Coli in spinach that killed a few people, the government did nothing to ensure that the newly grown crop is actually safe.
Is Mötley Crüe over?
A good, yet seemingly too hip soundtrack to America.
In what has to be one of the best videos next to the Legion of Rock Stars playing Danzig's Mother, Glen Danzig, in typical Danzig fashion (if you know anything about Danzig, you already know what this means), talks about his book collection. I swear that it's more interesting than it sounds. And, no, I'm not obsessed with Danzig. He's only the best punk vocalist of all time with Black Flag-era Henry Rollins and Minor Threat Ian McKaye battling for second.
Shakira can read a book, but 50 Cent slams Nas for reading one. And, Black people wonder why Latinos are soon going to be housing us in the future.
In what has to be one of the most irresponsible comments made by a media critic in recent years, Howard Kurtz says that Fox News is allowed to be a 24-hour spewer of misinformation and misdirection. If you don't know who Kurtz is, consider yourself the better.
Interview Genius: Take one Canadian with a predilection for furry hats, one hungover feminist, one Latino. Throw in a shaky knowledge of area codes and some interesting subject matter. Publish. Enjoy.
The A.V. Club ponders out-loud why MTV hates us.
Even though I'd rather have Jack Bauer save me because he's a hardcore G, the majority of Americans would rather be saved by MacGuyver. If Jack Bauer didn't exist, I'd probably want MacGuyver too.

Just for the record, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is, seriously, one of the best shows on television right now. I laughed so hard I cried last night. If you are in foreign countries or haven't seen it, I'm not going to spoil it for you. All I'm going to say is that a lot of drugs were involved. And, not on my end; I have to stick to drinking for a while.

Not Right Now

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 16:26:00 +0000

I'm not blogging today. I've been overridden by the fact that I have no job following a year of looking, and, as you can clearly guess, I am not really ok with that. I was always told that having a college degree was a useful thing, something that I needed to be a successful member of society. It only takes a few seconds to realize that all of those hours you spent slavishly writing a perfect research paper on the failure of Marcus Garvey's failed expedition to Liberia in the 1920s mean nothing if you don't have any experience actually sitting at a desk and doing work.

Even if you have an internship, it isn't enough experience to actually get you the most basic of administrative assistant jobs, jobs that I've done since I was about 14 and am overqualified for without the added benefit of my college degree. I shoulder a part of this blame seeing as I didn't know what I wanted to do in college well enough to pursue work in that field. At the same time, I do expect to be able to use my degree to find some semblance of work, not a constant sink into depression and mental exhaustion. I don't expect to be loaded; I expect to support myself, to put food in my fridge and a roof over my head. The fact that I can't do this, even with all of my efforts, is sad. The sadder part is that this is across all generations. People from 23 to 53 are being left out in the cold, unable to get decent jobs after 1, 2, 3, 4, up to 6 and 7 years of searching. These people are forced to resort to the most menial of positions.

The only options that arise for people like me are jobs that would require using a full day's pay to fill my car to commute to and from the job. The fact that I live at home does help things, but it doesn't really cover for the fact that I'll end up spending most of the money that I make to cover basic costs that aren't assisted by me living at home like paying down student loans, which I am buried in to the tune of about 30,000 dollars. The bad part about that is that number actually could have been about 40,000.

Anyway, all of these things are just things to think about. I'm not asking for anyone's sympathy since I know I won't get any. All I ask is that you don't call me a layabout, don't call me lazy, don't call me entitled. I'm none of the above. I sank four years of my life and thousands more into an education. I expect it to pay some dividends. Like anyone who makes an investment, you want to get a return on it and make a profit. For me, that profit is working a job that actually utilizes the skills that I learned in college. Unfortunately, I'll most likely have to settle for doing a job that didn't require all of the debt and work that college was. But, for now, I have to call myself an unemployed college graduate.

LNS: Cutting Losses

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 23:22:00 +0000

My lap is getting really hot from this computer. Additionally, I got sidetracked during the day trying to answer the following question: is Woodford Reserve smoother than Maker's Mark? The answer that I came to was no, it isn't. The taste is nicer, as I think it has a bit more accent. But, it doesn't really matter in the end as both of them sit in pale comparison to the orange-capped beast that is 100 proof Old Grand Dad. But, this fact has signaled that I would like to start drinking and stop blogging, especially since nothing has panned out. Petraeus told us what we thought he would. The only thing that I have to acknowledge is that the mainstream media actually did cover the story about the woman in West Virginia. I guess it was salacious enough for daytime programming.

I should also note that Shinzo Abe, a year in, resigned from his scandal-marred post of Japanese Prime Minister. Folks are calling for the return of that Elvis lover Junichiro Koizuimi. But, one would think that maybe Bush would get an idea from our buddies on the other side of the Pacific Rim. Also, I haven't watched the Britney defense video. That guy has become the new flavor of the month. He is on all of the broadcasts nowadays. I don't plan on watching it either; that would imply that I actually like Britney's music and want to defend her.

There's a bit of posturing on Capitol Hill, but nothing to spend too much time talking about, especially since they are just posing and not doing. With this as the case, I'm breezing out of here.

This is the video for Ride's Seagull from a show back in 1990. They are a brilliant band. Their genius passed a little as they started being a lower quality version of Primal Scream and became more psych instead of shoegaze.

This is also a Ride video. This is for the song Like A Daydream. Both of these songs are totally awesome and full representations of why Ride is completely awesome.

Called It

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 23:00:00 +0000

While I was trying to find proof on my own blog of this idea, I know that I've thought about it for a long time. Now, it is only being confirmed: Kanye's killing 50 Cent in sales. It's what happens when you continue to make extended metaphors about doing it with women and blatantly talking about how much money you make. 50 said he'd retire if he was outsold. Don't hold your breath on that one.

Lesbian Spank Inferno

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 22:01:00 +0000

This is a clip from the first season of Coupling, a British Friends but far better done. All I need to tell you is that Susan (the Blonde at the end of the table) found Steve's porn, which is entitled Lesbian Spank Inferno. Susan knows that Steve doesn't know if she has seen the tape. There's a lot more going on, but you really have to watch the whole episode to get all of that. This part is a piece that can stand alone. And, with that sentence, I've completely overexplained this.

Take The Day Off

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 20:15:00 +0000

Because you'll be getting at it all day. All in the name of Mother Russia. From the BBC:

The governor of Ulyanovsk region in Russia is offering prizes to couples who have babies in exactly nine months - on Russia's national day on 12 June.

Sergei Morozov wants couples to take the day off work to have sex. If a baby is born on national day, they will receive cars, TVs or other prizes.

Mr Morozov has declared Wednesday "family contact day" as part of efforts to fight Russia's demographic crisis.

The population has sharply declined since the Soviet Union collapsed.

I guess this isn't really as positive as it seems since it is, essentially, a game of sperm horseshoes. The only difference is that close doesn't count.

There is a Reason for Why I Own a Mac

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 19:29:00 +0000

It is clearly because I can simplify the ideas of Baudrillard towards hyperreality with ease, but I can't tell the difference between an S and a 5 on the back of my computer. If I had been able to make that difference, I would have not had to drive to Tysons Corner and be terrified of the sheer excesses of capitalism and be trampled by the many who heed its beck and call.

Seriously, it was kind of terrifying, but it was also because I haven't been to a respectable mall (the malls I go to are ghost towns) in probably about 5 to 7 years.

We're Getting the Band Together

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 19:12:00 +0000

Playing a one-off show in London, Led Zeppelin will reunite in honor of Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. While the band will be lacking John Bonham, this should be quite the impressive site. Rock and roll!!!

Kanye Headroom

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:43:00 +0000

Aside from the debacle that was Britney and Kid Pebble giving the business to Tommy Lee, the other substantial story to come out of the MTV Video Music Awards was Kanye West's complaining. Kanye West is well known as a complainer. After his homage to Evel Knievel's failed Snake River Canyon jump did not win for best video at the MTV Europe Awards, West went up on stage, interrupted Simian Mobile Disco's award speech, and famously ranted.

On this occasion, West ranted again about the way he was being treated at this year's Video Music Awards. Everyone thought that West's rant was about him not winning a VMA. In NME, West states that he was upset because he did not get the opportunity to play on the big stage. If you watched the ceremony, some artists were given suites and performed from their suits in lieu of playing on the main stage.

According to the story, West was talked out of playing the big stage because it wouldn't suit his performance. Additionally, having the ego that he does, Kanye was pissed because he didn't get to open the show. That honor went, much to everyone's now displeasure, to Britney. He believes that it should have gone to someone who actually deserved it because they had been touring.

As you can tell, this is pretty much standard Kanye whining. I've never seen such a successful artist complain so much in my life. This dude is wealthy beyond all belief, has legions of devoted fans, and gets respect from super-grimy hip-hop heads all the way up to mainstream pop addicts. But, this is never enough if he's not in the spotlight all of the time. I'd be happy with performing in a Vegas suite. It's like a fly ass house party, and who doesn't love a good house party? Not this guy for sure. But, in the end, this bravado is what keeps a lot of people interested. One of those people just isn't me.

LNS: Grammar Points

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:40:00 +0000

While I know many people don't make these mistakes, just as many do. There are a few that I have to address.

Some people attempt to seem smarter by liberally sprinkling I's in the speech. The I is only acceptable when you are referring to yourself as the subject. If you are the object (if you don't know what subject and object means, go buy a copy of The Elements of Style right now. It's 10 bucks. You won't be able to drink for a weekend or go to a movie, but you'll sound more educated after the little bit of time you spend with it), you use me. Examples of both. Correct usage of I: Phoebe and I went on a magic carpet ride with Haji. Correct usage of me: Haji loves to hang out with Phoebe and Me.

Next, shall is one of those terms that was cool when Jane Austen was writing about the foibles of the British Victorians. Now, the term has fallen out of public favor, resulting in its usage in mock irony and pseudo-sophisticated settings. There is a WASP seething at that suggestion right now. But, even with a limited usage, the term is responded to incorrectly. I'm referring to the ever-tricky "shall we?". Whatever you will do (shall is not used for the second person. It is only for the first and third) is immaterial. The primary focus is the shall we. If your first instinct is to respond we shall, your instincts are completely and absolutely wrong. The correct term is yes, let's. There's no argument about this one. That's what you say to someone who ask you this question.

Also, as a general reminder, do not answer the phone "this is him/her." Along with sounding bad, it's grammatically incorrect. You can answer this is s/he. Ideally, you should identify yourself when answering the phone. But, I'm not that classy.

And, there you are. These are just some of the more gross errors that bother me on a day-to-day basis, especially when I hear supposedly well-educated people making such basic grammatical mistakes.

Animal Collective

noreply@blogger.com (Ace) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:02:00 +0000

If you are one of the many who cream their pants thinking about Avey Tare and Geologist, you are already fully aware of the fact that the group has released a new album called Strawberry Jam. Seeing as my world stops for no artist (it would for a reunion of the following bands: The Smiths, My Bloody Valentine, The Gun Club, 3rd Bass, Heavenly, Josef K, Joy Division, Lush, Neu!, and Metal Urbain. If you are paying attention, you will understand why my world stops for no artist), I have been trying to understand why people get so excited about this band.

When I listen to them, it strikes me as a pretentious, self-indulgent endeavor, full of misplaced screams and an ineffective use of noise and tape loops. Their take on psychedelic music is also greatly hampered by the aimlessness of a lot of their music. Unlike good experimental music on the likes of Stars of the Lid and Windy and Carl (yes, they are both Kranky artists. But, I can also reference 12K records here too), which starts at one place and makes it to another, the music of the Brooklyn via Baltimore quartet strikes out with little confidence and finds itself lost in a sea of formless experimentation. Anyone who listens to experimental music knows that this is the worst thing that can happen: an experimental band that goes nowhere.

Seeing as this reaction to their music stands in diametric opposition to public opinion, I'm wondering who is really right here. Is anyone actually right? Are we all wrong? Are we all being taken for chumps by four guys from suburban Baltimore? These are all questions that I'm unable to answer because I just don't know. All I know is that their aimlessness makes me grind my teeth, much in a manner similar to that when I listen to Gang Gang Dance.

To demonstrate a non-aimless piece of experimental music, I will point to Black Dice. While their sound is fairly pretentious, it actually has a rhythm to it. They build it up, tear it down, replace backbeats, and do other sorts of crazy shit. But, the primary thing is that it gets somewhere and it works. Animal Collective doesn't do this in my opinion. There will be someone who has no idea of what I'm talking about. If you are this person, don't worry. You are totally normal and probably more sane than me. This video is a song that Black Dice did on what appears to be Spanish Television:

I'm done with this topic. If you have further insights in either direction, put it in the comments.