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Visit This Great Sports Store
Sunday Jul 22, 2007
Sports World Online (Click Here)
is my brother-in-law's shop. They specialize in baseball gear, especially the cubs (blech) but have great deals and a lot of cool stuff. So check 'em out!
Tearing up the Charts!
Tuesday Aug 22, 2006
On American Idol Underground Alone Again is tearing up the charts. For the third consecutive week the song has ranked in the Pop Charts and has now climbed as high as 34th.
Though I have no idea why this song was submitted by CDBaby to this service, its success is amusing. Go onto the site and check it out. If you feel like registering be sure to rank both Alone Again and Goodbye very highly and nominate them for any and all possible accolaids.
To the Toppermost of the Poppermost!!
Movies, Movies, Movies
Monday Apr 10, 2006
It had been awhile but I finally got my movie on.... Here's what I saw:
Inside Man
Spike Lee is at it again with his latest thriller. Its post 911 New York and the racism is palpable, but not as hard hitting or unrealistic as Mr. Haggis' Los Angeles in Crash. Denzel gives another stellar performance as the detective that gets a second chance. Political and mind games are being played as this great character driven puzzle unfolds. Well worth seeing!
Thank you for Smoking
An all-star cast delivers in this hilarious yet still serious comedy. The greatest highlights include a scene that mocks Hollywood like it hasn't been mocked since Woody Allen visits in Annie Hall, a visit with the Marlboro man, and a great father son story. The realism of this movie is what makes it so successful. As funny as some of it is, it is all completely based in reality and in that way has a sort of South Park feel where nothing is out of bounds. If you can only see one movie this month this is the one!
Walk the Line
I finally caught this on my netflix and I'm glad I did. If you've seen Ray this may disappoint as they have similar stories and a similar way of telling them. However the performances and love story make this film a great movie. There is something really amazing about a person falling in love with another before they meet them only to fall for them in real life. In this case that story is Johnny Cash falling for June Carter. Check this one out if you haven't.
Recording and Racing
Sunday Mar 12, 2006
New Recordings are becoming available regularly around here. Please check the music page everytime you visit to see whats been added.
Apparently there is a team on this season's Amazing Race named Eric and Jeremy. This sincerely destroys the chances of Eric Yaffe and I being able to appear on the show as teammates, a life long dream. So while we may be cheering for our namesakes we are not happy that we may have lost our opportunity to be known as: Eric and Jeremy, Friends and Jews.
We are, after all, an Amazing Race.
The Danny James Show
Tuesday Mar 7, 2006
Finally I got the Danny James Shows posted. For now they reside at the bottom of the music page. I will be most likely doing away with build your song and replacing it with a Other Media page that will have photos, video, dialogue, articles, and random things like radio shows. Check it out and remember I had NO idea what I was doing, not that you won't be able to tell that from listening for about 2 seconds.
New Recordings
Saturday Mar 4, 2006
Loose Change Reunion album actually has begun the recording process. Also starting is a rerecording of the Forcythia, some new songs, and a couple accoustic performances off of The Goodbye Project.
Songs of course will be posted immediately after their recording and mixing is done for your listening pleasure. So stick around... the next few months should be exciting around here!
So close - again
Friday Jan 20, 2006
On PartyPoker (a site owned and operated in the north corner of hell) the more you play, the more partypoints you accrue (had to look that up as I've never written/typed that word before) the more free stuff you can get.
Amongst said stuff is the option to play in free tournaments with real prizes. I had my eye set on one. The PartyPoker Million V cruise - a seven day Carribbean adventure with a huge tournament aboard. If you used your points to enter the internet tournament and won it you would be headed with a guest for the cruise and a free buy in to the massive pro tournament on board.
Back in November I took my first shot at it. I got as far as 5th place out of 112 having my 9's lose to A-7. This Wednesday I tried again.
The field was much larger as the event is rapidly approaching but its free and I was confident. So again I antied up my points for a shot at the cruise. After never receiving a top 10 hand throughout the tournament I still found myself in 8th place with 15 remaining. But some bad decisions and called bluffs dwindled that stack and left me deep in 10th as we rounded to the final table.
I'd like to tell a heroic story of how I waited patiently for my hand and dug my way out and won the whole damn thing. But such a story would be untrue and this is a non-fictional recounting of the event. I ended up 10th out of almost 200 finishing in the top 5% but walking away empty handed again.
No cruise. But look up, I've got a show in February!
New Photos, New Year
Tuesday Jan 10, 2006
After having this site for 2 and a half years I have finally figured out how to put as many photos as I want on the banner. So enjoy bits and pieces of the journey so far and look forward to the journey to come.
Happy New Year!
2006 - Acting Odd in an Even Year
Loose Change Annniversary Update
Tuesday Dec 13, 2005
Rob and I have compiled most of our music and expect to start recording as soon as next week. Hopefully some samples will be available here as soon as February.
Why do we pronounce that month Feb-you-air-ree? I guess its like Brett Favre being pronounced Brett Far-ve.
Made another final table last night. Thats 3 in a month. Maybe I'll be rich soon.
Two More Final Tables
Tuesday Dec 6, 2005
I think I finally have this poker thing down. In the past few weeks I made it to two more final tables finishing 5th in the PPV freeroll out of 115 which netted me a big waste of 4 hours (only first won the entry fee), and again 5th in a $100 NL tourny on a horribly bad beat - for those who know the lingo his Ace counterfitted me. For those who don't, I went all in with 66 he called with A7o.
Flop came 9-9-J. Turn was a 5. And now with just one card to come only an Ace, 7 or now a J (giving him a better kicker with two pair would win him the pot). And the river was, yep, a Jack.
Them's the breaks.
World Champs!
Sunday Nov 6, 2005
After 88 years in the crapper the boys in black and white finally brought one to the South Side. With potential history in the making and an upcoming move, by mid to late September I had completely checked out of real life and checked into the White Sox express.
With two weeks left in the regular season, the Sox seemed like they were about to be a part of one of the biggest collapses in the history of sports. The Cleveland Indians caught on fire and went on a super sick streak of winning while the White Sox floundered at a sub .500 streak.
While Cleveland continued to climb closer and closer to first place as a Sox fan I became increasing flustered and started to contemplate throwing in the towel. Did I really want to embrace a team that would carry the most embarrasing label of all time? Even if they didn't complete the collapse and limped into the post season they'd get crushed right?
Well I went home after a tough loss to Cleveland on September 19th and decided nothing to do but reinvest myself fully and I buckled in for what would be one the craziest ride in my 15 years of loving sports.
Cleanin' Out My Closet
Monday Sep 19, 2005
With the 10th Anniversary of the formation of Loose Change quickly approaching, Rob Newman and I have decided to dig into the old notebooks, binders, and deep into the closet to rediscover our original tunes.
After we figure out which ones are in the best shape we plan to record them and to release this new album of old goodies in time for the new year.
For those old fans here is a list of the potential tracks:
Loose Change 10th anniversary Album
In My Mind
Dismay
Destiny
Disimilar
Lovely Ladies
It's gone
Dr. U
Blue Bird
Dice
RSVP
Bermuda Triangle
Diner
Disillusion
Reality of Jewish Men
Gardening
Stay Tuned....
What I've Seen/Been a Part of
Thursday Aug 25, 2005
Bill Murray stars in Jim Jarmusch's latest film which explores what life is for an over-the-hill Don Juan cleverly named Don Johnston. After being left by his most recent fling he finds an unmarked letter that declares that 19 years ago he became a father and his son may be looking for him. His best friend/neighbor encourages him to take a trip to try to discover who the mother of his son might be before his son finds him. Though the facts remain as mysterious and unsolved as ever, Don gains quite a bit of insight on the life he's led and what he wants from his present and future. Not for the impatient film viewer! B+
If you're one of the 7 people in America who did not yet see this film, what are you waiting for? Despite the early cut being one of the funniest films I've ever seen, the finished product still had the audience rolling in the aisles and cheering loudly for the film when the credits hit in the end. Still, like Sam says about Old School, the comedy suffered as a result of an over developed and focused on love story. Still absolutely hillarious! The title and slogan, "Better Late than Never," say it all. A
Camelot at the Hollywood Bowl
I lost my 25 year old Hollywood Bowl virginity just a couple weeks ago when the Rodman's took me to see Jeremy Irons in Camelot. Though the musical itself is a bit weak, yes Lerner and Lowe I expect more from you boys, the venue is AMAZING!
Built into the side of a mountain, the Hollywood Bowl is a sort of stadium Ravinia, an outdoor festival of music and food where everyone can see the stage and hear the music. The place is designed to have immaculate accoustics and picturesque views. I believe it accomplishes both!
Jeremy Irons dropped about half his lines, but the rest of the actors were very strong. The orchestra also sounded fabulous. And we enjoyed all of it from great box seats after a nice meal... Although I spilled water all over my pants leading Carla's mother to tease me about my bladder issues.
Venue A, Camelot B-
Round the Bend shows at Universal Bar and Grill
So I've updated less frequently than the Sox win lately. Sue me. I'm trying a new thing called working at work. Anyway, the shows have honestly been strong successes. Craig and I have nailed down some of our harmonies and we're having a good time creating some new sounds. With a ton of shows on the horizon we will continue to improve and a lot of new music will be coming down the pipeline along with some new recorded versions of the oldies. Check some out on The Round the Bend and Craig Bender my space sites Round the Bend
Craig Bender
After our last show, Jessica and Adam (Dan's Mother's Sister's Daughter's boyfriend) along with Carla and I went to a valley pizzaria. Though you've seen it a million times before you have never dared request or order a family meal at one of these mom and pop restaurants. BUT.... This time we couldn't help ourselves.
Soon for the low price of $30, four of us had a feast of salad, pasta, and of course pizza. For a moment in time we were a family of four, and it was beautiful.
Tons of shows upcoming. Check out our new site, come out to the shows, and go White Sox.
Mo' Shows
Wednesday Aug 10, 2005
Saturday Night Live!!
What I've Seen - VII
Wednesday Jul 27, 2005
24 Season 1
Jack Bauer and company kept Gabe and I busy for just under 24 hours. While Nichole, Sam, Josh, Adam, and JD briefly enjoyed this festival with us, Carla showed she was a trooper by watching the last 5 episodes with us.
After it was all said and done the show really accomplished a lot more than people could in 24 hours. Often then would say meet me at such and such, and they’d get there quicker than humanly possible. For example, in one episode they drove off into the far North East of LA and it took about 15 minutes for them to get there where it easily would have been over an hour (it was rush hour to boot).
But if you suspend disbelief and have a great viewing partner this is an excellent show especially if taken in within a 24-hour period. Show Grade: A-/ B+ , 24 in 24: A
28 Days Later
If you’ve never seen this amazing zombie film stop what you’re doing and put it on. It begins with an unnecessary scene involving rabid chimps that have some sort of virus. They are released by animal rights activists. Stupid scene.
Where the film should begin is a man waking alone in a hospital. The entire place is abandoned and messed up. He ventures out into the streets of London. They completely empty. This sequence is simply amazing. Can you imagine being in the heart of London, entirely alone?
He eventually is confronted by zombies and pairs up with other humans to try and survive. The film takes a twist as we come to see that perhaps desperate humans are more like monsters than the monsters themselves. Absolute A
WSOP 2005: Episodes 1 and 2
We’re all glad its back and there are some fun new characters as well as the old regulars. But man has it gotten corporate. They have sponsorship for the pocket camera, every player is advertising something, and even the checkmark that indicates victory is guaranteed if the player stays in is an ad for deodorant! A little much. But the coverage continues to be excellent. Would be an A but drops to a C for unnecessary corporate touches.
Fusion Karaoke
Since the Saturday night of my birthday weekend was spent watching TV, which left a quiet but fun celebration for the birthday itself. And what better than private karaoke.
Since the Wild Orchid was getting tired we tried this new place. It wasn’t nearly the size of the Wild Orchid with only three rooms, but its song selection seemed more updated and there were fun cartoon dances to modern pop selections. It was significantly pricier than the orchid and the room a bit smaller. So in good faith I cannot recommend this destination over the old favorite. The experience and Karaoke: B+ , The Venue: D.
What I've Seen (and Eaten)
Sunday Jul 17, 2005
The fans are saying the grades are being over inflated Ivy League style. Well EXCUSE ME! But the fans get what they ask for.
Friday Night Live
Did somebody say Salam? This fun and musical service takes place the second friday of every month in the heart of Westwood. Geared towards young adults, this Shabbat celebration is all about music, story telling and tradition.
Sam, Carla, and I are all suckers for a good Jewish tune so we were in heaven, and it turns out Gabe and Melanie love to throw down and mix it up to the Hebrew beats as well. Good things happen when you open up those country club doors and let the less desirables in. Which is what reformed Judaism is all about!
Negatives: The service was a bit more rock concert than spiritually centered. There was a stand up comedian in between 'Sets'. At the reception after (ufroof/oneg/whatever), well....lets just say, I'm glad I'm not single, although the cookies were delicious. Oh my yamulke had no static electricity and fell off approximately 36 times. 36, I swear.
All and all it was a great service and I felt great about observing my Mother's Yartzeit with the mourner's kaddish. Grade B-/C+
Lolita at Cemetery Screenings
Buried deep in the heart of Hollywood is a beautiful cemetery where some of the most famous names of Hollywood yesteryear lay to rest. East Saturday night their home becomes an outdoor festival of food and film. Picnic baskets in hand people travel from near and far to enjoy this beautiful place and take in Hollywood's classic cinema.
Carla and I took our picnic of Whole Foods foodstuffs and my Wildcats blanket and found ourselves a bit unprepared. First off, if you don't know this about me, I don't sit on the floor well. This issue can be extended to siting on the grass, lying on the beach, etc. I'm much better in chairs. Thats just how it is.
We found that we would have been much better off with several blankets, as it got a bit chilly, some pillows, and some better food. The food wasnt great cold and was tough to eat picnic style. We know better for next time!
Cemetery Screenings as an organization did a great job with the sound and the projection, but the organization of the parking and filtering in and out of people left something to be desired. I suppose its difficult to handle hundreds of semi drunk people in a historic cemetery though.
But having a picnic outside was delightful and the film turned out to be quite good despite having some slow and unnecessary scenes in the third act. If you haven't seen Kubric's Lolita, it is well worth viewing. Peter Seller's performance is well worth the price of admission.
Two Grades: Cemetery Screenings A-/B+, Lolita B+
The Wedding Crashers
Sam and I braved, and I do mean braved, the Grove for a 2:00pm screening of The Wedding Crashers. The Grove is a mess these days. So many people in Los Angeles, so few brain cells. In fact if there was a brain cell for every cell phone in this town, the LA IQ would rise by 50 points. I kid you not. Idiots abound.
Back to the movie. With our concessions (man are we liquid), Sam and I took in this latest comedy from Vince Vaughn. Though the film virtually lacked a plot and could be explained in 10 words, the comedy was strong and very enjoyable. Vaughn was his delightful self, never ceasing to shock us. In fact the greatest bits from the film came about from absurdity.
This is not a necessary movie to see in the big theatre, but you should certainly rent it if you decide not to brave the Grove. I know that Sam and I have decided that City Walk is more convenient. CITY WALK for chrissake. Grade: C
I think I saw something else but its not coming to mind at the moment. Restaurants to check out that were enjoyed this week:
- Birds (A-) BBQ/Bar ... Fun spot, great food, hard to park.
- El Compadre (B+) Mexican/Bar... A little pricey, but delicious.
- Cheebo (B-) Organic... great Pizza, but overpriced.
- La Poubella (C) French/Bar... Delicious, but bad service!!
- Jinky's Cafe (A-) American... Great for weekend breakfast as its undiscovered by the masses.
That's it. That's the list.
What I've Seen V
Monday Jul 11, 2005
Awww yeah. No server troubles here - -I'm just lazy.
War of the Worlds
The much-anticipated remake of the classic novel and film War of the Worlds did not disappoint. I found Tom Cruise to be a believable deadbeat dad and loved the contrast created between a dysfunctional family struggling to trust one another and aliens incinerating every human in their paths. Overall this film was terrifying and deserved a much stronger rating than a PG-13, but don’t get me started on the current misRating system in place out here in LALA land. Beyond the rating issues the first half of this film was AMAZING and the second half was not nearly as captivating or focused. Though I did really enjoy it, ID4 would still be my aliens attack the earth film preference. A -
Cubs v. Nationals
Wrigley Field – home of the loveable losers and their really mentally challenged fans. Never before have I seen so many people hop to their feet on shallow pop flies thinking that a home run had just been launched. Never before have I seen home team fans get up and leave with their team only a run down in the ninth. Still the team can’t help that Chicago transplants love them, and they are a fun club to see in the flesh. Luckily they were playing a very exciting young club in the Nationals who played amazing ball and ended up winning 4-3 with amazing defense (including the catcher picking off Burnitz at 3rd) and the Cubbies having a home run called back as a foul ball. GREAT GAME! Great Company Brad and Adam! A
White Sox v. Devil Rays
US Cellular Field – home of the second-class team in Chicago. It was a Wednesday night and the place was electric. I spent half a paycheck on merchandise and enjoyed the highly superior stadium food. Also the renovations have really made this a great place to see a great team play. And the team didn’t disappoint. They thumped the virtually AAA team from Tampa Bay 7-2 and Scott Podsednick was elected to the all star game with the final vote which was both a tribute to his amazing year/effort and the fans of the Chicago White Sox (and Yankee haters). GO WHITE SOX!!!! A
Millennium Park
New in downtown between the loop and the lake is a beautiful little park where I had a lovely potbelly’s lunch with Justin and Dan. The park has an amazing outdoor concert hall and art on display to celebrate the advent of the millennium. Breathtaking views, and though perhaps not the best use of taxpayers dolla, a money little place. A-/B+
Adam and Ann Marie’s Wedding
The reason I went to Chicago in the first place was my cousin’s wedding. Like most weddings it wasn’t simply one event. In fact it was four and one more is on the horizon. But the main event itself will be the focus here. Great music, company, venue, and endless alcohol = Jeremy dancing his sweaty ass off to the point of dehydration. I went outdoors to cool off which in that humidity was a horrible choice. So I retreated indoors and relaxed on the couches…That was until the Casper slide had me two hops this time. A
See-Tom.com
Check this great self-promoting personal dating profile site. It’s a lot of fun! Surf his statistics and be sure to play Bop Tom. A
The Home Run Derby 2005
Bobby Abreu what what?! AMAZING display. Why aren’t the Phillies better? Anyway if you didn’t catch this, be sure to watch the highlights because this man lit it up unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Too bad he’ll be shut down when ever there are Sox on the mound (both Red and White). A
What I've Seen IV
Monday Jun 27, 2005
Whatchu been peepin' Jayro?
Notta mucho . . .
Clinton's Last Days in Office
Available at iFilm.com, this film was made by the man himself showing him doing remedial office tasks, cleaning, laundry, etc. It is hilarious and made more so by the fact that Clinton does such a good job playing himself as a lame duck president. Check this one out when you get a chance! A
Medium: Hour Drama on NBC
Psychic detective helps solve crimes. Though creepy, I actually think the show should be creepier. Perhaps it should take a page from six feet under and show the dead communicating with the psychic. The genre has been done many many times before, but I'm a sucker for formula entertainment and according to Sam and Gabe I over inflate grades. I'll give this one a B.
Sideways
I began rewatching Sideways last night on DVD. I had forgotten how profoundly depressing and frustrating the film is. I suppose thats why Miles' character arc is so rewarding. Still I have trouble wrapping my mind around why Miles' best-friend would want to go up to wine country for his bachelor party. It just doesn't seem his speed. But, other than that small leap of faith, this is an amazing film with beautiful photography, performances, and writing. A
That's it... I didn't see much at all this week.
What I've Seen III
Monday Jun 20, 2005
What I've been eyeing:
Batman Begins:
This prequel is much more successful than any other attempt I have seen to date. This film, although quite long, feels brief and remains entertaining, stunning, and well performed throughout. The darkness of tone matches the Tim Burton original and DC comic books quite nicely. Visual effects are used sparingly and tastefully to contribute to creating a rich and very believable crime infested Gotham. The film is well acted, well written, and well worth seeing!! A
Family Guy: Season 4:
Though perhaps not as focused on story telling as previous seasons, the most recent episodes have had some of the funniest and raciest moments in television history. Peter’s flashbacks have him running the gamut from morphing into tampons to singing to terminally ill patients about their unfortunate diagnosis of full-blown AIDS. Stewie has become a bit more effeminate and a little less mad scientist-esque but still remains hilariously random and obscure in his references. A- / B+
Rodman Home Videos:
Bar Mitzvah montages, Wash U. Dancing, and European journeys…Oh my! The benefits of hanging out with your girlfriend’s family on Father’s Day. How do you rank un-edited documentary style footage? Well I enjoyed what I saw. Pretty steady camera work for home videos. I wouldn’t say go out and rent this collection, but for the interested insider these were actually fun to watch! N/A
Grey’s Anatomy: Commercial:
Last week I began hard work on a commercial for Grey’s Anatomy: First Season on DVD (September 27th release). While I am quite happy with the fact that I have finished several drafts of my spot already I still have a long way to go with understanding the rhythm, visual storytelling, and speed of usage of final cut. All and all I’ve learned a ton and have gotten to be very involved with the process of creating a commercial. Hopefully you will see it on the air soon (but if not I’ll try to have it on here). N/A
Also now in theatres… The trailer for Charlie and The Chocolate Factory… I did the narration recording. So every time you hear the narrator just know that I was on the other end capturing his sound. Hey, it’s something!
Independence Day: 9 years later:
If Pat Stack, was reviewing this film I think he’d say, ‘I was chillin’ on the subway, hot as fuck when I thought, ‘Damn mo’ fo’s, Independence Day is the Shit.’’
If Paul Jury, was reviewing it I think he’d say, ‘If I had to choose between a free all you can eat buffet and Independence Day, well I’d choose the food…but it would be close!’
And if Sam Greenspan, was reviewing it I think he’d probably say, ‘When I saw this movie I had trouble walking into the theatre at full stride due to both an inflamed leg cyst (caused from dance dancing) and a NARB. NARB stands for No Apparent Reason Boner. These were abundant in my late blooming days back in the summer of ’96.’
This is what I have to say. Still 9 years later, the effects on this movie are straight up amazing and the multi character drama storytelling is awesome. Only this movie and the Sixth Sense cause me to cry every time, guaranteed. Yeah, I’m a pansy. I LOVE THIS MOVIE! A
What I've seen II
Monday Jun 13, 2005
This week I watched:
Heights:
Heights is an extraordinary film that follows the lives of several artistic New Yorkers for twelve hours as they complete emotional inward journeys and are exposed to hard to swallow truths. This film is truly a must see! One critic raved that Heights was the film he wanted Closer to be. I couldn't agree with him more. A -
Carla and I caught this one for free at an Editor's Guild screener. We missed the very beginning due to delicious Mexican grub at Baja Fresh. Turns out I don't see so well in the dark. Eventually her eyes adjusted and she led me to two remaining free seats. Take that seeing eye dog!
Game 2 of the Padres v. White Sox:
With Adam and Eric in town and the White Sox just a little over 100 miles away, Gabe, Sam and I took our guests down to the city just North of Tijuana. Due to a mix of idiot drivers and over population it took something like 71 hours to drive down to the horrific and wasp centric villa of San Diego.
After finally arriving we did actually acquire what was declared to be the parking spot of the decade, the very first spot available in the parking structure. I proceeded to back in for further ease of departure upon game's end.
The game itself was a baseball fan's dream. Low scoring, efficient, marvelous pitching, great defense, and clutch hitting by the home team. Unfortunately for this Sox fan the result of such a game was my team winning from the 1st inning all the way until the bottom of the 9th, where the Padres put two tallies on the board to take the game 2-1. Game itself A, my experience B -
Entourage Season 2, Episode 2:
The realism of this series makes it both enjoyable and depressing. While these boys seemingly have everything they could ever want right at their finger tips, they don't have fulfillment and happiness. Here they are in their mid to late 20's with the hottest cars, houses, clothes, and women, and its almost like a buzz that they are just trying to keep going because eventually they all know it will crash. In this particular episode the one character with some integrity finds out that his girlfriend is nothing but another social climber like the rest of 'em. I think I may be hooked on this show. A-
World Series of Poker 2004, Final Table:
Greg Raymer, the Fossilman, takes you through his final table explaining the thought processes of both he and his opponents. For a dominant victor and world champion I found him a bit too cordial, but its amazing how kind 5 million dollars can make someone overnight. Overall this episode was very informative and showed me that I have a great understanding of the game. B+
Grey's Anatomy, The Complete First Season:
We're working on the home video campaign at work so I ended up watching the entirety of the first season. I found it, fun, dramatic, humorous and perhaps a little too medically accurate. All I know is with their 48 hour shifts I find myself thanking my lucky stars I didn't go to Medical School. A -
Next week on What I've Seen III, Batman Begins, Family Guy Season 4, the gym hopefully more than once... Out!
What I've seen
Sunday Jun 5, 2005
This week I watched:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind :
Like most Kaufman films, each viewing reveals another brilliant layer and more humor. If you've never seen this deeper look at love and memory pick up the DVD today. If you have had the pleasure a second viewing is a very different experience. A-
Star Wars Episode III :
When your girlfriend's dad really wants to see a movie who are you to say no? Positives about the second viewing... hmmm.... thinking.... well, we brought chocolate candy with us which was delicious... hmmm... Oh, I improved my Yoda impersonation and Carla also thought that the "serious moments" were hilarious. DO NOT SEE THIS MOVIE A SECOND TIME!!! D
The Longest Yard :
For the second time in my tenure at Aspect Ratio being around the commercials all the time actually convinced me to see a movie (first experience of such was with Spanglish). Unfortunately the movie's comedic timing was completely off. Jokes that you could tell could be funny fell completely flat due to weak editing, strange direction, and too many writers being involved with the project. This remake was just plain awful! D -
But on the positive side, Sam and I saw it at the lovely Mann's Chinese on Hollywood Blvd. which I have been dying to go to since I moved here. The theatre was taken over for the night for The Batman Begins premier which lead to a comical adventure where Sam and I had to weave in between tourists, barricades, and security guards to find entry to our film.
Upon exiting the theatre I wanted to see the main auditorium and I directed Sam and I to an alternate exit. Opening the door marked exit we found that not only was it not an exit or a route to the Batman Begins Premier, but rather it was an unfinished mystery hallway. We both stepped into the corridor and I turned left to see a dead end. The door was closing rapidly behind us. Sam suddenly jolted towards the door to prevent it from locking us in.
Perhaps it was the utter lack of entertainment and humor from the film. Whatever it was, his dramatic instinctual dive towards the door proved to be the comedic moment I had craved all night. Who says Sam doesn't do physical comedy?
Entourage: The Second Season:
Having never seen the original this was a new experience for me. I found the content of the show realistic and enjoyed that they run around my neighborhood throughout the episodes. B
The Upside of Anger:
This film, though hindered by temporal inconsistencies, is a deep and depressing adventure through life after the happy years and coping with anger and disappointment through alcohol. Predictable but touching, Joan Allen (a MILF by all standards of the word) and Kevin Costner deliver very memorable and honest performances that make this film worth seeing. Try it for a hotel Pay Per View choice...Cari and I did. A-/B+
Ooh a Fan Letter
Friday May 27, 2005
I received the following email today...
From: Chi Collazo
To: Hooda Gage
Subject: Re: Oh Boy.
Date: Fri, 27 May 2005 16:35:20 -0500
Hello,
you to swim for it this time. Ye've given certain orders to yourBishop and Lord Julian with me, but only on condition that thethat the facts of my shining abilities might never have been broughtTake him away, said Hobart shortly, and turned to issue his ordersAt that moment a lane was opened in the ranks of the men, andthere is so much that tells against him, I cannot - since my storyof them, strung up without trial, in the place of the other victimThat's mighty civil, said she. You've a nice taste inHow? You decline it, 'sir? You decline to obey orders, do you say?to cool his hairy breast, and the girdle about the waist of hishe was guilty of defection they were guilty with him, and partlyBerhabs dey dell him. Berhabs he make dem tell. Id is a greatPut that rubbish under hatches until I call for it again, heThe only detail in which the French conquest of Cartagena differedwas only a respite. The question would presently be asked of awinds of heaven. Then, as if the fair prospect rendered him
And that's where the letter ends...Abrupt don't you think?
Seeing as my monicre isn't Hooda Gage (at least I haven't gone by such names since high school) I really thought that perhaps this email had reached me in error. But perhaps it hadn't.
A phrase caught my eye..."to cool his hairy breast." How could this Chi Collozo know of my animal like chest? Perhaps this was intended for me. A cry for help, a code, something...
Well I give up...but if you can figure it out, let me know.
Love,
Hooda (aka Jayro)
Must See TV
Saturday May 21, 2005
Unmentioned here for the entire season until today the 1st Place White Sox take on the cross town scrubbies on Sunday in a must watch event. Brandon McCarthy makes his big league debut against Mark Prior as the Sox try to sweep the Cubs at Wrigley. I don’t dare make any predictions, I simply suggest that games 1 and 2 should speak for themselves….And no matter what happens the Sox have won the series!!
UPDATE
McCarthy had a great outing going 5 1/3, 1ER, 6K, 1HBP leaving the game with the lead. Sox didn't hold it but it was a major success for a premier considering the stress of the situation and things are looking promising as the team heads West to Anaheim. Go Sox!
Rose Coloured Glasses
Tuesday May 10, 2005
As you may or may not know this weekend Cari, Sam, Nichole, and I attended the Elton John concert down in the O.C. In order to set the mood Sam and I donned blazers and huge colored sunglasses purchased at the local costume store for a measly $10 a piece.
Sam allowed me to take the more stylish yellow pair although we later discovered that his crazy red pair, while doing quite a number on our rods and cones, made oncoming headlights look like demons' eyes and made green lights disappear all together...creeeeeepy!
Though some might think it unfair to draw a comparison, I can only evaluate my Elton John concert experience at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim by placing it side by side with the great Paul McCartney show I saw in ’02 at the United Center in Chicago.
Both concerts were headlined by epic and historical musical acts unparalleled by their peers. Obviously my love of The Beatles goes way beyond all other artists, John no exception. Still, both as aging men with arguably their best work far behind them they both had to deal with the same equation; play new music to sell new album and yet appease those who only know your greatest hits.
Neither artist dealt with this problem very well. McCartney opened with Hello, Goodbye to get the audience on his side. John just went straight into the new tunes to try to get them done with whereas Paul did so after his opener. What the McCartney tour did so much better though was to capture excitement and involvement from the others on stage. During Elton’s performance he was really the only person worth looking at (well the choir backing him up did have some fancy dance moves).
The large venue worked very much against Elton’s sound. The piano was muddled and his voice, while still strikingly good, was often overwhelmed by all of the sound from the band. Big venues facilitate the demand for the artist but really sacrifice intimacy and sound quality. Sir Paul compensated for this by telling intimate tales about his brothers of yesteryear and by really letting his band shine. Elton told stories but didn’t have the same notoriety with his audience.
Overall his voice had lost a bit of its range. His piano playing was beautiful but again not always clear due to the venue size and lackluster acoustics. His band was professional but not show stopping. Paul’s band couldn’t have been better. I commented to the crew I was with that I thought his band was actually more instrumentally talented than he.
E. John though did really pour his heart out and I really enjoyed such numbers as I guess that’s why they call it the blues and Daniel. In fact Daniel was an incredible concert moment that I won’t soon forget.
It wasn’t the greatest concert. It was hard to enjoy when I had just been exposed to such a wonderful show at Largo just a few weeks ago and had further seen Paul McCartney be able to make a similar venue work for him a lot better. But seeing Elton while I still could….Priceless…
I'm going National/International
Wednesday May 4, 2005
A few days ago I received the following email from my friend April:
Hey Jeremy,
"Would you be available to come play the star spangled banner for my 5K on May 8th? We want to kick off the race with it and I thought you would be perfect. There should be 800 runners + 500 spectators - so it should be a good gig. We even have a stage and sound system. We would need you at 7:30 am.... I know that's early, but it's for a good cause...
~a"
How could I turn such an opportunity down? So this Sunday in front of arguably the largest audience I have ever sang in front of I will sing my pathetic heart out to our nation's kickass fight song, err...anthem.
But I'm not just going National...Haven't you heard? I'm the hottest new artist in Taiwan?! Yes, I also just received a letter telling me that I have had my first sale over seas from CDBaby.com to a little town called Hsintien Taipei in Taiwan. According to Sam with all the bootlegging of the far East I should be the number 4 artist in North Korea by mid June.
O'er the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave. Play Ball!!!
A New Routine for the Site
Saturday Apr 16, 2005
My new plan for the website is to focus on creating 4 journal entries a week. One fiction piece, one non-fiction, one music article and one film article.
The fiction piece will post Sunday/Monday.
The film article will post Tuesday.
The non-fiction will post Wednesday/Thursday.
The music article will post Friday/Saturday.
I hope that this schedule will allow for more regular content for your reading pleasure and more structure and discipline for my writing.
Fans.
When is a website a dead site?
Thursday Mar 31, 2005
Being a blogger I know that frequent let alone daily updates are quite a daunting task. Still, as a loyal reader of several sites, I feel that content changes must at least occur on an intermittent basis. So I pose this question: when these changes do not come is a website pronounced dead?
The case I'd like to review: Phrensick.com. Phrensick featured a series of short essays, dialogues, and stories that were both artistic and humorous in nature. It had three distinct writing styles that flowed from the site's "three" contributing authors, or so the site would have you believe. The truth was that their was one man behind the three visions using the three pseudo personas to develop and challenge himself as a writer to create and maintain three unique voices.
Though sometimes some of the voices blended a bit beyond distinction, and often times the more artistic articles were difficult reading material, this site provided quite a bit of original and entertaining text for its audience. Plus it always featured a wonderful creative collage of online images in a banner below the title of the piece.
Well Phrensick has not been updated since 10.15.2004. That means tax day will mark 6 months of inactivity. I believe, as a blogger and a reader of blogs, that a website can be officially declared dead after 6 months without a single update and instead of sustaining it through a feeding tube it should be taken down and put out of its misery.
I do hope that this site shows signs of life in the next fortnight. But I expect that it is far more likely that it will join the Hugesmileinc.com 's of the world and simply disappear over night. Its a shame too, because 2005 seemed like such a promising year for blogging. Until then.
Death and Taxes
Tuesday Mar 29, 2005
So the trial is over but the government is still finding ways to ruin my day. I've begun my tax preparation and it looks like for the second straight year I'm about to take a big hit. Freelance income from DJing and time spend on unemployment have put me in the hole both in '03 and '04. Apparently I was supposed to pay estimated taxes on a quarterly basis and now stand to be hit with fines for not doing so. What a crock!!!
I'm going to file for an extension and do my best to not owe a red cent but since that doesn't look too promising perhaps I will start to investigate living in Canada. Sure its cold but at least the government won't continually victimize me. Right now I feel like the new inmate at the federal prison. At least '05 won't have freelance income or unemployment (knock on wood).
New Feature
Thursday Mar 24, 2005
He loves the action . . .
Tuesday Mar 22, 2005
Well can you believe it? After obsessing over the game for nearly a year I finally got a big poker victory today. From a tourney field of about 800 players I emerged as the sole winner. $33 quickly became about $5000 and I quickly reretired from the game attempting to go out on top.
Though I won't bore you with all of the poker details as I have been known to do in the past, I will tell you that due to time constraints I was forced to turn my computer off in the middle of the tournament for about 40 minutes. When I was finally able to return to the action I had lost almost half my chips (folded while I was inactive) but found myself in the final 17 and on a mission. So yes, those poor saps continued to play at each other and eliminate each other while I had stepped away. Anyway, I'm still in a bit of shock but thrilled that I finally hit a big payout.
The vote on the verdict is coming....Sam is helping me with it and has been busy with his own projects lately. It'll be up before the end of the week, I promise.
So this is Jeremy signing off from his own March Madness. BAM!