Friday, February 28, 2014
Just not feeling good... (Friday Life #14) 28 February 2014
Migrainneeee. Ugh. Too much driving, not enough quality food, and fuck the world. I dunno what to say. Portland traffic is hell and it stretched on forever today. Peace.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Eugene (A Look at the Weekend #13) 27 February 2014
Headed to Eugene today and Friday. I'd like to try and see 12 Years a Slave still too, so I can say I've seen at least one 2014 Oscar contender. Hopefully I'll make my first band practice on Sunday too (out of three).
Ugh, I got to Eugene just to find out that my keys weren't with me. I had the chinrose key but it was from the wrong set of locks. I think I'm going to take a week and just organize my shit. I'm going to propose this to my dad tomorrow and see what he thinks.
Ugh, I got to Eugene just to find out that my keys weren't with me. I had the chinrose key but it was from the wrong set of locks. I think I'm going to take a week and just organize my shit. I'm going to propose this to my dad tomorrow and see what he thinks.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
2 Months In... (Music #15) 26 February 2014
Today I'm going to write about an album that changed my life:
Virgos Merlot's "Signs of a Vacant Soul."
Interesting band. Three guitarists, alt-rock vocals a la Alice In Chains or Stone Temple Pilots. The music wasn't mind-blowing. It was like slightly proggy and more artsy alt-rock, but my best friend at the time, Jason Baldwin, and his wife Janna and I all listened to the hell out of it, no pun intended (they were fronted by Creed's bassist, Brett Hestla).
Signs of a Vacant Soul - Virgos Merlot - Age, 19-20; Little known album by a little known band attempting to become mainstream and yet had a bit too much avant in them to make it (Three guitars, slightly offputting melodies). I will never forget rocking out to this group of songs on numerous occasions with Jason and how patient and nice Janna was to put up with it.
That's a note I wrote on facebook a couple of years back.
Still not impressed with the offerings of 2014 thus far. Woods of Desolation's new album is decent, from what I've listened to. Here's a link to "This Autumn Light," a track from it. Next I'll check out the split between Drudkh/Winterfylleth split from this year, where they're covering tracks by Hefestos, Unclean, Sacriligeum, and Hate Forest. Finally, for my music listening project of the day, I'll turn to the new EP by Blut Aus Nord, "Debemur MoRTi."
Then there's this.
Kinda cool. Which artists have the most listens MORE than any other state. It's not just who likes what more, but it's who likes what more than any other state. Confusing a bit, but here's a better breakdown.
Virgos Merlot's "Signs of a Vacant Soul."
Interesting band. Three guitarists, alt-rock vocals a la Alice In Chains or Stone Temple Pilots. The music wasn't mind-blowing. It was like slightly proggy and more artsy alt-rock, but my best friend at the time, Jason Baldwin, and his wife Janna and I all listened to the hell out of it, no pun intended (they were fronted by Creed's bassist, Brett Hestla).
Signs of a Vacant Soul - Virgos Merlot - Age, 19-20; Little known album by a little known band attempting to become mainstream and yet had a bit too much avant in them to make it (Three guitars, slightly offputting melodies). I will never forget rocking out to this group of songs on numerous occasions with Jason and how patient and nice Janna was to put up with it.
That's a note I wrote on facebook a couple of years back.
Still not impressed with the offerings of 2014 thus far. Woods of Desolation's new album is decent, from what I've listened to. Here's a link to "This Autumn Light," a track from it. Next I'll check out the split between Drudkh/Winterfylleth split from this year, where they're covering tracks by Hefestos, Unclean, Sacriligeum, and Hate Forest. Finally, for my music listening project of the day, I'll turn to the new EP by Blut Aus Nord, "Debemur MoRTi."
Then there's this.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
(Film #14) 25 February 2014
Back at it again, attempting to log all of the shows I've been watching as well.
This weekend brings the Oscars, so it'll be a scramble to see them all. I'm hoping by the time I post this, I've seen 12 Years a Slave at the Kelso Theatre Pub. :)
The Last Films I've Seen
1. World on a Wire, Part 2, 1973, Fassbinder, (total film grade) 8.0/10.0.
The Matrix, with subtlety, no special effects, and a 70s sheen, this is a much under-seen semi-masterpiece by Fassbinder. Mirrors, mystery, and some excellent acting. All hail New German Cinema!
2. "A Hat", Gunsmoke, Season 13, Episode 6, 1967, Totten, 8.8/10.
This show continues to grow on me, and this episode is one of the best I've seen, despite the falseness of the "Ishmay Omay" Blackfoot saying.
3. "Hard Luck Henry", Gunsmoke, Season 13, Episode 7, 1967, Rich, 6.5/10.
The Haggens provide a need comedy relief to this show and this episode is just that, relief. Fun.
4. Donovan's Reef, 1963, Ford, 6.3/10.
Been on a Ford kick, and this was a capable comedy. Would definitely watch it again, though it wasn't all that incredible. The social commentary is a bit weak, and of course John Wayne's character is too manly to make any direct comments on any of it.
5. Odd Thomas, 2013, Sommers, 6.3/10.
Lacking some of the nuances that made the book a bit more appealing to me, it nevertheless allowed me to flesh out more of my feelings about the character and the story arc of the first novel (of a series, of which I've only read the first). Koontz seems to have purposely jumped the shark here and fully embraced the aphorism that there is nothing new under the sun. From a protagonist who can see the dead to even more simple tropes of good vs. evil, an afterlife where we'll see our loved ones, and several others not worth noting, Koontz decides to take a staid set of formulas and attempt to breathe new life into them. Well, as a first-time Koontz reader, I'll report that he has made a few small victories here. The movie, likewise, is quite enjoyable and emotionally vivid. That being said, even a monumental victory in a small battle is barely noteworthy, and that's what we have here.
6. Captain Phillips, 2013, Greengrass, 6.4/10.
It's supposed to be a true story, naturally inflected with a Hollywood sheen, right? I dunno. I was bored out of my mind. Somalians are poor and need better ways to better themselves than pirating. That was the only redemptive message of the movie, in my eyes, and it was an obvious one. Great acting and cinematography make it a good movie, worth seeing, but that's about it.
7. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, 1949, Ford, 7.0/10.
Yep, another Western. Another Ford. Clearly deserving his auteur status, I'm now onto "Fort Apache." This one was about a wagon train to get the commander's wife out of the fort for the winter and its failed attempt. Great acting, interesting piece of post-Custer history, jingoistic as it may have been, even subtly, this film is a must see for the film student.
This weekend brings the Oscars, so it'll be a scramble to see them all. I'm hoping by the time I post this, I've seen 12 Years a Slave at the Kelso Theatre Pub. :)
The Last Films I've Seen
1. World on a Wire, Part 2, 1973, Fassbinder, (total film grade) 8.0/10.0.
The Matrix, with subtlety, no special effects, and a 70s sheen, this is a much under-seen semi-masterpiece by Fassbinder. Mirrors, mystery, and some excellent acting. All hail New German Cinema!
2. "A Hat", Gunsmoke, Season 13, Episode 6, 1967, Totten, 8.8/10.
This show continues to grow on me, and this episode is one of the best I've seen, despite the falseness of the "Ishmay Omay" Blackfoot saying.
3. "Hard Luck Henry", Gunsmoke, Season 13, Episode 7, 1967, Rich, 6.5/10.
The Haggens provide a need comedy relief to this show and this episode is just that, relief. Fun.
4. Donovan's Reef, 1963, Ford, 6.3/10.
Been on a Ford kick, and this was a capable comedy. Would definitely watch it again, though it wasn't all that incredible. The social commentary is a bit weak, and of course John Wayne's character is too manly to make any direct comments on any of it.
5. Odd Thomas, 2013, Sommers, 6.3/10.
Lacking some of the nuances that made the book a bit more appealing to me, it nevertheless allowed me to flesh out more of my feelings about the character and the story arc of the first novel (of a series, of which I've only read the first). Koontz seems to have purposely jumped the shark here and fully embraced the aphorism that there is nothing new under the sun. From a protagonist who can see the dead to even more simple tropes of good vs. evil, an afterlife where we'll see our loved ones, and several others not worth noting, Koontz decides to take a staid set of formulas and attempt to breathe new life into them. Well, as a first-time Koontz reader, I'll report that he has made a few small victories here. The movie, likewise, is quite enjoyable and emotionally vivid. That being said, even a monumental victory in a small battle is barely noteworthy, and that's what we have here.
6. Captain Phillips, 2013, Greengrass, 6.4/10.
It's supposed to be a true story, naturally inflected with a Hollywood sheen, right? I dunno. I was bored out of my mind. Somalians are poor and need better ways to better themselves than pirating. That was the only redemptive message of the movie, in my eyes, and it was an obvious one. Great acting and cinematography make it a good movie, worth seeing, but that's about it.
7. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, 1949, Ford, 7.0/10.
Yep, another Western. Another Ford. Clearly deserving his auteur status, I'm now onto "Fort Apache." This one was about a wagon train to get the commander's wife out of the fort for the winter and its failed attempt. Great acting, interesting piece of post-Custer history, jingoistic as it may have been, even subtly, this film is a must see for the film student.
Monday, February 24, 2014
So Much To Do! (ALATWA #15) 24 February 2014
I started a blog about beer, wine, and alcoholic spirits today. No, I won't be writing about old men in the detox unit breaking in and stealing Nyquil from the medicine cabinet. Sorry mom. I stand corrected. Apparently they drank the Guaiac developing solution. Yikes.
Food. Drink. Writing. Reading. Fiction. Film. Evolution. Why? All of it! Bring it on. 12 Years A Slave is at the Kelso Theater Pub, and I'm headed to Eugene at the end of the week to get my storage unit all squared away. :)
Food. Drink. Writing. Reading. Fiction. Film. Evolution. Why? All of it! Bring it on. 12 Years A Slave is at the Kelso Theater Pub, and I'm headed to Eugene at the end of the week to get my storage unit all squared away. :)
Sunday, February 23, 2014
More to do! (Weekend Review #13) 23 February 2014
Still working at grandma's. Tons to unload. I've saved many amazing things though, and I'm stoked about all the photos I found. I also want to start a family archive and we have a big box of photos we're saving for that. I want to digitize all of it and make it accessible to family members generations down the road.
I found a diary of hers that I intend to read and post from here. I'm excited for all of that. That being said, there is so much work to be done! It's crazy. I'm also skeptical of getting anyone to help with the saving of our family lore, as my aunt, the "pro" genealogist of the family, says we're direct descendants of Jack Daniels (impossible as he had no heirs, however she's shifted this to saying we must be cousins or something) and in the brief time she came to Longview to be at Nini's funeral, she said that Cheech Marin was Lebanese and not Hispanic at all. Haha. She's said a lot of silly things in the past though, so I don't really feel surprised.
Anyway, there's a ton more work to do before I need to crash tonight, so that's the plan!
I found a diary of hers that I intend to read and post from here. I'm excited for all of that. That being said, there is so much work to be done! It's crazy. I'm also skeptical of getting anyone to help with the saving of our family lore, as my aunt, the "pro" genealogist of the family, says we're direct descendants of Jack Daniels (impossible as he had no heirs, however she's shifted this to saying we must be cousins or something) and in the brief time she came to Longview to be at Nini's funeral, she said that Cheech Marin was Lebanese and not Hispanic at all. Haha. She's said a lot of silly things in the past though, so I don't really feel surprised.
Anyway, there's a ton more work to do before I need to crash tonight, so that's the plan!
Saturday, February 22, 2014
(Saturday Life #15) 22 February 2014
Heading to my grandma's to help get her apartment at the assisted living facility (Somerset) cleaned out.
It went pretty well. Trying to create a family archive where you can see photos.
It went pretty well. Trying to create a family archive where you can see photos.
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