Los Asaltantes Llegaron en Oleadas
I have a couple of things to post from the New York Times.
This.. this is surfing... keep that in mind.
Video: Surfing's New Wave of Aerialists - "New Breed of Young Surfers Is Changing the Sport" Surfing, at least competitive surfing, is changing. It's moving towards aerial tricks pioneered by surfers like Christian Fletcher (bio video). Some progressive surfers are doing maneuvers that are closer to snowboarding and skateboarding than the traditional "long ride".
Also while on the subject of surfing, check out the trailer (and then go watch the movie) for Surfwise.
And Mexican/Texas border drug cartel news: Fearing Drug Cartels, Reporters in Mexico Retreat –"Does a shootout actually happen if the newspapers print nothing about it, the radio and television stations broadcast nothing, and the authorities never confirm that it occurred?"
It's now daylight savings time.
06:07 a.m. Sunday, March 14, 2010
Nihilist in 'Logjammin'
I got a Peavey Microbass 20w amp last weekend and have immediately put it to good use. Being the bassist in three bands with only a couple days experience isn't easy, but I'm up for the challenge. I'm really excited. We already have some You Are Best demos up (which are actually ok since Mark can play drums and Tyler can play guitar and we aren't going balls out crazy [yet]). Check it out on the label's myspace Tomar Labs (yeah, that's right, we were immediately signed). We'll be working on a real song over spring break (Reading Week in some parts of Canada) this coming week.
I'm also happy to be implementing my new motto, "less faking more doing". Which in this case means I've been listening to a lot of music, and I can continue just sitting around listening, or I can play music and open up a creative outlet. The funny thing, aside from buying recording equipment two years ago in the hopes of starting a project but only just now using it, is that now that we have played around, and after listening to what Tyler and Mark have come up with on their own, I want to be a real band and make some pretty decent(lol) music.
06:46 p.m. Thursday, March 11, 2010
Hollywood and the Many Perspectives on War
"Matt Damon says he hopes his new thriller Green Zone will engage audiences with issues around the decision to invade Iraq.
Hollywood producers are beginning to see the war as ripe material with The Hurt Locker receiving several Oscar nominations."
"It's more Jason Bourne than Hans Blix, and with Iraq still in the news that may be the only way to persuade audiences to see the same thing on the big screen"
—Watch the BBC report by Ian Pannell: Matt Damon's Iraq war thriller
And continuing the discussion of war in pop culture, there is a 5 part series on the New York Times: Home Fires: Retelling the War - "After the multiple Academy Award nominations for two war movies, “The Hurt Locker” and “The Messenger,” the editors of Home Fires asked contributors, all veterans of the wars in either Afghanistan or Iraq, for their thoughts on these movies and the wider subject of war and narrative."
The stories are harder to get to than they should be. The easiest way to find the stories is to search by the tag "Retelling the War".
So far I have only read the second story in the series, by Michael Jernigan: Home Fires: The War Movie You Don’t Want to See - "Please remember that when you watch a war movie you are watching stories about young Americans who went far from home and risked their lives; some of them died there with only their brothers in arms to witness. Hollywood is now taking our money by walking on their graves."
11:06 p.m. Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Try This Again (March 03, 2010)
I'm going to start using this site again. That is the plan and sounds good right now anyway. I think if I treat this project more like a tumblr blog, quick updates primarily linking to external sites, everything will be better and I will be truer to "cool stuff on the internet" by having just that. I used to get in trouble all the time for placing quotes in my essays for school without including analysis right after; I can't remember off the top of my head what this was called but in high school we spent a good amount of time going over how to correct such "mistakes/poor writing". I, however, am a strong believer in quotes speaking for themselves. My reasoning is that if the quote is good (doing its job), and well placed, the quote should not need any explaining to effectively make a point. A good quote is complete in and of itself (very much American).
I'll even do some minimal optimization to the site code if things go well. I still need to figure out to do with the links section.. something.
06:34 p.m. Wednesday, March 03, 2010
A film starring Mélanie Laurent
I am American. Violence does not faze me. Watching Naboer only left me feeling the 75 minute story was incomplete (aside from not really liking the story in general). The perspective of a psycho’s mind was a little interesting but I prefer David Lynch and Michel Gondry, along with a few others.
Je vais bien, ne t'en fais pas, on the other hand, has just left me wondering what the hell just happened and for what reason. I don’t know that I would recommend it, with it being about a sister’s sanity (or lack of sanity) when she finds out her brother has left the house after getting in a fight with their father, but as the movie progressed I became more and more interested, which is something special in and itself. The first ten minutes I spent getting a feel for the movie and the thirty after that I spent wondering why I should continue watching the film because, though it was very well put together, it seemed to lack purpose (the story was not particularly interesting up until that point). Then all of a sudden it picked up and I was drawn in until the end. The ending was quite shocking. It hits you that what you thought possible but too unlikely really did happen and the situation which unfolds over a full year therefore is beyond fucked.
02:55 a.m. Sunday, September 13, 2009
primero
I'm waay too tired to write on here but I feel like this blog-esque thing needs to get started already. The site is mostly complete. I just have to do the -links- tab (Which is where the "cool stuff on the internet" links will be and I guess the reason the site is called cool stuff on the internet [csoti]. It is going to be the hardest part of the site to make because a) I don't have it fully planned out yet and b) its infrastructure will be something I have never done before) and add the computer generated images under the artwork section. After that the content will be the same as cerebral evolution. Aside from those two things, the next update will include actual new stuff and not just transferring. I'll add movies to -listed-media-, I have some writings to go over and add to the prose section, and 3D artwork from 10th grade (better pictures of the artwork than 8th and 9th also) to put up.
I drove the convertible to UTA today. Will have to get a parking permit tomorrow (hoping the towing company gods are on my side for the night and until about 8:30 in the morning). I changed the oil and oil filter, added coolant, and put a bolt in the motor mount that has been missing for a while (got it off the '89 since I couldn't find the original one in the garage). The under-the-dash interior pieces still need to be put in; hopefully I can figure that out next time I'm home. The speedometer is working now. It wasn't working correctly when I first replaced the cable but I think all it needed was some highway driving to break it in.
Sometimes I literally daydream, or have dream-like unsolicited thoughts, especially when I'm in the shower after having just woken up.
Here are a couple I found written down from a while back:
1.
At a car dealership, specifically the motorcycle section or dirt bike section, and checking out a bike:
Salesman: You must know bikes. You have a good eye.
Person: Not for these. These aren’t any good.
2.
Adult: Why didn't your mom let you play sports?
Child: She said it would be too dangerous.
Adult: Pass (checks off box on clipboard)
Next child please.
Thoughts on Inglourious Basterds and more interesting things to talk about soon.
11:45 p.m. Monday, September 07, 2009