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[26 Aug 2009|01:38am] |
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He was a good man. Anyone who thinks differently can kiss my ass.
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| MJ |
[07 Jul 2009|12:34pm] |
Is there a time in my life that wasn't dominated by a Michael Jackson song? It's funny the way I associate so many of his songs with events in my life - I'd say Madonna's music compares in some way, although not as significant.
When I think of the Jackson 5, I think of my Mom and how she grew up to the sounds of Motown. Can You Feel It was the first music video I can remember watching on MTV, before we had cable. I remember Captain EO, and how we used to go to Disney World every year, but somehow I never got to see it. When I think of Thriller, I think of my little brother who used to be terrified of the video. When I think of Beat It, I think of all the cred Jackson got for putting EVH on his record. Billie Jean made me want to Moonwalk, although no one ever could. When I think of Bad, I think of my cousins, and how we used to laugh at how "not Bad" Michael Jackson was. When I think of Smooth Criminal, I think of watching the video at my aunt's house, playing the Moonwalker video game at Putt-Putt, and trying to figure out that "lean" thing he did. We Are The World reminds me of my dad, watching the video, while he talked about all the various artists and how much he did or didn't like them. Gone Too Soon, from Dangerous, was the first song I remember learning the piano part to by ear. I'll Be There, Mariah's version, was certainly listened to in my family's household literally 1,000 times. I remember waiting to watch the Scream video, the most expensive video of all time on MTV. And of course there was the whole Paul McCartney thing. And Janet. And the child abuse stuff. And the trial. And that crazy interview that people talked about on Livejournal for days and days. It goes on and on.
It's easy to throw it off as a lot of pop culture silliness, but so much of what MJ was as a cultural figure was ever-present in my life growing up. If you ever wanted to be entertained, there was a time when MJ was just the way to go.
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| This picture made me cry. OK - onward soldiers. |
[03 May 2009|04:36pm] |
Lawrence Miskel, left, kisses his husband Ryan Barker, right, as their son William Miskel Barker, 9, looks on during their wedding on Friday, May 1, at the Unitarian Universalist Society in Iowa City, Iowa.
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| OH HELL YES |
[25 Mar 2009|08:46pm] |
I'm all about seeing this as soon as possible all day. It looks like someone (Spike Jonze) knows how to make a classic film again. But we'll see. Sadly, I must wait until October.
And I think this may be a breakout year for good, quality high-budget films. I've been really dissapointed in the past decade. We need to learn the lessons that Steven Speilberg, George Lucas and Pixar never did - CGI doesn't do a damn thing; film-making is all about the story.
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[07 Mar 2009|03:56pm] |
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So a long time friend of mine is leaving for Iraq today. I don't think I know how to compute that. Posted via LiveJournal.app.
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| Another Republican lie |
[25 Feb 2009|04:00pm] |
David Shuster catches Rep. Darrell Issa in a lie being perpetrated by the Republicans as a talking point. This is the epitome of a Republican talking point. It's always very effective, but hardly ever actually true. Democrats JUST DON'T DO THIS. I'm not saying Democrats are perfect, or that they're never dishonest, but one thing they never do is organize complex campaigns to intentionally mislead people about their actions. Republicans have made an art of this.
And the worst thing here is that a high-speed "mag-lev" train - however not included in the bill - from L.A. to the Republican's "Sin City" would make money and be energy-conscious at the same time! The dishonesty is suffocating. You know when the Republicans have to reach this far for objections to a bill this large, that there is actually very little about it that can be presented as objectionable to Americans.
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| MILK |
[22 Feb 2009|11:55pm] |
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Maybe one day they can make mainstream movies about homosexuals where no one dies in the end.
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| My top six favorite Western-inspired films |
[19 Feb 2009|12:03am] |
These are movies that aren't necessarily Westerns, but that either take place in the West or are inspired by the legacy of the Western:
1. City Slickers. I love this movie. It's the only comedy that sometimes makes me cry. Growing up in the country is something that never leaves you, and the score to this movie is really up-lifting - it also has some beautiful scenes. It's the last movie my grandfather, who owned a farm, ever saw in a theater.
2. Back To The Future Part 3 - Few people ever agree with me, but this is my favorite BTTF sequel. In the other films, Doc Brown talks a lot about loving the Old West, but you never notice until the third movie how much he belongs there - my favorite part is the flying train at the end, which is just bad ass.
3. Brokeback Mountain - Probably the most real Western on the list, it's also probably the highest quality of the films. But it deserves to be included in my favorites because it brings up emotions in me that can't be written on paper. The homosexual context may be the least of the reasons I love this movie.
4. The Mexican - never got the attention it deserves for being an awesome movie. This is one of those I can get lost in for an entire afternoon. The ending is really cool. I'm a sucker for legends, curses, etc.
5. Footloose - It takes place in Utah, and has people in cowboy hats. That said, I think everyone agrees it's the awesomeness. The dancing shoes intro is one of my favorite opening credit sequences in film. Enough said.
6. Blazing Saddles - it's a hilarious film, but it's not my favorite Mel Brooks movie. It had to be on the list nonetheless. I will admit that this scene is hilarious though:
I did six because I couldn't think of anymore.
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| Not A Happy Josh Song |
[18 Feb 2009|04:49pm] |
The This American Life episode about the transgendered children made me cry while I was driving to work today. I mean, they played the mouse version of "Somewhere Out There" afterward. C'mon - I'm driving here.
I feel like this song right now. I'm not happy.
And I need more cheese in my life. No, seriously.
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| Oh, George |
[16 Feb 2009|04:07pm] |
It's never bothered me much that George Will is a conservative, because every now and then he has some good points/ideas. What bothers me with Will, and a good number of conservative pundits in general, is his ability to out and out lie in order to advance his political brand.
No man who takes himself seriously enough to wear a bow tie could be so unintentionally inaccurate... excuse me, dead wrong.
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| I'm totally going through a late '70s thing right now |
[16 Feb 2009|03:40am] |
I can't get over how awesome this video is due to the fact that I'm obsessed with how awful it is. Fun fact - I was "Born" in 1979, the year this song came out:
And I totally think Jew-fros need to make a comeback. Seriously. This needs to happen.
Signed,
Epstein's Motha
(WB,K ended in 1979.)
P.S. - Don't bring me down. It's an ELO kinda year. Hold on tight to your dreams, Obama mamma.
Got Milk. It was good stuff. DVD march 10.
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| Top Ten Reasons The New Friday The 13th Movie Sucked |
[14 Feb 2009|04:40pm] |
1. An ominous woodchipper that comes to never chip anything but wood. I think the same thing also happens with a buzzsaw.
2. A movie that glorifies but never actually demonizes the supposed motivations for Jason's rampage (sex, drugs and over-all assholedness). At times the movie seems more like a snuff film than a morality play.
3. Contraptions, living quarters and killings that make Jason look more like a vengeful Rambo or MacGyver than a back-from-the-dead killing machine with Mommy issues.
4. I may be mistaken, but I think the man playing Jason was my imaginary six-foot-tall, 250-pound neighbor Bob. In other words, if I saw Bob standing on the other side of the lake looking at me holding a machete, I wouldn't be scared in the slightest. RZ's Halloween did the same thing, and it didn't work. Shadow-lurking zombies are terrifying. Sloth from the Goonies is not.
5. I'm sorry, but Michael Bay does nothing for me with movies except make his movies look like they're made by Michael Bay. The guy could make a blowing piece of wheat glimmer and sparkle. Oooh, pretty. Blah. And please stay away from horror films.
6. Every now and then, when someone dies in a horror film, it's supposed to be someone we like, to intensify the horror. But that never happens. And besides, I hated everyone in this movie.
7. The movie spends a lot of completely suspenseless time with people walking around in the dark looking at pointless junk that never goes anywhere or does anything.
8. The intensely-focused set-lighting does nothing interesting but make it difficult to tell what the hell's going on.
9. The technical elements of the movie - cinematography, art direction, editing, etc. - are about as suspenseful as an episode of Darkwing Duck.
10. The story is completely void of meaning or context and terribly blurs the lines with so many horror cliches that at times you're not sure what kind of horror movie you're watching. It's a completely un-coordinated chain of arguably tame killings that leads to nothing more than an unneeded and very badly done homage to the first film, which wasn't very good to begin with, but blows this one - out of the water. *wink*
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[06 Feb 2009|12:36am] |
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The world is stupid. Anyone who wants elaboration can just ask.
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| MIchael Steele |
[02 Feb 2009|05:18pm] |
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There are still too many people in this country who don't understand that racism is just one arm of the all-too-natural sickness that is devaluation of the human spirit.
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| Happy Josh Song |
[02 Feb 2009|04:36pm] |
Just in case anyone needed some inspiration today. Also, I have an idea for a good music video to make with this:
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| Thought I'd put this up finally |
[31 Jan 2009|07:13pm] |
Envy me, love me, etc.
I designed the inauguration sig box in the middle of the page as well as the big teaser in the index section at the bottom. Really proud of this page, even though it didn't take long to do.
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