Monday, December 31, 2007

My resolutions

To follow in the footsteps of the esteemed Vanderslice, here is my list of futility for the coming year:

1. Make more money.
2. See things through from start to finish.
3. Blog more.
4. Drink less.
5. Quit gambling.
6. Embrace a more creative-minded existence.
7. Figure out what #6 means.
8. Focus.
9. Ask for help more freely.
10. Work toward a life where I don't need as much help.

I just executed half of these in the course of this entry.

This finally could be my year....

The resolutions I won't keep

Every year I basically have one New Year's resolution. Stop biting my fingernails and cuticles. I'm usually pretty decent at it until March when I'm watching 12 straight hours of college basketball and realize that I've unknowingly went to town on my fingertips. By then, what's done is done and I just keep at it until New Years again. This year I'm going to have a couple of New Year's resolutions so if one of them sticks then I'll feel pretty good about myself. Here they are:
  1. Contribute to the blog at least 3 times a week
  2. Stop biting my fingernails and cuticles
  3. Do some form of creative writing for at least a half hour a day
  4. Eat a little bit healthier (key words "a little bit"...I don't want to live in a world where I can't eat Cheesesteaks and drink Coke once and a while)
  5. Listen to one new CD (new to me) a week
  6. Bring lunch to work at least 3 times a week

Thursday, December 27, 2007

So I saw Juno...

Every Christmas evening I go to the movies. This year I opted for Juno. The theatre was surprisingly packed for a 4:00pm on Christmas. With Kiterunner and The Great Debaters already sold out and standing on the back of a long line with only 25 minutes til the movie started, I wasn't feeling too confident in getting tickets. Luckily enough, simultaneously with the two tickets being placed in my hands the guy behind the ticket counter announced that Juno has been sold out. For the first time probably ever, I had to bypass the refreshment counter in favor of getting a seat. Predictably my special lady friend and I had to sit in the second row. Normally I have a problem with this because the last time I had to sit up front for a movie was actually 7 years to the day for Dracula 2000 (Gerard Butler...how far you have come). Even though it was a terrible movie, my head actually had to turn from side to side to follow the action and I still think I have the kink in my neck. Nevertheless, I knew that this movie was a dialouge driven film and probably wouldn't have to lube up my neck joints for it. As for the movie, I really enjoyed it. The dialogue was fast-paced and chock full of pop-culture references which is always a hit with me. There was only one problem I had with the movie and it did have to do with some of the dialogue. For the most part the slangy phrases worked but once and awhile it was overkill. It was only two or three times total but it was glaring enough to me where I thought about it and I imagine that's not what the film makers want me to be thinking at those moments. Other than that, Ellen Page was great (very pleased to find out she's 20 for reasons I don't want to delve in to here). One could even say she was perfect for the role of Juno. I celebrate everything Micheal Cera does at this point. Even though I'm a little nervous that he's a one trick pony with his perfected timing in doing the awkward and uncomfortable thing. Even if he is, that's a pony I'd like to ride for awhile. That sounded bad. J.K. Simmons and Jason Bateman were also very good. Simmons as Juno's dad was perfect in playing the disappointed but supportive father. The one character that I didn't particularly care for was Juno's best friend Leah. She was slightly irritating but I guess that it was nessesary since Juno was a pretty mature 16 year old and Leah was that reminder that she is only 16. The soundtrack fit the movie well also. It was mostly "cute" acoustic guitar, indie-rock stuff but also some cool stuff from Belle and Sebastian, and the Sonic Youth cover of Superstar by The Carpenters that I forgot existed.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Adventures in Solitude - New Pornographers 12/11/07

-Last night I went to a free New Pornographers at the Apple Store in SoHo. It's the fourth time I've seen them in 2007 (5th overall) but this was the first time I've ever seen an in-store performance, the first time I've ever seen a concert by myself and the first time seeing them sober.
-I'm usually not one to do something like this by myself. I did once go to the movies alone. All my friends saw Black Hawk Down before me and I guess it was a very important movie for me to see before it came out on DVD, so I tried that. Didn't like it much. So for me to actually get on a train and go into NYC myself was pretty out of character. I probably would have only done it for The New Pornographers...or any movie with helicopters.
-I got to the Apple Store at about 6:30ish. I was a little nervous approaching the store because I saw a line of people that started to bend around the corner but it was only about 45-50 people deep. A guy from the Apple Store gave me a bracelet and told me that it guaranteed my spot in the show but not my place in line. A minute later a girl with a British accent was on line (the queue) behind me talking on her cell phone. Just curious to see what she looked like since accents are awesome, I did the "stretching my back" turnaround. Let down.
-After about an hour and a half, they let us in. There were only 80-90 seats so I was lucky enough to get one on the good side of the stage where Neko Case stands. I had to be careful here. It was such an intimate setting that she probably could probably see me if she looked into the crowd. I had to keep my staring problem in check. Easier said than done when she's on stage.
-The show lasted pretty much an hour which apparently is a long time for an in-store. It was 10 songs plus an encore. The only weird thing was that the Apple Store hooked up a camera and projected the show on the screen behind them but with about a 2 second delay. It started out as an annoyance but soon became a pretty funny part of the show with the band commenting on it throughout the set.
-All in all it was definately worth going. I learned that I can go to a concert and not drink, I learned that not everyone with an accent is going to be attractive and I learned I can go out and enjoy a form of entertainment by myself. I might even try a movie again one day...maybe if they do a Fire Birds sequel or bring Airwolf to the big screen.

Setlist:
1. All The Things That Go To Make Heaven and Earth
2. Use It
3. All The Old Showstoppers
4. Challengers
5. My Rights Versus Yours
6. Adventures in Solitude
7. The Laws Have Changed
8.Unguided
9. Sing Me Spanish Techno
10. Don't Bring Me Down (ELO cover)
Encore
11. Bleeding Heart Show

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Moving Day


This is my last post from the physical space called "Southpaw Cove." We are moving into a new space today. Unfortunately there will be no more office called Southpaw Cove since we couldn't get the wall knocked down between our new offices but Southpaw Cove will still be living on since it doesn't stay confined to simple boundries.




This Used To Be My Playground
This used to be my playground (used to be)
This used to be my childhood dream
This used to be the place I ran to
Whenever I was in need
Of a friend
Why did it have to end
And why do they always say
Don't look back
Keep your head held high
Don't ask them why
Because life is short
And before you know
You're feeling old
And your heart is breaking
Don't hold on to the past
Well that's too much to ask

This used to be my playground (used to be)
This used to be my childhood dream
This used to be the place I ran to
Whenever I was in needOf a friend
Why did it have to end
And why do they always say
No regrets
But I wish that you
Were here with me
Well then there's hope yet
I can see your faceIn our secret place
You're not just a memory
Say goodbye to yesterday (the dream)
Those are words I'll never say (I'll never say)
This used to be my playground (used to be)
This used to be our pride and joy
This used to be the place we ran to
That no one in the world could dare destroy
This used to be our playground (used to be)
This used to be our childhood dream
This used to be the place we ran to
I wish you were standing here with me

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

An Open Letter to Neko Case

Dear Ms. Case,

Let me begin by stating what soon will become glaringly obvious: I am no stalker. I am just a fan, not an uberfan. Not a crazed fan. Not a 'waiting-at-the-venue-side-door-to-steal-a-post-concert-glimpse' fan. No. I am merely a fan. I am also a fan of peering through high-powered, fog-proof, night-vision binoculars. And if I want to combine two of my interests into one evening, where's the crime? If anything, it's a crime of efficiency.

Of course I'm only joking. But, since I don't possess your vocal ability to make we mere mortals weep, I thought I would ply you with some humor. An icebreaker, if you would.

In order to shed some light on why I'm writing this letter, perhaps I should explain its impetus. You see, I've only recently come upon your music in the last few years. Via The New Pornographers' Twin Cinema album, to be precise. After hearing that other-worldly voice soar over the music like some raven-haired bald eagle (that makes no sense), I came away with two very salient thoughts. First, I felt appreciation for having lived to experience your vocal beauty. Second, that appreciation was immediately snuffed out by the notion that I had spent so many years without it. It made me reflect on my life, on how things may have been different (better) for me had I known of you earlier. It's like that fable about the crack whore who turned tricks to support her habit only to discover that her dilapidated house was made of crack. Sure, she was elated to freely smoke her ottoman through a glass pipe, but what about all those lost years of banging ugly dudes for a fix.

In case I lost you somewhere in that jumbled cautionary tale, I do NOT do crack... or ugly dudes.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, my discovery. So, since that first listen, I've been entranced by your voice. So much so, I resisted the temptation of seeing a picture of you, fearing the inevitable letdown of something so beautiful being sullied by it's physical appearance. And yes, I've been burned. Let's just say that phone sex should remain just that. And I just couldn't have that happen to me again. So, I resisted.

Dissolve to (to denote a passage of time) October 26th, 2007. Webster Hall. You. Me. Gordon Gano. Add it up! Seeing you live for the first time was -- forgive my hyperbole -- nice. Real nice. I tried to close my eyes to sustain my blind adoration for you, but I couldn't refrain. Plus, try ordering a beer with your eyes closed and see what kind of service you get. So I succumbed...

Wow.

You, Ms. Case, are the complete package: voice, stage presence, personality, charisma. And the kicker? You're HOT! You don't even need those other things and yet you do. What a pleasant surprise. I have to say I was really nervous after my friend said that you had a lot of indie cred. You don't have to be a mathematician to know that indie cred = not hot. But in this case, math lied. Math lied beautifully.

I know this is going to sound kinda weird, but I think we may have locked eyes a few times that night. My friend said it's impossible because the floor was dark and we were pretty far from the stage. I think my friend doesn't hide his jealousy well. To refresh your memory, there was a heavyset, balding guy standing stage left, yelling 'NEKO, NEKO' over and over again. Remember that? Anyway, I was the athletic looking, locks-aflowing fellow behind him who kept telling him to shut the fuck up and get out of our sight line.

If you remember me, please drop me a line. I'd really like to get to know you more. No pressure. Just remember, I know what you look like now.


Another joke. Gotcha.

Friday, November 2, 2007

Top 5 Studio Pitches if We Were Scabs

5. Vets: Follow the trials and tribulations of the new batch of interns at Malibu Veterinarian Hospital. Cute animals + sexy staffers = rabid comedy! (Oh, and the animals can TALK.)

4. The Coyote: Two teens trying to throw the best barbeque ever decide that they need lawn darts after the most popular girl in school won't come unless she can play it. They fly down to Mexico and meet up with a man who can help smuggle their lawn darts across the border...with 15 hot female illegal immigrants.

3. TanFastic: Reality TV just got hotter. Each week, join three new contestants as they lay out for the perfect tan. Oils, bikinis, and tan lines... oh my! Be sure to turn and watch them burn.

2. Subliminal: A newspaper editor becomes a hero to all men in the city when he starts highlighting two specific letters in every paper causing women all over the city to start frequently performing men's favorite "behind closed doors" act. But his new underground fame gets in the way of him bonding with his new Yorkshire Terrier.

1. Support Group: Punky Brewster lost her step-dad; Urkel lost Laura; Balky lost his cousin; Webster lost his bid for facial hair; Corky lost his thermos. Now these beloved TV characters find themselves in the same Chicago support group. Can you say retro-ACTIVE?!