A Number of Things

Season premiere of G eLEE.
What did I think??

Wow. Things got bad in a hurry, didn't they? But that's good! We already have a show in full swing that people will come back to week after week.
Furthermore, the song selection this time around was SO GOOD. I wasn't humungously impressed with the "Telephone" number, but it wasn't bad. My favorite was their version of "Empire State of Mind." I also really liked that new blonde guy's voice. I wonder what happens to him!!
The new football coach, Beiste, was also a great addition. And I'm glad Sue and Schuster aren't friends anymore. What would this show be without ridiculous comments about Schu's hair?

Just one thing missing: WHERE'S EMMA??
I'm sick and tired of the way they just forget about her and her relationship with Will. Where did she go?? Will they ever be together??

I'm excited for next week.

What a cheesy movie. But it was a good cheesey movie.
Drew Barrymore is a funny actress. She's not that cute, but she plays such cute characters with tons of quirks. This movie, no different.

The worst/best part about this movie (worst or best depending on how you look at it) was the fact that it stirred up all these old teacher crushes I had back in high school. There was Mr. C, the calculus teacher who was the cutest nerd you'd ever meet with two daughters. I used to stay after class and ask him questions about derivatives even though I already knew all the answers. Then there was Mr. F, who was not only married, but his wife also was a teacher at the school. I remember leaving my books there on purpose just so I could go back in his room. Then there's Dr. H, one of my professors here, who is Australian and hilarious and I find opportunities to send him emails as often as I can.
... And then of course, there's David the Deaf TA, who's not quite a teacher per se but is still amazing.

But anyway, back to the movie. What I don't like about high school chick flick movies is how extreme all the stereotypes get. I know high school can be rough, but people just AREN'T LIKE THAT. Most of the popular kids are actually really smart, and the nerds never identify themselves as nerds that way. I guess in Junior High you get these cliques breaking off, but in High School? People stop caring. Kids grow more mature. People like you for your personality, not what you wear or what you like to do.
But I guess the movie was still plenty entertaining.

Coldplay's "Strawberry Swing" music video. Just so you can get to see what it is I'm talking about.

Tonight is the MTV Video Music Awards Show. I do not get the channel, not to mention it is the Sabbath, so I won't be watching it. But I WILL be keeping track of who wins what. And I WILL be commenting on this site whenever something interesting happens.
Tonight, Lady Gaga is nominated for 13 awards from her own works, not to mention the five that she's nominated for from Beyonce's "Video Phone." So she's already made history.
Of course, (because I do so love to share my opinions) I am going to provide you with my personal predictions and preferences in regards to every one of the categories. When it comes to the VMA's, my philosophy is that the awards should be given to the best video, not necessarily the best artists. You'll see what I mean once I get started, I think. And heeeeere we go!

BEST NEW ARTIST:
Jason DeRulo: "In My Head"
Should Win, and probably will win. Jason's got some amazing dance skills. As a best NEW ARTIST nominee, this video really shows what the guy can do and that he will stick in the biz for a while. A breakthrough artist like Jason needs to create an iconic image of himself through his videos, and I think he does that well amidst the lights and the strong rock beats.

BEST COLLABORATION:
Beyonce and Lady Gaga "Telephone"
You cannot deny that Lady Gaga and Beyonce make the best collaboration for a video this year. Their performances outshine all the other collaborations. But how to choose between "Telephone" and "Video Phone"? Here's where that whole "It's-about-the-video-not-the-artist" philosophy comes into play. "Telephone" is obviously a more thought-out, artistically stimulating, complete video experience. There's a plot, rad imagery, and great dancing. "Video Phone" just has a lot of plastic guns and booty-shaking. It just does not compare to the artistry and sophisitication that "Telephone" presents us with. But does the world agree? I really can't be sure on this one.

BEST DANCE VIDEO:
Lady Gaga "Bad Romance"
Should win. Will win. There is no comparison to the level of artistic vision that this video possesses. I like dance videos that are more than just dancing. All these other nominees besides "Bad Romance" is just a club scene that you see over and over again in video after video. I had to stop watching the Cascada one because it was just soooo monotonous. Let's make the dancing interesting. How do we do it? Weird alien costumes, underwear, and fire, of course!

BEST FEMALE VIDEO:
This one's hard. I want "Bad Romance" to win because I want to see Gaga do well, but I get the feeling Tay-Tay is gonna take this one. "Fifteen" is a GREAT video! It's artsy, tells a story, leaves behind a great message, really brings out the best in Taylor. It's a beautiful experience for both the eyes and the ears. Way to go!
I also liked Katy Perry's silly music video. It was very colorful and fun and the costumes were great. Some people say it's annoying to have a video that doesn't really go along with the lyrics of the music, but I like it when directors play with your mind and make you go out and look for connections. The "Telephone" video is the same way for me.

BEST HIP HOP VIDEO:
DEFINITELY Eminem. Hands-down. This video speaks to so many. The lyrics are triumphant and fit well in the setting in which Shady is placed. Furthermore, it is incredibly well-crafted. I wonder how many artists can portray the edge of the earth, the end of the world, as well as was done in this video. Second place would definitely go to "Airplanes," but there's really nothing more than Hayley and B.o.b. just sitting around and singing, which can get a little boring. The rest of these videos are just fluff and not worth watching.

BEST MALE VIDEO:
Eminem again, mainly because B.o.b.'s video has a girl in it and the rest of them are (once again) just singers standing around or talking to girls. The emotion in Em's video runs so high and there are such breathtaking climaxes in the cinematography that go so well with his lyricism. I think the world understands this and will pick this video for the award. Props, Em, Props.

BEST POP VIDEO:
This one's hard. I love "Nothin' on You." It's a fun song that's presented in a really cool method. But is it POP? Does it define POP? No. Does Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" define POP? Sadly, no. It's more futuristic, Euro-rave, club scene. So this video needs the POP quality that fits the award. Katy Perry's "Calfornia Gurls" fits this well. Candy, rappers, naked women, colors, and fun. Yes. This is POP. As for what the real world thinks, it's a toss-up.

BEST ROCK VIDEO:
Let's first narrow it down by getting rid of the ones that WON'T win. Sorry, Florence and the Machine and MGMT. And let's get rid of "Ignorance" too. You can only have so much of hayley williams singing with a lightbulb in her hand. So now we're down to 30 Seconds to Mars and Muse. I LOVE the Muse video, but I think it's the song that makes it so great more than the video does. Once again, I'm rating the VIDEO, not the band or even simply the music. 30STM has not only an epic song, but an epic video to go with it. They should take the Moonman. Sadly, I don't think voters distinguish as well as I do what it means to have a good video, so they'll probably pick Paramore.

VIDEO OF THE YEAR:
Also very hard, but "Telephone" should take it. Why? It has changed history! It's not just a music video, it's a short film! In that 8 minutes of amazing, you get intrigue, skilled choreography, amazing costumes, and two of the world's biggest divas in one place. How much more epic can you get? This video DEFINES 2010. People will never look at music videos in the same way after "Telephone." I am very confident that it will win.

BEST ART DIRECTION:
I'm not a professional critic, so I don't have the best understanding of what it means for art to be well-directed, but I will say that "Bad Romance" seemed like a pretty hard undertaking that turned out very very successful. It touches on everything people love about music videos. A catchy tune, a recognizable dance, iconic costumes, and a storyline (of sorts). Few of the other videos do it for me.

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY:
Janelle Monae's "Tightrope" has some WICKED dance moves. It takes real skill simply to dance that choreography, much less make it up. To have another one of those videos take this award when such artistry lies before us would be a real shame.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
"Empire State of Mind" has such a moving backdrop of epic Manhatten scenery. Plus I love the black-and-white touch. And in the end, you get the color and the lights and the Jay-Z and the Alicia Keys. It's quite perfect, really. Class and sophistication for a very classy and sophisticated rap.

BEST DIRECTION:
I really feel like "Telephone" should win this one even though it's not even part of the lineup. I think the way Jonas Akerulnd responded to the vision as wacky as Lady Gaga's was simply phenomenal. But since it's not even a nominee, I will take Gaga's "Bad Romance" as a good enough substitute, for very similar reasons. The mood that is evoked in that video is very wacky and it takes some serious thought and artistry to put something like that together. Furthermore, unlike any of the other videos which just requires either standing and singing or mass movement, some actual ACTING had to occur in the "Bad Romance" video. Ergo, a skilled director was required.

BEST EDITING:
Mike Snow's "Animal" must have taken some KILLER editing. All those different shots put together? How could it not win?

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS:
I am VERY torn between Green Day's "21st Century Breakdown" and Dan Black's "Symphonies." I think I'll give it to Dan Black simply because the VARIETY of special effects present in that video is much more impressive than just black-and-white splash ink in 21st Century Breakdown. But they are both GREAT videos, nonetheless. I also appreciate Muse, but again, it's not enough to keep in the running. I'm wondering where exactly the special effects happen in the Lady Gaga music video, to be quite honest.

BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO:
I like all these videos, but "Strawberry Swing" is by far one of the GREATEST videos I've ever seen and completely deserves the title "Breakthrough." Whoever thought of that idea should be given a huge hug. It's a happy video, a creative medium, and definitely painstakingly thought through and executed. Well, done, Coldplay!!! Moonman for you!!

So... Gaga deserves 5 awards. That sounds like a good amount. It would take a miracle for her to sweep all of the awards she was nominated for. It would be amazing and incredible and a great, but impossible. Besides, there's just too many other great artists that hardly get any recognition whatsoever that I feel need some time to shine.
So go Gaga! Win the awards you deserve and let's enjoy the VMA's!!

What a great video and what a great song!! This is one of Tarja's deepest songs I've heard.

This whole album seems really good. Really goth. Really good.

Ok. So I watched 2 Peter Pan-inspired movies this weekend with my roommates:

1. HOOK

I got this movie for my twentieth birthday. Apparently it was sitting in the bottom of a box in my mother's closet for months but she never thought about giving it to me until now. Which is quite unfortunate, because I really like this movie and had I owned it for a long time I would have it memorized by now, like my cousin Aubrey. Her younger brother, my cousin Taggart, is obsessed with this movie. Exactly why he loves THIS movie over any other is still unknown to me, but I also think it is an excellent family film.
Robin Williams is one of my favorite actors, and Dustin Hoffman portrays the infamous Captain Hook very well. The plot is also quite clever. I wonder how many of us wonder what would have happened if Peter Pan ever DID leave Neverland and what kind of a man he would be.
Favorite Parts: Rufio, Robin Williams, Maggie Smith (the ultimate Old Lady), Hook's Costume, "Firefly from Hell," and the incredibly elaborate sets.
Least Favorite Parts: The cheesey song the girl sings, Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell, the corny "family values" message, and the silly 90's clothes and technology.




2. FINDING NEVERLAND

This movie is my second favorite Johnny Depp movie, aside from the POTC series, of course. I love him when he's cleanshaven and speaking in a Scottish accent. I remember seeing this movie and loving it when I was very young but I forgot most of it, so watching it now was like watching it for the first time. This movie is bittersweet, for sure, but the thing that is most depressing for me is the fact that I have completely lost the childlike whimsy this film portrays. I used to have an imagination just as powerful as Barry's and the children's, but I have long since lost it. Watching films like these makes me want to be a kid again.
Favorite Parts: Johnny Depp, of course. Peter Ostrum, the child actor, is incredible. I wish he would never grow old. The death of Sylvia is also very moving, as well as the end of the entire movie.
Least Favorite Parts: The wife, and the frustrations about childhood fantasy that I have already mentioned earlier.

Paragraph 1: Kay guys, so there's a lot of haters out there who say I'm a liar. They say I'm good at sweet-talking, but I'm really not. I just tell it like it is in my own way.
2: The people who accuse me can be split into two groups. There's the group that steered you wrong when you were young and impressionable. Of course you followed them becaus we there was no one to tell you otherwise. But now there are also people who are living today who manipulate and are fed by envy and malice. I'll deal with the old ones first, then the new.
3: I hope I can win your hearts, though I know it won't be easy. But let God's will be done.
4: What do my accusers say? They say Socrates teaches false doctrine. Aristophanes even wrote a play that made fun of me. But that's not my business. My business is to tell you the truth, and it's your business to judge it.
5: I am not a paid teacher, though I respect the profession. There's a story told of a man with two sons. I asked the man, "If your kids were horses, you'd give 'em to a horse trainer. But there isn't a people-trainer, is there?" The man told me yes, there was. And he taught for cheap, despite all his wisdom." Heaven's, I'm surprised he doesn't charge more! I know I would... but I can't. So I don't.
6: Well then why do people accuse me of this, then? Surely there must be some grounds for it? Well, it's because I'm "wise." I'm not wise in an unattainable sense, but as God is my witness, I am the wisest. The oracle at Delphi said so.
7: But I don't think I'm the wisest! Why would God say that? God can't lie. That's against his nature! So I decided to go out and look for a man wiser than myself. I went to this politician, who I thought was very wise at first. But it turned out the more I talked to him, the less wise he became. He thought he was wise, but he wasn't. So he hated me. I came to the conclusion that I am better off than he is -- because he thinks he knows something, yet knows nothing. I don't even think I know. This applied to every "wise" person I talked to.
8: After experimenting on this, I became more sure that "wise" people are actually very foolish -- it's the inferior men who know more. After politicians, I went to the poets. I asked what their verses meant, but all they did was brag about how "inspired" they are. They wrote the stuff, but they didn't understand it. So they're not wise, either.
9: I went to the artisans next. They knew a lot of stuff... but they still thoght they knew more than they actually did. I'm still better off!
10: So that's why people hate me. I am not wise. Only God is wise. Our wisdom is nothing. You are only wise when you come to understand that wisdom is worth nothing. So it's my job to get people to realize their own foolishness. I'm consumed by this quest.
11: People react towards me rather than towards themselves when they hear this. They blame me, even though I did nothing evil. They don't like to be told they are wrong. I'm simply plain with my accusers, and they hate me for it. This hatred is proof that I speak truth.
12: So that's the OLD accusers. Now for the new. What do THEY accuse me of? They say I don't worship God and I corrupt youth. They are, in fact, the evil ones -- they make a joke out of serious things -- they claim they care, but the don't. I'll have a conversation with one of them: Mr. Meletus.

S: So you care about youth?
M: Yes.
S: Who is improving them? You've accused me as their corrupter... who is their improver?
M: Speechless.
S: You've got nothing to say. How shameful! Doesn't this mean you don't care??
M: The laws!
S: But I need a person! Who knows the laws?
M: Judges.
S: How do they improve youth? Do they?
M: yes.
S: All of them?
M: yes.
S: Good! Does the audience improve youth?
M: Yes.
S: And Senators too?
M: Senators, too.
S: What about ecclesiats?
M: Them too.
S: That's like everyone in Athens, then! Everyone but me!
M: You got that right.
S: Too bad! But... what about horses? Does only one man do them harm? No... many injure them. Sometimes it's just the trainer who does them good. There is never just one corrupter. Obviously you don't care enough about the children to think of this. Obviously it's better to live among good people, Right?
M: Yep.
S: Does anyone like to be injured?
M: Nope.
S: so you think I intentionally corrupt youth?
M: Yes.
S: But you just said that good neighbors are good doers... why would I want to corrupt someone if he's gonna injure me? So either I don't corrupt them, or I do it unintentionally. Either way, you lie. If I did it unintentionally, you should have privately corrected me. Instead you bring me here to be punished! One more thing. How do I corrupt the young? Am I worshipping false gods?
M: you are.
S: What do you mean? I believe in Gods. So I'm not an atheist. Are my Gods different from the laws?
M: I believe you're an atheist.
S: Why?? I believe in the Gods of the sun and moon!
M: Yet you believe the sun is stone and the moon is earth.
S: That's Anaxagoras... but what about me?
M: You don't believe in God!
S: Liar! You don't even believe yourself! You thought you could get away with being a walking contradiction, but you can't! This is a joke! Let's look at this guy, judges, and see. you can't see a flute player without flute playing. you can't see horsemanship without horses. Neither can you see divine agencies without God, right?
M: Right.
S: I believe in spiritual agencies! I believe in divine beings, I believe in God! Spirits and demigods are all God, right?
M: Right.
S: If I believe in a demigod -- a child of god -- I believe in the parent! I can't say mules exist without horses and donkeys. Nonsense! You have nothing to accuse me of. Yet I still have many enemies: envy and distraction. That kills a lot of people.

12: Am I ashamed? Am I ashamed of dying? No. It's not about life or death, it's about right or wrong. We shouldn't worry about death, but honor. That's what Achilles did.
13: This is a mission God wants me to fulfill -- to deny this mission is to deny him. I'd think I was wise, even though I'm not. Fear of death is the pretence of wisdom. No one knows what comes after death. Why pretend to know? That's foolish! Death may be bad, but it may also be good -- why avoid what is good? I will obey God rather than man. I care about deeper truths -- not money and reputation, but improvement of the soul. A guy can't do this without virtue. Don't think of yourself and your properties. Care about your soul. After that, you'll get those other things. I will not change.
14: If you kill me, you will injure yourself more than me. Bad things can't really hurt me. To kill an innocent man is bad for you! Don't sin against God. I'm like a gadfly, and the state is like a horse. I stir it to life -- I land on you and wake you up. I'm not easily replaced. You may be irritated by me -- you may wanna kill me and keep sleeping, but dontt! I'm like your brother! I don't seek payment!
15: Why do I not publicly do this? Why am I not a politician? The oracle has forbidden me. If I was a politician, you wouldn't see me today to help you still. I'd die early.
16: I'll give you an example: I was a Senator for a while. We had won a battle, but our prisoners needed to be tried. You wanted to try them all together, but that's illegal. I said so, even though you threatened to kill me. Later, after the democracy, the oligarchy told us to bring another prisoner, but he was innocent, so I didn't ring him. I would have died if the oligarchy had survived.
17: Now do you see how I wouldn't have survived in politics? I simply tell it like it is, and invite all to follow -- no pay needed. I am no respecter of persons. I tell the world.
18: I like it when foolish people argue with me. it's fun! But I'm doing my godly duty. if I'm corrupting children, how? They're turning out to be pretty decent people! Let those who believe they have been corrupted come forward! Or their families! Anyone? I see a lot of you here! You all know I speak truth.
19: One more thing: To those who may be offended by my presence here -- all by myself, not fearing death -- I am a man, flesh and blood. I have a family, yes. but I won't bring them here. That would be discreditable. Some people act really stupid when they're accused of something. People fear death -- they want to be immortal, continuing to live. These people are wimps. They make the city look ridiculous.
20: Judges need to give justice according to the laws. Don't bribe them. Remember: Believe in God, and it is before him that I make my argument.
21: I've been condemned, but I don't grieve. Why? I expected it. In fact, the vote was closer in my favor than I expected.
22: They propose death. Remember, I don't care about things of the world. I only went about doing what good that I could. I've besought of you to look inside yourselves and find virtue. Good comes from good. A good poor man deserves more than an athlete who won a race. I need, but he has enough.
23: I'm not begging innocence. I'm just saying Ive never wronged anyone. I don't think a capital offense should be concluded in one day, either. I have too little time to convince you. I don't deserve death, but I don't fear it. I may be imprisoned instead of put to death, but death may be better than imprisonment. I'd hate to be exiled, separated from he people I serve. Besides, I'll get kicked out wherever I go. I can't hold my tongue. To converse about virtue is the greatest good of man. A life unexamined is not worth living. I have no money, so I can pay no fines.
24: Your name will be shamed because you killed me, Socrates, a wise man. you should have waited to see the reward of my words. To those who convicted me, it wasn't my words that bothered you. It's cuz I didn't cry and beg for forgiveness. I was bold til the end. I did not try to escape death. I did not surrender. I avoided unrighteousness, not death. Now you'll be the unrighteous ones. You'll have your reward.
25: I have a prophecy: You'll get much worse than me. You'll still have to face the music -- there will be others who will tell it like it is like I did. you can't avoid accusation by killing people. Don't kill others, improve yourselves.
26: My friends, stay and let me talk to you. The oracle didn't disapprove of anything I did today. Nothing. How can we explain this? It means that everything I said was meant to be said. it was good. Death can't be bad. It's good!
27: Death is either nothing or it is something. It's either utter unconsciousness or it is a migration to a new world. So I either have a nice sleep to look forward to -- a deep undisturbed sleep with no dreams -- which would be great -- eternity is only a single night. But if death is a journey, that's good too! He's delivered from the evils of this world -- true judgment reigns. We'll see good men -- and we can talk to them! I'd love this! I'd continue my search for knowledge among great heroes! I will be happy and immortal!
28: No evil can happen to a good man. Nothing happens by chance. God loves good men. To die is better for me. I am not angry! I gently blame them for trying to do me wrong, but they didn't.
29: Teach my sons what I taught you, please! Reprove them if they pretend to be wise or seek riches.
30: I'm gonna die now. God only knows what's next.