Bye-Bye, Blogger.
13 years ago
Monday, September 29, 2008
Driving, Driving
I went to the Bay and back to L.A. over the course of a day and a half. I got all the stuff I had left in Sunnyvale and hauled it off to Glendale, which reminds me, vote yes on that ballot proposition to create a 200mph train from L.A. to S.F. Thank you. That is all.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Heroes & Villains
I just finished watching the two-hour premiere of "Heroes" and I had the same averse reaction to it as I did when I saw "Spider-man 3."
SPOILERS AHEAD!
I loved season one of "Heroes" and I enjoyed season two, despite complaints from critics. However, this fall opener left me worried. The fun of "Heroes", initially, was its cleverly crafted stories and the way they linked together. The show also respected its audience and grounded the characters in a way in which you could say, "If there was a world with super-heroes, this is indeed the way they would act or behave." The show took very logical approaches in dealing with the humanity of these "super" humans. It also took the time to flesh out each storyline.
This was not the case in last night's two episodes. It became very clear to me that the show just has too many characters. Everyone's plot was rushed and the writing seemed lazy. Let's take a step by step approach.
Continuity: Ok, I know that in the last season, the premiere started months after the incidents that happened in the first season finale. Later, one of the episodes showed what happened during those four months. The writers played with the timeline in a way I thought was fun. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Nikki Sanders's death occur at exactly the same time as Nathan Petrelli's shooting? If this is the case, then how is it that as Nathan is in the ER, Nikki has had enough time to survive the fire, assume the name of Tracy, woo the Governor of New York and become a leading political adviser?
If the writers know what they're doing still, then I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they are going to come up with a plotline in which Nikki is able to split off from herself like a starfish and that many years ago she spawned a clone. Another possibility is that the sister of hers we were told was dead never actually died.
Also, what happened to Peter's Irish girlfriend? He just left her in the future and never came back?
Future Peter vs. Present Peter: I really hope that there is a good explanation as to why a character that can regenerate and heal all of his wounds would have a scar in the future. Also, why is future Peter such an asshole? In season one Peter was painted as pure of heart. No matter what happens in the future, I just can't get my head around as to why future Peter would even fathom the idea of going back in time to kill his brother. I mean, Peter did stray a little last season, but this is strange. Additionally, Mama Petrelli acts like Future Peter and Present Peter aren't the same person. She has nothing but love for Present Peter, but Future Peter is "not her son?" Can I assume or hope that Future Peter is also some kind of clone that is NOT the same Peter?
Mohinder & Maya: Maya should never have had a storyline on this show! She adds nothing to this show. Likewise, Mohinder is also starting to lose his purpose. His speech in which he finds out that the Heroes' abilities come from their adrenal glands was like something out of a bad 1950s sci-fi flick. I wish the writers had done more research to at least make the medical jargon sound believable. My God, all those pauses in his "Euereka! I've found it" speech were so contrived. Additionally, Mohinder wants powers so he can be special, too? We have Sylar for that! To boot, everything in this storyline felt ripped off from "The Fly" and I'm talking about the 80s version with Jeff Goldblum. Oh no! My skin is peeling! Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Now, for the good:
Hiro: His storylines are always the most fun and his new rival is perfect. Speed over time, anyone?
Sylar: Still the creepy villain that goes bump in the night.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
I loved season one of "Heroes" and I enjoyed season two, despite complaints from critics. However, this fall opener left me worried. The fun of "Heroes", initially, was its cleverly crafted stories and the way they linked together. The show also respected its audience and grounded the characters in a way in which you could say, "If there was a world with super-heroes, this is indeed the way they would act or behave." The show took very logical approaches in dealing with the humanity of these "super" humans. It also took the time to flesh out each storyline.
This was not the case in last night's two episodes. It became very clear to me that the show just has too many characters. Everyone's plot was rushed and the writing seemed lazy. Let's take a step by step approach.
Continuity: Ok, I know that in the last season, the premiere started months after the incidents that happened in the first season finale. Later, one of the episodes showed what happened during those four months. The writers played with the timeline in a way I thought was fun. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Nikki Sanders's death occur at exactly the same time as Nathan Petrelli's shooting? If this is the case, then how is it that as Nathan is in the ER, Nikki has had enough time to survive the fire, assume the name of Tracy, woo the Governor of New York and become a leading political adviser?
If the writers know what they're doing still, then I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they are going to come up with a plotline in which Nikki is able to split off from herself like a starfish and that many years ago she spawned a clone. Another possibility is that the sister of hers we were told was dead never actually died.
Also, what happened to Peter's Irish girlfriend? He just left her in the future and never came back?
Future Peter vs. Present Peter: I really hope that there is a good explanation as to why a character that can regenerate and heal all of his wounds would have a scar in the future. Also, why is future Peter such an asshole? In season one Peter was painted as pure of heart. No matter what happens in the future, I just can't get my head around as to why future Peter would even fathom the idea of going back in time to kill his brother. I mean, Peter did stray a little last season, but this is strange. Additionally, Mama Petrelli acts like Future Peter and Present Peter aren't the same person. She has nothing but love for Present Peter, but Future Peter is "not her son?" Can I assume or hope that Future Peter is also some kind of clone that is NOT the same Peter?
Mohinder & Maya: Maya should never have had a storyline on this show! She adds nothing to this show. Likewise, Mohinder is also starting to lose his purpose. His speech in which he finds out that the Heroes' abilities come from their adrenal glands was like something out of a bad 1950s sci-fi flick. I wish the writers had done more research to at least make the medical jargon sound believable. My God, all those pauses in his "Euereka! I've found it" speech were so contrived. Additionally, Mohinder wants powers so he can be special, too? We have Sylar for that! To boot, everything in this storyline felt ripped off from "The Fly" and I'm talking about the 80s version with Jeff Goldblum. Oh no! My skin is peeling! Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Now, for the good:
Hiro: His storylines are always the most fun and his new rival is perfect. Speed over time, anyone?
Sylar: Still the creepy villain that goes bump in the night.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Good Friday
"Burn After Reading" is pri-tay, pri-tay, pri-tay good. Saw it with Abe and crew last night. Brad Pitt is hysterical in this and, as always, JK Simmons steals the show, despite his bit part. Afterward, we made some drinks and geeked out to "Mario RPG" and "Guitar Hero." It's sort of a weird thing, by the way, when you find yourself saying, man, I wish I was as good at "Guitar Hero" as I am playing real guitar.
We also encountered a hilarious game that is having trouble with its release date: "Brütal Legend."
This thing is ridiculous. Think everything metal plus Jack Black or, here, let me give you an excerpt from Wikipedia:
"Brütal Legend follows the story of Eddie Riggs (named for Eddie the Head, the mascot of Iron Maiden, and Derek Riggs, the artist who created him), who is living as a roadie for a Heavy Metal band. The game begins one night before a gig. As Riggs is tuning a guitar, an accident happens and he starts to bleed, his blood dripping onto his cursed belt buckle, which bears a strong resemblance to Motörhead's Snaggletooth emblem. Before he knows it, the beast on his buckle has come alive and transported him into a Heavy Metal and Nordic fantasy inspired alternate history where demons have enslaved humanity."
If that's not enough, Eddie's weapons include a battle axe and guitar. Supposedly, if you perform the ultimate guitar solo, your opponent's face melts off just at the sheer awesomeness of your shredding. I ask you this: Is that not metal?
We also encountered a hilarious game that is having trouble with its release date: "Brütal Legend."
This thing is ridiculous. Think everything metal plus Jack Black or, here, let me give you an excerpt from Wikipedia:
"Brütal Legend follows the story of Eddie Riggs (named for Eddie the Head, the mascot of Iron Maiden, and Derek Riggs, the artist who created him), who is living as a roadie for a Heavy Metal band. The game begins one night before a gig. As Riggs is tuning a guitar, an accident happens and he starts to bleed, his blood dripping onto his cursed belt buckle, which bears a strong resemblance to Motörhead's Snaggletooth emblem. Before he knows it, the beast on his buckle has come alive and transported him into a Heavy Metal and Nordic fantasy inspired alternate history where demons have enslaved humanity."
If that's not enough, Eddie's weapons include a battle axe and guitar. Supposedly, if you perform the ultimate guitar solo, your opponent's face melts off just at the sheer awesomeness of your shredding. I ask you this: Is that not metal?
Thursday, September 11, 2008
One of Those Days
Woke up late, got a parking ticket for being on the wrong side of the street on a Thursday, was sarcastic when I shouldn't have been, flooded the kitchen because I used the wrong soap in the dishwasher and ruined imported goods.
Here's hoping for a good Friday.
Here's hoping for a good Friday.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
The Zero Decade and Music
Update: Now that I think of it, rock-umentarians will probably include Weezer in this history, but will they consider the group as a '90s or '00s band? The band's best songs came in the '90s, however, it released twice as many albums in the '00s and retained greater popularity in this decade. Oh, and, in case you are wondering, I am only focusing on mainstream groups because, come on, even I know indie bands are often forgotten.
Bands from the sixties and seventies have maintained legendary statuses. Everyone still knows the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Creedence Clearwater, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, the Eagles, the Who, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, etc.
Very few people remember the names of the bands from the '80s. However, the decade did produce a lot of one hit wonders that are still on a lot of playlists (i.e. "Take on Me"). I'd say the only '80s artists that people will still remember in future decades are the Police, U2, Madonna, Van Halen and Michael Jackson. The Cure and Depeche Mode may retain a cult status, but they will not be as high up there as those musicians and singers. Ok, ok. Duran Duran and Genesis may also survive.
Now, the '90s has plenty of bands that, yes, our grandkids will probably have downloaded to their brains. (I assume in the future that we install chips in our brains and skip the whole "having to learn crap" phase. See #4.) People will probably still remember Radiohead, Green Day, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam--ok you get the point. I say this because this was actually a very inventive stage for rock music in the same creative vein of the '60s and '70s. The alternative rock movement broke away from the mostly superficial music of the late '70s to late '80s (disco and new wave) and encouraged *gasp* songwriting. Unfortunately, finally bringing up all this teenage angst brought us...
The emo-whining of the Zero Decade. No one will remember such "gems" as Staind, Nickelback, P.OD., Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance or whatever band involves traditionally bad singing over generic guitar shredding.
So, who might last from the Zero Decade? Well, it seems that Radiohead and Green Day have again claimed this spot. However, I will maintain that Green Day will always be considered a '90s band. Radiohead, on the other hand, is a little more difficult. I predict that future generations will call Radiohead an '00s band and not a '90s band. While its biggest hit single to date, "Creep," came out in the '90s, Radiohead didn't really score on any top ten U.S. album charts until the '00s. All four Radiohead albums released in the '00s (not including the live album) made it to the top ten. Radiohead only released three albums in the '90s and I do not believe they made it on the U.S. top ten. Thus, I conclude the band is more popular in this decade than the last.
Still, how about bands that are indisputably '00s? These (although they are not exactly on my playlist) I predict will have a long shelf life: the White Stripes, Incubus and Jack Johnson.
Well, actually, I do like the White Stripes.
Now, one '00s artist is on my playlist and will actually be considered THE rock star of the '00s... and he doesn't even play guitar:
Kanye West.
Did I miss anyone? Could the Strokes, Interpol or Franz Ferdinand have long shelf lives? The Shins?
Bands from the sixties and seventies have maintained legendary statuses. Everyone still knows the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Creedence Clearwater, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, the Eagles, the Who, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, etc.
Very few people remember the names of the bands from the '80s. However, the decade did produce a lot of one hit wonders that are still on a lot of playlists (i.e. "Take on Me"). I'd say the only '80s artists that people will still remember in future decades are the Police, U2, Madonna, Van Halen and Michael Jackson. The Cure and Depeche Mode may retain a cult status, but they will not be as high up there as those musicians and singers. Ok, ok. Duran Duran and Genesis may also survive.
Now, the '90s has plenty of bands that, yes, our grandkids will probably have downloaded to their brains. (I assume in the future that we install chips in our brains and skip the whole "having to learn crap" phase. See #4.) People will probably still remember Radiohead, Green Day, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam--ok you get the point. I say this because this was actually a very inventive stage for rock music in the same creative vein of the '60s and '70s. The alternative rock movement broke away from the mostly superficial music of the late '70s to late '80s (disco and new wave) and encouraged *gasp* songwriting. Unfortunately, finally bringing up all this teenage angst brought us...
The emo-whining of the Zero Decade. No one will remember such "gems" as Staind, Nickelback, P.OD., Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance or whatever band involves traditionally bad singing over generic guitar shredding.
So, who might last from the Zero Decade? Well, it seems that Radiohead and Green Day have again claimed this spot. However, I will maintain that Green Day will always be considered a '90s band. Radiohead, on the other hand, is a little more difficult. I predict that future generations will call Radiohead an '00s band and not a '90s band. While its biggest hit single to date, "Creep," came out in the '90s, Radiohead didn't really score on any top ten U.S. album charts until the '00s. All four Radiohead albums released in the '00s (not including the live album) made it to the top ten. Radiohead only released three albums in the '90s and I do not believe they made it on the U.S. top ten. Thus, I conclude the band is more popular in this decade than the last.
Still, how about bands that are indisputably '00s? These (although they are not exactly on my playlist) I predict will have a long shelf life: the White Stripes, Incubus and Jack Johnson.
Well, actually, I do like the White Stripes.
Now, one '00s artist is on my playlist and will actually be considered THE rock star of the '00s... and he doesn't even play guitar:
Kanye West.
Did I miss anyone? Could the Strokes, Interpol or Franz Ferdinand have long shelf lives? The Shins?
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Lil Wayne Is the Antichrist (Apparently)
I ended up having to work on Sunday and I had to go around all of the VMA commotion happening on the lot. Amid screaming teenagers and busy crews, one guy standing at the gate caught my attention: He was wearing a sign that said, "Lil Wayne Is the Antichrist." At first I was skeptical, but now that I think of it, it explains this album cover:
Anyway, after work I picked up a mattress for my new place and then had dinner with Mack at the Santa Monica Pier. I had only been there once and it wasn't at night. In the evening, the pier looks pretty damn gorgeous with its lit carousel, etc.
Back at my apartment, I unloaded my new bed, shelf, desk and three-drawer dresser that I found collectively on craigslist for $105. Big savings there! I've been in L.A. for three weeks now, but it still hasn't hit me that this is where I live. Mostly that is because I didn't move into my apartment until a few days ago and I just got my furniture (I still need to get some of my boxes from Sunnyvale, too). Still, now that I am pretty close to having done all my move-in stuff, I am starting to get some inspiration to write. So, I think it's time for me to accomplish that big goal I set for myself 6 years ago...
Anyway, after work I picked up a mattress for my new place and then had dinner with Mack at the Santa Monica Pier. I had only been there once and it wasn't at night. In the evening, the pier looks pretty damn gorgeous with its lit carousel, etc.
Back at my apartment, I unloaded my new bed, shelf, desk and three-drawer dresser that I found collectively on craigslist for $105. Big savings there! I've been in L.A. for three weeks now, but it still hasn't hit me that this is where I live. Mostly that is because I didn't move into my apartment until a few days ago and I just got my furniture (I still need to get some of my boxes from Sunnyvale, too). Still, now that I am pretty close to having done all my move-in stuff, I am starting to get some inspiration to write. So, I think it's time for me to accomplish that big goal I set for myself 6 years ago...
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
VMehs?
The Video Music Awards will be filmed at my work this weekend, but I'm not sure I have any interest in going. I'm sure the studio will do a good job, but I can't imagine sitting there for three hours watching people get moonmen.
I'd only go to check out the live performances, but it's not the style of music I listen to, so again, it's not for me. (I can already see Nicki going, "What, Nick?! You don't want to see the Jonas Bros?!")
Also, I'm not really one of those, "you'll never guess who I was in the same room with" people. Unless I have a formal conversation with someone, it doesn't seem that neat.
However, it is hosted by the British dude from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," which I thought was hilarious. I guess it depends how I want to spend my Sunday evening.
On another note, I love the radio stations here. They actually update their playlists and one station, Indie 103.1, is like someone stole my iPod. Oh, I know. Nick and his "indie" music, so pretentious. Bite me.
Lastly, I officially move into my place tomorrow. I've met a whole lot of new people here and I have this renewed vigor for life that not even a 3-hour organic chemistry final can take away. Does that sound too Chicken Soup? Well, whatever. Friends up north, if you plan on visiting L.A. anytime soon, I have a fresh new pad you can crash at. :-)
I'd only go to check out the live performances, but it's not the style of music I listen to, so again, it's not for me. (I can already see Nicki going, "What, Nick?! You don't want to see the Jonas Bros?!")
Also, I'm not really one of those, "you'll never guess who I was in the same room with" people. Unless I have a formal conversation with someone, it doesn't seem that neat.
However, it is hosted by the British dude from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," which I thought was hilarious. I guess it depends how I want to spend my Sunday evening.
On another note, I love the radio stations here. They actually update their playlists and one station, Indie 103.1, is like someone stole my iPod. Oh, I know. Nick and his "indie" music, so pretentious. Bite me.
Lastly, I officially move into my place tomorrow. I've met a whole lot of new people here and I have this renewed vigor for life that not even a 3-hour organic chemistry final can take away. Does that sound too Chicken Soup? Well, whatever. Friends up north, if you plan on visiting L.A. anytime soon, I have a fresh new pad you can crash at. :-)
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