Impossible is the Opposite of Possible

Michael Cera really gets his share of flack, doesn’t he?  You’d think he’s just some talentless asshole who happened to be young and play aloof really well, then suddenly he falls into a shit ton of movies that he has no business being a part of.  And that’s simply not true.  He’s just been cast in far too many films.  That’s mostly the fault of his agent and Hollywood not being able to cast, y’know, any of the other thousands of kid actors out there.  When someone gets overexposed like this, it leads to horrible taunts, disparaging comments on the internet, and, of course, animated gifs.  What teenage movie has anyone ever done that didn’t involve chasing after a girl?  Hell, what flick has Woody Allen ever been in that doesn’t have the same drive?

We have lost touch with what made him so talented and popular in the first place:  his deadpan delivery, his willingness to go along with anything, and his fearlessness to make himself look like both an asshole and an idiot in broad strokes.  With this in mind (and after watching Scott Pilgrim for the 30th time) I bring to you one of my favorite things Cera has ever done:  Impossible is the Opposite of Possible.

Artists Using The Internet For Good

I’m not exactly sure Al Gore had this in mind when he–singlehandedly–created the internet.  When the world wide web was created, it was like an extension of the library:  a place to get a never-ending supply of information.  Mostly scholastic.  Then, after a bit of time, it was used for mostly porn.  And while the porn is still there (and thank god for that) the internet is also becoming a more and more fertile ground for artists to share their craft and their thoughts.

The Underwhelming Nature of Fushigi

During my job this past summer, there was a lot of opportunity for discussion amongst myself and my friend/boss Tommy.  We would talk about any number of ridiculous things, so having a chat about the merits of Fushigi was certainly well in bounds.  Tommy couldn’t stop raving about it and how cool it was, in one of those breathless “have you seen Fushigi?!” comments that the ads try to illicit out of people.  Clearly it was working.

The Muppets Going “Bohemian”

I’m fairly certain I’m completely out of the loop.  Apparently this great video from the Henson Company came out last year and I never saw or heard of it (despite the 16 million other views it received).  Saw it for the first time this week and thought hey, maybe the rest of you missed this banner event as well.  So watch many Muppets singing Bohemian Rhapsody, in a way only they could.  For the record, Animal’s part is by far my favorite.

Ok all, thanks for a great week.  Hope this video will wash away the multiple posts on That Guy and That Piece Of His Anatomy.  Come back this weekend for a mixtape that I’ve spent HOURS slaving over JUST FA’ YOU!  Now I’ll get back to anxiously awaiting for my Criterion Collection The Darjeeling Limited Blu-Ray to come in the mail.  Expect a gigundo piece on that brilliant film sometime next week, methinks.  Other than that, be well folks, and see you Monday with a fresh post.

The Future Of Journalism…?

We are in a very uncertain age for journalism, both in its presentation as well as its credibility.  Any time news is reported in our current “truthiness” climate, one has to take it with a grain of salt.  Each journalistic body’s slant is more evident than ever before and somehow it is still taken as the absolute truth.  It’s a sad day when a good number of young Americans turn to “Comedy Central” for their trusted news source and eschew something called “Fox News.”  The line between opinion and fact has never been more blurred and it seems to be working (much to my chagrin).  But could hope be found in a Deadspin article where someone goes around showing people photos of Brett Favre’s penis?

30fps

Remember years ago when you’d watch TV, and something funny would happen, and then it would be gone forever?  Just moved right along into the ether with the rest of great, embarrassing, unique television moments.  Well now with the advent of DVR and the crystal-clear 1080p feeds on shows and live sporting events, we can have some of those times back.  And no one seems to do this better than 30fps.

They take moving video and take some of the best images, presenting them as works of art in their own freeze frame world.  That could mean a great face, a stupid hat in the crowd, a close call, abject Florida college football horror, a glamor shot, or the occasional hilarious animated .gif.  They’re great for desktop backgrounds and conversation starters at nursing homes, funerals, and bah mitzvahs.  So check out 30fps for all your freeze-frame arty goodness.

Mixtape Weekend, Curated By Rich

Hello all!  Y’know, as we move in to this weekend, right before Columbus Day, we think back to how foreigners came over to this land, raped the land and killed the original inhabitants, and created the Freedom land we enjoyed today.  Right?

Well, either way, let’s just stay focused on “foreigners” for the moment.  My friend Rich, a Brit (and Villa fan…ugh), was the first one to got us started on this mixtape idea, and his first effort was a great mix of 90s alt-rock by Europeople who weren’t Oasis or Radiohead.  So, essentially, I got an hour of great music mixed with a European history lesson.  It’s everything I’ve ever wanted from High School.

You can get the mix by clicking here.  The track list is again hidden after the jump in case you want to play “guess how many songs on this I know.”  Enjoy and have a great weekend, folks!  See you on Tuesday.

Good Intentions

Do you know of word association?  It’s a game, mixed with a psychological technique, that aims to get a better look at how you think based off your immediate word response to a specific word.  For example, if someone said, “red,” you could say thousands of different things.  For me, I’d probably say “the Devils” because their colors are red and black and they start their season tomorrow, and I’ll be in attendance.  It’s on my mind at the time–and possibly constantly–and that gives a vantage point into my head and my thinking.

So, let’s say, for example, I use this purse on top of a chair.  I’ll say, “purse on a chair” and your snap judgment will be “breast cancer.”  Right?

Enemies as Friends

There are a few absolutes in this world, and especially in my life.  Here are two of them:  I have a grossly irrational love for Liverpool Football Club, as sort of highlighted here.  Save for genocide, terrorism, and baby rape, I hate nothing more in the world than the Boston Red Sox, as sort-of inferred here.  Well picture my surprise when Liverpool finally is able to dump Hicks and Gillett, the two American owners who have driven the club into the toilet, as the New England Sports Ventures group rides on in to save the day!  The very same group that owns the Red Sox.  So now every dollar I give to supporting my beloved LFC is a dollar that could go directly into the BoSox’s coffers.  If this is what globalization is, then it fucking blows.

The sad part about all of this?  It’s probably the right move.  My friend nate (who has actually been talked about quite a lot here) runs a Liverpool blog (http://ohyoubeauty.blogspot.com) and I offered to write some words about the new ownership marriage from my perspective as an objective fan living in Boston during the Red Sox reign atop baseball.  So today’s post here is synergistically linked with my post over there.  Oh, internet.  So please, read all about my thoughts on what the new Sox ownership in Liverpool means for the club.

Back tomorrow with a post about TV.  I think.

How Mark Zuckerberg Was Right

There has been a lot of noise coming out of The Social Network, and not a lot of it is positive for the film’s central figure, Facebook (co-)Founder Mark Zuckerberg.  (Though there has been a lot of positive reviews for the film, mainly because it’s fucking awesome and you should absolutely to see it.)  The film does not go out of its way to present the current CEO of Facebook as a crook or scoundrel; but that the portrayal of the the character by Jesse Eisenburg is that of a blank slate, as portrayed by Jessie Eisenburg.  He is so coldly removed from our reality, our values, that he should be hated for the way he built an e-empire and the actions he took to sustain it.  But in the end, after the lawsuits, the hurt feelings, the hubris and the betrayal, wasn’t Zuckerberg right?