Overdue Unnoticed Release

I gotta get this out. It's been quite a while since it aired, but as I watch it again tonight, I'm reminded of people's complaints against Peter Pan Live, two in particular.

1)"You could see the wires, they weren't hidden at all." (For the flying parts.)

It's a play, not a movie. Get over it.

2)"Christopher Walken was boring, he had no emotion."

It's Christopher Walken. You're not watching for emotion, you're watching for Christopher Walken.

There. I said it. No one will read it or care, but now I know it's out there.

So, one week has elapsed since leaving employment. I've kept busy. Well, at first, and then having slowed down a bit. But still. As I said before, I'm taking care of things around home and enjoying myself. Enjoying the holiday season.

My child is out of school for winter break as of today. While I claim to be enjoying myself always being home, there is also a need arising. A need of a night... out. Away. Kidless.

But only one. One'll do. Then I'll be good.

Hope For Better Things Coming

Today was my last day at work. It was kinda bittersweet. While I had my issues there, I'll really miss the people I worked with. And they gave me a tremendous send-off. We ate at a local place the night before, and quite a few showed up, some even with gifts. I was quite touched. Generally their feelings were "hate to see you go... but get out of here. Do something better than this." And I hope to.

I'm kind of taking a leap right now, since I don't quite have my next employment lined up, but so far it's looking positive. Just waiting on a training session to be scheduled, and then to take a test in a couple months that'll give me certification in what I want to do, and make things more secure for me. Wish me luck!

Right now, I'm just going to do some long overdue housework, take care of my fam, and enjoy the holidays. The vacation I never got this year.

Say It Once, Say It Twice, Third Time's A Charm

Went searching the internet for Beetlejuice art this evening, and found a few interesting ones I hadn't seen before. First is an awesome pic of the cast doing a fun pose.

And a completely awesome cosplay...

Plus a couple pieces of artwork.

ThanksStinging

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. We had the Macy's parade playing on the tv throughout the morning. I didn't see it all, but one thing certainly caught my attention, and that was Sting performing, promoting a play he'll soon be in called The Last Ship. Which, I just discovered, he wrote the music and lyrics for. Awesome. Here's the YouTube of the song:

It's very catchy, and you might not be able to help but watch his glass, to see if any spills (none does).

Oh yeah, there was a lot of food later on too. But this... Yes, this.

Modest Pots

I tried drawing tonight. Ended in frustration. I'm not one of those people who can sketch something freehand on demand, impulse, or at all. The small amount of talent I had in high school is now nonexistent. Upsetting.

Maybe I still have an iota of capacity for writing. I still cling to it, real or imaginary.

Been listening to the We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank album by Modest Mouse lately. Other than "Steam Engenius" I love this album. For some reason I had "Spitting Venom" on my mind the other morning, so I listened to it on the way to work. Well, some of it. 'Cause it's long. Amazing album, but gotta say that "Missed The Boat" has been and still is my favorite track.

Modest Mouse has a certain art to their music videos. I just watched their Missed The Boat vid and it kinda reminded me of Float On. Both vids are good, but I think my favorites are "Ocean Breathes Salty" and "Dashboard." Here are links:

Modest Mouse - Ocean Breathes Salty

Modest Mouse - Dashboard

I'd love to have Modest Mouse on vinyl. Definitely their Good News For People Who Love Bad News and their We Were Dead albums. Then their The Moon And Antarctica.

Oooh, just found out something interesting. Heath Ledger wanted to direct one of their music videos, and was aiming to do "King Rat" which is a bonus track from the We Were Dead album. And Terry Gilliam was going to do the animation. This was about the same time that those two were doing The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, a flick that I unexpectedly loved. But then Heath died. Boo.

When I got home from work today, I watched some YouTube vids with my kid. One we watched was FRESH POTS!! which I love. (Watch it all, the end is funny.) I love funny Dave Grohl. That led me to some other videos of his drum solos and damn he's talented.

Mmk, I think that's it for this entry. Watch! Listen! Read!

Grounds For Feedback

Something I forgot to mention about Nurse Jackie while I was watching it... They played my Elbow's "Grounds For Divorce" in an episode! That's the third television show I've heard my little-known favorite band's song in.

(And yes, I do get a little possessive with my favorite band, back off.)

While I'll always swoon when I hear New York Morning and My Sad Captains, Grounds For Divorce will remain iconic, because it's the very first song I heard from them. And it's obviously not just me, since it's used in multiple television shows.

I'm holding off on watching the sixth season since the seventh - and final - won't air til next year. I'm currently filling the wait with Six Feet Under.

Bryan Cranston reading "You Have To F**king Eat" has been a highlight of my night. It also made me re-watch Kevin Pollak as Christopher Walken reading "Go The F**k To Sleep."

I'm actually quite looking forward to seeing the Peter Pan special with Walken as Captain Hook. And a chick as the title character, too. Kinda envious of her for playing opposite the only person whose likeness I come vaguely close to imitating. But still, good on her! Looking forward to the viewing.

Today I received an email with the subject DO NOT REPLY and the first line was "We'd love to hear your feedback..." I just thought it was funny.

One More For The Road

This cover and this video are so good. I love it. It's fun to see these two together.

Wayne Static

Goodbye to you, Wayne Static. I didn't exactly follow you, but you helped introduce me to Industrial Metal, and therefore several other types of music. I first heard Static-X on the Resident Evil (1) soundtrack, and it led me to purchasing (yes, actually purchasing) your band's album Machine. Which I quite liked, and am listening to now. While I later had more albums, I'd always remember you for your Resident Evil contribution and Machine. You were part of the gateway to my still-happening musical expedition.

Thank you.

Good-Bye To All That...

Very sad that Halloween is over. It's my favorite holiday. Yet I didn't plan ahead to dress for the occasion for my shift at work. Errg. But, I did stay up all Halloween night watching scary-ish movies. Started with Hocus Pocus and Toy Story of Terror! before sending the little one to bed. Then it was Trick 'r Treat, The Cabin in the Woods, Big Ass Spider!, and Maleficent. Pretty good Halloween, all in all.

I ended up going Goth for the trick-or-treating. Found a pair of old black & purple punk-goth pants that I paired with a black corset-y tank, boots, and dark make-up. Could've done better, but I worked with what I had. (And they were pants back from my Freshman year, c'mon. That counts for something.)

Return Attempt

I miss writing. Badly. Ever since coming to the day shift, I don't seem to have it in me anymore. Working evenings, I'd come home, have a couple drinks, put on some music, and review the latest album I listened to that night during my shift, or give a play-by-play of a humorous or ridiculous work-related incident.

Now... nothing. I look up quirky pics and art just to have something to post. Or a YouTube vid.

It's just incredibly frustrating to see that I've lost something I might have had going for me. I'm not saying it would have gotten me anywhere, but it was more than I have now. People praised my way with words.

Praised, past tense. Because I can't find it anymore.

Alright, enough complaining. That's not the way to go. Time to give it another go.

My son has a couple of those fleece throw blankets (the ones that anyone over 4 ft tall has to curl into the fetal position to be completely covered by). One is a Spongebob blanket that he likes to spread out completely flat. Well, the other day, apparently this 4ft, one-dimensional pineapple-dwelling sponge needed... a mint.

And I'm thinking "Seriously, right on the uvula? Ouch." At least the dude lives under the sea. In a pineapple.

Quite liking the new show Gotham. It's interesting to see Jada Pinkett Smith as a (hot) bad chick, and funnyman Donal Logue in a more dramatic setting. I seriously can't wait to see more of Ed Nygma, and I'm liking how they're doing Selina Kyle. Penguin is ok, and Poison Ivy is just kinda hinted on.

Also, I've been binge-watching Nurse Jackie. It seems to be a cross between ER and House, but it's a Showtime show, so it's much less... kid friendly. But, sooo funny in moments, yet heartbreaking in others. And (not that I was an avid fan, I haven't even finished the film series) it's intriguing to see the calm vampire head of household Carlisle Cullen from the Twilight series (Peter Facinelli) as the hyper, emotional, immature frat-boy Attending Doctor Fitch "Coop" Cooper. (Also, I keep wanting to call the actor Peter Cullen, which is wrong. He's no Optimus.) But I'm looking forward to when Adam Ferrara joins the cast. In season 5... Just a little over a season away from where I am. Though, should prolly take my time, 'cause the show doesn't start its last season - season 7 - til April '15.

But, I do recommend the show. I'm not saying it'll be for you, but give it a try. Really.

Alright, that's all I have for now.

Halloween Themes, Memes, and Things 'Tween

So, my last carved pumpkin was my Beetlejuice design, two years ago. This year, I attempted Toothless from How To Train Your Dragon. Didn't quite turn out like the original (I think the eyes should prolly be more rounded), but I think it works.

Once again, it was a lot of work, but worth it. I'm pretty pleased.

Concept Art & Remembrance

The other night, I found some Batman concept art. Some of it I've seen before, but regardless, I find it to be pretty good stuff.

Michael Fassbender (the new Magneto) as the Riddler:

David Tennant (Barty Crouch... Jr!) as the Riddler:

(By the way, yeah, my favorite villain is the Riddler.)

Kristen Bell as Harley Quinn:

 

Rose McGowan as Poison Ivy:

 

Yep, cool stuff.

So, the death of Robin Williams has been particularly upsetting to me. I always recognized him as the artist who had a never-silent mind, who thrived in environments that allowed for his creativity to run wild. He was arguably the best in his field of expertise. But I know that for every high he could have, higher than everyone else, bursting with spirit, there was a low to equal it. I desperately wish those lows could have been less in intensity. But in the end, they won out, wore him down, however you want to consider it... There weren't enough highs. My contribution to his remembrance is the next-to-last episode of Conan O'Brien's short stint as host of The Tonight Show. He shows enormous support for Conan and understands how unjust the situation was. But he brings his best humor to the interview and... they just have fun. Please, please watch.

Robin Williams on The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien

As Of Late

Alright. I know my entries have been lacking. Whether or not that affects anyone negatively, I don't know. (But seriously... I doubt it. Not much to see here.)

Recent happenings:

Munched on Annie Chun's sesame seaweed snacks. The kid seems to like them as well.

Decided to get a pet (upon landlord's/lady's blessing).

(Likely a cat. While desired, I don't think we have the right schedule to be able to take proper care of a canine. That's more of a later-life goal.)

Mourned for changes around where I grew up. A family church getting torn down. Family home being moved out of and sold... Depressing.

Acquired a set of 4 margarita glasses that I paid too much for. But they're lovely and I supported my favorite handmade items marketplace.

Living for my weekends and days off. Sleeping in. Fixing up house. Random errands on my own time. Company without curfew.

Planning next year's coveted vacation.

Wept (expectedly) while reading the last quarter of Dean Koontz's book, or rather memoir, entitled "A Big Little Life" which follows he and his wife's dog Trixie's journey from their first encounter with her to their untimely and unfortunate end of time together. I read this thing in about five days, which is saying something. I've loved most of the books of his I've read, and this one was way more personal. Still had his humor in it, but I enjoyed how I was reading about his own experiences, rather than the fiction that is his usual material.

Saw that my Guy Garvey is going on a solo album venture. While I feel it'll have rather similar sound to Elbow (frontmen who go solo never seem to go to extremes), it seems a bit awkward for him to be recording without Mark, Craig, Pete and Richard on this wide of a project. 

There is a growing list of people I've love to sit down with at a quiet-ish bar and spend the evening with, with drinks of course. Leisurely evening of beverages and conversation. This list now includes:

1) Guy Garvey
2) John Grant
3) Dean Koontz
4) Gary Oldman
5) Billy Connolly
5) Meat Loaf Aday
6) Joshua Homme
7) Jeff Bridges
8) Denis Leary
9) Bryan Cranston
10) Billy Zane

Yeah, that's right. I included Billy Zane.

But, alas, these be the outlandish desires of a lonely dreamer.

To CONclude, I'll INclude a couple pics I found of Koontz and the deservedly loved Trixie.

Many of my blogs have used this rule.

Disturbing Fantasies

Finally finished In Plain Sight (USA show about the witness protection program) and started Hannibal. Took me 5 days to get thru season 1. Finished it last night. And the ending had me all excited, because they use a song from the Hannibal movie that I recognized right away. It was severely cut, but still the same song. So excellent.

Also, I had a dream last night that I was Hannibal's Clarice (after the drugging, in the book). Is it weird that I... liked it? And it was Mads Mikkelsen as the character, not Anthony Hopkins. Interesting. Less than a week in and he's already in my dreamscapes.

I Live!

Forgive me, readers, for I have strayed. It's been 23 days since my last blog entry...

(C'mon now, that was pretty clever.)

(Not that I have a legitimate following, but still.)

Elbow. Was. AMAZING. No, that does the experience absolutely no justice. This chick can't properly put into words how great it was. Try to take from that an understanding of how overfilled my heart was that night, and still is, when reviewing pictures and memories that were obtained from said show.

John Grant was also fantastic. (He toured with Elbow.) I've been listening to him quite a bit lately. I hope that this tour heightens both his and Elbow's popularity so they get booked for more shows in the future. And I don't mean another 3-4 years from now, but more like yearly or, at most, every two years.

I should have taken note of how many "likes" each of them had on Facebook so I could compare it to the amount they have after the tour. Speaking of which, it appears that tonight it their last tour date. COME BACK SOON!!!

So, I mentioned before how Nico Vega covered Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang (Baby Shot Me Down)" and how I liked Sinatra's better... Well... That's changed. I love the cover. Here's a video:

And after watching the vid, I had to watch the Bonnie & Clyde movie that the song was recorded for. I enjoyed it. It's a very intriguing story. But I don't think they portrayed Bonnie the best. While stories vary, word is that she never killed anyone.

Also... I'm into Aja Volkman. Screw you, leadsingerofImagineDragonsdude. (Husband.)

This past weekend was pretty fun. Went to a local (small) Rocky Horror show and spent time with a mix of friends and previously unknown people. Trekked to the town cabaret and saw a drag show. (BTW... After drinking Guinness on tap during my concert trip and drinking it by bottle during the Rocky Horror show... I realized they don't even compare and am now searching for a place close by that has it on tap. Also, after drinking two pints of it on tap, I walked the 1/2 block to my hostel room, laid down to take a nap - sober - and woke up drunk. Curious.) 

Alright. Perhaps I won't wait so long for my next entry. Til then, take care. And...

"Stay close to anything that makes you glad to be alive." - Hafiz

Looped In

So, finally watched Odd Thomas tonight. It had a very unique feel to it, very upbeat for a thriller movie. But they followed the book very well, which I'm pleased about. I enjoyed Arnold Vosloo's cameo as the darkly humorous Tom Jedd. Which likely occurred due to Stephen Sommers being the writer/director/producer. (Sommers was also involved in the Mummy movies and the first G.I. Joe movie. Vosloo was in all of those.)

I would've liked to see Elvis follow Odd like in the book. Though before I watched, I wondered how they'd do it, with having to find a proper impersonator. However, they omitted that aspect. But, I liked the respective nod they gave, with the cut-out.

They cast Odd and Stormy very, very well. They did so well with each other. While I was already rather partial to Anton Yelchin, from having known him ever since his role in Hearts In Atlantis, she was more unknown, but instantly clicked. And I approve of Willem Dafoe as Chief Porter.

That is my review of one of my two favorite novels brought to cinematic life.

Recent Listens and Acquisitions

Lately I've been addicted to everything Kill Bill. And since I haven't seen Vol 2 completely yet, I'm trying to stick to Vol 1 stuff. Like the soundtrack, which I love. However, I just tonight discovered that Nico Vega covered a song from the Vol 1 soundtrack. They covered Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) and it's pretty good. Though, I must say that I like the original better this time. Nancy Sinatra wins this round.

The "Peace Love Death Metal" album from the Eagles of Death Metal has been a frequent listen lately, as well. And just got some Veruca Salt. So far, I like.

The Pretty Reckless was on the radio this morning, my favorite song from them. Lead singer (Taylor Momsen) is... hold on, gotta check Wikipedia... okay... Yeah she's hot. (She's 20, 6 years younger than me.)

Someone mentioned that Lovedrug is good, so I acquired some of their material and plan to listen to it. Also got the movie Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (I hope it's good, has one of my favorite actors in it).

Upcoming Trip and Recent Post

In less than a month, I'll be seeing Elbow and losing myself in the urban jungle that is Chicago. I'm very much looking forward to wandering aimlessly through the city, seeing what I find.

Me, I see a city and I hear a million voices
Planning, drilling, welding, carrying their fingers to the nub
Reaching down into the ground,
Stretching up into the sky
Why?
Because they can...

Oh my god, Chi-town can talk
Somewhere in all that talk is all the answers
Everybody owns the great ideas,
And it feels like there's a big one round the corner.

Oh, and even though I don't think it'll be possible, I really REALLY wish I could have this umbrella to take, if it forcasts rain during my trip. Because... it's just so my style, and I love it.


Annd, just completed the final step, locking down a place to stay. Sweeet.

So that song I just recently posted - "Easier" by Nico Vega - continues to hold my attention. Watching the video again tonight, my favorite part is the towards the end, starting with the instrumental part (2:35 on the video and on). The little girl coming up to him, listening to him and dancing, giving him the confidence he needed. He had persistence, as the vid shows from the beginning, but she gives him the confidence needed to get what he desired... to be accepted as a Mariachi. That, along with Aja's backseat dancing, makes it a great sequence.

Even though I really love "Charge" and "My Sad Captains" from Elbow's latest album, I still find myself cranking up both my iTunes and my computer volume to max when "New York Morning" comes on.

Easier

While "Million Years" will always be my first fave, I think this song has - just tonight - also become a favorite Nico Vega song.

Endings, Finds, and Later Happenings

Hi there. Still here. I decided that I kinda needed the internet as a de-stressor. I like getting new music and looking up new backgrounds at my leisure, especially while listening to tunes and enjoying a drink.

Not really anything new going on. Psych ended and so did How I Met Your Mother. Loved both shows. Liked the former's finale much more than that latter's. Psych ended their run quite well, in my opinion. Even though I wasn't ready for it.

Been getting compliments at work from the areas I've been working in. Part of me wants to say "huh? HUH? Yeah that's right" to my superiors when I receive the praise. Or, some version of this:

Might see if I can get into the community theatre scene soon. It's been on my mind lately.

Oooh, I really wanna see The Grand Budapest Hotel. It looks great. But I'll have to wait, due to it being a limited release, much like Seven Psychopaths was. Oh well. Not necessarily a theater movie anyhow. But it will be watched. Oh yes. It will be watched.

So, here are a few wallpapers I found this evening:

These and a couple more bring the total of background pics to 126.

This'll be a shorty. Not much going on. However, the rare sighting of Elbow in the North American region is approaching. Six weeks and four days. Not that I'm counting... Okay, I obviously am. But it's not to the point of hours & minutes yet, so back off.

By the way, thinking of getting this as my next tattoo...

Maybe upper left arm? Not in white, of course, likely black or gray or something. And if I do... Noooo one will get it. Many inquiries about its meaning and significance. But, I'll know.

Stand By...

Alright, might be last entry for a while. We're going to lose our internet any day now (surprised it hasn't happened yet.)

Been listening to a new-to-me group. They're called - get this - Infected Mushroom. They're an Israeli "psytrance/electronica/psychedelic/indie" duo. I've been giving ear to their Army of Mushrooms album.

Today at work, there was a staff meeting and a local pest control was our guest of honor. They were pretty funny, too. They gave a presentation on bed bugs, which began with a rather graphic video, and after it they started throwing mini candy bars to people saying "saw you scratching, saw you scratching..."

I received a KitKat.

This past weekend was St Patrick's Day weekend. It was... a total bust, from my perspective. One of my favorite holidays of the year, too. Big disappointment.

There was a parade, and at every parade I hear Daniel Tosh in my head.

(Here's the video of what I'm talking about. Wait a few seconds, the video does work, it's not just a still.)

Anyway, I got an almost perfect picture of my son doing the "is that it?" pose.

 He's actually a little bigger than he looks here. 'Cuz... wow he looks tiny.

Back to puzzles! So happy. I haven't had a place to do them in ages. Do now! Kicking a 1,000-piece puzzle's ASS, too. I used to frame all my puzzles, and they were usually ocean scenes. Now I only frame a select few, like this one:

Well, I think that's it for now. Til next time, whenever that may be...

Equally Beautiful and Amazing

Please watch this. It's brilliantly done and so easy to fall in love with the tune.

If you can read music (and therefore see and understand the notes and chords), it's even better, but if not, still try to understand that that is a piece of art created from a photograph.

Startling Sounds

For the past couple weeks or so, I've had Snooks (Progress Report) by Elbow as my morning alarm (twice... I require at least 2 alarms to arise). And the past couple days, instead of turning it off as soon as it starts, I let it play... and this morning it lulled me back to sleep... so I think it's time to change the my alarm to something more... alarming? ("WHAA! Wha? I'm awake, geez!")

But here's the song:

Guy looks so young... He's a cutie. They all are, actually. I'd give a limb to hang out with them.

Speaking of Guy (which I do often), I found a brief Tumblr post featuring him.

Here 'tis. 

(The words are lyrics from "Leaders of the Free World.")

And just found another one... I love this...

#British

They're both from the video of the aforementioned song.

Listening to the Gone in 60 Seconds Soundtrack. A favorite, other than most of the rap on it. And "Ride On Josephine" by George Thorogood isn't on the album. It should be. So should "Low Rider" by War.

So, yesterday: first cookout of the year, first day sitting outside smoking my pipe, first day collecting sticks & branches for firepit... It was glorious. Winter is losing.

Debating about creating a Tumblr account. I wish Blogger had a browsing option where you could repost stuff you find.

Self-Five

So get this. Watching Captain America tonight for the so-not-first time, saw something interesting.

There are two doctors of significance in the film, Dr. Erskine and Dr. Zola, played by Stanley Tucci and Toby Jones, respectively. And, also respectively, they are on opposite sides of the good/bad spectrum. This be them:

Anyway, what I realized was that while they're on opposing sides and never meet in this movie, there is another flick that is a rather different story...

The two actors are co-commentators in the Hunger Games movies.
Woo! Go me!

Oh My Soul

THIS, dear children, is Elbow's newest album. I acquired and am listening to it, five days before its release. iTunes had an early release and I jumped all over it.

...I'm hearing all-new Guy. And Pete, Craig, Mark, and Richard.

Tonight just got excellent.

Currently listening to "Charge" and it's my favorite so far. (Which is the song their new beer is named after.) It's kinda cheeky, which I love.

Okay. Initial "ermahgerd" over... I'm glad that it's not the same as Dead in the Boot, even though it coulda used more of Guy's , it was still good. I loved "Charge." And "New York Morning" as a single. It's so beautiful. I read that Guy visited NYC (jealous... where was I? Justa few states away. Errg.) and... Oh wow... he came to NYC following a split from his long-term girlfriend. This news is being read as it's being typed... "The singer split from his long-term girlfriend... and subsequently emigrated to America in 2012 in a bid to heal his broken heart." That's... I dunno... "not right" or "unfair" doesn't seem appropriate, but perhaps "unfortunate" is the closest term. While I could fantasize about my chances now that he's less attached, I instead empathize. My thoughts will be with him.

Garvey admits the (NYC) lifestyle change helped him move on from the split, telling British newspaper The Independent, "The comic image that occurred to me was, 'Get me there as soon as possible, put me in a cannon and fire me over the ocean'. I desperately needed to be anonymous, to find out who I am on my own with a truncated love-affair in tow. Approaching 40 and re-evaluating your long-term plans, it was great to have somewhere, and to be in the financial situation where I could just f**k off there when everything was getting heavy... It never solves any long-term problems to geographically run away from sadness, but it's definitely a help to have a sticking-plaster in that wonderful, vibrant, crazy city."

Someone commented on how good "My Sad Captains" is, and I agree. It's good.

"Another sunrise with my sad captains
With whom I choose to lose my mind. 
And if it's all we only pass this way but once
What a perfect waste of time."

And having listened to its entirety... It doesn't have the power that previous albums have had (such as The Seldom Seen Kid  and Leaders of the Free World), but it definitely holds Elbow's signature sounds.

Random Art Found This Evening! Saved The Best For Last...