Music Monday Vol. 4 - Phoenix, "Consolation Prizes"

Well it's Monday, and that means I get to shove my opinions in your face.

This time around it's Phoenix, "Consolation Prizes". Now most of you would know Phoenix, if at all, from this commercial. That's their song "1901". Another great song by Phoenix, but it's lost its flair now that Cadillac played the shit out of that commercial.

However, this next one really is worth the listen. Sticking to the theme of "good video = good song" from the past few weeks; Phoenix's best video (that I know of) is below.

Click the image to continue (Youtube video)

Not bad huh? This is one of those songs that I'll beat the crap out of my dashboard while listening to in the car.

Other good songs by Phoenix:

Sometimes in the Fall

North

Napoleon Says

Lisztomania

Lasso

Really, it's hard not to recommend just going out and purchasing two of their albums. "It's Never Been Like That", and "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" are just fantastic.

See you tomorrow with more goodies.

Film Friday: Joe Versus the Volcano

If there's ever a movie that doesn't get the credit that it deserves, it's this one.

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan Co-Star in their FIRST role together (before Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail). With director John Patrick Shanley, who has done absolutely nothing of mention, this film uses imagery and metaphor to illustrate a man struggling to escape a boring routine of a life.

The first quarter of the movie illustrates the antagonist Joe Banks (Hanks), in his dead end job at a factory. The incandescent lights have flooded his windowless office with bright, lifeless, humming luminescence. He's battled this by bringing in his very own lamp that his boss quickly removes the lamp. This is one of many images of losing one's soul throughout the movie.

One great thing about this film, that I think has been killed by directors in recent years, is one actor playing several roles. Meg Ryan plays the office maiden DeDe (below), Angelica Graynamore (the "flibbertigibbet"), and her half-sister and captain Patricia Graynamore (pictured in the lei below). Each of Ryan's three characters play a distinctive role and different personality to Joe's situation. It's not as campy as the description suggests, and it's just a little extra time to look at the attractive Meg Ryan, before she went under the knife in the late nineties.

Once Joe Banks and Patricia Graynamore head to the island (I won't ruin the plot for you) the visual quality of the movie goes from the above still, to the following two. It really is a noticeable change, and another use of imagery to develop Banks as a character.

Kinda looks like Hanks in Castaway.... No?

I'll leave you with one more still of the film, this one from the Island Chief, and a word. If you've ever felt like your life was "under a cloud" and that there was no where to go but up, then you would enjoy this movie. I know I'm a Tom Hanks enthusiast, and that shouldn't sway your opinion. Truthfully, I wouldn't have heard of this movie without liking Hanks as much as I do, but had I seen it without liking Hanks... Well it would still be one of my top 15 movies.

Abe Vigoda in his best make-up ever.

I give it 4 and a half Desk Lamps, out of 5.

Thursday Throwbacks - Vol. 1

Something different, since I'm not prepared to write a "Thoughts of the Day" post.

I wanted to pay omage to my 2009 post a day by throwing back to a particular post that I found enjoyable in some way. Today, I want to look at a three part series from June and July.

The Men's Room.

Here are the links; Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

I really liked writing this because it was something that I could have fun with. If you haven't read it, go ahead and take a look.

What's funny about this series is that I remember writing them all on extremely slow days at work. Often during the summer months I'll have a day where no calls came in to the office and no one walked up to the ticket window. It was those days (and rain days) that I had nothing to occupy me but the blog.

I really look forward to this summer for more of the same. My creative juices got flowing last year and my post quality went up because of it.

Well tomorrow's another day, so check back around gametime (7:03 pm) for another addtion of Film Friday.

Bugs the Shit out of Me: Not Understanding Star Trek

You know what brings my piss to a boil? When I'm having a conversation with some friends, and they make a Star Trek reference.

First; I have to defend myself and my friends. No, we don't talk about Star Trek on anything close to a daily basis. I can count on two hands the amount of times the following has happening to me, so it's not as common occurrence as you may think.

We'll be talking about something and then out of no where I'll someone name-drop Captain Kirk. Who the fuck is Captain Kirk? What is a Spock? And where the hell is Klingon?

This really does bug me, but at the same time, I don't want to understand Star Trek. I feel I've claimed a higher level of coolness for not knowing which is the superior officer, Picard or Kirk.

And wasn't Shatner in this show? Dammit Rocket Man!

Music Monday Vol. 3 - Of Montreal, "Id Engager"

With my first installment of Music Monday, I focused on the videos of OK Go. With today's entry (which is two days late, but I'm going to make it up anyway), we have a similar story.

Sophomore year of college, I got into the habit of turning on MTV U (the only MTV channel that plays more music than anything else) and leaving it on as my "radio" while I do homework or browse facebook and ESPN. Sometime during the year, this video came up;

That's Of Montreal's "Id Engager". Not bad if I do say so myself.

I haven't yet looked into a lot of their music, but the three songs I do know are pretty solid. A little weirder than most of the music that I enjoy, but still a good tune to nod your head to.

Paul's Weird Collections: Pennants!

Well, when I finally leave this world, no one can say that I didn't spend some time collecting junk. I'm going to begin posting my weird collections on a somewhat regular basis, and I thought today was as good as any to start.

So, with day one; pennants! Below is my first set.



Now, in this picture, we have quite a bit to talk about. Starting from the top row of vertical pennants, we have two that I have absolutely no interest in. While purchasing a pennant on eBay, these two came with it. The far left is the 1998 NHL All-Star Game in Vancouver, and on it's immediate right is the Gretzky era LA Kings. Next we have the Washington Federals (of USFL fame). We're then followed by the Washington Capitals (ick on the color scheme) and the Washington Bullets (damn that's sexy). The bottom right of the photo features the Norfolk Tides, Richmond Braves, Alexandria Dukes, Washington Nationals (2005), and the Potomac Cannons (approx 2003). Then the far right of the frame, you'll see the 2008 Potomac Nationals, 2007 Potomac Nationals, Washington Nationals (1901-1961), and the Washington Senators (1961-1972).


Next, we have an assortment of Redskins pennants, from top left down; 1991 NFC Champions, 1987 Super Bowl match-up, 1987 NFC Championship, 1982 NFC Champions (dig the curved feathers under the helmet), the 1937-86 50 year anniversary (sponsored by Shell). The right side has four more; the standard helmet, but this one has a Happy First Birthday inscription on the back from my dad (1990). Below we have, 1991 NFC Championship, 1991 Super Bowl Championship, and 1991 Super Bowl Championship.


This next one's a little more fun. On top we have three standard redskins helmet, but the bottom 6 are my favorites in the whole batch. We have (from the left) the Yellow Shell "R" helmet, the indian head logo from the 30's, another really old one with a running man image, and on the bottom right of the picture, three of the same pennant. the 1982 Super Bowl Championship pennant. Again, love the curved feathers!


This one is the weirdest, now. Can anyone tell me why they made an 1983 AFC Championship pennant for a team that LOST the AFC Championship to the Oakland Raiders?

Thoughts of the Day 5/6

If I had a superpower, it would be to absorb knowledge like Osmosis. With that power, I can kill exams and papers. Oh and flying.

There are three kinds of people in this world; People who like blueberry pop-tarts with frosting, people who don't like blueberry pop-tarts with frosting, and people who don't give a shit. I fall under the first category.

So many moments in my life are spent wishing I was doing something else, i.e., sleeping, eating, reading, or enjoying a sporting event. But there are just as many moments in my life that I spend wishing I was a wizard. Or a superhero.

If someone had a gun to my head and told me that I had to leave the country, and that I had to pick a country to go to, I would pick Australia. But then when the guy takes the gun away from my head I'd go to Canada, because no one would ever look for me in Canada.

Here's a quick math problem for you;
8 tarp pulls in 14 games = 57.14%
70 games = 39.99 tarp pulls.
I like those odds. But the nerd in me wants to run a weighted average using the data from last year to back me up. There are more tarp pulls (statistically) in May then in any other month, then June, April, July, August, and September.

Bill and I have tossed around the idea of a podcast on our blogs. We would talk about TV, Sports, Music, and Movies. We just need an idea for a name, and what day of the week we'll do it. Ideas?

Bugs the Shit out of Me: Facebook Nicknames

Know what really bugs the shit out of me? When people on facebook think it's awesome to have stupid ass nicknames. No, you're not "fresh" or "ballin'". No, you aren't original and I can safely say that no one calls you that.

My solution: hide those people from my news feed. Repeat offenders get deleted all together.

Single Riders Line

Let me ask you a question, have you ever gone through the singles rider's line at an amusement park? I love that thing. You get to have fun and you're not sitting in line for hours.

So why can't there be more of these in life?

..Have you ever been in the mood to go out to eat, but don't have anyone to go to?

Are there any nights that you want to go to the movies, but you don't have a date, or just a friend in town to meet you?

Have no fear, Single-Riders Line is here!

Now you can go to that fancy restaurant and sit at a big table with complete strangers instead of a bad date!

Instead of bowling alone, you can show up and head to the single riders section and bowl!

Yea.. Maybe there would be too many creepy people.
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Music Monday Vol. 2 - Spoon

This time, I focus more on the artist that started it all, rather than the song.

But first... a story.

It was fall of 2007, and I was visiting a special someone in Richmond. We went to Short Pump Mall and as she was in the changing room at American Eagle, I sat (yea there were chairs at the time) and watched the TV playing music videos. On comes this video and it was one of those songs I couldn't get out of my head.

Now, normally I wouldn't recommend ANYTHING from American Eagle for the strict reason that it was from American Eagle. But I make an exception for this group.

Spoon has been around for sometime now. Spanning from 1996 to now, the indie-rock group from Austin, Texas has released seven albums (the previously mentioned "The Underdog" is from the 2007 album entitled, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga) and numerous EP's and Singles.

I've written in the past how music tends to create memories and stick to certain events in my life. Which is true, but for some reason, this group doesn't evoke memories of a past relationship. Luckily, I wouldn't say the above story "ruins" the song or anything for me, on the contrary, I remember the song and the fact that I was sitting in an American Eagle more than that day or the person I was with.

So, for your listening pleasure, I give you Spoon.