Church and Movies...

So I went to my cousin's first holy communion today and it was nice to be back in church; especially after all of the issues that have been going on in my family. Just this past week we learned that for all intents and purposes my grandfather's radiation therapy was a success and the cancer that was in his throat is gone. It was so moving to go through the rituals of mass. To be in a space where it was OK to take the time to reflect on things. Looking to my left I could see my aunt tear up as she watched her daughter take her first communion. All I could think about was all the emotions she had to be experiencing. The love for her daughter, the relief over her father, and her belief (my belief) that God has played a role in all of it. I don't got to church very often, but when I go I am reminded of why I haven't lost my faith. I feel something special when I am there. I feel good, I feel at peace, I feel like with all the things going on in my life someone (God and family) care. I dont know, I just feel in my heart of hearts that there is a God who loves me and cares about me and wants me to love and care for those around me.

Now on a completely different topic... movies. This Monday I will be stepping out to watch IRONMAN - which I am very excited about. This past Thursday I saw Forgetting Sarah Marshall and it was awesome. Here is the thing about the movies that Judd Apatow has decided to produce, they take the essential romantic comedy but do it in such a fun, out of the norm way that its just great to watch (Knocked Up, 40 Year Old Virgin...). For example, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is little more than a 'break-up/move on and find a new love' movie. However, the context of the film, the type of comedy, and the acting is just fresh and original. In no other romantic comedy will you see puppets, a rock opera about Dracula, and Jason Segel's penis.

In contrast you have nonsense like Made of Honor starring Patrick Dempsey. Ok, so the plot of this romantic comedy is that Patrick Dempsey is asked to be the Maid of Honor at his best friend's wedding. He has known the best friend his entire life but has never had feelings for her until he now realizes that she is going to marry someone else. So, Patrick Dempsey's character decides to sabotage the wedding. I liked this movie the first time I saw it ... when it was called MY BEST FRIENDS WEDDING!!! Are you people serious!?!?!? Its the same damn film. And don't give me any of this, but he is a guy and he is going to be the maid of honor nonsense. It's a stupid ridiculous premise.

Ugg, and if that is not bad enough we have What Happens In Vegas.... Really? You are going to use a tired expression about Las Vegas as the title of your movie. So you already have a movie with a bad title - maybe you can make up with it with the acting. Who are the lead actors you ask? Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz. Oh boy! How come it took Hollywood so long to get these two acting powerhouses together on the big screen (p.s. in case you cant tell I am being sarcastic). I have been seeing bus advertisements all over for this movie and they read "Cameron v Ashton". Listen, the only way you could get me to go see this turd is if you added the words "to the death" to that tag line. Thats right, only if you promised me that one of these two talentless hacks were going to kick the butt would I see this frickin' thing. Oh and before, people get upset about me calling Ashton Kutcher talentless lets take a look at his body of work. He was a semi-successful model, then he played a good looking idiot on That 70s Show, and then he created a hidden camera television show (real original - has anyone ever heard of Cadid Camera or TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes). All the man did was take an ID from the 80s and warm it over for a bunch of kids in the present who cant remember anything older than 15 minutes.

Promise to myself...

Sometime in the next 12 months I will have to be at Fenway during a game just so I can do this...

This Just In...

Prince is the f'ing man. that is all. 

Japan and Paying for School.

So last Thursday I had a very cool experience. One of my classes video conferenced with students at a top university in Japan. It was a very cool way to find out how colleges operate in another country and what life is like for people half way across the world. Here are something I learned.

1. College students in Japan are even more career oriented than in the U.S.

2. Social interaction on college campuses there is very hard to come by.

3. I want a phone that plays and records live TV.

Seriously, I learned a lot of cool things. I got to ask students about what they do for fun and how likely it is for kids who parents never went to college to get into a college in Japan. But all of that was trapped by one moment. At one point a students phone went off and the class wanted to see it. The phone looked like a real sleek blackberry. But the student then explained that you could watch live TV on the screen. even better you could put in a small memory card and record live TV and watch the show later. Take that apple - where is my live television. The entire class was impressed and overwhelmed with that kind of technology. Why do I need to download old shows and movies when this technology is out there. Why are we so behind? If we can watch and record TV on a phone we can do anything. Next stop - jet pack!

p.s. I need to make sure that I find a summer job. I am taking over 6000 dollars in classes this summer. How many classes am I taking you may ask? TWO! Whats worse is that of the over 6000 dollars I am spending 40% is being spent on a class where all I do is work for free. I have an unpaid summer internship with a department at USC and that constitutes two units of my fieldwork class. I am paying the people I work for so that I can work for them for free. The only other people who pay the people who they work for are prostitutes. It hurts my head to even think about it. I swear sometimes I think grad school is all just a hustle.

Your On My List...

Here are people who are on my list...

1. MTV - Can we please just change the name of this channel to BRTV (Bad Reality TV). I am pretty sure you can track the dumbing down of society to MTV. Remember when The Real World is a social experiment that was at best enlightening and at worst interesting. Now its a bunch of 20 somethings getting drunk and yelling at one another. 

Oh and if you think I am being hard on MTV considering my last post - get over it! This is a channel called music television that doesn't lay music. Too bad they didnt stop before they also killed music by valuing style over substance. How I hate MTV

2. TMZ -first off, what the hell does TMZ stand for? seriously. Second, where do these people get off. They are like a bunch of gossipy high school brats who try to think that they are cooler than the high school kids they run smack about but in reality they themselves are worthless wastes of space who would hve noting going for them if it wasnt for the people they talk about and mock all day. Seriously, i am tired of these people and their holier than thou, condescending attitude. Who in the hell do you think you are. You chase celebrities - and I use that term loosely - around all day. If there is a wretched of the earth, than certainly these people are the scum of the earth.

I'll have a new post up on Friday about a conversation I had with Japan (pretty cool) and more. stay tuned now that school is over the updates will becoming fast and furious (sort of).

Random Questions I Have...

Why do people love Diet Coke so much? Isn't this equivalent to linking the not as cool and uglier younger brother of the big man on campus. I don't understand. And don't give me any of that "its diet" nonsense. It still has tons of sugar so its still awful for you. So stop using the its diet arguement and step up to real Coke?

Who watches The Hills? Seriously? Why is anyone interested in a bunch of dumb, spoiled, rich kids who MTV puts in 

fabricated situations and do nothing but get into petty arguments. Why 

do people care about these giant tools. What did they do to get famous. These people dont even have a sex tape! People should not get famous for going to high school and being the people at high school that everyone hates. When i want to be entertained by hateable, poorly dressed people in fake situations I will watch wrestling!

Why don't people use the word scamp, scoundrel, or rapscallion more often. I know tons of loveable scamps and rapscallions and tons of unsavory scoundrels. 

Who was the first person to eat Oysters. who opened up an oyster and said, "yum that looks edible". The people that did that, and the people who followed in kind must have been seriously short of food options. Nobody looks at snot in a shell and gets excited (except for my father).

Why doesn't Apple partner with Netflix in order to make Apple TV more viable? Apple TV allows you to save your favorite shows, movies, you tube videos,  music videos and photos and then watch them on your HD TV (which I dont have by the way). Here is the problem.
Apple noticed that most people like to rent movies now (Netflix, Blockbuster's mail service). So Apple is hoping people will rent movies from iTunes and watch it through Apple TV. Good idea to tie in a rental service to this device. Here is the problem - the moment you start the movie you only have 24 hours to finish the movie before it disappears. THAT IS HORRIBLE. Apple should just partner with Netflix or follow that model. iTunes should allow renters to rent up to 3 movies and then "return them" before they can rent again. Users can hit a return option where the movies are removed from the users hard drive or Apple TV and then a new rental can be made.

Just questions to ponder.

F YEA! NEW WEEZER!

If you haven't heard Weezer's new single - well, you are missing out. I have been worried about the upcoming Red album and what it was going to sound like but if Pork and Beans is any indication the Red Album will sound AWESOME. The song sounds like something you would be more likely to hear off of the Green or Blue Albums and not Make Believe. Which is not to completely disregard Make believe but the Green and Blue album were so good (though very different albums musically).  In any case, I am excited about new Weezer and the single has not disappointed.

check out the single on the homepage: www.weezer.com

Favorite Weezer albums in order:

1. Pinkerton

2. Blue Album

3. Green Album

4. Make Believe

5. Maladroit