Morrissey Setlist at Majestic Theatre, San Antonio, TX, USA on November 14, 2011

Morrissey Setlist at Majestic Theatre, San Antonio, TX, USA on November 14, 2011

1. I Want The One I Can't Have (The Smiths song)
2. First Of The Gang To Die
3. You Have Killed Me
4. You're The One For Me, Fatty
5. Speedway
6. Ouija Board, Ouija Board
7. Scandinavia
8. Maladjusted
9. I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
10. People Are The Same Everywhere
11. Alma Matters
12. All The Lazy Dykes
13. I Know It's Over (The Smiths song)
14. Everyday Is Like Sunday
15. One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell
16. Meat Is Murder (The Smiths song)
17. Irish Blood, English Heart
18. Still Ill (The Smiths song)

The Five Values of Reading the Great Classics

The Five Values of Reading the Great Classics
The five takeaways from reading the classics, as Brenzel lists them, are as follows:

1. The Value of Forgotten Ideas
Some old ideas are not actually outdated, but are, in fact, waiting to be rediscovered and given new applications.

2. The Value of Connecting Ideas
"What is the best sort of life for a human being?" Brenzel says you will ask yourself this question again and again as you decide on your career, where you want to live, who you will marry and how you will raise your own children. Making connections between ideas will give you "a measure of how far we’ve come on some problems and what problems seem to have heavily resisted the attempts of human beings to give them answers." These are questions that Brenzel says address "the permanent aspects of the human condition."

3. The Value of Strangeness
Brenzel argues that learning different perspectives from your own is "a primary source of human creativity."

4. The Value of Building Intellectual Muscle
"If you’re going to be a better wrestler, Brenzel argues, "you’re going to have to get your own nose bloody by going up against people who are bigger and stronger and better than you are."

5. The Value of Better Judgment
Forming better judgments will help you making more discerning choices in life. "Once you’ve encountered and wrestled with the greatest minds of all time," Brenzel argues, "you’re going to be in a much better position yourself to tell the trash from the gold and to pick out what is worthwhile for your time" and what you can safely discard.

Shawn Achor, fellow Texan, discusses The Happiness Advantage ...

An Irishman's view of the Wall Street Shenanigans

Steve Jobs’s Biographer on “60 Minutes”

60 Minutes has posted its two-part interview with Walter Isaacson, the authorized biographer of Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs, which aired at 7 p.m.October 23, 2011.

http://mashable.com/2011/10/23/steve-jobs-walter-isaacson-60-minutes-video/

Why I Dumped My iPhone—And I'm Not Going Back

This guy, Sam Graham-Felsen, wrote the enclosed article about why he dumped his iPhone. http://www.good.is/post/why-i-dumped-my-iphone-and-why-i-m-not-going-back/

The following is my immediate response upon reading said article:

Wow, Forget this guy. Walden's Pond? I'd like to throw him in Walden's pond.

This guy should have read Socrates' quote "everything in moderation." That was the philosophy I took when I realized I was staying home to watch TV on my DVR instead of going out with friends because I had recorded too many shows. I put myself on a TV diet where I just narrowed down the amount of TV I was watching. Case Closed. I didn't become one of these jerks that goes around saying the TV is bad for you or that TV is evil.

I don't even understand the point of his article. Was it just his chance to tell everybody how much of an idiot he is?

Plus I hate all this anti-technology crap. I'm a big fan of the idea of the singularity and one thing that's been ingrained in my head from reading about the singularity is that everything around us is technology so the whole "less" technology stuff is such crap. On a related note, I always love the realization I come to when I watch a period piece movie where they show some medieval king living in a castle with servants (like the recent movie Your Highness). I always remind myself that I'm living a more luxurious life that this king just because I have air conditioning, access to refrigerated food and a motorized vehicle. So forget people who can't handle technology.

"had it made my life better?" Hell Yeah the iPhone has made my life better. This sort of reminds me of this Sam Kinison joke about Charles Manson where he yells, like Sam yells, "GLAD TO SEE YOU CAN HANDLE YOUR HIGH" in response to learning Manson just killed an entire family while on drugs. So I guess this guy just couldn't handle the power of having access to the whole wide world in his hands.

There was a similar article Technology Is The New Smoking which made the point that "checking facebook" has become an addiction similar to smoking and that abstaining from technology can sometimes feel that “itching like a crackhead” http://techcrunch.com/2011/07/25/technology-is-the-new-smoking/

Movies of 2011

Here's a list of the movies I've seen in 2011.

http://www.movieweb.com/releases/year/movies

Limitless
March 19, 2011
Rent It

The Adjustment Bureau
March 9, 2011
Rent It

Unknown
March 3, 2011
Rent It

Hall Pass
March 2, 2011
See It

Just Go with It
February 19th, 2011
Rent It

I Am Number 4
February 18th, 2011
Skip It

The Mechanic
February 12th, 2011
See It

The Eagle
February 11th, 2011
See It

Blue Valentine
February 10th, 2011
See It

The King's Speech
February 8th, 2011
See It

The Green Hornet
January 14th, 2011
Rent It

Netflix 2011

List of movies I've watched via Netflix ...

Exit Through the Gift Shop
3/20/2011
This one showed up on my radar because several critics listed it as one of the best movies of 2010 and it did not disappoint. It highlights the progressive legitimization of street art by showing the transition several prominent outlaw street artists make as they move into the realm of legitimate gallery art sales.

Get Low
03/15/11

Jackass 3
03/12/11

Despicable Me
03/11/11

The Sorcerer's Apprentice
03/08/11

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
03/07/11

High Tension
03/02/11

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
03/02/11

TiMER
02/22/11

Humpday
02/21/11

Unthinkable
02/06/11

Easier with Practice
02/06/11

Jonah Hex

2/19/2011

In the spirit of full disclosure, I have to say I was entertained but this is one bad movie. It was loaded with talent but the material is just soo bad and soo over the top. A good sign of bad writing is when the movie starts off with a " ... previously on MacGyver" intro to "catch us up" as if this was the second episode of a TV series. I mean it was like this was the sequel to some other Jonah Hex movie we all somehow missed. Just plain lazy story telling. There was a lot of potential here with a decent franchise but they kind of blew it ... big time. Very similar setup to Clint Eastwood's The Outlaw Josey Wales except Clint is a master at story telling.

A Lot Like Love

2/17/2011

This is a horrible, insidious, pathetic excuse of a movie. The people who made this movie should be drawn and quartered and have their body parts spread to the four corners of the earth. I rented this movie because Sarah Shahi was supposed to have a part in the story ... she didn't ... FAIL. It is a story not unlike When Harry Met Sally except the chemistry between these two characters feels totally forced.

Holiday Inn

2/16/2011

This was a hold over from my Christmas movie marathon. I'm a big fan of this holiday classic.

The Freebie

2/18/2011

In my quest to watch all things Katie Aselton, I thought I'd found pure gold when I stumbled upon this movie. I watched the preview to see if my bounty was true or fools gold. I was sold! Much like the premise of the better known comedy Hall Pass, a young couple comes to an agreement to take one night off from their marriage in hopes of rekindling the spark in their relationship. Much unlike the better known comedy Hall Pass, this is not a comedy at all but rather a horror movie. Their guilt and shame at what they've done destroys the bedrock of their relationship and we're left to pick up the pieces. Dax Shepard and director Katie Aselton are pleasant enough as the young couple but I watched the first half of this movie thinking that this doesn't look like a couple that is having intimacy problems. The second half of the movie I just thought Dax's character was a jackass. Katie, of course, was a princess. I found it to be very similar to Indecent Proposal in that it tells the story of a young couple that tempts fate in an attempt to save their relationship only to find they've set about destroying it instead.

The A-Team

2/15/2011

This talented cast fails to inhabit these characters with the same finesse that the original actors did in this overblown, big budget send-up of this 80's classic TV show. These brilliant actors fumble around with this material in a clumsy, inept style not deserving of this classic TV show. Mr. T is rolling over in his grave right now. What? He's not dead yet? Then why didn't they give him a cameo in the film? FAIL.

Easy A

2/11/2011

Entertaining but at the same time forgettable. I didn't relate to or identify with any of the characters in this movie. It had good intentions but ultimately was just a string of insincere clichés.

Devil

2/7/2011

This is the true story... of eight strangers... picked to live in a house...work together and have their lives taped... just kidding. In this thriller directed by M Night Shamalamadingdong 5 strangers are hand picked by the Devil to take an elevator ride to face their demons. Chris Messina gets a chance to shine as the wily detective that attempts to spoil the devil's fun only to find out he has a few demons of his own he must face. All in all, I was entertained.

Toy Story 3 (2010)

1/29/2011

I watched this movie because there was so much buzz around how great of a movie it is. I mean it was good for a animated movie for kids but it would not have made my list of ten best movies of the year. Now Up (2009) that was a cartoon movie that deserved to be nominated for best movie. I don't mean it was bad it just wasn't a 5 star movie for me.

Tunes of Glory (1960)

1/28/2011

Alec Guinness AKA "Obi-Wan" plays Major Jock Sinclair the acting commanding officer of a Scottish military regiment that returns to Scotland after World War II. As soon as they settle in Scotland he learns that he is replaced as commanding officer. A conflict ensues between Sinclair and the new commanding officer Lieutenant colonel Basil Barrow played by John Mills. Sinclair leverages the admiration and respect from the company to undermine and frustrate Basil leading to a final tragic end to the conflict.

I love Alec Guinness' Scottish accent in this one - pitch perfect. Also, I learned that officers in the Scottish military basically sat around drinking scotch, singing war songs and dancing so basically one big party.

Similar movies: From Here to Eternity (1953), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Malta Story (1953)

Cyrus (2010)

1/27/2011

I'm a big fan of the three principle actors (John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, and the incomparable Marisa Tomei) and am becoming a fan of the mumblecore directorial team of Jay Duplass & Mark Duplass. This is a dark, almost haunting dramedy. The premise is John C. Reilly's character, John, is still getting over a divorce and meets Marisa Tomei's character, Molly, at a party. They hit it off and, as the relationship blossoms, John finds out that Molly has a 21 year old son played by Jonah Hill that still lives with her. Jonah Hill's character feels threatened by this new man in his mom's life and reacts by attempting to break the relationship up with a series of passive-aggressive episodes. I call this a dramedy because it really is much more of a drama with some light moments. When I first heard the premise I thought this would be more of a Step-Brother's comedy played for laughs ... but it is not. There are moments when you think Jonah Hill is going to become unhinged. Any who, it certainly worth checking out.

Similar movies: The Freebie, Greenberg, Nights and Weekends, Solitary Man, Sideways

Knight and Day (2010)

1/21/11

Mission Impossible + Romantic Comedy = Knight and Day. It was enjoyable to see Tom Cruise having fun with his action hero persona. Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise had good chemistry as well.

Grown Ups (2010)

1/20/11

Perfect tone for a summer 4th of July comedy. Also the perfect escape movie from a long hard day of work. I laughed a forgot all about my problems for 2 hours. Well done Adam.

Avenue Montaigne (2006)

01/17/11

A delightful story about a group of successful people (a pianist, an actress and a millionaire) who are unhappy with their success told through the eyes of a woman, played brilliantly by an effervescent Cécile De France, happy with having nothing at all.

Similar movies: Love Actually (2003), The Notebook (2004), L'auberge espagnole (2002),Amélie (2001)

Cronos (1993)

01/14/11

Guillermo del Toro's clever take on vampirism mixed with his obsession with catholicism.

Zardoz (1974)

01/08/11

Bizarre, bizarre, bizarre but I couldn't stop watching it. One of the biggest themes I got from the movie is that life would be boring if we lived forever and that somehow death is what makes life worth living.

Useless Musing #1

Vegetables ...
I eat vegetables 3 times a day, morning, noon and night, and I have yet to ever have a craving for a vegetable. It's not that I hate vegetables, I just don't love 'em. Right now I usually cook them in ghee or butter because I just can't choke 'em down with out it. Sometimes I'll use olive oil, Italian dressing or coconut oil but I rarely eat them plain. I only mention that because my personal goal is to get to a point where I don't add all those extra calories. I justify it by the simple fact that eating broccoli with butter is better than eating french fries from McDonald's.
But I just find it sad that vegetables have basically become a delivery mechanism for butter, ranch dressing or melted cheese ... vegetables - can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.

The Adjustment Bureau

In Theaters March 4th, 2011

Even though I haven't seen it yet, and I will see it, I wanted to get a record of my first impressions. When I first saw the trailer I thought to myself "Where have I seen this before ..." then it hit me ... oh, yeah, Dark City with a little bit of the Watcher's style from the TV show Fringe. And even though it is derivative and cliche feebly exploring the existential man versus fate or is it fate versus free will, any who, I will be the first one in line to go see it.

The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
Director: George Nolfi
Stars: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt and Terence Stamp

3/9/2011

I found The Adjustment Bureau, based on Philip K. Dick's Adjustment Team, to be riddled with a seemingly endless collection of clichés. Clichés such as love conquers all, free will versus fate, cat-and-mouse chase sequences and the romantic comedy/drama formula (boy meets girl, boys breaks girl's heart, boy does something heroic to win girl back). It's even somewhat cliché in the roles each character is destined to become: Him - a President of the United States of America destined to change the future of the World ... Her - a ballerina ... but a really famous one that becomes a choreographer? Somewhat unbalanced in the expectations for female greatness. Furthermore, it stretches the limits of the audience's suspension of disbelief with the absurd gimmickry of all the silly rules incorporated by the men-in-hats. At one point during the silliness I thought for sure The Adjustment Bureau would have a run-in with the Ministry of Silly Walks and John Cleese would have to set them straight. Despite all of this ... The Adjustment Bureau was thoroughly enjoyable ... almost exclusively because Damon and Blunt have wonderful chemistry on film. Terence Stamp and John Slatterly (Mad Men) turn in great performances as imposing adjusters while Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker) plays the adjuster with the heart of gold.

The movie is a genre mash-up of sorts. One part science fiction and two parts romantic drama. It has just enough Sci-Fi (not spelled Sy-Fy) street cred to get the men to see it only to find out it is really a chick flick disguised as a sci-fi movie.

I started out thinking this was just a movie about the free will versus fate and discovered the heart of the movie is really more about choosing between greatness or happiness. Matt Damon's character is a rising young politician on the verge of greatness while Emily Blunt is an amazing dancer destined to become a world famous choreographer yet if they come together they both lose that drive to achieve and thus don't change the world. Spock from Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan puts it another way, " ... the needs of the many out way the needs of the few." Or at least that is the basis for the plans incorporated by the Adjustment Bureau.

But Matt Damon doesn't see it that way. Unfortunately the Adjustment Bureau forgot that Damon's character studied Jean Paul Sartre and so he decides to fight fate (<- another cliché) because he believes that in the end we are our choices. If you don't like the plan that your life is taking then change it! We are constantly told by society that we can have it all but in the end we can't and so life becomes about the choices you make.

The story begins to lose steam in the third act as you realize exactly how it is going to end and we just have to let the director finally get us there. But the first and second act are compelling and have good pacing.

The style of the adjusters is very Mad Men-ish. I felt like Matt Damon was being chased by advertising executives from the 1950's.

Not nearly on the level of entertainment as such movies like last year's Inception but certainly worth renting.

Unknown

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Stars: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger and January Jones

Unknown = Taken + Regarding Henry

If you liked Taken, then you'll like Unknown. Compared to Taken, the pacing is a little slower but Liam Neeson still plays a man with a particular set of skills that is forced to use all the resources at his disposal to solve a mystery. There are some interesting twists and turns that keep you guessing. And Berlin is the perfect setting for this noir-ish thriller.

Just Go with It

February 19th, 2011

Directed by Dennis Dugan
Starring Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston and introducing Brooklyn Decker

Don't ask me why but I'm a sucker for Adam Sandler movies. I guess it is the way he effortlessly couples low-brow, 3rd grade bathroom humor with a story with heart. Cynical and bitter after a sour engagement, Adam's character has grown a hard heart towards love and it takes falling for the wrong woman to help him heal his heart and find that the right woman has been by his side all along. Sort of an adult John Hughes movie a la Some Kind of Wonderful. Adam captures that man-child spirit that resonates with his audience so well and this movie doesn't disappoint. Also of note, the movie is full of cameo appearances including Dave Matthews who manages to steal every scene he's in.

IMDB Link

I Am Number 4

February 18th, 2011

It is what it is ... again I enjoyed it but I think that's because I've seen it a dozen times before. This move pulls heavily from all manner of science fiction/cult classics from Buffy the Vampire slayer (aliens turning to dust as they die) to Star Wars (each alien has a mentor like the jedi/padawan, also the bad guys have red color tones and the good guys have blue). There's really no new twist here just a retread but they'll keep making movies like this because people like me will keep seeing them. I just wish they could have come up with a better title.

The King's Speech

February 8th, 2011

See It ... I say, bloody splendid movie, old boy. That was my best proper British accent. What do you think? Although this isn't an action movie with cars exploding and spies trying to kill one another, I was riveted, on-the-edge-of-my-seat thrilled by this movie. The tension created by the marvelous performances of these brilliant actors was truly inspiring. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush made this material come alive. The back drop of this movie is also a very compelling moment in history. And a not so well known behind-the-curtain peek at the history of the royal family. "It's pronounce Ma'am like ham not Ma'am like balm" as the Queen would say to everyone she met. Any actor that wins an award for their performance in this movie should stand proud. I would even be alright with it winning best movie of the year ... but don't tell Christopher Nolan I said that.

Odds and ends ... when I watch an ensemble piece like this I can't help but pigeon hole each actor into the first character I saw them play or the performance where I first became of aware of them by name. What I mean by that is every time I see Colin Firth, no matter what role he is playing, he is indelibly connected to his role as Mark Darcy in the movieBridget Jones's Diary for that is the first performance where he managed to make an impression on me. For Geoffrey Rush it's Shine. For Helena Bonham Carter it's Fight Club. For Derek Jacobi it's The Odessa File. For Michael Gambon it's Gosford Park. And for Timothy Spall it's Wormtail from the Harry Potter movies. Which brings me to another interesting note, Gambon, Spall and Bonham Carter have all starred together in the Harry Potter movies. It's a small world.

The Green Hornet

January 14th, 2011

See It - Suspension of disbelief - is a formula for justifying the use of fantastic or non-realistic elements in literature. Learn it, Know it, Live it. This movie will require that and more but it is worth it. It's funny and charming and full of great action sequences. The movie lives or dies by how much you like Seth Rogen who is a very Will Ferrell-ish comedic actor. On some levels, it is a much more realistic take on the Batman superhero complex and it certainly doesn't take itself as serious.

Similar movies: From Paris with Love (2010), Batman (1989),

Little Fockers

December 22nd, 2010

Rent it - This is purely a movie for the fans only in that it is only funny in the context of the other movies.

How Do You Know

December 17th, 2010

Rent It - Definitely a James L Brooks romcom. Very unconventional, enjoyable character driven comedy. Similar movies: As Good as It Gets (1997), Spanglish (2004)

True Grit

December 22nd, 2010

Rent It - Coen Brothers directing & Steven Spielberg producing! Hooray! Can't wait! That's what I was thinking before I saw the movie. As I was walking out of the theater my enthusiasm had diminished. I enjoyed the movie but I'm not sure their updates warranted a remake. Jeff Bridges won't be winning an Oscar but this movie will make a star out of Hailee Steinfeld for her performance as Mattie Ross.

Tron: Legacy

December 17th, 2010

Rent It - Dude, it's the Dude but he's in the grid. I found it funny having watched True Grit and Tron how both Jeff Bridges performances seems to just be the Dude in difference contexts. One of the problems with a sequel 25 years after the original is that you now become a derivative instead of a pathfinder. The original influenced so many movies and now the sequel just seems like a summary of all the movies it influenced. Movies like the Matrix and Virtuosity are just a few that come to mind.

The Fighter

December 10th, 2010

See It - I was doubtful going into this movie that it would be worth my time. I mean it seemed cliché ... another boxing movie? Really? Really! This is an amazing story and well worth viewing. Christian Bale gives an oscar award winning performance as a crack head x-boxer that's not to be missed. Such a departure from his Batman/John Connor roles of recent memory.

Black Swan

December 17th, 2010

See It - Darren Aronofsky's latest movie starring Natalie Portman is brilliant. Natalie Portman's character, Nina, is an aspiring ballerina obsessed with reaching perfection ... Obsession being the key ingredient. This movie is an intense character study on obsession and the decent into madness that obsession can bring. Like Aronofsky's other movies such as Pi, Requiem for a Dream, and The Wrestler, he is able to show the maddening decent of the character with surgical precision. Nina is driven to perfection by the instructions of Vincent Cassel's character ... instructions such as “Your homework assignment is to go home and touch yourself", "lose yourself" and "That was me seducing you. It needs to be the other way around." Aronofsky also adds elements of horror to build the tension while showing the maddening decent which just intensifies the experience of this movie and makes it a must see. I can't wait to see what he does with his next movie The Wolverine. Other similar movies are The Red Shoes and All About Eve.

The Tourist

December 10th, 2010

Skip It - I was expecting an action movie something just short of the Borne Identity and what I got instead was something more like Tuesdays with Morrie. The pacing was slow and by the time they reveal the twist you’re too bored to care. Paul Bettany is terrible as the Interpol agent on the trail of the Tourist. There is a much better movie on the same subject that I would recommend watching instead starring Tom Hanks called The Man With One Red Shoe.

Test mobile post from Droid

Hello World!
Watching The Freebie which seems to be an indy version of the Hall Pass.

Derek Hess

Derek Hess is an artist primarily known for his modern day rock poster art that I discovered in the early nineties living in Dallas. I was trolling through the hipster records stores of Deep Ellum when I stumbled upon a limited print of this White Zombie/Ramones concert poster. What caught my attention was just how cool the art was.

If you're interested in checking out more of his art then visit http://www.derekhess.com

EMEK

I heard of the artist EMEK while watching Last Call with Carson Daly. I was amazed at his art work. I also thought it was quite serendipitous that we share the exact same taste in music. My immediate reaction was "I must have this." I attempted to buy some of his art but it is currently all sold out. I joined his mailing list hoping to have a chance to buy some of his art.

You can check him out at http://emek.net/index.php "The Thinking Man's Poster Art"

He also has published a book of his work entitled EMEK: The Thinking Man's Poster Artist: Collected Works of Aaarght! [Hardcover] available on Amazon.com.

Best of 2010

In no particular order ...

Movies

The Ghost Writer

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl Who Played with Fire

Date Night

Alice in Wonderland

Robin Hood

Get Him to the Greek

Inception

The Expendables

Eat, Pray, Love

Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World

The American

Machete

The Town

The Social Network

Red

Hereafter

Faster

Black Swan

The Fighter

I haven't seen the King's Speech yet but I'm sure it will be on this list once I've seen it. Same for Winter's Bone.

Music

LCD Soundsystem

Kings Of Leon

Interpol

The Cult

The Black Keys

The Dead Weather

Cake

Massive Attack

Books

The Millenium Trilogy - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest.

Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned: Stories

by Wells Tower

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary

David Sedaris

The Grand Design

Stephen Hawking (Author), Leonard Mlodinow (Author)

TV

Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman

Into The Universe with Stephen Hawking

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

Fringe

How I met your mother

Human Target

Dexter

True Blood

Justified