Josiah Brooks you know what’s really been getting to me?

Fabricated fame and fads.

CAUTION: what follows is a long and frustrated rant of unrestrained opinions that are meaningless in the long term, but need to be farted out right now, ‘coz I’m frustrated.

The idea that somebody can get famous from being great at something is a very fair and normal train of thought and pattern of society. What gets on my nerves, is when society at large is told what to like without being told why, and people just go with it; let’s face it, we’re preconditioned to have attention spans the size of bunny rabbit poo poo’s. See?  Your attention just went off the train of though because I said bunny rabbit poo poo’s.

I’ve been thinking quite a bit lately, about what annoys me so much. Recently I’ve been trying to learn more of the ropes of the music career; I’m very early in my learning phase, and have so much to learn, which is great, and the expected path seems quite clear: make music, get gigs, get attention, and so on.

What annoys me though, is that not only is this the same path that thousands of musicians, and talented (much more then me) at that, take, and that seems to be where the path ends. Get some gigs, sell some CDs, get a small to decent following…but what if they wanted to take it further then that? Chances of really getting out there seems like the odds would compare to winning the lottery.

Now,  think of the most famous people out there now. [Lady] Gaga, [Justin] Bieber, Katy Perry, blah blah blah. Is it just me or does it feel like a lot of these guys got where they are from screaming out desperately for attention? (With the exception of some). I mean, stupid outfits, “I kissed a girl and I liked it”, fame has become something that is no longer acquired through skill and the mastery of craft, but instead the fluttering of a peacocks feathers in a method of distraction from the real deal. Art.

I have a confession to make, people. Earlier this year, I auditioned for “the X factor”. I did so because a friend encouraged me to the night before, and it was a show I had never heard of, so I thought I’d jump in for some good feedback and whatnot. So I get there, the lines build, and thousands are waiting for their chance of glory being handed to them. A girl in front of me had about ten people with her for moral support, telling her how much she would ‘like, totally’ win. Time passed. The girl in front of me with all that moral support? She came out crying her eyes out as if she had lost any hope of being noticed, or a musician! Person after person, this happened.

I went in, and said I’d sing an original song, because that’s what I wanted feedback on. (They wouldn’t let me play an instrument while singing, which is in my opinion where I shine, but oh well. I figured I’d show my pizazz with some original material). They didn’t let me; because of the nature of the show, it had to be a cover of a pop song.

So, I sang “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey. I was praised for my vocal ability, but they said that’s not the style the show needed, so I offered something else, which they gladly accepted. I then sang “Fireflies” by Owl City, in a very mainstream way. Again, great voice, but not the style of the show (they wouldn’t let me show them my own style which frustrated me to no end). OK, so the guy before me sang a show tune and got through, so I thought I’d do that! I sang a show tune! BAM! whack them with that! but no. Not what the show needs, because it didn’t fit my age group (I’m 21); the gentleman before me was much older. [I thought], I should sing something more mainstream, because clearly I hadn’t done that already.

In frustration, I sang “Beat It” by Michael Jackson, they enjoyed it, and I got through, hooray. I fought so hard, simply because they were telling me I didn’t have what it takes, they didn’t let me show them myself, so I sang covers without an instrument; removing all of my own identity from the performance, until I hit something they felt they could market.

Long story slightly shorter, I got through to call backs, but didn’t [actually] get a call back because, I’m assuming, I’m not “TV” material. Cool. I’m fine with that, I didn’t even expect to get past auditions, but my anger comes from the thousands of other people who were pre-conditioned into feeling the only path to success was through this TV show. Gr.

Seriously people, where did we go wrong? What happened to make people change the goal from art, to music, to fame, to selling out for attention? Why are we trained into thinking we are either going to be an unsuccessful artist, or or a gimmick with the attention? what ever happened to the day of Simon and Garfunkel? Cat Stevens? Mo-friggin-zart? why are we forced to sing along to songs about bad romances, making out with girls, and baby, baby, baby ooh’s? I COULD SCREAM.

Now, please know: I know that I’m generalizing. I’m not saying everything on the radio is trite. I know there is some great stuff, and it is art, and I love it; but my rant is about the fact that society at large ignores that, for the shell. For the product that lasts the amount of time it’s posters do, a petty moment of head bopping, and a catchy tune. A ‘song’ with no depth, meaning, or consequence, only to be followed by the next, and the next, until 50 years later we realize we’ve listened to nothing but crap.

I’ve [ranted] way, way too much, but if anyone has read this whole thing, first, give yourself a round of applause, because you outlasted 98% (made up statistic) of society with the short attention spans who can’t deal with anything except the topic jumping nature of Youtube and Facebook.

But finally, I just want you all to know that as I’ve come to this slow realization, I’m making a promise to myself and a promise to you. Keep in mind, I don’t expect to be famous or hugely successful, because too many people hope for that; I do hope to share my art with as many people as possible, as many as will listen, but I do not plan on relying on fads or labels and all that jazz. That is my promise. I wont sell music short. I promise to give whole heartedly of myself in everything I do musically and artistically, whether to entertain or emotionally connect, I promise to fill people up with something rather then leave them with a void of common crap for sheer attention and temporary entertainment.

If you read this far, you’re great, if you understand, even better, and if you care, you’re my new best friend. That’s about all that I have on my mind.

For more on this go to Facebook thread
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The glamour of notoriety that colours our perceptions of criminals is as strong now as in the days of the “Wild West”.

If it is real, it is extraordinary: a moment when the myths and legends of the Old West crystallised for a moment into a single group photograph,  before evaporating again into the anonymity of the hot afternoon.

The 15 men in the picture are arranged along the wooden veranda of a hotel in the resort of Hunter’s Hot Springs in the summer of 1883.

In the fashion of the time, no concessions are made to the brutal heat. Waistcoats are worn, ties are neatly knotted, bowler hats are sported.

They are relaxed but formal.

One of the seated figures leans back confidently against the upper step behind him. Another looks slightly priggish with his legs crossed at the knees and his hands settled in his lap.

The lines between those who enforced the law and those who broke it were a little more fluid back then

They look tough. Like men who meet a lot of tough guys and generally find that they are tougher still.

Which is not surprising when you consider that this was a gathering of some of the most powerful and desperate figures from the old West in the dying days of its wildness.

If it is real.

White House hopeful

The story is told that the 15 men include Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Wyatt Earp, his brother Virgil and their friends Doc Holliday and Bat Masterson.

Theodore Roosevelt was US president from 1901 to 1908

The lounging figure is – or might be – Judge Roy Bean, who conducted trials in the bar of the saloon he owned in Texas and encouraged jurors to buy drinks between cases.

A few feet away, apparently on an upturned crate, sits a figure identified as Theodore Roosevelt, the future president.

You would not, of course, find a modern hopeful for the White House posing nonchalantly with bank-robbing ne’er-do-wells, but these were different times.

We know the picture is genuine in the sense that it is a real photograph of 15 men from the 1880s. We just cannot be quite sure who they were.

We know it could be real, which is what makes it so fascinating.

Teddy Roosevelt did retreat into the western wilderness in 1883 after the death of his first wife and when Butch Cassidy, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and Bat Masterson were all dotted somewhere around America’s ragged and dangerous western frontier.

The story goes that the men were brought together to celebrate the opening of new railroad track – a big event at a time when the steel arteries of the railways were carrying the boundless wealth of a booming America westward, hotly pursued by posses of hookers, crooks and lawmen.

Admiration

There is nothing implausible about the good guys and the bad guys hanging out together or posing for a photograph, by the way.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was the top-grossing film of 1969

The lines between those who enforced the law and those who broke it were a little more fluid back then.

When Butch Cassidy robbed his first shop, for example, he left an IOU on the counter for the things he stole.

Wyatt Earp, the celebrated lawman, was also a gold prospector, buffalo hunter and boxing promoter. And he almost certainly helped to run a brothel at one point too.

Nor is there anything odd in the idea that the men were celebrities.

Masterson and Earp were both famous while they were still alive and the subjects of admiring and highly coloured accounts of their exploits.

Earp even ended up moving to Hollywood and mixing with the very actors who played him.

Butch Cassidy and his accomplices once posed for a portrait in Fort Worth, Texas, at the height of their notoriety, something you might want to consider avoiding if you ever find yourself on the run, accused of murder and bank robbery.

Hollywood effect

Oddest of all, of course, is the very fact that we know who these men were.

I bet not one of us in 10,000 remembers who was treasury secretary in 1883 but, whoever it was, he would have filled miles of newspaper columns at the time. And he would be stunned to discover that these dusty reprobates remain household names while he is long forgotten.

Could present-day convict John McCluskey be a legend some day?

In part, of course, that is about the ability of Hollywood to condition our sense of the past.

A history written in blazing shades of light is always going to seem more vivid than the dusty accuracy of the library book or the dodgy scholarship of the internet.

In part though, it is about America’s curious habit of romanticising violent crime.

John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, Baby Face Kelly and Al Capone are all lastingly famous too, while the statesmen and even the sports stars who were their contemporaries are long-forgotten.

Sometimes we soften the edges of their brutal stories with spurious touches of glamour or philanthropy but mainly, I think, they are remembered because they appeal to some darkly anarchic, anti-establishment streak in the American soul.

On the day I found that photograph hanging in a bar in Cheyenne, Wyoming, America’s law enforcement agencies were looking for an escaped convict called John McCluskey, and his cousin and lover Casslyn Lynch, who helped him break out of prison.

Their squalid, violent odyssey across the country awoke curious echoes of the past.

Selective memory

The media were at it, of course, calling the couple a new Bonnie and Clyde but the story had law officers too reaching for the antiquated patter of the gangster movie and the gumshoe novel.

The criminals were “on the lam” we were told and they “wouldn’t go down easy”.

But we were not to worry because the “Feds” would be “all over them like a cheap suit”.

How odd it is that there is a chance, however small, that one day those two might be remembered when we have forgotten the name of whoever is currently treasury secretary all over again.

And perhaps there is even a chance that one day – in some windy, dusty town out on the prairies – a visitor will find a photograph of them and wonder if it is real.

George Romero has been working with zombies for over 40-years

The great-granddaddy of zombie cinema, George Romero, has had a 40-year-plus love affair with his undead creatures.

The famed director and writer of “Night of the Living Dead” and other zombie movies such as “Dawn of the Dead” and, most recently, “Survival of the Dead” has built a career scaring and grossing out audiences with his post-apocalyptic visions.

The septuagenarian recently talked to Zadzooks about his life, his work and the pop-culture evolution of those lumbering, human-stalking, flesh-eating creatures.

So how sick are you of zombies? I never get sick of them, just like taking a vacation. It’s very liberating working with them in film. I can write political and social satire and not get berated on my dialogue or thematically, so I have been getting away with murder over the years.

Although, I was sort of sick of them when we made “Land of the Dead,” it was a bigger production under Universal, and I was sort of disappointed in the way it was released.

Why do you think folks have been so fascinated with zombies over the years? I think it has not been the movies or me. It’s video games that have popularized this creature. They are perfect for a first-person shooter, and also, video games make them move fast like spitballs.

What is the impact of the creatures in entertainment? It is amazing to me how deeply into the popular culture the creature has become. There are zombie walks in every major city. I live in Toronto, and last year 3,000 people came out dressed as zombies. I could not believe it. I even do telephone introductions. I did one last Halloween for Budapest. I had to call in and say, “Hey all of you Hungarian zombies, how are you?”

I do not get it. Maybe it’s an easy costume: Splash some ketchup on and rip up your jeans — although most people already have torn jeans — and you’re done.

I half expect a zombie to show up on “Sesame Street” and hang out with the Count.

Do you have a limit to the level of grotesque images you are willing to put in a film? I don’t think I have a limit; at least I have not reached it yet. I grew up on the old EC horror comic books. They had all sort of moral tales and you waited for the bad guys to get their comeuppance, and you chuckled when the guy’s heart was torn out and the baseball team used it for third base.

The grotesque has never really affected or frightened me. I guess it’s real-life stuff that frightens me much more. But I have never had an idea to make the grossest movie I can make. I don’t think that way.

I think of the thematic — what the movie will be about — and glue the other stuff onto it. I try to temper the grotesque with humor and try to make it silly or outrageous so you don’t think people can be that cruel.

Who are your zombies? They are almost like the coyote in the Road Runner cartoons. Zombies are there to be damaged, and whatever you do to them is OK. Just like you can blow the coyote’s legs off and people chuckle. I have sort of avoided that level of realism and whatever the trend is. I also don’t get it. It’s no fun for me. I see no allegory, and is not the way my mind runs.

Are the zombies the bad guys? I sympathize with the zombies and am not even sure they are villains. To me they are this earth-changing thing. God or the devil changed the rules, and dead people are not staying dead. My stories are much more about the living people. I will never make a film where zombies are threatening to take over the planet. A zombie film is not fun without a bunch of stupid people running around and observing how they fail to handle the situation.

I read where [zombies] started as being the silent majority, but that is missing the point. The rules change, this amazing thing happened, and people can’t adjust to it. They keep on with their own stubborn agendas. That’s what my stories are about. Zombies could be a hurricane or any disaster that people fail to address.

Why did you read comics as a child? It was the adventure. Comic books and radio were my escape. I even remember 3-D comic books where you put on the red-and-green glasses and Mighty Mouse would punch you in the face.

It was the literature of the day for kids my age who were too bored with listening to “Peter and the Wolf” on the record player.

What is your opinion on the current wave of 3-D movies? I believe and hope that we are in the gimmick phase. I was the first kid in the audience during the first wave. I saw films in 3-D that no one knows were made in 3-D. “Dial M for Murder,” “Hondo” and Brando’s “Desiree” were all in 3-D.

Every time I left the theater, I would hear dozens of people say, “Oy, this gives me a headache.” People would take the glasses off and watch the double image instead of watching it with the glasses.

When I came out of “Avatar,” I heard the same complaints. When they convert 2-D films into 3-D — like “Alice in Wonderland” — and the cuts are so quick, I saw people leave the theater.

They need to perfect the technology and take away the headache factor.

What would it take for you to do a 3-D zombie movie? It would take somebody with a checkbook. I don’t know. What I would like to do is one of those theme-park attractions like Captain EO or Honey I Shrunk the Audience that is a real sort of experience.

What are your thoughts on computer effects in films? The two great things about computer CG stuff are I can now do gags I would never have dreamed of in the old day. There are a couple of gags in “Survival of the Dead” that I could not do practically because actors will not allow you to do that to them.

And, it really enables you to get off the set quickly. When you are working with low budgets and you have a gunshot with a squib and it goes wrong — the gun flash does not synchronize with the squib or whatever — it takes half an hour or 40 minutes to clean it all up and reset it. It’s much easier to use a computer to paint in the flash and splatter.

Still, I would much rather do everything mechanically, much like I prefer the original “King Kong” to Peter Jackson‘s version. There is something charming about the original, and you can appreciate the craft of the people doing the animation.

What’s the future for zombies? They are just part of the mainstream. I think the craze will die down, but then someone will make another zombie film, and it will be back. And, they won’t have the same start-up costs I had. They do not have to explain what they are; everyone already knows.

Mr. Romero‘s latest film, “George Romero‘s Survival of the Dead,” is now available on the Blu-ray and DVD format from Magnolia Home Entertainment.

The Washington Times, LLC

The Washington Times. Licensed for 1month on September 3, 2010, for display at http://www.lifedesigned.net/Badass87Radio/. The Washington Times, LLC and The Washington Times logos are registered trademarks of The Washington Times, LLC . The iCopyright logo is a registered trademark of iCopyright, Inc.

2 months ago 2 months ago: Tue

This video was part of my Bachelor thesis at the University of Applied science and art Hannover. The Super Mario Bros. game, released on the Nintendo Entertainment System, is not longer bound to the television size and get interactive with a new environment. The emphasis of my thesis is on the matchmoving work. It is the process of matching CG elements into live-action footage.

Super Mario Bros. from Andreas Heikaus on Vimeo.

Yet, couldn’t one assume that the speaker is talking about sex? More specifically, couldn’t it be the story of taking the virginity of a girl or young woman?

Let us take a closer look, step by step, for those of you who doubt me.

she being Brand (1926) by E. E. Cummings

→ We can start here with the title. “She” can refer to a car, of course. But why not also to just a girl, period? And “Brand.” Yes, the speaker could be referring to a high end roadster. Yet, notice how the B in “Brand” is capitalized, unlike “she” and “being.” “Brand” could be a nickname for a girl named “Brandy.”

she being Brand

-new;and you
know consequently a
little stiff i was
careful of her and(having

→ Brand new vehicles can be hard to work with at first. But looking at the poem in the sense that “she” is a virginal girl, she could be tense in a situation like making the motions leading to sex, or even foreplay. Granted, the speaker could also be talking about himself being “stiff.” Ooo, such a dirty mind.

thoroughly oiled the universal
joint tested my gas felt of
her radiator made sure her springs were O.

K.)i went right to it flooded-the-carburetor cranked her

→ The “universal joint” could easily be argued as the driveshaft of a vehicle. Yet one can see that a “thoroughly oiled universal joint” could be the speaker’s “joint.” And by making sure “her springs were O.K.” the speaker wanted to make sure “she” wouldn’t break or be damaged on her first run. And it seems that the speaker is on both counts excited about the act he is going to perform on “her,” as well as rushing into the actions.

up,slipped the
clutch(and then somehow got into reverse she
kicked what
the hell)next
minute i was back in neutral tried and

again slo-wly;bare,ly nudg. ing(my

→ The speaker knows how to drive a manual, although he’s not seasoned; possibly he’s still young. The slip into reverse attests to this theory. (My heart goes out to that poor transmission.) If you think of this in the perspective “she” is a girl, well, I needn’t say much more. Although, to me, it seems like she must be a firm believer in the “exit, not an entrance” saying.

lev-er Right-
oh and her gears being in
A 1 shape passed
from low through
second-in-to-high like
greasedlightning)just as we turned the corner of Divinity

avenue i touched the accelerator and give

her the juice,good

(it

was the first ride and believe i we was
happy to see how nice she acted right up to
the last minute coming back down by the Public
Gardens i slammed on

the
internalexpanding
&
externalcontracting
brakes Bothatonce and

brought allofher tremB
-ling
to a:dead.

stand-
;Still)

→ Anyone else spent? Because I certainly am. And I’m assuming “Brand” is also.

In conclusion, Cummings is a true poetic genius. Yes, everyone may say that about their favourite poet, but for me Cummings is truly a master at poetry, not only for his wit with laying out a poem, but also for making one second guess the meaning of his poems. Oh yes. There is a double meaning in that. 

Click here to watch this video

PLUS! “Odd website where people photograph themselves feeding food to inanimate objects.”

check out site Link: Feeding Objects

ALSO CHECK THESE VIDS OUT!

Know Your: Ages of Consent!

The Marijuana Policy Tipping Point: A conversation with author Christopher Fichtner

Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School has over 100 branches around the world

From illegal flashmobs to the Museum of Modern Art, Dr. Sketchy’s has brought artists a rule-breaking cocktail of dames, drinking and drawing. Whether you’re an artstar or a scribbling newbie, Dr. Sketchy’s is the perfect place to get your fill of life-drawing.”

Dr. Sketchy’s – Bettie Page Tribute Session from William Zoe FitzGerald on Vimeo.

AND FINALLY

Bacon or beer can?

Scott Pilgrim has numerous little twists to the gameplay that make things a lot more fun than a simple side-scrolling brawler.

Read more: http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/63994/scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world-the-game/review/#ixzz0wbyUYWTJ

Much like Alan Wake is very different from most everything else currently spinning in game consoles, the same holds true for Petri Alanko’s score for the game. The soundtrack album for the critically acclaimed Xbox 360 title is now available and The Feed invites you to join us for a listen.

First time game soundtrack composer Petri Alanko proves he is more than capable of propelling and supporting the on-screen action of Alan Wake through his compositions. There must be something in the air in his native Finland which inspires composers to create fresh listening experiences out of well-worn music genres. Fans of the symphonic metal scene of Finland know what I’m talking about.

The over-arching mood of the score ranges from nightmare-mysterious to psychological thriller in tone, without ever straying into stereotypical sounds that you’ve heard a million times before. Most prevalent are the melancholic piano lines throughout the album, which play with a subtle beauty despite the creepy visuals they were created for.
Alan Wake Soundtrack: ‘Bright Falls Light & Power’ »

Prior to first listen, my initial thought on this soundtrack was that it would primarily be for fans of the game only. This turns out not to be the case at all. Alanko has struck a superb balance with his compositions, which translate well into a linear listening experience away from the game’s visuals.
Alan Wake Soundtrack: ‘Tom the Diver’ »

Much like the game, Alan Wake’s music has a very TV/cinematic feel, so traditional film score fans are definitely going to want to give this a listen. Even if you haven’t joined Mr. Wake in Bright Falls yet yourself, Alanko’s score is an eminently worthy listening experience for videogame music aficionados. If anything, experiencing Alan Wake’s score could drive you to trying your hand at this unique game, if you haven’t already.
Alan Wake Soundtrack: ‘The Clicker’ »

Based on one of Alanko’s answers in The Feed’s recent interview with him, indicating an interest in a collaborative composition with a fellow composer, it could be interesting to hear what he and fellow-Finn and Nightwish mastermind Tuomas Holopainen could potentially co-create together. Especially since they both have creative styles which could sound interesting when combined.

The original score for Alan Wake is available now both digitally and physically from Amazon, iTunes and directly from the Sumthing Else Music Works record label.

Have a game soundtrack you think The Feed should review? If you feel so inclined, you can let me know about it, here.

Read more: http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/706897/Alan-Wake-Soundtrack-Album-Review.html#ixzz0wbwMnT1a

I love shows from all genres except maybe yaoi. Mecha, action, drama, romance, moeshit, whatever. My top 3 favorites right now are Clannad: After Story, Gurran Lagann and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Im also a huge fan of anime music, and pretty soon you will catch me spinning weaboo music one night a week. Stop by for some vocaloid/anime/jpop and techno music. One of the things I will do often in my reviews is stick a video of the OP (opening theme) at the top of my review, similar to how you would watch the OP to set the tone for watching the show, I hope it too will set the tone for my review. We will see how it goes. Now, onto the review! Today’s review is on Macross Frontier!

Macross Frontier had a very powerful effect on me. It’s a sensory experience, with a production value that’s through the roof. The music (produced by Yokko Kanno) is phenomenal, which is important, because the show relies very heavily on music, as the power of song has the ability to turn the tides of battle!

Macross Frontier is the latest installment of the Macross series, and celebrates the 25th anniversary of Super Dimension Fortress Macross (SDF). The story is set in the year 2059, 47 years after the events in SDF. All of the Macross installments happen so far apart in the time-line, that you don’t need to have seen any of the other installments to enjoy Frontier. Onto the juicy details!

Humanity has taken to space, and on the mega ship Macross Frontier, humanity ventures toward the center of the galaxy in search of a planet capable of sustaining human life.

The show focuses primarily on three main characters: Alto Saotome, an ex-kabuki actor who decided that the life for him was that of a pilot, and began attending the top flight school on the Frontier; Sheryl Nome, who is an intergalactic idol, sometimes referred to as the “galaxy fairy” (at the beginning of the show, she’s on the Frontier for her last stop on her galaxy-wide concert tour); Then there’s Ranka Lee, an aspiring singer with lots of hidden talent. All of their lives become intertwined in a war with an an alien race known as the Vajra. There’s also a complicated love triangle between the three main characters.

The scenery and setting are very well designed. The subtle detail put into the ship (from the tiny trash collecting robots, to the juice machine that will actually chase you to offer you a cold beverage, to the visual effects of Sheryl Nome’s live concert in the first episode) will swallow you up and throw you into this amazing futuristic world. They don’t miss a beat in this category; it achieves almost complete immersion.

This series is at its best when it come to the action scenes. For reasons explained in the show (don’t want to give away any spoilers!) Sheryl and Ranka sing the fighters on the SMS (the Frontier’s private military force) to victory in combat against the Vajra, and it’s truly an exhilarating thing to behold. The tempo and beat of the music is synched with the action, and the whole show has this fantastic flow.

All in all, a fantastic watch; especially if you’re the kind of person who enjoys a good soundtrack, or if you enjoy epic mecha fighting action. If that’s the case, this show is definitely for you.