Few thoughts 11

I just realized how strange it is that the Weezer singer's name is Rivers Cuomo. His first name is Rivers. Not River. It has an 's' at the end. Rivers. What the ass kind of weird name is that.

And his last name is Cuomo. I don't even know how to pronounce it. Is is coo-moh?
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You know what I don't like about Spongebob Squarepants? The fact that he is extremely physically weak, and yet is also very proficient at karate. This always used to bug me. How could he be both? But I pushed it to the back of my mind, and once I got over it, Spongebob became enjoyable again.

Until I realized that he has a full time 9-5 job, while also attending school every day during the day time.
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Earlier this week, I made plans with my mate David to have a 24 marathon some time after exams. I hope these plans come to fruition as I have never watched a 24 episode before, and I'm very keen to experience the full greatness of the Jack Bauer power hour.
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I've found out that inebriated Samoan adults have very interesting conversations about everything, from religion and God to just throwing creative insults at each other (followed by 5 minutes straight of just laughing). Usually I'm not around when they hang together like this, but being their DJ (aka just playing their hardout fobby CDs) meant I was in close proximity.

Something that keeps happening to me

Sorry about the unoriginality of the title of the post, I just couldn't think of anything at all...

Anyway.

I'm not sure if it's just me, but does anyone keep hearing that beep noise that Facebook makes when you get a chat message, even though no one is chatting to you? It's a daily occurence for me now. I'd be browsing a page on another tab, then.... "beep!" But when I go to the Facebook tab (dun dun dunnn!), there is no new message. Seriously, I hear it even when there's no music playing and I'm offline.

And on the flip side, when I do chat to people, they could send 5 messages in a row sometimes before I notice that they had even sent any, not to mention by then usually they have gone offline because it took me how long to get back to them, because I didn't even know they were talking to me.

sup bro
bro
why you keep snobbing me for?
you never reply
nvm g2g

Sigh. More signs that I'm going crazy. Ah well. Had a good run of sanity I guess.

Laser sword or magic sword?

One of my greatest achievements in life was when I debated my friend John to a stalemate in a very controversal topic. The topic? Simply this:

Who would win in a fight out of Master Yoda and Samurai Jack?

He chose Yoda, I chose Jack, and it began. It was epic. It took up 5 or 6 pages of the forum we were on, and despite most people thinking Yoda would win with very little effort, I used logic and reason to prove for sure that not only could Samurai Jack hold his own, but he was good enough to dispose of Yoda without breaking a sweat.

Which shows how useless they are at debating, because we all know that Yoda would kick Jack's ass.

Mythbusters: The Sophomore Slump

I think the 'sophomore slump' might be a myth. At least, it is when it comes to my favourite artists. I blogged a few weeks back about how some film sequels are better than the first film of their franchises, and I think it applies to a lot of the music I listen to.

Here is a list of second albums that are, in my opinion, much better than their resepective artists' debut efforts:

OK Computer - Radiohead

A Rush Of Blood To The Head - Coldplay
Origin Of Symmetry - Muse

The Cool - Lupe Fiasco (only better than his debut by a hair)

Nevermind - Nirvana

Late Registration - Kanye West

Albertine - Brooke Fraser

The Anatomy Of The Tongue In Cheek - Relient K

Toxicity - System Of A Down

(What's The Story) Morning Glory? - Oasis

Sam's Town - The Killers

Although on the flip side, there are still a few artists I love whose debut albums in my opinion have yet to be eclipsed: Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, and Norah Jones come to mind.

The ultimate challenge

This Sunday morning just past, I was on Children's Church (Sunday School) as a leader, and we had heaps of fun like we always do, and also still growing in patience like I always do when I'm on Children's Church (if you've ever taken care of a bunch of intermediate boys for a few hours, you'll know what I mean).

But this Sunday was especially challenging, because of my monumental mistake the night before: I didn't get any sleep. I stayed up all Saturday night, then went to church in the morning to take care of the restless young children. Big mistake. And it's not like I meant to do it. I just randomly woke up about an hour after I'd fallen asleep, and I could NOT get back to sleep. There's only so much tossing and turning in bed one could do before conceding defeat and watching Lord of the Rings. As soon as I made the decision that it would be too late to go sleep without sleeping in, I got tired.

Go figure.

Well, needless to say, I was a little more prone to reacting snappily (snappily?) at them, but thanks be to God because he filled me with his patience and somehow kept me not only awake, but very active during the games with them. It was fun! On a sidenote, I'm sure some parents jack these kids up on sugar before sending them upstairs to us, just to mess with the leaders and have a laugh.

And then I went home and just slept. And slept. Woke up at 10pm. My sleeping pattern is still screwed from that by the way.

Isaiah 40:31 - "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

I understand that verse just a LITTLE bit more now.

Film Review: The Other Guys

The bottom line is this:

The Other Guys is hilarious. (That's right I start with the bottom line. I work my way backwards from there.) Best comedy so far this year. This film is not as genius as Anchorman or Blades Of Glory, but it still has a hell of a lot of laughs.

For years now, Will Ferrell hasn't been on top of his game. He will never be outright unfunny, but as far as his films go, they have been lacking in recent times. Of his last 3 movies, I only found Step Brothers amusing. Semi-Pro? I can't remember anything about it, asides from him fighting a bear in one scene. Land Of The Lost? I've tried to watch that movie twice now, and both times I just got bored and stopped. Which is sad, as Will Ferrell is hands down my favourite comedic actor.

However, with the help of trusted director Adam McKay (Anchorman, Talladega Nights) and suprisingly funny partner in law and order Mark Wahlberg (The Departed, Max Payne), Ferrell returns to form in the buddy cop film The Other Guys.

One thing that I noticed about this film is the presence of actual jokes. Instead of just relying overly on the usual Will Ferrel shtick of him falling over and yelling really loudly like an idiot, the writers decided instead to actually to give him funny dialogue. There are countless genius one-liners in the film, including an absolutely hilarious extended dialogue sequence involving lion-hunting tuna (which rivals the "Dear baby Jesus" prayer in the Talladega Nights).

The plot itself is curious in that it's very forgettable. There was something involving someone owing money to someone else and trying to steal it from another someone to make up for it. To be honest, the plot is the only thing I didn't like about the movie. But it's not so much the story that makes this movie; rather, much of the comedy stems from Wahlberg and Ferrell's verbal exchanges, showing that Marky Mark can hold his own in a comedy. In fact, he plays one of the funniest "straight man" in recent comedies.

I definately recommend this movie, especially to people who think Will Ferrell has lost his touch. It proves that he's got plenty more in his tank as far as making funny movies go. Couple that with the fact that the upcoming Megamind also looks funny, it looks like the days of making unfunny funny films is over. At least for now.

Will Ferrell is back baby.

Final Rating: 4 (out of 5)

Social network idiocy

Bebo was cool at one point. Facebook to me still is. But not for long. I think it's the idiotic "likes" made by idiotic people, being "liked" by people who are just... well, they just annoy me. Not that all groups or likes are dumb, it's just that most of them are.

Like these:
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I don't need anger management - I need people to stop pissing me off!!!!

Not just anyone gets told they need anger management; only people that seem like they do. If you've actually been told you do need it, chances are, you're getting pissed off too easily. Seek professional help. Or, you know, just kick back.
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"hey, are you all right?" "Nah, i'm half left."

Well, good to see you throw sarcasm back to my face when I'm trying to show you I care. Swell.
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Parents call it "talkback" i call it Explaining.!

When it's disrespectful and you're acting like an ungrateful bratty turd, then yeah, it's talkback. Just consider yourself lucky you're not living in Samoa. That's straight "please give me a hiding" responses right there.
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Student-"How do you spell ______" Teacher"Get the dictionary and look it up." Student- "Bitch if i cant spell it how the hell can i find it in the dictionary."

Sound it out phonetically and work your way from there. You're not here to be spoonfed.
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You're 11... You do NOT have a broken heart, retard.

Most poeple I've seen that have "liked" this are only about 15 or 14. Trust me, you're heart ain't broken either.
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Lol I'm such a hater. Reading this post back again, I realize that I sound like I'm in a bad mood. Which is weird, because I'm not.

O_o

Ah well. I'll probably be back with more stupid "likes" to be an egg about. See, this is what happens when I got nothing to write about and I can't get to sleep.

Songs I'm liking a lot right now

I know, I know. Not the most creative title to a post. And it's not really a post that takes any effort at all to write. But it's an accurate title for the post that it is. And it's informative. It shows what you should be listening to if you want good taste.

(I jest. But seriously, some of these songs are quite good. Others are only good. Just don't hate.)

Anyway, old or new, here are some songs I'm really feeling right now.

song title - artist
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(Still A) Weirdo - KT Tunstall

I'd Rather Be Blind, Crippled & Crazy - The Derek Trucks Band

Tom Sawyer - Rush

A Year Without Rain - Selena Gomez & The Scene

Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons

Betty - Brooke Fraser

Don't Stop! - Child Rebel Soldier

Desolation Row - Bob Dylan

Running Up That Hill - Placebo*

Go To Sleep - Lupe Fiasco

The Underdog - Spoon

L'appuntamento - Ornella Vanoni

DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love (feat. Pitbull) - Usher

Brand New Start - Little Joy

The Only Difference Between Martyrdom And Suicide Is Press Coverage - Panic! At the Disco
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* originally by Kate Bush.

And so it begins

Before:



After:



(I had big hair before, now I don't have big hair. In case you're wondering about what the point of the before/after photos was. And it seems I lost weight between the two pics too? Weird, because they were taken like, 3 days apart.)

The quest begins. The quest to actually keep my hair looking like a normal person's hair. I even bought gel. No more big boofy hair. Well, that's the goal anyway.

Return of Bubble Boy

For months and months, I didn't top up my phone. Believe it or not, I didn't have credit for about 100 days. For various reasons, I just never got around to topping up. I was known as 'The Man With No Credit'. Actually, no, I was still known as Jesse.

But I did have an inside joke running with some mates that I lived in my own bubble; because there was a period of time that I also didn't have internet, I couldn't email or txt anyone, and therefore they said that I was in a bubble that no information could pass through, and therefore no one ever heard from me.

And after a while, I found myself not even wanting to top up. So, for a very long time, I was the guy that didn't reply. Ever. To anything. I mean, hey, it was good for me right. When I got txts from people I didn't want to reply to, I could actually say, "Sorry bro, got no credit."

Then, yesterday... the unthinkable happened. I actually did top up. Finally. So here I am. I got me txt2000 and bestmate1000 with Amy (so that my txt2000 doesn't run out in one day). And I've found that...well, I've found that I don't feel any different at all. The only people I ever really need to txt anyway are the following:

Amy (girlfriend)
Tim (youth music leader)
Mum (mum)

When I had no credit though, I still managed to contact these people every time I needed to, so it wasn't really like I missed it. You know when your parents or other old people say stuff like, "People have lived for thousands of years without needing cellphones, so why do you feel like you need to constantly use yours?" Well, yeah, I now know what they mean. I'm that guy. I'm a kid from the days of yore. I only really talk to the people that I see in person, unless I call their landline or email them.

It's a strange life not txting anyone ever, but considering that this time last year I was finishing my 2000 txts every month sending pointless txts about nothing, I'd say it's a good change.

But I'm not saying that I'll snob everyone now or anything. Not at all. All I'm saying is that I've come to appreciate the value of calling someone to converse with them because I either need to or I just miss them. And if nothing else was gained from the whole experience, I got to rock the hour-long phone calls with my girlfriend, which I've found is a lot more enjoyable than txting for ages while doing other things and constantly being confused at her replies because I'd actually forgotten what I'd just txted.

If you still wanna talk to me (course you do, I'm a nice person with lots of compliments and one-liners), I'm still here peeps. Drop me a txt, and I'll reply. I am officially a functioning member of society again.

Where the streets have no naaame

Heck yes.

This is what I'm talking about. Muse performing one of my favourite U2 tracks live at Glastonbury, joined onstage by THE EDGE. Asides from Bono, Matt Bellamy is probably the only person who could pull off this song. And he did.

I saw them live in 2007 but I didn't see them last year. I'm going for sure next time they come. They're not called the best live act in the world for no reason.

Few thoughts 10

Springboks were crap in the Tri Nations. Roosters got wasted in the NRL final. And now Manchester United is 3rd in the League, and behind Manchester City at that.

What happened to my teams this year man.
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People who compare Radiohead to Coldplay don't know what they are talking about. The singers from each band both sing in falsetto sometimes... and that's about where the comparisons end. Their actual songs barely sound alike, if at all. And anyone who thinks otherwise either just does not know enough about music, or they have only heard 'Creep' and 'Yellow'.
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"Always in detention for the lack of my attention
You could call it deficit, really I just didn't listen"

-Kids (feat. Janelle Monae) - B.O.B

Such a mean song. These guys are what you call true artists.
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I missing having an iPod so bad. Walks, bus rides, train rides; they just aren't the same anymore. Those out there blessed with portable music players: Don't take it for granted. Such an awesome invention. Especially when it's got craploads of storage. Storage > Touchness.
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I finally watched Watchmen. Having not read the novel, I can't draw comparisons between the two mediums, but from where I was sitting, it was a very entertaining film. I didn't expect popcorn blockbuster comic book stuff, but I didn't know exactly what to expect either. What I got was a visually stunning film of melodramatic proportions, with dark themes and even darker characters. If I know one thing for sure, it's that it ain't for kids.

The best part of the film I guess is that while there is a plot, characters, and conflict, there is no "moral of the story". Some characters do this, other characters do that. You agree with who you agree with, and disagree with the others. There is no one central protagonist, only different characters with different perspectives of this world, making this an intruiging watch. Unusual for such a big budget Hollywood picture don't you think.

Oh, and the intro sequence with Bob Dylan being played in the background is pretty kickass.

Back in my day

The nostalgia for this generation is going to be so weird once we're old. What am I going to complain about to my kids and grandchildren in the future when I talk about things 'during MY day?'

"Back in my day, we sat in front of computers all day, and actually typed the words out with a physical keyboard. Do you even know what the word 'typing' means? Didn't think so. You kids are so spoilt with your telekenetic headsets..."

I guess that's not too bad. Technological nostalgia is always better than music nostalgia:

"You want to listen to REAL music? Play some of those Justin Bieber mp3 files I still have lying around..."

*shudders*

Blog post about wrestling. AND WHAT.

Sometimes the storylines in wrestling just piss me off. But things seem to be picking up, and I find myself quite excited about a lot of the angles:

-John Cena as a member of Nexus taking orders from Wade Barret.
-Daniel Bryan with the US title, going clean over Miz twice.
-The absence of Matt Hardy (not really an angle, but it still makes me happy).
-Randy Orton being an unstoppable face champion.
-Goldust getting a storyline on Raw (even if it does involve being in love with a belt...).
-Kane going over Undertaker 2 PPV's in a row (one of them was clean too).
-Michael Cole being acknowledged as the incompetent announcer that he is.

It's been a while since I was this happy about wrestling.

But then I remember that Chris Jericho is gone.

Sad face.