Bayside

Just a quick post. This band is something that has been consistantly in my ear the past month. Their new album Killing Time comes out in February, 2011. This band is Bayside, a punk/alternative band that has been around since 2000. They are a great band, with dark/intriguing lyrics mixed with a punk/metalic background. There are interesting and musically dynamic. The vocals are quite crisp and unique enough to stick in your head. Very good and I am quite looking forward to the new album. Check it out.

Blood and Guts: Documentary Review

Not for the faint of heart. For all the want-to-be surgeons in the world or those who love gore, then the first input into the aptly named “Blood and Guts” documentary series is definitely for you. This series focuses on different aspects of surgical procedures, giving both the history and some medical insight into modern surgery. For part one of the BBC Channels history of surgery, the focus is on the brain. Michael Mosley does a fantastic job of introducing the topic at hand, making the documentary seem very appealing, drawing you right in. The way the whole show is neatly summarised at the beginning gives the viewer time to get into the certain mindset required for the show. As said earlier, this is not for the faint of heart and this is not an understatement.

Michael Mosley starts the show in a live brain surgery. A woman is having a tumour removed from the deep areas of the brain. What makes this a stunning procedure is that only local anaesthetic is used- she is fully conscious throughout the surgery. The viewer is shown the skull being removed with a saw, which to the average person is very grotesque. This is a very rare experience- to see a live surgery- most often it is hard to enter the viewing area and even harder to get a camera in. The shots of the actual surgery are fantastic and the whole experience is shown with no detail being missed.

After this the history of how modern surgery developed is shown, which helps start the documentary at full pace. The documentary uses the full advantage of modern technology, using historic clips, old pictures, digital images and re-enactments. These sections are just as gory as the surgeries shown earlier. The medical examples are very interesting and do a very good job of building emotion. These stories will not be easily forgotten and will allow the viewer to remember concepts very easy.
There is a focus throughout the documentary about how the past relates to the future. Many of the examples shown, such as the development of the lobotomy, show how advanced modern surgery is. Lobotomies are a form of surgery where an ice pick is shoved into the brain (through the eye cavity if it is transorbital) and swivelled around. This is done to change behavioural aspects of the patient. One can definitely be thankful for living in the era we live in after this show. Another amazing thing about this documentary is the fact that medical terms become easy to digest. Along with the strong stories to relate to each concept, the everyday descriptions and visual images allow very difficult terminology to become easy to understand.

The editing throughout the documentary is very well done. Shots are cut in such an order to give maximum emotional effect. There is good variety of b-roll, re-enactments and interviews to make the documentary never seem stagnant in one spot.

The documentary ends with the successful surgery of the patient shown at the beginning of the documentary. The surgery goes as planned and shows how effective modern brain surgery is compared to what it used to be like. This is not the most effective example, however. A patient with Parkinson is treated with an electrode implant into his brain to disrupt certain signals and stop motor skill degradation. He is shown after his surgery. The implant almost makes the patient seem to be robotic-like. It makes one wonder how far surgery should go, before it becomes almost unnatural.

This documentary shows that there are successes and failures to all surgeries, but luckily the era we are in has many more successes. The show makes good use of editing techniques taking the viewer for an emotional rollercoaster, while giving difficult medical terminology and concepts in an easy-to-digest manner. The exposure to mass amounts of gore allows the prospective surgeon to build their stomach tolerance up. For those who have an interest in the subject of surgery, this is the perfect documentary for them. Documentaries like these should be readily available to future surgeons or students thinking about getting into the field. It allows them to know if the profession is for them, letting them not to go into a profession they have little knowledge of. This documentary is great, but not for the everyday person, however, if surgery is something you like, then definitely check it out.

Christmas Time!

I tried this video again. After many trials I have figured it out, and have it up. Its still blocked in Germany.. it must be the David Bowie. In anycase. Get in the spirit!!

Lets spread the Christmas cheer.

Prepping for Christmas. Documentary Plan

The State of Christmas

Theme: In the modern age Christmas is based more on commercialism rather than what Christmas was originally intended to be about.

Point of View: For this documentary, we don't want to focus on the religious aspect of Christmas, because Christmas is now celebrated by many religious denominations. Christmas can be changed depended on the level of religion, and what religion the person is. What will be focused on in this documentary is the nature of a modern Christmas. We believe that Christmas gift giving is not in the spirit it should be. The focus now is more on the spirit of receiving rather than the spirit of giving. It could even be said that we only give s o that we can get.

Run Through: Wish List

-Recorded images of a shopping mall, Wal-Mart or some other store during the Christmas holiday. It will be put in forward motion. This will be done to show the lifestyle of the modern season. The hustle and the bustle, the craze of Christmas. Overdubbed over these shots will be voiceovers of comments about the craze of Christmas. Statistics about Christmas will be given, sales-wise.

- The host of the show (either Spencer or Chapin) is walking down the street (most likely the square), the camera will be shot on the whole body, showing the walking motion. The host will be talking about the spirit, and history of Christmas.

-On the square, random interviews will be done about Christmas. The goal is to find comments based on the commercial aspect of Christmas. Some sample questions:

"What is your favourite thing about Christmas?",

"What is your favourite memory of Christmas?",

"Do you believe Christmas is based on commercial appeal?"

We want them to say "presents", to make it seem as selfish as possible.

These shots will be done standing up, and in a casual manner. Possible head shot.

-Interviews with a women who is in charge of a charitable time during Christmas. This is done to show that Christmas does have its upsides, and that less fortunate people are out there. Head shots, and questions.

-A possible interview with a less fortunate Christmas goers.

B-Roll. Christmas trees, and Christmas scenery. Perhaps home Christmas movies. Interview a storekeeper about how important Christmas is.

The goal is to find out what Christmas really means. What is Christmas?

Flow:

To get towards the interviews on the street, the host walking section will flow nicely into it. Another host section may be done to get towards to the food bank. This will be done in a manner like an "Investigation" into Christmas. The goal of this show is more like an investigation, so that that the truth is found.

Sound:

Will be a mixture of overdub (done over the intro), and live. We have to use the video microphones, because no other microphones can be found. We may end up doing more overdubs on the day of shooting, and depending on the quality we get.

Scheduling:

We plan on starting the shoot on the week of the 13th. We have to take into account we have a limited Christmas season, or 12 days or so. We have to take into account that the weather must be ideal for outside shots. We have to find days to get the Cameras, which must be booked early. We will hopefulyl edit over the holidays. We will most likely use only one or two shots. This will give the doc a more raw, feel. We may use multiple shots to give an effect for each question.

Youtube Is a Grinch

In light in finding out that my last video was flagged for being under copyright issues. I have decided that Youtube is codename for the Grinch. I tried a second time, but sadly, they didn't like Jimmy Eat World better than Coldplay. Time to whip out the ol' Sinatra.. for another day perhaps! Never fear, Christmas cheer will not be killed!

Its Christmas Time

With yet another snow day at my disposal, I decided to put together a nice little collection of christmas videos. These are some very good moments that will really get you in the mood for Christmas. The song is the new Christmas single from Coldplay. Love it. I also love the fact I have made three videos in the past four days.. I think I need schol back.



Enjoy!

The Best Of MTV Music Video Awards

So it just so happens on a snow day you have to find something to do. What better than to make a "Best Of" the MTV Music Video Awards. Celebrities do some stupid things. Lets look back and see. Enjoy!

Sabrina The Teenage Witch End of An Era... Preview!

This is the video I wanted to do for my Mix-Up assignment. Sabrina the Teenage Witch was my favourite childhood television show. It was such an interesting show, the magic, the romance, the comedy, Salem.. everything about it was so new and amazing to me. This show will always hold a special place in my heart. This video I believe plays well with music, and is a preview/rundown of the season four finale. Its been mixed, re-edited, with new music added, and put into new context. This preview makes the tone much more serious as the jokes are mainly removed. This makes Sabrina seem less like a comedy, and more like a romance. Enjoy the new one. I know I did, my heart strings were definitely tapped during this project.

Early December Music

SO its another month, and I have not really updated this thing in a little while . I need to whip up what I am listening to right at this very moment. Well, maybe not right this moment, but you get the point. So first, I am loving the new (and first) song by D.R.U.G.S. The new band with ex-Chiodos member Craig Owens. Craig was left (or kicked out of) Chiodos last year for reasons unknown. It was thought he was going to stop making music (all that drama these new bands like to make...), but no he started this band. This band consists of members from other post-hardcore mid-popularity bands, so its a fairly talented band. The first song is called "If you think so is about you, it probably is". It is a very dynamic song, going from soft to loud throughout. I think it is the perfect Owens song, it shows off his versatility. His crooning vocals and screaming mix in quite nicely. Check it Out.



I am also loving the new Patrick Stump Song, Spotlight.. there are two versions out, and I love both, but the one below is the slower version. Patrick Stump is such an interesting figure. His vocals I believe are very interesting, he has a very strong voice on record, and is very different for a pop punk band. I believe his vocals and music are more pop, but his style and lyrics are more punk and emo. Its interesting. I like his work, and this solo album of his that is coming out, is going to be very strong I believe.



I am also loving the new Neon Trees single "1983". For some reason I love songs that have years in their names... 1979, 1985, etc etc... maybe its the sense of rememberence. No clue. Anyways, its another very good song by a heavily electronic/rock band.



Some other thoughts for the next bit on music and more. Nicki Minaji is much bigger than I thought she would be. Her verse on Kanye's Monster is insanely good, but thats the extent I like of her so far, we shall see. My Chemical Romances new album turned out to be amazing as expected. Not a big fan of the new Black Eyed Peas, too similar to The E.N.D. Boring.. Will.I.Am needs to pick things up, they are falling behind. .. Apparantly according to NASA Aliens may exist and may run off of Arsenic.. interesting, changes our views on life forms and how they can form.. maybe DNA is not the only building block.

In project news. I hope the video interviews finish soon, the shooting is done, editing done these next few weeks. Mix and mash is in the thoughts process. Documentaries are being watched. Here we go.

And to finish this off.. everyone loves oldschool rap.

The Music Industry

I think there is a problem in the music industry. I will admit that I am a little biased in my opinions. I do not enjoy most all-female bands, and I don't like most kids singers. Of course there are exceptions. I believe that the industry is still focusing on marketability over quality music. Who can blame them though, they want money to stay afloat. I just hate seeing quality bands stay underground because they don't appeal to certain audiences. Its true about the industry as well, when they say you have to know somebody. Will Smith's kids get to much of a leg up. First there was karate kid for his son, now his daughter is a ghetto chick, on Jay-Z's Roc Nation... WHYY!!!! I don't understand. This song is so repetitive, and the "Whip My Hair" part makes me want to pull my hair out. I'll never understand some things.

On a contradictory note. Dr Dres future first single (apparantly.. who knows with him..) called Kush has just been posted on his website. Its actually very decent. I do like some rappers, and him I like. I don't like the drug references, but his flow, and beats are rather catchy. Plus it has snoop dogg. Snoop Doggs timbre is off the wall.

I also just downloaded the new My Chemical Romance. Insanely good. Check it out!!

Night And Day/ An Original Piece

An Original Piece By Spencer Jones.

Imagine a world where the sun rises from the efforts of workers in the night. They come in darkness and leave in day. At night, they will not rest until the sun rises.

This is their world.

If the quality is not good on this blog, click on the link, the youtube version for sure is high quality. When I first watched this on the blog, the pictures were very pixelated.. so the link may be better.

Rememberance Day. Looking Back on the Past Bit in Music.

This is going to be another slam blog of everything that is good in the music world. On September 28th Jimmy Eat World released their new album Invented. I myself had pre-ordered a copy of the deluxe edition (with four bonus tracks). Oddly enough, through a string of circumstances I did not recieve it until late october. Anyways, when I listened to this album, it transported me to another world. Jim Adkins takes his lyrical prowress to a whole new level on this disc. Each song is an individual story, a piece of someones life. What I like about this concept is that its just a slice of someones life. That is all we really remember about someone. We only remember certain things, and never the whole picture. Humans are funny like that. Adkins writes little stories about people, and does it with such effect to make any teenager, or adult blush. The whole album is a standout to me. Songs like "Cut" and "littlething" are catchy sing alongs, where "Invented" and "Mixtape" are more atmospheric building songs. A little bit of something for everyone.






What else have I been listening to. A Day to Remember ("Popcore"-Pop punk-Hardcore) is a band that has always got my head banging along. They are currently about to release their new album What Seperates Me From You. This album is going to be big for them. Each song is consistant, with a never stop rocking feel to it. The album only has 10 songs, so each song is full quality, and keeps rolling to the end. The energy is felt the whole way throughout. Standout tracks include "All I Want"and "All Signs Point to Lauderdale". Its a great album who just want to have some fun, with a very high quality modern pop punk/hardcore album. With a scene that does not have much substance left. These guys have some heart left. Its good to hear.




Whats the deal with Love the Way You Lie (Part 2). I hate this thing in the music industry where they get one big hit, and they have to sell and exploit is muc has they can. Originally it was in overplaying it on the radio. Now they have to do this thing where they make sequels. There is Airplanes pt 1 and 2. Love the Way You 1 and 2. Its just really corny. There are already 200 remixes for every pop song, why do they have to make sequels now.. I guess its all about the money.

I must say though that Rihanna's new album is very decent though. She has one heck of a set of pipes on her. She can belt out notes very well. I would recommend that album. Another thing. All Of The Lights- Kanye West feat (200 other well known people) came out. Its amazing as well. I love Rihanna's voice in it. heck, even Kanye doesn't ruin the massive feel to it. He just builds to it. He gives a nice shout out to Michael Jackson. Speaking of him.. his new song "Breaking News" came out. Its alright, but it will never beat his past works. Whether or not it is his voice I can not say, his timbre is not entirely known to me. Perhaps there was some vocal modulation, but I can not be sure. Its a decet song.. and always could be worse.

I have been going a bit back in time. I have been enjoying the song "Crying Lightning" by the Arctic Monkeys. Amazing Queens of the Stone Age feel. Also Daft Punk ad the Tron album is coming out soon. The Tron album is unremarkable, and more of a movie feel (no vocals), but it reminded me of all their past great work. "One More Time" and the Alive 2007 album. They are great- great music and great get-ups. Check them out if you haven't yet. On my to do list next is my own song, which I will hopefully post soon!!!

Cerebral Palsy, A Modern Issue. Intervew with Lianne Nicholson

Running a little late for my interview with the esteemed Lianne Nicholson, I walk into the room slightly flustered. I sit down on the chair that is uncomfortably close to her, and apologize for being late. I notice that she does not notice how close I am to her, and I move back slightly. This draws my attention.

S: Sorry about that, I noticed you didn't move at all. Does it not bother you having someone invade your personal space?

L: Oh no, not at all. I'm used to it with my brothers always trying to bug me.

S: Is this a normal thing that your brothers like to do to you?

L: Yeah, they are always trying to get on my bad side.

S: So I will try to keep this nice and straightforward, but away from your work. As we know, you are an esteemed movie director, but what other hobbies and interests do you have?

L: Well, I like to read, build model cars, configure puzzles, draw cartoon characters.

S: Why puzzles? It seems odd that you would be one to do that. I myself am not very good at them, and never quite liked them.

L: Well, my mom was always big into them, and my interest sort of just stemmed from it.

S: So you must be pretty close to your mom I take it. What do your parents do for a living?

L: My mom works as a cashier at Bargain Shop, and my Father- well I don't know exactly what he does.

S: So you're not as close to him as your mom?

L: No, not really. I still blame him for the divorce of my parents.

S: I am so sorry to hear that. So you have how many brothers and are they younger than you?

L: I have two brothers, and they are both younger than me. They live with my mom and I just outside of town.

S: I guess that explains why they like to bug you! So what do you want to do as a career, besides the movie business?

L: I want to be a prosthetics and orthotics engineer.

S: What made you want to do this sort of work?

L: Well, my one brother, who has Cerebral Palsy, has to have braces on his legs to allow him to stand. I want to partake in a job that allows people to use their limbs to the extent they should always have been able to. I would feel very good fixing the mobility of the disabled.

S: That is a very noble goal for you. I think that sounds great. Has it been hard to live and deal with a brother with such a debilitating disease?

L: Absolutely, it is very draining. There are certain things that are just very hard to do with him, and you have to help him out. You just learn to cope with it. I like to help out though, because it helps the family.

S: Absolutely. So what would you tell someone who is in a similar situation if they were feeling down about having a sibling with a debilitating disease?

L: I would tell them to ask their parents if they can help out. They could help out by carrying or moving the child. Things like this just happen, and they should just try and help out. Your parents are under a lot of stress, and you have to realize this. Don't get frustrated, it is not their fault, and just do your best to help out.

S: It sounds like you are a great influence for your family and for anyone really. That is some very good advice. Have you tried spreading it around?

L: I did a speech about my brother when I was in elementary school. I went for a day when I was in a wheelchair for an entire day. It was definitely an experience. It created a whole new understanding for me. Simple things like getting water was difficult. You had to put it on your lap, pour it, and so on. It just brought my understanding to a whole new level. I just didn't understand concepts before, but now I do.

S: I think that is a very powerful thing to do for your brother. What made you decide to spread the message to the kids in elementary school?

L: Some kids would make fun of him for being in a wheelchair and I wanted to let them all understand why he was the way he was. That it was not his fault at all.

S: That is an awful thing. I don't like how people can laugh and make fun of someone who has a disease that is out of their control. So I can see that your very protective of your brother.

L: Absolutely, and my mom is as well. We would protect both of my brothers with our lives. We care so much about them, if anyone tried to mess with them, they would have to deal with us.

S: You seem to have your head on straight about this. You are a great sister, and they are lucky brothers to have you. You put up with a lot, and I guess that's how you learned to cope with personal space invasions. So if you were going to leave one impression on the world, what would it be?

L: I just want the world to remember me as someone who helped others to live the way they always should be able to. I want people to live life to their full potential with my help.

S: I am sure you will help many people! Thank you so much for your time!

Cerebral Palsy is a group of disorders affecting body movement and muscle co-ordination. There are thousands of people in Canada with this disorder. To learn more visit http://www.ofcp.ca.

The Most Scarring Video of All Time

This song should have been posted on Halloween because it is possible the most scarring video I have ever watched. What it encompasses can only be watched and not described. I believe that a video has the ability to ruin a song for a person, and this does just that.

Queens of the Stone Age, on their album Era Vulgaris, which came out in 2007, was a big hit with songs like "I Wanna Make It Wit Chu" and "3's and 7's" (Yes from Guitar Hero III). This song was actually the lead single. Its video which has mutiliation and cannibalism in it, is hard to watch. I the time I watched this video I stayed glued to the television. Not from enjoyment, but from fear, I could not get away from the screen. Its basic idea is what scared me. As I am posting this, I most likely won't even watch the video again. The feel that this song gives me is one that is very disgusting. QOTSA wanted to go for a controversial, gross feeling, and they definitely pulled it off. Enjoy the vulgarity of the day.

Reflecting into the Past: The Great Depression

Reflection Magazine- 10/31/10

Interview written and recorded by Chapin Waite and Spencer Jones

When looking back on the past few years, we will always remember the economic downturn that has hit our country. We will remember the havoc, media coverage on this recession, the focus on the politics and the crime. We will remember the pictures of all the houses in the United States for sale, with no one buying them. What we experienced, to us, will always be remembered as the worst possible thing that could happen. We are an egocentric species with the focus only on ourselves. If we compared our present to the past, we would consider ourselves to be lucky. Our recession could have been a depression, but it was not. Let us look back to the 1930's.

The Great Depression was occurring, this was a time period where, in Canada alone, 27% of people were unemployed. This was astonishing. Those with jobs were lucky, and even then, they may not have been making very much money. These times seem to have been forgotten in the midst of the current economical crisis. Robert "Bruce" Gordon, a survivor of the Great Depression and now 80 years old, was interviewed by Reflection Magazine to give the people of today a different viewpoint of how things were in comparison to now and what the recession could have been like.

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In the Great Depression, in terms of finances, what would your family have been considered?

My family during the Depression would have been considered poor. My parents did not work at the time and we lived off of welfare. We did not have very much and made do with what we had. For example, we had meat only once a week. My father had his own vegetable garden and we had a chicken which we used for eggs. We were considered very poor.

Where did you live? What sort of house?

I lived on Curry Avenue in Windsor. Our house was very plain, a simple wooden house. It had no basement. The house was heated with what was called a "Quebec" heater, which was essentially a stove in the living room.

What was the job status on both of your parents? What did they do?

My mother never worked, staying at home to take care of us. My father was unemployed but was trained as a cabinet maker, which is equivalent to today's carpenter. There were no odd jobs for him when he was unemployed. He would do his best to find work, but it was extremely hard. Often, he would pick and peel potatoes for the government and would receive some in compensation. He would do this for our food. For fuel for our house, he would walk along the railroad tracks and pick up fallen coal. The welfare payments were not enough to let us have enough coal, so this was a good way to help us keep warm during the winter.

What did your family have to do to get by with what they had?

We had to "tighten" our belts. We only ate basic meals and spent no money on entertainment. We did not go to the show, or buy pop and ice cream. These were rare treats that we were very excited and grateful for when we received. My mother made clothes for us, and we always repaired them. Our clothes would be patched and we would use things until no longer possible. Everything was passed down. For soap we would take the scraps and melt them together so that no soap was wasted and a new bar could be made. Special times, such as Christmas, was the hardest. Our stockings were filled with fruit and other food items we rarely got. My father, the night before Christmas would steal trees and set them up so that we would always have a Christmas tree.

What sorts of things did your family do for entertainment?

Our only form of entertainment was the radio. All kinds of shows were on the radio. Soap operas were on during the day. They were originally called soap operas because they were sponsored by soap companies like Proctor & Gamble. My mother listened to these during the day. At night there were entertainment shows like Jack Benny and Bob Hope. We listened to kids shows like Little Orphan Annie and the Lone Ranger. On occasion we went to the show, which was 10 cents, but this was very rare.

Did you go to school? Were your friends in the same financial situation as yourself?

The majority of my schoolmates were in the same boat as my family. We were all working class, and therefore had very little. There were always a few that were kids of a lawyer or a doctor, but mostly the kids were in the same boat.

Was there a definite class society in place at the time? Could you not do certain things due to your social and economic status?

No question about it, there was a class society in place at the time. People with money could still live the good life of the twenties. They could go to golf clubs and go to sporting events, places that required money. Us, who were in the working class could not. In terms of payment, for the working class, there were no credit cards. Grocery stores had in place methods where you could set up an account and pay when you got the money. They had to do this, or they themselves would go out of business. For Christmas you could pick an item in advance and pay it off over time, this was called the layaway plan. In terms of class society though, there definitely was one.

What do you think of the current economic situation in the world?

Right now it is bad, but not as bad as the recession. Things are getting better, but it's going slowly. The fear is that some country may try to get out too quickly and we may go into a depression. Another issue is devaluation. There is the paranoia that countries may devalue their money, and race to the bottom. When a country's money is cheap, wages will also go down. Right now , however, things are not near as bad as the depression.

What do you think of today's youth and the debt situation?

The youth of today do not understand the use of money. They feel they need to spend everything they have, and have no limitations to their excesses. They have lived in a time when everything has been given to them. The mental state of mind right now is that they can still live like they are rich. This is how we got in this situation in the first place. The key is to not exceed your means.

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What was hoped to be gained from this interview is that you can never forget the past. We must learn from past mistakes and never make them again. In the present, even though things may seem bleak, times are still good in comparison to what could be and we must strive and discipline ourselves to not let things get to where they were before. After all, the only way the depression ended was through the Second World War.

Demo Song- Loops and Rhythm

This is my first working test with music and loops on my home recording studio. Sadly, after this demo I could not figure out how to connect my instruments to the program, so I will be using Garage Band from now on. It turned out extremely well however. This was done using some loops and rhythm machines (this program has some neat features.. its called MAGIX). Enjoy. Today, I also learned how to turn my songs into videos. The big one is coming soon.

Kanye West's Runaway

Every day there is something that just seems to take me off gaurd in the world of music. Something that I did not expect to happen, something different that is released that just changes the way I view things. Today was no exception.

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Kanye West is a guy who has an extremely bad reputation. Sure, the guy is cocky beyond belief, but I believe deep down in him there is someone else. I could be out to lunch on this idea, but you never know, and I probably never will know. Where did I come up with this zealous idea? His music. Kanye West for some reason potrays some kind of emotion in his music that shows me he is not just a monster. You have to look past the layers of autotune, and sometimes overly self-ritious lyrics and you have the man. This man is human, he feels, he is not immune to everything, he is like us.

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Kanye West today released his full length film called "Runaway". Although its not a real full length movie, only clocking in around 34 minutes, this is an adaquate time to get his point across. This movie has Kanye at his best and most vulnerable at points. You can feel the guy. I get this feeling he is truely sorry for all the bad things in his life he has done. Essentially this is apology to the world. He expresses himself through the use of the phoenix, the rebirthing symbol. He is becoming a new person. The movie also showcases around 6 of his new songs, which actually sound somewhat impressive when put to pictures. The one I am most looking forward too is his collaboration with Rihanna, All Of the Lights. Its part of the video was a highlight for me. It could be big. If you like Kanye West I would check this out, even if you don't but have 34 minutes to spare, I would check it out. The cinematography is incredible, as well as the song selection. Overall, it was a very good movie, and today I gained a little more respect for Kanye West.

Na Na Na- My Chemical Romance is on Top. Review.

Looking back on the past decade as an easily influenced teenager, I can say that it was a great time period in pop culture to grow up in. Graphical arts have become more and more realistic, movies now have no limits in what they can effectively portray and underground music has become more accessible to anyone who wants to look. In music, some critics have said that all good music has been done, that the music of today's generation is not as original as the older generation. I beg to differ. I believe that there is plenty of good music around the world, it is just a matter of taste and how hard you look.

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When I first watched the video for My Chemical Romance's new song, from their upcoming album Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na) I was blown away. Similar to Lady Gaga's music video for Telephone, My Chemical Romances video is packed full of pop culture references, from The Warriors to Star Wars. What I thoroughly enjoyed was that these artists have paid homage to many other pieces of art that has helped create their own music. Art influences art, and My Chemical Romance has taken themes of late 60's to mid 70's pop culture and created their own modern rendition. The video takes place in a desert, like those in California, where the "killjoys" a fantastical group of superhero's, battle monster-like creatures. This artistic brainchild of lead singer Gerard Way, has his band in tight leather costumes and masks riding around in vandalized cars. Everything about the visuals of the video shout out mid 70's. It is weird, it has been done before, but oddly it feels original enough to become utterly fantastic. It is a rapid paced, ADHD prone video, which is perfect for the current generation. With "The Black Parade" also in their belts, this new video places My Chemical Romance as one of the top visual bands of their time.

Lets say I was a child born in 1963 and I was watching Saturday morning cartoons and I heard the opening to this song come on. The immediacy and simple melodic group vocals of " Na Na Na " would hit me and I would think that I had just found my new favourite show. I would then be filled with sorrow finding out that it was just a song. My Chemical Romance , is a band that has created a large almost cult-like following. After the creation of their first two albums, which focused on darker topics such as vampires and other Halloween themes. With the release of their third album "the Black Parade", My Chemical Romance went supersonic with the hit singles "Welcome to the Black Parade" and "Teenagers", selling over a million copies of the record. This was just the start of what is looking more and more like an arena geared sound. With the return of the band, their first single is so immediate and powerful that it will have teenagers everywhere singing.

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The song starts with an opening guitar riff that is so immediate and expressed perfectly that you forget it's the only instrument playing. The drums roll in with the bass and you start hearing the catchy group vocals that will remind most people over 40 of classic shows such as Speed Racer. The verse is the building part of this song, but at the same time it is so quick that you almost think it could be a chorus. It features witty one liner lyrics that are thrown question-answer like in your face. When Gerard screams " lets blow an artery" he means it, as every vocal is given with such passion. The verse builds even quicker to the chorus where the group vocals fight back and forth as Gerard bellows in his one liners it sounds as though this is a call to arms. Gerard is beckoning for us join his killjoys to take on the world, and you can feel it. As the song burns to the bridge, the organ keeps us going along, with a muddied guitar piece in the background. The song almost becomes empty after the bridge with the group vocals standing for once on their own. This leads into the final stretch of the song where the fury of guitars, drums and the strain in Gerards voice leads almost to an explosion. Just like any good show the song then fizzles out into the end, with the guitar holding frantically onto its last note.

This song is typical of My Chemical Romance, while at the same time adding a new piece to the bands canon. The guitars are very familiar, but what is different is the feel to the song. Normally you get the feeling of isolation in the band's songs. That you are alone in the world, just struggling to survive. This song adds the feeling of being together, ready to take the world on. The group vocals give justice to this theory as they create a certain warmth to the song. What is also atypical to a My Chemical Song is the small use of synthesizer, and sound effects. They can be found subtly in the song and emphasize the tv-show feel of the piece.

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As a well rounded music listener, I find that this song is one that should be listened to, just because it is so interesting, even if you don't enjoy this certain genre. It is a strong powerful song backed by a culturally important video. It is always nice to see when a band that goes big after one album does not shrink into obscurity after their follow-up one. My Chemical Romance has not just met their past work, but raised the bar even higher, and I invite anyone who wants to come along for the ride to do so. Even if you don't like the song, watch the video because it is one that will stay in your mind for a long time.

Futures

This is going to be a slam blog of everything that has happened the past little bit in the world of music. Firstly, there are a number of albums that are making me super excited. First, the new My Chemical Romance album. Its coming out this November, and its going to be big. Just like the Black Parade, which was probably a number of angsty teenagers favourite album back in 2006. It was an epic concept album based upon the death of a man, and it was glorious. The guitar solos, the lyrics, it was the whole package. This new album promises to be similar, with it also being based on far out themes. From what we have heard- the intro track, and the lead single Na Na Na (which is burning up the airwaves already- an epic rock anthem). What I am liking is the radio anouncer. It reminds me of the Warriors http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Warriors_(film). I love the announcer in the movie. It gives me chills. This album is making me extremely excited.



Whats next. Shortly, the new Linkin Park album came out. A Thousand Suns. Although its not my favourite release by them. It is still alright. Songs to look at are, The Catalyst, Wretches and Kings, When They Come for Me and Irridescent.

On November 2nd Weezer is releasing two new albums. The first one is the Pinkerton Reissue deluxe edition with 26 bonus tracks. This is the epic win of the month. Pinkerton as we know, is one the most influential emo albums of all time. I am actually going to preorder this. Its awesome. Also, is Death to False Metal, an album of 10 unreleased weezer songs. Honestly, they could never release a full compiliation of rare unheard songs. Rivers is so prolific that it would be around 200 songs. That would be the holy grail.. all the demos of weezer. Its impossible to complete that discography.

On Septmber 28th, Invented by Jimmy Eat World was released. I preorder this album and am still waiting for it to arive. As soon as it does I will write a full review, this is my second favourite band behind AFI, and they are amazing. I am so excited for this album. My Best Theory is another amazingly solid track released by the band, although the video is odd. Its still good.



Whats on my playlist of things to listen to. Well right now I am listening to Abandon All Ships! new album, and its alright, almost too metalcore for me. But One Last Breath and Megawacko 2.0 are good songs and even I can get into it. The next album I am listening to is Dancing With a Ghost by Valencia. This is an extremely amazing album . I would go on and write a review but I think it would be better if you just went out and listened to it. Every song on it is amazing. They are not a cliche pop punk band. They are the full package. I would rate them in the same league as the Dangerous Summer in a list of non cliche pop punk bands. Check it out.
Other albums I have to get to and are on my to do list in itunes (I already have them) are -
I am not a human- Lil Wayne
Come Around Sundown (highly anticipated?)- Kings of Leon
Doo-Wops and Hooligans- Bruno Mars (this guy can write hooks)
Some Things Don't Wash Out- You, Me and Everyone We Know (In the vein of Say Anything)

Fall is always the best time for music. Emotion runs wild, and my amygdala is just in full connective mode to my auditory canal. Yes I have been reading too much of Your Brain on Music, but its so good. Fall, the changing of season. The best time to make musical memories.

To finish it off I will leave you with the song MakeDamnSure(Live) from Taking Back Sundays new live album which is almost better than any studio recording they have released. It rocks.

Alice In Wonderland Final

Why is a Raven like a Writing Desk?

This poster focuses on many main aspects that should be seen in a movie poster. It uses depth to draw the readers eyes to the center of the screen. This was done using a dark contrast between the hole and the rest of the poster. It was darkened through layers, to give it the depth of a hole. Also focused on is the rule of thirds, where the name Depp and the eyes of the Cheshire Cat are located. This immediatley draws the audiences eyes. The realism of the grass is relevant to the movie as this is not a cartoon version of the film, and this is the main focus of the poster- to create realism. The title of the movie is another aspect that is immediately noticed, due to its depth and colour. The drop shadow of pink was chosen for the thickness and weight it adds to the poster. The poster focuses on drawing a large audience. It maintains a low level of reading level, while at the same time makes it an enjoyable poster to read for an adult. The catchline would appeal to readers of the novel, due to its infamy, but also is something that would catch a childs mind. The small little characters, however relevant to the film, add to the appeal to children.

As stated earlier, the main catch of the poster is its realisms and depth, there are key symbolic elements that give information about the movie. Such symbols are the burnt red heart, and the sad flower. Both showing the twist in a normally happy childrens movie. The walt disney logo, is somewhat hidden in the grass, as it is not the main focus of the poster, but there for someone if they want to read it. The poster does a great job of catching you eye, with the big star Johnny Depp, and then sealing it with the cheshire cat and Alice in Wonderland. We know Alice would already have a big following, and by focusing on this it is possible to sell big.

This movie as it turns out was not as good as it was intended to be, in my opinion, but the advertising campaign that went along with it was marvelous. The actual posters were very appealing, and drew me in to watch the movie, and this rendition was intended to have the same effect.

The Last Attempt of Pathways!

The Spencer Tree- Part 2. With epic sun.

Alice In Wonderland Sketch

Why is a Raven Like a Writing Desk?

The Tree of Me

The Spencer tree using pathways.

Another attempt to figure out this pathway tool. I will stick to perspectives I think.

Mask the Path

The Eiffel Tower Throughout Time

Original, Modern Photo

French oil painting of the Eiffel Tower. Filter: Oilfy

Old photograph style. Filters: Old Photo, Dilute, Oilfy, Desaturate, Colour Balance

Rihanna Goes Deep Into the Blue

BEFORE

AFTER

Rihanna with a slight hair colour change. Modifications to the curve levels, and colourization.

The Leak: Weezer

This next Tuesday, Hurley will be released by Weezer to the worldwide public. Having the luck of it already being leaked to Myspace and other sites, I had the privilege of already listening to it. This album is reminiscent of a period in Weezers discography when Rivers Cuomo was doing too many drugs and was in a serious depression. However, the album that came out was, in retrospect one of the best of all time and influenced an entire new genre of music. Of course, the album was Pinkerton, and although it did not have the commercial appeal of the Blue Album, it was a masterpiece in its own. It contained songs of deep emotion ( Falling for You, Pink Triangle) and just plain awkward songs (Tired of Sex). This was the basis of Emotional rock, or Emo, and influenced such bands as Taking Back Sunday and Jimmy Eat World.

This new album evokes the same emotion of awkwardness, but now on a more refined, produced scale. Rivers voice is more forced than usual with strains of angst on songs like lead single "Memories". This has only been done on one other Weezer song, which was Tired of Sex on Pinkerton. The first half of the album is loaded with perfect songs such as Memories, Trainwrecks, Ruling On, Unspoken and Where's My Sex? ( A play on the word Socks). The album almost falters on weaker tracks like Run Away, Hang On and Brave New World- with Run Away sounding more like a demo from the Alone series released by Rivers. The album ends with a beautiful song that reminds one of more classic rock and a nice addition to their catalog- Time Flies. On the deluxe edition of this album there is another great song called All My Friends are Insects, which is a short song , but makes a large impact. Also included is a cover of Coldplays "Viva la Vida" which in my eyes seemed like an odd choice, but never-the-less comes across as well done- minus the awkward sounding violins.

Overall, this album is cohesive and tight, with strong production and instrumentation. The aspect that is weak in my eyes in the lyrics. They come across as too simple at times, with very little development in the verses. Although this is not true in all the songs, it is a common theme throughout. However, this album is wonderful, and some of its songs will be on my end of the year lists. It is a strong pick-up from the dissapointing Red Album, and although Raditude was great, this is an improvement still.

Our Class

Its Gonna Be Our Year.

Top Five Movie Posters

Number Five

This poster screams excitement with symmetrical position of the actors. Made to market in a time of depression and stress. This poster would catch anyones attention of the time.

Number Four

This poster screams action. This movie already had a huge following, but they wanted to reboot the series. Boy, did they do it. This poster is part of the reason for its success.

Number Three

Shows adventure and excitement. The floating head feature is similar to Star Wars. It shows the whole movie in the poster, very effective.

Number Two

This poster is very interesting. Once again the floating heads, which remind me of Mt. Rushmore with the American flag just dripping and bleeding downwards onto the lake. Visually appealing- this is a masterpiece.

and....

Number One

This poster is just plan awesome. Made for the cold war era. I find it commical, political and vivid. It gives the point across, and its satire is easily seen. The colours stand out, it is symmetrical, not too busy. This is just an all-around fantastic poster.

About The Author

Who I am is important to the type of media that I listen to. Around the world media and technology is influencing the thoughts and actions of people. I am no exception to any of these things and what is around me, automatically influences what I enjoy.
If I was erased from existence in a physical form and all that was left was a digital imprint - my sole form being the type of media I consume regularly- what would be left would still be interesting. From this imprint you could still define my entire personality, because the type of person we are also influences the media we consume.

Instead of me blabbing about how I came about being who I am, lets get down to the hard cold facts. I am young, but I work hard. I do all I can, for as long as I can. I want to go places, and believe that the only way to succeed is through hard work. I have had to work to get where I am today, and have no intention of ever letting up.

I have a select set of interests that are usually somewhat different from the average persons. They are specific to me and shade me a different colour than anyone else. Like I said, who I am can be defined through my interests.

Sports

I have a strong interest in certain sports. My favourite sport to watch (but not play) is Hockey. My favourite hockey team is the San Jose Sharks.




Why do I like this team ? This team has never won the Stanley Cup and has only advanced to the Western Conference Finals twice but still I like them. Well, they are the underdogs, with an immense talent pool. They have, consistently for the past 6 years, been one of the best teams in the NHL, and sometimes its more exciting to be on the brink of something great rather than actually being there. Plus they have an awesome logo.

Work

Before we continue, lets talk about where I work. I work for the large lumber company (and the only real lumber franchise in town) Rona. I do a lot of physical labour there. As of recently, I have started driving the trucks.

Books

Moving back onto the interests part of my life, I enjoy reading books and am heavily into the sciences. I am trying to make a career in the medical field with a leaning towards radiology or family practice. More likely, however, I will specialize. Books have played a large part in this and currently I am reading "This is your Brain on Music" by Daniel Levitin . This book focuses on the cognitive and psychological aspects of the brain when listening to music. Questions like why jingles are so catchy are answered. I am currently investigating a new side project for myself which me and a friend are going to enter into a science fair. This is called the "theremin". Essentially, it generates new frequencies by mixing two oscillating waveforms. In the theremin there is one oscillator and the other is your hand (which is grounded to the floor), and you manipulate the frequency expressed by moving your hand. Its an interesting project and my interest in science has sparked an interest to experiment further.

Music

This project leads into the biggest interest of my life-Music. Music is everywhere I go. It makes me who I am. I listen to a wide variety of music and have a vast Itunes library that spans every different genre. I can appreciate almost any song, but there a few different types I do dislike. In general, I do not like the genres of death metal or country. They are, obviously, vast contrasts to each other, and I find them generally to be disliked by myself. Death metal I find invokes too harsh of an angry emotion, whereas I find country to be generally too much of a "poor man's ballad" for lack of a better term.

I do enjoy many other different types of music though.

Before I continue, I should tell you my favourite band.

AFI is my favourite band and consists of four different musicians; Davey Havok, Jade Puget, Adam Carson and Hunter Burgan. They have been on the top of my list since grade 5 when I first was introduced to the song "Girls Not Grey" from the album "Sing the Sorrow". I heard it on the radio station 89x from Windsor/ Detroit ( I am originally from the Chatham-Kent area). I was amazed at its originality while still maintaining the essence of a mainstream single. Considering I was only 10 at the time being this was a young age to start listening to mainstream music. Most kids at this age are still listening to their parents music. I did do this, but I also started dipping my feet into the music stream. Anyways, back to AFI. They have a long discography from 1992 until the current day with their own genre constantly changing. They have ranged from Hardcore Punk to Alternative. My favourite album is the influential "Sing The Sorow", but my favourite song is Love Like Winter. Although it is not the epitome of AF's discography it is unique to my life.

Of all the genres I listen to I listen to a select type of music more than others. This is has been classified stereotypically as "Emo". Emo has been given a label that is untrue. Emo is a derivative form of hardcore punk that was mixed with deep emotional feeling, switching heavy guitars for lighter sounding acoustics and electrics. Emo has been classified to bands such as Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco due to their aesthetics over their music. Actually they are closer to punk and alternative than anything else. Bands that I absolutely love usually fall under the "emo" category. They include : Jimmy Eat World, Motion City Soundtrack, Say Anything, Saves the Day and Taking Back Sunday.

I do, however, vary greatly and my tastes can change depending on my mood. I will vary from classical to techno. I do enjoy other bands especially in the punk rock genre (alkaline trio, AFI) as well as in the Indie genre (Metric, Tokyo Police Club). Depending on my mood I will listen to the ambiance of the Alchemy Volumes of Thrice and the mystery of Radiohead. I love everything about music, the way it falls into my head, the way it is so easily remembered. It is this type of media that has changed my life forever.

Movies

Movies are a huge part of my life. What I love about them is the ambiance and sometimes surreal emotions they invoke. When you watch the planet earth fly by, its like your almost in space. Certain movies just seem to catch me quicker than others, they just draw my eye. Movies like this are Lord of the Rings, The Watchmen, The Spirit, Scott Pilgrim vs The World. These are just visually appealing movies. I love the aesthetic of movies and the organization that is seen in their frames is unreal. It's like ordering a world of chaos.





I do love older movies, but have not experienced a full background in film yet. I like movies usually from the 50's up. I love movies such as Blazing Sadles and older actors like Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Martin Mull, Tim Curry and others. There are so many actors and actresses whom I also admire (Morgan Freeman.) but the list could go on forever. If I had to pick a favourite movie though, just for the sheer fun of it, instead of normally saying Lord of The Rings, I would have to say it would be Alice in Wonderland ( Original Disney Cartoon Edition). It is a masterpiece mixing harsh lessons of the real world into a child's theme. Although it is roughly (movies never follow the book) following Lewis Carrols version, it is fantastic. The animation is another visual masterpiece with such a unique use of language, I will always admire it.

Television

Moving into the last of the types of media I commonly use, it is the television. I watch a wide variety of shows but most of them relate to science, or other odd concepts. I have religiously followed shows like V, Fringe, Eli Stone and Flash Forward, but my favourite show is Lost.

Iam a Lost fanatic, I have tched every show that was made, up until the interesting ending this year. I loved the fact that everything was connected. It related well to the real world that everything can be connected in one way or another. Lost had so many subtle plot lines, hidden innuendos, pop culture references, it was not just a plot line. If you looked into every line that was said and every plot aspect you would be surprised. An example of this is the "numbers"- 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42. They appeared in every episode randomly, and often multiple times. It connected to the plot, but it was these little Easter eggs that kept me glued to the tube. It is a modern day television masterpiece.

Other shows that I watch are science based, but not fiction based. An example of this is Genius of Britain, a five-part television show on British television stations. Its layout is brilliant and the facts accurate as well as interesting. I highly recommend watching it. Here's the start.

This is just about a small fraction of all the things I really digitally consume. I could continue on to talk my cell phone, my favourite websites, but I feel as though in time you will come to learn of all these things and more. Throughout the semesters I will post more things, and together these will create a media collage of my personality. It is through the things we associate ourselves with, that creates and shows who we are.