3-30-10 - TV TUESDAY

Big Love is basically about a Mormon man and his 3 wives, and their struggle to hide their lifestyle, in the heartland of Mormonism, Utah. Of course there are other conflicts involving the fictional Mormon compound, Juniper Creek. This show has basically put a face on polygamy, even though it's entirely fictional. Big Love is just incredibly excellent to me.

Bill Henrickson

Bill is the husband to his three wives Barb, Nicki, and Margene. He is astute in his beliefs of the Mormon religion. He grew up on the Mormon compound, Juniper Creek. In Juniper Creek they have a leadership system, which is very autocratic. The one and only leader that has a say for everything and anything is the Prophet, which just like the whole Mormon religion is false. Bill's grandfather was a profit, and because the current profit, Roman Grant, feared that he would take over his position he forced Bill's family to kick him out when he was just 16 or so. Bill had his struggles, committed a view misdemeanors, and eventually found his way back to the Mormon religion. From there he built a Home Depot-esque business for himself, amongst other things. He tries his best to please everybody, but at the end of the day he's really looking out for #1.

Roman Grant

Roman Grant is pretty much the villain of the whole entire show. He is Juniper Creek's resident false prophet and he's known to always undermine Bill Henrickson's success. He has countless wives and sets up all the marriages. Because of him, some girls on the compound get married off as early as 13. Some of the most essential characters, such as Nicolette (Nicky) and Alby Grant, come from his loins (haha I wanted to say that). For the most part, he's a monster.

Barb Henrickson

Barb is Bill's first wife. She was born to a traditional Mormon family that doesn't believe in polygamy, and for that her relationship with her family is strained. She has had three children with Bill, and they are Sarah, Ben and Teeny. She takes things to heart in a negative way and is easily hurt. She, at times undermines the wives that have followed her. Barb accepts the polygamist lifestyle with open arms, but has problems dealing with jealousy. Oh and did I mention she's a cancer survivor?

Nicolette "Nicky" Grant

Nicky is Bill's second wife and is pretty much seen as the "bitch wife" of the three. She is Roman Grant's daughter, and at times the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. She is made to do things that are seen as morally ambiguous by both Bill and her father. She was married off to a man twice her age, who goes by the name of JJ, when she was around 13-16. She had a kid, but it was only revealed around the third or fourth season. A little part of her is still on the compound and she desperately tries to assimilate into "modern" culture.

Margene Heffman

Margene is the naive wife of the three. She originally had nothing to do with religion whatsoever and was their baby sitter. She just wants to belong because she had a father that wasn't in the picture and a dick-chasing alcoholic of a mother. She's a sweet girl and her hearts in the right place. She just wants a life of her own some times because she's young.

Alby Grant

Alby is the son of Roman Grant and the brother of Nicolette Grant. He's pure evil just like Roman Grant and wants to become the next prophet, even if it means killing or over-throwing his father. He's been involved in gay relationships and incest, but only sees them as "fooling around".

3-28-10

One of the little pleasures of being back home is that I can take pictures of people getting busted within the safety of a car. It's a more involved version of the license plate game for the most part. In San Francisco I can't be the jackass that takes pictures of people in their not-s0-finest moments; because hell, I draw the line there when it comes to being tacky. I can do tacky pretty well too if I do say so myself.
But yeah, on to something else. Today I went to a record show, which is pretty much a record swap meet that isn't extremely cheap. But I did get a Devo picture disk (eeeeee! of their 'Are We Not Men' album) and a Queers album ( 'Love Songs for the Retarded') for pretty cheap though. Then I saw The Runaways, and it was pretty good. I'm not going to lie, I kind of discounted it a little because that chick from Twilight was in it, but she did decent. She scowled and looked disturbed like she did in all her performances and it suited the role. Dakota Fanning did really well, better than expected in fact. One thing I didn't like is that they did overly artsy shots just for the sake of being artsy. True shots with meaning are ones that you really have to examine and pull apart, and perhaps watch over again, just to absorb everything. They don't scream "ARTSY SHOT THAT REALLY HAS LITTLE TO NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PLOT!". <---(I'm not too sure whether that punctuation is right or not there, but it looks better that way)
But I ain't no cinema major, so why should I be talking? Despite that it was a good movie.

3-27-10

I love meat and I could shout it from the roof tops for all I care. The cruelty and unhealthy nature of the meatpacking industry doesn't mean shit to me. I know it's wrong but the taste outweighs the negative factors. I don't really smoke or drink too often, so I just need one unhealthy habit. Well, today I went to a Brazilian "meat" house called Gauchos Village in Glendale. I went with my parents and family friends, Charla and Bob and we had a nice time to say in the least. And I ate enough red meat to make Morrissey cry. It was incredibly good. There were dancers, that were supposed to be the Brazilian kind? I saw not one Latina, and they looked like Las Vegas show girls inches away from stripper-dom.

3-26-10

On the plane back to Riverside (well technically Santa Ana, but whatever), I sat next to an Asian man that smelled like skittles. I wonder if he either: (A) just ate skittles, (B) made himself smell that way through perfume/cologne, or (C) just has the natural scent of skittles. I thought about this for most of the flight. I'm guessing either A or B, because although C is pretty cool, it just isn't feasible and might possibly suck. You know, like when you have the flu and just the smell, let alone the thought of food makes you uneasy? Smelling like skittles would suck because you would be reminded of food. And on a flu unrelated note, smelling like skittles all the time would make you hate skittles! Shit ain't cool.
But yeah, I came home to kitties and the promise of good food! Baby animals are the best. Here they are:

The whole litter.

I guess this little babe is named two-tone!

He was named Chester (after the cheeto toting cheetah). But I think a better name for him is Corky. You know because he looks and acts like he has downs (he's slower than the other kittens)! Cute little guy.

PLASMATICS - BEYOND THE VALLEY OF 1984

For the most part I really don't like many female vocalists when it comes to the genre of punk. Because for the most part, a good amount of female vocals come out incredibly weak. But this isn't the case when it comes to the Plasmatics. The late and great front woman Wendy O Williams is simply badass in it's purest form.
I was seriously expecting this band to be lacking because their track record to be buck-ass naked and smashing shit on stage. But yet again, that really wasn't the case. They're loud and fast, leaning on the repetitive side. It's pretty much the trifecta of 3-chord rock, that's in your face and at times offensive. There's an ever so slight tinge of metal to them, but I'd seriously consider this to be a punk record.
A couple of the songs on this record could seriously go without the "1,2 - fuck you!", but attitude is a big part of this band. Most of the songs are snarling and fast, but there are few that lend themselves to other genres and influences. Such songs as "Summer Nite" which in an odd way is reminiscent of The Shangri-la's "Leader of the Pack". You know the dead boyfriend with a poppy harmonized chorus, that kind of tells a story kind of song? Yeah. Other songs like "Hit Man" lend themselves more to the genre of hardcore (still snarling and fast). Then there's just fun songs like "Sex Junkie" and "Fast Food Service" that are just plain fun. Oh and the song "Plasma Jam" is a pretty decent instrumental track, if I do say so myself.
Tying things up with the last track of the album, "A Pig is a Pig" is pretty poignant. It's pretty much the typical (for the lack of a better phrase) "fuck tha police" type of song, but it has heart.
I enjoyed this album a lot and would recommend it to people with a sense of humor that aren't complete music snobs.

3-16-10: TV TUESDAY

I'm not going to lie - from time to time I do enjoy trashy "reality" television programming. Cheaters is a low budget reality show that exposes the infidelity of peoples "other halves". The guy above that looks like he could star as a jewish member in Shaft is Joey Greco. He's the host of the show that exposes the footage to the inconspicuous side in the show. He's kind of a poor mans Jerry Springer in fact. An innocent bystander that is simply there to get the non-cheating side even more pissed than they should be. Sometimes it gives hilarious results, such as this:



It gets really good over the four minute mark. With such lines as "WHATCHU RUNNING FOR HO?!" and a chase scene this is nothing short of comical. I know the woman is probably in a deep, dark place and really hurting; but I can easily look past that. Beating your significant other with flip-flops and spitting on them the way she did doesn't appeal to my emotional senses. It's the equivalent to bad, bad physical humor. Plus it's more than likely that this isn't even real!

3-15-10

Just recently I've come to the assumption that most women absolutely suck at making sandwiches. I know I do. I'm not allowed to make sandwiches for family members because frankly, I'm only capable of making a god awful sandwich. I also suck at cooking - so go figure. The all-female shift at the Cafe at Park are endowed with sub-standard sandwich making skills just as I. They just slap everything together. They don't give a hoot (trying my best not to cuss as much!). But in contrast, the all-male shift there can make a damn good sandwich. They care. They put everything together in a precise, intricate process.
I know that I'm terribly wrong to assume this, but with things like that it's hard to think otherwise (at least for me).

ELVIS COSTELLO - MY AIM IS TRUE

I'm not going to lie, I absolutely adore Elvis Costello. And this album. This is probably a terrible interpretation but I see his vocal stylings as something gravitating towards a venomous Randy Newman? Yeah.
My favorite songs off this album are probably "No Dancing", "Alison", "Less Than Zero", "Mystery Dance", and "I'm Not Angry". There's a pretty good variety of songs; I mean come on, you've got your standard fucked up love ballads ("Alison"), anti-nazi anthems ("Back to Zero"), and postmodern doo-wop songs ("No Dancing"). How could you go wrong?

3-13-10

I never knew this existed until now.

Youth Brigade was beyond excellent. Their set was pretty awesome but I wish they included more from the Sink with Kalifornjia album (I know it's spelled differently along those lines, so this will just have to suffice). But they did end on a song from that album! The album's namesake of course. After that set I was beyond fucking pleased. The Adolescents were just the cherry on top from then on.

Sarah being a dweeb! A dweeb that has a fleece sweater that turns from blue to purple! Really bad florescent lighting can be a trip I guess. I'm still baffled kind of.

The Adolescents were superb as per usual. Their set was pretty fucking excellent as far as I'm concerned. They ended with "Kids of the Black Hole" and had an encore of "Rip It Up" and "Bloodstains" . Oh, useless bit of information - the last time I saw Agent Orange they ended their set with "Bloodstains" as well. But back to the (past) task at hand. It would have been beyond spectacular if they played "I Hate Children". But they didn't - beggars can't be choosers! I think for the most part they've veered away from their most bratty songs, seeing as they're aging men.

And I totally have a fat lip right now. It isn't incredibly swollen so I guess it's a chunky lip? But it's sort of bruised. Badass right? I'm not too sure if I want it to stay or go haha.

LOU REED - ROCK N ROLL ANIMAL

I love Lou Reed. So one could venture to say that I love The Velvet Underground as well. Rock n Roll Animal is a live album featuring 5 songs that are from different parts of Lou Reed's career. I can honestly say now that this is one of my favorite live albums. EVER.
The record starts off with Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane" and then is followed by "Heroin", a song showcasing Reed's relationship with dope. You know the line, "heroin, it's my life and it's my wife"? I just have to say it's incredibly poignant.
The second side begins continues with another Velvet Underground song, "White Light/White Heat" which has a fairly aggressive start, and I love it. Then it is followed by the only song independent of The Velvet Underground on the whole disc, which is "Lady Day". Just like "Heroin" it too is about an unhealthy relationship, but one of the actual feminine variety. Then it ends with a funk-infused version of The Velvet Underground's "Rock n Roll Animal".
The band behind Lou Reed on this album is beyond excellent and puts a slightly different spin on each and every song. I could sing praise about this album until the cows come home.
But I do have one qualm - personally, I would have liked the album to be longer. That's just more of a selfish whim though.

PLANET P PROJECT - PINK WORLD

Just recently, my dad sent me this album. I've never heard of Planet P Project and had no clue of how they would sound. Before listening I cheated and researched this band and album a little bit. In my research I found out that this is a concept album about a boy named Artemis who has psychic powers and eventually becomes a messiah all in a time of possible nuclear annihilation.
Upon listening I found this to be sci-fi themed prog rock (from the eighties). In some aspects this album is a tad bit Pink Floyd-ian. It was incredibly obvious throughout the entire record that there was a story being told - and in some concept albums it's hard to decipher the general story. So that was a definite plus.
Personally I would see this as one of the most vastly underrated concept albums. Not once, in all two discs did the lyrics and artistry of the album stray from the general concept. I would venture to say that if you're heavily into concept albums you should seriously give this a listen. I know I enjoyed it.

3-9-10 : TV TUESDAY (ON A WEDNESDAY)

Eastbound and Down is about the fictional Kenny Powers, who is a fallen baseball pitcher. After his skills decrease, and his off-field antics increase he's kicked out of the league. He fails miserably at trying to live a normal life and is forced to move in with his older straight-laced, surburban brother and his family. He's forced to give up his dreams of going back into the major leagues and picks up a job as a P.E. teacher in middle school.
So basically his life is shit. And you know what? He deserves it. Kenny Powers is an arrogant red-neck with misogynistic tendencies and a habitual drug user. He clings on to the brief time that he spent in the major leagues, and if anybody asks hims he'll probably say he's the shit.
Despite the fact that the main character is so easy to hate, I really do love this show. Danny McBride as Kenny Powers is without a doubt genius. I'd throw in and talk about some of the other characters but they just don't matter in comparison to him.
The comedic timing and writing in this show is beyond excellent. If you take things to heart and just don't get the concept of an anti-hero then you should probably avoid this show. If otherwise, you should definitely check it out!

NEKROMANTIX - RETURN OF THE LOVING DEAD

I would argue that this is probably Nekromantix's best album. I'm not going to say that this album is a masterpiece, but it's fun and cheesy. Psychobilly can be very laughable, and most of the time Nekromantix takes advantage of that. Most of the songs are horror themed and I'm not complaining.
I'm also a sucker for stand-up bass, and if it's coffin-shaped that's a plus I guess? And appropriately named Kim Nekroman's creepy voice doesn't hurt either.

Here's a video of "Gargoyles Over Copenhagen", just because:

3-7-10

This is my 15 year old self trying on panties in a 99 Cent store. I was with my friend Monica and we were passing time before a show at Showcase Theatre. The Toasters were headlining with The Phenomenauts, The Guilty Parties (local ska band), The B-sharps (you guessed it, local ska band) and some god-awful band whose name I have forgotten since then. It was the first ska show (with the exception of The Phenomenauts) that I mustered up the balls to skank.
I miss ska in all it's goofy-ass glory. The Bay Area doesn't have the big ska scene that Riverside did. Most of all, I miss going out of my way to entertain myself and others. I need to do that more, if anything.

TELEVISION - MARQUEE MOON

I first heard of Television in the eighth grade. I was in love with Richard Hell & the Voidoids, and was informed that Richard Hell was in Television for a brief time. I guess he either quit or got kicked out because of creative control? It doesn't matter. Because the album is beyond excellent without regards to that fact.
I consider this to be one of the best post-punk albums (also one of the first) with excellent guitar riffs. Richard Lloyd's riffs verge on psychedelic at times, and are really intricate for the most part. Tom Verlaine's (at times swooning) voice intertwines with the guitar on such a spectacular level. I just love this album, that's all I can say.

3-6-10

Not expecting much from people really gives results. If you expect nothing you don't get hurt as often by people. And in the event when a person does something for you or follows through, it's really a pleasant surprise.
Only expecting so little of people is a mind set that is gained through past experiences. I guess a person just gets to a point where they get fed up. Breaking that emotional threshold is the best/worst thing ever because:
a) Life will suck a little less because you don't hold people to such high standards.
b) Somebody let you down COLOSSALLY .
I can say that I don't really expect that much. At times I wish I could expect even less out of people so it would make life easier. But right now life's not supposed to be easy. Sometimes growing up really sucks.

3-5-10

One thing I just can't wrap my head around is that I can watch the most vile gore, and just all around disgusting things - yet I can't stand the sound of a sloshy eater. The sound alone makes my body tense up and my gag reflex spring out of it's coil. Just a fact for you there.
This week I've been perpetually tired. For once I just want to be fully awake! I love sleep, and I'm just not getting any no matter how hard I try.

*NOTE: NO MORE BITCH-FESTS FOR THE REST OF THE MONTH! It's an easy-out that I shouldn't be taking advantage of so frequently.*

3-4-10

AT SFSU:

Graveyard of cancelled classes.

Part of the DIY t-shirt station


AT THE CIVIC CENTER:

SFSU heading towards the epicenter of the rally

A blurry picture, but it shows the best dick-related sign of the day.

Channel 7's "live shot" of the rally at Civic Center