Blog Ranger

Once: A Great "Little" Movie

Every once in a while I like to go off the beaten path and pick up a movie that I know nothing about.  This Xmas break the movie was Once (2006).

Once is a great little movie.  What I mean by "little" is the movie isn't motivated by spectacle.  There is no "one ring to rule them all" nor is there one man struggling in his lab to save humanity from flesh eating zombies. Rather, Once is a story about the human experience.  The Director John Carney does a great job of mixing together hand held video cameras and standard studio cameras.  The combination of the two is very powerful allowing you at times to feel like your almost looking over someone's shoulder into the scene.

Did I mention the movie is a musical?  Well, it didn't really dawn on me until I was reading the other reviews on IMDB that this is technically true.  This isn't a "Music Man" or  even a "Moulin Rouge" but rather a simple story (girl meets boy, boy likes girl, girl is complicated, boy is complicated, etc) infused with some exceptional musical performances.

Does 50 Cent Luv Hillary Swank?: A Tivo SNL Breakdown

I just got done watching the end of the new SNL that aired on Feb 19th with host Hillary Swank and musical guest 50 Cent. Overall, another mediocre episode, save one very funny skit at the beginning about Botox.

Anyhow, as I was watching the closing credits on the show it seemed that 50 cent couldn't keep himself from trying to kiss Hillary Swank. For the most part he was unsuccessful, ending up with multiple kisses to the side of her head. Since it was tivoed I went back and watched it again just to see if it was nearly as strange as it ? to be in real time.

Here we go:

Frame 1: Prior to Swank leaning over in his direction, 50 makes a "kiss" move reminiscent of a bad date and ends up smacking the side of her head.

Frame 2: The official "fake" showbiz kiss. Swanks turns towards 50 and politely gives him a peck on the cheek.

Frame 3: As she turns away 50 decides that he will "plant another" on the side of her head.

Frame 4: Swank is now officially back directly at the camera and 50 decides to once again kiss the side of her head.

Frame 5: Prior to cutting to a wider shot of the cast, the camera cuts away right before 50 kisses her head again.

So have I lost my mind or does it seem strange to anyone else that 50 cent kisses Hillary Swank's hair/head four times in less then 20 seconds?

Ah...poor 50 cent...where is the luv?

Loving the Airport Express Music Streaming Capability

One of the classic drawbacks to listening to music in iTunes in the past has been that you HAD to listen to the music on a computer or iPod. While both of these have great mobility features they lack the true audiophile experience of having your "good speakers" and receiver deal with the music. On top of that, why not buy CDs and rip them to mp3 so you can play them at home, as opposed to buying mp3 that are difficult to play on home stereo equipment?

Apple decided to step up to this challenge and built one of there new Airport devices, the Airport Express to address this challenge. The Airport Express is basically a basestation that not only provides 802.11 capability and will act as a wireless bridge for up to 10 users but also supports music streaming from a user collection stored in iTunes. Greater technical detail on the software can be found at the iPod lounge review of the Airport Express.

Blogging the Bowl: The Geritol Half Time Show

Well, they certainly won't have any controversy with the Geritol half-time show.

Paul McCartney used to be a rocker...but he was never John Lennon. He's safe, you could honestly invite him over to meet your parents.

First song done...and we are talking BORING.

Give me U2...or all the Beatles, or even Wings...or actually anything but this...it is just LAME. Actually to give him some of his due...he is a legend and it's clear that he isn't lip sinking. But what little energy.

Oh no...the jacket has come out...and now the piano...ick...james bond theme song. The rocking cover of this done by Guns and Roses. Obligatory fireworks...for no apparent reason.

I believe this may be the half-time big "O" climax. What do you do after all the confetti.

Oh my god...its a stadium sing-along. Hey jude...initially written by Lennon for his son Julian. This is so phenomenally bad. My iTunes music visualizer has about as many pointless moving lights as the stadium does at this point.

It's the light rock half-time superbowl from Geritol, next year I predict nothing but Musiac.

Wow...the superbowl in the round, Paul McCartney has been reduced to a high-school music teacher trying to get the crowd to sing on cue. What the hell does the Statute of Liberty have to do with Hey Jude? (Big visual image during the song).

Looks like it could be over...I hate Don Mischer. He is responsible for the travesty that I just saw. If there is any sense of balance in the universe his head will blow later this evening.

The half time show was like a first kiss with your mouth closed and a first cousin as the object of your affection...wrong on so many levels.

My Purdue Experience Fallen from the album "Live Acoustic EP 2003" by Sarah McLachlan

Now that I'm a few months away from what became my Purdue experience I can tell anyone who cares that the song that best sums up my experience is what I'm listening to right now.

Beautiful Day from the album "The Complete U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind" by U2

This is the song I am currently listening to...

Are the Who a Bit Creepy?

Is it just me or does anyone else find it a bit creepy that the Who released the new "Real Good Looking Boy" song on their "The Who Then and Now" album given all of the controversy surrounding Pete Townsend?

After all, if your brought in by Scottland Yard for questioning related to child pornography perhaps you want to stay away from the leering child song titles on your next release.

Zen

The Apple Music Store: My First Purchase

I made my first purchase this evening from the Apple Music Store. I'm really not much into the mp3 scene. My bias against it is based on a few things: 1) I don't have a mobile mp3 player and as such the only place I really play them is on the Apple laptop. 2) I'm remarkably lazy and find it easier to buy a CD or turn on the radio over ripping songs or trying to put together my own mix. 3) I recently purchased a portable XM satellite radio and have to continually justify the $14 a month subscription I am playing :)

The Apple Store is well set-up from an interface perspective and it is remarkably easy (almost too much too) to grab music from the store and download it to your personal computer. At only 99 cents a song it's hard to go wrong.