11.30.2007

Shin Splints, the "other" Gore, and Halo 3

Damn, I've just scored some new running kicks in hopes that my shin splints will subside! I've never been intimately privy to the torture discomfort and difficulty of shin splints. All the years (off and on) I've been running, and now- at 28- I go and get shin splints, haha! I should digress however- there are far more worrisome ailments for me to have acquired.

I'm going to take a moment to spread the vision of a news network I feel "gets it right". The Real News Network is a no bullshit network of journalists that treat news and human involvement with integrity and fairness. Socrates once proclaimed, "the unexamined life is not worth living", and I believe TRNN helps society become informed... Jefferson said, "Democracy cannot survive, much less thrive, without an informed citizenry.” And to that I say go read some real news, not fake manipulations of news and celebrity gossip...
... the correlation to that anecdote is this:
Gore Vidal, whom I enjoy listening to, has a great interview on TRNN. As always with Mr. Vidal it's a candid, witty, and deep take on government, media, history, and the world in general.

And still taking up much of my non-reading free time is Halo 3! The fun, excitement, and depth of the multiplayer aspects of this game are neverending- not to mention the incredible stat-tracking at bungie.net! It's fun to have friends to play with- and thusly many many great games have been played as a result. Go Halo 3, for monopolizing my gaming time for the better part of 2 months!!

Peace
AM Son

11.27.2007

NPR's Best Albums of 2007

All Songs Considered

Go vote at NPR's "All Songs Considered" for best albums of 2007.

Will it be Ritter or Band of Horses, McCartney or Neil Young, Wilco or The National, Kanye West or Saul Williams, Radiohead of Interpol... the list is endless....

Go vote @ NPR!

Peace
AM Son

11.23.2007

Black Friday

Before I begin, let me announce that it is National Buy Nothing Day!

I post this each year on Black Friday... with some variation in my anecdotal thoughts and ramblings. The haiku is the same, the "afterword" may have changed slightly:


An Haiku
(November 2004)

Gluttony part two
Our table tops are clean now
Shopping can commense


It seems that gift giving in the "season of giving" has become a compulsory orthodoxy. No? Explain to me the mad dash to outlet stores and strip malls at wee hours of the AM each Friday after Turducken day.
See, it’s just that I loathe with a passion the whole “it’s Christmas season, go spend money” thing. I hate it, it’s so superficial and backwards… but this society is stuck in this “thing” up to our botox inflated eyebrows and foreheads. To be honest, I’m not in disagreement with showering those you love with favors, gifts, and niceties, but why can’t we do it all year, every month, rather than buying each person 12-15 boxes of stuff all for one semi-agreed-upon-day. This notion only perpetuates unhappiness and ungratefulness with those gifts we receive. If we were to spend the same effort, attention, and money on one special gift or offering maybe once a month or so, the effort would be much more appreciated and recognized. Theres something to be said for the spontaneity of a random gift, or the invigoration of a spurr of the moment idea. Maybe I’m wrong… but I just believe the whole “gift giving on a certain day” is out of control. Everything we see in this society, from Thanksgiving to Christmas, is in some way fashioned or tethered to this “capitalistic, superficial, materialistic” notion of gift splurge. We could better use our time and finances (as a nation) to come closer together and more tolerant of ourselves as a “national unit”- for we are still a divided, rifted nation.
I love the holiday spirit as much as the next guy/ girl- but I lean more towards the holiday we just tossed in the trash- Thanksgiving. Now that’s a time of sharing and togetherness! We eat together, we sleep together, we watch football together, we decorate and cook together, but most of all… we don’t feel the need to spend exorbitant amounts of money on “stuff”.
So the above Haiku attempts to explain what I feel is the paradox of Black Friday- the irony with which we disembark on a great family tradition like Thanksgiving, and turn our focus to the "art" and science of spending money....

11.17.2007

Open Source is back!

Open Source with Christopher Lydon

Great news- my favorite radio show/ podcast- Open Source- is back from a summer hiatus! In an attempt to gain funding and start anew under different parameters, Open Source Radio is back "online"!

Christopher Lydon, the host of this great show, is an engaging and brilliant man. He, along with Bill Moyers of PBS are unparalleled in the world of public education outreach and commentating (journalistic) vision.

If you've never experienced Radio Open Source, go check it out either on public radio or as a podcast. If you hunger for knowledge and thirst for a good conversation, you can't go wrong here.
Finally, my podcast playlist can be complete again!

Peace
AM Son

11.14.2007

A Solar Solution for the Masses?

Fresno Solar Carports

Don't know if you all are into alternative energy and whatnot, but check this out.
Think about it, solar energy is the intended goal and byproduct- whereas daytime shade is an unintended but welcomed byproduct of the solar structures!! Seems like a totally harmonious symbiosis to me... come on UMass and others (shopping centers maybe...) to jump on this bandwagon! I mean, if you could park your vehicle in the shade while dropping into EB, Home Depot, Wally World (well, who goes there anyway lol), Stop & Shop, etc and at the same time be benefitting from clean/ renewable energy then what more can you want.... other than plugging in your E- car into those solar carport things!!!
Alright, rant/ ramble over...
Peace

11.13.2007

The Crickets Lept Up and Met the Moon With a Standing Ovation

Album Review:

Josh Ritter- "The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter"
Not song by song, but certain songs are analyzed.

Ritter's '06 effort "Animal Years" was one of my favorites of last year. It crept up and snagged my soul out of nowhere, and is a classic to me now. He's the real deal!

On to the tracks...

"To the Dogs or Whatever" is a great folk story song in the vain of Dylan or Springsteen. The tempo is that of a rail car clicking along the tracks in the middle of the night. Yep, it's a foot tapper!! It's got imagery to compete with any artist/ storyteller/ poet or liar... it's pure songwriting and lyrical goodness here. The spit-fire delivery of his vocals couples well with the songs pace, making for an enjoyable and melodic jaunt through a cacophony of noise- good noise!

"Minds Eye" is an eerie proclamation of a guy who has his mind set on something- or maybe even someone. This track moves at its own deliberate pace- it's got its fits and starts, and has a low key and plodding approach, which is memorable if for nothing else than its stark contrast to the album opener. A great atmospheric track, which shows the melancholy way a soul can display its intentions.

"Right Moves" is one of the best songs on the disc. it has a 70's pop/ 80's country feel to it, (which if thought to much about may even ruin the songs impression) and just feels good and right. It's a sing-along tune for sure, one that will get stuck in your head. Lyrics such as Am I making all the right moves/ Am I singing you the right blues/ Is there a chance that I could call you/ Just to see how you are doing? let you into the train of thought here... it's a love song seemingly told from a hopeful love, a lost lover, a lover's memory, or even a heartbroken fool. Either way, it's a great sounding folk/ pop song that will surely make your mood lighten.

"Rumors" makes you immediately want to think back to 70's era Fleetwood Mac, but once the music starts you'll throw that idea directly out the nearest window. There's some nice Billy Joel piano and moody horns that set this creepy mood- the songs strong point for certain. Lyrically, there's a lot to like here.... Mr. Ritter takes you from questions to statements and back again; all the while painting a bleak picture with images and lyrcis like
And the string section's screaming/ Like horses in a barn burning up and
He's impaling the front row/ Fighting fires with arrows /And he'll act like he forgot you /But the music's never loud enough
Seems like the message here is about pumping ones own chest, not giving way to a contender, and eschewing all notions of a humble creator... a complete deviation from what Ritter has shown himself to be. Here's where Josh gets down to business and just plain rocks- complete with allegory, hyperbole, and "made up stuff"!

A beautiful little instrumental follows called "Edge of the World". This is set perfectly at the mid point of this disc, setting apart all the intended imagery, emotion, and mood... letting the listener carefully create his own allusions to a far away place. It's light, it's got legs if need be, and it's sweet to the ears.

.........

I'll save the rest of the individual tracks for you to figure out and explore/ enjoy/ review/ decide! This album really brings it musically. There's a sonic experience here for everyone- from hard hitting and poignant Dylan-esque jibber-jabber; to 70's era glam-pop; all the way to soft whispering sensitive folk music. This characterization may lend itself to a chaotic and scattered pace and thought, but Ritter proves otherwise. His talent and knack for crafting a song shines through- it's all refined here, there's no area left un-perfected. This aspect has been called Ritter's Achilles in the past, with detractors pointing to his perfectionist mentality and "all too smooth and refined" quality of craftsmanship that leaves the songs sounding hallow and cold. I disagree with these retorts on premise alone- I'm not about to chastise an artist for being too good!

Give it a listen, you're sure to be delighted. I've found myself lost in the sentimentality of some of the tracks, while also banging my fists on the steering wheel in exhilaration of others. It's these swift changes in pace and style that really appeal to me, and I believe it'll be those same qualities that will appeal to others as well.


So there ya have it, my review of- at this point- my favorite album of 2007. There's been a few challengers, and there's sure to be more. There's been some sleepers as well, such as Saul Williams'
"The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust." A few more sleepers include:
Aesop Rock- "None Shall Pass"
El-P- "I'll Sleep When You're Dead"
Shane Nicholson- "Faith and Science"
The National- "Boxer"
Arcade Fire- "Neon Bible"
....and a few others....

Ok, I'm out....
Peace
AM Son