...and as you've probably noticed, I'll be less and less active with regards to posting to my blog. Whenever I can consistently work less than 75-80 hours per week I will get back into the swing of things.
I hope that's sooner rather than later.
Take care,
AM Son
2.22.2009
Zakaria Always a Voice of Reason
Here's a short article/ interview with Fareed Zakaria about the recovery/ stimulus plans. Zakaria is a foreign affairs analyst (and IMHO Genius) who always seems to think rather than react. I like his long-term style over the the instant gratification that many of the analysts du jour are peddling.
Note: I'm a biased Fareed Zakaria fan, but I still cannot help but view the current economic situation in similar terms as he. We must be deliberate, strong, and wise- not hasty, reactionary, and accusatory.
Peace
AM Son
Note: I'm a biased Fareed Zakaria fan, but I still cannot help but view the current economic situation in similar terms as he. We must be deliberate, strong, and wise- not hasty, reactionary, and accusatory.
Peace
AM Son
2.20.2009
1.22.2009
Welcome President Obama!
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="611" caption="Obama in a moment of pause"]
[/caption]
We have a new President... and that makes me very happy! Congratulations President Obama!
Peace
AM Son
[/caption]We have a new President... and that makes me very happy! Congratulations President Obama!
Peace
AM Son
1.18.2009
Disappointment? Are you crazy?
In one of his final press conferences as President, George W. Bush was asked about and discussed many of the events that transpired during his tenure as President. Here's a direct quote from ol' Georgey, where he responded to a question about weather or not he made mistakes during his 8 years:
So wait. Let me get this straight. He thinks it was a "disappointment" that Saddam didn't have any WMD's? A disappointment? Are you kidding me?
So, if I'm understanding this phrasing and direction of thought, George W. Bush- one of the most powerful men in the free world- would rather have found out that one of the most cruel and savage dictators of our time had the means with which to kill many millions of innocent people with one push of a button? Is that right? Bush would have been comforted to know that there were WMD's in Iraq? Ok, I get it... I get it now... it's all clear to me now: he's disappointed that he had no good reason for war. The fact that they weren't there upsets him- he's disappointed. In other words, the WMD's were a means to an end... haha, silly me, and I thought the war was because of the WMD's.
There's only one way to perceive this information...
You, Mr. President, are the disappointment!
(2 more days...)
Peace
AM Son
Question: And I'm not trying to play "gotcha," but I wonder, when you look back over the long arc of your presidency, do you think, in retrospect, that you have made any mistakes? And if so, what is the single biggest mistake that you may have made?
Answer: There have been disappointments. Abu Ghraib obviously was a huge disappointment during the presidency. Not having weapons of mass destruction was a significant disappointment. I don't know if you want to call those mistakes or not, but they were -- things didn't go according to plan, let's put it that way.
So wait. Let me get this straight. He thinks it was a "disappointment" that Saddam didn't have any WMD's? A disappointment? Are you kidding me?
So, if I'm understanding this phrasing and direction of thought, George W. Bush- one of the most powerful men in the free world- would rather have found out that one of the most cruel and savage dictators of our time had the means with which to kill many millions of innocent people with one push of a button? Is that right? Bush would have been comforted to know that there were WMD's in Iraq? Ok, I get it... I get it now... it's all clear to me now: he's disappointed that he had no good reason for war. The fact that they weren't there upsets him- he's disappointed. In other words, the WMD's were a means to an end... haha, silly me, and I thought the war was because of the WMD's.
There's only one way to perceive this information...
You, Mr. President, are the disappointment!
(2 more days...)
Peace
AM Son
1.13.2009
Moyers speaks with Leo Gerard
In light of the economic difficulties across the nation as well as Obama's pending inauguration, I thought the following video segment to be pertinent and powerful. Take 25 minutes out of your day and enjoy!
Bill Moyers, one of my favorite journalists, sits down with Leo Gerard- president of the United Steelworkers (USW). This is a very good interview, with information that I tend to agree with overall. And to boot, Gerard comes through with one of the most powerful uses of antimetabole/ chiasmus I've ever heard!
Gerard has a great "listenable" quality about him. Weather it's due to his cool Canadien accent or his patient and affable demeanor, he is pleasant to listen to and not overly confrontational or condescending.
Hopefully there isn't too much to chew on here- I know it's a lot of video watching.
Take care and Peace
AM Son
Bill Moyers, one of my favorite journalists, sits down with Leo Gerard- president of the United Steelworkers (USW). This is a very good interview, with information that I tend to agree with overall. And to boot, Gerard comes through with one of the most powerful uses of antimetabole/ chiasmus I've ever heard!
those people were prepared to bail out the people who had to shower before they went to work, but didn't give a damn about the people who had to shower after work
Gerard has a great "listenable" quality about him. Weather it's due to his cool Canadien accent or his patient and affable demeanor, he is pleasant to listen to and not overly confrontational or condescending.
Hopefully there isn't too much to chew on here- I know it's a lot of video watching.
Take care and Peace
AM Son
1.07.2009
(the obligatory) Best Of '08
It's a little late but still apropos to the flipping of the calendar. Here's my "best of" list for 2008- I'll cover my favorite music, TV, books, podcasts, movies, and games of the past year:
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="For Emma, Forever Ago"]
[/caption]
This was an easy pick for me, which is unusual because I normally don't settle on one album very easily. The irony of this pick is that the album was released in 2007 by an independent label and then re-released in February 2008 "to the masses". After several listens I pretty much had decided that it would take an opus from a contender to knock this album from the spot of my favorite of 2008.
And that album is:
For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver
This unknown artist took me completely by surprise last winter. I had heard several clips of these songs through the All Songs Considered Blog written by Bob Boilen at NPR, but until I downloaded the complete album I could have no idea how this collection of finely crafted songs could impact my musical palette.
To generalize, it's folk music, but it's a whole hell of a lot more than that. There's a haunting aspect of the songs and their feel. There's ephemeral moments that I wish would last forever, and at times the lyrics are sung in such a way and with such harmony with the music that I'm almost moved to tears. No matter how many times I hear these individual moments or the disc as a whole, it never affects me any less. Bon Iver runs the gamut of emotions here, from soaring moments of seeming exaltation to clear pain and suffering.
This is a lovely album, a powerful album, and a collection that should be heard by all!
Go see the Metacritic entry for this album.
Atmosphere- "When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold"
Slug & Ant are back, with another solid hip-hop album- this one about being a father... complete with nursery chimes and electric steel slide guitars! Yep!
John Mellencamp- "Life, Death, Love, Freedom"
Mellencamp is quality. He's an honest, emotional, and gifted songwriter and storyteller- definitely one of the greatest rockers of all time, and this album helps that claim.
Conor Oberst- "Conor Oberst"
His first album minus the "Bright Eyes" moniker. This is a great romp- with fun singalongs, terrific melodies, and fun chorus'.
My Morning Jacket- "Evil Urges"
The Peanut Butter Pudding Surprise does not work perfectly well, but it doesn't fall on its face either. The bearded and long haired boys are back and just as musical and energetic as ever.
Okkervil River- "The Stand Ins"
A new artist to me, these literate songsmiths are adept musicians and lyricists. Great melody, fierce satire, and rocking rock songs!
The Mountain Goats- "Heretic Pride"
Another more-than-solid effort from John Darnielle (& Co.) that returns the subtle lyricism and gentle guitars that have made them (him) so good for so long!
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="The Wire"]
[/caption]
The Wire (HBO)
This show has left a mark upon me. It's tainted how I perceive every other television show I watch- quite frankly, nothing else compares. It's sad that this show is over, because it was powerful, deep, well acted, intense, well written, inspiring, thought provoking, and so much more...
I don't know if there's ever been a villain TV character that has garnered as much love as Omar Little. I don't know how much more polarizing a guy like Jimmy McNulty could ever be- sometimes he was loved, and most of the time he was despised by all of those around him (including the audience). Detective Lester Freamon was a likable guy, one who I think most viewers respected and rooted for. Even supporting characters were front and center most of the time- with just as powerful and important roles as the "stars". I could go on and on... but with this show, "all the pieces matter"!
If you like good television, watch this show!! I'm not a fan of crime dramas and I don't watch much actual TV, but this show hooked me from the start. So sad that it has to be over...
Totally Rad Show- (free downoad from Revision 3 or on iTunes) It's 3 totally rad dudes who review movies, videogames, tv, and comics. Hilarious, intelligent, informative, and well produced! If not for The Wire, this could very well have won the top spot- despite the fact that it's not a "true TV show"!
Fareed Zakaria GPS- a new show on CNN (also available in podcast form) that involves host Fareed Zakaria interviewing politicians both foreign and domestic. He includes roundtable discussions that reflect a worldly view of politics and global affairs. I like Mr. Zakaria, he's a tremendous scholar and more than adequate interviewer.
Firefly- can't believe I missed this show a few years back. It's "sci-fi meets western". It's almost perfect- with great dialogue, cool sci-fi effects and great atmosphere. There are well done and well reasoned action scenes, great characters, and an interesting and easy to follow storyline.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="249" caption="The Post American World"]
[/caption]
(I have a confession to make- as far as book reading went, it was a slow year for me in 2008. I only read 3 full books. I think I spent a lot of time paying attention and reading about the election, the economic crisis, preparing myself to say good riddance to GW, and also played more video games this fall than usual...)
The Post American World by Fareed Zakaria
By no means am I an expert on foreign relations, foreign economic policy, globalization, emerging national powers, or history. But I will state this- Fareed Zakaria is brilliant! In this amazing book, he lays out the foundation for what this planet will look and feel like once American domination in world affairs plateaus or recedes. His anecdotes and explanations are surprisingly tangible, informative, interesting, and powerful. He knows his stuff- that's for damn sure. And he knows how to convey this new way of thinking in a digestible manner. I know one thing, America better get itself together or China, India, Brazil, and others are more than ready to take our place as preeminent world power. (Note: Zakaria makes this list twice, the only person/ thing that can claim such status this year!!)
The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
Weather you're for or against Obama, this is a worthy and insightful look into him as a person as well as a politician. (Read my review from late 2008)
Moyers On Democracy by Bill Moyers
Bill Moyers is one of my favorite and most respected political/ social commentators. His book is a collection of speeches and addresses he's given over the years- and while it is very good, it can tend to be a bit repetitive. Very good!
Hot, Flat, & Crowded by Thomas Friedman (I haven't read this yet, but Friedman is one of my favorite authors and columnists, so I'd be surprised if this book were to disappoint me.)
I listen to many podcasts each week, and the simplest way to judge my favorites seems to be to select those which I "skip" the least. In other words, some days I find myself not necessarily wanting to listen to a particular show. I've listed those from my listening routine that I skip the least...
Slate's Political Gabfest- Emily Bazelon, John Dickeson, and David Plotz do a terrific job of summarizing the previous weeks political news. There's always good insight, intelligent humor, great discussion and argument, and even lighthearted "cocktail chatter"!
NPR's All Songs Considered- I love NPR. Bob Boilen is a great music commentator. They play great new music. What more is there to like!?
Xbox Live's Major Nelson Radio- Larry Hyrb (gamertag: Major Nelson) works for Microsoft on the Xbox Live team. He shares weekly updates and information about Xbox games and news. Perfect!
NPR's It's All Politics- Ken Rudin and Ron Elving talk about the week's political news. It's humorous, short, and well informed. Must not miss!
FORA.tv Audio Program of the Week- Fora.tv is a great sight to watch seminars, speeches, panel discussions and other educational events from such institutions as The Brookings Institution, Hoover Institution, and C-SPAN. I'm always pleasantly surprised by what I can learn here...
On The Media- A program from radio station WNYC that offers great news and information from the world of media- such as reports on how media affects society, how it is consumed and delivered, as well as discussions of past, present, and future media relations and anecdotes. Oh, "and edited by Brooke..."
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Visitor"]
[/caption]
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="338" caption="Outsourced"]
[/caption]
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="280" caption="Fable II"]
[/caption]
Best Music/ Album/ CD of 2008
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="For Emma, Forever Ago"]
[/caption]This was an easy pick for me, which is unusual because I normally don't settle on one album very easily. The irony of this pick is that the album was released in 2007 by an independent label and then re-released in February 2008 "to the masses". After several listens I pretty much had decided that it would take an opus from a contender to knock this album from the spot of my favorite of 2008.
And that album is:
For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver
This unknown artist took me completely by surprise last winter. I had heard several clips of these songs through the All Songs Considered Blog written by Bob Boilen at NPR, but until I downloaded the complete album I could have no idea how this collection of finely crafted songs could impact my musical palette.
To generalize, it's folk music, but it's a whole hell of a lot more than that. There's a haunting aspect of the songs and their feel. There's ephemeral moments that I wish would last forever, and at times the lyrics are sung in such a way and with such harmony with the music that I'm almost moved to tears. No matter how many times I hear these individual moments or the disc as a whole, it never affects me any less. Bon Iver runs the gamut of emotions here, from soaring moments of seeming exaltation to clear pain and suffering.
This is a lovely album, a powerful album, and a collection that should be heard by all!
Go see the Metacritic entry for this album.
Runners Up for Album of the Year: (in no special order)
Atmosphere- "When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold"
Slug & Ant are back, with another solid hip-hop album- this one about being a father... complete with nursery chimes and electric steel slide guitars! Yep!
John Mellencamp- "Life, Death, Love, Freedom"
Mellencamp is quality. He's an honest, emotional, and gifted songwriter and storyteller- definitely one of the greatest rockers of all time, and this album helps that claim.
Conor Oberst- "Conor Oberst"
His first album minus the "Bright Eyes" moniker. This is a great romp- with fun singalongs, terrific melodies, and fun chorus'.
My Morning Jacket- "Evil Urges"
The Peanut Butter Pudding Surprise does not work perfectly well, but it doesn't fall on its face either. The bearded and long haired boys are back and just as musical and energetic as ever.
Okkervil River- "The Stand Ins"
A new artist to me, these literate songsmiths are adept musicians and lyricists. Great melody, fierce satire, and rocking rock songs!
The Mountain Goats- "Heretic Pride"
Another more-than-solid effort from John Darnielle (& Co.) that returns the subtle lyricism and gentle guitars that have made them (him) so good for so long!
Best TV Series of the Year (not necessarily aired in 2008, but I watched it in 2008)
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="The Wire"]
[/caption]The Wire (HBO)
This show has left a mark upon me. It's tainted how I perceive every other television show I watch- quite frankly, nothing else compares. It's sad that this show is over, because it was powerful, deep, well acted, intense, well written, inspiring, thought provoking, and so much more...
I don't know if there's ever been a villain TV character that has garnered as much love as Omar Little. I don't know how much more polarizing a guy like Jimmy McNulty could ever be- sometimes he was loved, and most of the time he was despised by all of those around him (including the audience). Detective Lester Freamon was a likable guy, one who I think most viewers respected and rooted for. Even supporting characters were front and center most of the time- with just as powerful and important roles as the "stars". I could go on and on... but with this show, "all the pieces matter"!
If you like good television, watch this show!! I'm not a fan of crime dramas and I don't watch much actual TV, but this show hooked me from the start. So sad that it has to be over...
Runners Up for Best TV Series of the year (in no particular order)
Totally Rad Show- (free downoad from Revision 3 or on iTunes) It's 3 totally rad dudes who review movies, videogames, tv, and comics. Hilarious, intelligent, informative, and well produced! If not for The Wire, this could very well have won the top spot- despite the fact that it's not a "true TV show"!
Fareed Zakaria GPS- a new show on CNN (also available in podcast form) that involves host Fareed Zakaria interviewing politicians both foreign and domestic. He includes roundtable discussions that reflect a worldly view of politics and global affairs. I like Mr. Zakaria, he's a tremendous scholar and more than adequate interviewer.
Firefly- can't believe I missed this show a few years back. It's "sci-fi meets western". It's almost perfect- with great dialogue, cool sci-fi effects and great atmosphere. There are well done and well reasoned action scenes, great characters, and an interesting and easy to follow storyline.
Best Book of 2008
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="249" caption="The Post American World"]
[/caption](I have a confession to make- as far as book reading went, it was a slow year for me in 2008. I only read 3 full books. I think I spent a lot of time paying attention and reading about the election, the economic crisis, preparing myself to say good riddance to GW, and also played more video games this fall than usual...)
The Post American World by Fareed Zakaria
By no means am I an expert on foreign relations, foreign economic policy, globalization, emerging national powers, or history. But I will state this- Fareed Zakaria is brilliant! In this amazing book, he lays out the foundation for what this planet will look and feel like once American domination in world affairs plateaus or recedes. His anecdotes and explanations are surprisingly tangible, informative, interesting, and powerful. He knows his stuff- that's for damn sure. And he knows how to convey this new way of thinking in a digestible manner. I know one thing, America better get itself together or China, India, Brazil, and others are more than ready to take our place as preeminent world power. (Note: Zakaria makes this list twice, the only person/ thing that can claim such status this year!!)
Runners Up for Best Book of 2008
The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
Weather you're for or against Obama, this is a worthy and insightful look into him as a person as well as a politician. (Read my review from late 2008)
Moyers On Democracy by Bill Moyers
Bill Moyers is one of my favorite and most respected political/ social commentators. His book is a collection of speeches and addresses he's given over the years- and while it is very good, it can tend to be a bit repetitive. Very good!
Hot, Flat, & Crowded by Thomas Friedman (I haven't read this yet, but Friedman is one of my favorite authors and columnists, so I'd be surprised if this book were to disappoint me.)
Best Podcast(s) of 2008 (No clear Winner for'08)
I listen to many podcasts each week, and the simplest way to judge my favorites seems to be to select those which I "skip" the least. In other words, some days I find myself not necessarily wanting to listen to a particular show. I've listed those from my listening routine that I skip the least...
Slate's Political Gabfest- Emily Bazelon, John Dickeson, and David Plotz do a terrific job of summarizing the previous weeks political news. There's always good insight, intelligent humor, great discussion and argument, and even lighthearted "cocktail chatter"!
NPR's All Songs Considered- I love NPR. Bob Boilen is a great music commentator. They play great new music. What more is there to like!?
Xbox Live's Major Nelson Radio- Larry Hyrb (gamertag: Major Nelson) works for Microsoft on the Xbox Live team. He shares weekly updates and information about Xbox games and news. Perfect!
NPR's It's All Politics- Ken Rudin and Ron Elving talk about the week's political news. It's humorous, short, and well informed. Must not miss!
FORA.tv Audio Program of the Week- Fora.tv is a great sight to watch seminars, speeches, panel discussions and other educational events from such institutions as The Brookings Institution, Hoover Institution, and C-SPAN. I'm always pleasantly surprised by what I can learn here...
On The Media- A program from radio station WNYC that offers great news and information from the world of media- such as reports on how media affects society, how it is consumed and delivered, as well as discussions of past, present, and future media relations and anecdotes. Oh, "and edited by Brooke..."
Best Movie of 2008
(Another disclaimer: I don't watch a lot of movies. I didn't watch many in 2008 that were actually released in 2008. Because of this, I'm going to list two movies- neither was necessarily released in 2008. Sorry.)
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Visitor"]
[/caption]The Visitor- a good story about 3 strangers who live together and become friends despite the fact that 2 of them have a secret... (I'm not interested in spoiling) It's a story filled with emotion and uplifting feelings.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="338" caption="Outsourced"]
[/caption]Outsourced- a story about a telephone product salesman who finds that his job has been outsourced. He is sent to India to train his replacements and finds more than he expected in this foreign land. I loved this movie- it seemed to be an accurate representation of the situation and India in general. A very warm film with many appealing qualities.
Best Video Game of 2008
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="280" caption="Fable II"]
[/caption]Fable II- a fun adventure/ RPG game that has you assume the role of a small boy in search of the evil that killed his sister. Your actions matter- the way you communicate and interact with people and the world all have an affect on the way the game plays out. In the end, to be good or to be evil isn't the only question however... it's more about how to achieve your goals while balancing that good/ evil perception. Fun, deep, and engrossing, there wasn't another game in 2008 that engulfed me quite like Fable II. It's not perfect- I wish there was a more in depth communication method with fellow citizens and your family, and I wish the story didn't feel so short. In the end however, the positives outweigh the negatives by a long shot here.
Runners Up for Best Video Game of 2008
Call of Duty: World at War- this game could have won the award, but the story mode just wasn't as engrossing as I would have liked. The very strong multiplayer has kept this game in my tray for a long while now.
Little Big Planet- if I told you that in 2008 a platform game a la Mario or Zelda would make my list for best games of the year, you'd probably think I was in some sort of time warp. Well, there's no time warp, but yes a "platformer" made this list. Little Big Planet is revolutionary, it's going to change the gaming landscape in so many ways... believe it! And Sack Boy is so damn cute!
Grand Theft Auto IV- probably the most highly anticipated game in a long time, and it did a fairly good job of living up to the hype. At the end of the day however, I just get sick of the stupid driving, chasing, and racing missions. Isn't there any other way to unfurl the story...? You listening Rockstar?
Dead Space- a newcomer to the games lineup, this was a great surprise for many gamers in '08. Survival Horror isn't quite my thing, so it loses points there, but it's a very well executed game that tells a very compelling story.
MLB '08: The Show- there isn't a sports game that compares to the MLB: The Show series. It's got realistic simulation down almost flawlessly, and does so many things that stand out. If it weren't for the fact that my interest for sports games ebbs and flows with the relevant season, this game may have taken top honors.
So there ya have it- my favorites of '08!
Let me know if you agree or disagree, or if you want to have a conversation about it all.
Thanks for reading...
Peace
AM Son
Need More Snow!
[caption id="attachment_286" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="My feet on some actual packed snow"]
[/caption]
Em and I went snowshoeing last Sunday for the first time in '09, and I gotta say...
WE NEED MORE SNOW!!
[caption id="attachment_287" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Caught Em turning around!"]
[/caption]
It was a nice time, but there were too many bare spots and areas where twigs, leaves, and other debris were coming through the thin layer of snow.
I hear there's a storm on its way for Saturday... lets hope so!
Seeya
AM Son
[/caption]Em and I went snowshoeing last Sunday for the first time in '09, and I gotta say...
WE NEED MORE SNOW!!
[caption id="attachment_287" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Caught Em turning around!"]
[/caption]It was a nice time, but there were too many bare spots and areas where twigs, leaves, and other debris were coming through the thin layer of snow.
I hear there's a storm on its way for Saturday... lets hope so!
Seeya
AM Son
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