Crappy Taxidermy

Words fail me….I mean just look at….ok….you see the thing about this site that blows me away is……ok…just look at the photo below and click on it for more.

Enjoy…..as much as you can enjoy something like this. Again…words fail me.

“The most thrilling of all known pursuits!”

Here is a list of authors I have wanted to read but for one reason or another I have simply not had the motivation to pick up:

• John Irving
• Ian McEwan
• Gabriel García Márquez
• John Updike
• Sherwood Anderson
• Joseph Heller
• Sylvia Plath
• Flannery O’Connor
• Amy Tan
• John Galsworthy
• Saul Bellow
• Toni Morrison
• Thomas Mann
• Hermann Hesse
• Ray Bradbury
• Isaac Asimov
• Harper Lee
• Thomas Hardy
• Somerset Maughm
• P. G. Wodehouse
• Gustave Flaubert
• Henry James
• Agatha Christie
• Mikhail Bulgakov
• Octavia E. Butler
• Daphne Du Maurier

I have a few of these authors on my shelves but I have just not had the inclination towards picking up these authors. I am sure many of you know this feeling as at times you just have to be in the right frame of mind for the right kind of book and author. These are all authors that have made a name for themselves and I have heard only the best of their works, but still for one reason or another, I have been unable to pick them up. Ah well, here’s hoping. I have a long life ahead of me, I hope, and I plan on checking these authors off as the years roll by. Feel free to make your own list and share them with me, cheers.

Also, I just discovered one of the most hiliarious web comics. Check out Wondermark.com

Thank You and You’re Welcome. NO THANKS!

I get annoyed with a lot of things in life, but one that really irks me is when people are proud of their ignorance. 

Kanye West has now joined the ranks of the woefully ignorant and misinformed. 

“I am a proud non-reader of books. I like to get information from doing stuff like actually talking to people and living real life,” he said.

“Sometimes people write novels and they just be so wordy and so self-absorbed,” West said. “I am not a fan of books. I would never want a book’s autograph. 

“My mom taught me to believe in my flyness and conquer my shyness,” he said, defining “flyness” as confidence.

So writes Kanye in a book that he’s recently released:

Apparently rap-stars who are popular in mainstream media have credibility when it comes to writing and as such can expound on the virtues and vices of life. I am sure that Kanye West has indeed lived an amazing life and faced struggles and tribulations the like of which I’ve never seen. But the quotation above [ click on image for more at his blog ], is something that angers me quite a bit. He certainly has every right to “write” a book and to share his thoughts and life story, or as he calls his wisdom “Kanye-isms.”

It is not so much the latter, but the former part of that quote that pisses me off. To proclaim proudly of the fact that he does not read is the height of absurdity and stupidity. 

As I’ve already said, he certainly has every right to tell his life story or his life philosophy or whatever the hell he thinks this book is about, but to share this one thought pisses me right off. Whether you want to admit it or not, fan or not a fan, Kanye has amazing influence in the world and as a result, with children. 

Another irony of his life, someone who looks down upon the written word, sure seems to rely heavily on their influence, after all what is rap if not poetry set to music. UGH!

He is sending the wrong message by telling children that everything he’s learned he’s learned in life. Kind of ironic, telling people that they should not read a book and go out and live life from a book that you’ve just published. Here’s a small peak inside from his website: 

Tell you what Kanye, you got what you wanted because I certainly won’t be picking up this trash philosophy that you’re attempting to espouse on the larger public. 

It is already difficult to get children reading when there are so many distractions in the world [ ipods, computers, television, etc.. ], the last thing we need is someone who has influence like Kanye preaching his idiotic message to the world. Here’s hoping this book fails.

Oh and the best part of this entire issue, courtesy of MSNBC:

West’s derision of books comes despite the fact that his late mother, Donda West, was a university English professor before she retired to manage his music career. She died in 2007 of complications following cosmetic surgery.

Racist Situations:

1. Two Weeks before I leave Dallas, TX. Our family is privately selling our home and I am mowing the front lawn when an old lady pulls up in a Cadillac gets out of the car and says, “Excuse me but is your boss home I’d like to inquire about the home?”

2. Pulling up to Kari’s new home after work and being asked by two people who have just exited her building, “You with Speedy’s?” [ Speedy’s Delivery, a restaurant that provides take out and underground taxi service, apparently if you’re Indian you must be a taxi driver. ]

3. Checking in lady at the hotel and making conversation. “I was just up the street and some of the motels aren’t too clean, but I guess you must be related to him eh. (guest laughs and chuckles at me).”

4. Jamaican couple walking into the front desk. Old man 55 or 60 or so looks at me and greets me by saying “Hey Salaam!” Upon leaving the hotel an hour later, “Thanks Omar!”

There are so many more but these are some of the more stand out situations that I somehow find myself in. Something about me draws the bigots and ignorant out, *sigh.

Hypocrite? Pardon, that’s Mr. Hypocrite President?

The power of President Obama’s pen is $8,605,429, and counting.

Four years ago, Mr. Obama became a millionaire through the popularity of his autobiography, which was quickly followed by a second book, “The Audacity of Hope.” It is a gift that keeps on giving: $3.89 in royalties for Mr. Obama for each hardcover, $1.03 per paperback and $4.50 for an audiobook.

In a week when Mr. Obama scolded business executives for creating a culture of runaway salaries and bonuses, a disclosure form filed Tuesday showed that he signed a new $500,000 book agreement five days before taking office in January. – NYTIMES.COM

It’s very easy to point fingers, except when those fingers start to point back. [ I realize the irony of my pointing a finger at Mr. Obama, but then again I’m not trying to fix an economy or publicly chastising CEO’s for their wasteful spending and greed while making deals on the side for my own wealth. ]

Quote of the Day:

“There’s probably no God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” – Atheist Bus Campaign

Dr. Martin’s proposed revision in accordance with Early Modern Drama featuring themes of incest, murder, and perversion.

“There’s probably no God, now stop worrying and enjoy your sister.” – Dr. Martin

2009 Oscar Picks

BEST PICTURE
[   ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[   ] Frost/Nixon
[   ] Milk
[   ] The Reader
[X] Slumdog Millionaire

DIRECTOR
[   ] David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[   ] Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
[   ] Gus Van Sant, Milk
[   ] Stephen Daldry, The Reader
[X] Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
[   ] Frozen River
[   ] Happy-Go-Lucky
[X] In Bruges
[   ] Milk
[   ] WALL-E

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
[   ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[   ] Doubt
[X] Frost/Nixon
[   ] The Reader
[   ] Slumdog Millionaire

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
[   ] Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
[   ] Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
[   ] Sean Penn, Milk
[   ] Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[X] Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
[X] Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
[   ] Angelina Jolie, Changeling
[   ] Melissa Leo, Frozen River
[   ] Meryl Streep, Doubt
[   ] Kate Winslet, The Reader

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
[   ] Josh Brolin, Milk
[   ] Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
[   ] Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
[X] Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
[   ] Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
[   ] Amy Adams, Doubt
[X] Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
[   ] Viola Davis, Doubt
[   ] Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[   ] Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
[   ] The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
[   ] The Class (France)
[   ] Departures (Japan)
[   ] Revanche (Austria)
[X] Waltz with Bashir (Israel)

ANIMATED FEATURE
[   ] Bolt
[   ] Kung Fu Panda
[X] WALL-E

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
[   ] The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
[   ] Encounters at the End of the World
[   ] The Garden
[   ] Man on Wire
[X] Trouble the Water

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
[   ] The Conscience of Nhem En
[   ] The Final Inch
[X] Smile Pinki
[   ] The Witness – From the Balcony of Room 306

SHORT FILM – ANIMATED
[   ] La Maison En Petits Cubes
[   ] Lavatory – Lovestory
[   ] Oktapodi
[X] Presto
[   ] This Way Up

SHORT FILM – LIVE ACTION
[   ] Auf Der Strecke (On the Line)
[   ] Manon on the Asphalt
[   ] New Boy
[   ] The Pig
[X] Spielzeugland (Toyland)

ORIGINAL SCORE
[   ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[   ] Defiance
[   ] Milk
[X] Slumdog Millionaire
[   ] WALL-E

ORIGINAL SONG
[   ] “Down to Earth” – WALL-E
[X] “Jai Ho” – Slumdog Millionaire
[   ] “O Saya” – Slumdog Millionaire

ART DIRECTION
[   ] Changeling
[X] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[   ] The Dark Knight
[   ] The Duchess
[   ] Revolutionary Road

CINEMATOGRAPHY
[   ] Changeling
[   ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[   ] The Dark Knight
[   ] The Reader
[X] Slumdog Millionaire

COSTUME DESIGN
[   ] Australia
[   ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[X] The Duchess
[   ] Milk
[   ] Revolutionary Road

MAKEUP
[   ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[   ] The Dark Knight
[X] Hellboy II: The Golden Army

SOUND MIXING
[   ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[   ] The Dark Knight
[   ] Slumdog Millionaire
[   ] WALL-E
[X] Wanted

SOUND EDITING
[   ] The Dark Knight
[   ] Iron Man
[   ] Slumdog Millionaire
[   ] WALL-E
[X] Wanted

VISUAL EFFECTS
[X] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[   ] The Dark Knight
[   ] Iron Man

FILM EDITING
[X] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[   ] The Dark Knight
[   ] Frost/Nixon
[   ] Milk
[   ] Slumdog Millionaire

Lists:

Things You Should Be Doing ( Do, Get Done ):

• Watch Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
• Listen to Crystal Antlers [ Self Titled ] EP
• Read Franz Kafka’s short story: Blumfeld, an Elderly Bachelor
• Buy a cup of Coffee (Not affiliated with any Tim or Ho of anykind). Drink it black.
• Give someone a hug.
• Create a blog and give it a silly pretentious name.
• Register @ Last.fm so that you can track your listening habits and tastes. (My profile name: Fizban1980)

Thing I Should Be Doing ( I am Avoiding):

• Reading Chester Hime’s novel If He Hollars Let Him Go.
• Writing my American Masculinity paper on BSG’s Starbuck and the performance of pain and trauma.
• Re-reading King Lear for Martin’s Psychoanalysis & Early Modern Drama Course.
• Working.

11:51 PM

No sleep. The sultriness pervades the air
And binds the brain– a dense oppression, such
As tawny tigers feel in matted shades,
Vexing their blood, and making apt for ravage.
– Herman Melville –

The Film Experience

Its Oscar season and most of the quality films for this year come out during December and January. I’ve watched a number of films this Christmas break, some are contenders and some are not, here is the list:

• Milk*
• Vicky Christina Barcelona
• Gran Torino
• Slumdog Millionaire*
• Che*
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button*
• Wendy & Lucy*
• Seven Pounds
• Revolutionary Road
• Defiance
• Yes Man
• Bedtime Stories
• Humboldt County
• Frost / Nixon*

UPDATE: * next to films that are must see

What a way to spend the Christmas break, at work and at home watching films getting away from papers and paper writing and editing, and ugh, it starts all over again tomorrow. There are many quality films out in theatres right now, well worth checking out.