*swoon* *applause* actually *jumping up and down clapping with huge smile on face*
Before I hit the oh my god I did not see that coming moment, I've realized that I think, strangely, part of the appeal of Glee to me is the potential from week to week that it will suck. I know, weird huh?
Every episode, on Monday I get happy its coming, but I also get anxious. What if it sucks? Thing is, there are always many stories, or little mini-stories going on at the same time. If the main story sucks but there's some major awesomeness in the B stories, the episode is still good. But you can also easily have an episode with, like one awesome moment. And you think wow that was great. And a half an hour later, you think, actually, most of that kind of sucked. But sometimes you get wonderful episodes where it seems everything is clicking. I think tonight's was one of those.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Language
Why do we use the language we use?
I would say words, since as far as the entire language goes most of us only have one or a couple to choose from, except I mean the entire style of language we use.
Its really very interesting if you think about it. When you listen to your own words in different situations, or think about how your use of them changes over time.
In general I know I have a tendency to use rather precise language. If I know a word that has all the proper connotations I'm looking for I will use it. I wouldn't say I use flowery language though, I just end up using words that don't necessarily come up frequently in conversation. That's my baseline.
I would say words, since as far as the entire language goes most of us only have one or a couple to choose from, except I mean the entire style of language we use.
Its really very interesting if you think about it. When you listen to your own words in different situations, or think about how your use of them changes over time.
In general I know I have a tendency to use rather precise language. If I know a word that has all the proper connotations I'm looking for I will use it. I wouldn't say I use flowery language though, I just end up using words that don't necessarily come up frequently in conversation. That's my baseline.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
A first. (Tim Part 2)
So I don't like to edit. I really don't. Which is why my posts tended to be filled with words blended together or the kind of wrong word issues that don't get picked up by Safari's spellcheck. What the hell did I do before browsers checked spelling. Well, my typing deteriorated and people had to deal with the fact that you just had to try to make some sense out of what I wrote. There are lots of extra spaces too. I do actually have some concern for aesthetics, so it bothers me if there are funny looking spaces at the beginning of a line. Or a random period which does not complete any sentence.
I do therefore occasionally go back and clean things up.
This however, is the first time I've ever changed the title of a post.
I glanced over it and realized I spent the entire post ranting about what I think and didn't even mention Tim until the last little bit. So, I decided, in a rather Minchinian way, to add brackets to the title. I'm sure there will be a Part 2 and 3 and etc. I realized as I was writing that I didn't really want to write anything too specific about his work, for the absurd reason that I didn't want to give it away. As though someone might come along and read this, follow that link and go on a youtube binge like I did.
And if someone were to do that, and they had already been told why it was that every song was funny, they would be annoyed, and think, well if I hadn't already heard that funny lyric it would be much more funny. Which reminds of movie trailers. You pretty much know that the funniest parts are in the trailer. You can always tell if a comedy is going to be stupid, or, just not up your alley. If you groan or roll your eyes during the trailer, don't ever see it. My opinion. Oh, and my original point was that when you do see the movie, the funny bits aren't at all funny cause you've already seen them potentially a hundred times depending on your level of media consumption.
Anyway, I realize no one is going to discover how awesome Minchin is through me, but, still I will hesitate to go on about how amazing his songs are.... except...
Today, when I was at work, I could not get '5 Poofs and 2 pianos' out of my head. I'm supposed to be doing at least theoretically serious work. I'm trying to get some analyses going, and I keep seeing Tim in my head, singing that song. And when he lands on that line '5 poofs and 2 pianos' there is something very home about that line in that song. I know I don't make any sense.
One amazing thing is that I found this song hilarious and lovely the first time I heard it, because, well, I had no background. Seen clips of Jonathan Ross, but never the whole show. Didn't know about 4 poofs and a piano. I'd never even heard poof mean anything other than sudden disappearance, or, sadly, thanks to Jersey Shore, a strange mountain of hair shoved up on the top of your head. Anyway, Tim's facial expressions are awesome. And writing a great random song with lyrics entirely specific not just to the Ross show, but also to that particular show is quite impressive (Jamie Cullum was there to make for the big lyric finale of 'make it a trio of pianos and a big gay half dozen') I love the idea of, well, if you preachers can switch gay to straight, then you must be able to flip it the other way too right? After all, the biggest impediment to 5 poofs and 2 pianos is that Tim, isn't a poof.
The second song that keeps sticking absurdly in my head, I'm not sure if it has a name. Again he did it on a TV show, and in the lead up its explained that other people on the show had had songs written about them, but one person hadn't. Alan Brough. So Tim says he's written him a song, but all he knows about him is that he's really big and he's from New Zealand. And he says that he wrote it that afternoon horribly jet-lagged. He seems to pretty much think his song is going to suck, but he has managed to come up with something so totally bizarre. I mean, I guess if you were free associating with New Zealand you might come up with Kiwi, and if your brain was strange enough it could meander through obsolete wings and water off a flightless bird's back, but all the way to 'they joke that his pokey proboscis, must get in the way when we kiss' is pretty far. I mean, if he wrote it that afternoon he really didn't have that much time, and with only New Zealand and tall to go on. That's getting pretty creative. And it happens to be totally adorable, a little love song. I still have no idea who Alan Brough is, but now will always know the name (its in the song).
So, I'm basically wandering around at work the whole day with '5 poofs and 2 pianos, yeah, it'll be ace' or 'my 6 foot 4 kiwi' solidly wedged into my brain. Listen. They're pretty catchy.
And see, Tim Minchin squeezed out of my subconsciousness and consciousness into another post. Hence, brackets (parentheses, whichever you call them in your neck of the woods, or side of the pond, or other horrible cliche for not from where I am, but from a place I'm inclined to like, have no fear of, and think while different, it probably isn't that different from where I am.)
I do therefore occasionally go back and clean things up.
This however, is the first time I've ever changed the title of a post.
I glanced over it and realized I spent the entire post ranting about what I think and didn't even mention Tim until the last little bit. So, I decided, in a rather Minchinian way, to add brackets to the title. I'm sure there will be a Part 2 and 3 and etc. I realized as I was writing that I didn't really want to write anything too specific about his work, for the absurd reason that I didn't want to give it away. As though someone might come along and read this, follow that link and go on a youtube binge like I did.
And if someone were to do that, and they had already been told why it was that every song was funny, they would be annoyed, and think, well if I hadn't already heard that funny lyric it would be much more funny. Which reminds of movie trailers. You pretty much know that the funniest parts are in the trailer. You can always tell if a comedy is going to be stupid, or, just not up your alley. If you groan or roll your eyes during the trailer, don't ever see it. My opinion. Oh, and my original point was that when you do see the movie, the funny bits aren't at all funny cause you've already seen them potentially a hundred times depending on your level of media consumption.
Anyway, I realize no one is going to discover how awesome Minchin is through me, but, still I will hesitate to go on about how amazing his songs are.... except...
Today, when I was at work, I could not get '5 Poofs and 2 pianos' out of my head. I'm supposed to be doing at least theoretically serious work. I'm trying to get some analyses going, and I keep seeing Tim in my head, singing that song. And when he lands on that line '5 poofs and 2 pianos' there is something very home about that line in that song. I know I don't make any sense.
One amazing thing is that I found this song hilarious and lovely the first time I heard it, because, well, I had no background. Seen clips of Jonathan Ross, but never the whole show. Didn't know about 4 poofs and a piano. I'd never even heard poof mean anything other than sudden disappearance, or, sadly, thanks to Jersey Shore, a strange mountain of hair shoved up on the top of your head. Anyway, Tim's facial expressions are awesome. And writing a great random song with lyrics entirely specific not just to the Ross show, but also to that particular show is quite impressive (Jamie Cullum was there to make for the big lyric finale of 'make it a trio of pianos and a big gay half dozen') I love the idea of, well, if you preachers can switch gay to straight, then you must be able to flip it the other way too right? After all, the biggest impediment to 5 poofs and 2 pianos is that Tim, isn't a poof.
The second song that keeps sticking absurdly in my head, I'm not sure if it has a name. Again he did it on a TV show, and in the lead up its explained that other people on the show had had songs written about them, but one person hadn't. Alan Brough. So Tim says he's written him a song, but all he knows about him is that he's really big and he's from New Zealand. And he says that he wrote it that afternoon horribly jet-lagged. He seems to pretty much think his song is going to suck, but he has managed to come up with something so totally bizarre. I mean, I guess if you were free associating with New Zealand you might come up with Kiwi, and if your brain was strange enough it could meander through obsolete wings and water off a flightless bird's back, but all the way to 'they joke that his pokey proboscis, must get in the way when we kiss' is pretty far. I mean, if he wrote it that afternoon he really didn't have that much time, and with only New Zealand and tall to go on. That's getting pretty creative. And it happens to be totally adorable, a little love song. I still have no idea who Alan Brough is, but now will always know the name (its in the song).
So, I'm basically wandering around at work the whole day with '5 poofs and 2 pianos, yeah, it'll be ace' or 'my 6 foot 4 kiwi' solidly wedged into my brain. Listen. They're pretty catchy.
And see, Tim Minchin squeezed out of my subconsciousness and consciousness into another post. Hence, brackets (parentheses, whichever you call them in your neck of the woods, or side of the pond, or other horrible cliche for not from where I am, but from a place I'm inclined to like, have no fear of, and think while different, it probably isn't that different from where I am.)
My New Idol (Tim Part 1)
So not too long ago one of my friends posted a certain video on facebook of a comedian of Australian origin. I laughed, a lot. And of course, being the type of person I am, I then set about viewing practically everything that has ever come out of this person's mouth. If I like something, I binge. And this I like.
Anyone in Australia or the UK may well know who I mean just from that. Most people in the US will have no clue.
If I add that he is an atheist, a brilliant piano player, and uses both the most complex and base ends of the spectrum of the English language with equal frequency and aplomb, I'm sure everyone in Australia and the UK would know who I mean.
And some of us Americans and Canadians have figured this out. Hundreds of thousands of youtube hits can't all becoming from across the pond. And the friend who posted is Canadian.
Anyone in Australia or the UK may well know who I mean just from that. Most people in the US will have no clue.
If I add that he is an atheist, a brilliant piano player, and uses both the most complex and base ends of the spectrum of the English language with equal frequency and aplomb, I'm sure everyone in Australia and the UK would know who I mean.
And some of us Americans and Canadians have figured this out. Hundreds of thousands of youtube hits can't all becoming from across the pond. And the friend who posted is Canadian.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
An observation
So, I am now accumulating half-written posts. This is probably common, except I'm not supposed to care. There is a commonality to all these discarded posts. I got interrupted in the middle of writing them. So I'm happily writing away, whatever I think of writing, and then I get a phone call, or I misjudged the time and I have to leave, or someone shows up who I actually have to pay attention to (just kidding, I pay attention to everyone who appears in front of me unless they are trying to get me to give money. I just don't think randomly accosting people on the street is the way to do that. No matter how good your cause. Also, being rather a bleeding heart liberal if I let you get too far into your cause there comes the chance that I will cough up the money. Luckily I pretty much never have cash and would never give someone my credit card number for such purpose, so, I'm pretty safe.)
Back to my sort of primary point if I have one. As I leave a trail of half-written posts on topics that I actually liked at the time I have decided not to write a post unless I am absolutely certain that I will have time to finish it.
Why don't I just finish the ones I started? Well, I do come back to it later, sometimes not that much later. The thing is that in order to get back into the post you have to read it and see what the hell you were talking about.
When I do this, I inevitably discover something interesting.
They're all crap
I can't finish something that's crap to begin with.
I know I'm not supposed to care what anyone else thinks, but this isn't about anyone else. This is me. If I decide something is total crap I just can't finish it. If I finish something and read it and decide it looks stupid I can push 'Publish Post' anyway. Who cares. But you can't do that if you've only written half of it.
This means many topics I would like to write about will get left in the dust that gets swept out of my short-term memory. That's better than writing half a post and being unable to finish it. At least if I never write about it to start with, there's a chance it could return later on. If I write and think it sucks, well it will suck forever more.
Edit: I just read the sucky ones, and they don't look so sucky anymore. Maybe I'll end up posting them
Back to my sort of primary point if I have one. As I leave a trail of half-written posts on topics that I actually liked at the time I have decided not to write a post unless I am absolutely certain that I will have time to finish it.
Why don't I just finish the ones I started? Well, I do come back to it later, sometimes not that much later. The thing is that in order to get back into the post you have to read it and see what the hell you were talking about.
When I do this, I inevitably discover something interesting.
They're all crap
I can't finish something that's crap to begin with.
I know I'm not supposed to care what anyone else thinks, but this isn't about anyone else. This is me. If I decide something is total crap I just can't finish it. If I finish something and read it and decide it looks stupid I can push 'Publish Post' anyway. Who cares. But you can't do that if you've only written half of it.
This means many topics I would like to write about will get left in the dust that gets swept out of my short-term memory. That's better than writing half a post and being unable to finish it. At least if I never write about it to start with, there's a chance it could return later on. If I write and think it sucks, well it will suck forever more.
Edit: I just read the sucky ones, and they don't look so sucky anymore. Maybe I'll end up posting them
Monday, November 1, 2010
Patriots-Vikings - Randy still loves the Pats
That's the New England Patriots. I think I wrote something about them earlier. I am a fan. I've sort of admired them for a long time, even pre-Bellichick era, but felt that being an all-out fan would be either hero-worship (Bledsoe or Brady) or just liking the best. Now I live here, I can truly adopt them as my team. Since returning from Iceland I don't really have one. Guess what, they don't watch American football in Iceland, I didn't keep up with the game.
So I am very happy now to have a team I can genuinely root for. I always liked football for the team aspect of it. More than any other sport I know it requires teamwork. Yes, the attention goes to the quarterback, the star receiver, the back who gets 1000yds a season. But, if you watch at all its not just that every person plays an important role on the team. Every person on the offense plays an integral role in every play on offense.
There's no war between pitcher and hitter and if pitcher wins no one else on his team matters for that bit. If pitcher loses, than one, maybe two other members of his team matter as they field the ball.
There's no possibility for the individual dominance of a single player as there is in basketball. I think basketball is quite fun to watch when they play as a team. But when one guy runs up the court, yells for the ball and then shoots, thats not interesting.
Let's see.. hockey... okay, I admit I haven't watched much hockey in my life, but despite surface, equipment and size of playing space it seems similar to soccer (football) in having lines. A line plays together, and probably improves as they play together. But, that's only three people. Anyway, I'll stop going on about sports that I know nothing about. I'm generally averse to other people talking about things they know jack about so I should try to avoid hypocrisy and stop myself from committing similar crimes.
I found myself writing a rather long e-mail about today's game to someone who probably cares a little, but really not all that much. Definitely not as much as I was going to write.
So guess what?
Yup, I decided to write here instead!
So I am very happy now to have a team I can genuinely root for. I always liked football for the team aspect of it. More than any other sport I know it requires teamwork. Yes, the attention goes to the quarterback, the star receiver, the back who gets 1000yds a season. But, if you watch at all its not just that every person plays an important role on the team. Every person on the offense plays an integral role in every play on offense.
There's no war between pitcher and hitter and if pitcher wins no one else on his team matters for that bit. If pitcher loses, than one, maybe two other members of his team matter as they field the ball.
There's no possibility for the individual dominance of a single player as there is in basketball. I think basketball is quite fun to watch when they play as a team. But when one guy runs up the court, yells for the ball and then shoots, thats not interesting.
Let's see.. hockey... okay, I admit I haven't watched much hockey in my life, but despite surface, equipment and size of playing space it seems similar to soccer (football) in having lines. A line plays together, and probably improves as they play together. But, that's only three people. Anyway, I'll stop going on about sports that I know nothing about. I'm generally averse to other people talking about things they know jack about so I should try to avoid hypocrisy and stop myself from committing similar crimes.
I found myself writing a rather long e-mail about today's game to someone who probably cares a little, but really not all that much. Definitely not as much as I was going to write.
So guess what?
Yup, I decided to write here instead!
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