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Plans for the Site

27 May 2010, 1:09 pm

After taking a course on web design, I feel inspired to create a new web site layout from scratch. I will be designing this new site over the course of the next month or so, and it will be a great improvement from the template that is currently being used.

As for the blog, I have temporarily shut down comments until I can figure out a way to reduce the volume of spam that has plagued my comment moderation box for months. I have been busy completing my fine arts administration certificate and have not had time to write until now. Rest assured there will be more updates as the summer progresses!

In the meantime, as I continue to seek a teaching job, here is a comic that made me laugh (click for full size).

Comic

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Teaching is ‘not like making motorcars’

20 March 2010, 1:55 pm

Sir Ken Robinson is on the offensive once more, arguing that we are facing a dangerous situation in our current global industrial style of education. It appears he gave another TED talk this year, with his last one being in 2006 which I shared here. This time around, he also gave a brief interview with CNN with emphasized many points, including how we are encouraging a generation of “complacent and bored adults.”

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“The World Needs All Kinds of Minds”

16 March 2010, 12:20 am

I came across another excellent TED talk, with Temple Grandin speaking about how students with autism are currently treated, and how we should be embracing their alternative methods of thinking in order to help them focus for success.

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Juicy (Jucy) Lucy

16 March 2010, 12:12 am

While visiting friends in St. Paul this past weekend, I had the opportunity to experience a real work of art.

A "Juicy Lucy" Burger

We went to a restauraunt called the “5-8 Club” simply to experience this burger. What makes it special is that the cheese is encased within the meat patty itself, giving you a little surprise when you bite into its deliciousness. I opted for blue cheese, and even that was excellent. Other options were American, Pepperjack, and Swiss.

Little did I know there is actually quite a controversy involving that restaurant and an establishment called “Matt’s Bar”, which claims to have invented the burger first. This debate has been featured on the Food Channel’s “Man vs. Food” show.

I feel somewhat famous now! Regardless of who invented it first, it is certainly delicious!

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82nd Academy Awards – Predictions and Thoughts

8 March 2010, 12:22 am

So for the first time I went ahead and predicted the winners for the Oscars. Here’s how I stacked up. I did not predict categories I was not familiar with, such as short animated/live film or foreign film. Categories in BOLD I guessed correctly.

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Prediction: Precious
Winner: The Hurt Locker

Best Achievement in Directing
Prediction: Lee Daniels for Precious
Winner: Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Prediction: Gabourey Sidibe for Precious
Winner: Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Prediction: Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker
Winner: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart

Best Achievement in Editing
Prediction: The Hurt Locker
Winner: The Hurt Locker

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Prediction: Avatar
Winner: Avatar

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
Prediction: Up
Winner: Up

Best Achievement in Cinematography
Prediction: Inglorious Basterds
Winner: Avatar

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
Prediction: Avatar
Winner: The Hurt Locker

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Prediction: The Hurt Locker
Winner: The Hurt Locker

Best Achievement in Costume Design
Prediction: Coco avant Chanel
Winner: The Young Victoria

Best Achievement in Art Direction
Prediction: Avatar
Winner: Avatar

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Prediction: Mo’Nique for Precious
Winner: Mo’Nique for Precious

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Prediction: Up in the Air
Winner: Precious

Best Achievement in Makeup
Prediction: Star Trek
Winner: Star Trek

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Prediction: Inglorious Basterds
Winner: The Hurt Locker

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Prediction: Crazy Heart – “The Weary Kind”
Winner: Crazy Heart – “The Weary Kind”

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Prediction: Up
Winner: Up

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Prediction: Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds
Winner: Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds

10 out of 19 I chose from. Meh. At least I predicted the musical ones right! I enjoyed the fact that they performed excerpts from all of the original scores rather than simply performing all the original songs. It was a nice change of pace, and something I hope they decide to continue doing at times in the future.

I suppose the only real shock I experienced was Sandra Bullock winning best actress in a leading role. I was sure that the award would go to either Gabourey Sidibe or Meryl Streep.

I am not disappointed with how well The Hurt Locker had done, however I was really rooting for precious. Maybe it’s just because I saw the DVD last night and it’s still fresh in my memory. However, the story and the performances were incredibly powerful – just as, if not more so, than The Hurt Locker. I felt that Lee Daniels did an incredible job eliciting the emotional performances, especially from Mo’Nique (whose Oscar was incredibly well deserved).

While I was not disappointed, I was confused as to how ‘Avatar’ was eligible for best cinematography. For a film that was essentially created entirely on green screen, it seemed very strange to me that the Academy even nominated the movie in that category. Maybe I am just ignorant, but I feel cinematographers have greater challenges in non-green screen situations. In this regard, I felt Inglorious Basterds should have earned that award.

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Are Schools Killing Creativity?

6 March 2010, 6:10 pm

I don’t have a lot of time to write at the moment, but I came across this video and had to share it. Promoting creativity in schools is a strong passion of mine, and in this video Ken Robinson argues how we are currently killing creativity in children and teaching them to be afraid of making mistakes. Thoughts? I feel the fact that our current public school system has not evolved very much from the industrial revolution, even after nearly a century. This problem is not limited to the United States.

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Symphony of Science – The Poetry of Reality

26 February 2010, 3:12 am

A new Symphony of Science music video is up today. As with all of them, it takes a couple watches for it to grow on you. I hope this guy puts out a full album someday.

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Chess – Dress Rehearsal

26 February 2010, 2:29 am

Cigarette Smoking Gentleman

“Remember, it’s only a game! Muahahaha”

Dress rehearsal tonight went very very well, minus a very fixable glitch or two. The pit and singers are working really well with each other now. It should be a great show. I’ll be running through my book to fix a thing or two, but aside from that I feel it’ll be a great weekend performance.

Below are two videos and more photos from the rehearsals to give you an idea what the show will be like. This musical is rarely put on stage (it only lasted 8 weeks on Broadway), so if you want to catch it, now would be the best opportunity. It’s enormously underrated.

The Arbiter’s Song, which is not released as a song on any existing Chess recording. One of my favorites that opens Act II:

The song everyone knows, “One Night in Bangkok”:

Photos from Wednesday and Thursday rehearsal:

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Chess – One Night in Bangkok

25 February 2010, 1:52 am

Okay, this is the final ‘Chess’ related video I’ll post. I saved the best for last! The song most people know from the musical: One Night in Bangkok.

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Thank You, Arcadia…

25 February 2010, 1:46 am

Thank you Arcadia, WI and your giant hill for providing a beautiful overlook of the Trempealeau River Valley. Thank you, also, for not judging my singing ability as I pulled over and sang a song while doing a little stargazing on a clear night like tonight.

Also, a great thank you to the Arcadia Kwik Trip convenience store and gas station. You have made these long drives back and forth from La Crosse so much more tolerable, by promising me a can of soda and a $2 slice of whatever pizza type you offer that day. Plus, your store layout is simply visually appeasing, and I appreciate that! Did I mention your staff is always courteous? Man, I love you folks!

I don’t have much to say about your Ashley Home Furniture…I’m sure it’s great and all. Perhaps I’ll consider purchase when I have settled down somewhere.

I left my camera at Viterbo. I’ll post the final rehearsal pictures tomorrow night.

UPDATE: Photos below from the top of the Arcadia hill. Gorgeous. I wish I had a camera good enough to take night shots as well, the stars were shining bright both Wednesday and Thursday night.

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