Colts

I really hope the Colts win today.  As a die-hard Colts fan I've been with them through thick and thin.  I remember back in the day going to games at the RCA Dome when we were 3-13.  Then we drafted Peyton Manning and everything got better, until this season.  We have a lot of injuries hurting us right now.  I'm sure we'll find some way to rise above it though!

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West's newest album comes out this Monday.  A lot of the track on this one have been released through West's G.O.O.D. Friday initiative, in which Kanye releases a new song every Friday.  The album has a lot of excellent guest spots such as, John Legend, Bon Iver, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, and many more.  This album is shaping up to be one of the best of the year.  I urge you to go out Monday and buy this album.  It's going to be awesome.

All Hallows Eve

Let me start by apologizing for my absence the past few weeks.  I have been very busy with college things (studying, homework, papers, etc.). 

Let me now transition into my main topic for this blog post, Halloween.

While Halloween is one of the oldest celebrated holidays, I just do not enjoy any part of it.  It takes way too much effort, money, time, and creativity to come up with a costume.  All this for a one day holiday.  I can understand the appeal for children who get to dress up and walk around a neighborhood and get free candy.  But come on, I'm 19, what do I get out of dressing up like an idiot?

Also, ladies, this should not be an excuse for you to dress like a ho.

Sorry this isn't longer.  Sorry this is pretty negative.  I will return in due time with meaningful posts for everyone.

An Open Letter to Brett Favre

Brett,

Off the field problems.  On the field problems.  Your story used to be a very inspirational one.  When I think about you, I think, "here's a guy who can't get enough of playing the game he loves."  Last season we saw you lead a great Minnesota Vikings team to a heartbreaking NFC Championship game loss.  This season however, your team has been singing a different tune.

I've said some nice things, but now I'm going to be brutally honest.  Please reitre.  Pleeeeeeeaaaase.  As a fan of the game of football, you're making it look bad.  Your shoddy performance on Sunday Night Football was painful to watch.  Fumbling and throwing interceptions left and right is getting a little old now.  You're a hall of fame quarterback who isn't really a superior quarterback anymore, you've just avoided injury for 20 seasons and had some great receivers to throw to, so you're still playing.

You just threw for you 70,000th career passing yard and your 500th career touchdown; but the question is, does anyone really care?  As an average over your entire career your stats are above average, but they're nothing especially spectacular.  The only reason you hold most of the records you do is because you've played the game longer than most everyone else.

At the rate Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are going if they were to play 20 seasons (like you) they would pass your records by LARGE margins.  Peyton's already racked up over 51,000 yards and 377 touchdowns in just 13 seasons.  Also, Brady was the fastest quarterback to ever amass 100 wins and he's got a few more Super Bowl rings than you.

Your tendonitis is obviously hurting you right now, you hold your arm throughout the game, and are becoming increasingly inaccurate.  All of this could've been avoided by having done two things, retiring, and of course not being on the cover of Madden.

I won't even mention your little texting problem.

Let's face it, your Vikings (1-3) are hurting.  You play the Cowboys (1-3) this week, and I think the winner will be whomever is more desperate for a win.

So please retire.

Sincerely,
Tyler Clements

Distractions

Well we're about 8 weeks into the school year here at Ball State University, and school is in full swing.  Lately I've been trying to cut down on the number of distractions in my life.  Whether it's TV, music, or the internet, something had to give.  So today I decided I would be giving up my Facebook account for a month or two.  From creating an account way back in June 2006, to yesterday, I have never really been too removed from the relm of Facebook.  But as many users know, Facebook poses an enormous hurdle that they must overcome when it comes to being productive.

Fun Fact: When you open a new page in Internet Explorer here at good ol' Bracken Library two seperate tabs pop up.  One is the online catalog for the library, which I'm fine with, but the other is Facebook.  You see, the library has a Facebook page so they try to drive students to it so they can get more fans.  Does anyone else see a problem here? The university is basically handing us the oppurtunity to become distracted.

So I've decided to kick Facebook out of my life.  Of course I will still maintain my blog and Twitter account.  But Facebook has been pushed to the wayside for now.  Hopefully in turn I will become more productive and the quality of my work will improve!

In other news, I've recently signed up for Amazon Associates.  It's a cool way I can make money on with my blog.  So each post I'm going to give you guys a link to a few CDs, or books I think you should check out on Amazon.  These are all links that I have chosen.  Buy it or don't buy it, it doesnt really affect me.

Music Videos

I'm Still Here

The other day I saw the movie I'm Still Here, a mockumentary chronicling the life of Joaquin Phoenix after the announcement of his retirement in 2008.  I had heard about Phoenix's retirement, and then saw him on the Late Show with David Letterman in February 2009, where he seemed less than coherent (watch video here).  I then saw him on the same show this past Wednesday where he was back to his clean cut look.  He thanked Letterman for allowing him to come on the show in the state he was in.  He said he really wanted someone to tear him apart and Letterman gave him just that (watch video here).

Overall I thought the film was good.  It held my attention and had some very humorous moments.  The only reason these moments were humorous was because I knew this film was a joke.  Without this knowledge this movie could have been very depressing.  There are moments where Phoenix seems to completely break down and lose control, which might upset some audience members.  There are many times where you don't know what to think about the situation Phoenix has found himself in.

With all that being said I felt like this was one of the greatest acting performances of all time.  Joaquin Phoenix put himself completely into his character.  I really enjoy an actor who totally commits to the part they're playing.  My favorite actor, Christian Bale, is a great example of this.  To prepare for The Machinist, Bale cut his weight down to 120 pounds for his role as Trevor Reznik, a paranoid insomniac who seems to be followed by someone mysterious.  Phoenix did much of the same by growing a beard, gaining weight, and not showering for days at a time.

While many may dismiss this movie as garbage, I think the movie holds great cultural significance.  It will be remembered for years to come as a film that broke all the rules.  I applaud both Joaquin Phoenix and Casey Affleck.