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.

NFL or NBA?

I got this from one of my professors and it was too good to not share.

We all know the NBA and NFL get a bad rap when it comes to their players getting arrested all the time. I mean heck, Braylon Edwards, Wide Receiver for the Jets, JUST got arrested for a DUI this week!  But which organization is in the headlines more?  You might be surprised by what you read.

I'm going to read some statistics and you choose whether you think I'm talking about the NFL or the NBA.

29 have been accused of spousal abuse,
7 have been arrested for fraud,
19 have been accused of writing bad checks,
117 have bankrupted at least two businesses,
3 have been arrested for assault,
71 have credit reports so bad they can't qualify for a credit card,
14 have been arrested on drug-related charges,
8 have been arrested for shoplifting,
21 are current defendants in lawsuits.

So, which do you think it is? NFL? NBA? well.............





It's neither.  It's the United States Congress.

I'm begging you.  If you are of legal voting age, do your homework when deciding who to vote for.  These are important people who make decisions that affect everyone's lives.  Register to vote now and read about candidates in your area.  Rock the vote at the mid-term election, where a lot of the clowns I talked about above will be running for re-election.

Register to vote here:
www.indianavoters.in.gov or www.rockthevote.com or www.projectvote.org/register

Wake Up! It's Fall!

Two awesome things happened today.  Summer ended, and John Legend and The Roots released a collaboration album entitled Wake Up!.  Fall is my favorite season and I'm really excited for it to finally begin.  TV shows are coming back on the air, It's getting colder outside, and Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

Also, you should all listen to Wake Up! because it's awesome.  I first heard about this album from my friend Max's blog, you can check it out here.  He writes about all different kinds of music and I recommend you read what he has to say.

Key Tracks: "Hard Times", "Wake Up Everybody", "Our Generation", and "Shine"

A Case for Kanye

It's been two years since the release of Kanye West's 808's and Heartbreak.  A lot has happened since then.  There's been a recession, we got a new president, Bernie Madoff ripped some people off, Rod Blagojevich tried to sell a seat in the Senate, unemployment skyrocketed, there was an outbreak of swine flu...I mean H1N1, Michael Jackson died, Someone interrupted Taylor Swift at the VMAs, Oprah took a stand on texting and driving, GM filed for bankruptcy, Tiger got caught, Obama's health care bill was approved, Spain won the World Cup, Lindsay Lohan went to jail, and Lindsay Lohan was released from jail.

My point is, what will Kanye talk about on his newest album, Dark Twisted Fantasy?  The album, set for release on November 16th, is as much a mystery as what Mr. West will say next.  After he stormed onstage last year at MTV's Video Music Awards, to let the world know that he felt Taylor Swift was undeserving of her award for best female video, he has basically been in hiding.  We can only imagine that Kanye has been working hard in the studio preparing for something big.

I know most people out there are going to read the title of this post and say, "ugh!  I hate Kanye West! He's such a _fill in the blank_."  I'm here to make a case for Kanye.  Personally, I think he is a changed human being.  He has apologized to Taylor Swift time and time again.  He has sworn off his ego stating from his official Twitter account, "No more ego...  all positive energy...  new emotion...  new visuals...  new music..."  Some may just see this as a publicity stunt, citing this as a way to promote the release of his latest album.  Think what you want, but come November 16th I'll be getting his new album, and you should too.  I'm also going to state that I believe it WILL be one of the best albums of the year and possibly one of the best Hip-Hop/Rap albums ever released.  I'm tired of people hating Kanye just because he had an ego.  People can change.

Flamingo

Being a fan of The Killers since I heard their debut album, Hot Fuss, when I heard they were going on temporary hiatus, I had my concerns.  Rumors were flying across the internet of all sorts of explanations, break-ups, hatred between group members, the death of Brandon Flowers' mother, and just being plain burnt out from touring.  Whatever the reason, the announcement of Flowers' first solo album was met with mixed emotions among fans.  Some, like me, saw it as an opportunity to finally hear what exactly Flowers brought to the musical table for The Killers.  Others saw it as a betrayal that would lead to the eventual demise of one of their favorite bands.  These rumors have been denounced by both Flowers and the rest of the band.  Almost every member of The Killers is working on another project during the hiatus.  I'm sure fans can look forward to a new Killers album within the next year.

Last night I waited patiently, awaiting the arrival of today at the stroke of midnight.  I then got on my iTunes and downloaded Flamingo.  Upon first listen the album seemed to lack some of the flashiness and big sound you expect to hear from The Killers.  But after listening to the entire album three times, I can tell what Flowers lacks in fullness of sound, he makes up for on lyricism, great beats and, at times, very catchy melodies.  If you're a Killers fan you'll understand what I mean by this next statement.  Flamingo has Sam's Town-esque lyrics paired with a Day and Age delivery and sound.  Basically what I'm saying is there are some pop-fueled moments, but the lyrics do not suffer.  Overall this is an album that could definitely grow on you even if you're unfamiliar with The Killers.

Key Tracks: "Hard Enough", "Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts", "Crossfire", "On the Floor", "Swallow It"

Believe in Blue

Well, my team lost today.  It was a heart-breaking defeat to fellow AFC South division team, the Houston Texans.  As a Colts fan I'm always anxious to get the season started, because normally it's an exciting roller-coaster of victories culminating in a playoff berth.  Unfortunately, the Texans exposed the Colts' weaknesses today.  Whether it was Charlie Johnson and the O-line getting blown up by Mario Williams and Antonio Smith, or Arian Foster running right past dumb-founded Gary Brackett and his defensive crew, Indy looked weak today.  But fortunately, when Peyton Manning had a decent sized pocket he was able to complete passes and work it up the field, and looked, dare I say, sharper than ever.  For other teams an opening game like this could translate into a very long season.  But for the Colts and Peyton Manning, it creates a challenge to rise to the occasion and prove themselves once again.  I'm very optimistic for the rest of the Colt's season, and if Peyton's huddle on the sideline is any indication, he's getting his team geared up for another exciting season.  Plus, the last time the Colts couldn't stop the run, they won the Super Bowl.

Next game: 9/19 vs. NY Giants at 8:20 P.M

Let's Be Mature

The process of human maturation is one that tends to ebb and flow, and continuously changes our perspective on ourselves, others, and the world around us.  At times human behavior can be very sudden and shocking.  People mature at different paces than that of their peers.  We've all heard the classic adage that women mature faster than men.  Starting college has really opened my eyes to the absolute truth of that statement.  The women are basically all on the same plane when it comes to the level of their maturity with few much far ahead or behind the others.  However, I can hardly say the same of my male counterparts.  I really don't know what it is but some of the guys here would still probably laugh at a fart joke.  It's amazing how little of the world some people have experienced.

I'd like to start off by saying that parents do their children a terrible disservice when they do not force them to get a job.  It sounds a little harsh when I use the word "force", but honestly, that's what it takes to get a 16 year old out there to pick up applications.  Being thrust into the work force is by far the easiest way to categorize one's maturity.  Not only is it a good judge of character, working also helps the child mature into a semi-fin individual.  It's very easy to determine who has had responsibilities in the past and who has not.  Those who have actually had to work for what they earned not only place more value in their possessions but also in their time here at college.  Whereas those who have had everything handed to them on a silver platter continue to do more of the same and expect mommy and daddy to still come and clean up their messes.

When I was 16 my dad said to me, "you need to go pick up applications for a job.  When I was your age I'd been working for four years."  I would just like to take this time to thank my dad, because without a gentle push from him I would not have been able to feel the reward of earning money.  But not only earning money, gaining maturity and a greater sense of worth.

While I stress the importance of a job that is not the only way your child can mature.  Any type of responsibility the parents can place upon them helps tremendously.  Anything from homework, to help around the house, children need to feel that sense of responsibility at a young age.  Without that gentle push the child will take a very long time to mature and will fall far behind his peers.

Welcome to college, it's the real world now.  So guys, let's be mature.

Twitter is More Important Than Facebook

Twitter is a social networking site founded by Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, and Biz Stone. What some people may not realize is Twitter is more than four years old. But, thanks to recent attention from celebrities and major corporations it has turned into one of the most popular social networking websites. I'm here today to tell you that Twitter is more important than Facebook. What I mean is in the long run Twitter will overtake Facebook as the most popular means of online communication.

How?

As of right now Facebook is becoming so bogged down with ads/apps/crap no one cares about. Twitter on the other hand is very simple. You create an account, "follow" whomever you want, and only have to be subjected to what they have to say. If you get annoyed with what someone you follow is saying it's very easy to "unfollow" them. This makes it very easy for the users of Twitter to limit the information they receive and puts the user in control.

Twitter also capitalizes on the world's obsession with celebrities. For example, I follow Kanye West (@kanyewest). Where else can I get an up to the minute feed of what Ye is thinking about? Or read his 40-tweet-long apology to Taylor Swift and everyone else for his attitude and behavior? Or see him tweeting at Justin Bieber about getting together in the studio? The answer is nowhere. He may post some of it on his blog, but because Twitter is so easily accessible it's the obvious choice. Twitter will ultimately rule in regards to people's source of information about their friends/co-workers/favorite celebs.

Let's face it; Facebook is obviously struggling for ideas right now. New features in the past year have just been copies of what other sites have done. Take the Facebook "Marketplace" for example. Sure it's cool that you can purchase things from your friends and people you actually know, but it does seem a lot like Craig's List and eBay.  Facebook Chat is clearly crappy AOL Instant Messenger that rarely works. Then there is the ability to "tag" people in your status update by simply adding "@" before their name. This is clearly a rip-off of Twitter's basic concept. More recently Facebook has introduced user's ability to update their location using GPS technology in smart phones. This smells a lot like Foursquare (launched over a year ago) to me. Aside from "liking" things, Facebook has not had an original idea in years.

Twitter also beats out Facebook in terms of advertising.  You can follow restaurants and other companies who may offer a special or coupon exclusively to their followers on Twitter.  Scotty's Brewhouse (@brewhouse) offers a discount on weekdays during lunch for people who mention them in a tweet.  Scotty's founder came and spoke here at Ball State on the importance of Twitter in terms of his marketing.  Scotty's does not purchase any print ads, but relies solely on word of mouth and social networking sites.  Twitter is a much better way to advertise than Facebook.

I'm not saying Facebook will die. Obviously past sites like Xanga and Myspace are still around but they have become less important. What I'm saying is that because of Twitter's simplicity, accessibility, and marketability it will eventually overtake Facebook.


Follow me on Twitter: @tylerclements

One Silly Word

The other day Professor Hartman made a comment that immediately stuck in my head. While he was showing us how to set up our blog he created a new post as an example. I forget exactly what he wrote in it but it was some introductory word like, "hey" or "welcome". He then showed us how to delete a post if we didn't like it. He said he would delete the aforementioned post because it was, "just one silly word, and who cares about one silly word?" That got me thinking. In the right context, one word can mean a lot. I know he said it in a, who cares about a one word blog post sort of way, but it got me thinking about all the different ways one word can change a situation. I'm going to give you two examples in which a simple yes or no answer changes the entire outcome of the character's lives (all situations are fabrications).

Will you marry me?

Will you marry me? Yes.

Steve really likes Jessica and they've been dating for about 2 years now. So Steve decides he's going to take Jessica out on a nice date and pop the question. He buys a very expensive ring, makes reservations, and gets a haircut. They're having a very nice meal and Steve decides the moment is right. He gets down on one knee, pulls the box out of his pocket, opens it up, and asks Jessica to marry him. She bursts into tears of joy because she has been waiting for this moment all her life. She says yes about 100 times, they live happily ever after.

Will you marry me? No.

Steve really likes Jessica and they've been dating for about 2 years now. So Steve decides he's going to take Jessica out on a nice date and pop the question. He buys a very expensive ring, makes reservations, and gets a haircut. They're having a very nice meal and Steve decides the moment is right. He gets down on one knee, pulls the box out of his pocket, opens it up, and asks Jessica to marry him. She gets a horrified look on her face and tells Steve no. She's just not ready for that kind of commitment right now. Things become weird in their relationship, they break up because Jessica needs space, they drift apart and form separate lives with other people.

Do you like this dress?

Do you like this dress? Yes.

Mark and his fiancée, Kelly, are getting ready to go out on a date. Kelly has been trying to figure out what to wear for about an hour now and they're cutting it close to make it to the restaurant on time. She tries on a dress that Mark does not particularly care for. Kelly asks Mark if he likes the dress. Mark says, "Yes." Kelly decides to wear that dress since Mark has given his approval. They go to dinner, get married, and live happily ever after.

Do you like this dress? No.

Mark and his fiancée, Kelly, are getting ready to go out on a date. Kelly has been trying to figure out what to wear for about an hour now and they're cutting it close to make it to the restaurant on time. She tries on a dress that Mark does not particularly care for. Kelly asks Mark if he likes the dress. Mark says, "No." But all Kelly hears is, "no, you look fat. Try that red dress that makes you look less fat." Kelly and Mark then get into an argument about how Kelly isn't pretty enough and no matter what Mark says it's always the wrong thing, because that's what we (guys) do. They then break up, drift apart, and resent each other for the rest of their lives.

So I've just shown two ways in which changing the simple yes or no answer can have drastically different outcomes. I could go on for hours on all kinds of topics about how one word can change everything. But I'll let you guys think about that. So, I guess in this situation everyone cares about that one silly word.


Moral of the story: Guys, we can't win.

1991-2010

Talking about memoirs in class has really got me brainstorming and thinking about everything that has already happened in my life.  For some reason music always comes right to the forefront of my mind.  So, I've decided to give you guys a top 10 of my favorite albums released since I've been alive.  Also, I'm limiting one per band, of course because Radiohead would have like 3 or 4.

Honorable Mentions: Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective, Get Lifted - John Legend, Late Registration - Kanye West, Oracular Spectacular - MGMT, Origin of Symmetry - Muse, Man on The Moon: The End of the Day - KiD CuDi, Under the Iron Sea - Keane

10. Continuum - John Mayer (2006)

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9. Parachutes - Coldplay (2000)

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8. xx - The xx (2009)

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7. Hot Fuss - The Killers (2004)

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6. The Crane Wife - The Decemberists (2006)

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5. Bang Bang - Dispatch (1998)

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4. The Moon & Antarctica - Modest Mouse (2000)

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3. Is This It - The Strokes (2001)

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2. Funeral - Arcade Fire (2004)

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1. Kid A - Radiohead (2000)