Page 1 of 2

"---. I will soon be gone. I hate this fucking
---e and go through makes me want drown
-ore to come. I just want to leave this place.
----from. All of you and this sick deranged
--ing into without my consent. People dont
--I can't stand this place anymore. I thought"

I found half of a letter to someone today, on the sidewalk outside of work.

I'm pretty sure it was intended to be a suicide note. Whether or not it made it to it's intended recipient is a mystery. There was an e-mail address on the bottom of the half I found that I immediately contacted with my sympathies. What else can you do, right?

Here's hoping the other half wound up in the garbage, along with the intent.

The Incident

I had to write a recap for my job, so I'm not doing it again... also, it's not very good, so don't read it.

What did I think?

Amazing, duh? That should be a given right? Surprisingly I have heard more negative feedback about this finale than any other. I get it, but I don't. This season has been a bit jarring, and the finale was no different. But if you don't trust the creators of the show at this point, then when can you?

Technically only seven months until LOST season 6 in 2010. That's still a lot of time. Especially if you're a single, loser like me.

I promise this is the last I speak of this on here for a while. But if you want to theorize... I am always down.

Fun stuff to pass the time:

Dharma Labels: For you're season 6 premiere party.

Vintage Dharma ads: Because inside jokes are funny.

Master of faces

I saw this on someone's facebook, then spent the better part of an hour looking for a higher resolution.



Yes, I am a nerd. But, you know what? I have never been more happy to be one. See ya'll wednesday.

Star Trek

J.J. Abrams directed one of my favorite feature-length action/adventure dramas of all time: the Pilot episode of Lost. Aside from that, there's an awful lot of credit being given to the man, in my opinion, who has been attached, only in name, to a lot of great things. He is not responsible for any of the creative aspect of Lost, nor is he liable for Cloverfield, really. I address these things not because I dislike him, but only because I want it to be clear I did not go to see Star Trek as a J.J. fan, despite what many have assumed. I like Star Trek. I am not a Trekker (proper) but I have seen several of the films, in theaters, watched a good portion of the latter series, and have even been to the Star Trek: Experience in Las Vegas. I consider myself a middle ground. Though in anticipation of the new film, and after seeing it I hardly consider myself a target audience member.

Appealing to the masses is always a gamble. But still an interesting exercise in convincing people of what they want. I haven't heard more people excited to see a movie that is representative of (forgive me for saying it this way) Nerd Culture since Watchmen, and before that Lord Of The Rings. People have been talking about it non-stop for the last few months, as if they have, ever in their lives, considered Star Trek a series worthy investing time in. The iconography speaks for itself, so, I suppose, it has that going for it: Sure, everyone knows Kirk, Spock, and the phrase "live long and prosper," but it suggested to me, a sort of a leap of faith to expect anyone to care. But, somehow they did. "Finally, a Star Trek for everyone!" applaud several critics. I guess they are right. I guess that's where Star Trek succeeds beyond Watchmen in making it's own identity in the face of expectations.

But I didn't realize it until I was browsing past trailers for Star Trek movies, how smart Star Trek actually is. It's a really really clever series, that tackles an impressive amount of scientific theory, and philosophy and makes it entertaining. The movies, albeit hit or miss, were always attempting to procure a feeling of worthiness of the stories being told on the big screen. There were some duds, and lots of camp, but to me never was there was a problem with it's exclusivity.

This movie? It was good. It was probably the best Star Trek, but only in execution of a promise, not in story or grandeur. It was kinetic, and loud, and vivid, and evenly paced, and the cast was attractive, and it was funny, and it made all the right subtle acknowledgments to the classic series (red shirts) and most importantly it made me excited for a sequel... but... something was missing.

I can't say what, but I feel it has to do with it's pandering. As a middle of the road Star Trek fan I felt somewhat above the shallow revenge plot, and although they did approach some iconography with subtlety I felt somewhat belittled by some of the constant nudging: "all I have left are my BONES" and being sure we knew that Chekov had a funny accent, even as a youth. As an origin story it was fleeting, and as a new adventure it was episodic at best. There's a lot that can be achieved in a origin story. Take time, establish your characters, even the ones that already exist, as real complex beings beyond their catch phrases... This should not have been a problem considering the plot of this movie.

I feel bad complaining at all. This movie wasn't really for me, but maybe that's the problem. And it really was almost perfect, but I can't help but feel like something substantial was lost in the compromise. Here's hoping the sequel will knock it out of the park now that it's established that these characters can be loved and adored by a new generation.

Bullets Over Broadway

"Which would you save if you rushed into a burning building and could only save one: an anonymous human being or the only remaining copy of the complete works of William Shakespeare?"

Woody, you certainly know how to throw a wrench in my spokes.

Maybe I am an artist, after all.

Stream Of Consciousness

Its 8:39AM on a sunday, and i'm exhausted.

I pulled a eight hour work day, running errands for my mother, then made the strangely youthful decision to go to the bamboozle. I really only watched one band, Third Eye Blind, though I suppose it wasn't like I was trying to justify a ticket price. I got in for free, so, no disappointment there.

It's the last weekend that my friend Jonathan is in town. Spent most of the evening in his sphere, with our buddy Jude. Jude is solid. He's been looking for a solid, happy gig to fulfill his existence in the touring community, and it appears he finally has. He's tour managing a band called 'Never Shout Never.'

I remember job satisfaction. I remember being a part of this scene.

It was interesting. Being amongst fifty thousand concert go-ers. I seemed to run into someone I knew every ten minutes. I suppose I was only there, on the festival grounds, for like three hours, but still. I ran into so many people, and you begin to think, how does that happen? Is that like going to a comic-con when you work in the comic industry? It's strange, but I felt special and disconnected at the same time. I always had somewhere else to be, and someone else to find. The duration of these interactions found a mean of about 3-5 minutes. They were usually positive, and seemingly validating, but often a reminder of how little I have to say to most people these days.

But there was one particular interaction that stands out in my mind.

As I was about to leave, i was pinched, if i remember correctly. Of all the thousands of people, dozens of which I have known and associated with for over five years in my former career, I would've ignored them all just to have a conversation with her. Her, with no discernible effect on my directionality. Her, with nothing to better me by, nothing beside her intellect, and positive out look. She came, she smiled, and destroyed my indifference, by doing nothing but reminding me of her existence. That, and of her boyfriend's. Oh, how comfortably we shift from conversation to conversation and person to person unaware of the effect we have on people. Maybe some day I'll tell her. But in all honesty, probably not.

Back to work, and day 2.

Still need a vacation.

TGUK Set List

May 1st, 2009 Blender Theatre New York City

Brand New
You Won't Know
Okay, I believe you...
New Song
Archers
Degausser
Jesus Christ
Quiet Things
Seventy Times Seven

The Get Up Kids
Coming Clean
Action & Action
The One You Want
Valentine
Holiday
Woodson
Never Be Alone
Red Letter Day
Up On The Roof
Campfire Kansas
Holy Roman
Mass Pike
No Love
I'm A Loner, Dottie, A Rebel
I'll Catch You

Encore:
Close To Me (The Cure)
Don't Hate Me
Ten Minutes
Walking On A Wire

I have no voice. They closed with On A Wire, and all was suddenly right in my life.

Trying to see them at Bamboozle tomorrow too. Wish Me Luck.