Sounds Like Thoughts

These days, my motto is...

2010-11-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

Life is hard. Get over it.

I don't care for...

2010-10-11T10:47:00.000-07:00

Horror Movies.

Tezuka

2010-06-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

An email I sent my girlfriend this morning:

Hey babe,
So I know this is a weird email to receive, considering it is about such an esoteric subject, but I just had to tell this to someone and the only people that would understand would be you and Lindsey.
I've been sitting here this morning reading Black Jack vol. 4 by Osamu Tezuka. Its about a surgeon who works on his own, outside of a hospital, but somehow he knows how to cure every weird medical disaster that comes his way. Honestly, the feelings I get when I read Tezuka's work I just can't describe, but I will try. His work is so creative, but, in this case, so based on actual medical science, that both my intellect and my imagination are enchanted. His writing just grabs me by the throat and forces me to keep reading. I honestly don't think any other author of books or comics has ever had the same effect on me.

GOD. I freaking love Tezuka's works. It is SUCH A SHAME that he is so unknown in the USA. I honestly think that if manga didn't have such a stigma here in the States because of Dragonball Z and such, his work could really be targeted to the intelligentsia and Tezuka could even be seen like Walt Disney, or at least Hayao Miyazaki.

By the way, if we ever visit Japan, we are definitely going to the Tezuka museum.

Lost in Lost

2010-02-23T19:07:00.001-08:00

Dear Lost:
We've been together for nearly six years now and there is something I need to say to you. We've had some good times, and some bad times, but you've been there, and well, I enjoy you in my life. However, as times change, so does everyone and everything. Lost, I don't understand you anymore. Your mysteries seemed intriguing for many years, but a general lack of understanding and clarity into your very nature for this long has gotten to me. Yes, I will continue to watch you until the very end, but at this point it is more because I have stuck with you this long than anything else.
We'll always have Season 1.
Yours,
Brandon

30 Rock

2010-01-08T07:46:00.000-08:00

Just saw the episode "Episode #210" of 30 Rock. I think the Midnight Train To Georgia was the best television moment I've seen in ages.

I couldn't have said it better myself

2010-01-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

I've been looking for a way to say why Passing Strange makes me want to spread the news about the musical to everyone. A PS evangelist, one might say. Well, someone else found a way to say it.

It elevates Passing Strange from "very good and worth seeing" to "oh my god, am I going to do my best to make sure certain people see this as soon as possible."

From Drew McWeeny's review of Passing Strange

My Favorite Movies of 2009

2010-01-01T12:26:00.000-08:00

Looks like this was the year of the animated feature film for me. 4 of my 10 favorite films of the year were animated in some way.

1. Passing Strange
2. Up
3. Coraline
4. The Princess And The Frog
5. Where The Wild Things Are
6. District 9
7. Star Trek
8. Ponyo
9. It Might Get Loud
10. Away We Go

Oh, and happy new year by the way.

Passing Strange - A Spike Lee Joint

2009-09-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

"All this might seem obscure, that would depend on who you are."
Stew's line that is easy to miss is a good tagline for Passing Strange. I had been waiting over a year to see Spike Lee's filmed version of the Broadway musical. I was lucky enough to see it during its too brief run at the Belasco Theater and it really changed my life. Its corny to say it, but Passing Strange of art really did affect me like no other work of art ever has. It really spoke to where I was at in my life at the time when I saw it.
So Passing Strange was filmed by Spike Lee to preserve the show forever and from the moment a director was announced, I became unbearably eager to see the finished product. It got shown on the film festival circuit to nearly universal rave reviews which intensified my desire to see the film.
I finally got to catch the film on Pay-Per-View at my girlfriend's parents' house. The verdict? It was truly amazing and just as touching, but very different. Seeing a show live and seeing something filmed are very different experiences because in seeing live theater, your eyes can wander to whatever actor you so desire. In a film, the camera tells you what to look at. So in that regard, the show was different. Also, since a camera can get very close to the actor's face, the emotional impact of the actors was much stronger.
One of the aspects that I really picked up on during this viewing was how connected every aspect of this show is. Everything you see and hear happens for a reason and each interaction furthers the main character's story bit by bit. I was also taken by the poetry that is Stew's script. So many portions of the script just flow because of the lyrical quality of his writing.
My girlfriend watched the film with me because I have been raving about PS for as long as I've known her. She owed it to me because she made me sit through Legally Blonde the Musical. She did not get into the show or follow it very easily both because of the way the story was presented (the plot jumps in and out a bit) and because she didn't get into some of the more performance art elements of the movie. So for this reason, I will say that Passing Strange is not for everyone.
Passing Strange is not your typical musical. It is experimental. It will make you think. It is full of pop culture references. It expresses truths about life. It is a heavy piece of musical drama, but it is also highly entertaining if you can get into it.
Needless to say, I highly recommend this movie and, honestly, I'm so attached to the show at this point that if you've seen it, no matter your opinion of the film actually is, I will respect you.

I just hope that it does well in Pay-Per-View and on DVD eventually because, like the Broadway show, they don't seem to be advertising this film very well...

Grief and His Due

2009-08-12T07:22:00.000-07:00

Reading Aesop's fables, this story stuck out to me:
Grief and His Due
When Jupiter was assigning the various gods their privileges, it so happened that Grief was not present with the rest: but when all had received their share, he too entered and claimed his due. Jupiter was at a loss to know what to do, for there was nothing left for him. However, at last he decided that to him should belong the tears that are shed for the dead. Thus it is the same with Grief as it is with the other gods. The more devoutly men render to him his due, the more lavish is he of that which he has to bestow. It is not well, therefore, to mourn long for the departed; else Grief, whose sole pleasure is in such mourning, will be quick to send fresh cause for tears.

Shows I've Seen Every Episode Of

2009-08-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, but I feel like making a list of every show I've seen every episode of. It might tell you something about my tastes.

Lost
It's Always Sunny In Philidelphia
The I.T. Crowd
The Office (US)
Arrested Development
Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
Flight Of The Conchords
Birds of Prey
V (Original & Final Battle)
My Name Is Earl
Strangers With Candy
This American Life
Spaced
The Tick (Live Action)
The Mighty Boosh
Community
Glee
30 Rock
Weeds
FM
Check It Out With Dr. Steve Brule

The Simpsons
Adventure Time
Clerks The Animated Series
Harvey Birdman Attorney At Law
The Brak Show
Futurama
The Big O
Cowboy Bebop
Trigun
Paranoia Agent
.hack//SIGN
Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy (2003 Series)
Osamu Tezuka's Phoenix
FLCL
Superman (1990's)
Justice League (And Unlimited)

Osamu Tezuka...

2009-08-05T11:25:00.001-07:00

Is a new hero of mine. I will make it my goal to read every one of his works that have been published in the United States.

The Hair movie

2009-08-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

Never have I seen a film so totally disregard its source material. The main similarity between Hair on stage and Hair on film are the songs.

The Joe Iconis Rock And Roll Jamboree @ Joe's Pub - 7/17/09

2009-07-17T20:48:00.000-07:00

I was made aware of Joe Iconis' music a few months ago when I listened to a podcast that the award-winning songwriter appeared on. I was immediately taken by his honest and funny lyrics. I looked up his website and found some other songs he wrote. I immediately falling in love with Blue Hair and Helen's In Skin Flicks Now. Go download those songs from his site. Now.
Imagine my surprise to find that he was performing a show with his posse at Joe's Pub while I was visiting New York City from Gainesville, Florida. I immediately bought a ticket and was ready for anything.
The show itself was amazing. I am further convinced that Joe Iconis is like some lovechild of Ben Folds, William Finn and Stephen Schwartz. He writes killer melodies, fantastic, playful and insightful lyrics and he puts on a truly remarkable show. The thing about Mr. Iconis is that he is not the strongest of singers on his own, so he surrounds himself with a number of singers and performers, so his shows come across almost as musical productions rather than just normal concerts. He chose his group of singers well and the types of voices he selected for each song suited the theme of the given piece.
I will attempt to review each song, but keep in mind, I was so taken by most of this show that I would go so far as to say that each and every one of these would be on heavy rotation on my iPod if they were available in some sort of recording (although he hinted at an upcoming record!). Sadly, he did not play any songs that I knew of his, but that didn't matter really because the songs he did perform were so good that I didn't really care.

NOTE: I tried to link the songs to youtube videos I found, but I can't really tell you how similar the performances are because I am on a hotel computer with no sound.)
The Whiskey Song - A great, energetic Jamboree (appropriate) style song to get things started and the crowd energized.
Anymore - A nice little duet that Joe sang with Krysta Rodriguez. Very beautiful song about the decay of a relationship from both perspectives.
Lonely Woman - One of the funnier songs of the night, a little ditty about a lonely woman who has lost certain social skills. (Apparently Anthony Rapp sings on the video I found. He didn't sing at this show.)
The Vagabond -It was like Bob Dylan meets modern pop. Great stuff.
Everybody's At The Bar - Talk about intense. Katrina Rose Dideriksen has one of the better voices I've heard in a long while. A quick glance at her wikipedia tells me that she originated the role of Edna Turnblad in the Las Vegas version of Hairspray. The song is something of a slow burning jam about being left home while all of your friends are out... so let's grab the whiskey and have a night to ourselves. Katrina really nailed it and this ended up being one of my favorite songs of the night.
Rosalie - Joe's bassist, Ian Kagey, sang this one, and sadly, I felt it was the weakest of Joe's songs of the evening because, well, I couldn't hear the lyrics very well! Thats one of his strongest suits and they were lost under the music. Oh well.
Sorta Kinda Not So Bad - Joe called this his "For Good" from the musical he wrote, The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks. It was more or less a straightforward showtune. Fun stuff.
Hatchet Job
Hatchet Job - A song that I liked the music to, but the singers, the so-called "Kissin Kazoo Sisters" didn't really do it for me. Their little act of trying to sex up the kazoo seemed like it might do okay at a cabaret, but in this show, it just didn't fit, y'know? Context.
If You Like It - Now THIS is how you do a sexual song. Mary Testa, two-time Tony nominee, sang this song that, well, I'm not gonna describe. Just watch the video if you want to. She kicked this song's butt all over the floor and it was truly fun to watch and listen to.
Last On Land - Apparently this song is from Iconis' new untitled musical project. Really a great piece. Great use of harmonies and it built up very well.
Lisa - A beautiful song about love and how it really changes you and makes you want to be better for the person you love. Performed by the fabulous Katrina.
Honey - Apparently this was Iconis' most popular song with his fans at the show because after the first couple of notes were played, a bunch of people started screaming bloody murder. Great song though. A pop gem.
The Goodbye Song - Another song that builds really well. Great stuff.
Penny Dreadfuls - I really love it when a show leaves me singing a song after I leave, and I found that to be the case with this song. I was humming it all the way back to my hotel on the subway. Fun song, great melody, like most of this show. Great ending to a truly fantastic show.

Needles to say, I truly enjoyed this show. One of the better shows I've ever seen, to be honest with you. Its like this guy writes music in the exact styles that I want to hear, and there aren't many people out there that can do that. And the show was fun, which is always something I look for in performers.
As a whole, the show was like a fantastic pop concert mixed with a musical and performed with the energy of a Pentecostal church service and Joe Iconis is one of the best songwriters I've had the pleasure of hearing yet. Keep an eye on this guy. He's going places.

The Best Ofs Playlist Vol. 1

2009-07-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

Starting a series of playlists I hope to produce for this blog, I will begin with Rufus Wainwright. Here are his best tracks, even though it is hard to shrink down his best songs onto one CD, because he has written and performed so many amazing tracks. They are not in order of "best," but I put them in this order for a reason. See if you can tell why.
1. Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk from Poses
2. Greek Song from Poses
3. Grey Gardens from Poses
4. Going To A Town from Release The Stars
5. Sanssouci from Release The Stars
6. The Art Teacher from Want Two
7. When, In Disgrace With Fortune And Men's Eyes from When Love Speaks
8. Spotlight On Christmas from Maybe This Christmas Too
9. Complainte De La Butte from Moulin Rouge
10. Hallelujah from Shrek
11. Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart from Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall
12. I'm Leaving For Paris from The Black Session
13. Oh What A World from Want One
14. Vicious World from Want One
15. Pretty Things from Want One
16. Across The Universe from I Am Sam
17. 14th Street from Want One
18. Foolish Love from Rufus Wainwright
19. Damned Ladies from Rufus Wainwright

Sweet Jams

2009-07-08T11:10:00.001-07:00

Music I've Been Digging Lately:

Florence + The Machine - Lungs
Duncan Sheik - Whisper House
This Mashup
Phoenix's Lisztomania
and
Paxico Via Mexico's Burning Summer

Ico

2009-06-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

Ico is a really fantastic and beautiful game. Its a brain-burner and one of the best examples of art in gaming that I've yet to experience. I admit, I'm coming late to the game here, but still, this game is, I think, a precursor to a future where the arts are interactive.

Weird Dream

2009-06-16T09:46:00.001-07:00

I walked into a New York City hair salon and took my chair. A woman walked up and identified herself as Barbara and quickly went to her job of cutting my hair. It came off in chunks as she chatted to her friends in the chairs next to mine. Apparently there were a good many regulars here. I wondered why she pulled out the wax because I did not ask for my eyebrows to be waxed. She globbed a strip of cloth with hot wax and stuck it on my head and yanked. For whatever reason, it did not rip all of my hair off, it just added a certain level of fray to my hairs and my hair. looked. good. Really good. No surprise then when Barbara told me that I owed her two hundred dollars. This surprised me, seeing as I've never paid over 20 bucks for a cut. While getting my credit card out, I overhear a twentysomething guy in the next seat over talking about his previous night out. He took a girl out and she had him watch a movie called "Behind the Glittering Window." The guy next to him said "Oh man! I had that same experience when I took her out. That movie was so... I don't even know..." So obviously, the first thing I did when I got home was find a copy of this film. I could only find an old VHS. The cover was a school bus flying through the night sky with a man holding a gun out of the driver's window. I flipped the case over to see three pictures of serious rednecks looking angrily at each other. The description said simply, "this is a chilling documentary about a child being born to two very unfit parents."

And then I woke up.

Charlie Chaplin...

2009-06-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

... there really hasn't been anyone like him, has there?

And I suppose there never will be again...

Songwriters

2009-05-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

A handful of wonderful songwriters of our day that I listen to more than any others:
Sufjan Stevens
Stew
Rufus Wainwright
Ben Folds

It is official

2009-05-26T09:50:00.001-07:00

Passing Strange is the best musical ever. I saw it nearly a year ago and I still can't go more than a few days without listening to the soundtrack. Seriously, you owe it to yourself to look this one up.
The Tony performance isn't the best example of the show, but hey, its one of the few videos we have of the show until PBS airs the Spike Lee filmed version next year.

Sing, sing a song....

2009-05-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

I find that I sing better (at least to me) when I am working at TCBY, mopping and sweeping the floors. This is probably because at those times, I don't really care how I sound, so it comes naturally.

Anna by Hello Saferide

2009-05-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

Yoshimi Battles the Broadway Critics?

2009-04-30T08:45:00.000-07:00

I wonder what happened to the supposed Flaming Lips Broadway musical. Haven't heard anything about it in quite a while.

2009-04-17T08:05:00.001-07:00

I'm getting a haircut. Not like you care.

Its a beautiful thing...

2009-04-06T21:39:00.000-07:00

...seeing a play you wrote performed.

There is a magic in witnessing your words become flesh.

U2 - No Line On The Horizon

2009-02-19T07:37:00.000-08:00

So I've been listening to U2's new album "No Line On The Horizon" today. I've been eagerly awaiting this one. Skip this one. It is Bono being Bono. Lofty metaphors that don't really make their point, and riffs that fail to inspire. Seriously, I've not heard a more boring U2 album since, well, I don't think I ever have.

STOMP and Verve Remix

2009-02-18T07:17:00.000-08:00

So I've been sitting here, listening to the Verve Remixed 3 album. We play it during jazz dance class to do our warm up routines. It is wonderful music to just sit and chill out to, which is nice because I've been thinking about the book I've been reading entitled "Killing Yourself To Live" by Chuck Klosterman. This is another one of those postmodern memoirs by a rock journalist, similar to Killing Bono and in a similar voice as the book Body Piercings Saved My Life, also by a SPIN editor. I am really enjoying Killing Yourself To Live, mostly because it is unironic and not pretentious, which is something I wasn't expecting for a book about music. I'm not a fan of the hipster culture.

Last night I saw STOMP perform in Gainesville. It was amazing, but I was a bit underwhelmed because I was constantly sitting there thinking, "I could do that with enough practice." I was in a street percussion team called FX last year similar to STOMP, where I learned that most street percussion is 10% skill, 90% practice. STOMP is a little more like 25% skill, 75% practice. I know the tricks as to how to make things sound certain ways, so in a way, I was seeing through part of the spectacle of it. Still, I enjoyed it. STOMP is world class entertainment, after all. It really made me miss my teammates from FX. FX is the best thing I have ever been a part of, period.

I'm in!

2009-02-05T12:13:00.000-08:00

For anyone who reads this that may know me in real life and hasn't already heard, I thought I would just break the news that I not only got accepted to the University of Central Florida for next year, but I got into the Bachelor of Fine Arts Stage Management Program!

Yay!!!

Dance

2009-02-05T12:09:00.001-08:00

This morning, I participated in a dance performance for the first time in my life. Santa Fe College had a sustainability conference and asked the dancers to do some kind of dance. I was one of the six students that volunteered.
That said, we performed a kind of improvisational contact-based modern dance that, in my opinion, bordered on performance art, with giant balls painted like the earth. The six of us were dressed all in white.
It was extremely fun, very creative and a wonderful first public dance performance.

What I've been up to...

2008-10-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

a heck of a lot.
One thing new is that I've been letting my creative juices flow. I'm in the process of writing two scripts for the Santa Fe College 10 minute play festival. Lets hope one gets chosen!

Breakthrough!

2008-09-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

Today in my acting fundamentals class I had quite the experience. I felt like I became another person. As a part of the workshop nature of the class, we meandered through the room, physically taking on the characteristics of someone else and create situations in our own heads, and then we performed for 30 seconds what was going through their mind at the moment. My character was a young man whose parents have just been injured in a car accident. I took on the characteristics of someone going through shock and literally, after my 30 seconds, my head was tingling, my hands were shaking, and my heart pressure was elevated. I could feel it. It was amazing and a revelation.

I don't think anyone reads this thing...

2008-09-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

...but then again, I haven't really told anyone about it either. If you read this blog, let me know please. I mean, I'm not going to stop writing the periodical entry due to lack of interest, but it would be nice to know if anyone cares.

Hapa

2008-08-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

Tonight I attended a first for me, a Hawaiian music concert. The band Hapa performed at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in honor of the University of Florida playing the University of Hawaii tomorrow. The band was great. I am not familiar with Hawaiian culture, but through the performance, I feel I got a good taste of it. They had a guy talk through most of the cultural things in the music who also did some AMAZING chanting. Seriously, amazing stuff. They also had an award-winning hula dancer on stage with them. I always saw hula dancing as a joke at worst and a cultural relic at best, as Hollywood usually portrays it that way. Seeing it done by a pro really got me to see how beautiful it is. The language of the body differs from other dances I've seen because it is all about rhythm and motion. You can see the waves crashing through the hip and arm movements. The motions made by the arms represent the mountains, the bounty of the earth, and family. It is truly wonderful.
The band itself were two great musicians. One guy in particular, had the voice of an angel and played a stunning 7 String Bass Guitar solo. I don't think I've ever seen that before. However, they didn't have very good stage presence, in my opinion. Most of the time they were just standing there. The two guitar players were constantly upstaged by the "Big Kahuna"-esque chanter.

Oh yeah, and the people there were the tackiest looking bunch I've ever seen attending a show. Almost everyone was in their Hawaiian print shirts and I even saw a man in a tanktop. Also, the lady I sat next to was very creepy. From her conversation with her husband before the show, I gathered that she was a very conservative Christian woman with a seriously huge stick up her, well, you know. When the band was being legitimately funny, talking about how one of their songs is a metaphor for procreation, she said "yes!" because she thought it meant "Pro-Creation," as in anti-evolution. Her husband told her otherwise and she gave this terrible stink-eye for the rest of that story, when it was genuinely funny, and the guys said nothing offensive whatsoever. Seriously. Enjoy life folks. Don't get your panties in a twist just because someone refers to facts of life in a family-friendly way. Sheez...
And she also would copy the hula girl's every motion with her own arms. It made me feel very uncomfortable. And quite weirded out.

All in all, good show. Not the best I've ever seen, but definitely an interesting experience.

A Tropical Storm named Faye keeps on ragin'

2008-08-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

Best day in a long time

2008-08-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

yesterday was fantastic. I had a great time learning a lot about stage management at a workshop for most of the morning and early afternoon. I drove to Lakeland afterwards, got to play with FX for the last time, participate in a tv show taping and got to see a pretty sweet band called The Quiet Science.
Oh what a night.

Tropic Thunder

2008-08-15T21:56:00.000-07:00

Great concept. Not so great humor.

I was laughing at times, but most of the things that were "supposed" to be funny were really just shock moments. But the movie itself was quite clever.

I wish they would stop making R-rated comedies, as is the trend these days. They seem to rely very heavily on vulgarity and cursing. I have no problem with either when used effectively, but both Step Brothers and Tropic Thunder were wayyy too excessive. They let the cursing replace actually clever dialog.

2008-08-13T06:22:00.000-07:00

So I've been learning about RSS feeds lately. Using a website like Google Reader, it makes it SO much easier to stay updated on all of my favorite websites. I only wish I had learned about it sooner.

Monday night, a couple of my friends from Southeastern came into town and we had a grand time, catching up, playing games, eating at Satchels. It was great. I hadn't seen either of them all summer, and I really misses them both. It is going to be so strange not going back to school with my "FX family."

In case you don't know, I write letters. I have penpals all over the world. I have made some very dear friends in places I never would have thought to even look at on a map, but they have made my life more fulfilled. Check out interpals.net. It is an amazing site for finding penpals.

Bigfoot found!

2008-08-11T05:41:00.000-07:00

Walking the short distance from my car to the office where I work, I turned a corner, and on a long stretch of sidewalk, I could have sworn that I spotted bigfoot. Yes, this hulking dark thing was ambling on, curiously holding on to a purse. Then this sasquatch looking creature sat down to take a breather, and I realized it was just a very obese woman wearing black shoes, black pants, black jacket and with black hair.

If only I'd had a camera...

Dusting off the old blog.

2008-08-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

My gosh. It has been well over a year since I have updated this blog. So much has happened in my life, I don't know where to begin.
I am single. I wasn't the last time I posted, so I guess I should write that.
I went to Southeastern University last year, but I have switched to Santa Fe Community College here in Gainesville.
I have changed my major to theater. Its where my heart is and it is what I want to do with my life.
I am stage managing a show at the Acrosstown Repertory Theater. It is called Falsettos.
I just got done with being in The Secret Garden musical over at the Gainesville Community Theater.
While at Southeastern, I got involved with a street percussion group called FX. Its like STOMP. We played all over the place. Jamaica, Key West during Fantasy Fest, and all over Florida. I also met some awesome people through FX. Some of my closest friends.
I was in Much Ado About Nothing at SEU as the priest.
Wow, how does one wrap up a whole year in a small blog post? I still don't know. Maybe I'll go back and fill things in every once in a while.

Life.

Every Time It Rains, It Rains Pennies From Heaven

2007-03-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

I watched the film "Pennies From Heaven" today.
I am reading Gulliver's Travels and loving it.
I feel like writing staccato.

My Most Humiliating Moment

2007-02-05T10:56:00.000-08:00

Today was my most embarrasing day in high school. At lunch, it started when I spilled water all over my pants. That is embarrasing in and of itself, but that was only the tip of the iceberg for me. After the spill, I stood up to take my sweater off and wrap it around the spot that looked like I wet myself, and unbeknownst to me, static cling was out to get me. My shirt stuck to the inside of my sweater and I stood barechested in the middle of the lunch room. Now, the normal reaction to that situation is to pull the shirt back on. I tried, but it was all tangled up in the sweater, so as I stand there trying to fix it, everyone was laughing hysterically and pointing. Once I slip my shirt on, the bell rings, so this is the last image left in my peers' minds as they go to their next classes. What a day.

It has been a while, wouldn't you say?

2007-01-25T11:36:00.000-08:00

I realized that I have not posted anything on here in a while. I got a job at TCBY. If you woud have asked me a few months ago that I would have ever worked at TCBY, I would have hung my head and sighed. But hey, its not that bad. Here is a quick update in 24 letters:
A as in 5 A's and a B on my report card
B as in Busy as a Bee. I have been very busy lately. (Alas, that is why I have not posted lately.)
C as in Circus. I went with Megan's family to the Ringling Brothers/Barnum & Bailey circus last weekend. I had never been to a circus before. Talk about a feast for the eyes.
D as in Documentary. I made a documentary about education and the condition of it in America, and my teacher emailed it to every teacher in the school.
E as in Electric Cars, or more specifically, Who Killed The Electric Car, a documentary I recommend everyone see. Very eye-opening.
F as in Filming my friend Jenn make soup today.
G as in Girlfriend. Megan is so cool! I enjoy being around her.
H as in Hat. I forgot my hat on the fourth day of work. The TCBY hat is part of the uniform and I accidentaly left it at home. My dad kindly brought it to me.
I as in Invisible Children. I have been working with the organization to set up a screening here in the 'Ville.
J as in January. Guess why.
K as in Kids, or how much fun I;ve had with them. (Mainly Megan's nephew Noah.)
L as in lala.com, only the best website for getting CDs for practically nothing.
M as in My Name is Earl, a show I have watching a lot of lately.
N as in New Wave. Ask me. I'll tell.
O as in The Office, my new favorite show. Hi-larious.
P as in Peaceful. For the most part, life has been pretty darn peaceful lately.
Q as in Quit, or quit hemorraging money for every little thing.
R as in R.E.M., a band I have been listening to recently.
S as in Senioritis. It is kicking in. Hard. I do not feel like I want to go to school, because I could learn more on my own.
T as in TCBY, where I now work.
U as in U2, one of my favorite bands.
V as in Valli, or Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Check out the song "December, 1963 (Oh What A Night)". Awesome stuff.
W as in Waldenbooks, a store that I applied at and embarassed myself during the application.
X as in X-tremely organized. I have been on the ball lately as far as keeping myself organized.
Y as in You! Thanks for reading this!
Z as in Zrandon Zelg, a name very similar to mine.

So until next time, Zayonara.

Writings For Newspaper

2006-12-15T14:20:00.000-08:00

Top Ten Albums Of 2006 That You Probably Haven't Heard
1. Jars Of Clay "Good Monsters"
- Jars Of Clay strays away from their folky rock on their most recent album. "Good Monsters" is truly Jars of Clay's best album yet. The album starts off with great modern rock and slowly fades to a soft, beautiful Coldplay-with-acoustic-guitars finish.
Songs To Download: "Work" & "Dead Man (Carry Me)"

2. Keane "Under The Iron Sea"
- "Under The Iron Sea" is an album to experience. It is one of the few albums I have ever heard that I can listen to all in one sitting without getting bored at some point. In fact, it is an album that is better listened to all at once. It is beautifully sad, with existential undertones flowing through the entire album.
Songs To Download: "Is It Any Wonder?" & "Crystal Ball"

3. Sufjan Stevens "The Avalanche"
- The songs that make up "The Avalanche are actually the songs that did not make the cut for his album "Illinois." It is hard to believe that these songs were not good enough for an album, because nearly every song on "The Avalanche" is just as good as, if not better than those on "Illinois." To be fair, Sufjan's psychadelic folk music is not for everyone, but everyone should at least give him a try.
Songs To Download: "The Avalanche" & "The Henney Buggy Band"

4. Pigeon John "...And The Summertime Pool Party"
- Next on the list is Pigeon John, a rapper for all people. Pigeon John is smart, funny, and unlike most rappers on the radio, his beats do not suck. Pigeon John is lyrically self-deprecating, and he does it with style. Amazingly, his music does not get old after multiple listenings (it has been on heavy rotation on my computer since I bought it in early fall). Great hip-hop for people who do not typically like hip-hop, and for those who only listen to it.
Songs To Download: "Money Back Guarantee" & "Brand New Day"

5. Gomez "How We Operate"
- Gomez's seventh album is a little bit country and a little bit rock & roll. Well, it is actually a lot bit more country than I tend to like, but it is a very enjoyable listen.
Songs to download: "How We Operate" & "See The World"

6. Fair "The Best Worst-Case Scenario"
-Imagine Death Cab For Cutie and Copeland merged together and you will have an idea of what to expect from Fair. Thier first album is a wonderful effort that sounds beautiful. It managed to find itself below the radar of most "emo" fans, but it deserves a shot. I actually only purchased this one in the past few weeks, but it has been played many times already.
Songs To Download: "Carelessness" & "Cut Down Sideways"

7. Leigh Nash "Blue On Blue"
-From former lead singer of Sixpence None The Richer comes a beautifuly crafted pop album that sounds as good as one would expect from Sixpence. Leigh Nash has been described as having the voice of an angel, and Blue On Blue is no exception. I honestly did not listen to this album with high expectations, but it blew me away with its intimacy and gentleness. Truly an excellent pop album, especially compared to what is being played on the radio right now.
Songs To Download: "My Idea Of Heaven" & "Along The Wall"

8. Tally Hall "Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum"
-Tally Hall is a band that is very hard to classify. They are "technically" pop, but they fall into practically every other genre, from rock to techno to Nickel Creek-esque Bluegrass to samba and beyond. This album is one of the most original collections of music I have heard in a very long time, and the one word I feel can describe the album is "fun." Some songs are goofy, and some are serious, but handled in a happy way, which garners the band warranted comparisons to Barenaked Ladies and They Might Be Giants. Try Tally Hall and you will be hooked like I was.
Songs To Download: "Good Day" & "The Bidding"

9. The Classic Crime "Albatross"
-The Classic Crime are like your average Alternative Rock band, except that they are really good, and do not sound like they sold out to be played on MTV2 and Rock 104. The music is catchy beyond belief (one listen to "The Coldest Heart" will result in humming the rhythm for the rest of the day). Being that this is their first album, I look forward to seeing where the future leads this band. They have the potential to make it huge.
Songs To Download: "The Coldest Heart" & "The Fight"

10. Jonezetta "Popularity"
Jonezetta is a band for anyone who wants to listen to danceable rock but is burnt out on mainstream radio's habit of over-playing a song to death. Jonezetta is fun to listen to, and it is nearly impossible to resist from toe-tapping while doing it.
Songs To Download: "Get Ready (Hot Machete)" & "Backstabber"

Reviews:

Documentaries

"Invisible Children"

Invisible Children is one of the most powerful films I have ever seen. The documentary follows three men who visit Uganda and document what they see there. They stumble upon a great tragedy, the kidnapping and murder of children throughout the country. The children are forced to fight for a rebel army or be killed. The film is touching, but can be grotesque given the subject matter. I recommend, nay, request that everyone who can watch this film, does. It is available to view for free on Google Video and can be ordered from invisiblechildren.com.
5/5

"The Devil & Daniel Johnston"

Daniel Johnston is one of Austin, Texas' greatest musical living legends, but also one of its best-kept secrets. This documentary follows the life of Daniel Johnston, a musician who has battled with manic depression for most of his life. The story of his life is intriguing, but his music takes an open-minded ear to appreciate. While it is incredibly poetic, it can be hard to listen to. Interestingly, his music has been covered by bands such as Beck and Death Cab For Cutie and many, many more. I recommend this film to anyone who is interested in truly great music that has not been corrupted by the music industry or anyone interested in the effects of a mental disorder on one's life.
4/5

All We Are Saying Is Give Peace A Chance

2006-12-13T11:05:00.000-08:00

Here Are A Couple Of Pictures Of Possible Logos For The Site

Doppelganger

2006-12-06T13:55:00.000-08:00

Anyone believe in the doggelganger theory? It says that since there are so many people, there have to be unrelated people who look like each other on earth. This picture backs that idea up quite nicely. BTW, this is not photoshopped, it is only merged in-camera.

This is Scott Robertson and I. It is striking, is it not?

The First Day Of The Rest Of My Life

2006-11-15T18:04:00.000-08:00

Today I recieved a call that I was accepted to Southeastern University. Not only that, but I get the President's Scholarship, which is the highest they offer. Heck yeah.

Also, to round out the post, this is a picture of me as Abe Lincoln.

Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay

2006-11-07T11:15:00.001-08:00

Note: I have found since my last post that I won the candy collage contest because I was the only entrant. I won a pack of about 10 Tooth and Nail CDs. Sweet.

Yesterday we held a drama competition at GHS for the school. I participated in four songs. Here were the results:
Solo Song: Excellent for "If The World Were Like The Movies" from My Favorite Year
Large Group Musical Number: Excellent For "Showoff" from The Drowsy Chaperone
Small Group Musical Numbers: Superior for "Johanna" from Sweeney Todd
and Excellent for the title song from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Today, the first issue of our school newspaper was released for the year. Just between you and me, it was the lamest I have seen since attending GHS. Only a couple of the articles even looked interesting (There was a nice one about doing Gainesville on a budget by Scott Robertson). However, rather than complain about it, I decided to write my own articles for the paper, starting with the following book reviews:

I chose these books to review because they are about the same concept, modern music, but they contrast in their focus.

"Killing Bono" by Neil McCormick

Just like many teenagers, Neil McCormick dreamed of being a world-famous rockstar, immersing himself in his local music scene. His bands never made it, but he has had to live his life knowing that a childhood friend, Paul Hewson, who later became known as Bono, is the a world dignitary and lead singer of U2. In this often-humorous, always entertaing autobiography, McCormick deals with the sense of rejection that anyone would feel in his position. The book is fast-paced and entertaining with cameos ranging as far as Bob Dylan, every member of U2, and the Pope. While the book is a bit rough around the edges content-wise, I recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt doomed to the shadows of superstardom, or anyone interested in a great book about the music industry.
Rating: 4 out of 5

"Body Piercing Saved My Life: Inside the Phenomenon of Christian Rock" by Andrew Beaujon

Penned by a writer at SPIN magazine, "Body Piercing..." is an outsider's view on the subculture of Christian rock. Taking a journalistic approach on the distinctly Amerincan classification of music, Beaujon recounts the history of Christian rock from its hippie origins to its rather shoddy contemporary pop days of the 80's and 90's and into the new emergence of creativity in the Christian music world. Beaujon stays fairly unbiased while recounting what he witnesses, yet he continually points out that he feels Christian musicians are not up to the standards of the rest of the music world. Beaujon is a fairly interesting and entertaining writer, but his pacing can become rather tedious. "Body Piercing..." is an interesting read for anyone interested in the history of Christian rock, or anyone who is interested in what Christian music is all about and why it even exists in the first place.
Rating: 3 out of 5

Pictures!

2006-11-01T14:04:00.000-08:00

There are a couple of contests that I entered on Relevantmagazine.com and here they are:
First, I made a collage with candy of the Relevant Flame logo.

Then, I made a movie poster for "George Washington" starring the kid from "The Omen"

Satire

2006-10-15T19:30:00.000-07:00

The following is a satiric poem in the vein of The Canturbury Tales that I wrote for an assignment in my english class.

She walks with hair of gold and eyes of green
Stepping in her heels, she views the scene.
Artificial as her looks may be, her moves
Suggest a practiced grace with which she proves
She wants the men to think that she is fun.
It seems as though the mating game is won.
She bets but she does not account the cost.
So I should say that maybe she has lost.
She plays the game like a skilled pro to see
And throws away all thoughts of chastity.
She cannot see the boys pick fun at her.
They mock, “Would you like a turn with her, sir?”
She thinks that what she feels is loving bliss,
but she’s really being used for her kiss.
I do not wish to slander her “good name,”
Because I think it is not her to blame
For turning out the way in which she has.
But, who am I, but a lonely observer?
Heck. I’d even want a chance to date her.

A1 Sound And The Sound's So Soothing

2006-10-12T18:33:00.000-07:00

Well I'm on 'til the crack of dawn
Mowing down M.C.'s like I'm mowing a lawn
- The Beastie Boys

The play is over. Hallelujiah. Now I just need to get a job. Hopefully I can get one at the library.

I've been in a hip-hop mood lately. Between Pigeon John and the Beastie Boys, I have been getting down with my bad self! Yeah, I know I'm white, but I'm a brother at heart.

All The Promises We Make From The Cradle To The Grave

2006-09-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the first night of And Then There Were None performances. It is a good mystery that you should all come see if you get a chance.
Yet, something that I am reflecting on now is how much life is like a play. We are all acting a role for others to watch, hoping they will either laugh or be otherwise entertained. Even if we don't want to be who our audience forces us to be, we know we have to play a certain role just so that things can all go smoothly. When we are not onstage being someone we are not, we sit backstage running over what we will say and how so that we can get it right. I feel like this is the negative side of the quote "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players."
Just some ruminations.

Catharsis

2006-09-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Of all that breathes and crawls across the earth,
Our mother earth breeds nothing feebler than a man.
-Homer "The Odyssey"

Last night I experienced a catharsis. This came by way of laughter. I hung out with my two brothers, Paul and Jarred. We watched My Name Is Earl, Weird Al videos and random youtube stuff. Great times. It was a guy's night out, but in.

Two days ago I recieved Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits album. I think these guys were what Kanye West was really singing about when he wrote "Crack Music," because that is what this is. I have had "Mrs. Robinson" and "I Am A Stone" stuck in my head all day.

Drinking Tabasco In The Night

2006-09-21T18:52:00.000-07:00

On this fine night of Thursday, September 21 during the year of our Lord 2006, I attended the first Young Life of the year. It was double the flavor, double the fun, and double the Doublemint gum. (Well, there wasn't really any gum, but you know what I mean.) So the sans-gum festivities were very fun! I was called to play the "blow a toy car across the room and back with a straw" game. The race was neck and neck at the end because my competitor cheated, but I pulled through at the end, even though my ears felt like they were going to pop.
During the post-Young Life hangout session, I took a shot of Tabasco sauce on a dare. It was nasty. It gives this feeling that makes me want to throw up, but I can't. But still, it was fun. I showed off my dance moves that I learned today in a "How To Dance Like Shakira" session some drama people threw together before rehearsal. I think my specialty is the "Figure 8" with my hips. Or lack thereof.
Afterwards, I was taking Paul home and we had a really good, man-to-man talk. Mano-a-mano. I have not had a deep bonding talk with another guy in a long time. My associations have mainly been with girls. Not that I don't enjoy the female company I keep, but it was nice to have some male presence for a change.

Here's to tomorrow.

- B to the R to the AND

An Interview With Brandon Telg

2006-09-15T18:01:00.000-07:00

The Yearbook staff interviewed me today about my activism in the community. This is how it went down:

Full Name:
Brandon Wayne Telg

Name of organizations involved with and give brief explanations of
what they are and your particular assignments:
My work has been primarily with the organization Invisible Children
trying to raise awareness of the atrocities going on in Uganda. I have
shown the movie Invisible Children to as many people as I can, and I
helped organize and promote the Invisible Children Global Night
Commute in Gainesville, where over 200 people who walked to and slept
in Westside Park to show our solidarity with children who must do the
same thing every night in Uganda.

When did you begin?
I began doing what I can for Invisible Children almost immediately
after Spring Break in 2006, when I watched the film for the first
time.

What do you feel people's first impression of you is? And who do you
feel you really are?
My hope is that when someone looks at me, they see someone genuine. I
do not want to put on a mask for anyone. I want everyone to know me
for who I am, and I think I do a pretty good job of that.

What would you say to someone who's not involved, to encourage them to
make a difference?
I would say, look around! There are people that we just walk past
every day who could use our help. Helping someone does not mean going
to a third-world country and living in a hut, but sometimes all it
takes is reaching out a hand to someone. Believe me, the feeling of
helping someone in need is like nothing else on this earth.

What do you feel you've gained from helping the community?
I feel that in helping others, I learn more about how to truly live.
Living selfishly makes living pointless, I think. When we are gone,
where do all of our gains go? We cannot take them with us, that is for
sure! If we can live life changing the lives of others, our touch will
be felt in ways we cannot even imagine.

Why should students be involved?
The voice of the student can be heard more now than at any other time
in history. If students get involved and active, they can change the
world.

Describe a special memory that you've gained from this experience?
Something I always enjoy is seeing my peers get passionate about a
worthy cause. When teenagers wake up to something bigger going on in
the world, it is like watching a light bulb go on in their eyes.

Will you continue to volunteer in the future?
Yes. I will continue to volunteer as long as I am able.

What keeps you driven?
I feel that volunteering and helping others is something everyone is
called to do in their lives.

How has your every day life been affected by what you do?
I have become much more aware of others around me.

Who do you look up to? Why?
I look up to anyone who has been able to make a difference in the
world around them through love and dedication.

Anything else you would like people to know about yourself or anything
that you would like to add: (Feel free to go crazy)
To be honest, talk to me for about ten minutes, and you can know
pretty much all there is to know about me. I am a fairly open book. I
have enjoyed my high school years, but I am ready to move on to bigger
and better things.

Sufjan Is The Man. For Real Though.

2006-09-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has not had the great pleasure of listening to the musician named Sufjan Stevens should really get to it. Sufjan is certainly my favorite musical artist of all time, and for good reason. His songwriting is unparalleled. Lyrically, he can make you cry, make you smile, and everything in between. Not only that, but typically, his music is educational. (He rhymes Steven A. Douglas, the great debater with Abraham Lincoln, the Great Emancipator.)

Here is a song-by-song runthrough of some of Sufjan's best songs.

Chicago
The greatest song Sufjan has yet written, in my opinion. The grand, majestic nature of this song just makes me want to take a roadtrip and learn something new about myself in the process. If you listen to Chicago and are not hooked on Sufjan, you might as well stop here.

Decatur, Or A Round Of Applause for You Stepmother
You are still here? Good. This song is possibly the best example of Sufjan's amazing wordplay. This song is just fun. Not only is it fun though, but it teaches you about Decatur, Illinois. Education and Fun, a great combo!

Adlai Stevenson (Acoustic)
Short, but sweet. Got me interested in discovering who Adlai, one of America's biggest political losers was. (Loser not in personality, but in the fact that he never won.

The Henney Buggy Band
Fun song all around. Gotta love those awesome trumpet flares.

John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
Not my favorite of Sufjan's 110+ songs (quite the number for only being around for a few years, don't you think?), but I can't do Sufjan justice without including his saddest, most challenging song. John Wayne Gacy, Jr., in real life was a psychotic murderer who killed young boys dressed as a clown. This song is heartwrenching. The telling of the story of this man is sad enough, but Sufjan's simple statement is "In my best behavior, I am really just like him. Look beneath the floorboards, at the secrets I have hid." That is a horribly eye-opening look at sin. Sin is sin. Gacy was a horrible murderer, but I have sinned, and does that make me any different? I am a sinner just like him. Mindblowing, don't you think?

For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti
To lighten things up somewhat (not really,but this song is not as sad), I have included another great banjo jam. I really dig the intro. Check it out. Go buy Sufjan's albums.

A Couple Of Sufjan's Short Stories
Not many people know this, but Sufjan went to college to be a creative writer. It shows in his songwriting. The two stories on the above site, "An Oboist With So-So Vibrato" and "All The Nonsense of Suffering" are both very well-written. Sufjan could have been a great writer if he decided to go that route.

If you are interested in Sufjan and hearing more, go buy an album of his. Believe me, it is worth it.
Sufjan's Albums:
A Sun Came - Decent. Not one I would start out on.
Enjoy Your Rabbit - Skip it. It is not good. Even the best miss the mark sometimes.
Michigan - Really good, rather somber album.
Seven Swans - Very laid back, easy to listen to. Great album.
Illinois - Sufjan's best. Hands-down. This is the one to get to start you off.
The Avalanche - Actually, this album is a B-Sides album for Illinois. If you like Illinois, pick this one up too. You won't be dissappointed.

Life, The Universe, And Everything

2006-09-11T18:15:00.000-07:00

I sit outside, late in the afternoon, after I have finished my homework, my daily chores, and the various miscellanea of the day. I sit outside, late in the afternoon, and ponder on the meaning life, the universe, and everything. I wonder if the meaning of life, the universe, and everything is as boring and pretentious as my last few sentences, because if it is, I might as well go and shoot myself now. Frankly, I know there has to be more to life than just the normal day-to-day minutia that blurs perspectives and makes men lazy and fat.

“Imagine” by John Lennon, being one of the world’s catchiest songs, has been replaying itself in my head all day long since I heard it this morning on a classic rock station’s “The Beatles Break At Eight.” Normally I think of this song as a fun, peaceful romp through an imaginary wonderland of good feelings and “people living for the day.” People can see things differently in different mindsets. My mind is in another place today for sure. I look at these lyrics and see a very depressing and ultimately, terrifyingly pointless view of life. It is all fine and good to imagine a world with no countries, possessions, or religions, but I think that it is these differences that make us who we are. There are obviously problems when people take boundaries too far and forget about their sense of community, but with nothing to make people different, the world would be a place I would not want to live in.

Promptly after thinking this, I forget it. I’m glad I wrote it down, or else that dissection of Lennon would have been gone forever. Then again, perhaps the world would have been better without my two cents worth.

Rather than risk stretching this out for the sake of making it longer, I am going to end this essay now. Nothing is worse than reading a paper that is obviously fluffed in the end to simply make it longer when the author obviously has nothing more to say. Would you agree?