Wes-blog

Huey withdraws

wespinkley — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 12:42:43 +0000

After viewing the new episode of “The Boondocks” on adultswim.com, I felt a cringe. It was my body having withdraws. I need a dose of the sardonic yet genius brain of Huey, after all of these Riley intensive episodes. Albeit one of my favorite “Boondocks” episode is a Riley episode. The greatness that is “Riley Wuz Here,” that showed the rush and expression that is graffiti, while at the same time showing respect for Bob Ross, with a character homage in Mr. Expert. But even that episode had a really funny side plot with Huey as he went through a regression of identity by watching a week of nothing but television made for black people.

But I need more Huey. More people need to be told off, especially politicians, and he is the best person to do it.

Read Faster…your brain will thank you.

wespinkley — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 12:25:32 +0000

I’m an insomniac, thus the infomercial is something I am very familiar with. Paid Programming, terribly long and unattractive marketing, usually part of a pyramid scheme or faulty products and ideas. But I saw one last night for something called “eyeQ” a series of CD-Roms to teach you how to read faster. You only have to pay 15.00 to learn ancient Japanese secrets… yeah right. Contrived high-school testimonials and overzealous Ex-Mork and Mindy flop Pam Dawber trying to sell me with their indoctrinations. Pathetic.

Instead if you want to bump up your reading levels there is plenty of free help out there. A quick google search yielded many helpful results, with no money or has been actors trying to sell you crap.

JobBankUSA
This one is helpful and a short read, since we’re assuming you don’t read fast to begin with.
Scott H Young’s Blog
This one is a bit more intesive, taking ideas from the book, Breakthrough Rapid Reading by Peter Klump.
So Good Luck and remember… “Reading Is Fun-damental!”

Fall out Boy in Africa?

wespinkley — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 22:18:15 +0000

Ok so I hate the whole scene that Fall out Boy has jumped on, pop punk needs to die. But unfortunately they have made a good music video, something that seldomm happens abismal pop bands. “I’m like a lawyer, how I’m always trying to get you off” addresses the war in northern Uganda, and the thousands of children abducted to fight in this war. This only piqued my interest because of a book that was presented on the Daily Show a couple of months ago called, “A long way gone; Memoirs of a boy soldier” by Ismeal Beah, where he discussed the trials of becoming a man way too early and all of the terrible things that he was forced to do. Anyway back at hand, the Fall out Boy, video tells a story of two young lovers that live a modest life the boy who works hard to save money to go to school and tutor his girl. Until one night the boy is abducted by “freedom fighters” and forced to join their army, which has the living conditions of a pow camp, forced to fight one another for the amusement of others and to show their worth as warriors. One night, he along with another boy, make their escape. Our protagonist makes his escape successful only because of the other boys failure. The boy then returns back to his village a changed person but meets back with his love.

Strange fare for a Fall out Boy video. But if everyone that watches a Fall out Boy, there are a lot of them too, video gets the message and visits the website invisiblechildren.com, maybe something will happen.

Oh, BTW the song still sucks in my opinion.

Be Kind Rewind

wespinkley — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 01:15:19 +0000

This is a movie that I am truly excited about, enough so to shout praise to the high heavens months before it’s release.

Now isn’t that a refreshing premise. Michel Gondry is a mad scientist of a filmmaker. All of his movies have struck a chord in one way or another. Mos Def is one of my favorite new actors. He, of course, is a invaluable MC, but this man and what he did for the character of Douglas Adam’s Ford Prefect from the Hitchhiker’s guide, and the classic scene from Talledega Nights, where on the same screen is Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen share the scene with him and he steals it with a “Git R Done!” Jack Black isn’t really one of my favorite actors but I have learned to put my disdain for him on hold for a few roles and it seems that I will have to do that again. But it seems promising since I like Mos Def more than I hate Jack Black.

I guess January 28th will not come soon enough.

Rock and or Roll Music

wespinkley — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 01:03:42 +0000

If classic rock gets to be called classic what do we call all of the great bands that came out after 1985? They don’t deserve the College rock stigma that it gets attached with most of the time. That is too broad of a term, because I could not put My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth and The Pixies in with the same lot as say Tripping Daisy, Jesus and the Mary Chain or Happy Mondays. Not to take anything away from those bands, who are good in their own right, but they don’t seem to be on the same level of influence. If you want a good laugh then check out the Wiki site for College Rock, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_rock.

But to me classic rock is an archaic term! I will call this ultimate rock. Now for a list of ultimate rock. Thses are albums that you may have not heard but desperately need to.

My Bloody Valentine- Loveless

Classic Shoegazing, or that is what some journalist dubbed it. Although I doubt they were looking at their shoes and more at the ample FX pedals that they used. The guitars are epic on this album and lyrics are an afterthought. A wonderful album that makes all other guitars pale in comparison. Highlights: Only Shallow, Sometimes

The Replacements- Tim

The quintessintal rock album. Crunchy guitars and loud drums lead the way for this adventure into 80′s thought and culture. Lyrics don’t take a backburner on this one, with Paul Westerberg’s lyricism shining through. Highlight: Bastards ofYoung, Kiss me on the Bus, I’ll Buy.

The Pretenders- Self Titled

This is an oldie, straight from 1980. A reaction to the punk movement of the late 70′s, but on a much more pop level. From the first lick of quitar on Precious, you get a feel for the band. Patty Smith’s raunchy lyrics, the great and changing beat inspired from the rise of not only punk but also reagge. And the guitar, oh the guitar. great tone, gnarly strum progression, and crazy effects helped this write the beginning of the story for the 80′s fascination with the guitar. This lead the way for how different music would sound in the following decade. Highlight: Precious, Tattooed Love Boys, Kid, Brass in Pocket.

Dinosaur Jr. – Without a Sound

In the opening line of this album, J Mascis connects and isolates himself with the world’s pain, and accompanying it is one of the catchiest dual guitar lines ever. A truly unique voice is presented throughout, like Tom Petty on too much heroin. You have to let this album wash over you, heavy becomes light, dark becomes bright. Highlights: Feel the Pain, Grab it, On the Brink.

The Pixies- Surfer Rosa

I wouldn’t know of the pixies if it weren’t for Fight Club. And that is a shame, because if it weren’t for this band I wouldn’t of had any bands to be into when I was in sixth grade. No Nirvana is basically what I am saying. The balanced abrasive/soothing music that came after this Boston nerd band were more than Nirvana but none more important. With one word being key. Feedback, the use of feedback on the track Vamos was groundbreaking. While the juxtaposition of soothing and abrasive from tracks like Gigantic started a trend that still hasn’t stopped. Frank Black’s lyricism is nothing short of innovative, I am stll wondering today what a bone machine is? Good enough for Tom Waits to name an album that four years later. Highlights:Vamos, Gigantic, Where is my Mind.

Sonic Youth- Daydream Nation

What can I say about this that hasn’t been said by everyone else? It is brilliant and you should listen!

Love is all Wii need!

wespinkley — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 06:11:26 +0000

I’m thinking of getting rid of the 360, seeing as how I only ever play soccer and Guitar Hero 2. The switch to the Wii would be more fun. It would also be cheaper. But there is the fact that they fly out of people’s hands. Not only that but the Virtual Console looks like a great and wonderous thing, with all of the great titles on it like Sonic and Bonk!

I’m torn though because of the lack of Soccer for the Wii. This makes me sad. Why did I have to be born in the Eighties?

Feline Fascists

wespinkley — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:43:30 +0000

Hit the random button internet…
Cats that look like Hitler.

Pretty funny.

Evil and cute! Would this kitty commit genocide? Who knows.

LOL

Porco Rosso

wespinkley — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 11:13:14 +0000

One of the greatest works by Anime Guru Hiyao Miyazaki.

This movie takes place in the Mediterranean Sea, in a world that is changing wth the times after WW1. Facism is taking over Italy and a former war hero is turned into a pig.

The irony gushes from this work. Porco, the protagonist, is a bounty hunter sea-plane pilot, where his prey, the sea pirates, aren’t bad people, but rather people just trying to get by. Porco having been turned into a pig by a strange curse, lives a lonely life isolated from the people that care about him. After having a stand off with an American fighter pilot, his plane is left worse for wear. He then takes to Milan to seek his mechanic only to find that he is on the periphery while his seventeen year old grand-daughter is more or less running the show. Fio, the spunky young engineer, proves herself to Porco and eventually joins him on his adventure to rematch against the cocky American.

Miyazaki is at his most grounded with this movie, seeking only small bits of fantasy. Which is perfect. No Lore or myth, just a great simple story. Even at points where I am going this is sexist, with Fio spouting lines like” I can’t help that I’m a woman.” But then i am countered with the sight of Fio’s twenty odd female relatives building Porco’s plane.

This movie requires no morals for a plot device, no good vs evil here. Just a battle between two men for the heart of a young girl.

Awesome Gif Time!

wespinkley — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 04:04:19 +0000

Sky Sports News Facelift

wespinkley — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 23:11:34 +0000

I’ve enjoyed Sky Sports ever since I started watching Fox Soccer Channel, but never really liked the way it looked. Now it looks as good as it is informative. Also,they seem to be using the full orchestration of the “Winter Overture” from Requiem for a Dream. The same song used in the Lord of the Rings’ trailers.

Before

After