Posted by Misc. Romance on: May 12 2010
Oh my poor neglected blog... how I miss you so. I yearn for the times when I was nervous to post here, a time when I was inspired by a women, tourchered by my anima and afraid that "she" might actually read my post. And you "reader" - I bet you still hope that I'll never be lucky in love. Well, for the sake of writing here, I hope that I will never be happy too. I love sharing my agony will the City of Santa Barbara 2.0 and the rest of the interweb version 3.5... I'm not even sure what the fuck that means, but its making me laugh anyhow. Haha! We all know its just a matter of time before the captain of this ship sets his sights on new land far far away and allows the winds to blow the sails of this magic musical Yacht forward into the sunset of ever lasting single man-land misc-romantic bliss. Yeah. So, I need a little "one on one" with you (my blog), I wanna play that game tonight... how about a little Hall and Oates to get in the mood?
"One on One" – Hall and Oates
"One on One" - what a genius metaphor for boning down! Serious, a basketball reference? I'm telling you, Hall and Oates are incredible songwriters. A metaphor like that is hard to write. And its even harder to sing it, even if we look back and think it sounds so dated and cheesy - they must have done something right. Let me pause for a second and ask...
What the hell has happened to Pop Music? Furthermore, what is happening to our culture? Where is the creative metaphor like we have here in the Hall and Oates song? Huh, where is it? When I listen to top ten pop music I feel like the act of sex is blurted out, as a physical account with no eloquence. Have we lost sight of how to write a song that is both sincere, clean, sexy and playful? 90 percent of pop music is written for a lover, like most art, it exists to express a feeling that can't just be blurted out! A feeling of angst, yearning and lust. I feel like we are losing the one very beautiful characteristic that that separates up from other animals, the one this that defines us as humans – the ability to construct complex metaphors in a social way. Maybe this will help me clear up my point of view. Maybe.
Dave Hickey wrote a book of essays called Air Guitar, the first essay entitled “Unbreak my heart, an overture” is about pop music and how 90 percent of all of it is really just about, heart ache, flirting, breakups, courting, capturing the essence of true romance, etc. In the conclusion …. he made a statement which I thought broke down the phenomenon of writing love songs very nicely. He says that we need these rituals and it maybe they're what separate us from most other animals.
“ ...it occurred to me that dogs didn't need love songs at all... but we need so many love songs because the imperative ritual of flirtation that is hard wired into mammals and proscribed in traditional cultures. ”
You see, dogs don't need love songs. And do you know why? Well, I really don't know why either, but if you observe dogs, you'll notice that they will just bone down with just about any other dog. Yep, its not that easy as a humans, right? Well at least for those of us that aren't professionally good-looking (aka. a model). We are expected to create an image of ourselves that is attractive (fashion), play “the game” (courting rituals), write music, play a saxophone solo, memorize some poetry and/or bake a cake. Do you see my point now? Do you see why we need to create good art, create metaphors that can make someone's heart flutter. Okay, how about another saxophone solo so we can all fall in love, even if were not at the moment in love with someone specifically or, monogamously. Fuck it.
Authur's Them (Best that you can do) - Christoper Cross
If you're wondering about the subject of this post and how I came up with the topics, well, I picked them out of a hat. What a fun challenge, huh? There is no “real” correlation between dogs humping and saxophone solos.
Posted by Misc. Romance on: February 12 2010
I saw "8: The Mormon Proposition" last night at Victoria Hall Theatre. My “God”. This is one of those films that makes me hate the country that I live in (don't worry... my hand is still over my heart).
I'm not a "point the finger" kinda guy, and I have no problem with taking responsibility for my own ignorance ( I'll be the first to admit that I don't know shit). AND, I probably could have done a little more to help California proposition 8 fail... You know, more than just joining some FACEBOOK group so that all my online friends know how liberal and “tolerant” I am. I mean, when a guys can show how “in touch” he is with his feminine side, thats HOT (to girls), right?! Haha! Have I really been walking through the world with blinders on? Unfortunately..yes. But after seeing '8', I wonder, "how could I have not been aware that the Mormon Church was behind such a phenomenally intricate movement behind Proposition 8 passing?".
I left this film last night feeling violated and vulnerable. Violated because I invited two of these well-dressed nice-looking fellas into my cozy little apartment so that we could have a nice little chat. Vulnerable because I feel as if our civil rights have been severely compromised, and with the help of what I would almost consider to be Organized Crime (the LDS), as they've strong-armed their own community into contributing campaign money to support the proposition. The film also claims they used torture tactics on their own members (who were found out to be gay). After seeing '8', it's not only in my mind that Proposition 8's passing negatively effects gay couples looking for equal rights, it effects the people around them; their families, friends, not to mention the communities that we live in....etc. The outcome is exponential.
Please go see this film, and take a look at the Q&A session I taped after the screening.
Show Times: Saturday, Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m. at the Lobero Theatre.
More info: http://www.mormonproposition.com/
Synopsis: 8:TMP follows the stories of many LGBT citizens seeking marriage equality and never-before revealed Mormon efforts to stop them. The stories of Tyler Barrick and Spencer Jones, two gay Mormon men, are the marquis players in 8:TMP. Barrick is the direct descendant of Mormon polygamist Fredrick G. Williams. READ MORE
Question & Answer Video:
Posted by Misc. Romance on: February 10 2010
I've been trying to plug this film "THE WILD HUNT" as much as possible because I believe in it so much. If you missed the first interview I posted, you can find it here. Why might you ask, do I have such a boner for this film? Its not because of his French Canadian accent ;) Well, I guess you'll just have to go find out for yourself... It will be playing again at the Isla Vista Theatre on Friday. Or, you can check out a more eloquent review by Almost Native Son, the second biggest fan of the film. Seriously, both of us were crying towards the end of the movie - thats all I'm going to say.
Interview Part 2:
NOW, check out the second part of our conversation with director Alex Franchi: We discuss his use of humor and drama in the writing process...
Posted by Misc. Romance on: February 09 2010
When the topic comes up that I've been watching a ton of movies at this years 2010 film festival, the first question that people ask is, “oh, so do you know any good movies that are playing?” and the answer is YES, and my answer isn't to sound smart or to be "in the know" of whats going on... I literally want to people ot go see this movie. Here is an answer I sent this morning to a friend asking me this very question:
"Sure man, no problem... I just saw this one two nights ago and it was amazing! One of the best movies I've seen all year. The last showing is this Friday in Isla Vista. But seriously its worth going out there to see. I'm doing a review thingy on it right now and I'll have an interview with the director uploaded soon. Check it out its kind of a modern day Lord of the Flies story, but super funny!"
Synopsis - A MODERN MEDIEVAL SAGA, The Wild Hunt tells the story of Erik Magnusson, a young man who decides to follow his estranged girlfriend Evelyn into a medieval re-enactment game when he discovers that she has been seduced by one of the players.
As the down-to-earth Erik treks deeper into the game in search of his love, he inadvertently disrupts the delicate balance of the make believe fantasy-land.
Passions are unleashed. Rules are broken. Reality and fantasy collide. The good-hearted game turns into a tragedy of mythic proportion...
Capturing the culture of costume play and the potentially dangerous intersection of real and made-up worlds, The Wild Hunt is a timely and potent comment on the consuming nature of adopting another identity, even within a game, and the modern yearning for ritual.
City2.0 Review - http://sb.city2.org/blogs/ws1/blog_entries/1596-the-wild-hunt-cannot-be-stopped/blog_comments/new
Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tJ4swFfJ0Q
Interview - director Alexander Franchi
We talk about the mistakes that young film makers make, and how they can be positive or negative to the end result of the film...
Show Times - Friday, February 12th at 7PM & 10PM (two showings)
Venue website: http://www.islavista-arts.org/artsdigest/magiclanternfilms.html
Location: IV Theater
Street: 960 Embarcadero del Norte
City/Town: Isla Vista, CA
More Info - http://wildhuntfilm.com/main.html
Posted by Misc. Romance on: February 06 2010
One of the great things about the Santa Barbara Film Festival is that its a pretty small community and its very easy meet the people who are the brains and creators behind the films. So, if you stick around after the showing of a movie more than likely you can ask the director questions about their process, techniques and anything else you might wonder. So, thats what I did – I loitered around after the showing of “The Nothing Men” an Australian Film created by Mark Fitzpatrick and produced by Martin Dingle Wall (whom also had a main acting roll as “Wesley”) and had a chat for a few minutes. But before we get into that, here's a synopsis of the movie:
As a hardened crew of factory workers struggle to see out the last two weeks before their redundancy windfalls, panic runs through the ranks with the arrival of a mysterious man sent to join them.
Suddenly fearful that their drinking and gambling will be exposed by the head-office “spy” and rob them of their money, top dog Jack (Colin Friels) and the men descend into a compelling world of antagonism and brutality.
The intrigue and anxious second-guessing is only enhanced when the pacifist of the group, Wesley (Martin Dingle Wall), befriends the seemingly normal outsider, David (David Field).
When Wesley discovers David is hiding a much darker secret, however, the seeds are planted for an explosive finale that seals the fate of The Nothing Men.
After the movie was finished they had a question and answer session to shed some light onto their process of making film which really sparked my interest. Mark Fitzpatrick explains that he draws a lot of his ideas for his movie's story, plot and character development from “Real Life” in Australia...
If you'd like more info on this movie here is a direct link to its homepage and a trailer...
www.thenothingmen.com
Next Showing:
Monday, Feb. 8, 10 p.m. at the Metro 4
Posted by Misc. Romance on: January 20 2010
I've been suffering from a temporary insanity known as love, but all of this has now come to a screeching halt, and once again the sobriety of longing is wielding its ugly face. What a perfect time to create a playlist, huh? Its been said that every crush needs a soundtrack and over the years I've made some pretty amazing mixed tapes...Yeah well, but the same can be said for every dream that's been crushed. Haha! Here's my first pick...
If this is it by Huey Lewis & the News
I've been staring at the phone wondering why she's not been calling (if you don't know who I'm referring to, see my previous two blog entries). Seriously, I've been doing that. I took a chance on this new girl and look where its gotten me - I've been getting the cold shoulder. My first thought was, “so whats his name?” And, guess what? I was right. I feel like I've been kicked in the stomach...
Telephone Line by Electric Light Orchestra
I sometimes wonder why I even care about find a soul mate. Is it because my parents are still happily married? Is it the society that I grew up in? Yes and Yes, I'm sure. Maybe its because I listen to all this sappy music! Now thats funny! Hahaha! Ambrose Bierce states in his Devils Dictionary that love is a temporary insanity curable by marriage, or removing oneself from the situation that caused this insanity. He approaches the subject satirically from a doctors character and the patient is the one stricken with a disease called love. I think this idea is freaking hilarious. This isn't exactly a statement of genius, its more that the twist on the subject is funny and clever. So it doesn't matter if you know his writings or not. In fact, he's pretty much stating the obvious. But I still think this satire is really great - here's a quote:
“LOVE, n. A temporary insanity curable by marriage or by removal of the patient from the influences under which he incurred the disorder. This disease, like _caries_ and many other ailments, is prevalent only among civilized races living under artificial conditions; barbarous nations breathing pure air and eating simple food enjoy immunity from its ravages. It is sometimes fatal, but more frequently to the physician than to the patient.”
Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce
Oh, so how did I find out that there's another dude in the picture, other than my keen intuition? She sent me an email. Duh, thats how its done these days. This is how it went down- this morning when I woke up I made a cup of coffee then checked my email. Oh, to my surprise and much anticipation, there was an email from her (Chloe)! You know the one, the one that came into MY LIFE while I was minding MY own business, tracked ME down, asked ME out on a date, when I was doing just FINE on my own...
Dear Steve,
sorry I have been MIA. Your website is very cool and I think you should make an underwater scape, with little characters. A treasure trunk bubbling out updates about your new stuff, and a little school of fish in class, a cave that makes you want to click on to see whats inside, inside could be a lobster? Plus I really like your whirl chair thats white....... ok well I have not been calling you because a past lover came back into my life. Ouch the truth is hard to say....... If I call you for beers or late night hang outs its not cool, cause I can not divide my attention between two men, I fall short. I have to be here now, and I just have to say this. Kinda of much right? ok well I'm just an imaginative girl with honest intentions so this is me being honest. Please write to me if you feel like it. I just cant hang out.
Truly, Chloe
I will now take refuge in the harbor of amazing music. You see Ambrose Bierce, this is how you really cure love – you take a healthy dose of Yacht Rock!!! Our second Yacht Rock artist up-to-bat for Team Heart Break City, Phil Collins. I'm going to guess that Phil Collins is singing this song just for me. How narcissistic you say...I know. But I'm his biggest fan, so Shut the Fuck Up...I'm really feeling this one!
Easy Lover by Phil Collins
And, if you hadn't already guessed, I originally had a sob story piece intended for this blog. Really, it was sappier than this one already is, and I almost posted it. Wanna know what songs I was going to include? Okay, here's two:
Hello by Lionel Richie
Sail On by The Commodores
Hahaha! Deep down inside I really can be “A Huge Pussy”. But those readers that actually follow my blog already know this. I'm going to change the trajectory here because I'm feeling the vide that my boy Phil is throw'n down. So, instead of posting the first thing that I wrote the morning this shit went down, I waited a few days and now I have a whole new perspective on things. Fuck all this pity party shit! We're not going to do that anymore. Hahaha! Seriously, I've just been honest this entire time and for some reason I've been meeting these flighty, unavailable women, so I've been inspired to turn this whole thing around. This blog is now going to be about how I keep meeting women that are heart breakers! Yeah, you see this means that none of this shit is my fault at all. Its just part of a bigger picture, really. And if there is one thing that I have learned through all of my years of being single, dating, having a girl friend, moving in together, breaking up, and all the games in between is that you really don't know someone until you do. And when you find out, you best be ready to take a punch. So, this song is dedicated for my special someone (you Chloe)...
Man Eater by Daryl Hall and John Oates
Posted by Misc. Romance on: January 10 2010
It seems that the noetic power of my Yacht Rock record collection has grown so strong that its spun out of control! When you pay special attention to a object, or a collection of things, they can take on a power of their own. Weird things have been happening all around me. I'm beginning to see correlations I didn't expect. Love is trying to prevail. That last post got me into a rash of shit that I wasn't ready for. I may have broken the heart of an old lover. But now we are both free. It just wasn't meant to last that long. Maybe I should have never thought of you as mine? The truth of the collection is rising into power! However this whole thing is really starting to freak me out. I think I'm going to ditch the idea of building the grandiose Yacht Rock Collection all together...I guess I just won't get to live that dream...that destiny has passed me by – for now the collection will only exist in a digital format and in the youtube videos here on my blog.
Yeah Right! After I finish my coffee I'm heading to Amoeba Records – Don't bring ME down!. Let the music play...
Dont Bring Me Down by Electric Light Orchestra
The science of noetics tries to make a link between the ability of the human mind (rationality and knowledge) and the influence of divine powers. Today we now call this intuition, and psychological studies have all but ruined the mystery behind such phenomenon so I can't help think that it breaks down to these three ideas that feel a little more majestic and less institutional...
The Truth: Lately it seems that life has been spitting in my face. I tell the truth and for some reason its really not getting me anywhere. There's more comfort in lies, and the truth seems to be to hard to live with. But I know I'm doing the right thing. No matter how bad it hurts...tell the truth.
99 by TOTO
Signs: To normal people less disfuckional than myself, signs would be totally unnecessary, and more than likely they wouldn't get themselves into the kinda shit that I seem to get myself into. So it is, the message is clear and its time to MOVE ON! But that is not all, the lesson this time seems not to try to make sense of everything, but to let go of everything.
Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty
Magic: Whats life without a little slight of hand, mystery and a the unknown?
You can do Magic by America
Posted by Misc. Romance on: January 05 2010
I'm not a collector, in a traditional sense. I've recently been more sensitive to this fact since I've moved into my new house and I realized I don't have enough things to fill the space. In the past I've had to live a minimal lifestyle taking with me only the things that I need. If I didn't use it within the last six months then it would get tossed. Also, I've found that when I visit peoples houses they have all these collections of things like comics, magazines, art, CD's, movies...you get the picture. I started thinking about my behavior with things and what that says about me. I think it means that I need to dive deeper, and start a collection of something that will help me study a subject and really get to know it – like when you collect memories, and experience you supposedly become more wise.
Side note of honesty:
I collect things that might someday bring
her back to me. I'm not a stocker by any sense, although I feel a
little bit guilty for stocking the belongings of another. I think this
is why i've never wanted to collect anything. Is it weird that I can't
get rid of the photos from x's or small objects that they leave behind?
Why do I feel the need to keep them? Is there power in an object? Is
there power in objects coming together all at once? Am I totally
insane? Yes.
I'm starting a grandiose Yacht Rock record collection. My first purchase is kenny Loggins "Alive" (see photo at the top) which I purchased from Amoeba records in san francisco on New Years Eve. At the moment the collection is only two records deep and I don't even have a turn table. But, somehow this collection of records is bringing me power in love, or am I totally making superstitious correlations to totally uncontrollable factors?
So the questions stands – Is there power in an object? Is there power in objects coming together all at once. What will happen when this record collection grows. Will this be some sort of of unstoppable black hole of love that opens up from the center of this collection and sucks me in never to be found? There must be a bit of someones soul in everything they touch, right? Then if I collect this object does this bring me closer to understanding them, sharing something with them or bringing them closer to my life? Channeling energy and all that kind of stuff. Or, maybe its like the old saying says, Speak of the devil and the devil may come. Maybe all of this Yacht Rocking has resurrected something I can't control?
All I know is that something is working. She walked
right into my life, out of the blue. Two weeks ago today she walking
into where I work then looked and me and said “I've been waiting to
come into this store my whole life.” What the fuck!? Who says that?
What are you trying to sell? I wasn't born yesterday. Who is this
girl?
Ahhhh! Im taking a deep breath and letting it out
slowly. Keep it up beat man and sing for her! Stay focused...and don't
forget what we are doing here. We're not in love. Say it. TAKE your
headphones off you sappy bastard and Say it out loud! I. AM. NOT.
IN. LOVE.
I really do love someone...Fuck! How could this have happened?
This resistance isn't working, the power is toooooooo stroooooooooong!
Here we go again folks. Now we get to play the waiting game...sleepless
nights, waiting by the phone for it to ring, wondering if she feels the
same way about me? I picked a hell of a time to quit drinking hard
alcohol, thats for sure.
...is this really happening? I've been waiting for a girl like this to come into my life :)
Posted by Misc. Romance on: December 18 2009
First of all I need to make a confession - Forgive me father of
all that is awesome and unfathomable, for I have sinned, I have been
self indulgent, sappy and uncultured, completely out of touch with
the music of my peers and living in a past maritime world complete
with sailor hats and fine tequila, that cannot be relived, revived or
resurrected like your bearded godman (jesus the one that will once again
bring peace and love to everyone and fill our hearts with passion,
sincerity and unconditional love this time of year when we spend what
little money we're not going to give to the tax man). Side note: does Kenny Loggins look like Jesus in that photo up ther to the left? Whats with the glowing ball of eternal light? I have been
trying to live in a world of endless infatuation, cocaine epiphanies, romance,
heart break, sailor hats, reunited lovers and total and complete
delusional synesthesia crossing musical ballads with baroquely tense
hallmark moments. I am a fucking fraud. I'm not in love anymore. In
fact I've been single for over a year now. God dammit. I can't
wait until infatuation passes. Yacht Rock, I fucking hate you! I hope your deviated septum causes you to sneeze really hard, loosening your footing because you're wearing those overpriced loafers on deck, you can't catch yourself because you just poured yourself a fresh martini so you're one handed and you fall overboard, flowered-blouse first, into the mexican gulf never to be seen again.
I found some other poor bastard who is a fan of Yacht Rock too and has placed together a genius selection of Yachting Rock at its finest. His first choice is Michael McDonald "Taking it to the streets" - fucking genius! Hand me a kleenex because I'm upset I hadn't thought of it. Actually, I'm not sad at all anymore, I'm dancing in my office and might just head out the door to find myself an empty bar down by the harbor to post up at and have a manhattan. Brophy Brothers anyone?
Posted by Misc. Romance on: December 09 2009
My best friend Brian, and I, have this long running competition where we try to out "Yatch Rock" each other on his Sonos system. If your not familiar with Sonos, its a home music listening system that has access to Rhapsody which is a giant online music database that has pretty much everthing you can think of at your fingertips. So, we sit there with this controller and think of the sappiest love songs we can remember, meanwhile trying not to cry our freaking eyeballs out! The winner makes everyone melt with desire for a lost love - the "one that got away", so you have to be honest with your feelings, or the game doesn't work. To paint a clearer picture of what I'm talking about, here's a short list of artists that have made honorable mention:
Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, Toto, Electric Light Orchestra, The Carpenters, Kenny Loggins, The Eagles, and Michael McDonald.
My definition of Yacht Rock:
"Yacht Rock" not to be mistaken as soft rock, is an ambitious yet irresistible fusion of love songs and classical arrangements that rose from the ashes of eccentric singer-song-writer art-pop. These artists sang their hearts out through the 70's - early 80's and brought us the music we sipped martini's to along the beach-side, lighting romantic flames for old lovers and now this glorious music pumps soundtracks for wedding slideshow montages.
Also, if you're into using Pandora for your listening pleasures, I have created a station there called Yacht Rock. You can listen to it by clicking this link here. (you need to sign into your account first)
*Above Photo: Kenny Loggins and Messina - whom will be touring this year.
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Come on over, I have nothing to offer, but at least its free.
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