| Category | Prediction | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| Best Picture: | Million Dollar Baby | Million Dollar Baby |
| Best Director: | Martin Scorsese (The Aviator) | Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby) |
| Best Actor: | Jamie Foxx (Ray) | Jamie Foxx (Ray) |
| Best Actress: | Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby) | Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby) |
| Best Supporting Actor: | Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) | Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) |
| Best Supporting Actress: | Virginia Madsen (Sideways) | Cate Blanchett (The Aviator) |
| Best Original Screenplay: | Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind |
| Best Adapted Screenplay: | Sideways | Sideways |
| Best Cinematography: | The Passion of the Christ | The Aviator |
| Best Foreign Film: | The Sea Inside | The Sea Inside |
| Best Animated Film: | The Incredibles | The Incredibles |
Two alternate possibilities:
1. I think the Academy want to honor both Eastwood and Scorsese, but I'm not sure exactly how, so I think it's possible that the Picture-Director honors could be switched.
2. Though The Passion had remarkable cinematography, it's possible it could lose out to something like The Aviator because of how controversial it is, and the fact that many people in Hollywood haven't seen it. What a shame.
Post-coverage commentary:
Good: Charlie Kaufman winning for "Eternal Sunshine". Can you believe this was his first win, after writing such unbelievable screenplays as "Adaptation." and "Being John Malkovich"? He was way overdue, and well-deserving.
Bad: "The Passion" striking out. I guess I called it correctly in my "alternate possibility". If Hollywood would quit being so pretentiously liberal and self-indulgent, they would be able to recognize when a truly great movie is made. To rob the film of a Best Actor and Best Picture nomination is one thing: to leave it completely shut out should be a crime.
Very Bad: Martin Scorsese not winning? Are you kidding me? Not to take anything away from Clint Eastwood - he is a supreme talent and a legend - but Scorsese is a cornerstone in the pantheon of great directors. For him to lose again in the Best Director category stands as one of the biggest shames in Oscar history.
I've been thinking about this subject for awhile. How do you objectify genius? To be honest, the idea of Top 10 lists are inherently unfair, and agonizing to the creator. It would be hard enough to come up with the Top 10 Rock Songs of 1975, let alone of all-time. But in the end, it's not really the list it matters. It's the process of determining it, the focus given to great music, and the discussion that inevitably results from it. That's why Top 10 lists are so much fun...
Anyways, with such a broad topic, I had to do this in steps. It satisfied my OCD tendencies and made for a more dramatic selection. But first, a few ground rules:
1. No more than 2 songs from any band or individual artist could make the Top-10. There are a couple bands whose music I could reasonably use to fill up the Top 10 on their own. But I wanted to have some semblance of diversity, hence the limit.
2. The list must be true "rock" songs. No stretching to include blues, jazz, techno, etc. Other genres deserve a list of their own.
3. The list is my Top 10, not the Top 10, so while I encourage other viewpoints, understand that this is no more than opinion. The list is a healthy combination of some songs I consider to be the greatest, and some which are just my favorites. Any true music lover understands that there is a difference.
So without further ado, let's start trimming down the list:
Step 1: The Contenders
I had to start somewhere, so I basically sat down and thought "What songs could possibly be on this list?" Actually, I thought of artists first, since they were easier to form into a concise list. Then for each artist I listed their songs which could potentially be worthy for inclusion.
When I was done I had about 50. I figured the next step would be to cut the list in half, which I did. Here are the 25 that didn't make the cut, presented in alphabetical order:
Step 2: The Final Cut
Surprisingly, this wasn't as hard a cut as I expected. It seemed like at least 8 of the Top 10 just stood out as obvious choices, so I only had to think hard about a couple songs. Here are the 15 that didn't make the list, again in alphabetical order:
Step 3: Rearranging Greatness
This was, far and away, the hardest part. How do you quantify your love for a song? I'm going to be honest and say all of these rankings were gut feelings. While I gave bonus points for lyrics, groundbreaking technique, or influence on future artists, mostly I judged based on the feelings elicited when I think about or hear these songs. Here we go...
Some of the best things about music are the memories that come to mind when you hear a great song. Sometimes, an image and a song become so intertwined that you can't think of one without the other. This is the case with "Tiny Dancer". I would venture to say that anyone who has seen Almost Famous understands what I'm getting at here. There is a phenomenal scene where a band, riding cross-country on its tourbus along with their groupies and a young reporter, reach a new level of understanding and camaraderie while singing "Tiny Dancer" together. It's an amazing scene that makes me smile anytime I think about it. Now "Dancer" is a good enough song on its own to make this list, but this association only serves to solidify its place. The unforgettable piano chords, the slow progression into a well-layered melody, and some of Elton John's best lyrics. It's a perfect example that rock and roll doesn't have to be about thundering drums and electric guitar played at breakneck speed - just great music with power and meaning.
In complete contrast to the above, "Fade to Black" is a perfect example that rock and roll at its best is about thundering drums and breakneck guitar. This song, along with song #5 on this list, are the only two songs that have completely blown me away with amazement when I first heard them. In fact, not having listened to Metallica in my youth, I didn't hear this song for the first time until about a year ago. But wow, what an experience! Though I don't necessarily like the suicidal anguish buried within the lyrics, I can appreciate their darkness and candor. What's amazing, however, is that the song itself feels like a suicide. The slow, almost ominious opening guitar riffs, steadily picking up in speed, until they eventually spiral out of control in a fit of unprecedented chaos. At about the halfway point of the song, when Hammett takes off the gloves and starts abusing the guitar, it just blows my mind every time. Who knew that one man's suicidal tendencies could lead to such a beautiful song?
This song is actually pretty simple musically, but it's catchy and unforgettable, with an engaging chorus, which gives it staying power. The most important thing about this song, however, is the quality of the lyrics. Not only are they lengthy, but they are saturated with meaning and nostalgia, a cultural landmark of their time. McLean sings about the passing of Buddy Holly, and the death of "real" music, with such passion and vigor, layering subtlety after subtlety into his 6 verses. They chronicle the musical progression (or downfall?) of the sixties and seventies as well as any encyclopedia or website ever will. Musical scholars and fans have debated the true meaning of this song since its creation - is he really singing about Buddy Holly, or is it a reflection on religion, or is it a critique of the government? The debate continues, and McLean, for his part, has wisely decided not to answer questions about it. Though that truth remains a mystery, the fact that "American Pie" is an unforgettable and irreplacable piece of American music history is a truth that cannot be denied.
When you finish reading this list, you'll probably say that this entry answers the question "Which one of these is not like the others?" Truth be told, it is the only song in this list from the last 20 years, so naturally it's going to stick out. So why does this song stick out over all the rest of the songs that have been created during my lifetime? The simple answer is because it's my favorite. Weezer has always been one of my favorite bands, not because they are musical geniuses, or operatic singers, or lyrical visionaries, but simply because they are a very good band who knows how to create fun, catchy songs. For my money, there is no better example than "Say It Ain't So". It stands above the rest because it is fueled with a classiness that is lacking from most of Weezer's discography. While it contains plenty of Weezer's trademark Oh yeah's and All right's, they are counterbalanced by some very thoughtful lyrics. The catchy chorus is present, but is outdone by the slow progression of the guitar into some classic riffs, some weepy and some authoritative. I can't help but sing along in enjoyment, and when it hits the musical interlude, I just close my eyes and soak in the lovely sounds of the guitar. It's the best song by one of the best bands in modern rock history.
I have only really gotten into Skynyrd's music in the last couple of years - at which point I realized what I was missing. The band is well known for some of their catchy songs like "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Don't Ask Me No Questions", but they have been responsible for some of the greatest music ever created, in addition to being the indisputable Kings of Southern Rock. One of my favorite songs of theirs is this lesser-known anti-drug song. Leave it to a hard-hitting, rough-around-the-edges rock band to turn out of the most straightforward, heartfelt and beautiful songs about drugs. But the thing I love most about this song are the sweet melodies of the dual-lead guitars and the passionate sounds of Van Zant's voice, which might as well be an instrument of its own. It's a very tight-sounding, heavy-rocking song that lifts my spirits whenever I hear it.
Ahh yes, the song that really opened my eyes to true music and made me realize just how amazing Led Zeppelin was. I distinctly remember the first time I heard this song, and I couldn't help thinking "How in the world are those guys doing that with a guitar?" and "This song was made 30 years ago, so why has nobody after them sounded so amazing?" The answer to both of these questions is simple: Led Zeppelin is the greatest band that ever lived and will never be surpassed in skill and influence by anyone in hard rock and roll. This song is so intense - Page's guitar going at ninety miles per hour, Gonzo's authoritative drum beat, Jones' tight bass line, and Plant's wailing lyrics make this an absolute classic. If you've never heard it, pick it up and educate yourself. Just don't be surprised if it changes your mind completely about music.
Simply put, this is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. The thing that gets me is that it inspires such strong feelings of nostalgia - I mean, the guy is singing about his own adolescence and tough development, and I feel like I was there with him all the way. The other interesting thing about this song is how much it has grown on me. When I first heard it, I didn't even think it was Seger's best song, originally preferring "Against The Wind. But the more I heard it, the more it affected me, and the more I loved it. What makes it even more great is that it brings me back to the days of my own youth (though it wasn't that long ago). The lyrics are so well-written, you can just feel Seger's anguish and pain, the tough lessons he's learned, and how he yearns for the past. The music is simple, with soft guitar and a steady drum beat, but he takes it up a notch in the final chorus when his background singers kick in, the piano plays over top of the guitar, and he croons about how he remembers his own "night moves". It's a poignant, anthemic song for anyone who ever loved or lost as an awkward youth.
Two songs from the same album in my Top 5... wow. What can I say about this song that hasn't already been said? Nothing, except for what it means to me personally. To be honest, I have no idea what it's about - it probably runs 1-2 with "American Pie" as the most discussed and disputed set of lyrics. What I do know is that it's probably the most well-layered and complex song ever made. Zeppelin is so great because each member of the band does their part to perfection, and that's probably best heard in "Stairway". What I love is that the song itself is a stairway - there are two distinct "ramp-up" points where the band takes things up a notch - about 4 minutes in, when Gonzo comes to life and the guitars become more forceful, and then again at about 7 minutes when everyone explodes into a surreal fury. I don't have to know what this song is about to know that it is one of the prime examples of rock and roll and such talent will probably never be duplicated again. If I had to pick a "greatest" song ever made, this would be it. But since my list is one of "favorites", it happens to get slightly beat out by two other classics...
This entry, and the one before it, are probably the most common entries in Top 10 lists, and are the two staples of classic rock radio. I feel sorta trendy listing them, but I'm not going to go against what I love, and I firmly believe that they receive so much attention because they are so ridiculously good. "Free Bird" is one of those songs that contains it all - lovely, profound lyrics, a slow progression of guitar and drums, all capped off by a lengthy and brutal guitar solo which probably ranks as the single greatest of all time. I love how the song just fades out at the end - when you play in a frenzy like thunder from the heavens for about four minutes straight, there's really no way to bring it back down to a normal closing - all you can do is fade away. What Skynyrd created here was 9 minutes of music that is greater on its own than most artists' entire discographies.
Where do I start? How about the opening force of the guitar chord, followed by a half-minute of ominous synthesizer that would probably sound cheesy in a song by a lesser band? How about the beautiful singing of Roger Daltrey, in his most forceful and powerful performance? How about the satirical yet profound lyrics, a musical commentary on the inevitable change in government that never results in any meaningful change for the people? All of these make this song great, but I think what I love the most are the final minute of Townshend's synthesizers late in the song, overlayed towards the end by Keith Moon's pounding drums, and capped off by Daltrey's piercing "Yeah!". I love it because you can feel how much the band is into this song, how much they believe it, how they have invested a little bit of themselves into it. This song is alive. It ranks up there with Stairway as one of the best layered pieces of music ever made. I can't really put into words what separates it from the others in the Top 3, though I will admit that the separation is not very big at all. It's fun, it's serious, and it's really rocking. I think it is perhaps the quintessential example of what rock and roll is, and that's why it tops the list for me.
Well, there is is. I'd love to hear your comments, or some of your own Top 10 rock songs. Show me where I've gone wrong!
It's official: I have agreed to be the Chapter Advisor for the Beta Alpha Chapter of Theta Xi Fraternity. For those who are unaware, this means that I will essentially be a contact point for the active members, and a resource when they have questions or seek guidance. It also charges me with protecting the chapter in the case of crisis or emergency. This is a big step for me, one which will change my focus in relation to the chapter. It is also difficult because the man I will be replacing, Neil, did an absolutely tremendous job - so much so that he was recognized on several occasions with National and Regional awards for excellence in chapter advisement. He leaves big shoes to fill, and I will do my best to fill them. I initially felt that I was too young for the position, but Neil convinced me otherwise, and now I can see is point - an ideal choice is someone old enough to have independence from the chapter, but young enough to still identify with the actives and maybe still have personal contacts among them. That is exactly the position which I am at now. So the long road begins, and hopefully it will be an enjoyable one.
So, as you can see from the comments to my last post, I'm still getting a hard time from some of my friends for watching "The OC". Oh well - I guess they wouldn't be my friends if they didn't revel in any opportunity they got to humiliate me. In an attempt to regain some of my TV-watching credibility, I wanted to list my other favorite shows on TV right now, and make a few comments about each:
In other news, several important Taekwon-Do related things have happened in the last couple weeks. First, I got a call from Mr. McDaniel, one of the men who conducted my test, who informed me that he found an affiliated Taekwon-Do school close to Atlanta! For years I hadn't been able to find a school in the area, but it turns out that I might have a local school at which to train, which would be fantastic. My instructor in Jacksonville confirmed this by informing me of the very same school when I spoke with him recently. Soon I'll be checking it out - I look forward to be back on a regular training schedule again!
Second, I had the opportunity last weekend to travel back to my old school in Jacksonville to attend a black belt seminar taught by Master Nunez, VII Degree Master Instructor. This is a rare opportunity that I just could not pass up. I had never met Master Nunez but had often heard of his expertise and wealth of Taekwon-do knowledge and ability. Needless to say, this was a highly informative time for me when I was able to learn many things. It was a 6 hour seminar, half spent on patterns, half on sparring. Sparring was particularly helpful, because it had been a very long time since I had been able to do prolonged sparring with black belts. And there were some excellent fighters there! Another benefit of the trip was getting to see my instructor for the first time since I left for college, nearly 8 years ago. Though we had kept in partial contact, it was so good to see him again and catch up in person. He means a lot to me because in many ways he was a mentor to me, instructing me during the formative years of my life, helping instill in me self-confidence and discipline, both of which were sorely needed. I owe much to him and his guidance.
I have a couple of pictures up in my gallery - nothing special, but I must say that watching Master Nunez performing some very difficult patterns so well at his age was awe-inspiring. I hope that one day I can do the same.
Finally, I want to formally announce the creation of a new category for my blog called "Top 10". I don't think a day goes by that I don't see something or think of something and say to myself "man, that is definitely a Top 10 _________". If you've seen "High Fidelity" you know what I'm talking about - just like John Cusack, my life is a perpetual Top 10 list. The funny thing is, I usually have thoughts like the one above, but then never allow it to materialize into a full-blown Top 10 list. So I'm going to start. When the desire arises, I'm going to form lists and make some personal comments about the chosen few. The first entry is coming soon - keep your eyes peeled...
Sometimes I run across an idea so bold, so daring, that it inspires me and restores my faith in my fellow man. Yesterday, I ran across one of those ideas.
I defy you not to laugh at this site. My only regret about the whole thing is that I didn't come up with it first...
So, just a few words about the Super Bowl last weekend. I had a good time over at my buddy Rob's place, lots of people showed, and a good time was had by all. In the spirit of the Sports Guy, I felt like giving out a few awards (thought not as many as he did, because he's more creative than me):
In recent events, I decided that it might be interesting to attend my fraternity's election meeting last night. Apparently I have a short-term memory and forgot how long such meetings run. But this one wasn't too bad - it only ran five hours. By the end I was thinking of walking into traffic. I am still glad I went though - elections always mark a turning point in the chapter's progress, especially when you have two radically different presidential candidates like we saw last night. It made for some really interesting discussion and it gave me some perspective on what the chapter is like nowadays. That's the good part. The bad part was getting home after 2 AM. Yikes.
We went out for some food afterwards at the ol' Steak 'n' Shake - it's been forever since I've been there. Between the double helping of that cheesecake stuff and the plate of grease I ate last night, I should probably go ahead and admit myself at the local hospital. Anyways, I bring up this part of the story for only one reason. Several of my buddies told me that, the night before my graduation, I was running around the fraternity house wearing a blanket as a cape, like a superhero. While that's pretty funny in itself, what's disturbing about it to me is that I have absolutely no memory of this. There could be a couple explanations for this. One, it didn't really happen and they just thought it would be a funny story. Two, it did happen and somebody spiked my drinks that night or something. Three, it happened and my brain decided it was something best not remembered. Right now I'm leaning towards #3. I get the feeling I'm going to be running for public office one day, and I'll be winning in a landslide until incriminating photos get leaked involving me and a cape. What a bummer.
OK, last topic for today, but an important one. Maybe you'll disagree when you hear it, but it's my blog so I determine what's important. I find myself having to defend my love for The OC all the time. Here are the chief complaints I always hear about it:
I plan to briefly outline the reasons (in no particular order) why I consider The OC to be a good show. Through these, I will disprove the criticisms above and maybe get some of these monkeys off my back.
So that's about all I can think of. Did I convince you? Frankly, I don't care. Actually, I wouldn't expect that I did - you can't make a point about something like a TV show with nothing more than words. You'll just have to see it for yourself. I feel that if you do so with an open mind, you'll probably enjoy it. Now, there's always the possibility that, in the future, the show could suffer a loss in quality, as all shows do. When that day comes, I'll be just as critical as the next guy. But what I can say is this - the first season is done and out on DVD, and I can say for sure that it is phenomenal. If you want a sure-fire example of The OC's potential, watch some of the early first-season episodes.
But if you get hooked, don't blame me...
OK, so Super Bowl Sunday is rapidly approaching. Is that important, you ask? What kind of question is that! How many occasions do you know of that will cause men to run to the store to buy a TV they can't possibly afford, only to return it the next day? How many times do you hear people talk about how much they are looking forward to a barrage of commercials? How many events do you know of that would cause people to sell their firstborn child for a ticket? (OK, I wouldn't actually do that, but if I had the opportunity, I would at least consider it). Face it, it is a marquee moment, a yearly phenomenon, the quintessential American spectacle. It's one of the many reasons this country is so great. Maybe we could put an end to terrorism by offering them all box seats. Scoff all you want, but it just might work...
Call me crazy, but I chose my Super Bowl viewing location based on TV quality. My buddy Rob has a 60-inch widescreen HDTV. I can just see it sitting there, quietly saying "Watch me" all day long. Something about the Super Bowl just requires the most optimal viewing environment you can find anywhere. I'm looking forward to a beautifully-played game, but just as importantly, a beautiful-looking one.
If the title of this blog didn't give it away, I fully expect the Patriots to win this game. That's based on years of admiration for the team and their organization, not last-minute bandwagon-jumping. In fact, the blog title is an inside joke between me and my buddy Adam. (I guess it's about to be an outside joke, once I tell you) Back in 2002, when the Patriots and the Rams played on Super Sunday, the odds were stacked heavily in St. Louis' favor. I remember watching the game over at the fraternity house, and I'm pretty sure nobody else in the whole place thought New England had a chance. I was dead sure the Patriots were going to pull it off - classic David vs. Goliath. I think Adam just picked a random team and decided to pull for them, so the two of us represented the New England contingent of the room. We basically ran back and forth yelling "Patriots Win!" throughout the game, regardless of the score. Funny stuff. Those of you who know your history know that the Patriots won, marking the beginning of the football dynasty they've had for the last several years. We've been saying it ever since, and it ain't stopping now.
The downside to the game, of course, is that it marks the end of the football season. The day after the Super Bowl is one of the most depressing of the year - right up there with the day after Christmas, the day you return to work from vacation, and the day that the season premiere of American Idol airs. Only thing that makes it bearable is that tennis is in full swing again, and the French Open will be coming up soon. Thank God for a year-long sport! The tennis professionals have long complained that the season is too long and drawn-out, but the way I see it, as long as I'm constantly entertained, then everything is A-OK.
One last topic related to the Super Bowl that I want to discuss. Have you seen how much thrashing the city of Jacksonville is getting as the Host City? Essentially, everyone who is down there is talking about how badly prepared the city is, and how it doesn't have the "feel" of a Super Bowl city. People like Tony Kornheiser and Bill Simmons are trashing it up-and-down. So how do I feel about this, you ask? As a former resident of Jacksonville for 18 years, I'm appalled, right? Not one bit. I totally agree with everything they are saying. Jacksonville is not a Super Bowl city by any stretch of the imagination. It's not fun - at all. No entertainment culture, no good weather, no big claims to fame, no "big city" feel - I've been saying this crap for years. These are precisely the reasons I left and won't ever move back. When you host the Super Bowl, you open yourself up to criticism - especially a city like that with a lot to prove. If they had done a good job and really prepped the city well, then we would all have to tip our hat to them. But, come on - 300 cabs to cover the entire city for Super Bowl weekend? I'm just glad I didn't end up getting a ticket, because it will be pandamonium there by the end of the week.
So - a quick update on my "new" job, for any who might be interested. I don't think I've written about it since my first post back in Atlanta. Honestly, things are going really well. It's quite a change having a project all to myself, where I am responsible for its planning, scheduling, development, testing, etc. It's like a baptism by fire which is helping me learn a lot. The tradeoff there is that I don't get to work directly much with the rest of my team, but that is a short-term issue that will change once we start working on other projects. We just hired another one of my fraternity brothers, which is awesome, because it's yet another familiar face in the office, and means I'll have the chance to spend more time with him. Plus I know he's happy about it because it's a step up career-wise and should present him with more of a challenge. The only thing I'm not crazy about right now is that, because of some personnel changes, I'm also maintaining a project that was originally written by someone else. It just got submitted to testing, and the testers are finding lots of bugs, which means I get to fix them, even though I didn't do that application in the first place, and it's not my code. For those of you who aren't software developers, let me just say that this is a programmer's nightmare - it's just about the least enjoyable thing you can do. Making matters worse is the fact that this other application is considered higher-priority than my own, meaning I basically have to drop what I'm doing on my own project, and focus all my efforts on this other one. Luckily it's only a temporary solution until they decide who will be handling this other project in the long-term.
A couple of miscellaneous thoughts to wrap up:
Moral of the story: I need to stop buying movies. At least for a little while...
One final comment - I would like to ask for you to please pray for my mother Mary. Since before Christmas she has been having trouble with her hand, and after finally going to the doctor after Christmas, they diagnosed it as some weird sort of tendonitis. Since then it's become extremely painful and she has had to take off work since then. They said it would be a very slow recovery process, and even now it is extremely sore and she has no mobility in the arm. Please pray for a reasonably quick recovery. I know sitting at home and not working is killing her, not to mention the pain from the hand. Thank you in advance for your prayers...