::
2008 1 April :: 2.21 pm
:: Mood: accomplished
:: Music: Arcade Fire - (Antichrist Television Blues)
Best of 2007
This is hella late, and I still have a few flicks to pick up from Netflix, but I figured I shouldn't wait any longer.
Top Movies of 2007
1. There Will Be Blood
2. Ratatouille
3. Once (2006)
4. The Darjeeling Limited
5. Juno
6. No Country for Old Men
7. God Grew Tired of Us (2006)
8. I Am Legend
9. Knocked Up
10. The Bourne Ultimatum
11. American Gangster
12. Breach
13. Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix
14. Zodiac
15. The Simpsons Movie
Top CDs of 2007
1. Arcade Fire :: Neon Bible
2. Modest Mouse :: We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
3. A Fine Frenzy :: One Cell in the Sea
4. Radiohead :: In Rainbows
5. Johnathan Rice :: Further North
6. The Shins :: Wincing the Night Away
7. The Decemberists :: The Crane Wife (2006)
8. The White Stripes :: Icky Thump
9. Spoon :: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
10. Grinderman (2006)
11. Bright Eyes :: Cassadaga
12. Foo Fighters :: Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace
13. Once Soundtrack
14. Rilo Kiley :: Under the Blacklight
15. Silverchair :: Young Modern
To MSU fans everywhere:
Wanna help put Sparty on the cover of a video game? EA Sports is allowing fans to vote for their favorite mascot; the winner will be featured on the cover of the Wii version of NCAA Football '09. According to the site, Sparty is currently in second place behind Washington State (can't let them win... I don't even recognize theirs!). That means we need a good push to get him into first! The problem is that voting closes on Friday, so make sure to forward this to all of your MSU friends. You can vote once per day from each computer you are using. Here's the site:
::
2007 28 November :: 9.50 am
:: Music: Eve 6 - Open Road Song
with every turn comes a new frame of mind/if I could frame my mind/where would it hang?
I'm starting to think I treat my life like a newly minted car. Here's why:
Often, I'd rather leave it in the garage instead of taking it out for a spin.
I always to protect what I have instead of enjoying it.
I become obsessed with the slightest blemish and spend too much effort trying to buff it out instead of looking at the big picture.
While I don't mind showing people around, I'm careful about who I let in.
I'd not that I can't go on the offensive if I have no other choice, but usually I'd rather stay off to the side to avoid the risk.
I'm so concerned with running things at the most optimal level, never realizing that, in time, things will fall apart no matter I do.
Whenever I strip everything away and realize what I'm behind the wheel of, I see what a gift I have. But I have to realize that you don't buy a Beamer to sit in the slow lane. I may come out the other side with a few more blemishes, but it's a small price to pay to avoid being stuck in first gear for the rest of my life.
::
2007 9 October :: 12.34 pm
:: Mood: nostalgic
:: Music: Radiohead - Let Down
So they are doing construction on campus, which is a major pain in the arse because it's right along the path I walk every day. Anyway, I was on my way to the Science Bldg. and I passed a construction worker sitting in the shade, relaxing and enjoying his lunch. I was immediately brought back to the summer of '01 working at Arrow Door, sitting outside with Chris, Fras, and Co. I remember jumping in line with everyone at the food cart outside, and the day Stashia and Christa brought us lunch. I hated that job, but sitting outside in the shade, cooling off from the stagnating heat in and outside the building, all the while savoring every last moment of freedom before returning to the floor, that's a fond memory.
ELMHURST, IL—"The wife and I sure had some crazy times on that thing before we had the baby," said Nathan Moscone, hanging his suit jacket on the swing.
Updated Director List
1. Stanley Kubrick (+1)
2. Steven Spielberg (-1)
3. Alfred Hitchcock (+3)
4. Paul Thomas Anderson (-1)
5. Wes Anderson (-1)
6. Quentin Tarantino (-1)
7. Christopher Nolan (+8)
8. Martin Scorsese (--)
9. David Fincher (-2)
10. Michael Mann (-2)
11. Pedro Almodσvar (--)
12. Sam Mendes (-3)
13. Spike Lee (-1)
14. Terry Gilliam (--)
15. Jonathan Demme (-5)
BOTB XIII
40) Bob Dylan - Thunder on the Mountain
39) Corinne Bailey Rae - Like A Star
38) Queens of the Stone Age - I Wanna Make It With Chu
37) Nellie McKay - We Had It Right
36) The Be Good Tanyas - The Littlest Birds
35) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Rock of Gibraltar
34) Grandaddy - Elevate Myself
33) Eels - Losing Streak
32) Smoosh - Find a Way
31) Scissor Sisters - I Don't Feel Like Dancin'
30) Evanescence - Call Me When You're Sober
29) Teddybears f/ Iggy Pop - Punkrocker
28) Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins - Handle with Care
27) Regina Spektor - Better
26) Badly Drawn Boy - Nothing's Gonna Change Your Mind
25) TV on the Radio - A Method
24) Modest Mouse - Spitting Venom
23) Arcade Fire - No Cars Go
22) The Killers - When You Were Young
21) Pearl Jam - Love Reign O'er Me
20) Stars - Set Yourself on Fire
19) Death Cab for Cutie - Crooked Teeth
18) All Too Much - More Than a Friend
17) Nellie McKay - Beecharmer
16) Snow Patrol - Set Fire to the Third Bar
15) Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow ((Hey Oh))
14) Modest Mouse - Steam Engenius
13) Mama Cass - Make Your Own Kind of Music
12) Melissa Etheridge - I Need To Wake Up
11) Mychael Danna & DeVotcha - The Winner Is
10) Jarvis Cocker - Running the World
9) Foo Fighters - Skin and Bones
8) The Mountain Goats - Cotton
7) Bright Eyes - Four Winds
6) Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins - Rise Up with Fists!!!
5) The Fratellis - Flathead
4) Regina Spektor - On the Radio
3) Dixie Chicks - Not Ready to Make Nice
2) Arcade Fire - Intervention
1) Modest Mouse - Dashboard
So, breaking my rule of not writing a journal entry about something if I don't so immediately following the event, I felt compelled (as if by some external force) to write about what is now being referred to as "The David Duchovny Experience." Yes, Michelle and I went see a premeire of Jake Kasdan's "The TV Set" shortly upon returning from Spring Break, and afterwards Good Morning America's Joel Seigel interviewed David. It was a very surreal experience, the culmination of years of... X-Files I don't know what. It was nice to materialize something that has been part of my life for a very long time. I can't remember feeling so nervous, even school-girlish, about an experience in a very long time. The details are mostly already available from Michelle's entry, but I did get a chance to shake his hand and wish him luck on his upcoming Showtime series (interestingly enough, entitled "Californication"). I'm really glad we were able to go. As weird of an experience as it was, I can't even begin to imagine what it would have been like if it was Gillian instead. Very cool, indeed.
Horrible camera phone picture of David and Michelle. You can make it out, if you know what you are looking at:
Things are going really well of late. I'm proud of what I've accomplished this year, and am proud of what others are accomplishing as well.
::
2007 26 March :: 6.53 pm
:: Music: The sound of my students sighing at their multiple-choice exams
D-Town hosts NCAA Tourneys
So, it appears that Ford Field will be getting some March Maddness-related attention in the next couple of years. In 2008, they will host one of the regional finals, and the following year they will host the Final Four. Here are the particulars:
Regionals: Friday and Sunday, March 28 and 30, 2008
Midwest Regional
Ford Field
Detroit, Michigan
Host: University of Detroit Mercy
Final Four: Saturday and Monday, April 4 and 6, 2009
Ford Field
Detroit, Michigan
Host: University of Detroit-Mercy
So, it would appear that the city didn't totally muck up its Super Bowl hosting duties. I hear it's a very impressive facility. Don't know when I'll ever make it there, but I'd like to one of these days.
::
2007 27 February :: 6.41 pm
:: Music: The Wallflowers - Into the Mystic
Best of 2006 Lists
These might be a little late, but I just saw a few of the Oscar noms in the past week, so I wanted to make a complete list:
Top 10 Films
1. Children of Men
2. The Departed
3. A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints
4. An Inconvenient Truth
5. Little Miss Sunshine
6. The Prestige
7. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
8. Silent Hill
9. The Queen
10. United 93
Top 10 CDs
1. Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins Rabbit Fur Coat
2. Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way
3. Regina Spektor Begin To Hope
4. Nellie McKay Pretty Little Head
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs Show Your Bones
6. Snow Patrol Eyes Open
7. Bob Dylan Modern Times
8. Foo Fighters Skin and Bones
9. Badly Drawn Boy Born in the U.K.
10. Eels Live at Town Hall: With Strings
1500!!
So I hit 1500 enteries on my giant movie list. That means that over the years, I've watched somewhere in the ball park of 1500 films. The milestone entry? Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston's The Break-Up that we rented yesterday. Fairly solid flick... tough to watch at times, but I can't fault a film for attempting to be realistic and anti-Hollywood for once. A pleasant surprise to say the least.
So at 2 hours a pop, that means, give or take, I've spent 3000 hours watching new films. Can I have a degree or something to show for that?
"let it be hewn into your mind."
63 hours, 12 minutes later The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is officially a thing of the past. Very impressive game.
::
2007 7 February :: 10.37 am
:: Music: A Perfect Circle - Imagine
New Modest Mouse
We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
is set for release on March 20
with a full world tour to follow.
Tracklisting Announced We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
"March Into the Sea"
"Dashboard"
"Fire It Up"
"Florida"
"Parting of the Sensory"
"Missed the Boat"
"We've Got Everything"
"Fly Trapped in a Jar"
"Education"
"Little Motel"
"Steam Engenius"
"Spitting Venom"
"People As Places As People"
"Invisible"
Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose
I don't normally concern myself with celebrity births and deaths, but this one made me a little sad. Peter Boyle, 1935-2006
This is why I have a problem with certain conservatives, at least those of the bible-thumping variety...
"Conservative Group Blasts 'Studio 60' Renewal
Townhall.com, a website operated by the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, has blasted NBC's decision to renew Aaron Sorkin's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Sorkin, it said Tuesday, "will get to continue his anti-Christianity themed show despite low ratings." The website accused Sorkin not only of pushing "his radical agenda on television," but of using his wealth to fund liberal causes and political candidates."
