Joan Jett and the Blackhearts + Cheap Trick

Nick and I went to the concert tonight featuring Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Cheap Trick.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

She can still sing and play. The sound came through very clean and clear. And boy is she intimidating. She looked buff and like she could beat the crap out of most people :-p Although I reviewed the songs I had of her this morning, basically her greatest hits CD, most of them were still a bit unfamiliar. The crowd also seemed uncertain for a good bit of the show, but warmed up towards the end. I thought some of the songs from her new album "Sinner" were interesting. ^_^ I always knew her lyrics were provocative, but didn't realize how much... To me Joan Jett is one of those guilty pleasures. :-p

Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick rules. Nielsen went through 16 guitars and 21 necks for 16 songs. There was even a Rockford guitar, which was a yellow square with the album cover on it. Peterson had 1 bass. LOL :-D I definite agree w/ Nick in that the Assembly Hall's acoustics is screwy when the volume is turned up. The vocals were all too screechy. :-( One of the amps was also buzzing really loudly, and Robin Zander's mike wasn't working properly for the first 2-3 songs. Nielsen rolled w/ it and made fun and kept the show entertaining though. He also took digs at Kevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon), who apparently was on Don't Forget the Lyrics last night, and complained that his replacement guitar tuner sucked because he played for Bon Jovi. ^_^ His mike stand was filled w/ picks which he kept throwing out into the crowd. He even threw out handfuls of picks towards the end. All in all, a great show.

Oh, and Nick, despite what he said at the show, Rick Nielsen is from Rockford, IL, not Urbana. ^_~

No Country for Old Men

Possible spoilers...

So I watched No Country for Old Men last night with some friends. One person remarked upon how before the end of the movie, the story for one of the protagonist ends abruptly. I countered that that particular story was never the main story of the film anyways. In retrospect, I think I misunderstood the point that she was driving at. (And if I STILL have it wrong, I apologize. :-p)

The story that ends abruptly, that of a man trying to survive after taking the money, is not the main story of the film. However, it consumes most of the viewer's attention since it is the liveliest plot line. By ending that storyline so abruptly and with so little fanfare, and obviously with material left over, the film compels the viewer to search for an alternative meaning to the film, thereby leading the viewer more firmly to the main point of the film without bashing them over the head with it. I think that was the point my friend was trying to make.

I guess I am rather slow to recognize and understand film/literary techniques like this... ^_^;;

P.S. How is it that everyone in this film is able to walk so softly and quietly in boots?!

Beat of the drum

While it is admirable to live by the beat of your own drum, if you are to interact with others, it helps to adopt the beat of another's drum from time to time. Or to at least be in sync and in rhythm to another's beat.

I wonder to what beat am I drumming to...

What you don't want to hear at the dentist...

I was at the dentist yesterday for my routine checkup and cleaning. They had CNN Headline News on, and a report of a girl who died at the dentist came up. Apparently they were extracting one of her molars and the dentist lost his hold on it. The tooth dropped into her windpipe or something and killed her.

NOT what you want to hear as you're sitting in the dentist chair... :-p

More movie rankings

Citizen Kane:

Overall (blue) Entertainment (red) Artistry (green) Appropriateness (yellow)
Entertainment (8): Action (0), Comedy (2), Horror (0), Romance (1), Education (0), Drama/Story (9)
Artistry (9): Acting (9), Directing (10), Effects (9), Audio (5), Story (10)
Appropriateness (7): Language (8), Violence (7), Sexuality (8), Understanding (7)

When Harry Met Sally:

Overall (blue) Entertainment (red) Artistry (green) Appropriateness (yellow)
Entertainment (9): Action (0), Comedy (10), Horror (0), Romance (10), Education (0), Drama/Story (7)
Artistry (7): Acting (8), Directing (8), Effects (2), Audio (8), Story (7)
Appropriateness (5): Language (4), Violence (10), Sexuality (3), Understanding (8)

I've added some more categories. I really didn't want to add Drama/Story under Entertainment. I have always felt that Drama is such a catch-all description. Unfortunately, I couldn't think of how else to categorize movies such as Citizen Kane.

In fact, I think the Entertainment category is not working as I thought it would. The original idea is that movies can't be described in a word or two, like "Romantic Comedy." ^_~ I felt that the theme of movies need to be broken down more finely. Unfortunately, so far it looks like movies CAN be summed up in a word or two. Especially if you allow the use of Drama.

So while I plan to continue trying to categorize, rate, and track the movies I watch using this method and to refine the method, I don't think I'll embarrass myself any further by posting them up anymore. :-p

Gary Gygax (July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008)

A sad day...

Note to self...

When you get turned down for a relationship, Sting's song "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" is not a good one to listen to. :-( T_T

失恋の時、Sting's 歌「If You Love Somebody Set Them Free」はとってもまずいです。

失戀的時候不應該聽 Sting 的歌，“If You Love Somebody Set Them Free。“