tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17623550943644032282024-02-18T23:43:47.668-06:00Apartment StoryPathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.comBlogger214125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-77304516515108001562012-12-28T19:40:00.004-06:002012-12-28T19:40:56.861-06:00Songs of 2012 - Counting Days<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You want to make me spin. You want to hold me in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qNsW6OksF44" width="400"></iframe></span>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-86216641786681630902012-12-25T11:25:00.003-06:002012-12-25T11:26:09.462-06:00<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The AV CLUB gave '<a href="http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-popculture-gifts-wed-like-to-give-everyone,90109/">pop-culture gifts</a>' this year. If I had a job there and someone asked me to contribute to their list, I'd say, "Give people Women's <i>Public Strain, </i>now!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9t5kgsyj3Us" width="400"></iframe></span>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-6800640086515036952012-12-22T12:27:00.002-06:002012-12-22T12:27:28.233-06:00Songs of 2012 - Ex-Dreams<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">don't ask</span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/x2UsSwQCAoE" width="400"></iframe>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-12755449029153142052012-12-17T18:17:00.000-06:002012-12-17T18:17:24.122-06:00Songs of 2012 - Walkin' Down My Street<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't care if you see my cryin' or bleed, I just need you baby.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MXjfSw54mc4" width="400"></iframe>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-31482604393737077062012-12-12T19:27:00.002-06:002012-12-12T19:27:37.828-06:00<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James Joyce - <i>A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man</i></span><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stuart Dybek - <i>The Coast of Chicago</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rafael Sanchez Ferlosio - <i>The Adventures of the Ingenious Alfanhui</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Bezmozgis - <i>Natasha</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ernest Hemingway - <i>The Snows of Kilimanjaro</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Agota Kristof - <i>The Notebook</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sergio de la Pava - <i>A Naked Singularity</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Franz Kafka - <i>The Trial</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alice Munro - <i>Runaway</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christina Stead - <i>The Man Who Loved Children</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Foster Wallace - <i>The Pale King</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jerzy Kosinski - <i>The Painted Bird</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John Steinbeck - <i>The Pearl</i></span></div>
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Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-18348097138628850342012-12-11T12:06:00.002-06:002012-12-11T12:06:42.526-06:00Songs of 2012 - Larry Bird<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I done three-wheeled and jumped off a diving board</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everybody's got a secret to hide</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/c0mxXrHowHQ" width="400"></iframe></span>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-64101248920655351552012-12-02T19:04:00.001-06:002012-12-02T19:05:08.655-06:00Songs of 2012 - The Mother We Share<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most joyous song I heard this year. The singer's blessed with a voice that seems effortless.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Into the night for us</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Z11GWaf6X8c" width="400"></iframe></span>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-50291144565920996702012-11-30T20:06:00.000-06:002012-11-30T20:06:25.550-06:00Songs of 2012 - Impregnable Question<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From this year's finest album, <i>Swing Lo Magellan.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is mine is yours, in happiness and in strife.</span><br />
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Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-55825318429196541732012-08-01T09:25:00.000-05:002012-11-24T10:13:07.545-06:00American Eagle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In January, I crushed it with <a href="http://sunchildspeaks.blogspot.com/2012/01/five-best-rides-at-walt-disney-world.html">this post</a> about Disney World. I've entered the travel writing canon. I'm on Frommer's speed dial. I'm doing it again.<br /><br />Me and Kathy took a lil' trip to Six Flags Great America (formerly Marriott's Great America), and we saw many American treasures there. Gauged teenagers, smooching tweens, the overweight...all were in attendance.<br /><br />We rode a new ride. It's called X-Flight, but I called it X-Force for most of the morning. Why did I make this error? The answer is because X-Flight is a generic coaster I'm sure will be dropped into every 6F across the country. The "flight" in X-Flight refers to the barely-there theme of supersonic air travel. Small trees and "state of the art" cars allow riders to feel like they're flying their own jet. I felt like I was on a steel roller coaster, which is to say, I didn't feel much, smooth and innocuous as they are these days.<br /><br />Kathy and I wandered some more–past the juggalos and swaggering youth, past the one menswearer in attendance and past the Armani Exchanger–and we found ourselves deep in County Fair, at the entrance of the American Eagle. <br /><br />The Eagle holds a special place in my heart. Back when I first started riding thrill rides, the Eagle was still a very serious draw at Great America. My dad lost his wallet while riding it. It was tallest and fastest in the world for 7 years. It greeted all visitors driving in from Chicago on 94. An impressive achievement, but does it hold up?<br /><br />Of course it does, ya dummy, or why would I write a BLOGSPOT POST about it? The Eagle is one of Six Flags' elder statesman (along with Whizzer, Demon, and The Condor, obviously), and when you're riding upon its track, you will experience something truly special: the past. If only you look into your heart for it!<br /><br />Because steel roller coasters don't jostle anymore. Because they hold their paint for 20 years. Because they last 30 seconds. Not so for American Eagle. The wear and tear is palpable. Chipping white paint is all around you. You doubt the track's sturdiness. You <i>catch air</i>, which is a phrase young people use to describe the sensation of flying off your seat. Almost everything about the Eagle is antiquated– from the helix, to the racing component, to the American theme. I asked Kathy whether she thought 6F would ever name something "American _____" again, and she said "probably, sure, why not, Pat?" But I have my doubts, as "American ______" is an inherently political name–a statement, even– and from a company that has gone the route of really macho names, like X-Force, Vertical Velocity, and Superman: Ultimate Flight. Besides, "American ______" requires some effort as far as theming goes, and we all know, 6F doesn't go for that. (There's a red, white, and blue spinner in County Fair called Revolution, which sorta contradicts my thesis, ah well).<br /><br />Now that the Viper's in Southwest Territory, I certainly doubt we'll get another woody.<br /><br />Visitors will flock to Gurnee forever. Each year, we'll fill in more with our imaginations. Fortunately, In County Fair, on that sweet old grandfather The American Eagle, we don't have to. A theme, thrills, nostalgia, short lines: JAH BLESS the American Eagle. I want to go back! I've bought a Twicket.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HOONDREDS OF GAMES<br /><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WjgxHT99rDM" width="420"></iframe></span>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-3399345441444254252012-05-17T10:16:00.000-05:002012-05-17T10:16:40.983-05:00Protest Music<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This morning, in light of NATO, NPR's experts talked about their favorite protest songs. One of the old alts mentioned Minor Threat. I'd agree that my favorite protest music–if I have such a thing–falls into the hardcore punk genre and involves little more than that us against everyone mentality. The best bands let the speed and bark do the protesting. People complain when bands don't have that elusive quality <i>immediacy. </i>What is immediacy? It's making music that has to be made. It's feeling like your song can change the world.<i> </i>The best protest music might or might not have engaging lyrics. The best protest music always has immediacy. </span><br />
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</div>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-75544446095552056442012-03-05T14:54:00.001-06:002012-03-05T14:55:26.924-06:00Breath<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why do I keep coming back to Pere Ubu's "Breath?" Oh I know, because it's a stellar song performed live for a puzzling, exciting, one-of-a-kind video. Filmed around 1989 for David Sanborn's (seriously) <i>Michelob Presents: Night Music</i> (check out the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_Night_(American_TV_program)">wiki</a>), Pere Ubu lay waste to the <i>Night Music</i> stage. It's hard to imagine another performance that night, or any other night, coming close. Singer David Thomas's raspy voice greets us after a brief alien introduction, and by the time he sings "down by the sea," he's begun improvising and chirping and hiccuping between lines. His moves are fantastic. I see them in singers like Craig Finn. With hand gestures and verbal pleading, he gets the guitarist to bring it. The guitarist, cool as a cucumber the whole time, is superb. The bassist, wearing the <a href="http://blog.urbanoutfitters.com/files/fullhouse.jpg">Uncle Jesse</a> haircut that was so popular at the time, sings backups, and allows Thomas to stretch out on "baby, standing at the edge of sorrow" with a harmony that is totally bizarre, but at the same time, right. Pay close attention to the keyboardist. Who even knows what's up with him. If you like to quote lyrics on your AIM profile, let that special someone know how you feel without actually sticking your neck out, take a peak <a href="http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858755836">here</a>. One liners galore.<br />
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Now I ask you to let your mind wander to the live airing in 1989. Imagine what it would be like to see "Breath" on your television. There's no youtube and little access to home recording, so you cherish these four minutes, not sure if you'll ever see them again.<br />
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<a href="http://runningdownhill.wordpress.com/2010/08/14/pere-ubus-breath-and-the-epic-sweep-of-the-everyday/">This blogger</a> knows what's up.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="305" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1hYqvtHzr48" width="400"></iframe></span>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-69231847111758235922012-02-09T10:53:00.002-06:002012-02-09T10:59:11.434-06:002012 in review: music<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="305" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/H68CWlE9K40" width="400"></iframe></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I give up. I said I'd stay on top of new album releases, but I can't. Uncle! </span></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Cliche #325: "There's too much new music nowadays."<br />
I can't say I disagree. After one month of this cockamamie experiment, I've heard enough crap to tide me over for all of 2012. And I listened to mostly 'good' stuff! If I went full-tilt, I'd be a withered olive by now. So it's over. I'm done. Stop releasing bad music indiesphere. Stop releasing bad demos hardcoresphere.<br />
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Only two records worth mentioning from January 2012: the new Cloud Nothings and the new GBV. With these, at least, it seems like something's at stake.<br />
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And now, because I seldom use this blog as a vehicle for shay-talking, my 2 worst albums of the year.<br />
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Lana Del Rey - <i>Born to Die</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Craig Finn - Clear Heart Full Eyes<br />
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I began writing my reasons, but there are just so many, and the internet's full of bad vibes, so here's the summary. LDR: you hate your audience. You're a corporate monkey. Craig Finn: get off autopilot. You should know better.<br />
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See you all in 2013.</span>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-72120319169776549932012-01-18T11:15:00.002-06:002012-01-18T11:20:14.433-06:00The five best rides at Walt Disney World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgfN2_Ptn_1CPn2Di9OT3y3mWvCQYwiv38TJBwTcMuWs4yGL3D9MH6AhHTxh_1cER-uEYyVG7ZcPmtPSrKN0oIuk7PJoaI5zlQzDd5to-foJ0UxLptGOtsSWey9ZOTUEa7O24_crN0f4/s1600/Disneyspaceship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgfN2_Ptn_1CPn2Di9OT3y3mWvCQYwiv38TJBwTcMuWs4yGL3D9MH6AhHTxh_1cER-uEYyVG7ZcPmtPSrKN0oIuk7PJoaI5zlQzDd5to-foJ0UxLptGOtsSWey9ZOTUEa7O24_crN0f4/s320/Disneyspaceship.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When the print division of my Cat Plaza media empire folded, I decided to continue the Cat Plaza journalism tradition as best as possible online. This December, I spent seven days at WDW in Orlando, Florida. While there, as usual, I became interested in the history, politics, and operations of Walt Disney World, which, in my opinion, is <i>the </i>North American tourist destination. I would have included this article in the next zine, but instead, it is presented here for your study and comment.<br />
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I will examine each of the five rides through a particular lens. These lenses can be used on really anything in the World. Click through for the list.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Saccharine Overload: it's a small world<br />
Disney's imagineers built it's a small world for the 1964 World's Fair in New York. A success, they transported it to Disneyland in Anaheim, where it continues to operate. The Magic Kingdom unveiled its own version in 1971.<br />
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Over 300 dolls from around the world dance in various formations repeating the cloyingly sweet theme song. Boats move slowly through the sets, and riders are bombarded by the tune for what seems like forever. What makes it's a small world (use of the lower-case theirs) so powerful is its ability to utterly crush you with its sweetness. The song lodges itself in your skull, bounces around for hours or until you fall asleep as dolls parade on the backs of your eyelids. It's a visually-stunning and some say racist portrayal of the world's children that leaves passengers in a <i>Manchurian Candidate-</i>like trance. No ride in the World forces you to succumb like that. Get out of line at Dumbo and convince your kids that they can do better. They're just going to fly around at the top anyway.<br />
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4. Onboard Soundtrack: Dinosaur<br />
Dinosaur, nestled in the Dinoland USA portion of Disney's Animal Kingdom, takes riders on a journey back into time to save the Iguanadon from extinction. Of course, stuff goes wrong, and your time rover might not make it back. Holy Moley, the audioanimatronic carnivores are scary too!<br />
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Dinosaur really succeeds because of its onboard soundtrack. The clear voices and music amplify the drama happening outside your car and provide a clear plot that anyone can follow. Other rides around the World employ onboard soundtracks (Test Track, Spaceship Earth), but none do it as well. So much else about the ride rocks too. You can imagine my dismay (and pleasure) at there being no lines during much of our trip. Will Dinosaur survive purgings at Animal Kingdom? Or will it go extinct like the dinosaurs inside? Well, that paragraph ended nicely.<br />
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3. Line Management: Mission: SPACE<br />
Mission: SPACE took the place of Horizons at EPCOT in 2003. Walt Disney---and now that he's died, the rich men who (kind of, I mean, how would Walt really feel about EPCOT?) carry on his legacy---was fascinated by space exploration. Is Mission: SPACE the logical conclusion of this yearning to meet aliens, to introduce their piddly minds to the glory of Mickey Mouse? Let's hope so, as there are a jillion better issues to explore and spend $$$ on, and besides, EPCOT's been compromised enough.<br />
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All criticism aside, Mission: SPACE is a great experiment in line management and a great ride. When you queue, a cast member asks if you'd prefer to join the orange or green team. The green team---God bless them---don't ride Mission: SPACE as its intended to be ridden. They never spin (which is the whole point of the ride), and thus, they don't feel the g-forces, space-like pressure, the <i>thrill</i>.<br />
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It seems like all people talk about when they're in that area of the park is whether or not they're cut out for the orange team. Wimps defect to the green team constantly. Even I get nervous, and I'm a real <a href="http://www.aceonline.org/default.aspx">coaster enthusiast</a>. There are warnings, barf bags, mechanisms for coping with the stress (don't look sideways or eat an hour beforehand). Mission: SPACE's line is almost as entertaining as the ride itself, and that's impressive since the ride is a treat. It made me cry, and I only cry during <i>The West Wing</i>.<br />
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2. Infrastructure: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror<br />
When Walt Disney purchased the nearly 30k acres which comprise WDW in 1965, he used dummy corporations to keep land speculation down. Then, he essentially built the Magic Kingdom on stilts because the land is swampland. Man-made lakes, canals, trees, mountains...it's all there at WDW. Civil engineering heaven.<br />
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Anyway, I'm not sure if this counts as infrastructure, but the Tower of Terror is housed inside the skeleton of a hotel at one end of the Disney's Hollywood Studios. You can see the brown facade from points all around WDW. They could have built one of <a href="http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/240/e/9/giant_drop_by_coastermedia-d2xh0or.jpg">these</a>, but of course, the imagineers<i> </i>wanted more. Disney goes to great lengths to make rides that are not only thrilling, but aesthetically pleasing and thematically coherent/ interesting.<br />
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1. Darkness: Space Mountain<br />
Space Mountain is WDW's finest ride, and I'm not just saying that because I'm biased by C. A pair of rollercoasters housed inside a 183 foot tall white 'mountain,' Space Mountain's been in operation since 1975. Not without improvements, of course. Seriously, how dope is that structure?<br />
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The ride fails without its conceit: darkness. Without darkness, Space Mountain is nothing. Its rockets max out at 28 MPH, but in total darkness, they seem to speed. The turns are jarring. The dips are thrilling. Fortunately, Disney hasn't cut <i>all</i> of the retro-futuristic charms: the spacemen by the lift, the holograms in line, the projected novas on the ceiling. I'd prefer a return to the cheesy 70s orange motif, but you can't win 'em all. I don't love the renovation either.<br />
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Space Mountain is a milestone for young riders just tall enough, a Fastpass necessity, and a beacon in what is perhaps the Magic Kingdom's most interesting land. Don't reach out too far or you'll need to consult with Captain Hook.</span>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-70640195384124618202012-01-13T10:31:00.000-06:002012-01-13T10:31:43.295-06:00James Michener<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://michenerartmuseum.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/james-michener.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://michenerartmuseum.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/james-michener.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I finished <i>Chesapeake</i>. Took months but I finally finished it. You see, reading a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_A._Michener">James Michener</a> novel cover-to-cover is a challenge. Check this <a href="http://www.miskatonic.org/images/michener-how-to-use-a-library-catalog.jpg">picture</a>; dude knew how to research, and it all came out on paper. According to Wiki, he wrote 12-15 hours a day and kept a 'filing system' which had trouble 'keeping up.' Brings to mind a filing robot with telescopic arms overheating during the penning of <i>Mexico</i>.<br />
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A Michener novel is the perfect antidote to internet addiction, I swear. All books are, really, but Michener's are particularly good for it. His bricks inhabit your life---your nightstand, bookbag---remind you to put down the laptop and step into another world. That's how it felt for me anyway; ashamed about refreshing facebook and twitter for the third time that hour, I'd retire and knock out a chapter. <br />
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For books that are intrinsically concerned with time, Michener's books <i>feel</i> timeless. They put the present on pause, transport you back (corny, I know, bear with me), and allow you to unplug from your hyper-connected life, allow you to care deeply about Hugo Pflaum's quest to confiscate the Turlock's long gun called the Twombly, a gun which annihilates hundreds of ducks/ geese with each shot. Allow you to feel sad when Pentaquod dies, his tribe decimated, the future of Indians in serious trouble. Allow you to bear witness to the lives of Quakers, Catholics, Protestants, slaves, John Calhoun, arsters, and flocks of geese.<br />
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Common criticism: underdeveloped characters, formulaic writing, endlessly detailed passages. Readers with these problems have a right to them, but they miss the point. Michener needs to examine the <i>spirit </i>of a place. Always, that is the purpose. I'm now imbued with the spirit of Chesapeake bay; I hunger for schooners, for that a succulent goose in my rotund Winter belly. More importantly, perhaps, I'm hungry to go somewhere else. On my shelf: <i>Texas</i>, <i>Caribbean</i>, <i>The Covenant</i>, and <i>Alaska</i>. Not right now, necessarily, but when I'm editing a tweet for characters or memorizing the tracklist for an inconsequential album, I'll get<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t33PxwOyt78"> fed up </a>and return to that beautiful man's world.<br />
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PS - People have taken to writing <i>Twitter novels</i>. Only wish Michener could comment. There is no way, not now and not ever, that these can be successful. Give me a fucking break. Half-assed song lyric micro-meta garbage.</span>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-24176098863507633702011-12-31T09:51:00.006-06:002011-12-31T09:56:49.571-06:00The year in review: books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://bookcoverarchive.com/images/books/nice_big_american_baby_1.large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://bookcoverarchive.com/images/books/nice_big_american_baby_1.large.jpg" width="124" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
I read 52 books this year, which, if you account for the varying lengths and difficulties, is still a lot of reading. Proud of myself. Also aware that it's my job to read. In 2012, I pledge to read more and to be less tempted by the internet and its surface pleasures.<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6773135-patrick"> Let's do it together!</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
On with the show! I've considered my grand list, and here are ten top-tier books from 2011. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Foster Wallace - <i>Oblivion</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tom Grimes - </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mentor</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">EL Doctorow - <i>Ragtime</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eric Larson - </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Devil in the White City</i><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Judy Budnitz - </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nice Big American Baby</i></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Randy Shilts - <i>And the Band Played On</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">JG Ballard - <i>High Rise</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chad Harbach - <i>The Art of Fielding</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dave Zirin - <i>Welcome to the Terrordome</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James Michener - <i>Chesapeake</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The work of Judy Budnitz endeared itself to me more than the work of any other author in 2011. I came to her like I come to many authors: via a Google search and scouring lists. K and I read <i>Nice Big American Baby</i> on our way home from Canada. Cautionary/ celebratory stories of motherhood, pregnancy, and love in America. Just totally bizarre, hilarious, and deeply sad stories. Flawless collection, the best book I read in 2011. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her first collection <i>Flying Leap</i> starts strong and ends poorly---worth a read for completists. In her novel, <i>If I Told You Once, </i>Judy systematically sheds male characters until there are only women left, four generations crammed into a tiny apartment. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I lament my male-dominated list. Perhaps in 2012, I too will shed men. Nine women to one man. It could happen. Or perhaps, like the characters in <i>If I Told You Once</i>, I'll revert to the old ways, and 2012's list will be the same, except with 9 new guys. What I'm saying is, keep me honest blogspot. Diverse reading habits! What I'm saying is, <i>Nice Big American Baby </i>came out in 2005, and it's about time for some new Budnitz, don't cha think? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A man can dream in 2011. Tonight, with Biggs Stache (and whatever Marc digs out the cellar) on the cerebellum, I'll dream of a new Judy Budnitz novel, and of all the books I'll read in 2012. If the world ends, my blog will live on in the ether. If the world ends, I will blast our greatest texts into space for our extraterrestrial pals. If the world ends, I'll blog in the afterlife. </span></div></div>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-46714028988536473862011-12-30T11:11:00.000-06:002011-12-30T11:11:35.427-06:00Songs from 2011 - Part 10 - Spidey's Curse<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A little research reveals that Mark Ronson produced the new Black Lips record, and a little more research reveals this fella manned the boards on records by powerhouses Nas and Wale, as well as on a record by someone named Adele, whose Limp Bizkit cover, "Keep Rollin' Rollin' Rollin' in the Deep," wowed critics this year.<br />
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Not surprised <i>Arabia Mountain</i> sounds so good anymore. Psychedelic punk with nods to the 60s. I hear King Khan and the Shrines too.<br />
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I only wish the songs were better. Some are good and many are so-so, but "Spidey's Curse" is a stunner. The vocal melody takes surprising turns, and it turns me on. I also vibe on that lead guitar line. Bonus points for the dumb lyrics.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="305" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/H1TjTcTGEGI" width="400"></iframe></span>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-48579433149119149122011-12-24T20:53:00.002-06:002011-12-24T20:53:43.491-06:00Christmas Vacation<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="305" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8kSaUZ9maNU" width="400"></iframe>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-27968665659511497732011-12-24T06:46:00.002-06:002011-12-24T06:46:29.635-06:00Fuckmas Eve!<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="305" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/afsSMTsVpNg" width="400"></iframe>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-3477518365070310852011-12-21T19:10:00.000-06:002011-12-21T19:10:37.014-06:00Songs from 2011 - Part 9 - Queen of Hearts<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this <a href="http://www.spinner.com/2011/11/04/fucked-up-frontman-damian-abraham-quitting-band/">interview</a>, Fucked Up's Damian Abraham talks about a touring version of the band, one without him as vocalist. I say he's got it backwards. Fucked Up rules live because he's got the mic. What I want from Fucked Up are more guest vocalists on-record, a paring-down of Damian's role. Fucked Up's hour-long records, such as 2011's <i>David Comes to Life</i>, wear on me because of that bark that I adore so much in person.<br />
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That in mind, "Queen of Hearts" is the finest song on <i>DCTL</i>. The guitars are layered gorgeously, Damian gets two minutes to do his thing, and then it's the triumphant break for the female vocalist. The latest iteration of Fucked Up needs this song as a template. I want a record of songs like "Queen of Hearts."<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="305" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yhgOt7YFN0I" width="400"></iframe> </span>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-16670651739788333872011-12-15T13:15:00.000-06:002011-12-15T13:15:26.415-06:00Songs from 2011 - Part 8 - All the Sun that Shines<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's the best time of the year for people who follow online music journalism. What I do is cross-check the year-end lists, note the records that keep cropping up, listen to them in rapid succession, and winnow out the wack (like Kate Bush, Youth Lagoon, Liturgy, Bon Iver, Beyonce, Drake, Joyce Manor, Adele, James Blake, and on and on) from the dope (Black Lips, Paul Simon, James Ferraro, Julianna Barwick...). </span><br />
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The lists also remind me about what I should have listened to all along. The distinctive cover of Peaking Lights's 2011 release, <i>936</i>, caught my eye since spring. Worried that it might be standard psych rock revival, I ignored it. Joke was on me, though, because it's wonderful.</span><br />
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I mostly get down to "All the Sun that Shines" and "Birds of Paradise Dub Version." Deep grooves, reverbed chant vocals, spaced-out synths. "All the Sun" even begins like "Kokomo," which should clue you in to the sunshining mood that prevails. Peaking Lights were a nice surprise.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="305" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MH-9_ddFKk8" width="400"></iframe></span>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17688918392274745978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762355094364403228.post-24243760682409330912011-12-07T17:40:00.002-06:002011-12-15T21:44:27.553-06:00Songs from 2011 - Part 7 - Blue Eyes<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Destroyer's new album, <i>Kaputt</i>, seemed destined to garner hype for a week and then disappear. A record with its quirks (corny saxophone, corny keys, corny everything) should not be enduring. Too many bands recycle 80s tropes, but we don't include Dan Bejar in that conversation because he's motherfucking Destroyer, and he's been on his game for like two decades. For me and for a lot of the internet with year-end lists, <i>Kaputt </i>was durable and worthy of revisiting. "Blue Eyes," with its quick start, sultry female backing vocalists, and laid-back groove stood out to me, but I wouldn't blame you if you prefer "Chinatown," "Savage Night," or "Poor In Love." Don't be ashamed or disgusted with yourselves.<br />
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Unfortunate end-note: <i>Kaputt</i> didn't work live for me at p4k. <br />
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