Q & A TIME

I was super bored so I stole the personality survey thing from the Portland Mercury's lovelab questionaire and filled it out.

What is something that people are surprised to find out about you? Everything. If they just met me.

If you could have a dinner party and invite any 5 people, dead or alive, who'd be coming? The grandfather I never knew, Malcolm X, Bruce Lee, Michelangelo Antonioni, and my momentary muse Olivia Wilde (I figure she'd have a good time hanging out with 4 dead people.)

Where are your local haunts? In Portland: the Pearl, 23rd, the waterfront, Hawthorne, Belmont. I realized not too long ago that I hang out in extremely predictable and cliche areas of Portland. There's nothing even good on 23rd street anymore, plus they kicked Music Millenium out. I think I'm gonna start hanging out down on the desolate train track industrial area now.

What bands do you always find yourself talking shit about? I don't talk shit about music artists anymore, I just spread the love and ignore the bad stuff.

What movie does your life resemble most and why? "Twilight". Because I wrote it and put a lot of myself into it. Despite the fact I went to homecoming dances and I love red meat, Cooper said a lot of stuff for me lol.

Where else have you lived and what brought you to Portland? New York and Tokyo. Portland is home. Good ol' Wieden & Kennedy brought me there.

What is your idea of a good time? A good time for me is dictated more by who I'm with than what I'm doing.

What is something you're looking forward to? Winter break, is my immediate thought.

Who’s someone you’d like to be trapped in a confined space with? Someone who smells good. Cuz I mean, if its a confined space, you're bound to get a whiff.

If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be: A bowl of white rice, c'mon now.

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I consider myself an open-minded person, but my deal breakers are conservatives and conservatives.

Something I said I'd never do but did anyway was never say never.

The first section I turn to in the Mercury is "I, Anonymous", its always hilarious.

The Thing I hate about Portland is? not enough 24 hour eateries The thing I love about Portland is? everything else.

It's Sunday morning at 10 a.m. If I'm not still sleeping, I'm sleeping. are you kidding? awake before 10 on sunday?!

The last concert/show I attended was... the shins.

My favorite junk food is... i love it all. fine dining would not be as fantastic if you couldn't juxtapose it with junk food.

One sport I will never get is pretty much all of them lol.

My guiltiest pleasure is i don't have guilty pleasures. i take pride in everything i enjoy.

I want to make a t-shirt that says i hate ironic/witty t-shirts with sayings on them.

My beverage of choice is DP

If I found a million dollars on the side of the road, I would make a movie, move out of NYC tomorrow.

If I could have any super power, mine would be to record film through my eyes, edit in my brain.

When I feel like shit, I need to just feel like shit for a while. i'll get over it or eventually see the positive side, but its important to just succumb to feeling like shit for while.

When I die, I believe I will go like it happens in the movies.

I wouldn't be who I am if I didn't have the parents that i have.

I wouldn't sell my memories for a billion dollars.

UNDERCOVER SPRING '08

Jun Takahashi is a monster. Basically.

I wonder which alternate dimensions these shades allow you to see into.















^^^OMG the fangs are ridick.

Happy Halloween by the way!

RANTRANTRANT

I can't work at home, I'm just unable to concentrate here.

So I go to Starbucks.

Why the fk isn't their wireless internet free???

Why did every fkin student in manhattan decide it was a good idea to go to the same Starbucks as me and take all the seats???

Once I finally got a seat...why are there only like 2 outlets in the entire store for people to use???

Why does my computer have to have the shittiest battery life ever?? Why did it have to die after like 10 minutes rendering my trip to Starbucks completely pointless???

Why is my apartment too cold with the air condition on, and too hot with it off???

Why am I only able to write like one page in my script PER DAY??? Even though I have all my ideas and know exactly what I want to write???

UGH UGH UGHHHHHHHHHHH

THE SHINS IN NYC

So last night my girl Satomi and I attened The Shins and Vetiver concert at Terminal 5 here in NYC...woooowwww... what a seriously incredible show. The energy was just incredible and I had been waiting to see The Shins live for so long. I thought it would be especially cool to see them in Portland, but I'm sure I'll get that chance soon. I'm also a huge fan of Vetiver, so it was awesome to have such a good match up for the night.

Check out this little video I quickly threw together, I usually try to record full songs at concerts but I was just enjoying myself too much and couldn't be bothered hahaha. So my apologies for that, but hopefully the video conveys how great they are on stage...

BLUE SCHOLARS DROPPING SCIENCE IN NY

Head over to TheNewPop.com and check out the exclusive two part video that they shot of Geo and Sabzi's visit to NYC. They stop through different stores in the city getting people's opinions on police brutality and also giving some insight into their own creative process.

The responses recieved at Alife and Reed Space were partly in joke, but unfortunately theres a part of the whole tough talkin New Yorker mentality that sees young folks acting a little wild in the streets and look to the police to do what they do best. There is a definite distance from the reality of it, its repurcussions on communities, and the inherent injustice involved in profiling. I'm positive those guys arent racist, but they're not even thinking on the level of police brutality being about race, their answers were given solely off seeing kids acting rowdy and abiding by the New York tough guy law of wanting to see it get dealt with physically.

Back to the real focus of the video though, this showcases what Geo and Sabzi are all about - getting into the community and building with folks. Its awesome to see their fanbases and supporters growing all over the country.

CATHOLIC CONDOM BAN SPREADING AIDS

I'm not going to even say anything.

The absurdity and atrocity that this is speaks entirely for itself.


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The rapid spread in Latin America of the virus that causes AIDS is made worse by the Roman Catholic Church's stand against using condoms, a U.N. official said on Monday.

Some 1.7 million people across Latin America are infected with the HIV virus or full-blown AIDS, and the epidemic is spreading swiftly with up to 410,000 new cases in 2006, up from as many as 320,000 new cases in 2004, according the UN AIDS program, UNAIDS.

"In Latin America the use of condoms has been demonized, but if they were used in every relation I guarantee the epidemic would be resolved in the region," said Alberto Stella, the UNAIDS Coordinator for Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

The Catholic Church, which holds sway in Latin America despite the rise in evangelical churches, opposes all forms of contraception and instead promotes abstinence as a way to avoid spreading AIDS.

"The fact young people start to be sexually active between 15 and 19 without sex education contributes to the spreading of the virus, as well as the fact that the evidence shows abstinence is not working," Stella told Reuters.

Latin America is home to nearly half the world's 1.1 billion Catholics, but the Church's position on premarital sex and contraception often clashes with modern values. Brazil, the region's largest Catholic nation, regularly distributes free condoms to try and bring down HIV infection rates.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071023/hl_nm/honduras_aids_dc

GUCCI x DAVID LYNCH & SHADOW OF THE DAY

Well heres a collaboration I didn't see coming lol.

Filmmaker David Lynch and Gucci got together to create a new commercial for Gucci by Gucci fragrance.



You gotta love models dancing to Blondie haha.

I don't really know what to say about the spot, other than it looks like a sequence that could have been pulled from one of his films lol. Complete with very "Lynchian" imagery like the television with what looks like fingers running across it, and the superimposed tunnel we're speeding through at the end. Its glamorous, but still feels unsettling somehow, in that very David Lynch kind of way.

Theres also this little making of video, which I think I enjoyed more lol:



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I've never been a fan of Linkin Park, but I couldn't deny "Minutes To Midnight". Especially with the new musical direction they took and the political commentary woven throughout it. One of my favorite songs from the album was "Shadow Of The Day", which showed what their lead vocalist could do when not screaming lol, and has also become their latest single.

The video directed by Joe Hahn (band member and director of most of their videos), showcases what a simple stroll down the street is like in a vision of a war-torn future. The video also keeps in tune with "Minutes To Midnight"s theme of a nearing apocalypse.

Its the kind of imagery I as Matt Jay am not allowed to deny.

FILMMAKING Q&A

So the other day I was asked to be interviewed for an article being done for a 'Networking Lab' assignment down at Full Sail film school in Florida.

It was kind of weird because I felt like I'm not in too much of a different boat than this person, we're both still in film school... but I agreed to do it and hoped to not come across as trying be a expert on anything.

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1.) What made you want to make films? Was there a moment or an experience that inspired you most?

Well I was raised in an extremely creative household. While neither of my parents were artists, per say, they both worked in the creative worlds of fashion, design and advertising. They have always been knowledgable, supportive of and closely tied to the arts. So I feel like my ending up in art has a lot do with the combination of both genetics and my environment growing up.

I do remember the exact day that I was inspired to start making movies though. It was in the summer of 1997, making me about 10 years old at the time. I was playing with action figures, with my friend Cameron (yes the same Cameron) when he spontaneously pulled out the family video camera. We began to experiment with stop-motion animation. When I was called home for lunch later, I took out my own camera and made another little stop-motion short, which I then brought back to Cameron to show him. At 10 years old, we both became completely dedicated to making movies from that point on.

2.) How did you and Cameron write ‘Burnside’? Was it completely by accident that your two stories meshed so well or did you collaborate throughout the process?

Cameron and I sat down a few months after completing our film "Twilight" to discuss what our next collaborative project would be. From that discussion the basic skeleton for what would become "Burnside" was born - an ensemble piece, tied together through the location of Burnside street in Portland, Oregon. But the actual storylines themselves were actually ideas that we already had floating around in our minds. After we concepted "Burnside", we then discovered that those stories would fit perfectly into this new project. As far as the writing of the actual scripts, we pretty much let each other do as they pleased with their individual story. At this point, there is definitely a level of trust between us creatively.

3.) How did you and Cameron go about getting ‘Burnside’ made? Any suggestions for someone who needs help to make their own independent film?

We got "Burnside" made by just getting up and doing it. And that would be my biggest suggestion to anyone yearning to make a film of their own. Embarking on the creation of a film can certainly be scary, but part of the fun of it when you're working on an independent level is figuring out how to make the most of what you have. The hardest part is taking the first step forward and deciding to go for it.

4.) You and Cameron make a great team. Do you feel that dual-director films are an anomaly because it’s difficult to collaborate and make it cohesive? Or do you think dual (or more) director projects work just as well, or even improve the movie with diverse ideas?

I think that every director works differently. Not everyone wants to have that other voice of input. A lot of directors have a solid and concrete vision in their mind of how absolutely everything is supposed to be, and they want it executed exactly like that. I think the fact that Cameron and I have been working together for so long, really developed the collaborative process as being natural in our minds. We each have our own personalities and styles, but when we come together to work on something its like a third personality that comes out. I think thats one of the reasons we're able to get one clear vision across.

5.) Portland is one of your hometowns. What are your thoughts on the writer’s rule: “Write what you know?”

I believe everything you create has to have some kind of basis or grounding in personal experiences or emotions. Not that your films have to take place in the city you grew up in, or revolve around specific things that you've been through. But at the core of a movie is the emotions its trying evoke or the idea its trying to project. You can't be successful at evoking anything you yourself don't feel, or projecting anything you're not knowledgable about.

6.) What are your hopes for the future? After graduation? Do you have any particular or long-term goals?

I understand the competitiveness of the business I'm interested in working in, and while there are plenty of things that I dream of I always try to be realistic too. I suppose I just try to keep my expectations loose and my work ethic and dedication high. My only true long term goal is to continue doing what I love.

7.) From your own experience and what you’ve learned, what are your 3 most important guidelines a film maker should follow in order to maximize his/her chance of success?

The number one thing I think you have to understand is that success is relative. You should define what your own personal success is, and try to not be swayed by the allure of what society has projected success to be.

Secondly, never stop being a student. If "success" ever gets to your head and you start believing yourself to be deserving of it, you'll become stagnant (and probably an asshole). By understanding that there will always be something for you to learn and someone who could teach you, you'll never stop improving.

And last but not least, you simply have to be willing to work for it. Plain and simple. Even when opportunities get handed to you, the distance that opportunity will propel you is dependant 100% on how much you put into it.

INDIETV

So as you may remember, back in August Cameron and I taped an interview for a show called INDIETV, dedicated to showcasing the work of independent filmmakers in the Northwest. It's currently airing on television now, and will continue to air until the end of the year. But the full show is now online as well, so you can check it out here:



Part One


Part Two

Thank you to Sean and Laurie and everyone at INDIETV for inviting us on the show!

PILGRIMAGE

Although there are now numerous films on the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, this dark chapter of American history lay virtually forgotten until 1969 when two young Japanese Americans set out to find a place called Manzanar and ended up creating an annual event that has since attracted thousands of people. Calling it a "pilgrimage," it was the first public event in the nation to call attention to the reality of the WWII concentration camp experience that had almost been deleted from public understanding.

With a hip music track, never-before-seen archival footage and a story-telling style that features both old and new pilgrims, Pilgrimage is the first film to show how the WWII camps were reclaimed by the children of its victims and how the Manzanar Pilgrimage now has fresh meaning for diverse generations of people who realize that when the US government herded thousands of innocent Americans into what the government itself called concentration camps, it was failure of democracy that would affect all Americans. As the U.S. is again in tumultuous times, Pilgrimage is a timely and engaging film that brings new and much-needed insight to the lessons of the past for our post 9/11 world.

PILGRIMAGE trailer

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New Pilgrimage DVD Trailer

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I saw that this film came out last year and was way surprised that I'm just now discovering it, but now I see that it just started making the rounds at film festivals in 2007.

But yeah, I'm extremely excited to check this out now that its on DVD. As you can see the film has been getting praise from some really noteworthy people - author Jeff Chang, who is a friend and a great mind as well as Yuri Kochiyama who is like a living legend to me. Kochiyama was the first real prominent Asian American activist that I knew of, and someone who I continue to draw inspiration from.

Peep that 2nd trailer using music from Bambu (formerly of the Native Guns)!

Here's the official Pilgrimage Myspace, where you can purchase the DVD and check out upcoming screening schedules.

BLUE SCHOLARS IN NYC

So last night I went out to support my boys Geologic and Sabzi (Blue Scholars), as they were performing at the CMJ Music Festival. The event went down at the Gramercy Theatre, which is actually right down the street from my school.

It was crazy seeing the guys out here in New York since I associate not only their music but the experience of watching them rock a stage with being back home in the Northwest. It was interesting though because it was my first time seeing them out of their "home turf" so to speak. When they perform in Seattle or Portland, the crowds have all been following their careers, know all the lyrics and many are a part of that community of friends and supporters. This was the first time I looked out into the audience and saw people standing with their arms crossed kinda like "ok who are these guys"... but of course once Sabzi dropped that beat and Geo opened his mouth they grabbed everyone.

Also it was awesome that the guys were reppin the NW no less on a stage in Manhattan than when they're back home. Unlike so many artists that come out of our region (and this happens to ALL small towns and lesser established locales) and try to downplay or ignore where they're from. The guys even had crowd participation going with a "when I say North, ya'll say West" chant!

Here's two videos I managed to take from last night:



"Man, if you went to high school in the 90's you better know this song..." hahahaha! I was in middle school but OF COURSE I remember this joint. Sabzi flips Green Day's "Brain Stew" (from the Godzilla soundtrack!!!) to open the set!



Performing a remixed version of "Blink"!

10 MISTAKES

"10 Mistakes White People Make When Talking About Race"

An article by Heather Wood at the Huffington Post.

1. Thinking It's Not OK to Talk About It
Race is such a touchy topic because it is often associated with all of the negative history and oppression of minorities in this country. Blacks, Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans share a history of physical and social abuse at the hand of the white majority. Yes, that leads to anger and distrust, feelings so strong that they've survived for centuries. But the only way to bridge the gap and move forward as a more unified society is to talk about it: all of it.

2. Using Culture-Specific Slang to Relate to Other Races
K-Fed, you ain't. And you just shouldn't try to be--ever.

3. Assuming Biracial People Identify More with One Side Than the Other
The majority race in America today isn't white, black, or even Latino. It's biracial. And this will only increase with each successive generation. We're a society that loves to check off boxes, but the greater challenge is to stop seeing people as shades and start knowing them for who they are.

4. Thinking Race Is Only an Issue for Minorities
The tendency is to think of "race" as something that only black/brown/Asian/Hispanic people have - whereas "white" is the default setting ( i.e., we say "American" to mean white, but "Black American," "Asian-American," etc. to identify other Americans of different colors). Everyone has a race. This is a nation of immigrants, from England, Ireland, France, Germany, Poland, Africa, Asia, and beyond.

5. Using Outdated Terms When Describing Different Races
Oriental, Colored, and Indian went out of style a long time ago; in fact, they're considered offensive. So, too, is lumping every Spanish-speaking person into a general category like "Mexican" or any Arab-looking person as "Persian" (it's a specific country, people). Feeling the need to identify is a nervous reaction we have when faced with issues of race. Black, white, Asian and Latino/a are generally accepted, but when in doubt, how about you just call someone by their actual name. Who says we have to classify ourselves all the time anyway?

6. Believing Stereotypes
Yes, black Americans dominate most sports, more Asians are accepted into MIT than any other race, and Latinos have been known to tear up a dance floor. Though some race-specific stereotypes seem like positive assumptions, imagine yourself on the other end, with high expectations placed on your shoulders simply because of a scrutinized minority. White people don't have the pressure to be the best in math or sports; they just have to be good enough. Everyone else should get the same slack.

7. Thinking Affirmative Action Has Anything to Do With Someone's Success
One of the most controversial issues of the past 20 years is affirmative action, a term widely over-used and often misunderstood. It was supposed to explain educational and hiring policies put in place to encourage more diversity on college campuses and in the public sector. The naysayers made it sound like minorities were given hand-outs, which has resulted in an assumption, even years after most of those progressive policies have been killed, that a successful minority must have been given an easy ride. How about you ask Oprah if she was given an easy ride when networks constantly told her she looked and sounded too "ethnic" early in her career? Do you think the late CBS anchor Ed Bradley was given a break when he accidentally became the first African-American White House correspondent, a result of his network sending him to cover what they thought would be a Jimmy Carter loss? And of these two "View" hosts, who do you think earned their coveted role more: Lisa Ling, a trained journalist, or Elizabeth Hasselbeck, a "Survivor" contestant?

8. Assuming One Man's Success = An Entire Race's Progress
It's commonplace to celebrate the breakthrough successes of minorities, the firsts, the bests. These people deserve our accolades, certainly, but the success of a few doesn't mean an oppressed minority is triumphant. We still have a long way to go. The day we stop clapping for the minority in a "good for you, kid" condescending manner is the day we've made real progress.

9. Thinking Cultural Exclusion Is Racism
White people are in a difficult situation in this struggle to talk about and understand race. On the one hand, they are reprimanded for being the majority that alienates all other races. But are minority races guilty of the same exclusion by keeping to themselves? Or is such elective segregation the only way to preserve community and a strong racial identity?

I don't even like the term 'self-segregate.' Kids group together on common lines of interest and experience. If Hispanic kids want to sit together and speak in their mother tongue, that shouldn't bother anyone, but they should have the same opportunity to meet other kids. My decision to sit with people who I share things in common with is not the same as legalized imposition of segregation.

10. Declaring You Are "Colorblind"
There is no such thing as colorblind (in fact, it's a long-running Stephen Colbert gag for just that reason). It is not a racist stance to see color, but a fact of life. Ignoring it promotes ignorance.

SHOUTSOUT

RYAN:
So Portland seems nice, from the plane anyway.



SETH:
Yeah man. Real people, real weather, cute girls too.

(Episode 28: "The Distance")

YEEEEEEEEEEE!!

A FINE FRENZY

A Fine Frenzy - "Almost Lover"

The first time I saw this video was over the summer and had since forgotten about it. But I recently rediscovered it and wanted to post about my admiration for its naturalistic cinematography. Its simple in concept, but singer Alison Sudol plays the camera well and you cant help but be captured by the beauty of each shot. It makes great use of natural light which is something I wish I saw more of these days. I love the shots in the house with the background blown out. And the orange glow of the beach/ferris wheel scenes. I wonder who directed this?

LE PETIT ÉCOLIER

If you've never had "the schoolboy cookies" you are seriously missing out. These have been my favorite damn cookies for years, ever since my mom first started bringing em home when I was a kid. Since then we always seem to keep a few boxes in stock at my house back in Portland.

Oreos are classic but played out, Pepperidge Farm standard, Chips Ahoy predictable. But for those with a refined consumer cookie palette, you all know that Le Petit Écolier is where its at. A light, buttery biscuit with the perfect mathematical balance of chocolate layered on top, molded into the iconic schoolboy image.

The origin of the schoolboy cookie begins romantically in 1850, where Monsieur LeFevre, a baker, married Mademoiselle Utile. Together they began baking exquisite cookies in the seaside town of Nantes France. The couple proudly placed their initials, "LU", on every package. And from this charming heritage comes my beloved LU cookie brand.

I even saw a cameo apperance from a box of schoolboy cookies on a recently watched episode The OC. Yeeeeeee.

BEHIND THE SCENES OF JOE METRO

Check it out, heres a little video diary from my boys the Blue Scholars on the set of their new video for "Joe Metro". The video is being directed by Sabzi's brother Zia, whose work includes the "Back Home" video and Gabriel Teodros' "No Label" and "Don't Cry For Us" videos. Its currently in post production, so we'll be seeing the final product later this month.

The relase of the "Joe Metro" video is coinciding with the annoucement of the release of Blue Scholars' "Joe Metro EP" which will be available for online download purchase November 6th.

TRACKLISTING

1 Joe Metro
2 Joe Metro (Remix)
3 Southbound
4 Town Talk (Part 1) The Physics & Blue Scholars featuring Khingz
5 North By Northwest (Jake One Remix)
6 Joe Metro - Instrumental
7 Joe Metro (Remix) - Instrumental
8 Southbound - Instrumental
9 Town Talk (Part 1) - Instrumental
10 North By Northwest (Jake One Remix) - Instrumental

Available Nov 6, 2007 at:

o iTunes
o Amiestreet.com
o Amazon MP3
o Napster
o Liquid/Wal-mart.com
o Real Networks/Rhapsody
o Sony Connect
o Zune
o fye.com
o Yahoo
o Buy.com
o ECast
o Helio
o Mix 'N' Burn
o Moontaxi/Puretracks: Univision
o Neurotic Media
o NextRadio
o Ruckus
o Rowe
o SoundBuzz
o Starbucks/HearMusic
o Virtual Music Stores
o Wurldmedia

UPWARD OVER THE MOUNTAIN

Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) joined on stage by James Mercer (of The Shins) for a special performance of "Upward Over The Mountain".

HIGH WATTAGE

My good friend Milton, better known to the world as Ohmega Watts, a hero of Portland/Northwest Hiphop and a rising international star for his throwback boombap sound is getting ready to drop his sophmore album on Ubiquity records called "Watts Happening". Guaranteed to be some more flattened cardboard box-ready anthems, I'm quite excited to hear what he has been cooking up. Truth be told, he is one of the last remaining incentives for me to listen to Hiphop today.

This man composed music for Burnside for me for literally no money. He came through to cameo in the film and hang out on set to show support. I'm indebted to the guy, and he is truely one of the most humble dudes you'll ever meet. If you Portlanders ever bump into him on the street, definetly stop to say whats up.

Here is great little article about the man recently written in the Portland Mercury:

http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Content?oid=435382&category=22153

WAKE N BACON

Ok so I know I'm not the only one out there that basically cries at the thought of having to wake up early every morning. The entire ritual with the ringing alarm, hitting the snooze button, it ringing again, having to use all of your might to pull yourself out from under your warm sheets...it sucks. Its one of the most painful things ever.

I ALSO know that I'm not the only one that loooooves me some bacon. Sorry vegetarians, but I was raised on good ol all American breakfasts, eggs/pancakes/waffles/sausage/orange juice and of course, bacon. And I could never give that up. The sounds and scents of breakfast sizzling in the kitchen is one of the only things that can entice me to get out of bed in the morning.

And so, I think I have found the perfect solution here:





THE WAKE N BACON!!!

WHAT: An alarm clock that wakes you up with the smell and sizzle of cooking bacon.

WHY: No one likes to wake up, especially by an alarm. This clock gently wakes you up with the mouthwatering aroma of bacon, just like waking up on a Sunday morning to the smell of Mom cooking breakfast. Unless you're Jewish.

HOW: A frozen strip of bacon is placed in Wake n' Bacon the night before. Because there is a 10 minute cooking time, the clock is set to go off 10 minutes before the desired waking time. Once the alarm goes off, the clock it sends a signal to a small speaker to generate the alarm sound. We hacked the clock so that the signal is re-routed by a microchip that in responds by sending a signal to a relay that throws the switch to power two halogen lamps that slow-cook the bacon in about 10 minutes.

HAHAHA how amazing is that!?

http://www.mathlete.com/portfolio/wakeNbacon.php

THE STATE OF THINGS

Ughhh.


So I've been here in New York for two and almost a half years now. There has been ups and downs, but for the most part I've felt that I never quite clicked with this city from the time I got here. On a day to day basis I can enjoy myself, but I'm just now starting to see the truth about how its affecting me in some deep, beneath the surface way. I feel like this place is attacking the thing I need most right now and thats my creativity and my ideas. That may sound ridiculous, since this city is considered one of the world's meccas for creativity... but what can I say? Its just not affecting me the way I thought it would when I originally wanted to move here. I think for me, a lot more than than the intake of interesting cultural things goes into inspiring me and provoking ideas. I have to be in an environment that I feel relaxed, but at the same time interested in and I feel is pulling something out of me. I don't want anyone to think that by me saying that I felt I never clicked with New York from the start, that I never gave it a fair shot. Remember that I WANTED to come here, I dreamt about it in high school. It was just a surprise to me to find that the things I valued in a place I would potentially call home had changed. And over the past two years thats become even more true. I try to do it all here, go out and meet interesting people that are doing interesting things, go to events, and try to take in all the good New York has to offer. All the things that I know you can't experience anywhere else. I'm in school, I've had my internship...and all of that has definetly helped me in many ways. But at the end of the day, the issues I have with the way of life out here just drain me of creative thought. And its killing me because I feel like time is passing by and I'm not getting all that I want to get done. All creative thought is forced when I'm here, and forcing it never ever works. I'll literally sit myself down and just try and write, try and come up with ideas and every time its a struggle. But when I'm back home, or what seems like anywhere but here, things just come naturally and spontaneously. Sometimes I feel like this city is just swallowing me. Its scary because I know that if I stay here, I wont be able to fight it forever. I'll eventually be extremely unhappy. As it is, all I think about when I'm here is the next time that I'll be leaving. I could see myself staying here and falling into a pit, never accomplishing all that it is I've always wanted to accomplish. But where do I go? I can't go back to Portland. Not yet. If I did that I would honestly feel like I was taking two steps backward. I love home, but I haven't accomplished enough to earn the right to move back there yet. That's supposed to be saved for down the road. So far, the only place that makes sense is California. Los Angeles? San Francisco? I have to admit, its an exciting idea for me to think about. A return to the west coast lifestyle. By the time I graduate, Cam will have been living in LA for a year already...it would be a good opportunity to spend some time out there and see first hand what its like. Get Cam's opinion on things. Its the only thing I can think of for now. And actually the more I run it through my head, the more excited I seem to get about the idea. It might just eventually be the answer to things.

Wow. I probably should have used paragraphs, sorry about that lol.

WONDERWALL

My god.

I.....completely forgot about this song. Kind of.

Ok so here I am knee deep The OC, and in the ending sequence of one of the episodes they used Ryan Adams' acoustic version of "Wonderwall". And I realized that I hadn't listened to that song in maybe like 6 months. And that is a LONG time for me, because "Wonderwall" is one of my favorite songs of all time. Both the original by Oasis and Ryan Adams' rendition. Now that it is back in my life, it is time to rekindle my love for it and I'll start with this tribute blog.



The classic original, by Oasis.



Ryan Adams performing his version live...I LOVE how the entire audience is singing along.

The history of this great song:


"Wonderwall" is a song and subsequent single by British rock band Oasis, from their second album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. The song, which was written by Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher, is considered by many to be a defining British rock song, and regularly features in "best-of" polls.

Released in October 1995, the "Wonderwall" single peaked at #2 in the UK Singles Charts and proved to be their American breakthrough, giving Oasis their only US top 10 hit thus far. "Wonderwall" is perhaps their most popular song, despite the fact that British TV stars Robson & Jerome's "I Believe"/"Up on the Roof" kept it out of the top slot. "Wonderwall" continues to have enduring popularity in Oasis' canon; as of 2005, it was 99th in the UK's list of best-selling singles, and has now sold over a million copies in single and download sales in the UK.

The song takes its name from the 1968 album Wonderwall Music by George Harrison, at the time still a member of the Beatles.Harrison's album was in fact a soundtrack to the film Wonderwall, but the film has remained unknown by the general public.

It is often claimed that "Wonderwall" was written for Gallagher's then-girlfriend, Meg Mathews. Noel married Mathews in 1997, but divorced four years later. Gallagher now claims that the song was not about Mathews at all, but he felt he had to go along with the rumour, saying "The meaning of that song was taken away from me by the media who jumped on it. How do you tell your missus it's not about her once she's read it is? It's a song about an imaginary friend who's gonna come and save you from yourself." Noel initially wanted to sing this song on (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, but he gave his brother Liam Gallagher the choice, and Noel ended up singing "Don't Look Back in Anger".

The music video to the song was filmed in the relatively brief period when bassist Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan quit the band due to nervous exhaustion; Scott McLeod came in to replace him.

The sleeve artwork was inspired by the paintings of the Belgian surrealist René Magritte, and was shot on Primrose Hill in northwest London. The hand holding the frame is that of art director Brian Cannon; the girl is Anita Heryet, a Creation Records employee. The original idea was to have Liam in the frame before Noel vetoed that idea whilst the shoot was taking place.

OBAMA AINT ROCKIN THE FLAG

Wow. This may seem like a small gesture, but it speaks volumes to me. Very, very impressed.

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WATERLOO, Iowa - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says he no longer wears an American flag lapel pin because it has become a substitute for "true patriotism" since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

He commented on the pin in a television interview Wednesday and then again on Thursday at a campaign appearance in Independence, Iowa.

Noting the TV interview, he told the campaign crowd, "I said, you know what, I probably haven't worn a flag pin in a very long time. After a while I noticed people wearing a lapel pin and not acting very patriotic."

"My attitude is that I'm less concerned about what you're wearing on your lapel than what's in your heart. You show your patriotism by how you treat your fellow Americans, especially those who serve. You show your patriotism by being true to our values and ideals. That's what we have to lead with is our values and our ideals."

He had been asked about the pin Wednesday in an interview with KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids.

"The truth is that right after 9/11 I had a pin," Obama said. "Shortly after 9/11, particularly because as we're talking about the Iraq war, that became a substitute for I think true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security."

Obama was campaigning Thursday on the third day of a four-day trip to the early voting state.

At one stop, he called for new restrictions on deployment of National Guard and Reserve troops along with an expansion of benefits for them and their families.

"I will not be a president who extends tours for our Guard units overseas while Americans are stranded on rooftops right here at home," Obama said.

He said he would require "a period of rest and standard of readiness" before troops could be redeployed. He called for the head of the National Guard to be elevated to four-star rank and given a seat among the Joint Chiefs of Staff to reflect the heavy reliance on Guard soldiers and reservists during the Iraq war.

Since 2001, Obama said, more than 580,000 reservists have been activated, a level not seen since World War II.

In making his case, Obama pointed to an Iowa unit in which members learned from family and friends back home that their deployment had been extended. That unit — the 1st Battalion of the 133rd Infantry — recently returned after a 22-month deployment in Iraq.

"When we've got service members who have to find out that their tour has been extended in a phone call home, we're not keeping that trust and we're not keeping this country safe," Obama said.

He also called for increased mental health services, including screening and treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. He said nearly half of the National Guard troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from psychological problems, yet little emphasis is put on treating those disorders.

"We're not providing adequate treatment, screening and benefits," said Obama. "We need more mental health professionals and more training to recognize the signs."

MMMMWATCHASAAAAYYY

If you've seen the infamous episode of The OC, this will be hilarious. If you've also seen the SNL spoof of that episode, this will be even more hilarious. And if you've seen both of those AS WELL AS Burnside....well then you should be on the floor in laughter.

APATHY

So sad/frustrating/infuriating/disgusting/frightening. There is seriously something wrong in this country when we SEE wrongdoing and consciously do nothing about it.

I miss the 60s. And I wasn't even around then. Although I suspect I was in a previous lifetime.

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Crowds at antiwar rallies in Washington have dwindled even as U.S. opinion has turned against the war in Iraq, as organizers feud and participants question the effectiveness of the street protests.

Rival antiwar groups, which in years past jointly sponsored massive rallies on the National Mall, have promoted separate protests recently or decided to steer clear of the capital altogether.

The thinning crowds stand in contrast to the antiwar protests of the Vietnam era, which grew as the war progressed.

Activists and experts say divisions among peace groups, along with other factors like the lack of a draft, fatigue about the war and the rise of the Internet, have all contributed to the declining turnout.

Sparse turnout -- fewer than 1,000 at a rally on Saturday, according to local media reports -- could undermine the goal of forcing an end to U.S. involvement in Iraq, participants say.

"When you have demonstrations in which the turnout is not terribly impressive, that gives politicians the sense that people may oppose the war but nobody's really going to pay a price," said Peter Kuznik, an American University history professor and antiwar protester.

Antiwar rallies drew hundreds of thousands of people at the war's start in 2003, although only 23 percent of Americans then said the invasion was a mistake, according to a USA Today/Gallup Poll. That figure is now 58 percent.

Frustration about the war has driven down President George W. Bush's approval ratings and helped Democrats win control of Congress last year. But since 2005, antiwar groups have opted to promote separate events rather than work together.

Saturday's protest, sponsored by the Troops Out Now Coalition, came two weeks after an antiwar event sponsored by the ANSWER Coalition, which drew roughly 10,000 people. ANSWER also sponsored a rally in March.

The groups' agendas are similar, opposing what they call "imperialist" U.S. policy not only in Iraq but toward countries like Cuba and Iran -- which has alienated some supporters.

"There's all of these peripheral issues that you're going to be associated with, whether you want to or not," said Hamilton College history professor Maurice Isserman.

SPLINTER GROUP

Both groups' leaders were associated with the Workers World Party, which advocates a shift toward a Soviet-style planned economy. But a 2004 dispute prompted some members to form the splinter Party for Socialism and Liberation.

Members of the splinter group stayed active in the ANSWER Coalition, and the remaining members of the Workers World Party formed the Troops Out Now Coalition, Troops Out Now spokesman Dustin Langley said.

Another antiwar group, United for Peace and Justice, has refused to work with ANSWER since a joint rally in 2005. The event drew well over 100,000 people, media reports said, but the two groups clashed over speaking time and other issues.

United for Peace and Justice, which has tried to focus on ending the Iraq war, drew 100,000 people to a January protest. The group plans 11 regional demonstrations later this month, but none in Washington.

"The base that we work with was saying to us, 'We've been to Washington a lot in the last four years, we don't want to go to Washington again,"' national coordinator Leslie Kagan said.

ANSWER has called for antiwar groups to join forces for a large rally in the spring, but Kagan and Langley said their groups have not decided whether to participate.

Antiwar leaders say recent smaller protests reflect new tactics, not disorganization. Smaller activist groups like Code Pink have been a colorful, disruptive presence at congressional hearings and appearances by Bush administration officials.

"There's times when we've had half a million people out in the streets, and there's times when it's important just to be there," Langley said.

But others said it is less likely they'll head to Washington at all. "People are tired, they are frustrated because they didn't expect this to go on so long," said Laura Bonham, a spokeswoman for Progressive Democrats of America, which lobbies lawmakers to support a withdrawal. "It's like, well, we can stay home."

Largely absent from the actions are young people, who were the majority of Vietnam-era protesters -- perhaps because they do not risk being drafted into the military or from a sense that they can express their opposition to the war on the Internet, rather than on the streets, Isserman said.

OREGON CELEBRITY PLAYLIST

So The Oregonian recently did a little feature called "Life's a Song List", where they asked 8 Oregon "celebrities" to put together a playlist of music that is significant to their lives. My dad was one of the invited contributors, alongside other guests like Channing Fyre from the Portland Trailblazers and China Forbes from hometown music heroes Pink Martini.

Check out my dad's list here:

http://blog.oregonlive.com/oregonianextra/2007/09/jay.html

And the rest of the playlists here:

http://blog.oregonlive.com/oregonianextra/