*one week later*

To reflect on my depression last week. This week I seem to hardly care anymore. Ah, the wonders of apathy.

I do not like bars/clubs

I think this kinda re-affirms my liking of clubs and bars. I don't hate them at all, but to tell the truth, the last visit I went to, the only fun I had was playing pool and even on that point I sucked ass. The point being I really don't care if I'm a snob or whatever....bars/clubs are not for me. The loud music makes conversation, especially personal conversation nigh impossible.

Dancing it isn't for me per-se especially in FSJ. The dezians were dancing like trolls after hunting down a boar. I'm not saying that I can do better, but if anyone has the gall to even attempt to dance on the floor, then please do fucking look good and not like you just poured ice coffee down your pants. There are other people who are trying to enjoy themselves.

Granted the bar is a proverbial watering-hole of the jungle that is humanity and perhaps someday I might meet someone significant in a bar. However you have to kinda realize....the person who you meet in a bar is either:

1) Drunk.
2) "Out" to have a fun time not a serious time.
3) Or drunk.

You have the figure out that the "state" that someone is in when in "bar mode" isn't necessarily the state they would be in outside of the limitations of "bar mode". Even if they somehow pass the 'border guards of taste', you'll have to think to yourself, is that "bar mode" person really the person you want to spend time with outside of such a atmosphere?

But to tell my friends, I can stand bars. I would go to bars. I would possibly get drunk at bars. I would designate drive for you to what unGodly hours you stay up until. But by no means try to invite me to a bar for a "fun time" because in all due cases, even when drunk, I will not have fun. I'd rather be in a small quiet restaurant, or whatever. Until you or I can find a bar that seems to jump out and I love it, then by all means let's not experiment any longer.

Bars != Stephen

I meant to post this last week, but I guess I was too depressed to do so. Basically, I really felt crappy last weekend...more specifically Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Mike and Michelle's visit slapped a trout of perspective back to me.

The thing is, Mike and Michelle came up to visit FSJ along their way to camping, and God bless their hearts to find the time for me to cook for them. It was really a joy to actually cook for someone outside of my family. Not to say cooking for complete complete strangers, but people who you might value more of an opinion of when it's outside the confines of unconditional love that is part of the family.

The thing is, after they left to visit other people and such, that is when I think sub-conciously the slap-in-the-face/wake-the-fuck-up reality came in. Despite my calm and cool in residing in FSJ for the past 1.5 years.....I've cracked because of Mike and Michelle's visit. I felt seriously empty after they left, and hell, I was still pretty damned hungry after I cooked for them (although I wonder if they were hungry as well afterwards?).

The reality is, I am still in FSJ. Denial, calm, taking it in stride, it doesn't fucking change the fact that I am still here. All these pretentious attempts to be more community active is nothing more than me trying to search a part of Vancouver in here. I don't know what the hell is wrong with me. FSJ is a good town to a certain degree and by all means is growing and is positive. But still, the reality is that I had my fill of it.

I don't fit in this city and to tell the truth, I think I don't fit in Vancouver either. But to take the lesser of two evils I would have to take Vancouver or some other big city.

God i hate the new Blogger set up.

Playing my GBA SP fucking rocks...boo yes. That's why I've been away for so long, as well with spending time with my friends who came up to visit us.

Book Review Tom Clancy's Net Force: State of War
Created by Tome Clancy and Steve Pieczenik
Written by Steve Perry and Larry Segrift

This is the first Tom Clancy novel I have ever read. No. Make that the first Tom-Clancy-Seal-Of-Approval "merchandise" that I have ever read. Apparently the 7th book (and probably last one) in the Tom-Clancy-Seal-Of-Approval series Net Force, State of War is a book that details the actions of the FBI's crack computer security agency, 'Net Force".

In a world where the abstract world of the internet has become involved with aspects of real life makes public safety and national security an issue, Net Force was created in order to patrol these areas. This comprises of people of different ages and backgrounds to follow where net crime, originates and their results. This book basically leaves of a few months later after a shoot out on a cruise liner between Net Force and Cybernation a society who uses terrorist and illegal means to try and create a new nation in cyberspace. Basically Cybernation concucts a new plan: keep Net Force busy with a lawsuit and other 'net problems while they secretly blackmail senators to pass laws in their favor.

To start off this book is somewhat of a let down. There was this incredible build up to...something and it just falls flat. The bad guys screws up royally due to the somewhat "Invincible-well-oiled-team" of Net Force's ingenuity, and the good guys charge, take names and kick ass. There is only one climax that was good enough, but I'm not going to spoil it, but I guarantee it is that good.

For me, the book is incredibly focused on the villans, Mitchell Townsend Ames (a lawyer and doctor) and Marcus "Junior" Boudreaux, especially on the latter. In fact there is so much description as well conflict with these characters, I actually empathize more with them than the heros. Like The Matrix Reloaded, the heros were fucking jokes. Alex Micheals, the commander of Net Force was faced with a potential "affair" but that did not fall through. All they showed was their super-duper inpregnable resolve with weaknesses that don't got past internal character conflict.

But really I didn't expect much, I mean to tell the truth, all this was a glorified fanfic. It was written by Steve Perry and Larry Segriff and I could imagine these two jokers basically playing out tech fantasies with the characters in this book. Eating upon each other's words and ideas, no matter how inane they are. Afterall, that is what a fanfic is, in no way would these characters be their personal babies, just people to be abused to a degree utter fanboyism. And that is what I got.

Overall it's pulp with a techno twist. As opposed to Tom Clancy's super hardcore description of his toys, these two authors really do dumb down the book to techno babble I even know....which is what appealed to me and kept my interest to tell the truth. Compared to Rainbow Six (which I'm reading now) this book is child's play.

For keeping me enteritained but pretty half-assedly, I give it:

2.5/5.0 stars.

Does anyone else find this too funny to be erotic?

Song Review of the Day

Temptation by The Tea Party

This was the song that started it all for me. A song that hooked me and to this day I still think is one of The Tea Party's best. The music is top notch to me, and what most people don't know is that that the CD version actually has a nice guitar instrumental that introduces the song very nicely. It's very Spanish the instrumental part which a dark flavour to it. The rhthym of the intro envokes anticipation with it's sudden jerks of chord strumming and slow serenading plucks.

The actual song itself is great, with hints of DJ scratches, obvously spine-tingling techno and a dull but base like guitar. The drums resound in nice and clear and actually goes into a small electro-drumpad solo that really lifts the song up followed by a great crescendo with the guitar.

The lyrics are a blast, nothing to incredibly deep since it deals with our regular temptations in life, in face it most likely dealt with the temptation of lust. They also deal with the existence of God and such, but nothing too entirely blasphemous compared to their other songs about religion.

To some degree the lyrics and melody nudges the border of being "pop" music with it's catchy tunes and such, however with it's incredibly layered and dark feeling, thankfully it doesn't go "non-balls" out with pop music. In fact compared to the rest of The Tea Party's repretoire, this is as far as I would bear for any credible Tea Party song without instantly labelling it as "pop".

As for it's live potential I had a chance to listen to it live and needless it say it really stinks compared to how perfect I feel the CD vers of the song is. I don't mean it in a way that it's not CD perfect or their off tune here, I do realize that live music would never attain the clear crisp perfection that is CD constructed music.

However on the CD there are layering effects in the chorus with Jeff Martin's voice (leader of the band), such that there is no possible way for Martin to actually sing the chorus, he would have to cut out the parts that follow each singing of "Temptation" and go all full with the single word, or scrunch up the entire lyrical part making it sound awkwardly rushed.

The second problem that I have with this song live is the amount of guitar work Martin actually has to do with this song to play out the high pitch sound effects. Personally I feel it's a poor choice considering that in effect he has to concentrate more on keeping pace and right plucks rather than the mood of the song envoked by his voice. It often sounds laboured and robotic to me, not smooth and sensual like on the CD because of that outcome. I don't blame him too much considering that in all respect, all the subtlties of their songs are often lost because of large venues, The Tea Party are often better as a small venue band where loudness is less of an necessitiy to get the song out to the back of the stadium.

The only retribution from the live song is his inclusion of a guitar solo that is maticulously great. However as Martin usually goes on with concerts playing a song, he tends to draw out the solos to an unbearable length, losing the good pacing of it. Of course that is just my opinion.

Overall this song is incredibly great, I love it and would listen it to death. In fact I like more the Tom Algre mix more than the general CD version because subtlties resound out more clear than the original version and the high pitch sounds are more prevalent. However for it's live potential it loses incredible points. It's great considering that it borders being remotly labelled "pop" music, but at the same time still sticks to the values and roots to what The Tea Party stands for.

4.5/5.0 as a CD song by itself.
4.0/5.0 stars overall.

Stephen's Song Review

This is much like MKZ's, my other blog, song suggestion of the day. However this is more of a way to review all of my The Tea Party songs for myself. It's not to say that it would all pure The Tea Party music, by no means no....I don't want to look like a fanboy. Other music will be involved. I will however try to alternate between a ratio fo 1:1. But first my review criteria.

My review criteria would be different each time to tell the truth. But mostly I would review a song by these four things:

1. Music composition: Obviously, how the song sounds melodically, instrumentally and it's composition. I get pretty detailed sometimes.

2. Vocals: This would be intertwined with my other review aspect, live potential.

3. Lyrical content: Obviously how well the lyrics are written. Are they smart or just plain pretentious.

4. (optional): Live potential: This is somewhat important, but generally not. But to tell the truth, music is indeed to be played publically, that's why it's on CD afterall. However as you can see this is somewhat an "extra" score for music in general since some songs can just be played exactly like on the CD. The things I'm looking for is; variation, extras in the song, how well it could be done live, possibility of it done live and limits to how well it could be done live.

Stephen's Advice for the Day

To get any discount on bulk cheddar cheese from Overwaitea, you at least have to buy 50-60 pounds of it. AT LEAST.

Die Another Day Movie Review:

First of all, Goldeneye still the top Pierce Brosnan 007 film for me.

HOWEVER.....

Seeing the two, let's face it, horse-shit 007 movies after that...Die Another Day is a swan song.

There will be a lot of comparing here with this latest installation of the 007 series. There are a five things that really make up the typical Bond movie and I'll use that as a guide to review it.

James Bond: James Bond has always been kinda of a cocky bastard. But the thing is for me...I don't really like cockiness. It takes a certain style and look to pull that off, and the example that I have off the top of my head is Spike Spiegal of Cowboy Bebop fame. The thing is for me, James Bond is a cocky..."OFF SNEAKY SNEAKY SPY-EY" type of guy and a serious spy when it came to gun-fights, and fighting. Roger Moore was by far the most cocky of the James Bonds, with his constipated face that he had in almost every scene.

What really brought up this idea was when it came to a gun-fight/escape scene with James Bond handcuffed to Michelle Yeoh. Instead of looking like he was concentrating, James Bond look like he was writing up a report (usually on how many inept henchmen he killed and babes he shagged). That really kinda stuck to me, not to mention the overall crappiness of "Tommorow Never Dies".

However this time, they tone down the cockniess and ego. The only place that it really stood out was when he surfed into North Korean territory, made witter banter with Jinx and the excessive testosterone laden "Sword Duel". Granted a spy needs to know all new age crap to cope, in regards to the surfing, but I hardly needed a blatent 'pop-culture-Josh-everyteen' reference short of having Avril Lavinge singing a remix of Skaterboi; Surferboi, and having Tony Hawk thrash on his board through a mine-field.

This time, Brosnan's performance is fairly good, aside from the aformentioned cockiness issue I personally have.

Bond Babes: WOOT, OMFG IT'S HALLE BARRY!!!!11!!!!!1!! I really didn't care. I expected that somehow an Oscar meant some acting ability, however sadly, that's probably why they don't award Oscars for acting in a 007 flick. I really didn't care for Halle Barry's Jinx, somewhat a foil for James Bond's personality. As for the other chick that Bond shags....whatever hardly noticiable considering she didn't have a "look" as the previous 007 women. Granted there were some scenes that would have resulted in a "Yeah, chalk one up for womanhood", she had to be saved TWICE. Not to mention the lovely ebonics reference....way to further progress Black culture there. YO MOMMA. Of course with that all aside, she was obviously better than the other Bond Babes in the previous two movies.

Enemies: YAWN....Zhao should have been renamed Stupid-henchperson-with-no-powers. It was his action scenes and acting skillz that saved him from bunking with possibly one of the worse Brosnan villans Renard. Diamonds in his face and becoming the "ultimate bannana"? At least headbutt Bond and scratch his face. The general was much better than other villans cause he actually had a "plan", not some stupid fucking ideal.

Gadgets: So-so, the super death ray was a welcomed return to spy-ville, and the BMW used it's screen time wisely, however overall there wasn't too much that could have been made in order to have a "need" for more gadgets.

Evil Plot: A "real" step up this time. Instead of going for a fucking "nouveau" villan of the modern era with "other goals" other than world domination and shit like that, they actually went balls out with plain, I'm-gonna-fuck-you-up evil plot with the giant death ray. By no means a great convention, Goldeneye's death ray was much smarter, but just plain destruction is always good.

So for the new James Bond film I give it a weak:

3.5/5.0 stars.

Bling Bling makes it into OxFord dictionary.

If you do not already know, Highervoltage's FOTM (Fagmort of the Millenium) is now in it's final stage.

Terry Bogard VS. Chun-li

Click here and vote wisely

FUCK HELL YEAH!

Of course the only reason why I even bother saying this....you'd all probably know.

Click and see me booty boyo! Ahar!

The Pianist Review (again)

I put this up earlier but unfortunately it has not shown up. So here it is again.

It's relaxing to just watch a normal movie that isn't another thought provoking fringe culture project that pushes the boundry of the movie experience. In fact it is actually good to see a good normal movie nowadays.

The Pianist is a movie about the famed pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman, who stayed in the Warshaw Ghetto through the Nazi occupation and up to it's liberation from the Russians. For a movie about a musician, it's a movie that is suprising devoid of music. In some ways I welcome the silence because it only adds to the entire movie. It adds a feeling of realism and often envokes the lonliness that Szpilman probably felt while he hid throughout the second half the movie. I also think it is a neat trick to have long periods of extreme silence, just listening to ambient sound for the sole fact that it makes us anticipate and enjoy the piano music that does eventually does come from Szpilman's fingers.

The Pianist does come off as Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List with it's realism of killings and destruction, it offers something a bit more than that...or less depending on how you see it. Because of more personal cinematography, The Pianist does play out more like a documentary as opposed to the grandiose look of Spielberg's works. A shot looking out at a broken window pane. Watching the chaos and rebellion that happens in Warshaw from a balcony. Watching bearded Szpilman's journey through a decimated Warshaw.

The Pianist isn't a film that truly stirred me. Perhaps a little since I am a piano geek to some degree, however it was a film that I really like and somehow it connected to me to make me feel that it's one of my personal fav films. Also to follow the crowd...but not too much, I give it a weak 5.0/5.0

Matrix Reloaded review

*SPOILERS*

It seems peculiar as our attention spans get smaller, our movies get longer. We are now accustomed to the fact that movies would reach 2 hours and 90 minutes seem daft. However we also expect to see things fast and quick, almost at the pace of a music video. It seems that the Wachowski brothers have decided to take that concept and extend our attention spans to be parallel with our extending movie time.

This film is about excess.

The Wachoski brothers seemed to have thought that the fans are smart enough to understand what the Matrix is all about and just kicked this up a few dozen notches to just let everything out they know philisopically. There is excess of the fight scenes, excess of the human nature, excess of smart alec quips and lastly but *hardly* leastly, excess of philosophy.

I thought The Matrix's pacing was really excellent. However this time around, I felt that there was a bit too much excess.
It might take me some time to getting used to since most of us are usually used to just 5 minute fight scenes. In some cases this movie really does feel like only "half" of the story. It may be the case that a movie should be contained within itself without the need of complete explanation of a sequel, I think in this case it is understandable considering that Revolutions is arriving this Xmas.

There is much to be said about Matrix Reloaded and it'll take me a long time to get it out, but to tell the truth, it's a superficially bad movie that gets only better when you think about it more and more. Hints were dropped and such and I love it. In fact I have to put further musings in future posts. Basically it's really the first movie for me that made me think about it's deep meaning, but at the same time did not make absolutely love it such as Fight Club.

To tell the truth this movie is like the ultimate comic book...especially with the ending which like most comic book endings, leaves you hanging.

A somewhat weak 4.0/5.0 stars but 4.5/5.0 just for because it made you think about it afterwards very well.