I recently moved to Chicago.  I'm going to try to keep everyone updated on my life and what I'm doing, what music I'm listening to and what movies I'm watching.  Please keep me updated on yourselves, too.  I enjoy knowing about everyone. 

I've been busy with the move and work and settling in, so not much to say yet except about my excitement to be somewhere new and around new people and opportunities.  Everything in my life is kind of up in the air, as it has been, which is both exciting and annoying at times.  Sometimes you just want to know what's coming next.

I've been getting to know my neighborhood a little bit, there's good food and some music venues.  Some really cool stuff to check out.  I look forward to checking more out as I settle in.

I'm planning on making this blog primarily about music I'm listening to, so here's where that starts.

A live version of Paul McCartney playing "Let It Be" at The Concert for New York City after 9/11 came on the radio on my drive home this morning.  It seemed to fit well.  I hadn't connected to a Beatles' song like that in a long time.  I listened to a lot of a Beatles back in the day, and kind of got burnt out, I guess.  Then they were everywhere for awhile after their catalog sold and families were connecting over some music they all liked.  Maybe now enough time has passed since The Beatles: Rock Band came out for me to enjoy them again.  Also, Paul McCartney is set to get the rights back soon.

Haim has been in my music rotation for a long time, especially since their album came out.  Frightened Rabbit and Childish Gambino are constants.  Other than that, She & Him, The Rolling Stones, Kanye West, J. Cole and 2 Chainz have been popping up a lot.  If you haven't heard "Crooked Smile" by J. Cole featuring TLC yet (it's been out a while now), get with it.  Best song on the Born Sinner album, I was glad when I found out it was a single.

There are 2 albums I'm anticipating right now.  I'm really excited about the new Childish Gambino album.  He made some news last week by writing down some of his thoughts and insecurities and posting them on Instagram.  He announced on twitter that he finished the album and has posted a song in July that's supposed to be on it.  Also, If you didn't know, Fall Out Boy recorded a new album that Ryan Adams produced.  They recorded it at Adams' studio in 2 days. I'm super excited about this.  I enjoy the single they put out.  It's super punk.  All of the songs on the album are listed as under 2 minutes except 1. 

I'm always looking for new music and enjoy knowing what other people are listening to, feel free to let me know what bands/artists I should check out.

Stay fresh,
KK

Yeezus

Kanye West's new album is set for a June 18 release.  He performed two songs from it on Saturday Night Live this week after premiering one of them in cities across the globe by projecting videos on sides of buildings.  I was really liking the primal screams and high energy and intensity of them.  I like Kanye West, a lot. I know he gets a lot of hate, which I think is mostly based on his public persona.  The dude makes quality music, though.

This new album has been titled Yeezus.  I get it.  It's controversial and draws attention.  I didn't like when Kid Rock proclaimed himself "the Rock and Roll Jesus", though, so I'm showing consistency here.  I'm already convinced Yeezus is going to be an amazing album from the 2 songs he performed, but I do wish it was titled differently.  If you haven't heard them yet, check them out.  They're already queued up for my next workout playlist.

Summer Is On It's Way

Summertime is just around the corner.  It's time to prepare your body's for less coverage and prepare your sensory organs for quality entertainment.

With Coachella going on this weekend, the Summer Festival Season is already starting.  Hipsters and music lovers are all preparing for their festival(s) of choice.  I'm looking forward to attending Lollapalooza in August, but there's a lot of time between now and then. 

I watched sets by Jake Bugg and Stars at Coachella on Youtube yesterday.  I was very impressed by Jake Bugg.  I'd been hearing about him for awhile, but wrote him off for whatever reason and didn't actually check him out.  I'm disappointed I did this.  He looks like a normal, young dude (he's 19).  I guess I assumed he was like one of those kids that get played on Disney Radio or something, but he's not.  He's a British kid who grew up with musical parents and has a throwback rock sound similar to the Rolling Stones and lists influences like Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash and the Everly Brothers. Check out "Lightning Bolt".

Other music I've been into a lot lately (and looking forward to see at Lollapalooza) are Haim, Shovels and Rope, Charles Bradley and Frightened Rabbit.  Shovels and Rope I discovered after the Lolla list and then found out they were in the line-up.  They're a very good folk/country duo formed made up of a married couple who switch instruments and just seem to enjoy themselves a lot. Check out "Birmingham".

Haim is a band I've been pumped about since I discovered them a couple of months ago.  It's like Paul Simon had 3 daughters and raised them on Fleetwood Mac.  I urge you to check them out, so enjoyable. Check out "Forever".

Charles Bradley is the "Screaming Eagle of Soul".  He was born in 1948, so he's seen his share of life.  And from his music you can tell he's felt his share of struggle.  He's been taking off recently, and it's no surprise with how the American economy has been the past few years.  There is so much emotion and soul in his voice, anyone can feel the pain and relate to the struggle he sings about.  Check out "No Time For Dreaming" and "It's So Hard".

I've been a huge fan of Frightened Rabbit for years and am super excited about finally getting a chance to see them.  They're a Scottish indie-rock band that may not appeal to the masses, but they appeal very strongly to me.  Check out "The Twist" and "Swim Until You Can't See Land".

Feel free to let me know about any music you're currently jamming or looking forward to seeing.  I'm always looking for new music of all kinds to listen to.

Stay Fresh,
KK

Kentucky Knife Fight - Donnie's Homespun - Springfield, IL

I went to a show last night in Springfield, IL.  It was a band I've seen a few times before, Kentucky Knife Fight.  The show had 2 openers I'd never seen before (The Maintenance Men, Brandon Carnes) at a venue I'd never been to before.

The venue was Donnie's Homespun.  The Springfield location opened in the Fall of 2012.  It was a cool venue; restaurant by day, music club by night (I had dinner before the show, a chicken philly, very tasty).  The restaurant and bar was upstairs in a balcony setting overlooking the lower level which featured the stage and another bar.  I recommend checking it out for anyone in the Springfield area.

The first act, The Maintenance Men were enjoyable.  A two piece band consisting of a drummer and a singer/guitarist.  They had a good sound with rock and blues influences.  I couldn't find any information online, you may be able to.

The second act was Brandon Carnes.  An acoustic singer/songwriter from Springfield.  To me, he sounded a few years out of date.  I personally didn't enjoy his set, but that's not to say you won't.  I did find some dated sites online for him, such as profiles on Myspace and Reverbnation that looked like they hadn't been updated.  Perhaps most of his songs were from a few years ago, which could explain their sounding dated.

The headliner was Kentucky Knife Fight.  I've seen them multiple times in the past.  They were my "college band".  I attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.  Kentucky Knife Fight played the end of every semester at The Stagger Inn along with various other shows in the St. Louis/Edwardsville area.  They always put on a good show with their rockabilly sound.  They won the Riverfront Times Award for Best Rock Band in St. Louis in 2011 and 2012, and have been touring a bit the last couple of years.  I recommend their show for anyone who likes rockabilly, southern rock, or just rock and roll.  They played some new material I hadn't heard before, including "Love the Lonely" (which they currently have a video for, and said would be on an album in March) along with standards like "Wild Irish Rose" and "Herschel Walker".  "Love the Lonely" fits right in with those and I'm sure will become a standard at their shows.  The new songs were very strong and showed that they've grown as a band and musicians.

I had a good time at the show and plan to attend more shows at Donnie's Homespun in the future, and I'm sure I'll be seeing Kentucky Knife Fight again.

www.donnieshomespun.com/

http://kentuckyknifefight.net/

Remembering 9/11

On September 11, 2001, I was at school when the first plane hit.

I was waiting in the sophomore hallway at my high school before classes began.  One friend walked in and said "Someone just flew a plane into the World Trade Center." and another friend asked "Like, they opened the windows or something?" and we all laughed, not knowing exactly what was going on yet.

As classes started, it was realized things were serious.  The other tower was hit, and the Pentagon, and there was another plane somewhere, and who knew what else.  I was in an art class first period, and ended up watching news coverage in the library right across the hall.

When second period came around, I went to Chemistry, where we still had class.  My teacher said "everyone's going to forget about this in 2 weeks, anyway".  He was/is a very wise man, but I think he was wrong about that.  Either that, or he just wanted to get through the lesson and not fall behind.

As a 15 year old kid, I probably didn't take it as seriously as I should have.  Singing "It's The End of The World As We Know It" in the halls, but it really was.  Things changed that day, for better or worse.  People were being more patriotic and more alert.  Everyone was scared of similar things happening, even in small communities like mine. 

As the day went on, you could tell things were weird.  When I finally got home, after waiting in line for gas with my older brother (word on the street was prices were going to rocket), the third WTC building fell, which I still think is really weird since it got hit by nothing.  They say underground tunnels are the reason, or something like that. 

I'm still affected by 9/11 today.  It introduced me to one of my favorite musical artists.  Ryan Adams shot a video for his single "New York, New York" just 4 days before the attack.  When the video was completed, I remember it being played on CNN, at least a clip, which led to me checking it out and enjoying it and he has become one of my favorite artists over the years.

I also can't help but think of the attack whenever I see images of the Twin Towers or the Pentagon.  The scene in Home Alone 2, when Kevin is on top of the WTC is still a bit chilling.

Looking back, that day really was the end of the world as we knew it.  The people of the United States have gotten either more or less patriotic, it's hard to tell sometimes.  We grew together for awhile, and seem to be getting more divided nowadays, being election season and all.  I hope you all remember in your own way and try to do good in the world, because September 11 reminds us that there is plenty of evil.

Inspiration: A review of Safety Not Guaranteed

Yesterday, I saw Safety Not Guaranteed.  It was a great movie.  It's about a girl (Aubrey Plaza), who is an intern at a magazine.  She gets picked to help an overconfident writer (Jake M. Johnson) work on a story about an article he sees in the classified section of a neighboring town.  The article is a man looking for a partner to travel back in time with him. 

The film ends up being about relationships with people.  How first impressions aren't always correct, how things don't work out sometimes, and sometimes they do work out when they were never expected to. 

The movie was great in the way that it was inspiring.  It was made by the Duplass Brothers, who also made Cyrus and Jeff, Who Lives At Home.  Safety Not Guaranteed made me feel like doing things, not traveling time or anything, but it gives that anything is possible feeling.  That kind of feeling that tells you to go for whatever you had in mind.  It made me want to write, play music, chase dreams and to be happy, and live without regrets.

I have not been in a lull or anything, but I feel this movie would be great for somebody who is.

Progress.

I've come a long way.  I've been working my ass off and making great progress.  I am proud of myself.

I had some setbacks this week.  My wrist was sore from lifting so I took some time off from it, I also tweaked my knee, so no running.  I did a little time on the bike the other day, that's about it.  I don't think this break is going to hurt, it may actually help.  Not being able to work out has been kind of hard; I've been wanting to, but know its better not to.

These setbacks won't be stopping me or slowing me down.  I plan on easing back into it starting in the morning, and pushing until I can go full steam again.  Nothing can hold me back. 


 

It's July!

I'm getting ready to go work out, listening to this new album Summer of Steve by Donald Glover's (Childish Gambino) little brother, Steve G. Lover III.  It's a decent album, It's got a great track called "Make Em Mad" featuring Childish Gambino.  The album as a hole is decent, its free online, if you want it you can find it.  I'm looking forward to seeing Gambino at Lollapalooza.  Steve joined him at Bonnaroo, as well as Heems from Das Racist.  If I'm lucky, they'll show up at Lolla, too.

Ted was a great movie.  Funny flick about friendship and growing up and having to let your friends grow, but keep your meaningful ties, because without them, you aren't yourself. 

I went to a show last night in St. Louis at the Gramophone.  My first time at that place, I liked it.  Nice little bar with a good setup for the stage (outside of one inconveniently placed pillar).  The Forecast were the headliners, and it was good to see them again.  They put on a good show, as usual.  The other bands were definitely worth checking out, too.  One even covered "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" which was awesome.

Anyway, time to hit the gym in a few.
Stay fresh kids.

Summertime.

It's officially Summer now, my favorite season of the year.  Mine isn't looking to be very special, but I'll enjoy it nonetheless.  I finally got to see Jeff, Who Lives At Home this week, since it came out on DVD/BluRay.  I didn't get a chance to see it in theaters as I live in the Midwest and am a busy man.  The movie was very enjoyable as I wanted it to be.  If you don't know anything about it, it was made by the Duplass brothers who made Cyrus with Jonah Hill and John C. Reilly.  One of brothers is also starring in this summer's Safety Not Guaranteed which I'm looking forward to seeing.

Jeff, Who Lives at Home stars Jason Segel and Ed Helms as brothers who have nothing in common.  Segel plays Jeff, who has no job and still lives with his mom and believes in fate and following the signs life sends you to get where you're supposed to be.  Ed Helms' character thinks he has it all together with his job and wife and his new Porsche.  It turns out neither of them quite have it all together.  It was a highly enjoyable film about different kind of people and learning to work together and respect each other.  The movies also features Susan Surandon as the mother of the two, and how she deals with getting older and her sons growing up and not being the perfect lovable tikes they were when they were younger.






I also recently saw the movie Goon, which was written by Jay Baruchel (Knocked Up, She's Out of My League).  It was a delightful movie about hockey.  I'm not a huge hockey fan, as my favorite sport is basketball and I'm usually following the NBA while the NHL season is happening.  The movie centers around a guy, Doug (played by Sean Willam Scott (American Pie, Role Models)), who is a bouncer, goes to a hockey game with his friend and ends up fighting a player who charges into the crowd after some trash talking from his friend (Baruchel).  After the fight, he's contacted by a minor league hockey team and gets added to the team as an enforcer even though he doesn't know how to skate or anything.  His parents don't approve of what he's doing, and there's a glimpse into the future of what he could become in a character played by Liev Shreiber. It's a good movie with good humor and a little heart.

So Happy Christmas.

I haven't blogged in awhile and I felt like writing, so here we go.

The NBA is back!
I'm very excited about this, but I know not everyone who may be reading this is.  I won't talk much about it here as I will be starting a new and solely NBA inspired blog soon.

It's the holiday season, and I'm very in the mood.  As an adult, I never really got into the Christmas spirit until the last couple of years, and now I thoroughly enjoy it.  I finished my shopping early this year and just finished wrapping all of the gifts whilst watching Hoosiers (I'm thinking of making this an annual tradition.)

I'm working quite a bit lately, I've been super busy between the two jobs.  With the NBA starting back up, I am also working more.

I recently got to the cinema to see The Sitter.  I enjoyed it a lot.  It wasn't groundbreaking, but a solid film with good humor.  I plan on purchasing it when it comes out on bluray.





It's been a bit, but I also saw A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas.  It was a fun movie, if you enjoyed the other 2, this one shouldn't disappoint.  It features Danny Trejo as Harold's disapproving father-in-law, an underage party, drugs and a baby.

Anyway, that's all for now.  Stay posted about my NBA blog.  Merry Christmas to all.

Stay fresh and Keep Calm,
KK

So I was informed last night that there is a live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot in the works.  I was excited, then i read rumors that Michael Bay was involved.  My excitement dropped off significantly.  They also originally had the writers of Iron Man 2 writing it, then decided to get some dudes who write a crappy TV show and Mission Impossible 4 instead.  My excitement dropped more.

The NBA Lockout is still going on.  The meeting tonight (currently in progress, over 10 hours) is supposedly going positively, but I've lost hope and am not all that interested since the media gets fans hopes up, then cuts them down.  I'll be pleasantly surprised if they have any form of a season, if not I'll find other things to do with my time.

I went to Chicago for Halloween, it was a very fun time.  I saw friends I don't see nearly enough, went to a Blackhawks game on Halloween night, people in costumes at hockey games are a good time (One of my favorites was a Care Bear with the Blackhawks logo on its tummy).  If you're wondering, I dressed as The Macho Man Randy Savage.  Chicago has been a great time every time I've been there.  I'm hoping to relocate there this Spring.

Childish Gambino's CAMP comes out Tuesday!

The Nuggets have seen 3 of their free agents sign in China, which means they can't come back to the NBA until that season is over (which will be toward the end of the NBA season) even if the lockout is lifted, and multiple other players are playing overseas with out clauses, which means they can return if the lockout is lifted.  

I'm in favor or players going over and playing, expanding their game and learning to play different ways, and strengthening parts of their games that may be weak.  Of the 3 players from the Nuggets who signed in China, at least 2 of them weren't expected to sign again anyway, and the other I believe can be replaced.  

Even if Nene leaves, as he suggested testing free agency and chasing a ring in and interview, I think they'll be okay.

As it stands right now, the Nuggets don't have enough guys to man a roster, but I think they can be fine if the lockout is lifted.  They have a strong front court with Ty Lawson and Arron Afflalo (currently a free agent who has shown interest in staying), then you throw in Gallinari and the two seven-footers (Timofey Mozgov and Kosta Koufos), the promising Kenneth Faried and the scorer Jordan Hamilton who dropped to them in the draft and you have a young core with promise to build together and play as a team.  They also have Gary Forbes who is a free agent, and has shown interest in staying.  He wasn't the greatest last year, but showed glimpses of high quality, and has shown he can play in multiple pickup and street games featuring other NBA players this summer.  He's young and could turn out to be an asset.

I understand the concerns about the go-to guy who can take over a game when needed.  I also think some of the Nuggets players could step up to be that guy (Afflalo and Gallinari come to mind, possibly Nene if he signs, maybe even Jordan Hamilton).  If not, I think they have a solid core to drop a special player into.  The Nuggets payroll is low now, with Carmelo and Chauncey now in New York, so they could pick someone up or possibly make a trade.  

If they can run with this team state of mind they've started, maybe they can make some noise with undervalued guys.  I'm personally excited about the team.  Maybe I'm just a fan with rose colored glasses, but I like to think they've got a chance to build something great out of what they have.  These guys are young and can grow together.

I have faith in Masai Ujiri and Josh Kroenke.  I think they know what their doing.  At least, it seems like they do.

NBA Lockout: Still Going...

The NBA lockout has already taken away the preseason, the first two weeks of the regular season and sent numerous players overseas.  I really wish it would end, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

I believe both sides deserve their fair share.  The players bring the talent that brings in the money.  They also deal with being in the public eye, taking the blame when things go wrong and the credit when it goes right.  Most, if not all, of the scrutiny lies on players.  That being said, the owners provide the outlet and make the deals to bring in the money that the players' talent attracts.  Both sides deserve their share.

I know I probably don't know the whole story, but I've been following what I can throughout the lockout.  From what I've taken, the players have shown willingness to negotiate, they've given in areas.  The owners have not from what I've seen/read/heard.  Both sides must show willingness to compromise for this to work.

I'm trying to stay in the middle, but maybe I am leaning toward the players' side.  Many of the owners have made horrible decisions and now are looking for ways to get out of dealing with it when they make more.  If more owners took a genuine love in their team and the game, maybe it wouldn't be so hard.  It's usually pretty obvious which owners are interested in winning for love of the game, and not just in making money.  

After all the buzz created last year that aided in getting the fan base back up, and getting more revenue, it's terrible that this is happening now to set the Association back instead of building on it.  

I don't know what kind of deal needs to be made.  All I know is I'm a fan missing out on the highest level of my favorite sport because people can't figure out how to divide their money.  I'm sure there's more to it than I realize, but I'd really like to see some NBA basketball and see the next chapter in its story.  

Winter is Coming.

It's been getting colder outdoors, and I've come to peace with it.

I've been finding enough things to pass the time with, here's some things I've recently heard, seen, experienced and some things I'm looking forward to that I think anyone I know should take note of.

MOVIES (In Theaters): I've seen Moneyball twice now, it's a great movie.  I think anyone would enjoy this movie.  Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill star in it, it's about the business side of baseball.  It's the story of the 2002 (correct me if I'm wrong on that) Oakland Athletics and their small bankroll competing with teams spending WAY more money than they did.  It doesn't focus so much on baseball as the business.  It also has a good enough and broad enough story to appeal to anyone, in my opinion, so check it out.





I also just saw 50/50 last night.  It's the story of a 27-year-old guy getting cancer, and how he deals with it with some humor.  It's funny, emotional and well done.  It was loosely based on the writers actual experiences.  Seth Rogen was a friend of the writer (they worked together on The Ali G Show) and produced it and played his friend in the movie.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt took the lead role.  It also featured Anna Kendrick (Up In The Air) and Angelica Huston (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou) as his grief counselor and mother.  Bryce Dallas Howard is also in it, I hadn't seen her in anything expect Spider-man 3; she's more attractive as a redhead.  The acting was great, the story was great.  Solid film.  It is sad and emotional, but also funny and enjoyable.  I recommend this one, too.  There is a lot of adult language and sexual reference, it's rated R, so not for the whole family, though.






MOVIES [and a TV Show] (On DVD/Blu-Ray):  I wrote a blog about The Beaver with Mel Gibson.  Go read it if you want to know more about it.  I bought it on Blu-Ray.  I love this movie.

Almost Famous: The Bootleg Cut will be released on Blu-Ray on October 4.  It's a great movie, I haven't seen the bootleg version, but plan on owning this eventually.  I own the DVD of the original version, so I'm not in a super hurry for it, but I do want it.  The Bootleg Cut was previously released on DVD, and still goes for just under $50.

Community: Season 2 was recently released, as well.  It's great, my favorite show on television.

MUSIC:  If you haven't heard Watch The Throne by Kanye West and Jay-Z, I urge you to.  It's a great album by two of the biggest names in music.  Great all the way through.

Childish Gambino's new album, Camp, will be released on November 15.  It was originally supposed to come out at the end of September, but he got put on a label (Glassnote, the same label as Mumford & Sons and Phoenix) so it got pushed back so they could do their stuff to it.  The first single "Bonfire" is out and it's awesome.



Cole World by J. Cole just came out.  I haven't listened to it yet, but he's a great up and coming rapper, so if you're into it, check him out.

The next album I will for sure be purchasing will be Ryan Adams' Ashes And Fire, which is steaming at NPR.com (http://www.npr.org/2011/09/25/140640429/first-listen-ryan-adams-ashes-and-fire).

Also, She & Him are putting out a Christmas Album, which I will probably buy, I'll have to give it a listen first, though.  Great band featuring M. Ward and actress Zooey Deschanel, if you've never heard of them.

RANDOM:  Someone finally made a mask of Sloth, from the Goonies.  This is something I've wanted for years, and plan on buying one eventually, but I don't want to drop sixty bones on it right now.  Here's a link if you want to check it out.  http://www.80stees.com/products/Goonies-Sloth-Mask.asp

My Halloween costume has been chosen.  The Macho Man Randy Savage! Oh Yeah!

Oh...and for all the 90s VH1 Fans....

POP UP VIDEO IS RETURNING, SUCKAS!

Stay Fresh and Keep Calm,
KK

We're All In This Together.

I support Lady Gaga more than most people would expect of me, but I'm not sure what she's doing calling for a meeting with the President over bullying.  I understand its a problem because kids are killing themselves, but there's a lot going on right now, and I don't see it becoming a top tier topic right now.  Although, she did hold the press conference on Don't Ask Don't Tell, and its over now.  So maybe I'm wrong here.  Maybe she has more political power than I think.

"Bullying" has been a buzzword in the media for the past year, at least, maybe longer.  It has been around forever, though.  I'm not sure if its just becoming more popular due to media coverage or if kids are assholes more now or what.  It seems we hear about more kids who would prefer to die rather than put up with it until they can get away from the situation.

It Gets Better is a project to tell kids that things will get better, that no matter how bad things are now, they will improve.  If nothing else, they will have more important things to worry about.  I think this project is good and will hopefully influence young people who are miserable into not killing themselves or cutting or whatever they (plan to) do to themselves.

Lady Gaga has called to make bullying illegal.  This seems like a hard thing to do.  Some of it could definitely be prevented and and lessened, but some of it will happen anyway.  The Nation is dealing with a lot of different things right now, and while i'm in favor of preventing bullying, I also believe there are better ways to go about this without the government right now.

We as people, should start keeping an eye out for signs.  Parents and teachers could pay more attention.  I'm sure many do a fine job, but I'm also sure there are some slacking off and even probably just letting things happen because they don't want to deal with it.  We can all show a little compassion for our fellow man and be better role models for those who look up to us.  Whether we want to be or not, we're all role models.  There is someone who looks up to us and we affect them in one way or another.  We should show younger people to embrace differences and learn from each other instead of pushing others away and holding them down.  "I get by with a little help from my friends" is what the Beatles said.  We could all use some help from time to time, so we should be there for each other and not just expect people to be there for us when we need it.

All bullying does is push others away.  It should be stopped, but I feel our elected officials can deal with some other things right now.  Don't let your kids be assholes.  Help them to understand that we're all in this together.

And if you're being bullied, keep your head up.  Things will get better and you'll have more important things to worry about.  Just be yourself and try find ways to better your situation.  I understand involving adults may not always work and it may just complicate things, but tell someone about it.  Talking to others can help.  You may find someone going through similar experiences with some good advice.  We're all different so embrace it.


Stay fresh and Keep Calm,
KK

The Beaver with Mel Gibson.

Many of you who know me know I enjoy weird movies.  My favorites are movies with strange stories, most likely some mental illness, with comedy mixed in.  Laughing during bad times is something we should all be able to do.  If you take yourself too seriously you'll never be happy.  Movies like The Weather Man and Lars and the Real Girl.  I have a new film to add to this list of beautifully crazy movies.  The Beaver starring Mel Gibson, Anton Yelchin (Star Trek and Charlie Bartlett) and Jodie Foster (who also directed).

The movie is about a man (Gibson) who is depressed and burnt out on his life.  He came to his job by being his fathers son; a job he was under-qualified for and overwhelmed by.  He stops talking to anyone, and tries to kill himself, but then starts communicating to the world through a beaver puppet that he never takes off his hand, not even to shower.

This film has a great story, great acting and was well put together.  This was meant to be Mel Gibson's comeback after the drama with his ex (leaked phone messages, a battery lawsuit, etc) and alcohol ("sugar***s", rants against Jews).  It didn't work out, as no one saw the movie.  It didn't play in many theaters, and didn't make much money in the few it was in.

Anton Yelchin has quickly become one of my favorite actors.  I loved Charlie Bartlett and this movie is another amazing one.  His only big blockbuster so far was Star Trek but I urge you to check out some of his other work.

It's one of those movies, like The Weather Man and Lars and the Real Girl, that teach us that life isn't perfect, and we all have to deal with our share of things in life.  Some people probably don't like these movies.  They may even think these movies make people depressed.  This may be true for some, but these movies invigorate me.  I feel they teach us about life and a little of how to deal with it.  They teach us to be there for one another and to respect each other.  They have heart, humor and are realistic and artistic.

I know I have weird taste in things.  All of you may not feel the same about this type of film.  I hope you at least check them out, though.

Stay fresh and keep calm.






Also, if you haven't seen these, check them out.

"I Can't Do One Thing, I'm Just Too Good."

In these times, some of us find ourselves waiting for everything to fall into place while we try our damnedest to make them.  We went to college and pursued our interests in the hope of making a living at them only to be released into the worst job market of our lifetime. This job market, as the years pass, seems to get more crowded with the new batch of graduates every semester.  Some drop their heads and hope for something to happen, others of us keep our heads high and smile in the face of the high school dropouts who started careers and are now living much more comfortably than we are.  

Is it a surprise our generation drinks cheap beer and isn't willing to drop 40-bones to watch one band play a few football fields away?  We were taught the value of the dollar and we learned that we aren't getting where we planned.  That's why we sip our PBR and prefer our entertainment to be on a large scale with general admission.  It's why we shop at thrift stores and it’s why we destroyed the music industry which is being reinvented on our terms.  

Every generation has been affected by the economic state it was brought up in, and by the economic state it comes to fruition in.  Notice the age of most of the people on Hoarders; they're older people who grew up during or in the aftermath of the Great Depression.  They didn't have anything growing up, so they keep everything they get.  This was also a time when many successful businesses and franchises were started.  People from the 80s, the decade of excess, worked their way to the top and got every ridiculous thing they could and threw it away as soon as they found something new.  The 90s had the internet's rapid growth with its share of both successes and failures.  Now, we're in the state we're in, the Great Recession as they call it, where it seems no one has money except the people who already had it.  

We were brought up by a generation of hardworking people who took pride in their work.  They instilled this in us, and told us repeatedly the importance of education and urged us to follow our passion to find our careers.  We followed our passions right into this recession. 

We still follow our passions, but we do it on our own time.

The positives show through the negatives if you look for the light.  We're learning lessons; lessons that have been learned before and are sure to be learned again.  We keep our heads high and keep trying for success, because failure only comes to fruition when we stop trying. 

We're finding our way.  We make mistakes, just like those before us did.  We're educated, but we don't have jobs to use our education on, so we use it on our hobbies and in our free time.  This is why it seems everyone is drawn to the arts.  We can't find the money to use our joy on materials, like the generation before; so we use our joys on expression, as the philosophers told us to.

Our generation seems to be learning how to get cheap thrills with cheap beers and entertainment, and making the most of what we have.  The newspaper, music and television industries have struggled greatly and have been forced to reinvent themselves (which they're still in the process of), because we realized we can get all of that content on the internet and don't need to waste time, energy and money on going around to find it all.  

Don't question it, we'll figure it out.  We're enjoying the journey, like you told us to.

Why Charles Barkley Was A Good Role Model.

Growing up, I was a big NBA basketball fan.  While my brother was a huge Michael Jordan fan (like everyone else in the world), I was idolizing Charles Barkley.  He did not want to be a role model and proclaimed that he wasn't, but to me he was.  I know my mother agreed with him in thinking that he shouldn't be.  She seemed disgusted at his outspoken and scandalous behavior.

Many comparisons have been made and Jordan is known as the greatest ever, I personally don't believe that anyone deserves that moniker because so many things go into it and it is objective (I am not looking to get into this argument here).  Charles Barkley had no championships, he also did not have the coaching and as strong of a roster around him in his prime.  He was drafted to the Philadelphia 76ers in 1984, a year after they won a championship (the beat the Lakers!).  In the 1992-93 season, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns, where he would play his best years, before going to the Houston Rockets to join Hakeem Olajuwan and Clyde Drexler and to try to win a championship in his latter years before retiring before planned in 2000 at the age of 36, after rupturing a quadricep.  Barkley was an undersized post man who made a bigger impact on the game than most in his era with hard work, honesty and passion.

Sir Charles began his career on a championship team.  He was not a leader of the team, but he learned from the veteran leaders.  Something we should all do, learn from those who have come before.  While playing with Dr. J surely benefited him, he obviously took the most from Moses Malone.  Moses Malone was a fellow post player, who prided himself on rebounding was a great mentor for "The Round Mound of Rebound" to have show him the way.  He taught him to work hard and prepare for games, the seasons and the life of a professional athlete.

By 1988, Malone and Erving were both gone (trade and retirement), and Barkley was the team leader.  Doing all he could with the limited resources the 76ers management gave him, he relocated via trade to Pheonix.  When you try and try and things aren't working, change something.  This obviously helped, as he was the league MVP that season and led the Suns to the Finals to an eventual six-game loss to Michael Jordan's Bulls.


"Just because I can dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids." - Charles Barkley

I AM NOT A ROLE MODEL.  This was a popular Nike ad campaign designed around Sir Charles in the 90s.  He didn't want to be one, but he was.  I'm sure there were other kids around the country and the world looking up to him besides me.  I mean, he WAS one of the most popular players in the league and he was a polarizing personality.  He was honest about his thoughts and feelings and didn't sugarcoat anything for the public.  He owned up to things he did, and did not make excuses for his mistakes.  He took the credit for his faults as well as his achievements.  He was passionate and competitive and often had skirmishes with players during games.  Afterwards he was not afraid to say what he thought about it, rather than playing to the media as most did.  He always left these grudges on the court, though.

He learned from his mistakes.  Once, during a close game in 1991 he became agitated by a heckling fan and turned to spit on him, and ended up hitting a little girl.  He apologized to the girl and became friends with her family and provided them with tickets to games.  He also served a suspension and paid a fine for the incident.  He learned from this.  Here's a quote from around when he retired.

"I was fairly controversial, I guess, but I regret only one thing—the spitting incident. But you know what? It taught me a valuable lesson. It taught me that I was getting way too intense during the game. It let me know I wanted to win way too bad. I had to calm down. I wanted to win at all costs. Instead of playing the game the right way and respecting the game, I only thought about winning."


Charles got in many fights through his career.  He threw a guy through a window, he jawed refs, he played rough and took some cheap shots, but he was always standing up for what he believed.  He stood by his opinions and fought for them.  


Barkley never won a championship, but in later years of his career he chased his dream, joining Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler and the rest of the Houston Rockets to try to achieve his goal.  You should always try for what you want, don't leave yourself wondering what if.  Though he did not succeed, he tried.

For the best years and majority of his career, he was competing with Michael Jordan.  The two are widely known as being good friends.  They had a healthy competition between them, which is important.  Competing with our friends is always important.  It does sometimes get out of hand.  We've all had times when a pickup game at the park, a board game or even a game of Halo got out of hand and we lost our tempers.  Competition brings out our adrenaline and testosterone and things get heated.  This is why we should surround ourselves with good people.  Our friends understand and don't hold these things against us.

I could go on, but I feel this is enough for now.  Charles Barkley taught me a lot about life through his achievements and downfalls.  He was a league MVP, an 11-time All Star, and All Star Game MVP, SEC Player of the Year and named one of the 50 Greatest Players of All Time in the NBA.  He taught me roads to take, and roads to avoid.  He taught me to be passionate about what I do, to voice my opinion on things, hard work and to stand up for what I believe.  I am glad I went through life looking up to him.


I am a better man for having Charles Barkley as a role model......because he could dunk a basketball.


[I used Wikipedia to get some of the details like years and stats right, because as a kid, I didn't pay really pay attention to that stuff.]

Here are some of the gems from Youtube, there are more if you feel like checking them out.












^Start that one at 1:44

"Hey, I'll Decide who sucks around here."

Maybe I'm just nostalgic, but it seems that in the 90s they made a lot of family sports movies that appealed to the whole family.  Re-watching some of these movies as an adult, I've noticed there are quite a few jokes I didn't get as a kid (I.E. there's a goat raping joke in The Air Up There [1994] with Kevin Bacon ).  Perhaps, part of this is due to the MPAA taking a stronger stance on things.

The family friendly stories of films like The Mighty Ducks movies, The Big Green, Little Giants, The Air Up There, Rookie of the Year, Little Big League, The Sandlot and all of the others that came out in this era were enjoyable for the whole family.  The filmmakers worked in jokes for the adults and used jokes for the children that the parents and older kids could enjoy, as well.  From the Little Giants "When she's hot to trot, she's still gotta squat" or Coach Bombay saying "I'm sure this will be a real bonding experience.  One day, maybe one of you will write a book about it in jail."  Another example is when the kids in The Sandlot share a bag of Redman chewing tobacco before riding carnival rides, and they all throw up.  This is taboo, but it also teaches them drugs have consequences. These jokes seem taboo to kids because they deal with adult situations and things, depending on their age and knowledge, they may or may not know about, but do not cross any boundaries or hard topics that can't be easily explained to kids.  And the parents are still entertained because the jokes and story are actually enjoyable to them, too.

These films also often incorporated words like "shit" and "damn" which a lot of kids know, and know they shouldn't say.  They're known as bad words, words that adults use sometimes, but as kids you are not supposed to say them or you get punished.  This adds to the taboo which makes the kids more interested, and keeps it more realistic for the adults.

They did all of this and incorporated morals and lessons for the kids to learn, and for the adults to relearn. 

In the 2000s, it seemed sports movies got overly serious, like Coach Carter and Friday Night Lights that dealt with adult situations a lot of kids aren't old enough to comprehend.  There are also movies like Disney's The Rookie and Meet The Titans that feature a more mature view, mixed in with a touch of comedy and its all appropriate for the whole family.  These movies didn't seem as fun, though, because they addressed things from the adult point of view, which kids can't completely relate to.  

We can all relate to the kids point of view to things, we were all there before.  We've all had the experiences of being a kid, trying to overcome something we're too small and not trained enough to overcome, the impossible.

Maybe I just haven't seen any of the quality family sports movies in recent years, or maybe they have, indeed, just stopped making these types.  I would place at least part of the blame on the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America), the organization who controls the rating system for movies, for the lack.  They've put stricter restrictions on things, drawing a thicker line between adult movies and children's movies and making less of a grey area.

I could just be being nostalgic, but I'd like to see some new movies like these.

If you have any movies you'd like to suggest to me, to prove me wrong, or just clips from these types of movies you'd like to share because you enjoy them, feel free in the comments section.

[I have noticed the type of humor is coming back with movies like The Diary of a Wimpy Kid films, but I have not seen sports movies like this]

I wasn't sure where this was going or where it went, but it went where it needed to.

In 2005, I discovered a band called Lucero.  They were featured on a compilation album I purchased on a whim and have loved ever since (Atticus: Dragging the Lake, Vol. 3).  This album introduced me to a few new bands, and some new songs by bands I already loved, track six was one that stayed with me.  The song was "Bikeriders" by Lucero.  The raspy voice, the mixture of genres choosing none in particular, the words...this song was one I wished I had already known, but also wished I could hear it for a first time again.

I looked more into this band and could not find (and still have not found) a song of theirs that I didn't like.  The more and more I heard from them, the more and more I liked them.  Looking back I can tell that they fuse more of my life than I'd like to acknowledge.  In my teen years I denied the country music I was exposed to as a child through my parents preferred radio stations.  I see now that there are parts of this music that have stuck with me, the parts that Lucero and artists like Ryan Adams and Ben Kweller take from it, and add to rock, punk and whatever else influences them at the time of writing.

I choose not to have a favorite band or artist.  I am open to any kind of music, but do have strong opinions sometimes. I'm not very fond of country music, although some of it I can stand, but prefer to avoid.  I think the reason is that it lacks the dirt, grit, honesty and pain that it has held in past generations.  Now it seems that country songs are written with things you expect to hear, then have a sheen applied to them.  It's strange to think now that country music used to be for the rebellious kids.

I am drawn to musical artists who don't reside in genres.  They bend and break them and make something more original.  They keep the heart, honesty and emotions in them.  I enjoy hearing the crack in a voice ridden with pain.  Music brings about a wide array of emotion in us, whether it puts us in someone else's shoes, or shows us someone else has been in ours.  Sometimes it cheers us up and gives us energy, sometimes it comforts us.

If I were to list my favorite artists right now, they would be all over the place because of my eclectic tastes.  The thing that would be constant in most of them are the pain and honesty, whether sad or happy.  The painful experiences we have make us stronger and build character; sometimes they make us better though they don't seem like it at the time.

We've all felt some pain in life, and sometimes it leads to great things like music, literature and art.  A lot of artists seem to lose their edge when they get out of their funk; Ben Nichols seemed to keep his somehow with the latest Lucero album (it's been out since 2009).

I am in one of the positive points in my life right now, and I don't plan on it ending.

Strive for better.  Enjoy the journey.

"He not busy living is busy dying." - Bob Dylan