Short Post

I've been in New Mexico the past week, so there have been no updates (plus an unplanned night in denver thanks to idiotic airline policy). I plan on talking about what I did later. Just not now. I wanna get photos developed first.

This is a cool article about teaching binary to elementary school kids via the socratic method. They seemed to get it faster then most of my classmates when I learned it in high school. The method is a great way to teach, but it must be a bitch planning each lesson.

-Brandon

Uncle Todd never wanted to talk about the war. I'd ask him all the time to tell me about it, but he wouldn't ever talk about it. So I started leaving little notes all over his house saying, "Talk about the war". Also, I'd call him up late at night and just say, "the war", and hang up. I think he cracked up and had to go away someplace. He should have talked about the war.

-Jack Handey

-Brandon

Mindless entertainment!

This is so much fun. I'd seen it before, but hadn't really played around with it.

I know Steven had an entertaining one involving the bloody death of his roommate. Unfortunatly I don't know if it is still there, or have a link if it is.
Keep in mind when looking at these that I have no artistic talent, plus I'm drawing these on a touchpad mouse.

My first attempt fell somewhat flat. But I like using a paint bucket for blood splatters

But here I made a move into abstract surrealism with a piece entitled "Fuck if I know."

And my awesome big star of terrible thoughts and ideas. I like that I seem to think that respecting U2 or the Rolling Stones is as bad as killing your parents.

-Brandon

Once again Violet sent me comedy gold by showing me sexisforfags.com.

I understand that abstaining from sex protects me from:

The regret and guilt caused by the disgusting, squishy act of stupid sex, which is basically like going to the toilet from the front side.

Making retard babies out of wedlock, then having to blow my whole allowance on diapers and a stroller instead of XBox games and Snickers.

Catching a brain-rotting STD like "Finger Herpes" from "feeling up" any nasty dirty girlie holes.

Brilliant. What would I do without the internet?

-Brandon

I went and saw a play written by a Cedar Rapids local today at Theatre Cedar Rapids. It was Revolution:1963-1973. The first act was awesome. It focused on the politics and historic highlights of the era. It was typical stuff the media focuses on when they look at that time frame: Kennedy's assassination, Vietnam, Civil Rights. They covered it in a series of little sketches accompanied by three screens with images and photography of the time. It was very well acted and well written. Throughout was various music from the time played by a band sitting behind the screen. The second act, was not so good. The band moved to the front and played covers of popular music while the cast sang. There were some short sketches between the songs that served to glorify the increase of drug abuse and decrease of intelligence in the counterculture movement, rather then condemn it for the travesty that led to the conservative 80's. Essentially, it was a coverband playing late 60's early 70's music interspersed with some sketches containing bad drug jokes and pop culture reference.

violet sent me here. What a wonderful representation why people don't take protests seriously. I honestly agree with everything this commentator says. I especially like his commentary on the Che Guevara backpack alongside the "War is Murder" pin.

It's sad but I don't think there can really be a successful liberal (or is it progressive now?) movement until something drastically inconveniences the masses. Like a draft for an unpopular war (like Vietnam) or massive civil rights violations that negatively effect a large percentage of the populous.

-Brandon

Thank goodness we're safe!

http://www.lex18.com/Global/story.asp?S=2989614&nav=EQlpWjof
This highschooler was arrested for posting a fiction story online about zombies taking over a high school. Apparently his Grandfather found it and thought it was some sort of plans for a high school massacre. The kid is now in jail with 5000 dollar bail for posting a harmless fiction story on the internet. Thank goodness those anti-terror laws are affective, or else we might have had a real life zombie invasion on our hands.

"It didn't mention nobody who lives in Clark County, didn't mention (George Rogers Clark High School), didn't mention no principal or cops, nothing,"

Judging by his grammar, I have trouble believing the stories were worth reading, and perhaps they are so terribly written that he neglects to mention that his story is about the walking dead, but I have trouble believing this could be in any way seen as a threat.

-Brandon

Another Philip K. Dick adaptation on the way. It's aA Scanner Darkly. I think I may have read it when I went through my PKD phase in highschool, but honestly, I can't remember. His novels all start to run together in my head when I think about them. He really didn't have that many original ideas. I think thats why he appeals to hollywood. He presents twist endings that don't really require that much intelligence and in fact become surprisingly predictable once you read enough of him. The digital cartoony effect in the trailer looks pretty neat but I still probably won't see it. Keanu Reeves is in it.

I have a message to Hollywood directors, Stop putting Keanu Reeves in movies! He is an amazingly terrible actor. Putting him in a film doesn't guarentee sales. He is not the reason the Matrix made cash. Special effects are the reason the Matrix was successful and they are the only reason anyone will go to see this film.

-Brandon

Wow, the Oscars really don't apply to me

http://www.imdb.com/features/rto/2005/oscars
I browsed through the categories and saw 4 movies that I have seen out of the entire list: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Super Size Me; Collateral; and Spiderman 2.

The last two I'm surprised to even see on the list, although I can understand the sound nomination for Spiderman. I'm honestly not sure why Collateral made the list. Maybe editing makes sense, as it was a very pretty film, but other then that?

I would like to see Charlie Kaufman pick up an award for writing but since I haven't actually seen anything Eternal Sunshine is up against, I can't knowingly say he deserves it.

-Brandon

The Books are awesome

I've been listening to "Lemon of Pink" by The Books. This album is great. It's a really calming and mellow mixture of electronica and instruments. There are interspersed vocals that are more about the way the sound of the voice mixes with the music, then it is about the lyrics. Thats something I really like, too many musicians put the emphasis on voice and don't use the rest of the instruments to their full potential.

I recently read an interview with Prefuse 73 and he mentioned a planned collaboration with the Books. Sounds neat.

-Brandon

Update

Apparently the "Collage as Cultural Expression Conference" is part of a larger "Semester of Intelectual Property" which will feature speakers and debates discussing copyright law and art. In april there will be a Hip Hop week with musicians, as well as films. They'll end up showing the preview of "Copyright Criminals" that I linked before.
link

-Brandon