i choose marley

_posted in dayedayerocks | words | 29 October 2006

like the man said...

speak happiness!
sad enough without your woes.
speak of love.
sad enough without your foes.

in the middle of the night

_posted in dayedayerocks | words | 28 October 2006

on most nights, i read aloud poems and passages from plays, prose or other lovely chunks of words that make me feel... just feel... tonight i came across stephen crane's in the desert... i've never read any of his poetry... actually i cant ever recall reading any of his work, save for the red badge of courage. obviously im missing out... this, i think is lovley...

In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said: "Is it good, friend?"
"It is bitter - bitter," he answered;
"But I like it
Because it is bitter,
And because it is my heart."

i'm freaking out man...

_posted in dayedayerocks | 25 October 2006

thanks to buffi for the "come to jesus" talk this morning. last night i was so stressed out about my first documentary project and this morning was no better. i woke up, went to the kitchen to make lunch and of course the tv is on ifc when i switched it on. there's a show on about some new indy movies; the last king of scotland, a guide to recognizing your saints. Then there's a fucking doc about akira kurosawa. talk about feeling overwhelmed and unprepared for a goal that seems so far away.

so i freaked. and like buffi said, im in a young and tender place with this art they call film. and i should prepare myself for sucking. time and process coupled with my desire and ideas are on my side. being a superstar is not always possible. but when i was younger no matter what i ventured into i did well... be it computers, math, science, music, tennis or the few arts i've seriously tried my hand at.

so beyond the obvious learning experience the classroom affords, im going to have to prepare myself for, as punk rock put it, sucking hardcore. thats the only thing thats going to keep me honest and keep me learning.

well im off to suffer through my day, whilst thinking about all the editing i need to get done.

_soundcheck: ultra chicks, volume 5: chicks a gogo!

new music wednesdays

_posted in dayedayerocks | new music wednesdays | 18 October 2006

i finished shooting for my assignment for doc class and now i have to pick music for my sketch. and music i take quite seriously. growing up, there wasnt a day that music wasnt moving throughout the house. and my love of music i indeed inherited from my grandmother, so it was only natural i start playing an instrument.

when i was in the 3rd grade i joined the school band. and i use the word band loosely. it was 5 girls all playing the clarinet, save for me. i wanted to learn the flute. after a few weeks of being the only flute player, the only one who hadn't gotten the same instruction time as the 4 clarinets and the fact that playing the flute gave me a headache, i moved on the clarinet. by the end of my third week on the clarinet i knew all the scales and i as first chair. that's not really saying much when a band consists of 5 girls. but, by the time i reached junior high i was first chair clarinet, made all-state and all-city bands and loved music.

mr. chadwick was my junior high band instructor. while there he put me on to the bassoon during concert season. my grandmother was proud, but not to happy about those damned $10 reeds. cause if there was ever a child who went through reeds like i was breathing, that would be me. i remember the first time i played the bassoon, there was this deep resonating sound that vibrated in my chest, that made me instantly smile and think, ill play music for the rest of my life. that was my plan; to be a musician, to be in an orchestra. by the time i made it to high school, i once again had my original band instructor from elementary. he put me on to the saxophone and that soon moved on to the tenor and baritone saxophones. and for the next four years i played the sax during concert season and marching band. yes, i was in marching band... and i kicked some marching band ass...

i use to spend hours listening to songs i wanted to learn and being completely impressed that i could play by ear. i soon developed my own style while listening to jazz nonstop. i knew my scales like is was nobody's business and the only other extracurricular i loved more than music was tennis. and now, i play nothing. i still own my clarinet, ive never owned my own saxophone, bassoon, flute or trumpet. but i've rocked out on them. i own a guitar, but all i know are a few scales. the plan was to learn classical guitar... it still is... but the main reason for the guitar was to be a precursor to the cello. the cello, serves the same purpose as the bassoon. and it was bach's cello suites that sold me on how beautiful a voice the cello has... i once ventured into the cello suites via the bassoon after realizing they share the same voice. it was like being in love.

so now i listen to other people's amazing talent and miss those days of being the one behind the instrument. i still think at some point ill buy a student cello and give it a try. i can't think of anything else that would make a lazy sunday afternoon sweet.

so on to new music wednesdays...

ive been listening to a LOT of alan lomax. he's been a hero of mine for many many years and its nice to finally get a lot of complete cd's of his recordings. his southern exploration hits home for me... listening to old "colored men" on the prison chain gang is something to behold. another favorite of mine i came across about three years ago, the ethiopiques series. this is important because for many people, the first thing they think about when someone mentions ethiopia is starving children. but outside of the textured history, the fucking amazing food, there is a musical history that is just astounding.

alan lomax collection: the blues songbook (vols1 & 2)
alan lomax collection: prison songs (vols1 & 2)
alan lomax collection: hobart smith - blue ridge legacy
alan lomax collection: black appalachia string bands, songsters and hoedowns
alan lomax collection: black texicans balladeers and songsters of the texas frontier
ali farka toure: savane
blind boy fuller: east coast piedmont style
ethiopiques, vol. 14: negus of ethiopian sax
ethiopiques, vol. 21: ethiopian song
k'naan: the dusty foot philosopher
michael hurley: long journey
peter bjorn & john: writer's block
various artistsrio baile funk favela booty beats
sonny terry & brownie mcgee: 1958 london sessions
wilson simonal: alegria, alegria!!!

happy friday 13th

_posted in dayedayerocks | film | the world | 13 October 2006

tuesday, while walking across campus through the sculpture garden, i felt this ever so gentle swirling wind pushing at my back... it was one of those playful winds, that gently nudge you across bridges and through corridors, not the kind that push you forward abruptly and then disappear as quickly as they appeared. marina's class had just let out and it was one of those amazing classes where i leave feeling hopeful... hopeful that all the ideas and goals i have are within reach... that even if it takes time to reach said goals, its time well spent. after having one of the most unproductive summer's ive had in years, its been nice jumping back into the idea bag and getting the juices flowing... today is going to be another good day (although i woke up in a very pissy mood) because i start filming again. this is for the first assignment for the semester, but im hoping to be able to use some of the footage for my final project at the end of the year.

i forgot how completely amazing and wonderful it feels to stand behind a camera. it seems so strange to think that this could be my career. that i can, as marina puts it, do something that touches my heart, touches "the spot that you push and it hurts." being a filmmaker is an amazing thing. its like giving birth to something every time you pick up the camera, no matter how common or extraordinary the images you capture. i remember constantly thinking that maybe moving to los angeles was a mistake, how this whole filmmaking thing was a dream and should stay as such, never evolving into a reality. but damned if this wasn't probably the best decision i've ever made. two years of being away from family and friends, feeling very much a fish our of water and trying to just calm the fuck down and get a proper groove going has been a definite challenge. but something i wouldn't trade for the safety of back home.

_in other news
today is friday 13th and i was planning on watching some horror cheese, instead im going to watch one of my favorite films, in honor of gillo pontecorvo. pontecovo directed the battle of algiers and died yesterday at eighty-seven. if you've not seen this movie, it should be at the top of your list. the battle of algiers is an amazing piece of filmmaking and one of the best political movies ever made. It goes beyond the cliches and the propaganda. If only movies today with their grand ideas could achieve what this 40 year old movie is able to achieve on every viewing.

It hits my political g-spot and my sense of outrage and desire to understand the world. But most importantly it tells the story of algiers fight for independence from french colonization. The algerian struggle raised the standard of rebellion and was a watershed moment for the so called third worlds raising up against colonial rule. politics aside, its a great bit of filmmaking as well. with a score by ennio morricone, this is an example of cinema verite at its best. a documentary couldn't and wouldn't capture the romantic nature of the story, the push and pull of the language of the narrative film. you walk away feeling dazed and so unprepared for what the world is doing to itself; knowing that as a citizen of this madness, you have to take a side. no matter your view on armed rebellion or on nationalism, you walk away determined to pick a side and stick with your decision. and you do pick a side... you either accept the fact that innocent people in the streets of france are killed for a cause or you accept the fact that the french military is just doing its job; protecting the citizens and interests of france.

the interests of france, of england, of europe, of america, of the west has outweighed the interest of so many other countries and millions of people for so many years. colonization; neocolonization in the guise of globalization still makes sure that the interests of the few are looked after, while the majority sit in a pressure cooker. and you can't watch this film without finding parallels to mirror today's confusion.

_soundcheck: bob marley, natty dread

cigars, whiskey and friends...

_posted in dayedayerocks | 02 October 2006

so my deadwood day was not spent with al swedgin, but with the younger brother of seth bullock (pictures one day)... and it was kickass... there was a long drive down the pch, then through the santa monica mountains, and then the paramount ranch, and yes i know this ranch... ive seen all the westerns... im a fan of carnivale... so i know the score... and i completely had to restrain my western geekness in fear of of being a complete spaz... and i did at least win the first hand of poker, so i think that makes for some awesome...

welcome to fucking deadwood! i have to say that was the best birthday surprise i've had. whiskey! cigars! cowboys! whores! poker! and a few cocksuckers thrown in for good measure... id say it was a good fucking sunday...

_soundcheck: johnny cash, american iv: the man comes around

one year older...

_posted in dayedayerocks | 01 October 2006

one year older...

well september is over and im one year older... a few things i learned this month...

_01
you CAN get pulled over on the 10 for your back seat passenger not wearing his seat-belt

_02
saying "yea sure" to a cop can get you a beat down, silly ass... he's wearing a gun and a billy stick, which probably means the first person ever beaten down with one was named billy (probably not true, but i like that explanation). i think it should now be dubbed the gomez stick, cause i think its about time a certain mr. gomez gets his ass beat down for the EIGHT no seat-belt tickets he's gotten... im just saying...

_03
any ice cream with liquor is good... vanilla whiskey... coffee guinness... blood red orange wine sorbet... mimosa sorbet... anything... its all damned good and i think los angeles should have a SCOOPS day... im just saying...

_04
having dinner with your friends and their mothers is like being at home...

_05
jobs can really suck you dry if you let it... if you let it be your whole life and nothing else, you can so miss out... even if its just that personal time you save for yourself that you're missing out on... so its 8 hours a day... no more 18 hour days, no more of that overtime shit for me... if its not getting done in eight hours, you're going to have to wait, cause guess what, your blog about yourself and your extremely leftist, stupid and completely unimportant ideas means jackshit to me... oh, and i got another raise... hehehe...

_06
a co-worker lost his dad a few weeks ago... although i am no where near close to this guy i felt i needed to go and show my respects.. the fear of loosing my own parents weighs heavy these days... and his dad was born the same year as my grandmother... dear lord... tell me thats not suppose to make me crave a hug from my favorite person...

_07
antero also lost his dad after a protracted battle with leukemia. to say the least that hit me hard... antero is one of those people that you absolutely love cause of his unique way of seeing the world and just being able to talk about any and everything; from music to art to politics to literature to education to life... those people are rare... my being the emotional one that i am, i had to call or text all the people i loved back home... cause, truthfully you never know when this time will be the last time you talk to them, hug them, or just tell them they rock... and i can say ive been fortunate enough to know some amazing people, even when i was mad at them or when we weren't close for awhile... loving them through all that meant id always love these people... death sucks... and being on the phone with your grandmother crying, begging her not to ever die, that sucks even more...

_08
im a year older... no getting around that... this year's birthday was nice... autumn and carl threw me a party the saturday before... mark and parisa cooked dinner and made a cake for me on my birthday... just a reminder kids... DO NOT PUT THE CANDLES IN THE CAKE WHILE ITS STILL HOT... cause yes, the candle wax will melt into the cake... im just saying... it was a good cake mark, it was just a little retarded.... thats all... and the night ended with hooka at the local westwood hooka spot... id say this birthday was good... and later today is my SURPRISE birthday get together with mark and parisa, and who knows if there are others involved... i got three clues...

clue 1: a bandana with a post-it that read, "Clue #1: You will need this to wipe your 'Dirty' mouth..."

clue 2: "she wants me to tell you something pretty" in a conversation with mark over aim... so easy... the title of the last episode of deadwood... "tell him something pretty"

clue 3: literally a piece of dead wood...

obviously this has something to do with deadwood or its all a smokescreen... now if i were to hang out with al swearengen today... holy shit that would be the most awesome of birthdays ever... i wont even tell you about the dream i had about al swearengen... i wont do it...

anywho, on being older... my da called and SANG me happy birthday... which she's never done... and in the background i can her my grandfather saying, "she ain't that old... tell that girl she cant ever call me 'old man' again!" an hour later my favorite uncle called to sing me a song he MADE up about me, mojitos and being awesome... you have to love the old people... and my favorite auntie, the drunk called... love her... family... it makes me smile...

_09
my film class with marina started again on thursday... needless to say, its like flying; sitting in a room with other people just as passionate about film...

so its october... and its a new month... only three months left in this year... time has flown...

_soundcheck: abdoulaye diabate, bende