all about me, home improvement, movie musings, shiny stuff

bow to blu

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Basically, Blu Ray has re-invigorated my love of watching movies. I even upgraded Netflix to send us Blu Rays if they are available.

High Definition really is the icing on delicious cake. Now… to stop buying so many of these damn movies!!!

Seriously, though, that’s about all I got. I am STILL finishing up small things in the bathroom, and painting the other one, so pictures will eventually come. Other than that… not much; although, I did go work out yesterday, and hope to add that back into my life. Here’s hoping that I actually go again later in the week… mama’s fat!

five song friday, music musings, music suggestion

5SF: june 19

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While today’s selection of songs is going to start out a little on the slower side, by the end, I should have you up on your feet, dancing the afternoon away. However, make sure you stay well hydrated, because it is fucking HOT out there!!

William Fitzsimmons – I Don’t Feel It Anymore (Song Of The Sparrow)
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_619_williamfitzsimmons-idontfeelitanymore.mp3]
William is yet another fantastic discovery that I came to via nothing more than a picture of the bearded singer. Sometimes, all it takes is some bearded goodness to get me interested, and luckily, William’s music is so beautiful that it drew me in even deeper. I discovered his album The Sparrow and The Crow through iTunes, where it was just released back in April; even though searches on the internets show that it actually came out late in 2008. I might have to ignore that fact, because this fantastic folk album could easily find a spot on my top albums of 2009, because it is incredibly beautiful, and each song is even more beautiful as the last. I have a weak spot for those bearded folk guys… what can I say? And it doesn’t hurt when they are incredibly talented to boot!

Matt Nathanson – Gone
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_619_mattnathanson-gone.mp3]
Matt’s 2007 release, Some Mad Hope, actually made my year end best of list, but recently, I gave it another listen, and remembered how much I loved it. I love his vocals and the way in which he weaves a pop rock anthem. This was one of those experiences when I “re-discover” something on my ipod, something that I hadn’t listened to in such a long time for no other reason than I hadn’t thought to. Matt’s single, Come On Get Higher is making the rounds on radio right now (part of the reason I dusted his album off and gave it another listen), and I hope that he will release Gone as a single too; both are favorites of mine from the album. I can’t wait for new material from Matt, and I hope that his success will signal something new very soon.

Dan Black – U + Me =
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_619_danblack-ume.mp3]
This is the free download of the week on the UK’s iTunes, which is awesome for them, but unfortunate for us; since we can’t download it in the US. However, some searching the internet proved fruitful, and I was able to find this amazing track to bring to you today. I love the blaring backing snyth of this track, and the pulsating beats that go along with it. It really reminds me of a recent discovery, Miike Snow, with a similar energy and ferocity to it. I hope that when Dan finally releases his album that it is filled with more great songs like this one; because this song is fantastic.

Booty Luv – Say It
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_619_bootyluv-sayit.mp3]
Perhaps one of the funniest names of a seriously amazing dance band, Booty Luv recently released their new single, Say It, and I have been LOVING it more and more with each listen. It has a similar floor stomping beat that the best tracks off of their debut, Boogie Tonight, had when it was released back in 2007. I am hoping that this song is an indication of what we have to look forward to on Booty Luv’s highly anticipated follow up. If that truly is the case, the release date can’t come soon enough. This song makes me want to fucking dance all night long, and is definitely one of their best to date.

Little Boots – Remedy
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_619_littleboots-remedy.mp3]
Little Boots is one of those greatly hyped acts that for whatever reason, I grew instantly skeptical of. Perhaps it is the stubborn side of me that likes to make things difficult, but whatever it is, it made me ignore Little Boots’ release Hands (other than my instant love for previously featured track, New In Town). Well, in steps one of you guys (fellow music blogger John), with this suggestion, and it snapped me out of my stubbornness, and caused me to fall deeply in love with even more Little Boots (as well as forces me to question why I can be so stubborn in the first place). This song is going to be a huge song of the summer for me, and it is one that it best listened to on full blast. Like I told you at the beginning of today’s post, I would have you dancing by the end; and I was right, wasn’t I?! Thanks John for the MASSIVE suggestion!!!

Alright, you guys, what did you think of this week’s selection? We ran the gamut from sweet and slow folk, all of the way through some dance floor fillers perfect for the summer! As always, please let me know what you think, as well as what you are listening to; as you saw this week, it may find its why into a future 5SF!!

civil rights, is it just me?, listen up!, near and dear, politics, that is so gay, venting, well?, wtf?!

um, thanks… FOR NOTHING

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It seems that my outrage yesterday was a little less than it should have been. Turns out, the gesture Obama tried to placate us with, was worth nothing:

The memorandum Obama signed Wednesday is not expected to grant health and retirement benefits to same-sex partners, as that is prohibited under the Defense of Marriage Act.

(source)

That’s right, fellow gays and lesbians, say it with me; we are STILL:
SECOND.
CLASS.
CITIZENS.

…and it doesn’t look like that is going to change any time soon.

This is not just disappointing, it is outrageous. This is a major slap in the face, Mr. President, and it will not be ignored. What was initially seen as a cop out, is now an empty promise worth practically nothing. Sure, I know you are limited by DOMA, but this empty gesture is not good enough, and frankly it is insulting that you would think that it is worth anything at all.

Perhaps I am being too harsh though… as you do care, right? Allow me the chance to give you the benefit of the doubt; you did say,

“I believe it’s discriminatory. I think it interferes with state’s rights, and we will work with Congress to overturn it.”

(source)

So when can we expect this to happen? If you really want to do something for gays and lesbians, DO SOMETHING. Instead of handing us empty promises, why not take actions that would actually matter? If striking down DOMA is what it will take, why didn’t you propose legislation to do just that; instead of handing us this bullshit?! Saying that you are against something while doing absolutely nothing to stop it, implicates you as a willing accomplice. Mr. President, you are guilty of standing by while we are again, discriminated against, publicly, by our government. It is going to take more than a strongly emphatic “opposition” (with a current obvious lack of any sign that you will actually do more than “be against it”) to make a difference, and I for one am waiting to see if you will actually do anything you continue to promise. The problem is, I am losing my patience.

Again, Mr. President, I am outraged at the sheer lack of support for the community that supported you so ferociously during your rise to power; only to be ushered to the back of the bus once you took the podium. For shame, Mr. President, for shame. I only hope that you will bring the change that you promised, and stop trying to sell us snake oil instead. This is one member of the gay community that is rapidly losing support for the great man that I thought you were.

civil rights, listen up!, politics, that is so gay, well?, wtf?!

um, thanks?

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Am I the only one who thinks that Obama’s recent act of granting benefits to same sex couples is kind of, well, a cop out? First of all, it is only for federal employees, which is definitely nice, since I work for the government, and know many people that will be able to take advantage of this, where they couldn’t before. However, as a contractor for the government, I work for a company that already has these benefits in place; so it doesn’t really affect me other than my thinking it’s a nice gesture. Again, it’s nice, and I am happy he decided to do it, but this is a very, very minor gesture that will have little to no impact in the actual need for our civil rights to be recognized nationwide.

Don’t get me wrong, I know that Obama is in a place of intense scrutiny and has a lot on his plate. However, if he really wanted to do something that would actually impact our community, how about addressing the myriad of issues that currently make things difficult for us? Placating a handful of us with same sex benefits just isn’t going to make us content enough to say thanks and feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

If he really wanted to do something that would make a definitive impact, that would be a true gesture of ushering in what I would consider an actual move in the direction of true equality, why not tackle the right to fire clauses that SO MANY businesses still have on the books? There are tons of businesses out there today that still have the right to fire people because of their sexuality on their books; which I would venture to guess comprises tons more employees than the government boasts. I just think it would be more worthwhile to make moves to actually making us equal citizens, and things like same sex benefits for government employees would follow these moves in the right direction.

I really hate to be a cynic, but this type of cop out really needs to be called out for what it is; a dog and pony show to mask his recent approval of DOMA. There are so many issues that affect our community, Mr. President, and seeing as how we threw our support behind you in the election, how about something a little bit more substantial; something that will actually benefit all of us? The slight of hand is not going to make us think for one second that we are actually getting more in the civil rights department. In other words, there is nothing to see here folks, keep moving, and keep hoping for something that would deserve more than a thumbs up from a handful of people.

all about me, is it just me?, venting, well?, wtf?!

to the sexist asshole at the liquor store:

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No, I am NOT a woman; men can carry bags for their shit these days too. No, I will not leave my $400 bag with ipod, wallet, sunglasses, etc. behind the counter, because, if for NO OTHER REASON, women are allowed to carry their bags throughout the store; and therefore, so should I.

Basically, some guy who works at the liquor store came over to me, and bitchily asked me to leave my bag at the counter, to which I replied, “do you ask women to leave their purses at the counter?”. He replied, “no, but are you a woman?”. Clearly, I am not a fucking woman you asshole, but that doesn’t make any difference, I will not leave my bag behind the counter for the same reason that women do not have to. It is the same as a purse, so get the fuck over it. My bag wasn’t even big enough to put a bottle of alcohol in without it clearly being noticeable; so what was all the fuss about!?!

What I should have done was just put down my basket full of booze, and walked the fuck out, but instead, I just told him that he would just have to get over it, because I was almost done shopping anyway. What I found interesting, is the lady at the counter heard it all, and said that the reason he approached me, was because he must have thought it was a “backpack”; which interestingly enough, the woman behind me in line was actually wearing, and had carried throughout the store with no fuss.

Needless to say, I won’t be going back into that liquor store (Green’s on Buford Highway), and as such, won’t have to worry about whether or not I can carry my belongings with me; like all the women are allowed to do. Clearly, they don’t need my business, so I can go elsewhere!

five song friday, music musings, music suggestion

5SF: june 12

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I am kind of a little out of it today, so please forgive me; at least I’m not skipping another week, right?! Whatever would you do? Oh yeah, go on as if nothing happened. Ha! Anyway… There are some slow songs, some up-tempo alternative tracks, and even a blast from my high school music past. Interestingly enough, all of the artists today are also male. Well, let’s get this party started, alright?

Hayden – Let It Last
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_612_hayden-letitlast.mp3]
I got a huge, welcome surprise when I looked at the new release list on iTunes this week; one of my favorite Canadian folk artists, Hayden, released a new CD, The Place Where We Lived! You may remember that his amazing In Field and Town made my year end list for 2008, coming in at number 7 on that list. While I was surprised that he was releasing another album so quickly, I wasn’t surprised when I listened to it; it is beautiful, and has the same amazing quality that permeated In Field and Town. With this album, Hayden has crafted another brilliant album full of songs that do not stray from his tender style of folk rock. This is my favorite track on the album, and it is a sweet and subtle duet between Hayden and a female singer. This was a GREAT find, and will definitely be somewhere amongst my favorite albums of the year.

Matthew Barber – Where The River Bends
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_612_matthewbarber-wheretheriverbends.mp3]
Well, it looks like this week, we have not one, but two Canadian singer-songwriters! I mentioned Matthew back in May when I discovered his AMAZING track, Easily Bruised. Well, after falling for that song, I went and downloaded his album Ghost Notes, from which the song hails, and I found many more amazing tracks. His style reminds me a bit of Hayden at times, as well as other folk-rock acts like Joshua Radin and even Bob Dylan. This song is achingly beautiful, and it reminds me why I love searching for new music; occasionally, I stumble onto something truly amazing. This song is just that; truly amazing.

Jack Pe̱ate РPull My Heart Away
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_612_jackpenate-pullmyheartaway.mp3]
I have featured Jack on the 5SF in the past, but I quickly lost interest in him because of how many of the songs from his debut where a bit too similar to stand out for me. Well, I heard that he was revamping his style, and releasing a new record this month, and after checking it out, I must say that I have regained my interest in him; big time! I love the changes he made to his sound, and I find myself really liking this album. Pull My Heart Away is my favorite track that I have heard so far from the aptly titled, Everything Is New; which is out June 22.

Patrick Wolf – Hard Times
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_612_patrickwolf-hardtimes.mp3]
I was late to come to the church of Patrick Wolf, but honey, I am swaying the pulpit now! I liked several songs off of his previous release, The Magic Position, but overall, the entire album didn’t resonate with me for whatever reason. When I heard he was to release a new album this month, I was excited to see what he would bring me next, and I must say, after listening to The Bachelor, the entire album resonated with me on a much deeper level. It took me a minute to appreciate the often avant garde style Wolf harnesses in his music, but once I did, I realized how fantastic he is. There aren’t many artists out there carving their own niche anymore, and Wolf really reminds me of the innovativeness of artists that came before him; especially those like David Bowie. Watch this kid, because he is doing some pretty amazing stuff with music.

Blur – Slow Down
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_612_blur-slowdown.mp3]
Lastly today, I wanted to pay homage to one of the greatest bands ever, the almighty Blur. When I was in high school, Blur was one of those bands that made me really realize how much music meant to me, and it helped me appreciate really great music at the same time. This song, from their AMAZING debut, Leisure, is a fantastic reminder of so many good times from those days, and a welcome stroll down memory lane every time I hear it. Leisure is one of those albums that I can listen to from beginning to end, and it will always be amongst my favorite records of all time; along with many other Blur albums too.

I hope everyone found something they loved in this week’s 5SF. I really like all of these songs, and think they are all pretty amazing. As always, let me know what you liked, or didn’t like, and please tell me what YOU are listening to. Unless it is the Black Eyed Peas; and in that case, I couldn’t care less. HA! Have a great weekend!

movie musings, well?

what would you do in that situation?

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Fair warning: I will be talking about a movie (The Reader), and discussing the plot, so if you want to avoid spoilers, do not keep reading after this sentence.

Last night, James and I watched the Reader. After the shock of the sheer amount of nudity there was in the film, I have to say, that I was struck by the way Michael handled his relationship with Hanna. It was made clear that he definitely loved her, but he was truly the only one that could have saved her from a lifetime in prison, and yet, he said nothing. Yes, she deserves a LOT of the blame; she committed herself to the SS and 20 years in prison because she was ashamed of the fact that she couldn’t read or write, but I couldn’t help find fault with Michael as well.

I can’t tell you what I would do in those circumstances; I didn’t live through the Holocaust. Do I grasp the enormity of the events that occurred during that incredibly dark time? Not by a long shot. When I try to wrap my head around the fact that the majority of a country stood by and assisted in the murders of MILLIONS of people, just because of who they were, my stomach turns. It is disgusting. With that being said, I felt it was clear that Hanna, while she was a part of the whole machine, shouldn’t have taken all of the blame; she was the only one who had the long sentence handed down to them.

If I were Michael, I think that I would have spoken up for her. Also, if I hadn’t of had the courage to do it when she was on trial (or if it was because he was too angry at her for being at part of the Holocaust), I don’t think I could have ignored her all of those years, and just “went on with my life”. Maybe I just have a big heart, but it would be hard for me to love anyone and let them rot in jail; even if they committed a heinous crime. I would at least visit. I thought that by sending those tapes to her, he was fully admitting the amount of guilt that he had; so why not visit? Yet, again, I can’t say what I would do in that situation for sure, because I wasn’t there, but I just couldn’t help but feel angry at him for not doing anything. I guess that was the point of the movie, so I guess that’s what I took from it.

What would you do under the same circumstances?

is it just me?, mixed media, movie musings, shiny stuff, venting, well?, wtf?!

sony fail: let me count the ways

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So I finally caved and bought a PS3. I was hoping there would be a price drop announced last week at E3, which is what I have been waiting for before I bought one, but there wasn’t even a hint of such a thing happening any time soon. Since the PS3 is only $100 more than a Blu Ray player, I felt it would make more sense to get the PS3, so that I could have both, and so I did.

After un-boxing the mammoth console, I got my first taste of what will surely be a long list of Sony FAIL. The PS3 has been, and continues to be touted as THE system for HD; and it continues to claim itself as a revolutionary system with the highest quality video for games and movies. Well, some of that is true… and some of it is not. First of all, I think that it is almost a slap in the face of the consumer to ask them to pay $400 for a machine that will revolutionize their HD experience, and box the motherfucker with composite cables; which any A/V geek knows does NOT have the capability of displaying HD! Additionally, the companion HDMI cable marketed and sold by Sony for the PS3 is $60. For shame, Sony; you expect me to shell out ANOTHER $60 just to get the HD quality you promised for $400? Assholes.

Luckily, I have an HDMI cord that I wasn’t ass raped for (ahem, I didn’t buy it at Best Buy), and I just used it to connect the PS3. Crisis averted… HD was mine; and you know what, it is impressive. We played a few Blu Ray movies, and they were impressively crisp. I really can tell the difference in standard DVDs being upscaled, and a true Blu Ray HD DVD. Again, very impressive, you break even, here Sony.

Now comes FAIL #2. I bought Little Big Planet, and Resident Evil 5 (RE5 was for James, and I figured, since the PS3 is new, why not get it for that system?!) because I wanted to have at least a couple of games for the PS3. LBP is really cute, but I noticed the graphics were a little rougher than I was expecting; after all, it is plugged into my TV through HDMI, so it should be just as amazing as the Blu Ray, right (ESPECIALLY on a title like LBP, which is exclusive to the PS3)? WRONG. Turns out, Sony doesn’t really have the goods to back up their claims. The best they can do is 720p on most games, and the two that I got both fall into this category. Even though I have the PS3 output set to 1080i, and my TV can display 1080i, it can only display these games at 720p (this is a known, but quiet, issue). I wish that I would have gotten RE5 for the Xbox, because even my Xbox 360 exceeds the PS3 by upscaling everything to 1080i, and I can bet the graphics would be a little better. FAIL FAIL FAIL. Sure, it is only a minor thing, but when you buy something that expensive that is supposed to be so “AWESOME11!!1!!”, then disappointment is pretty much the word that comes to mind when you think about the whole scenario. When it comes right down to it, Sony, you do not have the HD system that you claim to; at least, you aren’t letting us use it to its full potential, anyway.

Needless to say, I am a bit disappointed. I will be making sure I keep a close eye on games that I get for the PS3, because if I can get a better version of the same game for the Xbox 360, Xbox will win this battle every time. Also, as of writing this, my Xbox 360 is only hooked to my TV through component cables, and the games look better than the 2 PS3 ones I have tried. Sure, there are some out there that will do 1080, but I am just shocked that PS3 doesn’t upscale ALL games like the Xbox does; especially when they claim the PS3 is so much better than the Xbox 360 (which, judging by the two titles I have, certainly isn’t true game wise).

As far as I am concerned, while I am glad I got the PS3, I can’t believe how much fine print, and blatant trickery Sony has instituted into their “AMAZING!!! SYSTEM!!1!11!!!!”. Seriously, Sony, you need to really get over yourself and stop the quick slight of hand, which I am sure has made customers other than myself more than a bit peeved as well. This leaves Sony with a score of negative one; let’s hope that time will allow them to break even, and make this consumer happier with his VERY extravagant and expensive purchase.

UPDATE: HOW COULD I FORGET THE LACK OF SUPPORT FOR PS2 GAMES?? Epic fail continues…

movie musings, shiny stuff

ladies and gentlemen…

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The Moody/Robinson household now has Blu Ray.

Rejoice.

UPDATE: I decided making a Blu Ray specific page was silly, because I will most likely get a lot of them; so I will just put a BR next to the title in the DVD library if it is a Blu Ray disc that I own (this will also be done for HD DVDs with the exception that HD DVDs will obviously have a red HD next to them, and not a BR.). I am also considering getting rid of the regular version of the movies I replace on DVD; I need to make room (I probably won’t though, as I still have regular DVD players in the house)!!

five song friday

taking a week off…

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Sorry folks, but a migraine this morning sidelined me, and I am going to have to take a week off of 5SF. I will be back next week, and make sure you check out previous entries, because there is more than enough there to wet your appetite for great music!!

Sorry guys and gals. Have a great weekend. It’s James’ birthday weekend, and the celebration starts tonight!!!