top 10 movies:
1. Tangled
2. Toy Story 3
3. Catfish
4. The Social Network
5. Megamind
6. The King's Speech
7. Black Swan
8. Inception
9. How To Train Your Dragon
10. Devil
top 5 albums:
1. The Age of Adz - Sufjan Stevens
2. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West
3. The Archandroid - Janelle Monae
4. Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty - Big Boi
5. Plastic Beach - The Gorillaz
(nothing else is worth mentioning, thin year for music for me.)
Monday, February 14, 2011
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Disneyland/California Adventure
this is a long overdue post. after since visiting Disneyland/California Adventure (almost 2 months ago now), I've been wanting to do a little writeup, just for myself and for reflection/memory purposes.
Disneyland
Main Street USA
14 Refreshment Corner - Grace grabbed a chili dog here late at night when she was hungry. I had a piece. It was delicious.
New Orleans Square
16 Haunted Mansion
17 Pirates of the Carribean - I like that whole musky feel it has going on. I don't like what they did with inserting Jack Sparrow, it feels really odd, because in my mind, I separate the Pirates movie and Pirates ride.
Frontierland
22 Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Critter Country
33 Splash Mountain
35 the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh - if you ever want to go on a ride real quick, with minimal wait time, this is the one. Tucked away in the corner of the park, but its still a solid animatronic ride.
Adventureland
39 Indiana Jones Adventure - Classic, went on it twice.
40 Jungle Cruise - was the starter to the day
41 Tarzan's Treehouse - gave you a nice view of the park, was basically an animatronic ride that you walk through. Not essential to your enjoyment of the park, but not a waste of time either.
Mickey's Toontown
49 Mickey's House and Meet Mickey
51 Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin - my favorite Disneyland ride. The animatronics setup is damn clever (falling down through a building, "I've got a portable hole!", etc.) The leadup to the ride is pretty nice. And it has that interactive element, in that you're able to control the way your car spins. And Jessica Rabbit's hot.
Fantasyland
53 Alice in Wonderland - decent ride, but sort of awkward at times. there are some things they could have changed, because the ending felt weird
58 "its a small world" - classic, and i liked the Disney characters they threw in there.
60 Mad Tea Party - this was more fun when i was a kid. now, it just gets me dizzy and sort of nauseated. i think it used to do that to me when i was a kid, but its more pronounced now, though. i would still ride it, though.
61 Matterhorn Bobsleds
62 Mr Toad's Wild Ride - a little too fast paced. the fast-pacedness of it distracts you from the fact that the animatronic stuff isnt as cool here as in other rides. lol @ the Hell part, thats not in the movie at all.
63 Peter Pan's Flight - The part where you soar over London is one of the most awe-inducing parts of any ride in Disneyland. I dont remember anything else though lol
64 - Pinocchio's Daring Journey - Pretty awesome, it basically takes you through Pinocchio's story, and really does its job in immersing you in it. One of the best rides in Disneyland.
66 Snow White's Scary Adventures - awesome possum
67 Storybook Canal Boats - the stuff here is kinda too small to fully appreciate, but its sort of a nice stroll nonetheless.
Tomorrowland
71 Autopia
72 Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters - you're too busy shooting stuff to enjoy the ride, i feel. note to self for next time: you can get multiple points on the same target.
75 Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage - the most disappointing ride for me, since this was the first time i've been on it. i think its just impossible to get a good Submarine ride, i wasn't a fan of the former Submarine ride here before either. I used this ride as my naptime during this day.
76 Captain EO - there's a reason why they stopped showing this lol.
78 Space Mountain
80 Star Tours
81 Redd Rockett's Pizza Port - ate here for lunch. now that I've had Bucca di Beppo, the food doesnt seem quite as good as i remember it... but its still pretty good, especially for amusement park food.
California Adventure
Hollywood Pictures Backlot
1 Monsters Inc Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
2 The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - if i didnt have sentimental feelings for Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin, this would be my favorite Disneyland/California Adventure ride. It's so damn fun, I felt giddy while I was on it. Its not just the drops, the visuals were also done really well.
7 Animation Academy - I drew Minnie!... where the hell did that picture go, anyways
8 Character Close-Up
9 Sorcerer's Workshop - Can I not be Cogsworth for that stupid quiz thing all the time? The Beast's castle is awesomeness. Ursula's Voices thing is really fun too.
10 The Hollywood Backlot Stage - The show was "The Magic of Animation" or something like that. It was whatever.
"a bug's land"
16 It's Tough to Be a Bug! - creepiest show ever
Paradise Pier
24 Toy Story Mania! - really fun, one of the most fun California Adventure attractions. like the Buzz Lightyear ride at Disneyland. Except this ride doesnt even bother with animatronics, it's all electronic screens in front of you.
25 California Screamin'
27 Mickey's Fun Wheel - gets cold at night
28 Mulholland Madness
32 Jumpin' Jellyfish - I felt way too old to ride this
Golden State
38 Soarin' Over California
39 Grizzly River Run
40 Redwood Creek Challenge Trail - felt too old for this too
41 Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar - lol, how about you implement these ideas instead of just showing the plans for these California Adventure attractions as an exhibit?
42 Mission Tortilla Factory - free tortillas! they were pretty good too
43 The Bakery Tour - free bread! also pretty good
Disneyland
Main Street USA
14 Refreshment Corner - Grace grabbed a chili dog here late at night when she was hungry. I had a piece. It was delicious.
New Orleans Square
16 Haunted Mansion
17 Pirates of the Carribean - I like that whole musky feel it has going on. I don't like what they did with inserting Jack Sparrow, it feels really odd, because in my mind, I separate the Pirates movie and Pirates ride.
Frontierland
22 Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Critter Country
33 Splash Mountain
35 the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh - if you ever want to go on a ride real quick, with minimal wait time, this is the one. Tucked away in the corner of the park, but its still a solid animatronic ride.
Adventureland
39 Indiana Jones Adventure - Classic, went on it twice.
40 Jungle Cruise - was the starter to the day
41 Tarzan's Treehouse - gave you a nice view of the park, was basically an animatronic ride that you walk through. Not essential to your enjoyment of the park, but not a waste of time either.
Mickey's Toontown
49 Mickey's House and Meet Mickey
51 Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin - my favorite Disneyland ride. The animatronics setup is damn clever (falling down through a building, "I've got a portable hole!", etc.) The leadup to the ride is pretty nice. And it has that interactive element, in that you're able to control the way your car spins. And Jessica Rabbit's hot.
Fantasyland
53 Alice in Wonderland - decent ride, but sort of awkward at times. there are some things they could have changed, because the ending felt weird
58 "its a small world" - classic, and i liked the Disney characters they threw in there.
60 Mad Tea Party - this was more fun when i was a kid. now, it just gets me dizzy and sort of nauseated. i think it used to do that to me when i was a kid, but its more pronounced now, though. i would still ride it, though.
61 Matterhorn Bobsleds
62 Mr Toad's Wild Ride - a little too fast paced. the fast-pacedness of it distracts you from the fact that the animatronic stuff isnt as cool here as in other rides. lol @ the Hell part, thats not in the movie at all.
63 Peter Pan's Flight - The part where you soar over London is one of the most awe-inducing parts of any ride in Disneyland. I dont remember anything else though lol
64 - Pinocchio's Daring Journey - Pretty awesome, it basically takes you through Pinocchio's story, and really does its job in immersing you in it. One of the best rides in Disneyland.
66 Snow White's Scary Adventures - awesome possum
67 Storybook Canal Boats - the stuff here is kinda too small to fully appreciate, but its sort of a nice stroll nonetheless.
Tomorrowland
71 Autopia
72 Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters - you're too busy shooting stuff to enjoy the ride, i feel. note to self for next time: you can get multiple points on the same target.
75 Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage - the most disappointing ride for me, since this was the first time i've been on it. i think its just impossible to get a good Submarine ride, i wasn't a fan of the former Submarine ride here before either. I used this ride as my naptime during this day.
76 Captain EO - there's a reason why they stopped showing this lol.
78 Space Mountain
80 Star Tours
81 Redd Rockett's Pizza Port - ate here for lunch. now that I've had Bucca di Beppo, the food doesnt seem quite as good as i remember it... but its still pretty good, especially for amusement park food.
California Adventure
Hollywood Pictures Backlot
1 Monsters Inc Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
2 The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - if i didnt have sentimental feelings for Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin, this would be my favorite Disneyland/California Adventure ride. It's so damn fun, I felt giddy while I was on it. Its not just the drops, the visuals were also done really well.
7 Animation Academy - I drew Minnie!... where the hell did that picture go, anyways
8 Character Close-Up
9 Sorcerer's Workshop - Can I not be Cogsworth for that stupid quiz thing all the time? The Beast's castle is awesomeness. Ursula's Voices thing is really fun too.
10 The Hollywood Backlot Stage - The show was "The Magic of Animation" or something like that. It was whatever.
"a bug's land"
16 It's Tough to Be a Bug! - creepiest show ever
Paradise Pier
24 Toy Story Mania! - really fun, one of the most fun California Adventure attractions. like the Buzz Lightyear ride at Disneyland. Except this ride doesnt even bother with animatronics, it's all electronic screens in front of you.
25 California Screamin'
27 Mickey's Fun Wheel - gets cold at night
28 Mulholland Madness
32 Jumpin' Jellyfish - I felt way too old to ride this
Golden State
38 Soarin' Over California
39 Grizzly River Run
40 Redwood Creek Challenge Trail - felt too old for this too
41 Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar - lol, how about you implement these ideas instead of just showing the plans for these California Adventure attractions as an exhibit?
42 Mission Tortilla Factory - free tortillas! they were pretty good too
43 The Bakery Tour - free bread! also pretty good
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Writeups on my favorite 20 songs of all time
A list of songs by itself isn't too terribly revealing, I've realized. Since it's a blog about me and my thoughts, and since i would LOVE to ramble on about my love for these songs, I wrote a bit on each song and why they mean so much to me.
20. "Dance With the Devil" - Immortal Technique
A perfect description of evil and sin. Immortal Technique tells the best story I've ever heard in a song here, and it's absolutely bone-chilling. It's in my favorite songs list because it's so damn good, but I wish a song like this had no power, because it gets its power from the fact that it's true. Maybe this specific story isn't true, but a lot of variations of this stuff happens around the world, all the time. And that scares the crap out of me.
19. "All I Want For Christmas Is You" - Mariah Carey
If you ever want to put a smile on my face, put this song on. This song is the musical equivalent of snugging up with my significant other next to a fireplace in the middle of the Christmas season, with my friends and family laughing it up and having a good time around us. Not only does this song invoke my absolute favorite time of the year, it puts a warm feeling in my heart that nothing else could top.
18. "My Girls" - Animal Collective
My life anthem. I'm so damn pissed that Animal Collective wrote this song before I could, this song is ALL FREAKIN' ME. I was rockin' these lyrics in my head long before I had ever heard this song.
17. "Sleep" - Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Best musical description of nostalgia and longing, both which are emotions that resonate strongly with me. Refer to my writeup on "Storm," it's basically the same thing here. So many emotions, so many musical orgasms had with this song, and the album it comes from.
20. "Dance With the Devil" - Immortal Technique
A perfect description of evil and sin. Immortal Technique tells the best story I've ever heard in a song here, and it's absolutely bone-chilling. It's in my favorite songs list because it's so damn good, but I wish a song like this had no power, because it gets its power from the fact that it's true. Maybe this specific story isn't true, but a lot of variations of this stuff happens around the world, all the time. And that scares the crap out of me.
19. "All I Want For Christmas Is You" - Mariah Carey
If you ever want to put a smile on my face, put this song on. This song is the musical equivalent of snugging up with my significant other next to a fireplace in the middle of the Christmas season, with my friends and family laughing it up and having a good time around us. Not only does this song invoke my absolute favorite time of the year, it puts a warm feeling in my heart that nothing else could top.
18. "My Girls" - Animal Collective
My life anthem. I'm so damn pissed that Animal Collective wrote this song before I could, this song is ALL FREAKIN' ME. I was rockin' these lyrics in my head long before I had ever heard this song.
17. "Sleep" - Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Best musical description of nostalgia and longing, both which are emotions that resonate strongly with me. Refer to my writeup on "Storm," it's basically the same thing here. So many emotions, so many musical orgasms had with this song, and the album it comes from.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
My top 20 favorite songs of all time
Of course, this stuff is always changing, but at the moment, I'm thinking #1-15 are pretty solidly locked in.
20. "Dance With the Devil" - Immortal Technique
19. "All I Want For Christmas Is You" - Mariah Carey
18. "My Girls" - Animal Collective
17. "Sleep" - Godspeed You! Black Emperor
16. "Con Te Partiro" - Andrea Bocelli
15. "What's Going On" - Marvin Gaye
14. "Stand By Me" - Ben E. King
13. "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry
12. "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgment" - John Coltrane
11. "Hallelujah" - Leonard Cohen
10. "God Only Knows" - The Beach Boys
9. "What A Wonderful World" - Louis Armstrong
8. "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers
7. "Your Hand In Mine" - Explosions in the Sky
6. "Storm" - Godspeed You! Black Emperor
5. "Family Business" - Kanye West
4. "Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape" - Underoath
3. "Only In Dreams" - Weezer
2. Pachelbel's Canon in D
1. "Everything" - Lifehouse
Honorable mentions:
"Archangel" - Burial
"Consequence" - The Notwist
"A Day in the Life" - the Beatles
"The World At Large" - Modest Mouse
"Fight Test" - The Flaming Lips
"Jesus, Etc." - Wilco
"American Pie" - Don McLean
20. "Dance With the Devil" - Immortal Technique
19. "All I Want For Christmas Is You" - Mariah Carey
18. "My Girls" - Animal Collective
17. "Sleep" - Godspeed You! Black Emperor
16. "Con Te Partiro" - Andrea Bocelli
15. "What's Going On" - Marvin Gaye
14. "Stand By Me" - Ben E. King
13. "Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry
12. "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgment" - John Coltrane
11. "Hallelujah" - Leonard Cohen
10. "God Only Knows" - The Beach Boys
9. "What A Wonderful World" - Louis Armstrong
8. "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers
7. "Your Hand In Mine" - Explosions in the Sky
6. "Storm" - Godspeed You! Black Emperor
5. "Family Business" - Kanye West
4. "Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape" - Underoath
3. "Only In Dreams" - Weezer
2. Pachelbel's Canon in D
1. "Everything" - Lifehouse
Honorable mentions:
"Archangel" - Burial
"Consequence" - The Notwist
"A Day in the Life" - the Beatles
"The World At Large" - Modest Mouse
"Fight Test" - The Flaming Lips
"Jesus, Etc." - Wilco
"American Pie" - Don McLean
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Friday, December 4, 2009
The 2000s: Music, part 2. (single tracks, and top albums)
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TRACKS OF THE DECADE:
(if i wrote for a music magazine that shared my music taste. trying to be objective. based on popular appeal, critical appeal, how influential a song is, how indicative a song is of the general trends in music during the decade, what the 2000s will likely be remembered for, and for GENERAL AWESOMENESS.... etc.)
30. "Heartbeats" - The Knife
29. "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson
28. "Chicago" - Sufjan Stevens
27. "Clocks" - Coldplay
26. "Love Story" - Taylor Swift
25. "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz
24. "B.O.B." - Outkast
23. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley
22. "Maps" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
21. "Toxic" - Britney Spears
20. "My Girls" - Animal Collective
TRACKS OF THE DECADE:
(if i wrote for a music magazine that shared my music taste. trying to be objective. based on popular appeal, critical appeal, how influential a song is, how indicative a song is of the general trends in music during the decade, what the 2000s will likely be remembered for, and for GENERAL AWESOMENESS.... etc.)
30. "Heartbeats" - The Knife
29. "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson
28. "Chicago" - Sufjan Stevens
27. "Clocks" - Coldplay
26. "Love Story" - Taylor Swift
25. "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz
24. "B.O.B." - Outkast
23. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley
22. "Maps" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
21. "Toxic" - Britney Spears
20. "My Girls" - Animal Collective
Friday, November 6, 2009
Music of the 2000's: Favorite 25 albums. (#25-1)
Revised (version 2). A little more accurate, I feel. this list sits a little better with me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25. Hold On Now, Youngster... - Los Campesinos! (2008)
This is a golden slice of hipster pop that really helped me through some oddly angsty-times in my sophomore year of college. The song "Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks" really sticks out in my mind and helped me through that time. It's really weird too, because this album is pure pop goodness, but it was able to help me through some serious angst. It doesn't make sense, but what in life does?
Highlights: Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks, You!Me!Dancing!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24. Fearless - Taylor Swift (2008)
Taylor Swift may have single-handedly re-established my faith in mainstream pop music. Her music embodies everything I want music to be. It's authentic, there's a real person expressing real emotions, real fears, real hopes behind it. It's catchy, she has the musical maturity of an artist who has been writing pop songs all her life. I may not be a teenage girl, so I can't perfectly relate with everything she expresses here, but when music is done this well, I can't help but sit back and admire. "Love Story" is a contender of song of the decade, in my eyes.
Highlights: Love Story, Fearless, Tell Me Why, Forever & Always
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25. Hold On Now, Youngster... - Los Campesinos! (2008)
This is a golden slice of hipster pop that really helped me through some oddly angsty-times in my sophomore year of college. The song "Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks" really sticks out in my mind and helped me through that time. It's really weird too, because this album is pure pop goodness, but it was able to help me through some serious angst. It doesn't make sense, but what in life does?Highlights: Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks, You!Me!Dancing!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24. Fearless - Taylor Swift (2008)
Taylor Swift may have single-handedly re-established my faith in mainstream pop music. Her music embodies everything I want music to be. It's authentic, there's a real person expressing real emotions, real fears, real hopes behind it. It's catchy, she has the musical maturity of an artist who has been writing pop songs all her life. I may not be a teenage girl, so I can't perfectly relate with everything she expresses here, but when music is done this well, I can't help but sit back and admire. "Love Story" is a contender of song of the decade, in my eyes.
Highlights: Love Story, Fearless, Tell Me Why, Forever & Always
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