My Generation

The past two weeks I haven't been logging onto this blog as frequently because of failed Internet connection at my house. I am lucky that I attend a technical high school which uses an online course for their 'Health/Personal Fitness' class (yes, I know, personal fitness over the Internet. haha.) or else I wouldn't be able to write on my blog. But something I can't do is download music! I am, like most of the people in this world, an illegal file sharing user. I would pay for music, because I don't think it is a waste of money, except it's so expensive. I have a pretty big library of music and I can't possibly afford to pay that much for a single album, so I rely on the Internet to fulfill my musical needs. My school server blocks file sharing sites and consequently I haven't heard anything new for two weeks.

As I stepped onto the school bus this morning I gazed at my young high school peers and what I saw was not students studying for their mid-terms or reading a book but instead, jamming out to the iPod and texting on the latest cell phone. After I sat down I then looked at myself, with my iPod head phones fitting snug in my hears and I realized at how much I was connected to modern day technology. I understand that this is a new age where technology is the future and I do agree that the Internet and computers are an amazing invention that are very important to society but I thought about that last two weeks and how much mental suffering (self created) I was going through because I didn't have Internet connection. It sounds and is ridiculous! I do read often and write as much as possible and I have not completely engulfed myself in the world of Myspace and texting but I still find it sad on how connected I was to my computer. Like the other day, a girl in my class was caught texting during a test and had her phone confiscated. I watched her plead and beg and eventually start crying because she was separated from her phone until the next morning when her mother came and picked it up from school. At the time it didn't even cross my mind as not-normal behavior and that is what really makes me disappointed.

I really want to get away and go travel. I have never been out of American culture and I am getting sick of it. Maybe it's not the luxurious lifestyle that most of us live (because who doesn't love that?) but the people and how spoiled and rude we are. Like how we think that we are somehow entitled, as if it's one of our rights, to have these material luxuries and do whatever we want with them.

I am not going to give up talking on the phone or stop checking my e-mail but what I will do is keep in mind how important these things are to me and whether or not I can live without them. Because I know I can. And hopefully not, but maybe, some day we will all be forced to live without them and then what will we do? Who knows? I do know that I don't want to look like that pathetic, spoiled girl in my class who is so connected to her cell phone that she would give her life for it.

Into The Wild

Sean Penn's directing debut 'Into The Wild' released on DVD recently and I had the opportunity to watch it this weekend. When the film was showing in the theatre I had read numerous reviews praising the movie and Penn's talent, not only as one of the best actors in the last 25 years, but now as a director. Jon Krakauer's story of a young man who abandons his possessions and family to live a life in the isolated Alaskan wilderness is truly touching and inspiring and Emile Hirsch, being one of my personal favorites, didn't disappoint me here as he played the role of top student and athlete Christopher McCandless superbly. With a heart-rending story, impressive directing and exceptional acting coming from not only Hirsch but a surrounding all-star cast including Catherine Keener, Oscar nominated Hal Holbrook, Vince Vaughn and William Hurt, 'Into The Wild' is most definitely one of my personal favorites.

A Clockwork Orange

I just completed Anthony Burgess' 1962 classic 'A Clockwork Orange' and the novel is hands down the best book I've ever read. Anthony Burgess' story truly impacted my way of thinking. Stanly Kubrick's film adaptation is undoubtedly one of my favorite movies and I have to honestly say that the book was even better as I was disappointed that Kubrick didn't add in the last chapter of the book into the film, considering it changed the whole story. The writer's way of portraying an evil and corrupt future is magnificent and the language and dialouge are incredibly original. 'A Clockwork Orange' is an amazing piece of literature that deserves to be recognized as one of the great pieces of the last one hundred years. The next novel on my list, recommended by my english teacher, is 'On The Road' by Jack Kerouac and I'm pretty psyched to read it.

Gnarls Barkley...Still Look Good To Me

The hip duet Gnarls Barkley's 2006 debut album, St. Elsewhere has become one my favorites. The originality of the music was extremely impressive, especially among some of the popular artists of today's music scene. I have been hearing some buzz about their sophomore album, set to release on April 8th, and am a bit anxious considering some of the disappointing sophomore albums released in the past few years. The Arctic Monkeys, for example, had a magnificent debut album with 'Whatever People Say I am, That's What I'm Not' but I was disappointed when their sophomore album was released last year, not nearly as great in comparison to the previous record. Other bands including Bloc Party and The Strokes also let me down, although The Strokes made an impressive comeback in my mind with the underrated 'First Impressions of Earth'. So when I heard that Gnarls Barkley's sophomore album, titled 'The Odd Couple', is coming out in April, I tried not to get too excited. Recently listening to their two new singles 'Run' and 'Who's Gonna Save My Soul' , a feeling of relief swept over me, hearing some pleasant tunes coming from my speakers. Gnarls Barkley seem to not be a second year let down and I hope the album is just as impressive.

My Recent Favorites

This month I have come across some great albums; most of them from the last five years. This summer I filled up the hard drive on my computer and wasn't able to afford a new one, considering I quit my job for school related purposes. But this past Christmas, I was given a 360 GB hard drive, which has become my new best friend. I have been discovering a huge amount of truly decent music in the past couple of weeks; mainly consisting of indie rock. I thought I would share some of my favorites:

Sufjan Stevens - Illinois (2005)
Personal Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)
Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (2008)
Personal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Instant Classic

There Will Be Blood

Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood" is a modern masterpiece; one of the best movies I have seen in the past ten years. Telling the story of Daniel Plainview, a greedy megalomaniac oil miner who takes over the impoverished town of Little Boston, California. The brilliant Daniel Day-Lewis plays the role perfectly, capturing the characters evil and portraying it on screen in one of the best performances I have ever seen. The directing displays the emotion of the story along with a beautiful soundtrack, composed by Radiohead's talented Johnny Greenwood. Eli Sunday (Paul Dano) plays a corrupt priest who, while after a share of Plainview's profit, brainwashes the citizens with false prophecy. The beautifully composed film encapsulates a tale of greed, religion and power with an extremely entertaining ending, making it an instant classic. The film won two Oscars, best actor for Daniel Day-Lewis and best achievement in cinematography. It was also nominated for six others, including Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay and Director.

Daniel Day-Lewis' Best Actor Oscar at the 80th Academy Awards.

(Right) Paul Dano; (Left) Paul Thomas Anderson