beautiful site, eh?

Nate

Vern and FL

I'm now alone in Florida.

Pray for me.

I'm already on "Tricia Tanaka is Dead", and that means LOST Season 3 has approximately 24 hours until I devour the rest of it. I'll have the individual reviews up soon.

Nate

finally started experimenting with the self-timer

Nate

hi!

I'm watching Gladiator right now, and it's much, much better than I remembered. I also rewatched X-Men: The Last Stand, and my feelings are less hateful, but no less disappointed.

+++

Tonight, I watched two episodes of Two and a Half Men, and the season finale of How I Met Your Mother. I thought that Two and a Half Men was going to be quite terrible, but it was actually quite funny. Charlie Sheen, Blythe Danner, and whoever the other guy is (he played Ducky in Pretty in Pink) are all really, genuinely funny.

Plus, Jane Lynch was totally in one of the episodes. She's side-splitting as Charlie's psychiatrist. I love her so, so much. Funniest lady in Hollywood.

Nate

oh alright...

Glance at the Sky in Florida.
By the Pool in Florida.
Jeff's Robotic Creation.
Coca Cola Goes Green.
+++

I like these guys too. My digital camera was the best gift I ever got.

Nate

real simple-like

I just like this picture. It took it, and it's of my friend Jeff.

Nate

PS: I'm in Palm Coast, Florida now.

robins in spring

WARNING: THIS POST MAY BE VERY, VERY UPSETTING. ANIMAL LOVERS, TAKE CAUTION; HEREIN LIES A SAD, SAD TALE.


(all pictures are my original photography, please do not use without asking, thank you.)

This Spring, outside of my family's kitchen window, two robins made a nest in the holly.

One day, these two robins had four eggs, and eventually, four little chicks.

I took a few pictures of the robins and their babies. The babies were the ugliest things I had ever seen, but I fell in love. I was hoping to take pictures throughout the next two weeks as they grew.


Today, a snake scaled the holly outside our kitchen window, killed Mama robin, and ate all four chicks.

My dad saw the entire thing, and even tried to chase the snake away with a broken golf club. My mom and sister almost cried when I gave them the news.


My mom said it was all "just really sad."

I would have to agree with her.

Nate

If this wasn't enough Nate...

If you do not scan the right-hand sidebars every time you enter the site, you may not have noticed the addition of a couple of "wings" of the Hollow Chatter.

Other than my running 'Best of 08', you can now take a look at my new projects, The Hollow Pictures and The (Less Hollow) Lists. They are both pretty self-explanatory, but I must mention that both blogs are exercises in fun and entertainment, not anal-retentive, masturbatory stuff, so you shouldn't be afraid to check it out.

Nate.

The awful feeling of electric heat...

My Politics in Pop Culture course is pretty amazing, and one particularly great thing about taking it is my professor's selections of topical links for the week's readings.

This week, our class will focus on the representations of Latinos in modern pop culture, especially in the context of the political scapegoat issue of immigration. Susana (my prof) has some choice links for the topic, two of the best appearing on the MediaMatters website:

Boortz: Non-English-speaking Latinos are "the ones with sombreros" and "bandoliers full of bullets across their chest"

Savage called Latino advocacy group "the Ku Klux Klan of the Hispanic people"

I don't read MediaMatters enough, but I think I'm gonna start checking in there more often. Seems like they've got some articles to really get a gentleman's gorge risen high on up there.

(Speaking of the whole "makes my gorge rise" turn of phrase: the first few times I ever heard the term, it was being used to refer to sexual criminals or pedophiles, so I also thought that the speakers were saying that pedophilia rocked their world. Funny, huh?)

++++

So, tonight, hopefully, I will have my review of the series finale of The Wire. I might just save it for tomorrow, though. I don't want to accidentally spoil something for both of you guys reading this. I also plan to do some major Lost writing.

As for my non-TV blog plans, I want to do a brief review of Persepolis soon, as well as a look at The Best Years of Our Lives (which I'm watching for da SOMB). I am also considering some retrospective looks at the 2000-2007 movie era. Some greatest performances stuff, maybe. Who knows?

I also want to start posting more new, more up to date, music stuff...maybe even a podcast?

++++

There are also some upcoming projects of mine that are based in, get this...the real, physical world. Not the internet!

What could these ventures outside of the USS Blog possibly include?

I am glad you ventured to question my truth voice. My responsibilities are as such...

I should have a music column in the upcoming issue of the school paper, The Climax. That means that this week, both The Climax and Nick's Blunder Bust shall be stained a putrid shade of awesome by my pen. I am considering submitting some photography to The Omen as well. Might as well get some of my stuff out there.

In one of my first LJ posts ever (I have looked back through em a few times...they date back to 2002 or 2003), I declared my intentions to spread across this great globe like a charming, red(-headed) death. I just want my longterm fans to know that the whole project is still in the works. No worries.

++++

In another case of an awesome heads up from a friend: a few weeks ago, my mom pointed my towards the National Portrait Gallery's new Hip-Hop portrait exhibition/showcase, the interestingly (not sure how I feel) named Recognize!

This is why I rule so hard. In case you've been wondering. I got raised by that lady.

The exhibit is definitely worth looking at.

So do it.

++++

I just remembered about a fun time waster I read about maybe a week ago. It's called The Black Cab Recordings. It's a British internet venture in which a strange (but awesome) assortment of lesser known artists ride around in the back of a British taxi cab. Playing their strange assortment of lesser known hits. The passenger/singers include Daniel Johnston, Spoon, Okkervil River, St. Vincent, Bill Callahan (Mr. Joanna Newsom, formerly Smog), Langhorne Slim, The New Pornographers, and a myriad of really not famous British artists who seem like they could be neat.

I have yet to watch any of the videos on the site, but if I discover in the future that one of these is particularly awesome, I will let y'all know.

I don't know about ch'all, but I know that I'm excited to see the St. Vincent one the most.

Nathaniel Tyson

not in nottingham

Coming Soon

Reviews of the series finale of The Wire and the new Gnarls Barkley album.

Nathaniel

this is how you spell "hahaha destroy your hopes"

I have yet to watch last night's Lost, but comments will be coming on that.

brief music ramblings

Upon further listens, I have decided that I really, really, really love that Earth album. I also like the new Gnarls Barkley way, way more than I thought I would. I keep forgetting that I kinda like their style a lot.

Los Campesinos have grown on me quite bit as well.

(right now, I'm listening to Neon Neon's Stainless Steel, which is ridiculously awesome)

Nathaniel Tyson

Things on my mind...

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (movie)
I watched this last night on a whim, and I'm glad I did. Here's the breakdown: Val Kilmer and my buddy Robert Downey Jr. as, respectively, a private detective and petty thief caught up in a noirish conspiracy in LA. It's absolutely hilarious. Downey Jr. is always great. Always. He's never been bad. tell me when he's been bad. I challenge you. Right. Exactly. Any movie that stars him as the romantic/comedic lead gets an automatic thumbs up from me. But, his involvement aside, it's definitely worth checking out. It's a hoot. Val Kilmer is also pretty game, just for the record.



Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly - Searching for the Hows and the Whys (album)
It's an entertaining, theatrical album that I have only given one listen, but highly recommend. It's a fun, fresh kinda thing. A good Spring album. Too bad Spring will be arriving in Amherst sometime in July.



The Crazy Operas Getting Written These Days (general concept)
Every once in a while, I am reminded that people are still writing operas. Not only are they still writing them, but they're setting them in modern times or adapting them from modern sources. This is awesome to me. I have yet to see one of these productions, but I really, really want to some day.
For your (and my) edification, here is an incomplete list of somewhat crazy sounding full-blown modern (1975-present) operas. Not musicals. Not operettas. Operas.

Angels in America

Nixon in China

Dead Man Walking

The End of the Affair

Harvey Milk

Einstein on the Beach

For nobody's edification, here is a much longer list of crazy sounding modern operas that I made up just now, but should probably get made pretty soon.

Blue Velvet

Heath Ledger: The Opera

Napoleon Dynamite

Bush in Crawford (A Cycle in 79 Parts)

Nancy Anmut ist ein schlechtes Weibchen: Eine Oper berichtete durch einen Chor der toten Blondine-Hochschulmädchen
(Nancy Grace is an Evil Bitch: An Opera Narrated by a Choir of Dead Blonde College Girls)



Nathaniel Tyson

Thank God that's over

alright, no more countdowns for a while. I feel spread thin.

Nathaniel Tyson

Recent music thoughts...

Deadly Avenger - Blossoms & Blood
Some sweet-ass electronica that a man can really get behind. I don't know enough about the genre to sy much else, but I definitely recommend checking this one out if you like the idea of music that computers make love to.

The Dodos - Visitor
This album was initially described to me as having been created just for those who believe that Animal Collective's Sung Tongs is a thing of rare beauty and genius. I happen to believe this, so I can only discuss The Dodos as an Animal Collective fan. The instrumentation and vocals are certainly reminiscent of 2004 AC, but the spirit is different. The voice reminds me of Beirut's Zach Condon, rather than either Avey Tare or Panda Bear, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. The Dodo's are a more traditional song-writing duo, but this leads them to streamline AC's tics and idiosynchratic elements into polished pop. Good stuff, but not great.


Earth - The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull
These guys are evidently a very influential metal act from Seattle that's been around since 1990. Couldn'tve proven it by me. I came into this album with no prior knowledge of Earth or their influence. According to some sources, this album is very different then their earlier, harder material. But here's what it breaks down to: The Bees Made Honey is basically a great prog album to get high and space out to. Made up of seven longish tracks, the album is perfectly paced for its length; the songs never seem to rush to where they're trying to go. I'm a burgeoning fan of spacey instrumental metal, and this album delivers the goods on that front. Definitely recommended. Strongly.

Los Campesinos! - Hold on Now, Youngster...
Self-referential, sweetly sincere twee that doesn't aim to stand above the scene, but instead revels in it. While the gimmicky nature should wear thin, the band's charming sarcasm is enough to support an entire LP.


The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
This is, in my eyes, the first album to break Darnielle's streak of greatness since 2004's We Shall All Be Healed. The album starts out strongly with "Sax Rhomer #1" and the fantastic "San Bernardino", but clunkers like "So Desperate" and "Autoclave" are shockingly generic and uninteresting. The second half of the album picks back up, but I'm not certain it's enough to save the entire LP. This may be the least consistent record Darnielle has made in half a decade. However, that said, it's definitely worth a listen for the good stuff.

Vampire Weekend - s/t
Good, catchy rock. You and I are going to be sick of them very soon, if you already aren't. I am, kinda. Favorites are "Walcott" and "Oxford Comma".

++++

I have shuffled up and begun numbering my recommended section. You can always access that section from the sidebar under "2008's Recommended Stuff". I really need to get out and see some movies, don't I? Hopefully, I'll finally get a chance to see Be Kind, Rewind sometime soon.

I have some other records that I need more time with before writing-up.

On a related note, I finally heard the new Gnarls Barkley single, "Run". You can hear it at this seemingly fake Myspace profile. It's quite good, really. However, Luke and I both noticed something strange about it. Check the 1:30 mark...Cee-Lo sings the line "I have got a beast at baaaay". Do his vocals remind you of anyone? Tenacious D, perhaps? The entire song is totally a rip-off of "Master Exploder" from the Pick of Destiny. Oh DJ Dangermouse...did you think nobody would notice?

Nathaniel Tyson

I see why you left, the city's been dead since you've been gone

I miss Philly

...letting the water hold us down. Letting the days go by...water flowing underground

I spoke on the phone with my grandfather today. He's about 85 now, and has survived the Great Depression, World War II, Vietnam, Reagan, and two Bushes. He is a Doctor of Philosophy and an ordained Methodist minister. I'm his only grandson, and I'm more than a little worried that I haven't lived up to that.

With the way the past year or so has gone, it's become possible to accept that I won't have him for much longer. When I spoke to him today, he sounded very tired, but very pleased to hear from me. I don't call him enough.

Being an adult was a project I started accidentally about three years ago. After much procrastination, I'm trying to catch up.

It's going slowly.

Nathaniel Tyson

more people need to say it

Nathaniel Tyson

[edit: the pictures are links to, respectively, a television show, a movie, a band, and a play that I am digging at the moment.]