Funny Stuff

Is my sense of humor supposedly sophisticated? Hardly, but what does this test say about me? Take it yourself and see how it works.

the Wit

(65% dark, 39% spontaneous, 22% vulgar)

your humor style:
CLEAN | COMPLEX | DARK

You like things edgy, subtle, and smart. I guess that means you're probably an intellectual, but don't take that to mean you're pretentious. You realize 'dumb' can be witty--after all isn't that the Simpsons' philosophy?--but rudeness for its own sake, 'gross-out' humor and most other things found in a fraternity leave you totally flat.

I guess you just have a more cerebral approach than most. You have the perfect mindset for a joke writer or staff writer. Your sense of humor takes the most effort to appreciate, but it's also the best, in my opinion.

Also, you probably loved the Office. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check it out here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/theoffice/.

PEOPLE LIKE YOU: Jon Stewart - Woody Allen - Ricky Gervais

Nobody's Fault but My Own

Beck once again was a great show. One could definitely tell that he was feeling well in place in his hometown because he really seemed to let loose moreso than in shows past.

Highlights included a stirring rendition of "Nobody's Fault but My Own," a glorified acoustic version of his seminal R&B send-up "Debra," and tight performances from his latest album Guero. Although it was a great show, the encore was a little disjointed as he broke open two songs from his Midnite Vultures venture. Before striking a chord, he invited anyone who could make it up onstage. It's one thing when you come to a concert, you expect the artist to do something special for the crowd, but I don't know anyone who really wants to watch the crowd onstage instead of the artist. I'm sure they were excited, but it wasn't that special for me.

There were a few technical difficulties, including Beck trying to break down some beats on a drum kit and a banjo rig completely inaudible from the audience. Mr. Hansen handled it like a professional all the way, with the crowd loving every minute of it.

It really was a great show and even made a believer out of Grace, who's never even heard a Beck album in her life. I'm mostly surprised that she said she would even see him in concert again.

Such is the healing power of Beck, bringing people together through the power of honky-tonk-funkadelic-guitar-rock-hip-hop, or whatever.

I've actually been neglecting some reviews of a couple movies I've seen lately, so keep an eye out this week.

Half-Blood Prints

You know, and I know that everyone and their mother is reading the latest Harry Potter novel. Well, I've just finished it, and it was another amazingly good read, perhaps the best of them all if I do say so myself. There's mystery, horror, drama, and pathos aplenty for everyone, most especially if you're a fan of the books.

There's so many questions left to be answered before the last book, so much that has yet to be done, and Ms. Rowling has outdone herself in making that book all the more greatly anticipated by writing this purple tome that I have set down. How could she do what she's done? I'm not appalled, nor am I frustrated, but I'm foaming at the mouth to read the final chapter.

Damn her.

Con Fused

Convention Logo
Originally uploaded by kardinalsin.

Over the weekend, a friend and I decided to travel aalll the way down to San Diego and check out what has to be one of the biggest genre conventions during the year, Comic Con. If any of you know me, I'm a big time comic collector, but surprisingly it wasn't the search for rare comics that brought me to the convention, but the search for none other than Kubricks, Qees, and other assorted vinyl toys that had a presence at the convention.

While we managed to see a few notable booths in the vinyl section, including Medicom, Toy Tokyo, Toy2R at the Tower Records booth, and even Los Angeles' own Giant Robot and Munky King we were depressed to find out that Kid Robot had abandonded Sunday's program after three straight days of crazy new exclusives specifically manufactured for the show. There were many toys bought, so maybe I'll post some examples at a later date detailing my most recent haul.

One thing I learned about being at the convention was that Sunday, while still being crowded, has to be the slowest day artist wise. Most of the notable artists I wanted to obtain sketches from were burnt out from doing commissions all weekend and from sketching like mad for three days straight. I did manage to talk to a few of them and even grab a couple of their convention sketch books, but wasn't able to get as many pages filled in my sketch pad as I would have liked. I learned what new projects they'd be working on, and also learned that the majority of them are really nice people. Makes me hopeful for acceptance if I ever get my butt off the ground and into gear with art.

The show was pretty neat, being able to see a lot of movie props and new video games as well. There were some pretty crazy costumes and people with way too much time on their hands, but it was appropriate for a place like Comic Con. I definitely will attempt to go back next year, hoist my nerd banner high, and attempt to brave the wilds of dorkhood.

Tadaima

Much can be said about my trip to the east and much can be listed, but lists are boring, and telling everyone straight out what occurred as a laundry-like detail of life can get tedious. Instead…

I've been to the Land of the Rising Sun and seen things that do not exist in the West. There is a temple of gold built on the ponds within small forests and a temple of earth and wood built into the side of a mountain, both are places of reflection and meditation. There are streets crowded with young adults and children, filling shops and massive chain stores with loud cries of excitement and frantic cellular phone calls. There is a red-hued street crossing which is periodically flooded with waves of human beings, fraught with consumer delight. There is an electric city, gleaming in the neon night with branded beauty. There are amusement halls of casino delight with businessmen in dark suits carrying bucketfuls of aluminum bearings and dreams of golden treasure. There are metal trains of great speed that carry men over streets on concrete pillars and their smaller cousins who live underground filled with youthful academics in dark uniforms and sleeping office-dwellers on their way to drink and song. There are gleaming, colorful monuments built to artists of illustration and film, one with a giant stroboscopic marvel of live animated beauty and the other a home to an atomic boy. There is a There are modern towers surrounded by rural quiet and rice fields aplenty. There is a Japan of old and a Japan of new. I've seen them both, and I've not seen enough.

One week is not enough time to experience all of it, but we saw a lot in 6 days. The jetlag hasn't been so bad yet, and I'm hoping it won't be, but right now it's light when I should be sleeping, and dark when I should be awake, so my brain has yet to normalize. For a first time out of the country, Japan was much fun and inspiring enough for me to want to see more. I bought too many toys, ate too many noodles, and walked too many miles.

I loved every minute of it.

Thanks to Grace, for being patient with me for taking me somewhere I've always wanted to go.