Tromblog

Television

2009-11-02T16:30:00.003-06:00

I have been watching the show FlashForward recently, and for the most part have been enjoying it. However. I have come to the conclusion that there are very few writers for television who are willing to write characters that love and trust each other at a very fundamental level. Writers seem to think that whenever there is a chance for drama between characters, that it should be exploited.

I have watched only a few episodes of Glee, but the drama is so ridiculous that I CAN'T watch it. 'Who's cheating on who? Who's pregnant now? They *kissed*?!?' All of it is far enough out of reality that I can't suspend my disbelief and just accept what is handed to me. FlashForward is getting to be the same way. 'Why doesn't he tell her? Why is she lying to the other guy? Shouldn't he just let it go?' There is so much drama that the plot gets sacrificed.

I love science fiction. I love fantasy. Suspension of disbelief of the world is something that is not that hard to do. The world is presented with a certain number of rules that the characters and plot must adhere to. Within that, when a character or plot point leaves to far from what is real life, that is when I start to have problems with the story. A world set on earth cannot have different physics or laws of nature. A story with humans has to have the relationships behave a certain way. It is possible to suspend disbelief in a world, but I do not think that anything good comes from that same suspension of a character. And yet, this is what we are often asked to do as an audience.

This is the reason I can't watch BSG. Or Lost. Or Glee. Or any number of shows. The reality of the characters is not there. I love some TV, and some shows that are coming out really are good. I am just ready to stop caring about every new show that hits the streets. It's just not worth it to get frustrated.

Namingway

2009-08-11T17:00:00.004-05:00

Let us, for a moment, consider the name.

We all have them. Every culture uses names, be it independent of meaning, or based on one's actions. But we still have them. And our obsession with naming does not even just end with humans. We name just about everything, and have a desire to personify anything and everything with that name. We name things from pets to stuffed animals to instruments.

So what is a name? A few vowel sounds shaped by the mouth, with some clicks and hisses thrown in? Odd if one considers the weight that those sounds carry. We take our names from a very young age, and they become part of who we are. We respond to them attach and meaning to the names as we come to know the person they belong to, including oneself. Someone has a close friend who has a fairly common name who betrays them on a personal level. Suddenly, the one betrayed has a negative connotation of the name and will have a hard time liking anyone who has that name, regardless of their character. Also, someone has a nickname as a small child that is used, and then, as an adult they decide that that name has become a thing of the past, and then when someone uses it, the name is suddenly seen as a condescension from the other person.

So rarely do we redefine ourselves as a person, and even more rarely do we redefine our name. Why is it that it is so rare, even for the most rebellious of characters, to change their fundamental name? It seems that one's name is a tie to a past that they have come from, so why bother with it? Maybe the character of people changes so gradually that the identification of self goes hand in hand with the self-definition of name, thus rendering a change unnecessary.

In my life, I have in actuality, had three different names of usage. As a child I was 'Joey'. Didn't ask for it. Didn't mind it. To this day, I am still Joey to my friends’ parents who saw me grow up in the back yard. Then I was 'Joe'. Solid, simple, average. A good name. Then before my second year in college I decided to switch to 'Joseph'. In my eyes it was more professional. More official. A name I wanted as an old man. Problem with Joseph is that while many have it, most use 'Joe' as their used name, so introductions can be a little confusing. Also, so many know me as Joe, and over the past year I have come to have such a different concept of myself so that the name of Joe sounds to my ears younger and less defined. But I still use it. Most people I know know me as Joe, and call me such. My self-redefinition has changed what my identifying name is, and thus my name has changed.

So now we come to Pets. This is an odd one. Pets are also quite odd, in that we let animals roam our homes and we take care of them. In return they are cute most of the time, comfort us a little of the time, and are a hassle all of the time. We also train them to have names. The question that got me thinking about names in the first place was, 'Does my dog understand that his name is 'Linus'? Or does he just hear the syllables 'Eye-uhss'? Do we name our pets to have them beckoned at a command? Or do we name them to personify them as to have a higher relationship with our pets?

The most baffling of ideas involving names is that of naming inanimate objects. This, I have no explanation for. Why should we even consider calling our own television by name? Or the fan. Or the car. Naming it a name to identify it, such as artwork or buildings, makes very logical sense. Naming it so that we can call the computer 'Jane' (+100 points if you can get the reference there)? That's a whole different subject, which makes no sense to me.

I am no exception to the rule of naming inanimate objects as well. I have two trombones, one is 'Theodosius", named after the Roman Caesar, and "Frankenbone" because it has many different brands frankensteined into one trombone. I call them Ted and Frank respectively. If I spend to long away from one, I talk to it the next time I play it, asking how it's been and apologizing for not playing.

So why do we name things at all? Why bother with it. I think that if one doesn't have a name the sense of self is much more quickly lost, and is fundamental to our sanity, and we name non-human things in order to increase our comfort and familiarity with something. To increase its importance to our self and also to show dominion over it without seeing it without worth. If we see something that has no value and no name, we will much sooner discard it than if that same object has a name. It has become part of our self as part of where we came from.

This was all mostly a ramble of unthought out concepts I just threw together. I'd love to hear some feedback and counter arguments fro y'all.

Movie Quotes!

2008-04-26T00:19:00.002-05:00

Here's the deal.. in the comments section, take the movie quotes I have listed here and try to guess them. It's a fun game.

1) Throughout human history, we have been dependent on machines to survive. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony.
2) You're a fat loser and you have body odor.
3) I never blamed you. Not once. You came for me. That's all that matters.
4) I just want you to feel you're doing well. I hate for people to die embarrassed.
5) Who knows? Maybe what you've been waitin' on will be twitchin at the dance tonight.
6) When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept for there were no more worlds to conquer." The benefits of a classical education.
7) Jack, please, I'm only an elected official here, I can't make decisions by myself!
8) I am a leaf on the wind - watch how I soar.
9) Could it be that once again you are angry for something else, and you are taking it out on me?
10) I got the Holy Spirit... get on it... it's a good train...
11) I detect, like me, you're endowed with the gift of gab.
12) I wish we'd known each other... this is a little awkward.
13) Not many people know this, but the turtle is nature's suction cup.
14) They told me they fixed it! I *trusted* them to *fix* it! It's not my fault!
15) Well... I did. Right up until you... chuckled... like that... And now I'm thinking I should just get out of here.

Lolcatz

2007-12-20T21:39:00.000-06:00

my lolcat

thx anne for the idea! be sure to give me a vote, yo.

Daily Vid #'s 5 6 and 7

2007-11-11T23:21:00.000-06:00

Hey. So it's been a couple of busy days, hence the lack of posting. So, I will post the missed vids in one BIG post. Hope you enjoy! =)

#5... an awesome trombone jazz solo by Nils Landgren. It involves some pretty amazing multiphonic playing. And other stuff... watch and see.

#6... a theremin. I want one. As far as I know it involves disturbing the electrical field around a device and it makes sound accordingly.

#7... an amusing amv (animated music video) using in-game graphics from Blizzard's World of Warcraft.

Daily Vid #4

2007-11-08T18:13:00.000-06:00

As a trombonist, it is my goal to be able to play like as such. I can't yet.

(btw, I attended Derek Zoolander's Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good and Wanna Learn to do Other Stuff Good Too)

Daily Vid #3

2007-11-07T13:01:00.000-06:00

Well, the next few posts I have planned are music based. I thought that I'd start with a nice little Ukulele piece. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". This guy KNOWS his instrument.

Daily Vid #2

2007-11-06T13:39:00.001-06:00

Another cute one.

Daily Vid #1

2007-11-05T14:19:00.001-06:00

Not sure how long this will last, but I was inspired by my brother's blog and decided to start a daily youtube video. Several of my friends and I tend to watch a lot of youtube videos together, and send the new ones that we find back and forth to each other. Granted many of the good videos we find are of animals being cute, there are a good number of vids that are not. Installments 1 and 2 for sure are going to be cute animal videos, but hopefully for those that aren't as into the cute and cuddly stuff I will have some other types posted. Here's number one. Two otters holding hands.

Leader of the Pack

2007-10-31T01:07:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, my sister Anne and I were in the local grocery store, when we were helped by a physically remarkable cashier. I didn't say anything while at the counter, but as soon as we were done and on our way to the parking lot, I leaned over and whispered to Anne and got her immediate response.

“Quick! Name one physical feature of our cashier!”

“Eyebrows!”

“Yeah! Mine too. What was your second feature you noticed?”

“She was skinny.”

“Aw, mine was her blond hair.”

We have played this game several other times. The idea is that you get a look at someone, and say the most striking physical feature to you, and see how much you line up with other people. “Purple mu-mu! Beard! Bald!” Just an interesting game of observing.

Another similar game that one of my friends helped me make up is the “Leader of the Pack” as we called it. What one does, is when seeing a group of people, usually 4-7 in size, you look for the relationship dynamics. The following is a list of characteristics that I have picked up observing people and being part of these same groups. Granted there may be some overlap of personas or even your own disagreement with my classifications.

1) The Alpha Wolf. The leader of the group that all of the members look up to and follow their ideas. This person is usually the joining friend among the other members, the one that brought them all together. When walking, typically close to front center, though there may be other members in front of them. The Alpha wolf is also typically the spokesperson for the group, deciding what the group thinks on an issue.

2) The Beta Wolf. This is the second in command. When the Alpha Wolf doesn't want to make a decision, or is absent from the group at that time, the Beta Wolf will fill that leadership role. Usually closer to the front than back, but not as forward as Alpha.

3) The Silent Leader. The silent leader is one that doesn't quite fit the roll as the Alpha Wolf, as they are not as charismatic. They will often be slightly apart from the group in the fore part of the pack, guiding the groups progress along their course. Turn here, go around that log to the left, all minor decisions that need to be initiated by some person.

4) The Follower. The Follower is just that; one who follows. They are a member of the pack that goes along with the flow, wherever they are led, even if it isn't a place they'd normally go. Usually on the sides or rear of the group.

5) The Independent. The independent is harder to spot than the other characteristics. This is a person that appears like a follower, going with the flow of the group, but able to separate from the group with ease. This person can mesh with almost any group of people, with a flexible personality that doesn't overstep the bounds that the Alpha and Beta wolves set up.

6) The Jester. The Jester is usually the one you notice first from a distance. They are loud and telling jokes or stories. They are the amiable people that everyone likes. They are usually found in the middle of the group, where all members can easily hear.

These are just some of the main ones that I've noticed. Feel free to expand on the ideas, add your own, or tell where you think you fall. I think that I personally am a mix between the Silent Leader and the Follower, depending on the situation for whichever has more dominance.

...Woah!

2007-10-30T14:00:00.000-05:00

So the wonders of the body never cease to amaze me. Here, a Japanese man has figured out the art of drinking REALLY fast. Really.

Wow.

5, 6, 7, 8... AMAZE!

2007-10-05T23:37:00.000-05:00

These videos seem to show the pinnacle of human muscle control and balance... in dance of course. Makes me wish i had been born with the drive and means to really be a dancer.

Wow. Just wow.

Word O'

2007-10-03T09:26:00.000-05:00

Word o' the Day.... Loud.

This morning for marching band, instead of meeting as a trombone section at 7 for sectionals, we met as a brass section at 7 for sectionals. We got a lesson in being loud. My favorite description of how to be loud enough (mind you its just approximate wording)... "Yeah. Touch your bell... it's a directional instrument. You can focus it. If you all play loud enough and focus your sound at one person's forehead, their head should explode." We all play. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

If Loud = Marching Band and Marching Band = Fun, then Loud = Fun.

Possibilities

2007-10-01T18:18:00.000-05:00

This afternoon I had my weekly lesson with my trombone professor. The past week I got very little time to practice, and he of course noticed. So we began discussing my schedule, and it came up that I should probably back the schedule off a little next semester. I had already been planning to do this. 18 credit hours with a music major is pretty crazy for me.

Also in the discussion, the idea of changing majors came up. I was wondering about a film music degree... if there was anything in that realm offered. The closest he suggested was a Bachelor of Arts with a film minor. Pretty cool idea. One of the job field that he mentioned that was growing was that of music for video games. As video games can now start having real sound tracks, musicians are needed to write and perform those sound tracks. That would be so much fun for me.

Another idea that was brought up, was me switching to a bass trombone instead of my tenor. The studio of around 20 trombonists has under 5 designated bass trombonists. That'd put me in a good position for later ensembles, providing my skill in the lower register is up to snuff. I am intrigued.

Nothing is decided, I'm not gonna decide today... just something to think about.

The Blog, the Trom-blog

2007-09-24T21:38:00.000-05:00

Hello all! Joe here, and I'm finally starting a blog! I have no idea how much I'm going to be posting on it, but hopefully enough to keep you all interested! I figured that now that I am in college, being on line in a reachable manner to the public would be a good thing. Yup... here we go!