Random

Work has been busy leading up to this coming weekend. While things won't necessarily get less busy, they will get less hectic provided this weekend goes smoothly. So while I have some time, here are some random notes.

Shaq looks strange in a Suns jersey. If someone had told you in 1995 that Grant Hill and Shaquille O'Neal would play on the same team, you'd probably assume they'd be favored to win a championship. Shaq was drafted #1 overall in 1992 and Grant Hill was drafted #3 overall in 1994.

Jason Kidd returned to the Mavericks who originally drafted him in 1994 (#2 overall). He's not the only player lately to return to their original team. Steve Nash made this move a few years back when he rejoined the Suns after his time with Dallas. Chris Webber recently signed with the Golden State Warriors who didn't draft him but traded for him on draft day. Not only does he return to the Warriors, but he returns to Don Nelson who coached the Warriors during Webber's first stint. Keith Van Horn was involved in the Kidd trade, and while he hasn't played for a few years, he technically returned to the New Jersey Nets who drafted him #2 overall in 1997.

The trend of NBA players being traded as well as free agency always tends to muddy the memories of current players' original teams. Afterall, who could forget Tracy McGrady the Raptor or Chauncey Billups the Celtic?

With respect to LOST:
What a great season so far! Lots of new questions...
I think I know how Jack and Claire discover that they're (half)brother and (half)sister.
I think I know who's in the coffin and why.

Perhaps coincidentally following a trend. Gary Louris joins Dan Wilson in releasing a solo album. Both musicians are more famous as a part of bands (Louris from the Jayhawks and Wilson from Semisonic), but the common ground continues in that they both worked with the Dixie Chicks on their Grammy winning album. Louris' album hit stores (and more commonly, online outlets) this week and it sounds good. You might remember my raving of Gary Louris when I saw him with side project Golden Smog.

Not About Me

I've been contemplating writing an 'about me' article that would tell readers about me. I'm not sure how detailed I would be...or how serious for that matter. If you've got an opinion or think you know what should go in an 'about me' write-up, let me know in the comments.

Caught Off Guard

Do you ever find yourself caught off guard by something that seems like it should be familiar? Let me explain. Apply the question to music. There are probably songs that you've heard hundreds if not thousands of times...but then one day something about the song clicks...like you're hearing it for the first time...it might even cause you to look down at your iPod to check and see what song it is. I'll admit, sometimes it's just the volume, or sometimes it's just one line that makes "extra" sense.

Photo credit (Flickr: RealMerlin)

I don't remember when exactly, but I remember vividly one morning driving on the Marquam Bridge in Portland. It was early so the sun was just rising in the East. At the peak of the Eastbound level of the Marquam bridge, on a clear day, at that time of the morning, Mt. Hood is hard to miss. Why do I remember one particular time of crossing the bridge? Something about the light made the mountain look bigger, better, brighter...and it caught me off guard. I can't explain what was so special very eloquently, but it's been years since I've driven that drive and I still remember one morning.

I think there's something to those two things that we miss 99.9999% of our lives. Whether it be routine or busyness or jadedness, there's something to be said for allowing yourself to be caught off guard by a great song or a great sunrise or anything else that seems routine or habit (FYI, the sun rises every day in most parts of the world). Let it happen and embrace it.

Welcome to the Lakers, Pau

Pau Gasol made his debut with the Lakers tonight, and shined. I've been pinching myself all week with the notion that the Lakers basically got this guy for Kwame Brown.

Politics

Because I don't belong to a party, I'm not a voter today. I've voted Republican and supported the Republican party all my life. I think I've mentioned previously that there's a difference in an Oregon Republican from the national perception of the Republican Party as a whole. I grew up with names like Hatfield and Packwood, conservative in many ways, but also a regard for the environment, social programs, civil rights, etc. I will not officially begin to cover a candidate until there are 1 candidate in each party (could be as soon as tonight), but I can tell you the candidate I'm supporting today rhymes with Yo Mama. Alaska is a wild card when it comes to Democrats, but I think McCain has a strong hold on the Republican delegates. Polls close in AK tonight at 8:30 local time which is technically Super Wednesday on the East Coast.

Dance Off

I got a bunch of traffic on the East Coast throughout the day from Google searches for "Dance War". I wanted to set the record straight that I did not blog about (what I found in doing some research) a TV show on ABC. In fact, you can go to the Fine Films site and watch a trailer for War/Dance to see some of the beauty, insight, and unspoken call to action mentioned in my previous post. You can also read up about the movement coming out of the film.

War/Dance

A friend of mine has an exciting job. Among other things, she's working with some filmmakers on a documentary. When she first told me about the project, she was really excited about one of the other films the filmmakers made. It had done well at Sundance last year; winning Best Directing for Documentary and nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary. Pretty impressive stuff. She was so excited about their previous film that she sent me a copy. It was so impulsive, that she sent it to an old address. She sent a second copy and I got a chance to finally watch it. The movie is War/Dance or War Dance. And it happens to have been nominated for an Academy Award earlier this week for Best Documentary. I absolutely love the movie and here is a short summary and three points that merit it's nomination.

Uganda is having it's National Music Festival and filmmakers Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine follow three members of a refugee camp school as they train for and compete in the competition. They are the only team coming out of the war zone to compete.

Beauty: The film is insanely beautiful. All aspects from the dance, the colors, the landscapes of Uganda and the sounds. The visuals, stories, and sounds help to create images that don't leave your consciousness very quickly.

Insight: Whether the team won anything or not, the subject was found in the bush of Uganda and pursued. It shows incredible insight into the heart of the story; these amazing kids who won't let the terrible hand they've been dealt in life to affect their attitudes and their outlook. The selfless adults that work with these children are also so amazing.

Unspoken Call to Action: Never in the film do they try to tell us something. The innocently show us a story unfold and let us react. There is no celebrity who tells you how you can help these children. There's no connection to an organization to donate money to. There is no call to action. The filmmakers leave it to you to draw your own conclusions. Many people will be able to watch this movie without letting themselves be changed by the story or the exposure to the world, many other people will hear the unspoken call to make a difference in their world.I can't comment on the next project from Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine, but I trust their vision, insight and ability to expose the world to us in the form of Documentary film. I'll be rooting for them come Oscar time. It will be released on DVD officially on April 15.

Memes: Who Starts These Things, Anyway?!?

They used to be part of the repertoire of those who sent lots of forwarded emails. Now it happens more with Myspace bulletins and blogs. So where do they come from? Who writes the jokes, the stories, the urban legends, or the lists of favorites? I wouldn't be surprised if they all originated with Nigerian princes. Anyway, I've been thinking about a thread on the old forum on the BLB website. Long since lost and likely forgotten, at the time it provided hours of entertainment. It consisted of everyone involved with the BLB project listing 20 things about themselves that people didn't know. It got creative, funny, and also educational too. So, if you feel like beating me to the punch, (I'm contemplating starting the meme) type up 20 things about yourself on your blog and include a link to this post so I see it. If nothing else, you'll get a link from me.

The Layman at SFMOMA

While in the Bay Area over Christmas, I had the opportunity to visit the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco. What an interesting and beautiful place. While I only spent a couple of hours there and didn't see anywhere near everything there is to see. I went through the Joseph Cornell exhibit, the Olafur Eliasson exhibit, and the Mattisse and Beyond exhibit. Art museums are wonderful places. There's no way that you can't walk away without being inspired. I stood and looked at the Picasso painting above (Scene De Rue). Pablo Picasso painted it when he was just 19 and it was actually "lost" but found behind another painting. While Picasso may have thought of it as a lesser work or even scratch paper, it captivated me. The little jpg doesn't do it justice. And because it's generally considered a lesser work, I've yet to find a shop selling a print.
Whether you "get it" or not, there is so much value in experiencing art in a museum or gallery setting and I highly recommend SFMOMA. Just don't loose your parking garage ticket.
If you live in a town that has an art museum or a modern art museum, do yourself a favor and don't take it for granted.

Future Posts: Some From You, Some From Me

I have a lot of friends who don't blog themselves, but in some ways, blog vicariously through me. I'm fine with that. While I'd love to read their thoughts as they come through Google Reader, I've come to terms with it. But occasionally I'll tell a story or have a conversation offline and then I get an email asking why it didn't show up on mkinmotion.com. Well, as you can tell, I don't blog very regularly anymore so every conversation, every story or every great point I make doesn't make it onto the blog. But with numerous requests and a few recent ideas, here are some future posts you can look forward to in the coming days.

- My Return to College
- My Ride Along with Anchorage Police Department (this might be the most requested I've ever had)
- My thoughts on MOMA (I may just have to add a blurb about tiger attacks)
- My thoughts on The Beat Museum
- The state of College Football
- Odd similarities between air travel and laundromats

And in light of adding #1 to an already busy schedule, I'll have to pencil these in over the next week. If you've got any last minute requests for me to add to the list, you can comment or email.

New Roles and New Opportunites in a New Age

“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope...”

- Robert F. Kennedy

There have been times in the world’s history where great men and women have stepped into these roles with the sole motivation to make a difference and change the world as much as they could. Names like Benjamin Franklin, Mother Teresa, Susan B. Anthony, Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Desmond Tutu, and many other people throughout time. None of them were Presidents or Kings or Queens, but all of them have shifted the world we live in today.
As I watch coverage of the 2008 election, I think of all the quality people who are seeking the highest office in America. Only one of them will win in November, so what happens with the rest of them? Likely they will go back to being Senators, Representatives, and some of them will just stay candidates for the next time it comes around. I think what this country and this world need now are more people who are willing to use their ideas, their “power” and their abilities to step into the roles of world-changers. I think we live in a cynical time where we distrust a celebrity or politician who wants to use their voice to speak for others. That’s an us problem and shouldn’t deter great people from stepping up. I’m sure the cynics were rough on Susan B. Anthony and we know how they treated MLK.
Immediately I think of people like Al Gore, Bill Gates, Bono, even George Clooney. They seem to be using what influence they have whether it is money, celebrity or political clout to take on their issues. Al Gore has been outspoken in his crusade to improve our environment, you may not agree with everything he says, but you can respect his effort. Bono has been outspoken against many things in his career, but lately his focus has been on AIDS, hunger and poverty in Africa. Bill Gates is walking away from Microsoft later this year to go full time with his foundation that ambitiously is going after the issue of world health. George Clooney has been trying for years to get America to listen to Darfur’s cries. And these 4 guys are just a few that come to mind immediately. With the grassroots support we’ve seen in this election for a Ron Paul or Barack Obama or John Edwards, they have an incredible chance to take on a role in history if they aren’t selected to represent their party or their country. I believe we live in a time that needs more people and less government stepping in to fight against hunger, world health, intolerance, human rights, liberty (whether democratic or not) and squabbles between countries that lead to war. So my challenge to these candidates and the question I would ask if given the chance: If you don’t win the nomination or the presidency, how will you continue to change the world? I think the answers would not only pave the way for a great post election lifestyle, but also give you a pretty good idea of what they would be like as a president.

Promises Promises: More Best of 2007

As mentioned, previously, here are my best tracks of 2007. I think above anything else, 2007 was the year for light and poppy hooks for me. You can search for demos of the songs on Hype Machine or follow the links to iTunes.

Again, no particular order and in no way inclusive:

Spoon - You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb
I'm From Barcelona - We're From Barcelona
M.I.A. - Paper Planes
The National - Fake Empire
Travis - My Eyes (youtube)
Josh Ritter - (tie) Right Moves & Rumors
Feist - (tie) 1,2,3,4 & My Moon, My Man (youtube) & (youtube)
Okkervil River - Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe
Bloc Party - I Still Remember
Derek Webb - I Wanna Marry You All Over Again
Coconut Records - West Coast
Dan Wilson - Easy Silence (originally written by Wilson for the Dixie Chicks, but wonderfully done by him)
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)
Ryan Adams - Halloweenhead
Eddie Vedder - Hard Sun
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
Kings of Leon - On Call
Elvis Perkins - Emile's Vietnam in the Sky
The Arcade Fire - Keep the Car Running
Josh Rouse - Hollywood Bass Player
Andrew Bird - Imitosis
Wilco - Impossible Germany
The New Pornographers - Myriad Harbour
Paul McCartney - Dance Tonight (youtube, still not a horn playing prairie dog)
Peter Bjorn & John - Young Folks (youtube) For the record, this is my ringtone
The Shins - Sleeping Lessons
amd
[In honor of Heather from I AM FUEL, YOU ARE FRIENDS] The Swimmers - Heaven (not available on iTunes, but on their myspace page)

Somedays the Internet is Extra-Awesome

Heather from I AM FUEL, YOU ARE FRIENDS was a guest on NPR's World Cafe to talk about the best albums of 2007. Give it a listen (she has a link on her blog). If you remember we were in the same room for Josh Ritter's show in San Francisco back in March, though I did not recognize her. Many of her favorites fall in line with mine. And it's a great intro to music blogs and their impact on music.

That same post about Josh Ritter included a quick two sentence review of Nicki Chambly (now Bluhm). I recently noticed some traffic coming from NickiChambly.fuzz.com and followed the link back to the press tab of her profile where that article is listed. Thanks Nicki, and/or your people.

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only fan of Matthew Ryan because I never see him getting press despite being amazing, engaged with his fans, and critically heralded. Well, this morning while reading through my feeds, I came to an article about his home recordings Dissent from the Living Room and Hopeless to Hopeful being posted. The first thing Riche ever trusted the internet enough to buy online was Dissent and I remember being really impressed with the fact that Matthew Ryan would number and sign each copy (and I was impressed that my copy of These are Field Recordings was also signed). Since then I've become a huge fan, but Hopeless has always eluded me. So I followed the link and downloaded it. As Heather discussed in the interview above, sometimes artists are supportive and sometimes they're apprehensive about having their stuff posted for free. Here's what Matthew Ryan posted on his MySpace page about the albums being posted:

"After I left A&M Records I started working on my 4track. This was only a handful of years ago, the internet was just getting warmer. I'm still not sure how Napster took off with all that dial-up going on. But I started releasing some DIYs on my soon to be relaunched website (matthewryanonline.com). Dissent From The Living Room and Hopeless To Hopeful are very raw home-recordings. Some of these songs went on to be part of future records when they were "properly" recorded. So, I was burning the discs and making the artwork and trying to keep up. I didn't think I sell more than 40 or 50 CDs. It was amazing, because it was the first time I realized we were all out here looking for each other. There were humans across all those wires. The truth is, these DIY records were the first time that I made any real income from releases. The submarine word of mouth was very inspiring. And it was a very large part of why I'm still doing this. They went on to sell so well and consistently that I took them down because I couldn't keep up. And I genuinely felt bad when CDs took to long to arrive or, and I'll admit it now, I sometimes forgot to mail them!

So if you don't have these, go on ahead and grab them. I'm glad they're available at this blogspot. Plus, I don't have to grab scissors and lick stamps.

Share the link with anyone you know that might be looking for these songs."

Lyrics: More Than Words (Part Five)

In honor of the New Year, here are three songs to get you reflecting on 2007 and on 2008.

"A Long December" - Counting Crows from Recovering the Satellites

A long December and there's reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last
I can't remember the last thing that you said as you were leaving
Now the days go by so fast

And it's one more day up in the canyons
And it's one more night in Hollywood
If you think that I could be forgiven...I wish you would

The smell of hospitals in winter
And the feeling that it's all a lot of oysters, but no pearls
All at once you look across a crowded room
To see the way that light attaches to a girl

And it's one more day up in the canyons
And it's one more night in Hollywood
If you think you might come to California...I think you should

Drove up to Hillside Manor sometime after 2 AM
And talked a little while about the year
I guess the winter makes you laugh a little slower,
Makes you talk a little lower about the things you could not show her

And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last
I can't remember all the times I tried to tell myself
To hold on to these moments as they pass

And it's one more day up in the canyon
And it's one more night in Hollywood
It's been so long since I've seen the ocean...I guess I should

"New Year's Day" - U2 from War

All is quiet on New Year's Day
A world in white gets underway
I want to be with you,
Be with you night and day

Nothing changes on New Year's Day
On New Year's Day

I will be with you again
I will be with you again

Under a blood red sky
A crowd has gathered in black and white
Arms entwined, the chosen few
The newspapers says, says
Say it's true, it's true
And we can break through
Though torn in two
We can be one

I will begin again
I will begin again

Maybe the time is right
Oh, maybe tonight

I will be with you again
I will be with you again

And so we're told this is the golden age
And gold is the reason for the wars we wage
Though I want to be with you
Be with you night and day
Nothing changes
On New Year's Day

"The New Year" - Death Cab for Cutie from Transatlanticism

So this is the new year
And I don't feel any different
The clanking of crystal
Explosions off in the distance, in the distance

So this is the new year
And I have no resolutions
For self assigned penance
For problems with easy solutions

So everybody put your best suit or dress on
Let's make believe that we are wealthy for just this once
Lighting firecrackers off on the front lawn
As thirty dialogs bleed into one

I wish the world was flat like the old days
Then i could travel just by folding a map
No more airplanes, or speed trains, or freeways
There'd be no distance that can hold us back

So this is the new year

2007 Has Come To An End

I have one hour left of work in 2007 and I think I'll spend it not doing any work. I don't like making resolutions. But I think it's appropriate to make some public blogging goals for 2008.

1. Blog more. I've slipped a lot in frequency and I think I need to overlook quality (read: perfectionism) in order to be more consistent. Twitter and Facebook have shown that being brief and pithy can be effective.
2. Post more pictures (that I take). I have a great camera and live in a great place that many people who read my stuff have no concept outside of movies and Jeff Corwin.
3. Officially and formally launch TheLifeAlaska.com
4. Comment on and link to the blogs I read regularly more often.
5. Get back to covering lots of topics (music, film, lit, art, news, politics, sports).

Let me help you make some resolutions of your own...

1. Join Facebook. When you do or if you already have, add me.
2. Sign up for Twitter (and add me).
3. Sign up for Flickr (and add me).
4. Start a blog if you don't have one yet.
5. Take a chance on music people (not Clear Channel) recommend.

Buon Anno.

2000 New York Yankees

Is it me or does the Mitchell report looks a lot like the 2000 New York Yankees roster?

Chuck Knoblauch, David Justice, Glenallen Hill, Jose Canseco, Roger Clemens, Andy Pettite, Denny Neagle, Jason Grimsley

I'm not saying, I'm just saying...coincidence it was the last World Series they won?

10 Years, 10 years

Do you remember what you were doing 10 years ago? While the date passed on Wednesday, 12/12/1997 was a Friday, however, so tonight is the night I choose to recognize. Still lost? Were you part of the famous sweet 16? Ring any bells? On December 12, 1997, U2 played one of the last major concerts in Seattle's Kingdome and myself and 15 other friends were in the front row for it. Most of those 16 have gone their own way over the last 10 years, but I do still keep in regular contact with many. It will always be a special night. So, Riche, Mad Fishicist, [Sch]metzger, Chindo, J-Nard, Laura, Fearing, Freshmaker, Thunderchuck, Homdrom, Gladney, Reaney and others I can't distinguish (it's been 10 years, give me a break) at this hour. Someone somewhere has a photo from that night I remember posing for it a few minutes after convincing Bono to bring "40" out of the vault.

I Prefer My TV in 3D over HD

I'm convinced that someday soon, I'll get on the HD train and buy a high definition TV...but for now I'm convinced that 3D TV has way more value than HD TV. What do I mean by 3D TV? Television with three dimensions. No, not the goofy glasses with one blue and one red "lens." I'm talking about stories that go deeper than shallow characters and linear plot lines. I learned early in my days of dabbling in fiction that there are really only 5 basic conflicts from which to base fiction. Man vs. Man, Man vs. Himself, Man vs. God, Man vs. The World, Man vs. Nature. Three dimensional television should creatively wrap 3 or more of those conflicts together at the same time. My favorite show on TV right now is LOST and I think you can make the statement that all five conflicts are playing out on and off the island before and after the crash of flight 815. It's creative enough and the characters are developed well enough to sustain the tangle of conflicts. Comedies, sit coms especially can get away with humor surrounding a premise and with an electric enough cast and good enough writers, can ride a premise for season after season without needing to tangle conflicts. I just caught up on the latest episodes of Life and it's proven that it can successfully meld at least three of the conflicts together. I've thought of it before, but I thought I would try and put words to it. A good story, good character development and elements of our real world mixed with a world we don't live in (figuratively or literally) will always win out over any effect made more special by high definition television. I support the writers in the WGA and their strike, even as it affects shows I love, because there are story elements, characters, conficts and magic that studio heads, special effects designers, and executive producers can't begin to dream up.

If You Want To Make The Best Album in 2008...

...learn a lesson or two from these artists.

It's that time of year again....everyone else is doing it so why shouldn't I? 2007 has been a long, funny diverse year in my life and the music business has been pretty much on par with it. I'm breaking lists in half this year to recognize not only the best albums of the year, but also the breakthroughs, discoveries, fresh looks too. Obviously neither list is in any particular order.

First the 13 best breakthroughs...
Deerhunter - Cryptograms
Au Revoir Simone - The Bird of Music
Peter, Bjorn & John - Writer's Block ("Young Folks" might scream 2007 in 5 years, but it might be the song of the year...and a good ringtone)
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
St. Vincent - Marry Me
Foreign Born - On the Wing Now
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black (surprised?)
Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday
Okkervil River - The Stage Names
Stars - In Our Bedroom After the War
I'm From Barcelona - Let Me Introduce My Friends (Incidentally makes a frigid Alaska day feel a bit warmer)
Kathy Diamond - Miss Diamond to You
Coconut Records - Nighttiming

The 13 Best Albums of 2007
Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter
Bruce Springsteen - Magic
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Feist - The Reminder
Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
The National - Boxer
Bjork - Volta

And finally 13 albums I know I'm leaving off...but they're not far from the list
Travis - The Boy With No Name
Eisley - Combinations
KT Tunstall - Drastic Fantastic
Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
Colin Hay - Are You Lookin' At Me? (great cameo in Scrubs in season premiere of Scrubs)
Son Volt - The Search
Paul McCartney - Memory Almost Full
Athlete - Beyond the Neighbourhood
The Broken West - I Can't Go On, I'll Go On
Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
Dan Wilson - Free Life

Incidentally I'm looking forward to some very promising new records in 2008, but that's another post.

And in case you missed it, here is my post for the Best of 2006. And get your copy of Superbad Tuesday.

SLOBLOMO

Seriously, do you know how many posts I've started in the last month? It's officially December, so my boycott of NaBloPoMo is over. Things haven't been overly busy, or overly crazy, or overly anything. I just didn't have it in me. It's not that the WiFi doesn't reach my igloo, or a corporate NDA, or me running off to join the Police Academy, I haven't run off to join Ron Paul's campaign...just slow blog month (I hereby trademark 'sloblomo', thanks). No promises on catching up on the last month of music, ideas, stories, or controversial statements. But seriously, enough with the "What happened?", "What's wrong?", "Where are you?" emails unless you're looking for more metaphysical or existential answers, but if you are...stick around.