From the studio that brought you Weirdmageddon...
Gravity Falls is honestly my life right now.
Saturday, November 21, 2020
Monday, June 29, 2020
Free Matthew Rushin
PLEASE sign this petition to free Matthew Rushin, and share it however you can! Racism and mental health stigma are terrible and powerful forces, but justice is stronger. Demand it.
https://www.change.org/p/ralph-s-northam-matthew-rushin-autistic-college-student-odu?recruiter=1124041316&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi&utm_term=psf_combo_share_abi&recruited_by_id=54d9b380-b70e-11ea-add9-01482047112f&utm_content=fht-20037128-en-us%3Av10
https://www.change.org/p/ralph-s-northam-matthew-rushin-autistic-college-student-odu?recruiter=1124041316&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi&utm_term=psf_combo_share_abi&recruited_by_id=54d9b380-b70e-11ea-add9-01482047112f&utm_content=fht-20037128-en-us%3Av10
Monday, June 8, 2020
I shared this link a few years ago. It's sad that the music video is still so relevant, but the lyrics are as powerful as ever.
John Legend - Preach - Music Video
John Legend - Preach - Music Video
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Journey to the Yellow Planet: 6 Years Later
I'm going through my old childhood drawings and writing, and have decided to repost this story from when I was seven that I posted here when I was eight. It's a crazy sci-fi/fantasy story and it might be a little fan fiction-y, but in retrospect it's pretty remarkable for a seven-year-old. You can read it here. Happy quarantine/Cinco de Mayo/May/birthday (if it is your birthday). Also, you can find my line-by-line commentary here.
Saturday, May 2, 2020
Hey, Twitter! These Aren't Curse Words
Social Justice Warrior (SJW)
You know, this actually used to be a compliment. What's changed? What's so wrong with social justice nowadays?
Woke
Same here. From what I can tell, this means sociopolitically conscious. Again, WHY IS THAT A BAD THING?
Left/Right/Liberal/Conservative/Progressive/Democrat/Republican
These are differing ideologies, not expletives. Even "communist" isn't really an expletive, so how come such apparently benign words as "left" and "right" are used as sharp insults on Twitter? They're DIRECTIONS, people. "Turn right on Sixth Street and make a left at Warsaw Boulevard." Sorry I got POLITICAL there!
Media
Freedom of the press is a critical First Amendment right. "Media" is not a cuss word any more than "decaf" is -- some people can't stand it, but its existence is important to many.
So, that's my rant about Twitter's idea of profanity. "Twitter" isn't a curse word either, but it's starting to seem like one to me.
You know, this actually used to be a compliment. What's changed? What's so wrong with social justice nowadays?
Woke
Same here. From what I can tell, this means sociopolitically conscious. Again, WHY IS THAT A BAD THING?
Left/Right/Liberal/Conservative/Progressive/Democrat/Republican
These are differing ideologies, not expletives. Even "communist" isn't really an expletive, so how come such apparently benign words as "left" and "right" are used as sharp insults on Twitter? They're DIRECTIONS, people. "Turn right on Sixth Street and make a left at Warsaw Boulevard." Sorry I got POLITICAL there!
Media
Freedom of the press is a critical First Amendment right. "Media" is not a cuss word any more than "decaf" is -- some people can't stand it, but its existence is important to many.
So, that's my rant about Twitter's idea of profanity. "Twitter" isn't a curse word either, but it's starting to seem like one to me.
Sunday, April 26, 2020
What to Do With Trump Once He's Not President Anymore
Set him up on a blind date with a polygraph.
Reason: Well, duh.
Place him on the Mexican border and ask him to talk about the carcinogenicity of windmills/how great he is.
Reason: Immigration deterrent.
Wait for him to go on a business trip (preferably to Russia or China) and then shut down the border when he tries to come back.
Reason: Also duh.
Ask him to replace Dr. Oz.
Reason: At this point, he's probably more experienced -- correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think even Dr. Oz has ever recommended injecting yourself with disinfectant as a treatment for anything.
Start training him (quickly!) as one of the astronauts on the Mars mission.
Reason: It might motivate environmental cleanup. Giving the choice between reducing emissions and living on a planet much smaller than Earth that has Trump on it...
Make sure as many people as possible are flat-out ignoring him.
Reason: He's been a center of attention for four years (at this point even more than that if you count the election) too long.
Reason: Well, duh.
Place him on the Mexican border and ask him to talk about the carcinogenicity of windmills/how great he is.
Reason: Immigration deterrent.
Wait for him to go on a business trip (preferably to Russia or China) and then shut down the border when he tries to come back.
Reason: Also duh.
Ask him to replace Dr. Oz.
Reason: At this point, he's probably more experienced -- correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think even Dr. Oz has ever recommended injecting yourself with disinfectant as a treatment for anything.
Start training him (quickly!) as one of the astronauts on the Mars mission.
Reason: It might motivate environmental cleanup. Giving the choice between reducing emissions and living on a planet much smaller than Earth that has Trump on it...
Make sure as many people as possible are flat-out ignoring him.
Reason: He's been a center of attention for four years (at this point even more than that if you count the election) too long.
Saturday, April 18, 2020
The Best Underrated Animated Movies of the 21st Century
You won't find Frozen or The Lion King on here (well, obviously not the second one, because that was from the last century). No, this is a list of the smartest, most fun animated movies that people didn't pay enough attention to. Maybe you can check them out during quarantine. Here they are in chronological order:
Treasure Planet
I know, it seems weird to start off with a Disney movie, but a lot of people don't seem to even know that this film exists, let alone that it's Disney. It's the only traditionally animated film to clinch a spot here, and it's a winningly original sci-fi take on the classic Treasure Island. It also has not one, but two songs by the frontman of The Goo Goo Dolls. What's not to like?
Meet the Robinsons
This film features time travel, a super-smart main character looking for somewhere to belong, and a great song by one of my favorite musicians, so maybe I'm just biased towards it? Anyway, it's quirky, fun, touching, and criminally overlooked. Just watch it!
Bolt
Coming out on the heels of the critically acclaimed (and scarily predictive) Pixar flick WALL-E, which was admittedly another favorite of my early childhood, this film that can only really be called a mash-up of The Truman Show, The Secret Life of Pets (before there was a Secret Life of Pets, though), and Marvel was bound to end up lost in the shuffle. But it was never lost to me. Basically, Bolt is a dog that stars in a sci-fi action TV show alongside his young owner, but wholeheartedly believes that the whole thing is real. He's constantly convinced that his owner is in danger, and as a result of this ends up mistakenly being shipped across the country. In retrospect, the hamster is slightly obnoxious and the whole thing is a little nuts, but I still smile when I think of it.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
OK, this one was pretty successful and got enough attention to spawn a sequel, but it's still a little bit on the fringe. How many movies, even animated ones, celebrate nerdiness? Kids probably won't notice, but this takes a stab at stereotyping. As a little kid with glasses and a ponytail who felt misunderstood by the world at large, something clicked here with me amidst all the crazy antics involving giant food.
Megamind
Not a lot of animated movies try to challenge our concepts of good and evil. That, and the fact that it was released in the same year, makes it pretty clear that this was Dreamworks' attempt to compete with Despicable Me. Arguably, though, it's actually better. If you liked that concept but couldn't stand the Minions, I will warn you that there is also a single Minion in this film - however, rather than being a cutesy merchandising tool, this is a fish in a mechanical suit. (Personally, I didn't have an issue with the Minions, but I know that a lot of people did for the reason just listed. I like this movie better anyway, though ... let me tell you why.) Maybe I'm just a hard-core fan of the underdog, but the way in which this movie utilizes classic hard rock tracks and subverts the conventions of the superhero genre is brilliant.
Mr. Peabody and Sherman
Frozen-itis (plus The Lego Movie) ruined this film's chances at stardom, but that doesn't change the fact that, ridiculous as it often is, it's also fun, smart and oddly heartwarming. You wouldn't expect an emotional climax to entail a bunch of historical figures repeating the words "I'm a dog, too," but this movie thrives on the goofy and unexpected. All in all, probably one of Dreamworks' best movies of the 2010s, which many would suggest isn't saying much, but it's worth watching. It bears notable similarity to Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, but instead of two idiotic surfer dudes, it's one of the world's greatest minds -- technically a talking dog with glasses and a bowtie -- and his precocious 7-year-old adopted son (i.e. it's Bill and Ted's without Bill and Ted, which some might call an improvement). Most animated films include nods to the joys and pains of parenting, but here this is actually the focus.
Big Hero 6
Given this film's success, it might seem a little bizarre to call it a dark horse, but if not for the extremely unfortunate circumstance of being Disney's first animated movie after Frozen, it probably would have done even better. Look, I'm a sucker for smart kids and superheroes, OK (you've probably realized that by now)?
Of course, there are other films, but these are the ones that stand out to me.
Treasure Planet
I know, it seems weird to start off with a Disney movie, but a lot of people don't seem to even know that this film exists, let alone that it's Disney. It's the only traditionally animated film to clinch a spot here, and it's a winningly original sci-fi take on the classic Treasure Island. It also has not one, but two songs by the frontman of The Goo Goo Dolls. What's not to like?
Meet the Robinsons
This film features time travel, a super-smart main character looking for somewhere to belong, and a great song by one of my favorite musicians, so maybe I'm just biased towards it? Anyway, it's quirky, fun, touching, and criminally overlooked. Just watch it!
Bolt
Coming out on the heels of the critically acclaimed (and scarily predictive) Pixar flick WALL-E, which was admittedly another favorite of my early childhood, this film that can only really be called a mash-up of The Truman Show, The Secret Life of Pets (before there was a Secret Life of Pets, though), and Marvel was bound to end up lost in the shuffle. But it was never lost to me. Basically, Bolt is a dog that stars in a sci-fi action TV show alongside his young owner, but wholeheartedly believes that the whole thing is real. He's constantly convinced that his owner is in danger, and as a result of this ends up mistakenly being shipped across the country. In retrospect, the hamster is slightly obnoxious and the whole thing is a little nuts, but I still smile when I think of it.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
OK, this one was pretty successful and got enough attention to spawn a sequel, but it's still a little bit on the fringe. How many movies, even animated ones, celebrate nerdiness? Kids probably won't notice, but this takes a stab at stereotyping. As a little kid with glasses and a ponytail who felt misunderstood by the world at large, something clicked here with me amidst all the crazy antics involving giant food.
Megamind
Not a lot of animated movies try to challenge our concepts of good and evil. That, and the fact that it was released in the same year, makes it pretty clear that this was Dreamworks' attempt to compete with Despicable Me. Arguably, though, it's actually better. If you liked that concept but couldn't stand the Minions, I will warn you that there is also a single Minion in this film - however, rather than being a cutesy merchandising tool, this is a fish in a mechanical suit. (Personally, I didn't have an issue with the Minions, but I know that a lot of people did for the reason just listed. I like this movie better anyway, though ... let me tell you why.) Maybe I'm just a hard-core fan of the underdog, but the way in which this movie utilizes classic hard rock tracks and subverts the conventions of the superhero genre is brilliant.
Mr. Peabody and Sherman
Frozen-itis (plus The Lego Movie) ruined this film's chances at stardom, but that doesn't change the fact that, ridiculous as it often is, it's also fun, smart and oddly heartwarming. You wouldn't expect an emotional climax to entail a bunch of historical figures repeating the words "I'm a dog, too," but this movie thrives on the goofy and unexpected. All in all, probably one of Dreamworks' best movies of the 2010s, which many would suggest isn't saying much, but it's worth watching. It bears notable similarity to Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, but instead of two idiotic surfer dudes, it's one of the world's greatest minds -- technically a talking dog with glasses and a bowtie -- and his precocious 7-year-old adopted son (i.e. it's Bill and Ted's without Bill and Ted, which some might call an improvement). Most animated films include nods to the joys and pains of parenting, but here this is actually the focus.
Big Hero 6
Given this film's success, it might seem a little bizarre to call it a dark horse, but if not for the extremely unfortunate circumstance of being Disney's first animated movie after Frozen, it probably would have done even better. Look, I'm a sucker for smart kids and superheroes, OK (you've probably realized that by now)?
Of course, there are other films, but these are the ones that stand out to me.
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