So I just came across Funny or Die courtesy of a post on Awful Announcing and I have to say there’s some good stuff on there. I guess its some sort of Will Farrell brain child. He’s got his own page up there if you want to check it out. Funny stuff so far from what I’ve seen. Just wanted to pass it along.

I’d go on a rant about this Kidd trade that looks to be going down between the Mavs and Nets, but I’ll spare you.

At my graduation (my small portion of NYU that is) we didn’t have a real graduation speaker. Like a famous person graduation speaker. We had a pretty funny student get up there and give a damn good speech but we didn’t have famous writers or political figures or anything. I’m sure there was someone at the main Washington Square one as well as CAS and Stern and Tisch, but Gallatin was small and honestly I didn’t really care. I had a good high school speaker, but it was really nothing compared to this. It’s Will Farrel delivering some sort of speech at something called a Class Day at Harvard. It’s good. Take my word. Also, a December graduation speech from Scott Van Pelt which I found amusing. I think it’s always interesting to listen to speakers who never really expected to be chosen as speakers. I’m sure Will Farrel knew at some point someone would ask him to give a speech at a school, even if he didn’t really think it was Harvard (though it was class day, whatever that is). But Van Pelt? He’s an ESPN anchor. I don’t know how often they’re asked to anywhere but communication schools and even then rare I’d have to think. But what do I know? I didn’t even have a speaker.

Okay, this is just too awesome not to pass along. My score was 26.  And the return of the bitches tag!

I believe I’ve mentioned before that many of the articles I forward along to you are sent to me by my mother. She has the time to peruse the New York Times and BBC and the like and sends along things she thinks I’ll find interesting (Note: I probably have the time to do this too, but instead fill my hours with TV, video games, and staring at some social networking site or another). This article on a woman who’s stalking Raymond Chandler - it’s okay, it’s for a book! - is no exception. My mother forwarded it along to me and for any Chandler lover like myself, it’s an interesting preview of a book that I may end up reading. The book’s about a novelist’s travels through LA stalking Chandler and his wife’s spirit. It’s nonfiction so far as I can tell, and looks interesting.

What this made me think of however is the purpose of this blog (what, you thought it was just a collection of links from my mother and ramblings about the New York Knicks?) - mostly because my opinions are very important and you should care about them. Anyway, this got me thinking about the lengths people go to get inspired, the places they’re willing to travel to write. I understand that this author, Judith Freeman, has a very personal journey to go through in order to, shall I say, exercise the demon of Chandler that dwells within her. I can understand that (one day I may have to do that with Raymond Carver), but it’s amazing the lengths she’s willing to go to do so. The synopsis describes the work almost as if it was a pained, frantic journey. This is my type of writing. It gives the idea and the feeling that a life is enough inspiration. While Freeman is inspired by a life that’s not really her own, it’s still just a life and she incorporates it with her own crazy journey. It’s the idea that you just need to get out there and live in order to get what you need to write. It does annoy me a little that she had to create such an extravagant tale or mystique in order to be inspired, but this is less about inspiration and more about exercising her demons as I said before (or so it seems - remember, I enjoy blanket statements about things I do not know anything about). But more than anything, I like that she’s out there writing the good write. Out there being key.
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In more family news, my father showed me this rather funny New Yorker (Ooo, intellectual) bit yesterday that I thought I’d pass on. My favorite (:3 though I’m unsure what Walrii have to do with wartime.

The things you can do with a keyboard!

And I don’t mean that in a vulgar way what so ever. I am, instead, talking about Wynton Marsalis who I had the pleasure of see at Jazz at Lincoln Center (which is in fact at the Time Warner Center). Watching Marsalis play and speak, it made me realize that every breathe this man took, every exhalation was meant to be put through a trumpet. The sheer joy he took from playing music, from being around music and musicians was so evident. You got the feeling that even if he wasn’t able to play in front of audiences in elaborate (and I’ll admit pretty beautiful) concert halls, he would still want to blow on that horn. There was so much passion in what he was doing, and it was interesting watching him amidst the rest of the orchestra. All of the orchestra (group?) were obviously talented musicians or they wouldn’t be there and they all obviously loved music, otherwise, again, they wouldn’t be there, but still it seemed like there was something different about Marsalis. Maybe it was simply that along with playing he was MCing the event, but when he came to the front of the stage to play, it was like the room changed. His playing literally gave me goosebumps at one point.

Now, admittedly, as an artist, this type of passion and commitment to your art and the history of your art and everything is somewhat daunting. Given Marsalis has over 24 years on me, but still, I was awed by his knowledge of jazz and then again, his passion for it. I love writing. I really do love it. But I got the feeling that if I took Marsalis trumpet away he’d be sweating like a junky in no time, and that’s intimidating for someone like me who has, perhaps, not yet found that fire. I know I want to write. I know I can write. And I know that there’s times when I’m writing and I’m on a roll and its the greatest feeling in the world. My heart will be racing, my legs will be twitching, and it takes all my energy just to keep me in my chair and to keep me pounding on the keys. But there’s so much more going on in life, and I suppose that’s where Marsalis and I seem to diverge. It truly seemed to me that he lived, ate, drank, and breathed Jazz and always had. (more…)

While scrolling through Deadspin as I do all the time (literally, I have very little else to do at my job usually), I came across this little gem and thought it was pretty awesome. I mean, sure, maybe it was a little dangerous, but I think it was okay. After all it was a 47 year old woman driving the car, not some youth who didn’t know how to get along side a car so that her daughter could lean out the window and take a beer from a car next to it. Not that that’s a hard thing to do.

I feel as though no punishments should be handed out. It was all good in the hood. No one was hurt. If there’s grass on the field, play ball. (Wait, what? And actually, that’s technically wrong -though now righted, slightly).

Some fun via Deadspin this morning. Start you off on the right foot. Seriously though, Asia is taking over the world.

For once, I’m interestingly struck with a loss of words perhaps because there are no words needed, much of what I would say I suppose is what everyone is thinking. It can all be summed up in three choice words: Senator sues God.

So there’s this nine year old who apparently is enrolled in college and thinks its too easy. Yeah, well bite me little dude. The only reason you’re not getting your ass beat is because you don’t make it up to my knee cap. Cruel? Sure it is, but unless he meets some guys Revenge of the Nerds style, this statement from the article,

he might experience stunted personal and social development as a result

will be a huge understatement. I really don’t get it. Why do this? Sure classes are easy and you’re super smart, but wouldn’t you rather just chill with kids your own age, get straight A’s without really trying, and have some chance at a normal social existence where you don’t lose your virginity to a hooker at the age of 45? I mean, I have no idea if that’s what happens to these guys (the super smart character from Fracture seemed to be doing alright for himself until he murdered his wife), but it really just seems to be asking for trouble.

Or maybe we should be amazed by this kid? I’m certainly not. I simply chose to take calculus after my balls dropped.