TV On The Radio and The Weepies

The last couple months have been good for concerts here in the Northwest.

In mid-July I got to see TV On The Radio in Portland, and then a month later I saw The Weepies in San Francisco. Both times I was with Courtney; she didn't know TV On The Radio very well and I'd never heard of the Weepies besides a mildly interesting song Pandora played for me.

As you probably know, TV On The Radio is my favorite active band, so I was predisposed to like the show. Still, I want to talk a little about what made "An Acoustic Night With The Weepies" such a fulfilling concert experience by comparison.

The TVOTR concert, as seen on a blanket laid out on the grass at McMenamins Edgefield, was an incredible concert. It was the first time I've seen them since their disappointing and low-energy "Dear Science" tour two and a half years ago. The energy was there this time, and the band wisely chose to play a variety of music from their long history, only playing half of the new "Nine Types Of Light" yet playing the early EP "Young Liars" in its entirety. In fact, they ended the encore portion with the song "Satellite," a song that holds special meaning in my heart. There was dancing all over the lawn - yes, even on my part - and lots of singing along with the lyrics indescribable to those who didn't know them already, such as Courtney. She enjoyed it anyway because of all the excitement on stage and in the crowd.

Fast forward a month to San Francisco's Filmore, a venue that gives out apples to concert-goers for reasons no one seems to know for sure. This time it was Courtney's turn to know the lyrics and mine to listen with a new ear. It turned out that the band was a husband-wife duo playing folksy love songs with traditional country two-part harmony. The show was not particularly high energy, but I was drawn in by the clever lyrics (that I could actually hear!) and the relaxed tightness between the performers from the ease at which they picked out each other's harmonies to the beady-eyed young-lovers way they looked at each other as the last chord for each song rang out or as they introduced the coming songs.

Having never heard The Weepies before was no detriment for understanding their musical concept. The acoustic music was clear, soft, and silky, like listening to the CD on speakers I could never afford. The sound was subtle and sweet, while at the TVOTR show the speakers' size only bred volume. Yes, I could hear the beat and feel it vibrating in your chest with each bass note, but I couldn't fill in many musical qualities; in a live setting, TVOTR is just a rock show, an excellent rock show, but lacking the band's brilliant originality, counting on the audience to fill it in with imagination or prior knowledge. The Weepies, on the other hand, showed their character honestly through the sound they made. At their show I listened to music. At TVOTR's show I had fun.

The opposite is true on the two bands' records. TVOTR's recordings are incredibly deep and subtle, soundscapes in the truest sense of the word. I could listen to a TVOTR record hundreds of times and hearing something new each time. It's on the records when the band's creativity really comes out. The Weepies' new record, "Be My Thrill," is... well, there's no way to say what I want without sounding mean. It's an average pop record with nothing special at all about it - even the lyrics sound less honest than they did in concert. Many of the songs are performed faster and all of them have a full band with unnecessary layers of sound added without contributing to the spirit of the music.

I feel like concert halls are in the habit of turning up their speakers more and more each day, each show, so all the listener can hear is a pounding bass and kick drum and the high ringing of feedback from the lead vocalist's microphone. This is an exaggeration of course, but it is true that in the rock genre musical quality is being sacrificed for the experience at concerts. The sound of a band live isn't nearly as important as its presentation. This is part of the reason I don't like going to concerts very often; they take a toll on my ears and I've never been much for dancing. That's one reason why The Weepies' show worked so well for me. It was truly about the music.

Before I sign off, I just want to let you know that I'm now in Portland, Oregon, trying to start a new life here. Looking for houses, jobs, preparing for the GREs, and all the other wonderful and overwhelming things that come with moving to a new place. Hopefully I'll have some interesting updates to come. Or eve better yet, hopefully I'll find myself busy enough to find interesting things to post yet not have enough time to do so. Cheers!

Before and After the Wedding

Greg Mulford

 My family and I have just returned home from my cousin Andrew's wedding - and what a wedding it was! It was on a public beach, complete with the sandy children with their boogie boards and a sunglasses-wearing man probing the sand with a metal detector in the background. The groom put on his ring while wearing sunglasses and sneakers, and the bridesmaids and groomsmen didn't wear shoes at all. And within this layer of fun and childlike joy there was also a serious sweetness, quite a few tears, quite a few more cheers, and a wealth of good wishes and good feelings going forward. Congratulations Andrew and Lindsey!

My brother Joel and his sunburn

Bert, Joel, and my father

Nana and Great Aunt Bea under the blanket... it was a cold evening!

 I didn't take many pictures of the event because there were professionals running rampant all over the place so there wasn't much of a need. All the pictures you see here were taken at the dinner on the night before the wedding.

Now I'm preparing to take a trip into Detroit to visit the rest of my family, leaving no stone unturned! Next time I write it will probably be from the motor city.

Dad posing for his book cover

Nana and myself, or as I like to say, "Homie G(rannie) and the pimpin' pop top"

And finally - how could I have forgotten this? - I failed to mention in my Portland posts about my trip to the TV on the Radio concert. I wasn't expecting much because when I saw them in Oakland after the release of "Dear Science" the show wasn't that great. But they nailed it on this tour. I was most impressed that they played a lot of their old music, waiting until the third song to play something from their newest project, "Nine Types Of Light" (the second song, a southern-rocking-feel version of "Wrong Way," left many in the crowd in the outdoor venue standing around wondering if it was a cover, but I was geeking out over how utterly amazing it was). They ended up only play about half of the new record, which was great because it left room for "Young Liars" (another geek-out moment) and the encore set finisher, "Satellite" (my heart geeking all over the grass). It was ridiculously fun. This is a tour worth seeing.

New TV On The Radio Again!

The newest single off the new TV On The Radio upcoming record is here, and it's a heavy one! A hard rocking song that sounds very different from the band that I know and yet somehow still keeps to the roots. You might have to sign up to the mailing list to get the download... I'll find out soon enough. For all you folks who either don't care or have a spam email, enjoy! It's great!

Also, next week I'm back to the endless şök meetings where all the teachers meet and discuss each student individually. This means I'll be at the school until about 7:00 pm each night Monday through Wednesday next week, so you might not hear much from me. Wish me luck and endurance!

"Will Do"

TV On The Radio just released a single from their upcoming album, Nine Types of Light, which will come out on April 12. If only time would go faster!


TV on the Radio - Will Do by 1077 The End

Owl Eyes Preliminary Publicity Photo

Ciao, Tutti!

With Owl Eyes looking for gigs we've started to take some rough photos. Eventually we'll do something more professional, ie. not taken from the seat of Jordan's toilet through his bathroom door. But, on the other hand, what we've got looks pretty great so far. Take a look!


Jordan





Me (Justina gave me those glasses! For keeps! They're called the "Owl Eyes Glasses." Pretty cool, no?)




Justina


We'll take some more once we have a fourth person to hold the camera. Stay tuned! And don't forget our first show is at Goodbye Blue Monday at 11:45 on April 8.

In other news, my senior recital is shaping up to be more and more awesome with each passing breath. In other words, I've started getting nervous! Which shows how much I care!

It also means no basketball playing for me until it's over. No crippling hand injuries, please! Also no Re:Write Review this Wednesday. I don't have time to be inspired to write short stories. I have rehearsals to organize, clothes to buy, pieces to tirelessly practice. Oh, and homework doesn't stop for my recital, either. And it's mid-term season. Yay...

But most importantly, it means you should come if you're still making up your mind. Again, it's in room 779 of 35 West 4th street at 6:00, Sunday, March 7. Free. There will be snacks. Come!

Final thought to share with all of you: I just bought TV On The Radio's "Young Liars" in CD form to make up for the rotten quality of the iTunes tracks I've been relying on so far. The difference between 5 MB and 50 MB sized song is enormous. 10x in fact. And I'm convinced that this 5-track EP is the most beautifully recorded piece of all time. When I listen to "Young Liars" or "Mr. Grieves" I can almost hear the walls of the Brooklyn bedroom it was recorded in. The sound is that rich. If you have the chance to listen to any music with full quality and a nice set of headphones or speakers, try "Young Liars." You all know how much I love TV On The Radio. This is by far their best work. Seriously. Do it.

Next stop: Vinyl!

One more image before I go:


Jordan and Hubert



-Sam goldsmith

2008 Best CD's

Ciao, Tutti!

Happy Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanza, Solstice, New Years, Chinese New Year, and anything I may have forgotten. Love each other and kiss total strangers. It may help them get through the incredible stress of endless shopping, partying with people you hoped would have moved to Virginia by now, making food, and decorating. 'Tis the season.

My vacation has been exactly that: a vacation. The best part about college is the length of vacations. And yet I feel I should be hard at work. I'm still working on my fantasy trilogy of novels. My original goal was to finish with Book 2 by the end of the break. Ha! That would have been great. Plus I wanted to finish writing all the music for my recital next semester. Now I just feel inadequate. Not to mention my inability to read any or all of the great books I've received this season. Plus wanting to post more short stories on this blog, which hasn't exactly happened yet.

So work never ends. How come no one told me about this?

But today I feel it is my duty - No! My privilege - to post my top ten CD's of 2008. About a month ago I was wondering how I was going to even come up with 10. Now I feel 2008 was a pretty strong year after all for music, much more so than last year.

But first:

Where To Find My Stories

The other stories are in the archives somewhere along the left-hand side of my blog, intermingled with the pictures I took in Europe and shameless self-promotion.

"Sam Fails to Finish a Love Story" is under the post entitled "Sam Fails to Finish a Love Story" (duh) in the month of November.

"The VideoMag Proposal" is under the post entitled "The Day Before November" in October. It's a long post and the story is near the bottom.

"Cliche Central" is under the post entitled "Art Sharing Day" in October.

My brother's sudden fiction, "On The Way To Work," is under the post entitled "On The Way To Work - My Brother, The Storyteller" in November.

Enjoy!

Top 10 CD's of 2008

1) The Dodo's - Visiter Yes, that is spelled correctly. The title of the CD gives this Oakland-based group an apt portrayal of their homemade style, as does their childish album art. The acoustic, wry guitar-drums duo (no, not like the White Stripes or Black Keys) pounds groove and distinctive melodic qualities into the mind in one of the best complete CD's I've heard in ages. Everything's there. Great songs, like "Joe's Waltz" and "Park Song." A feeling of continuity throughout the disc. Innovative rhythm and harmony. Emotional vocals. The only complaint to be had about this CD is the occasional ill-conceived lyric. Otherwise, this is amazing. Please, go buy this CD right now. I'm waiting.

2) Dafnis Prieto Sextet - The Emotions Series: Taking the Soul for a Walk I may be biased here, since I personally know most of the musicians on this project and the leader, drummer Dafis Prieto, is one of the senior faculty at my school. Plus I saw the premier of this suite at the Jazz Gallery in New York City. That said, I've been waiting for this CD for about a year now and it did not disappoint. This is some of the most exciting jazz writing and arranging out there since Dave Holland, conspicuously absent from this list, accidentally relinquished the mantle. A unique fuzzing of Afro-Cuban jazz styles with fusion and traditional jazz, Prieto utilizes the colors of the sextet and his own virtuosic drumming to the extreme. It can be a bit much at times; Prieto's writing, like his playing, has the tendency to be dense. But it's worth it.

Talking to Peter Apfelbaum, saxophonist and melodicaist on the record and lifelong friend of mine, he said that the musicians brought their best to the studio that day. They were so excited about it that they considered not even remastering it. Now, how's that for chemistry? Magic? One of the few good jazz records of the year.

3) TV On The Radio - Dear Science You have to understand this as two CD's: one that starts on track 1 and the other that starts on track 6. If this were the second CD, it would easily be number one. Home of "Love Dog" and "DLZ," two of the best songs released this year, the second half of "Dear Science" is potent, gritty, and exciting. Other than "Dancing Choose," nothing else of the project resembles anything of the originality and drive of their previous records. When listening to "Crying" for the first time I felt like ripping my headphones out. It felt more overproduced than the Black Keys's new CD, produced by Danger Mouse. However, after a few listens I have been able to appreciate all the songs, including the over appreciated single, "Golden Age." If I sound down on the CD, it's only in comparison to TV On The Radio's other work. Compared to the rest of the bands out there, a mainstream, poppy TVOTR CD is still one of the best of the year by far.

After the first three there's a real drop-off. I like all the CD's in the top ten, of course, but these three were by far the best, and depending on your style, can probably be arranged in whatever order you want.

4) Flying Lotus - Los Angeles Add a vocalist and this dub CD would easily be with the top three in terms of quality. More songs like the second-to-last "Testament" would have been appreciated. But it's hard to complain here. Flying Lotus has an obvious niche, and it's not meant to be listened to with the same rapt attention as the music listened above. It's meant to be soothing or in the background. "Los Angeles" has the composition of a great disc, even if a bit long. It functions like a long suite, so listening to the whole project in one sitting is rather fulfilling. Still, if you only have the time for a few singles, "Comet Course," "Riot," "Breathe.something/Stellar Star," and the aforementioned "Testament" eagerly await. Exciting rhythm and bass flow create this well-crafted CD. Now if there were only a melody...

5) Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair If you don't know Antony And The Johnsons, you're in for an adventure. The man can sing, but his voice takes some time getting warmed up to. His falsetto and self-inflicted tremolo fit this band perfectly for two reasons: he doesn't have to sing so slowly that the tremolo gets annoying, and the two weirdnesses complement each other. This dance/techno/electronica/soul/funk/whatever group's sonorities are so distinctive that Antony seems necessary here. And he kicks butt. This perfect-length CD features three different lead singers, violins, brass (including solos!), bass synths, and drum machine beats. Most of the time it rocks, grooves, jams, and gets into your soul, especially "Hercules Theme" and "Blind." Easily interchangeable with Flying Lotus for 4 and 5, but I went with Flying Lotus because its beats are more interesting. Innovative rhythm and harmony won over innovative rhythm and melody. Perhaps the two bands should get together... yeah, no.

6) Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Continued If I had to choose one CD from this 2-disc set, it would be Microcastle, but there's really no need. This collection of music is not particularly innovative, but the sound of the band and its lead singer is so in sync that they pull off a great project. Using styles ranging narrowly from indie rock to alternative rock to classic rock, everything falls easily into place. "Never Stops" actually had me thinking deeply about tonic/mediant relations in harmony, though now I'd say I like "Saved By Old Times" best on this CD. There's nothing to say about this CD's newness, just that they did everything right, save for the boring segment in the middle of the CD.

7) Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes Near the top of everyone's list for 2008, I had to check them out. And they are quite good. Americana, folk rock, a capella, Christmas carol sounding, etc. I was quite excited about them when I first put them in the CD tray. I am a sucker for cool vocal harmony, and they reminded me of a less innovative but fully welcome Crosby Stills Nash and Young. And the too-long CD is solid all the way through. I am particularly fond of the reverb on the singers' voices, giving the whole project a pastoral feel (as do the religious lyrics that are probably there but I don't listen to). But this is the first CD on the list without a single to brag effusively about. The 4th best song on "Dear Science" is better than the best song on this disc, to be honest. This disc is lined with undistinguished song after undistinguished song, all excellent, making up a fairly good unified work. And there is no rhythmic or chordal innovation here at all. The Dodos takes Fleet Foxes to school in terms of creativity, even if they would be grouped together under "acoustic rock."

8) Ambrose Akinmusire - Prelude: To Cora Another biased choice, Sam! While never overlapping with him in high school, we attended the same BHS Jazz Ensemble and know each other from there (okay, I doubt he knows me). The trumpeter cut this album right off his winning of the Thelonius Monk international jazz competition on trumpet, and he deals with the pressure of everyone watching him with the same gusto he had in high school. He plays trumpet, and I normally can't stand the way trumpets sound. Normally. He wrote most of the music, including the scary "M.I.S.T.A.G. (My Inappropriate Soundtrack To A Genocide)," one of my favorite songs to come out this year. Featured throughout most of the CD, giving it a distinctive sound, is a singer who sounds more suited for opera than for jazz, though it oddly meshes well with the trumpet here. She dominates "M.I.S.T.A.G." as well as a few other tracks by sounding out of place at first and dramatic at second. The vibraphonist (yay!) who shares a name with my middle school math teacher also lends his strange sound to the mix with his fast vibrato. The only shortcoming of the disc is its inconsistency. I could delete half of it, especially the superficially covered "Stablemates," and I wouldn't even notice. But try and take the whole CD and you'll have to kill me first.

9) Ben Allison - Little Things Run The World Bassist Ben Allison being Ben Allison at his best. The first track explains it all. "Respiration," one of my favorite tracks of ALL TIME from his record "Buzz," is the opener again for his jazz/rock/fusion quartet Man-Sized Safe. Done differently and featuring a burning trumpet solo that makes the new rendition worth it, the tone is set for Ben Allison the way we've always known him. Like Deerhunter, this CD is nothing new done very well. Especially appreciated is the added play of saxophonist Ted Nash on a few tracks. Ben Allison has, as always, a rock-steady rhythm section and characteristic methods of composing melodies and harmonies that have always distinguished him from his contemporaries. His low rank on this list is almost a competition with himself rather than other CD's of 2008. The composition of this CD is at least as good as Fleet Foxes and probably the best place to start if you don't know his work yet. But still, nothing quite like "Riding the Nuclear Tiger" or the original "Respiration."

10) The Matthew Herbert Big Band - There's Me and There's You This disc is by far the most original of all on the top ten. That made for weird listening the first time through. Perhaps this is why record stores don't know whether to put him in the jazz or electronica section of their stores. May I add a category? Soundtrack, anyone? The lead vocalist sounds plucked from Broadway and shoved into a brassy jazz big band with a sampler running behind them. It was hard to get used to. The tracks sounded like show tunes, though at times like jazz big band pieces, and at others avant-garde dub pieces. I couldn't figure it out. But I figured that any guy who's able to scrounge together 100 musicians (no joke!) for a project deserves a second listen, and I'm glad I gave Matthew Herbert that second chance. The songs are catchy, thanks to their show tune nature; rhythmic, thanks to their electronica nature; and groovy and hip, thanks to their jazz influence. It's got it all thrown together in a hodgepodge of sound. I like it. My mother hates it. It's a personal preference thing. I personally don't like the predilection towards brass, and the singer's voice gets annoying eventually, but songs like the first track, "The Story," show what kind of insane brilliance a man with a vision can come up with. This is recommended just to hear what people are doing with music these days. Wow.

Honorable Mention:

Dave Holland Sextet - Pass It On. Meh. All the playing is good. I've heard it all a million times already. Still, though. Some the best players in jazz playing what I've heard a million times. Why I'd listen to this as opposed to any other Dave Holland record is beyond me, though.

High Places - High Places Short and sweet electronic music that sounds like a forest. It's calming and unique, but they ran out of ideas. 30 minutes and every song sounds the same.

DJ Rupture - Uproot Some of this dub record is really interesting. It works well as a continuous piece, but it gets long and tedious. He's got some great ideas, like with the violins in the middle somewhere, but a lot of it I can do without. People loved this record, though, so I'm giving it another shot.

The Bug - London Zoo "Poison Dart" has a great chorus, and some of the songs rock out. Great beats in general, and I love the political Jamaican rap. But about half of the CD just blows. Such a good idea with choppy execution.

Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life If you don't mind punk rock with a guy screaming into the mic but mixed so low you can't even hear him, this is for you. The first song, "Son The Father," rules. Without it I would have never given the CD a chance. The music is actually pretty good, and they make it clear they have melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic sensibilities throughout the disc with different methods. "Crooked Head" is a good example. But do they have to scream? And do they have to mix it so bad?

Conspicuously Missing: Vampire Weekend

I never thought I'd have to justify not liking this CD to anyone. It's that bad. But here I am, trying to think of technical reasons to trash it. People loved this CD. It got about as much acclaim as "Dear Science." And it didn't deserve it. Every song sounded the same. It was tinny and wiry sounding. The harmonies sucked and the rhythms sucked even more. It was so damn bright I couldn't see a thing. It's not even innovative: The Walkmen are basically the same band (and their new CD was pretty bad, too, but it was better than Vampire Weekend, by a little). I'm sorry, world who likes that CD, but I just don't see it. This doesn't usually happen, but I really just don't understand the allure of that CD. I listen to a CD where people scream into the mic and the mix is awful, but I don't get this CD at all.

Seriously, don't waste your money.

Okay, I need sleep

No, really, I do. If you have any questions about the CD's or are having trouble finding them and need more information, just let me know. Or if you think I left something out and have some suggested listening for me, please please please PLEASE let me know! I love listening to new music! As well as, you know, making it.

Happy New Year.I knew it had to happen sometime.

-sam goldsmith

Release

Ciao, Tutti!

I write just before the debates begin. I figure you all deserve a happier me for the beginning of the blog at least. Needless to say, I am not anticipating a very... civil debate, and I expect to be doing more of my recently patented cursing out windows afterward.

But there is no need to be depressed, because there have been major releases in my life lately! Yipee! Here are some of them:

I am literally less than a chapter away from finishing book one in my trilogy of novels that I have been working on since January. I have written about 470 pages, so this is pretty exciting. Only two more books to go! Ah, well, now it's time to start editing, which usually takes me about an hour per page per draft, which there will probably be about five... sigh!

Crap, the dabate's starting.

The Debate



Wow. I mean, wow.

"Joe the plumber, Sen. Obama want to spread the wealth! He want to redistribute the wealth! He wants socialism! Oh, crap, did I really just say that out loud? Mrs. Palin told me to say that, I swear!"

So the gloves came off, just like I thought they finally would (even though George Stephanopolis says this was a civil debate, which it was). There is so much to talk about in this debate, namely the fact that I was actually laughing during it rather than scared out of my mind (let's see what happens when the analysts come on). Looking at McCain's expressions throughout, I could not help but think that Jon Stewart is going to have some fun with video editing tonight.

First, and unimportantly, I have never seen John McCain so flustered. He ended up settling down as the debate goes on, but in the beginning he almost seemed like Sarah Palin in his random regurgitation of key words and phrases. His face was rigid and unrelaxed. It was actually sort of funny to watch him, sort of like watching a basketball team fight to win the sixth game to send it to a do or die. However, as I watch the analysts right now, the popular view seems to be that McCain had his best performance yet. I would disagree.

The part of the debate that made the biggest impression on me was for the question about the ugliness of the campaigns, and this was why I felt Obama won, though I suppose some people I know could view it the other way. Obama wanted to talk about the issues, McCain wanted to go on the attack. Obama was much less interested in attacking McCain as a person, at least until the mention of ACORN and Ayers. There was a long back and forth on this question, and Barack Obama spent more time insisting on a discussion about the debates. This could be viewed as a weakness, an unwillingness to fight back, or trying to downplay his scandals, but I have been hoping for a campaign on the issues for SO LONG and it was refreshing to hear it. According to the New York Times, two thirds of Americans agree with me.

It actually seems to me that Obama has stuck to the issues more, though this is of course debatable. Let me explain. First of all, it is seriously easy to make fun of Sarah Palin, which I have talked about in previous blogs. The question was asked about the Vice Presidential candidates gave Obama a softball possibility to crush a Palin homerun, but Obama did the right thing and refused to question her qualifications. He doesn't need to, and his campaign has by and large laid off since the Couric interviews, though he has picked up criticism again since the terrifying comments made at some of Palin's rallies. The point is that Obama did not attack on personal issues, save for the siting of the NY Times fact I quoted earlier and the accusation that Ayers has become McCain's main campaign issue. Obama was trying to bring the debate back to the questions and the issues, as one analyst said, "rope a doping," taking the attacks and returning to the main subject of debate. So. Obama did a very good job of defending himself in the face of John McCain's consistent regurgitation of already disproved facts.

In an assessment of how amazing it was that Obama refrained from attacking McCain's misleading statements or contradictory policies, I was yelling at the television the most since the Pistons lost to the Celtics. Here's an example. McCain was talking about choosing a judge who was qualified. That was the most important characteristic of a judge, he repeated. I shouted out, "Yeah, picking qualified people is something you're really good at, John." My roommate knew I was talking about Sarah Palin. But Obama knew he had no need to bring the debate to such a low. I hope he has that attitude throughout the rest of the campaign.

I was also impressed with Obama when McCain had his apparently shining moment (according to the analysts), when he said, "I am not George Bush. If you wanted to run against George Bush, you should have run four years ago." Taken out of context, this seems like a strong statement, something McCain should have been saying all along from the beginning (yeah, he probably should). Then he proceeded not to explain how his economic policy differed from Bush's in the slightest, emphasizing difference in energy policy, education, health care, and other things. Obama had just compared McCain to Bush, but was clear to say so only in the context of economics, first taking the time to commend McCain for his odd-ball positions of the past. Obama then reasserted that McCain's economic policy was a continuation of the past four years. Obama did a very good job here. Too bad we're going to keep hearing that quote out of context for a few days, because otherwise I don't think there was anything in that debate for McCain to be proud of.

I take that back. I did like how McCain hammered Obama on the subject of public finance, something I'm pretty upset at Obama for. Obama didn't really have a response for that, dodging it like the other attacks, and I could see at that moment why Obama's defensive stance might not work so well on other voters, especially the undecideds. However, despite John McCain's assertiveness (I saw it more as nervous energy), I thought Obama simply answered the questions better. He stuck to the questions more than I've ever seen from him, in comparison to the last debate (people said afterward that he won, for some reason) where he was muddled, confusing, and uncoordinated. Here he was focused, clear, and succinct, and he answered the questions with facts (not all correct, like the 100% negative TV ads comment) and refuted McCain's strong statements with compelling facts. One example: McCain challenged Obama, asking him to name a time when he had stood up to party leadership. Obama retorted that the first bill he ever voted on the Senate floor was against the party leadership, and he named a few more after that. McCain came back at him, saying his argument was unconvincing, though not really saying why. Obama knew he didn't have to say anything else about it.

Some analysts were wondering why McCain did not attack Obama on the experience factor again, something that seems to poll well for McCain. It seemed pretty obvious to me. Obama has, throughout the debates, presented himself as more than capable of becoming the next president in terms of qualifications. McCain can attack his innexperience all he wants, but we have seen a calm and composed Obama so many times now that the undecideds are getting the image of a capable leader in Obama. This is not to say they are leaning in his direction per se, but McCain's attacks on Obama's experience would only have worked if he had maintained it up until this point, which he hasn't. Now when we see Obama the inexperience is not something we think about. McCain would much rather have us think about how he's raising taxes, talking without precondition to unfriendly foreign leaders (McCain brought this up in the debate in a totally off-topic way. Wasn't this settled in the first debate when Obama explained what a precondition was?), and friends with Ayers and ACORN. This is how McCain wants to portray Obama. The image of the inexperienced young senator is no longer important in this campaign.

The last thing to talk about is Joe the plumber, our favorite American who has everyone's misconception about Obama's health and tax plans. Obama has to explain again and again that his policy won't tax people like (sigh) Joe the plumber, but poor old Joe has been misled by the McCain advertisements and thinks his health insurance costs and taxes will go up under Obama. Honestly, the two candidates were fighting for his vote like guys fighting to carry a cheerleader's books. This time McCain took a new approach to the tax policy: why would you raise taxes on anyone at all? Immediately my mind went to the second debate when the question, "What sacrifices would you ask the American people to make?" was asked. Asking wealthy companies to help share the burden (rather than dumping $700 billion and then another $250 billion and more to come in their laps) seems more than logical to me. And this is when McCain started his jargon about "sharing the wealth, you damn commie, I mean, good friend." The message was clear. McCain wanted to portray Obama as taking money from the rich and giving it to the poor.

Sounds to me like Obama needs to make a Robin Hood campaign shirt.

Obama's equivalent to McCain's shining moment was when he told (sigh) Joe that he would be fined "zero" because small businesses are exempt from those fines in Obama's plan. That actually stopped McCain from reasserting what was false, just as Obama stopped associating McCain with Bush earlier in the debate. It was a powerful moment for Obama in the debate, sort of like saying, "How many times do I have to say this? How much more clearly can I say this?"

So, yeah, I thought Obama came out on top. By quite a lot. However, this is in the campaign style I wanted to see. People who are worried about Obama's credibility and his social connections (Wright, Ayers, ACORN) might see his defensive stance as a retreat. It all depends on whether people re voting on the issues or on perception. Obama won on the issues debate, I thought. I also thought he won on the appearance side, but this is so up to interpretation that I can't begin to think of how the effects of this debate will play out over the next three weeks.

Either way, it was the debate performance I had been hoping for from Obama since he announced his candidacy.

Back to Where I Was



So, um, where was I?

Oh, yes. Releases.

Mid term season just ended. I wanted to write a blog before then, but I had papers due and tests to study for, so I just didn't. I wanted to write one for Yom Kipur, but that never happened. Anyhoo, I am just glad not to have to think about any big tests or papers coming up for a while, which is actually more like a week. It takes a load off my chest.

I hope I did well.

I am also very interested in some movie releases. This, from the guy who doesn't even like movies!

1) 11/14/2008 Quantum of Solace (007) Yeah, it was about time another one of these came out. It should be super sweet! Anyone in Michigan want to see it with me when I'm out there for Thanksgiving? There's about no way I'm seeing it here in New York. I just don't see movies in New York. I don't even know if I could find a good theater.

2) 2009 - a live action Akira will come out from Warner Brothers. This was an animated classic about 20 years ago. I didn't really like it very much, but it's nice that it's being remade into live action.

3) 2009 - Speaking of anime being turned into live action (I think maybe one - maybe - will care about this), Steven Spielberg is directing a movie adaptation of the anime series Ghost in the Shell. Someone tell Joel about this for me, though I don't know how much he'll care. This is supposedly made to compete with Akira. If I would have to guess, I don't have high hopes for either, since Akira has a lousy plot and Ghost in the Shell has a director who'll probably ruin it.

4) Sometime - Watchmen. When is this going to come out already? I've been hearing about it forever! Please! Just come out already!

5) 7/2/2010 - Are you sick of hearing about this? The Last Airbender's first movie now has a release date. Now I can count the days down... such a dork! I suppose this means it's actually going to be made, then, so that's good, I hope... Keep the spirits up! It's going to be a great movie! Please!

Another release would be that of my high school and college friend Julian Pollack's new CD with singer Grace (some last name). Their CD release party will be on October 23rd, 2008. I don't have to wait two freaking years for this.

My roommate's band is featured prominently in a romantic comedy with Katherine Zeta Jones slated to come out in March, 2009. Keep your ears out for "Love Pass It On" when you're watching. He's seen the pre-release and he says it's pretty innovative for a romantic comedy, and also quite comedic. Anyway, I might need to see that.

Also, a move I think called "Rachel's Getting Married" is featuring Tunde Adebimpe, one of the lead singers from TV on the Radio, as the male lead. I have to see it for that purpose alone, even it that takes me to my romantic comedy limit. I don't quite know when that's coming out. I could just look it up while I'm here on the computer. I could do that. Heh!

Well, I need to sleep. Nightmares of McCain's angry expressions dancing through my head. Nevermind. No sleep tonight.

Yeah, my conclusions have been different from the mainstream media's every time, so I dread to see what's in the papers tomorrow.

Now, seriously, I'm done.

-Sam goldsmith

P.S. If you're scared as well, please feel free to write. I don't bite, but sometimes I respond. You have been forewarned!

What I Did Not See

Ciao, Tutti!

I should be doing homework right now instead of blogging, but some important political event just happened and I feel the urge to blog about it. I'll probably fall behind in school work and graduate into a lousy job in a failing economy and...

Well, let's just say I've been down on myself for not working hard enough lately. Life has been distracting me. Let me count the ways.

1) Me and a couple of friends from the Florence program got together this weekend to play music. We're going to be, I say hopefully, an indie band. We all play guitar and piano, and we all sing. No bass player or drummer, but there is a MicroKorg that can play bass for us. We don't need bass and drums anyway. We immediately connected at the jam session. We met at 8:00, none of us having eaten dinner yet, expecting a short, hour long rehearsal and catch-up after. Instead we found ourselves eating Italian food in a diner at 1:00 in the morning. We were starving and tired but couldn't stop playing. So, just a heads up, you may hear a lot more of my voice on CD in the coming however-long-it-takes-for-us-to-get-something-recorded.



2) I am still horribly unqualified to teach Constitutional law, but I have to anyway. Thanks to a scheduling confusion, team teaching the first day was done by seven people, four of whom were in the law school. Needless to say, I didn't have much of a role. However, I did notice a few things, like how smart the students were. I totally underestimated them, not just for their critical thinking capacities but also for their incredible retention of basic facts (dates, names, clauses, etc.). I also noticed a place for me in the class, a historical niche that the law students were conveniently overlooking. Historical context is something me and my other undergraduate team teacher can help out with while the law students unload their database of rote law information. Together we will be unstoppable! Anyway, I'll be reading the constitution a few times, if I can get away from obsessing about life, as well as some court cases and reviewing revolutionary history.



3) TV on the Radio plays in Brooklyn a week from today, but the only apparent way to buy tickets is through their site, and I don't want to become a member and receive a bunch of random emails about concerts in Oslo and the like. Well, I did anyway, only to find out that the pre-sale is sold out. I have to find some other way to get to the show. Does anyone have experience with this, by the way?

P.S. I will be seeing Of Montreal on Friday night, but it won't be the same...



4) I am still terrified of Sarah Palin. This may be a part of me not sleeping well, along with eating dinner at 1:00 after jamming for too long. Now, as you all remember, I'm scared of her incompetence (I've watched the Couric interviews now...) and I'm scared of how everyone perceives her performances. But now I have a new fear: how people in the jazz department at NYU make fun of her. It is gross. People use the acronym MILF to describe her, which I probably am not allowed to spell out, and they talk about performing acts which, well, I probably can't spell out either. Is it any wonder that I have trouble sleeping! Perhaps there was a good reason only old white men used to run for president. This whole thing reminds me of the good old days when making a sexual joke about Nanci Pelosi was an unforgivable act.

5) The second presidential debate was tonight, a town-hall style format that McCain is particularly comfortable in. I have to say, I didn't quite know what to expect. Luckily I had watched the first debate, and there wasn't all that much different tonight, even considering the new economic situation. This is what I did not see or hear: any mention of either Ayers or Rev. Wright; any personal attacks at all; any new policies, save for McCain's new housing approach to the dismal housing market; a constant linking between McCain and Bush; or a gaff of any kind. This being the case, I don't think there was a clear "winner" or "loser." This was not a debate that would earn anyone major points.

Of course that's what I'll say. You all know who my guy is. But, if the truth be told, I actually thought John McCain actually came out on top tonight (town-hall, not like we expected anything different, right?). There was one example when the clock-watching Tom Brokaw asked a question, I think about energy plans (this is why I'm a blogger, not a journalist), about mid-way through. Both of the candidates answered with the same substance. Something about decreasing US dependence on foreign oil. Obama went first, and he's answered this question plenty of times before and he had his script to go by. This being one of the sole issues the two candidates agree on, they answered fairly similarly, but McCain's answer made much more sense. He spoke more slowly and he used language that was far less technical, and he physically reached out to the audience. There was something in his speaking that I could identify with, even if I can't stand the guy. Obama, on the other hand, as one TV analyst from PBS said afterward, elicits no emotion from the audience during a debate, much different than watching the man orate. I hate to say it like this, but McCain was simply better at conveying his opinions to the world than Obama was. Problem is I don't agree with any of his opinions. Obama was obviously better when answering the questions after McCain rather than being the ice-breaker. He needed time to prepare. I could even see his speech relaxing in the middle of answering a question, like I could hear his mind working out an answer as he said catch phrases he had rehearsed beforehand. I know he's not a great debater like Denzel Washington, but I was a bit dissapointed in this.

The only time I thought Obama actually outperformed McCain, and this is a surprise, was in foreign policy, near the end (Obama did get better as the night went on. He needed to relax!). McCain made the assertion, as he had before, that Obama could not simply announce that he was going to invade Pakistan. He invoked Theodore Roosevelt's famous adage, "Speak softly and carry a big stick," asserting that Obama only spoke loudly. Obama returned with the reference, as usual, to McCain's support of the war in Iraq ("Bomb, bomb, bomb!") and his comment that the US could simply "muddle through" Afghanistan. Basically a summation of McCain's foreign policy gaffs. McCain should have been prepared for this sort of attack, but for some reason he wasn't. It was his vaguest point in the entire debate, the only one where his response had nothing specific or insightful in any way. He repeated Obama's gaff (that he had just cleared up) and tried to emphasize Obama's inexperience and naivete. He actually looked tense on stage and struggled finding words.

It's a good thing that point came near the end of the debate because otherwise I'm fairly certain McCain would have been considered the winner of the debate for sure, especially considering his fairly effective attacks on Obama's economic policy, making a dent in what has evolved into one of Obama's strongest positions.

Well, the red light is flashing. I suppose that means I'm out of time.

6) Midterm season approaches. And I have two essays due in the same class (!) a week from tomorrow. The day after the TV on the Radio concert where, I assume, I will not eat dinner until 1:00 in the morning again, thus not sleeping at night. Again. But hopefully the papers will be done by then. Regardless, being a double major in history is much harder than I ever thought it would be. It makes me glad I'm antisocial, I don't play an instrument that gets me many gigs, and I don't have a long-distance relationship anymore. I'll bet my parents are sad they don't get to hear me call every other day anymore.

7) Of course I have time to call my folks every day, but that time ends up being taken up by the difference in time zones as well as, shall we say, other obsessions. I suppose I will call this obsession, "plot." I just love stories that are about things (so therefore not "The Namesake," no matter how well it was written). Stories, novels, TV shows, movies, people's lives, cartoons, you name it. Plus I like to make things up that have plots, too, like short stories and novels. It happens every November too, and may even stop my blogging for quite a while. But, ooh, is it worth it! So, sorry, Mom and Dad!

Sigh! It's so hard when I've got so many exciting or terrifying things in my life distracting me from living! I mean, I do have to do schoolwork at some point, don't I? I suppose this is the price I pay for having so many interests I want to investigate. That's a nice way of saying I'm indecisive and like to dream up fantasies. Which is a mean way of saying I have a lot of interests I want to investigate.

Until next whenever-I-need-another-distraction-from-homework-or-there-is-another-debate,

-Sam goldsmith

This is Beginning to Feel Like the Long Winded Luz of Forever

Ciao, Tutti, and happy New Year!

Sorry for not writing so much lately. It seems that New York City is infinitely less inspiring and motivational than Florence. I suspected as much.

Before I get into the items of importance that bring me to write today, I would like to send a shout out to everyone who made it to my show at the Bowery Poetry Club last Sunday. It was the best performance of Guest Artist yet, and I was lucky enough to have guests from New Jersey, Michigan, and as far as California who aren't even students at NYU! I had family visits that were heart-warming as we rapidly approach the dreaded east coast winter.

As far as the blog goes, I would like to try a new format, as you will see. I've got some sections of important items I want to talk about. Basically, that's it. The blog will be categorized into subjects rather than locations as before, since my days of tourism are on sabbatical currently.

Music Events

I would like to take this opportunity to announce the creation of my second garage band CD, "I Don't Know," by my band First Regrets, featuring me, me, me, and me. The first CD, "The Rest Of The Days Of My Life," has been effectively ended when my pre-amplifier broke and I've had to rely on garage band sounds and my own voice to record everything. Seems rough, but I found out by making "Not a Love Song" that it could all actually work out to my advantage. As soon as I figure out how to embed it into the blog I promise to do so as a preview. Or just send your email address to samgoldsmithvibes@gmail.com and I'll send it off to you.

My NYU enemble with Ralph Alessi has a gig planned for November 5, the day after the election, at my favorite venue in New York City: the Jazz Gallery. I am super-duper excited to play there because a) I have always wanted to, b) it's my favorite jazz club in New York City, and c) the only way to play there with your own group is if you've played there before. Needless to say, this is going to be great fun for me and the rest of the ensemble.

Nothing coming from the Inspiration Sextet anytime soon, though as soon as I'm done recovering from the concert and my first batch of essays, I'll look into another recording project. No promises, though!

Politics: Debate and the Bailout

Everyone's favorite subjects of discussion these days.

I plan to watch the debate tonight with my friends from freshman year, even though I constantly assert that it isn't important in the slightest. I've said this many times before: Sarah Palin was a publicity stunt and is only important because it proves John McCain can't make important decisions in the clutch. However, as we saw, the historic publicity stunt worked out quite well for Mr. McCain. The choice was obviously for winning the election, not because he actually thought she could do a good job, and she has been pretty easy to fashion an image for since no one knows anything about her.

Everyone already knows all this. But leaving this all behind and looking strictly at policy, the two "mavericks" have some disturbing trends. I actually don't know how they can say they're mavericks at all, and I'm sure I'm not the only one to say this. Focusing on Sarah Palin, it seems her one claim to fame is her opposition to Ted Steven's famous bridge to nowhere. Good for her. She opposed the old boy's club and has now joined them. She's been a huge opponent of abortion rights and loves drilling, which, statistics say, won't even give temporary relief from the oil crisis we're in (this is a part of Obama's platform I'm not so thrilled with either). We all know about Sarah Palin's foreign policy, namely that she probably can't even find Iraq on the map, even if the names of the countries were there.

Congratulations, John McCain. You followed in Bush's footsteps by choosing a vice presidential candidate who is so much scarier than you that you will never be assassinated, no matter how bad a job you do.

This is just a summary, of course. If you wanted to read about the election I'm sure you wouldn't come to my blog to do it. The reason this affects me is that I, like a lot of people I know, am most interested in watching this debate because I hope and expect Mrs. Palin to make a fool of herself at some point in this debate. It's like last year's World Series; no one expected the Rockies to win anyway. So why watch? Well, this time the vice presidential debate is actually important. Even if their only job is to fall asleep until a tie in the Senate or take over the president's job if he/she can't do it, the vice presidency has become a symbolically important role in the administration. As much as I hate to admit it, this debate is actually important.

Switching gears, it was quite interesting to be so close to Wall Street for the last few weeks. You see people in suits and ties on the streets with empty coffee cups begging for cash.

That is an exaggeration.

Some things about the bailout: a) We don't have 700 billion dollars, and if we did, it would be better used to fund education systems, a national health care plan, research on alternative energy, social security, and a slew of other options. Either way, we have to stop our borrowing fetish as soon as possible, and this is not the answer.
b) One thing about capitalism is the inevitability of ups and downs. We can't throw this kind of money in order to, in Mr. Paulson's words, avoid the potential for a "recession." I thought it already was a recession.
c) Either way, this seems to be a total waste of money and no one knows if it'll even work.
d) I am sick of trickle down economics.
e) I am already going to have to pay for the Iraq war. Now I'm probably going to have to pay people on Wall Street, too.
e) I have a lot of problems trusting a Bush Administration economic plan. Call me paranoid.
f) My bank went under and was bought out. Property value in New York City - New York City, for goodness's sake! - is dropping because no one wants to start a new business or invest in anything. Local small businesses are dropping like flies. They say that if your neighbor loses his job it's a recession, but if you lose yours it's a depression. I haven't lost my job, but money doesn't seem to do everything it used to do. I don't like this bailout, but something has to be done. If I were an economic expert I may be able to do more than just complain.

Important Events in My Life



Dear Science

TV on the Radio's new CD finally came out on September 23, though I had to wait a few more days so I could open it up as a birthday present. I was rabid on the 23rd. This was possibly the most exciting thing that had happened to me since declaring my double major in history. Hm, that's not a great comparison. Let me put it this way: I had spent hours each day listening to the pre-release tracks on the TVOTR website. They had only posted 2 tracks.

I was fairly excited for this CD release.

For this CD to meet my expectations would have been virtually impossible. It would have had to be one of the best CD's ever made, topping even some of Peter Apfelbaum's, in order to match my excitement for it. It didn't. I was nearly moved to turn it off with disgust during to cliched catchy second track, "Crying." It was too poppish, it wasn't nearly as original as the TVOTR I knew, and the beats were too happy and upbeat. The CD does get better as it goes, not counting the excellent single "Dancing Choose," especially the melodic "Love Dog" and edgy "DLZ," whose lyrics give today's blog its name. The problem was it took until "DLZ," the 10th track, for anything really edgy rather than poppy to come out of the disc. I was disappointed.

This CD rewards multiple listenings. It really does. I cannot emphasize how much better everything sounded the third or fourth time. It's a lot like "Return to Cookie Mountain," their previous release, in that way. You have to get used to it. In reality, it IS quite original, a TVOTR take on pop music. They are always searching for a new sound, and I just had to get used to it being more like sounds I already knew. But the most amazing thing about the CD is its freshness. It's not quite edgy, it's not quite poppish. It is best described as fresh. The recordings are crisp, the lyrics are witty, and they never let you fall into autopilot listening mode; the songs are always changing.

Plus, singer/guitarist Kyp Malone has the coolest beard.

M Night Shyamalan

You must be wondering why I am writing about the director of "The Sixth Sense," which I have never seen before. In fact he has directed many other movies that I have never seen and never cared to see. In fact, I probably took more effort than I needed to simply to look up how to spell the guy's last name.

Well, funny thing. In 637 days (I'll be graduated then, I think), M Night Shyamalan is releasing a movie that, secretly, I wanted to write. I have been planning it out since the beginning of September, even going as far as to research screenwriting procedure. I hadn't planned on writing this movie for years, maybe even decades, but it would be worth the wait. Now it seems it'll only be two years (only!), and it won't be my movie. It'll be a real movie-maker's movie.

I wouldn't trust myself with writing a movie anyway. My tastes in movies are somewhat... strange. That's what I told myself as I cried myself to sleep last night after I found this out, and now I have to tell someone, so therefore I write this blog.

So what is this movie I wanted to make so bad? You'll never guess. I wouldn't have either a few months ago. I'll give you some hints: It has to do with my recent obsession with arrows. It is based on an animated television show. It's not Rurouni Kenshin or Death Note, though I suppose I could always do Kenshin if I really want to. It really needs to be done well.

It's a kid's show (come on, just because I'm 20 now doesn't mean I'm not a kid anymore!).


(I don't know if I'm allowed to put this photo on my blog or not)

As heartbroken as I am that I will not be able to make a movie based on "Avatar: the Last Airbender," I'm glad that it's being made by someone who knows what he's doing. Still, there's no way he's going to take any of my ideas. But I do have some advice for M Night Shyamalan that doesn't have anything to do with the direction I would have taken in making the movie. You see, part of my planning on making the movie myself was finding what needed to be changed with the show, and believe me, there isn't much. The show is by and large fantastic. Perfect for its audience, almost. There really doesn't even need to be a movie made of it at all. Anyway, straight to my unsolicited advice, which is actually more like a list of pleas:

1) Don't F*** up.

2) Change the ending. I have serious problems with the ending, namely that it doesn't make sense (I'm pretty sure my readers aren't going to watch this show, so if you're worried about spoilers, skip ahead to part 3). It's too perfect! First of all, I have major problems with a guy who's naturally gifted at everything and never really has to work all that hard, as Zukko says, getting everything he wants in the end. Second of all, there is no reason for Katara to like him that way. The only reason the hit it off in the end is because the viewer wants them to. A few episodes she was seriously not into him, and nothing changes by the end in terms of their relationship. The whole thing sort of comes out of the blue, just a forced writing convention to resolve all the plot lines roughly together. It works for the kids audience, but it generally doesn't make sense.

3) Be careful when dealing with Toph. She is a good character, and the writers of the show were thorough in keeping her character consistent, a tough thing to do with blindness (trust me, I have experience in that vein). There are some problems, though, to deal with. Mostly I am referring to her sometimes supernatural abilities to "see" things with her feet far away, or so minuscule that it's hard to believe. My favorite example of this is that she can tell if someone is lying just by feeling the vibrations of their heart. Now, come on. This is simple to avoid, though. Just make it so that in the plot it isn't necessary for that part of her to come out. There, problem solved. Toph also has the problem in the show of ping ponging between unlikely extremes, especially when interacting with Katara (she always seems to bring out Katara's bad, aggrivatable side and her motherly side, which I think is almost as bad). She can be tough and strong willed in one moment and teary and affectionate in another. This can work, of course, but it was one weak point in the show during the parts where her character was developed.

4) Develop the bad guys a bit. After watching Heath Leger play the Joker in "The Dark Knight," Dad said that villains will always be more interesting characters than heroes. Avatar is one exception to this rule. The bad guys, as well as the entire fire nation, are all flat and two-dimensional, excluding Zukko and Iroh, who I don't even count as villains. I am mostly talking about Azula and Ozai, but the entire organization of the fire nation isn't really humanized until very late in the show, and even then it isn't done very well. Basically, I take issue with the whole association with "fire nation" and bad guy that pervades the story. It's not there 100% of the time, though, and it would be a good idea to draw out the balance of nations as well as unique fire nation culture that makes them more than just an evil empire. As far as Azula and Ozai go, there may not be enough time to develop them, but there isn't really anything going on in their heads but a big power trip. This could be a lot more interesting.

5) The season finales of seasons 1 and 2 don't really work very well. Important things happen, like Aang nearly being killed by Azula's lightning, and Princess Yuei, the most unimportant and poorly paced character in the show, turning into the moon (my favorite line in the show: "My first girlfriend turned into the moon." "That's rough, buddy."), and Ba Sing Se falling. But there are some serious problems. The story in the north is terribly paced and awkwardly told. Things happen that have to happen, like Zukko capturing Aang, like Zhao, another unimportant character, dying. But the whole moon being blotted out thing is introduced and resolved too fast. However, I like Koh, the Face Stealer enough that I would try to keep him involved. The story in Ba Sing Se is a little different. The build up is nice, with the cultural conspiracy keeping the war secret from everyone in the city, including the king. But it's all downhill from there until the final two episodes of the season. To discover the Dai Li
's secret hideout they rely too much on luck and the brainwashed Jet. Too many coincidences for me. And I never really understood why they just left Jet in the secret underground lair. How's he supposed to get out without an earth bender anyway? And after that, the earth king is way too easily convinced of Long Feng's treachery. I don't see him trusting the children for a single moment. However, that makes it hard to move the plot forward, so what choice do we have? I have problems with it, but it ma just have to stay that way.

6) Really plan out what to do with all the extra characters. They're important in the invasion or they appear periodically, but they're so minor it could be really easy to get tripped up in them. I'm talking Haru, Jet, the Boulder, the swamp guys and Hugh, the flying men, Suki (she's kind of more important), Bato, the Blue Spirit, Boomie, Mai and Tai Li, Combustion Man, Joon, and others. Fans of the show would hate to see some of these characters go, but how can you fit them all in a movie? It's one of the problems moving a TV show to the big screen.

7) What's up with the giant Lion Turtle? (Spoiler) I like the solution of taking away Ozai's bending rather than killing him, but what is going on with this lion turtle? On one hand, I kind of like how I don't know what's going on. It's modern. On the other hand, it's an interesting writing convention. It seems like lucky avatar stuff. I sort of want things more explained to me, and I sort of like the mystery. It contradicts with the story telling of the entire rest of the show, though. You have to make a conscious decision of what to do about that part and what you want out of it.

8) Kataang? Zutara? I choose Katara, though I would rather see Kataang than Zutara. My honest appraisal of Katara's character is that she simply cares uniformly for everyone. She loves them all like family, but she is not really interested in romance. Most of the affection she shows towards Aang she also shows towards her brother Sokka. Even the kisses on the cheek are easily seen as sisterly. She seems much more interested in minor characters Haru and Jet, but it doesn't take a college student to realize this. There are only two times I see Katara show any romantic affection for Aang (spoiler): the episode when they dance with the fire nation school, and the final scene of the show. I particularly latch onto the scene where she blatantly threatens Zukko with death if he thinks of hurting Aang once Zukko joins the group. She only shows an interest in Zukko when she touches his scar in the crystal catacombs (I still don't get why she does that!). I've got my biases, but I think if the movie ends with Katara having a love interest, there better be a darned good reason because she doesn't exhibit it in the show.

9) The "field trips" with Zukko once he joins the group are great for the TV show, but they don't make any sense in a movie. There just isn't enough time for that sort of thing. Unfortunately, I think this means there will never be a time in which Katara ever trusts him. Her field trip sort of reeks anyway.

10) I have nothing bad to say about Sokka. He's like my cousin Andrew, which makes him a great character. It could be easy to let him fall into the role of "funny guy for slap-stick," but he's a really fleshed out character that should be tapped.

11) "The Storm," in season 1, had a big error for the TV show makers. Aang's guilt for running away is probably the best part of his character, flowing seamlessly with his fun-loving goofiness. At the end of this episode he declares he's done dwelling on the past (even though it's not true) and stops having those nightmares. Bad move. This should be something that plagues Aang throughout the plot. Here's why: Aang has nothing much to humanize him. He is a goofy kid who loves to procrastinate and pal around, while his innate talent for bending makes it so he doesn't have to work very hard to accomplish anything. It's a wonder he can somehow get serious enough to meditate. He's a prodigy. Zukko compares him to his sister in this way, not a positive comparison. Mastering the elements is depicted as a simple chore throughout the show. Aang only really struggles with a couple of things constantly throughout the plot: the main plot line, that is trying to master the elements and confront Ozai, and his unrequited love for Katara. The only struggle of these that the viewer can identify with is the unrequited love, but there is so much more there to exploit in Aang's character. Namely, this guilt he has for running away and failing in his avatar duties. This is a part of him that he can carry with him for the whole movie, and it conveniently resolves at the end.

Do I really have to come up with more? Honestly, there isn't really any way to screw up this show. It's pretty flipping amazing. I'm going to have a hard time waiting 2 years for it. I can't find much to criticize about it, and what I can find is easily explained by, "it's a kid's show." It is a great show, and that's why I have obsessed about it like this and taken up your time with my ramblings. I can't wait for the movie to come out, but I guess I'll just have to somehow. In the meantime, we can all wish for arrows pointing to our noses.



I guess I should get on with my life...

-Sam goldsmith