Thank You Amazon!

Amazon just gave me $5 in MP3 downloads for buying like $1000 worth of textbooks from them.  So generous.  So here are the 5 songs I got: (I've been listening to a little too much pop recently...)

1. "Your Woman" by White Town
2. "North by North" by Faded Paper Figures
3. "Satellite" by Oceanlab
4. "Bulletproof" by La Roux (If you haven't seen this yet, you should)
5. "Hold It, Kid (Your Heart Just Skipped a Beat)" by The Weeks

I'm happy with my selections.

"A Little More Time" by Zox

 I'm on the fence with this song.  It is either a catchy, fun song, or a overly enthusiastic, annoying song.  Either way, I like listening to it every now and again.  Watch (or listen) to this and tell me what you think....

2010 NCAA Football Predictions

Preseason predictions are so much fun!  Everyone is estimating and guessing who they think will have the endurance and passion to make it to the National Championship.  Here are a couple stories I've enjoyed while basking in all the preseason fiestities:

• The 10th Annual Herbies - Kirk Herbstreit's predictions of this year's best players
• Conference Champion and BCS Champ Predictions from ESPN's best
• All the Bowl Predictions! - See if your team is predicted to go bowling (SCAR v. Penn State in the Outback Bowl!)
• ESPN Bloggers put out the BEST predictions I've seen so far!

Year 6 at SCAR for the Ol' Ball Coach

Repeat?

Heisman?

Undefeated?

Heisman?

Heisman? Probably not.

Clemson should just go ahead and come up with their lame excuses for this year.

"Your Woman" by White Town

This video is for the audio only.  Click here for the music video with audio.

Typography/Motion Graphic #3

The audio is terrible (sorry), but it was too good to not put up.

Comics #99

Typography/Motion Graphic #2

Blockbuster's Near Demise

I think we could all see it coming.  Red Box and Netflix are owning the world of video rentals.  Hollywood Video, Blockbuster's only real competitor, is gone for good and I think Blockbuster is on the verge of possibly disappearing forever.  Hopefully they pull it together, get with the times, and offer some better services.

To read more click here.  Or click here.

Typography/Motion Graphic #1

Comics #98

UGO: 10 Reasons the Twilight Movies Aren't a Complete Disaster

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard of the Twilight saga by Stephanie Meyers.  And if you're a straight male like myself, then you probably have a negative view of Twilight.  Although the writing is mediocre at best and the movies are super cheesy, there are effects of this Twilight phenomenon that are entertaining.

Jordan Hoffman from UGO has a list of 10 reasons why you should be sorta grateful for Twilight's existence.

Click here for the 10 Reasons

AV Club: 2010 TV Preview: Seriously, what is the future of television?

Here is an awesome look at all the new shows coming out this Fall.

AV CLUB: Fall 2010 TV Show Preview
  

The Best New Comedy From Last Year Gets Another Season! Guess Which Show...

Rarely does a new show keep me more entertained and thinking about what someone just said than this show.

Click here to see the video where the producer confronts the cast to tell them the "bad news."

(Glee should have lost to this show.)

Best Fails of 2009

This is one of the best compilations I have ever found on the Internet in years.

Best Fails of 2009 - watch more funny videos

What Morgan Missed

1. The Guitar Hero/Rock Band frenzy
2. Juno (2007)
   
3. Ben Folds Popularity Jump
4. The Final Harry Potter Book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (July 2007)
   
5. The Virginia Tech Shooting
6. iPhone Frenzy
7. Xbox 360 is awesome
   
8. 300
9. Mitt Romney's presidential campaign
10. Dumbledore's Coming Out
11. The Discovery of The Office
12. Live Free Die Hard
13. Flight of the Conchords
14. 30 Rock
15. "All My Friends" LCD Soundsystem
16. The Discovery of Arrested Development
17. "Hey There Delilah" Plain White T's
18. Once
19. Across the Universe
20. The "Leave Britney Alone!" Video
21. Will Ferrell's "The Landlord"
22. Top 10 Movies of 2007
23. Miss Teen South Carolina Embarrassment
24. Andy Samburg and Hot Rod
25. Girls with Bangs fashion
26. Rosie ODonnell and Donald Trump Hissy-Fits
27. The Darjeeling Limited
28. Owen Wilson suicide attempt
29. Heath Ledger commits accidentally suicide
30. Be Kind Rewind (2008)
    
31. Michael Vick goes to jail for dog fighting chains
32. Maggie's Stroke
33. Cloverfield (2008)
    
34. College Football's Most Unpredictable Year Ever
35. My Chuck Klosterman Obsession
36. Skydiving
37. Russia claims to own North Pole
38. Explosion Traps Miners in West Virginia -- Only one survives (Jan. 2)
39. Aug. 24 -- Pluto is Demoted
40. Amish School Shooting (Oct. 2006)
    
41. V for Vendetta (3.17.06)
    
42. Thank You For Smoking (March 2006)
43. The Crocodile Hunter Dies (Sept. 2006)
    
44. Zidane's Headbut in the World Cup
    
45. Sadam Hussein is hung
46. Borat
47. Talladega Nights
48. All of Will Ferrell's New Movies
49. Mission Impossible III
50. Al Gore Wins the Nobel Peace Prize
51. Superman Returns
52. The Illusionist and The Prestige
53. Casino Royale
54. Chronicles of Narnia
55. Lazy Sunday, Lazy Monday and Lazy Muncie
56. Snow Patrol - Eyes Open Album
57. The Nintendo Wii
58. House
59. United 93 (2006)
    
60. Over the Hedge -- All the soundtrack is by Ben Folds (2006)
    
61. X-Men 3 (2006)
    
62. MuteMath
63. I fell in love with The Flaming Lips
64. Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy
    
65. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
    
66. The Vines - Vision Valley Album (2006)
67. The Hush Sound - Like Vines album (2006)
68. Guster Obsession
69. The Guardian (Sept. 2006)
    
70. The Departed (Oct. 2006)
71. Dashboard Confessional goes back to acoustic with The Shade of Poison Trees album
72. Audioslave comes out with an awesome album and then break-up
73. Copeland new album
74. Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
    
75. The Holiday (2006)
76. Blood Diamond (2006)
77. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadia album (2006)
78. "How To Save a Life" The Fray
79. The Number 23 (Feb. 2007)
80. "Lips of an Angel" Hinder
81. Shooter (Mar. 2007)
82. John Mayer - Continuum album (2006)
83. Panic at the Disco craze
84. "Hate Me" Blue October
    
85. Grindhouse (2007)
86. Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz (Amazing!)
87. "Make Me Wonder" Maroon 5 (2007)
    
88. "Phantom Limb" The Shins (2007)
    
89. "Grace Kelly" and "Love Today" MIKA
90. Kings of Leon "Because of the Times" album (2007)
    
91. The Bravery "The Sun and Moon" album
92. "Another Word for Desperate" Straylight Run
93. Matchbox 20 Exile on Mainstream album
94. "Apologize" One Republic
95. Spiderman 3 SUCKED (2007)
    
96. Knocked Up (2007)
    
97. Transformers (2007)
98. Ocean's 13 (2007)
99. Black Sheep (2007) - MUST SEE
100. Ratatouille (2007)
101. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
     
102. The Simpson's Movie
103. Halo 3 (Amazing!)
104. Daniel Tosh Stand-Up Comedian
105. Mitch Hedberg and Demetri Martin Stand-Up Comedians
106. Evel Knievel Dies (Nov. 2007)
     
107. The Bourne Identity Series
     
108. Kobe Bryant scores 81 points in one game (Jan. 22, 2006)
109. Bob Barker retires from the Price is Right and Drew Carrey takes over
110. Death Toll in Iraq reaches over 4,000 (2007)
     
111. I Am Legend (2007)

And unfortunately, I am too tired to finish this list.  It's long enough anyway.

Ohhhhh Inception Jokes!

Gawker: How to Make Justin Bieber Sound Incredible: Slow Him Down 800 Percent

Click here to listen

btw- this is awesome!  Thanks Spencer.

Yeasayer - Club music mixed with some drugs and hippies and The Killers's electronica

So my sister Kendal showed me this freakin weird music video with Kristen Bell in it, but the song in it was amazing.  The song was called "Madder Red" by Yeasayer.  I've spend the better half of today listening to their music and I think it's quite good.  They seem like hipsters that play druggy, hippie, electronic music.

Here's a video of them playing live:



Here are links to some of their other good songs: (ranked in order of how much I like them)
"Ambling Alp" by Yeasayer
"Madder Red" by Yeasayer
"Sunrise" by Yeasayer
"I Remember" by Yeasayer
Interview w Yeasayer by NY Noise 

Here's the link to the freakin weird video:  freakin weird video

"Flume" by Bon Iver

Bon Iver is pretty good; but also, pretty depressing.  This song in particular is my favorite of his.

Ponyo

Initially titled "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea," and when you see it, you'll know why. This crazy Japanese anime film is about a little boy who finds a little...girl thingy and they become best friends immediately.  A problem arises immediately when the little girl thingy has to go back into the ocean and separate from the little boy.  Bringing them together forever is the basis of the story.


I am a huge fan of Hayao Miyazaki's work (the writer and director), but I was severly disappointed by Ponyo.  It was incredibly cute and touching, but it felt more hollow than anything I'd ever seen Miyazaki do.  It was basically a weird, Japanese adaption of The Little Mermaid.  In the sphere of Miyazaki's other works, Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, etc., it pales in comparison.

(If you're new to Miyazaki, I recommend seeing either Howl's Moving Castle, or Spirited Away first.)

"White Blank Page" and "The Cave" by Mumford & Sons

Pretty good songs.  Except I thought for sure this guy would have a beard.  It sounds like beard music. (Thanks Kendal)

Comics Today #97

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

Favorite Movie Scene #1 - Shaun of the Dead

This is one of my favorite movies ever (#20 on FC).  This scene helped me enjoy Queen more than I think I would have on my own.  This is a romantic comedy with zombies and I highly recommend it.

Movies to Look Forward to September 2010

The summer movie fever is slowing down and the cool, breezy fall movie season is only a month away.  With life greatest sport starting up in less than a month, this fall's season of movies looks to be impressive enough to make me sacrifice some games.

Here's what I'm looking forward to this September:

My most anticipated movie this month: Waiting for 'Superman'

The American starring George Clooney

M. Night Shamaylan's Devil (read the latest on M. Night here)

Can M Night right his ship?  His last two films, The Happening and The Last Airbender, were atrocities.

Jack Goes Boating with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Holly from The Office

(Unfortunately, it's rated R so I won't be seeing it)

For the wife- You Again starring Kristen Bell, Sigourny Weaver, Jamie Lee Curtis and Lyla Garrity from Friday Night Lights

Buried (Looks like a movie that could be really good, or really bad)

It's Kind of a Funny Story (finally the world is seeing the humor from Zach Galifianakis)

Movies I'm not looking forward to:

• Wall Street Never Sleeps - Every time I see the preview, I get less excited.
• Resident Evil: Afterlife - Can you believe they are continuing these movies?
• Easy A - Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, blah blah, shoot me

Movies I'm not sure about yet:

• I'm Still Here - A doc about Joaquin Phoenix? Really? But...why?

• Never Let Me Go - New Kiera Knightley movie
• Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole - I'm pretty sure this is going to be super dumb because it's about owls that talk and guard stuff!  The trailer was awesome though.

Pomplamoose

I recently discovered a new band.  Their name is Pomplamoose (it's French for "pink grapefruit").  They have gotten very popular, very fast.  I think this is mostly due to their "video songs."  They record (audio and visually) a song and then edit the crap out of it.  The result is a very fun and catchy music video with a cozy feel to it. 

Here is their first video song I saw:

Was Inception ripped-off from a Scrooge McDuck comic??

Find out for yourself at AV Club

Link

Girl + Flight of the Conchords =

These things!

Jermaine and Bret Earrings (the guys from Flight of the Conchords)

(Thanks Kendal)

Back!

Joshtarts is back. It's been too long, my friends.

And to kick things off, I am presenting my flickchart.com movie list after surpassing 10,000 ratings! I am quite proud of it. It is still not done (I doubt it will ever be done) and I saw Inception the day I finished it. Because I was still cleaning my brain off the floor, I didn't feel comfortable including it in my rankings just yet.

Without further adieu, my top 25 movie list: (click here for a full list)

1. Iron Man
2. The Princess Bride
3. The Empire Strikes Back
4. Donnie Darko
5. Forrest Gump
6. Fight Club
7. It's a Wonderful Life
8. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
9. Saving Private Ryan
10. Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark
11. Being John Malkovich
12. Back to the Future
13. Return of the Jedi
14. Aliens
15. Home Alone
16. A Beautiful Mind
17. Taken
18. The Sound of Music
19. The Bourne Identity
20. Shaun of the Dead
21. Apollo 13
22. First Blood
23. Casino Royale
24. Office Space
25. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Visit flickchart.com to do your own movie rankings and visit me (meathook) when you're there.