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2011 YEAR IN REVIEW

@ Molly-Rose. @Hitch Fan. @ Raccoon Society,
Hey Hitch Fan & Raccoon Society, Hey Molly-Rose :)
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I perused a quote about reason and faith, here, so just wanted to leave a quick insight. Times still ticking. So, get ready, like the countdown goes, remember get your dose of Caffeine and ample supply ready, time is here and now, handy keys to the DeLorean, ready, count it down .... 4,3... is seven,2,1... twenty-one go!
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Bringing in “reason” as a debatable perspective is an arbitrary moot inception of hanging on over a cliff after getting caught in suspended animation. In earnest, I’d rather crony up with a like-minded anarchist that befuddles the imposition-ers of faith is somehow equatable to ever be torn asunder by absence of reason as a supposed and dull exploitive of why not to have faith or presumes faith constraints reason. How tired and bored is that perspective, faith is sans reason, etcetera, as how tired and uninspired the word medley of “how tired and uninspired” is in a sentence. Truly, think, open-mindedly, if you are going to stand to incept reason into the mixture.
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Faith is not constraint of reason. Human expectations are the constraint of reason. When you expect an outcome, expecting defies the natural progression of reason and the possibilities of reason, cause and natural common-sense by reason. Esp if an expectation is only geared or rendered for a specific outcome that is meant to propagate a furnished idea – that is what constraints reason and undermines reason. Faith itself is not a constraint in and of itself.

Faith scrutinizes reason in the same manner that reason scrutinizes faith. Even if you are construing my comments in a sense of Biblical faith, (my own affections on Faith is, faith is faith, regardless of own individual’s personal sentiments) it should be applied to bare it as a pertinent truth of your conscience, if it is in tune with your own accordance of Faith. The insight is similar of a notion and passage Mat Devine shared in a previous entry, from the Bible in 1 Thessalonians “"Test all things and cling to that which is good." 1 Thes. 5:2
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The insight is, by mere contemplative states of the least of reality that is truly, utterly, ever known or knowable is dependent upon the realization those that follow the limited intelligence of humanity are no different or variable than those who believe in an infinite power or being. Except, that, the latter ones are not contained w/ limits of other people’s interpretations as to what the individual(s) believe or have faith in believing. In other words, of course, there is an open defiance of censorship. As the effect of censorship in many formulations is non-productive or progressive, plus attempts to suppress individuality and environmental compatibility and functionality. Individuals have an innate right and will, to believe / have faith in what sets their own life in accord with how they truly feel and be able to live according to a sound in-tact own conscience. The utopic is it ought to be a morally/ethically approach that is not projecting undue negative renderances into another person’s life. Give and take , choose battles, our world is further everyday from a utopia considering the majority has shunned itself to ignoring the dystopic qualties that are here right now and that media at large has veiled in elaborate dunce cap shrouding that dystopic societies are in the future although the dystopic future written about as Fiction is actually happening now. If you need hot lead dead giveaway tell-tale, read the Hunger Games. Reality shows and a corresponding match like Survivor and the way our governments handle it citizens and slowly revolve into revolutions is starkly illuminating in contrast to what science and governments would sooner have you believing recently. Citric awakening happens, just like heads up 7-up, goes round by round like kisses on the forehead of what you’re willing to fight for and go to battle.
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Morning tune ready for the day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSkb0kDacjs
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Personally, I think, plus, prefer, to be limitless w/ willingly choosing to have faith in an infinite that harkens possibilities that exuberate all realities and endless potential for the greater good and bless those who are willing with talents that incorporate into their environments rather than something that devoids humanity of its own existence and destroying itself within by the contraptions of limiting itself like is so often seen and has already been duly established by the acts of science and people having a follow mentality to the state of science and scientists own propulsions of ideas and constructed basis’s that are feasibly assembled for mass production to the herd mentality that those of lower I.Q’s or sheer follow mentality will gobble up without having to test and proof it and prove that the theory itself or basis of scientific belief is sketchy. Esp taking into vantage perspective, equal opportunity intelligent licensures that can compute the information readily on-hand and disseminated to be shredded apart by the citizens sans academic luxury degrees handling inspecting statistics, quantities and exacts, in other words, the scientific misnomers blatantly compiled as derivations alleged to be fact sans exact intricate intra-acted ways of actually testing and provable.
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Thus this ///.... “"Faith is the surrender of the mind; it's the surrender of reason, it's the surrender of the only thing that makes us different from other mammals. It's our need to believe, and to surrender our skepticism and our reason, our yearning to discard that and put all our trust or faith in someone or something, that is the sinister thing to me." ~ Christopher Hitchen ...////
The quoted sentiment is also a mentality that ought be evenly distributed and thus applied to science in the same rigor of scrutiny; otherwise, science in a whole would be an easily reasonable standing on reason sham completely. People whom fully put their faith (be earnest and real, that that’s what is happening) into science, as a bunch of atheists often do blindly, are, again, as I wrote briefly to “Fellow Heathen” no different than the people they claim they are different from whom have faith including certain atheists that are attempting to devalue those individuals whom believe faith in God or deity/deities, et al. So, let’s prevent the ostracization by some ethos that eludes incorporating the fragility of the argument done towards only shunning the hypocrisy of its actions in statement, as is clear with the ///....“Of all the supposed virtues, faith must be the most overrated.”...//// bit of the quote. Anyone with a brain embedded permeating reason plus own foresight is able to tear it tinker tape red, pulling apart the fallibility of the application of exclusion. So, well, let’s say it for what it is, for those who may get a bit riled or bewildered by the notion that that Hitchens quote has to be able to stand soundly to its own accord and then some to win over anything in such a debatable topic of query. Which whoever posted it aka the person behind “Hitch Fan” left it to, what is surmised as an attempted permissive gainer for something it isn’t rather than be seen for what it is. It is what it is; so let it stand to be, and let it be what it is.

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So, what to do, what to do…carry a smile, just smile at all times, esp. smitten. :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKrbAUjBbvU&ob=av2e
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Charles Kingsley, said, ///....“And we shall be made truly wise if we be made content; content, too, not only with what we can understand, but content with what we do not understand—the habit of mind which theologians call—and rightly—faith in God.”...////
If you consider the application of – ///....“we shall be made truly wise if we be made content; content, too, not only with what we can understand, but content with what we do not understand”...//// – you would sooner or later come to deriving the conclusion, if you apply it to theologians that it would then need fairly be dispersed to be applied to scientists and science’s schematics, as well.
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Since, yes, a bunch did catch the flip-syde subtleties and am no longer so-so much M.I.A on-the-grid stats as prior (except at a backwards C//S, let those bones right ;) and sticking true and loyal to odes n’ codes Patrick Henry stylistic lovers “Give me Liberty or Give me death” stance of a prose writer and a bit of an unconventionalist, by art and its unconfined nature, I’d rather par up with movers and doers and standers, with the following quotes. As, this vantage scope of the playing field is where and why art comes into play and tests the grounds. Art endures. Art offers the companionship of the formidable connections of now, urgency and longevity. Legacy – such a regale atoning attenuation intonation inflection to the word while delivering an infliction to naysayers. Cruxly, appropos, regardless, if all there is, is this, every day, every time, I’d rather know within all is aligned in my soul anytime death knocks. Just, must gotta have something to share and faith upon for all those marvelous and wonder-filled death feats after-all. Nil sin Numine.
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Maybe humanities’ expectations need to be readjusted? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO1OV5B_JDw
“Skepticism Is The Beginning Of Faith.” ~ Oscar Wilde
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///....“In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't.”...//// ~ Blaise Pascal
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///....“I heard once of an American who so defined faith, "that faculty which enables us to believe things which we know to be untrue." For one, I follow that man. He meant that WE SHALL HAVE AN OPEN MIND, AND NOT LET A LITTLE BIT OF TRUTH CHECK THE RUSH OF THE BIG TRUTH, like a small rock does a railway truck. WE GET THE SMALL TRUTH first. Good! We keep him, and we value him, BUT ALL THE SAME WE MUST NOT LET HIM THINK HIMSELF ALL THE TRUTH IN THE UNIVERSE.”...//// ~ Bram Stoker, Dracula
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///....“We fall from womb to tomb, from one blackness and toward another, remembering little of the one and knowing nothing of the other...except through faith.”...////~ Stephen King
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///....“That in such righteousness /// To them by faith imputed they may find ///
Justification towards God, and peace /// Of conscience.”...//// ~ John Milton
Ciao.
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///catch the captcha exjst9////

NL7, hi-5alive! on January 25, 2012 at 04:11 PM
2011 YEAR IN REVIEW

Mat I recently started my GCSEs and I'm stressing out so much. I've only had two exams so far and they were Maths and History. I have to resit my maths because I didn't get a C and I think I have failed my history exam.
I learned today that you have to get at least a C in Maths, English and Science to be able to get into sixth form and I started crying because I don't think I'll be able to get into sixth form now. But to be able to do what I want when I'm older I'll need to go.

Becky on January 24, 2012 at 03:59 PM
2011 YEAR IN REVIEW

Hey Mat! I think you might find this interesting.. Especially the lack of information we've gotten about ACTA.

http://anonops.blogspot.com/2012/01/things-you-need-to-know-about-acta.html

hanners on January 24, 2012 at 10:18 AM
20 QUESTIONS- Lightning Round PART II: My Breakup with Snooki, Marriage, Music, Public Puking and more...

Mat, what do you think a cure for shyness and when you can't say things right around people you like is ?

Valerie on January 21, 2012 at 01:15 AM
2011 YEAR IN REVIEW

Dear Mat,
I am 16 and I've been invited to my mum's best friend's birthday do in April. She's having it in a posh Hotel and Lodge in the countryside and it sounds great! It's strictly 18+ but I've been told I'm allowed to go which is great!
The catch? I have no idea what to wear. It's advised that girls wear address and, after prom, there is no chance in hell that I will be caught wearing a dress! It made me feel so uncomfortable. So, I need your advice. What should I wear? I don't exactly have a lot of money to spend and I don't want to go looking like someone I'm not. Have you any ideas? Oh, I forgot to mention, it's a masquerade so any thoughts on what type of mask I should go for? Thanks Mat, see you in March.

Hannah

Hannah on January 20, 2012 at 04:27 PM

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PAPA RACCOON vs John Mayer ;) Snuggies, Atheism and NYC FASHION WEEK

Posted on February 21, 2010 at 11:59 PM

Listening to: Temper Trap -Sweet Disposition (on repeat), The Knife, Elliot Smith, Frank Sinatra, and Deftones. Also, while shopping in Whole Foods, my ears were gently raped by the most well-lubed and disturbingly smooth track of all time: Daughters by John Mayer.

HOLY SHIT I think I got my period. I just winced and closed my eyes as my sperm count plummeted and my shopping cart seemed to turn on it’s own… magnetically guiding me towards the feminine hygiene aisle.

Does a more emasculating song exist?

It’s as if JM personally crawled out of the speaker wearing a silk diaper, tenderly carried me to his pink bedroom, put me into warm, soft pajamas, brushed my hair with one of those huge wooden brushes from the 70’s, and went down on me in my sleep. Like, when it’s over, you don’t really remember it, but you KNOW something wrong and shameful happened.

It was like a 3-min 30-sec prostate exam… from a beautiful angel.

Seriously, JM is talented, cool and funny as hell. -but as for Daughters... Guess what? James Taylor called on his rotary phone. He wants his vagina back.

Watching: So weit die Füße tragen -As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me (2001), Flammen & Citronen -Flame and Citron (2008), Mongol (2007), Basketball Diaries (1995)

Eating: Nothing at the moment. Lost my appetite (and $14) after the check-out lady at Midway Airport bistro informed me that the mozzarella balls in my Italian salad looked just like the eyeballs from the movie Wrong Turn III. Thanks, dick. I didn’t even know there was a Wrong Turn II.

Drinking: Axia Alpha Estate (Greece), 1995 Chateau Montelena Cabernet (Napa) ****

Reading: Esquire mag.

Wearing: The yes-i-did-just-escape-from-Belleveue-Psychiatric-thank-you-very-much outfit. Woman’s fur coat, cammo pants, giant knit cap, Nike’s and a home-made T-shirt that reads: Have you kissed an Atheist today?

Hello raccoons! Happy belated Valentines Day!

I’m writing to you from The Hurt Locker (AKA Chicago)… Sitting in the children’s corner at a Caribou Coffee as it snows outside.

I watched a rare sun rise in my snowglobe the other day.

Typically, there isn’t a “sun rise” per se in Chicago… just a “slight brightening of the clouds” -as if someone, somewhere, controls the whole shit-stained sky with a dimmer switch. At 6:30 am it starts to change… from the color of used coffee grounds, to that of prison hinges, to that of an abandoned smoke stack, and finally to the color of a cement column in an ugly cemetery that no one visits.

But then... I saw this:

In the past couple weeks I’ve been in California, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York.

Now is the time for me to retreat into my own personal witness protection program, where it’s ok to dress like an old baglady and smell like a ferret. -cos there’s a lot to be done in Kill Hannah Land.

In the meantime, let me just address a couple things…

-Regarding the ASK MAT advice column.. It will be back up and active again VERY soon! Lucy, elle, alex, sonia and magda, Jackie, redrose01, Hannah, hikari, e-nog, Frankie, lissa, krysten, la boum, etc… looking in depth at your questions in particular…

-THANK YOU to Jackie and Amanda for the Robert frost poem and the Peter Pan figurine. It holds a distinguished place among my collection of useless but endearing artifacts. (my prized Napoleonic coin, dried dragonfly, broken crown broche, baby pine cone, fat skeleton, Oscar Wilde action figure, Yukon Cornelius boglehead, oversized faux diamond ring, $2 bill, pipe and Sniper medallion)

Transcribing the notes in my pockets, let me attempt to recap the last 2 or 3 weeks, in my trademark half-baked baboon-brained non sequitur:

-Still mourning the death of JD Salinger. If you haven’t already, I demand all Raccoons to read Catcher in the Rye. It’s #3 on the list of Most Banned books, so you know it’s good. All my best friends and band-mates are Holden Caulfields.

-I rode a Stairmaster for 5 minutes - tried in vain to find some middle ground between ‘mild, healthy, physical exertion” and “full blown panic attack” FAIL.

This is frozen Newfound Lake in New Hampshire...

...and this is my nephew doing some light reading at the airport.

This is the skull and crossbones he drew for me:

...and this is the little munchkin who smoked me down the slopes

-I invented a word: Dopplegangbang.

It can be used loosely.

a) a group of people who all dress identically (Eg: Warped tour.)

b) the act of engaging in an orgy with clones of yourself—which, at present, Kurzweilian prophesies aside, can only occur in theory. (In sick, sick, theory.)

c) Metaphorically: it is the absolute apex of self-absorption and ego-mania. Eg someone who obviously WOULD sleep with themselves if they COULD. Therefore, a DopplegangbangER may refer to anyone who posts over-frequent, boring, and narcissistic updates on Facebook or Twitter (eg: “Mondays suck!").

-I rediscovered a favorite vintage velvet blazer, and in the breast pocket were a couple old cocktail napkin notes to myself; One, replete with a detailed schematic for the invention of a telescopic fork (to better facilitate stealing food off other people’s plates, apparently) –and the other, for reasons lost to me now, was an adamant reminder to name my first son “Spy/Counterspy”.

OH....

-I finally saw my first TV ad for the popular Snuggie !

Now, I love bizarre kitsch as much as the next guy, but this is scary shit.

The Snuggie is essentially a blanket… but... (wait for it) ... it has sleeves.

I guess it saves you the enormous strain of removing your blanket and putting it back on. The inventors of the Snuggie obviously foresee a time in the future, when all Americans will never have to leave their couches to enjoy every lazy-ass comfort imaginable. God forbid your WRISTS GET COLD when you use the remote control.

A blanket. With SLEEVES. I get it. But if we are THAT lazy, then why stop there?? Why not just invent a blanket, with sleeves, made entirely of hamburgers? That way you can just eat your blanket, and when you’re done, push the Medalert button on the tag, and another will be delivered and wrapped around you.

The Snuggie symbolizes a new era in American lethargy… but from the perspective of salesmanship, it’s actually quite inspiring. Look, 20 million people have spent their hard-earned money on a blanket. With sleeves. Sooooo, the next time ANYONE dares tell you that YOUR idea is senseless, insulting, culturally obscene or futile, just smile and say, “Snuggie… Snuggie, motherfucker.”

Snuggie ILLUMINATI:

New York City for Fashion Week was predictably fun, dangerous and godless. THANK YOU to Bradley for the crash pad... THANK YOU to Junior Sanchez for getting the whole crew together for a spectacular wedding in view of the skyline... as well as the staff at Gramercy Park Hotel, Waverly Inn, Bowery Hotel, Standard Hotel, Norwood Club, Sing Sing, and all the friends who made it an unforgettable trip.

Olympics have begun, and i have to say i'm most excited for the Men's Doubles Luge. Who parties the hardest at the Winter Games? Take a good guess.

ps: Photo Booth for Macs: as kind-of fun today as it was in 2007

OH and this. --a little narcotics retrospective.

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RACCOON SOCIETY LIVE Q&A- The video footage

Posted on February 12, 2010 at 11:31 AM

Click HERE to follow Mat on Twitter. Click HERE to follow Kill Hannah on Twitter.

"This is the violet hour, the hour of hush and wonder, when the affections glow again and valor is reborn, when the shadows deepen magically along the edge of the forest and we believe that, if we watch carefully, at any moment we may see the unicorn." -Bernard DeVoto 1948

Listening to: Pixies, Wave of Mutilation on repeat… fixated on the lyrics. “Cease to resist, giving my goodbye, crash my car into the ocean. You'll think I’m dead, but I sail away on a wave of mutilation.” In a bout of collegiate nostalgia, also, Magnetic Fields: Holiday and RIDE; Nowhere

Eating: less and less. Mainly avocados and blueberries for breakfast and wine, Brea and sweet potatoes for dinner - - occasional high-end chic rations at Chateau Marmont -finally learned how to pronounce Gruyere cheese

Wearing: True to my instinct for self-sabotage, I've allowed that SOHO gypsy contagion to infect me. –made a DYI T-shirt that reads, “I’m fine with water for now…” since I find myself saying that to waiters about 30x a week.

Drinking: new rule; no adult libations before lunch... baby-steps towards normalcy. instead, coconut milk, black tea, and the like

Reading: Trancend by Raymond Kurzweil, and a 2-year backlog of W magazines

Watching (DVD): Tudors Season 1

Watching (Youtube): Justin Timberlake Death Metal.

Hello Raccoons, and thank you for being so patient this past few weeks as we work towards launching the new and improved Raccoon Society 2.0.

In the meantime, I have some very special clips for you.

As most of you know, back in late December, on a stormy, unforgiving Saturday MORNING, we hosted the very first LIVE Raccoon Society Q&A at Angels and Kings in Chicago… The production was stripped down and raw… just a stage, a couple of microphones, and an unflattering bright light.

-Though, with William Beckett (from The Acadamy Is… ) as my wingman, the experiment was a resounding success.

(…unlike my facial hair experiment.. -the results of which, as you'll see, overshot my intended goal of “Bohemian Recluse” and landed somewhere in that unfortunate middle ground between “1849 California Gold Rush Prospector” and “1979 Windowless Rape Van Owner”)

Until now, only those Raccoons brave enough to risk hypothermia and dementia that morning, (many of whom traveled from distant cities and countries), were able to witness the event… first hand.

-TODAY, however, FUSE has kindly released the rough, uncut footage, to share with ALL of you…

THANK YOU again to William Beckett and all who participated. It was an unforgettable and rare experience for me, and i COULD NOT POSSIBLY be more PROUD of this community.

Stay Pale. Xoxo

Raccoon Society Introduction

Jealous Boyfriend

Zombie Attacks!

Suicidal Father

Being Treated as a Kid

In Love With Cousin

Religious Views

Mom Is Cheating

Health Care

Random Childhood Story

Black Sheep Dad

Where to Go for Pre-Med

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INTERNET KILLED THE VIDEO STAR : Mat's TOP 5 music videos of ALL TIME

Posted on February 2, 2010 at 09:00 AM

Eating: Anything the chef at Blue13 puts in front of my paws

Drinking: Acai/pomegranate elixir and Persian tea w raw ginger -in a vain attempt to detoxify and to outlive all my enemies,

Hearing: NPR, Cure B-sides (This Twilight Garden, Halo, 2 Late, Harold and Joe) Ladyhawke My Delirium over and over and over

Reading: The Perricone Promise by Nicholas Perricone, The Case Against God by George Smith, What Makes Sammy Run by Budd Schulberg

Watching: Adventureland, Man vs. Wild Pacific Islands, Beautiful Losers

Smelling: Saint by KatVonD

Researching: Open air burning permits, flashpoints and other properties of various accelerants, flights to Cuba via Toronto, Alexander Pushkin, Military applications for weather manipulation, Notorious BIG lyrics, how to slice a mango

Click HERE to follow Mat on Twitter. Click HERE to follow Kill Hannah on Twitter.

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!” -Jack Kerouac

Hello from Ice Station Zebra (Chicago)

This past week has been devoted mostly to concepts, logistics, legwork and prep for our upcoming video shoots… We’ve agreed that this time, we have an obligation to destroy the common music industry paradigm to which we’ve always felt bound. (Eg: Select the single… Get budget approved… Collect various treatments from various directors… Make the safest choice for the most diplomatic reasons…. Don't risk the lives of those around you... Don't end up on the FBI Watch List again... Observe Child Labor laws.... Look COOL. ) Fuck. That.

I’m embarrassed by the lack of originality and imagination that we and other bands have displayed over the past several years. It’s tragic how predictable and formulaic most videos have become. -But I won’t keep blaming our sleepless tour schedule. I can’t blame the economy. I can’t blame the restrictions inherent to the major-label system. Not this time.

We ‘artists’ have complained for years that video budgets have been shrinking faster than David Letterman’s bangs…. From $250k to $100k to $50k to $10k. In turn, bands, managers, A&R, fans and even once-prestigious award shows have slowly come to believe, and ALMOST accept, that artistic standards must surely degrade on an analogous curve.

ARE WE ALL INSANE?

Just THINK about what you can do with TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS. There are hungry, young, innovative film students in every city who can CHANGE THE FUCKING WORLD with the money that most bands used to allot to CATERING.

To make a point, as an experiment, I just spent 2 minutes rifling thru the YellowPages…

I found:

Fire-breathers: $125.

Ambulance rental: $150.

A MONKEY for $150.

Then, I opened a newspaper to look for interesting events or locations to crash for FREE. I found:

Chinese New Year Parade. Chinatown. There you go.

OK. Chimps, pyro, samurais… granted it may sound a little Dadaistic, but already you have a concept more compelling than “Dance like a Jersey pig and run from paparazzi” – and THAT trite pitch won Britney Spears the MTV VIDEO OF THE YEAR 2008 for Piece of Me!

Regardless of budgets, I truly hope that one day soon there will be a Music Video Renaissance. –a return to the doctrine of the Guilded Age of videos, the 80’s and early 90’s, when boundaries and limits will once again be tested and challenged. -When videos will elevate and intensify the emotional impact of beautiful songs. -When 'pop' and 'art' are no longer mutually exclusive–-When DIRECTORS, rather than PERFORMERS, will rightfully be making the acceptance speeches.

In that spirit, i’d like to share my picks for TOP 5 MUSIC VIDEOS OF ALL TIME.

(NOTE: I’ve excluded the mind-melting Trapped in the Closet by R. Kelly, because I consider that a ‘Saga,’ or a ‘Triumph of Music Cinema’ -and as such, it’s deserving of a rating classification all its own)

#5. FEVER RAY When I Grow Up by Martin de Thurrah (2009)