Favre In Purple

When I think of a 40 year-old, gray-headed hick from Mississippi, I picture a guy who might be good at nothing more than shootin’ some birds or hookin’ some catfish. However, my preconceived notions are being shattered this year by the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback, Brett Favre, as he is showing everyone that he still has more than a few good throws left in that legendary right arm.

When it comes to stats, Favre is arguably the best quarterback in the league. But when it comes to impact had on a team, Favre is in a league of his own. Favre’s presence in Minnesota is clearly the reason for the team’s success this year.

Of course the Vikings are stacked in almost every other position this year, but they were loaded with the same arsenal of all-star caliber players last year and only managed a respectable 10-6 record and a first-round playoff loss.

This season Favre and the Vikings are 9-1 and showing no signs of slowing down. Not bad for a guy who's only 10 years away from getting his AARP full membership card.

The November I Hope Not To Remember

I’m a little over half way through my first No-Shave November, and things couldn’t be going much worse.

I spend every waking hour itching my bristly face, I can’t put an ounce of dressing on my salad unless I’m willing to wear sticky, orange dots of Dorothy Lynch on my chin for the next few hours, and eye contact is no longer possible during conversations as the other person can’t help but avert their focus to the thin, greasy hairs that make up what is technically my mustache.

I HATE MY BEARD. It’s patchy, it’s thin, it’s discolored. It makes my face smell like a pair of stale, wool socks.

And what’s worse is that it’s not even a real beard. The majority of the hairs sprout up either at or below my jaw line. That means most of it is on my neck. That makes it a neck beard…a neard. Nobody wants a neard.

No-Shave November has been such a letdown.

I used to idolize my friends who could participate in this annual celebration of testosterone and poor hygiene. I would dream of a thicket of dark, curly fur, enveloping an entire half of my face. It would be able to hold my pens and pencils. I would eat nachos, and people would see the glorious remnants of cheese and Tostitos on my face. I would see my family at Thanksgiving and they would say, “There’s something different about you this year, Jesse, but I just can’t quite figure it out.” And I would respond, “It’s my beard. I am a man. Now excuse me while I go drink stout beers.”

But alas, my boyhood dreams have failed me, and the effects of hitting puberty late are still haunting me to this day.

I suppose I’m being partially environmentally friendly by not using the small amounts of water that accompany a typical shaving session. And I am okay with saving the extra five bucks that I may have spent on some razors or a can of shaving cream. But these small victories get trounced by all the negative experiences that have accompanied me in my rookie season of No-Shave November.

However, I’ve decided that I’m going to stick it out. I fear that the shame of quitting now, half way through the battle, would be much worse than the lack of facial comfort that I will continue to experience for the next several days.

No-Shave November has not lived up to the hype. This month has sucked. And I’m going to be more cautious in the coming years before I ever decide to partake in this annual celebration of the unkempt.

Review of "Where The Wild Things Are Motion Picture Soundtrack"

A great movie needs a great soundtrack. The action in the film needs to be driven and supported by music that perfectly matches the mood. Director Spike Jonze is aware of this, and was able to score big by hiring Karen O & The Kids to create a truly fitting soundtrack for Jonze's latest film Where The Wild Things Are.

Karen O, lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, uses her indie-rock roots to create a 14-song soundtrack that is equally as inspiring and adventurous as the movie.

The album, which features the songs chronologically as they appeared in the film, opens with a beautiful, lullaby-style tune entitled "Igloo." This song does its job by creating the imaginative, child-like atmosphere that fills the entire soundtrack.

The following song, "All Is Love," is the heart of the album. This track begins with the slow lullaby leftovers of the previous number, but quickly picks up with a driving bass, clapping hands and Max Records (child star of the movie) yelling, "One, Two, Ready, Go!" The rest of the song is filled with an up-tempo piano part, a children's choir and steady guitar strumming that make it necessary for the listener to either bob their head or stomp their feet in time with the music.

The remaining songs in the album deliver the same sound that takes the listener out of their own world and into Max's. The songs only vary in terms of their mood (happy, sad, scary, etc.) and tempo. The same basic instruments, percussion and vocals are used throughout the soundtrack.

Jonze could have easily paid someone to find 14 songs that fit the film and called it a soundtrack (like many filmmakers do), but instead he chose to hire an accomplished artist to create an original score for his movie. And if you see the film and listen to the soundtrack, you'll realize that he made the right choice.