The Useless Critic 2.0

Last night I went and saw Sunshine Cleaning, the new film starring Amy Adams and Alan Arkin. The film is about a woman named Rose (Adams), who starts a business with her sister, which requires them to clean up the blood and ooey gooey sticky parts from crime scenes. All the while their nutty father (Arkin) runs around with crazy schemes and paper-thin promises. Oh yeah and some other shit happens in the movie. I went into the theatre with quite a lot of expectation for this movie, and I walked out thinking, “Eh, it was okay.” It wasn’t a bad film, but at the same time it didn’t blow me out of the water like I hoped it would. First of all, I thought the film was going to be funny, and I only laughed four or five times in two hours. Don’t get me wrong. Sunshine Cleaning has its moments, but it didn’t totally win me over. Amy Adams is great at everything she does. She is always the darling of my eye. As for Alan Arkin, only one thing came to mind. “Little Miss Sunshine” is over. Of course

I can't even begin to describe my love for this band. like returning to something warm. God I need to watch some ... Godard this summer. the video entrances me. I used to rewatch it constantly last spring. my most favorite song, thing, ever. seriously. WATCH AND LISTEN. http://www.sendspace.com/file/3u7xh4 = "Dance With Me" http://www.sendspace.com/file/n7bsa0= "Ever Fallen In Love" someone out there: LET'S LEARN THIS DANCE

I will remember you Will you remember me? Don't let your life pass you by Weep not for the memories - Sarah McLachlan, the only other one that feels my pain.

This guy is playing in Corry, Cameron Carpenter , and he seems VERY cool. tonight. United Methodist Church. I'd go, but I just found out like, five minutes ago. so that kind of impairs me, being transport-less and miserable. who does not love a good pipe organ??? (esp. one played by a ROCK STAR?) http://www.myspace.com/cameroncarpenter Radio Empire's show @ Forward Hall w/ The Romantic Era (did I go to high school with you guyz?) & Talk About It: http://www.myspace.com/radioempiremusic 6:OO P.M! THEN, tonight, in Allegheny (College), you have THE ANTLERS . and I would have TOTALLY gone if I didn't make PLANS for tonight. so here: http://www.last.fm/event/1039160 SEE MY BITCHY COMMENT Lastly, you have the recently announced Cowboy Junkies show for Mercyhurst on June 21st. though I'm secretly a big 10,000 Maniacs fan and they sound alike to me, I've never quite gotten into them. hmmmmmm. but seeing as I'll be alone for most of the summer, why the hell not. ht

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30013034/ A REASON NOT TO ANTICIPATE NEXT FRIDAY, BESIDES MY HAPPY LACK OF FINALS :) Kings of Leon should be cool, too. I'm just getting into them. sadly.

have you ever stopped to wonder if you are the Antichrist? more than once on a daily basis? if so you're not alone. I wonder if I am found within Nostradamus quatrains. I also wanted to tell you, on a similar note, that popular Christian band Casting Crowns will be playing in Erie in June (the 12th). I am going to see Dave Brubeck, because I figure he will be dead in a few years, so it makes more sense to me. God willing, I get a job. Please hire me, seventeen jobs I've applied for. it's funny- I knew this really weird girl at one point who was like, hmmmm, sort of infatuated with me shall we say? even though I'm never sure why but- she was like HEY LOOK AT MY CASTING CROWNS POSTER and I was like .... that's not really appropriate, is it? Nazis and UFOs! I love this channel. - Virginia Woolf (I WILL BUY THE FLOWERS MYSELF)

I've been in a weird place lately. I hope if you've seen me this has been noticeable. I've got to get myself back on the track. I'm really burnt out, and a lot of it is my own doing. I bought Out Stealing Horses , mostly because it is Norwegian (here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/24/books/review/McGuane.html ) but I find it hard to get into it. perhaps it's my state of mind, my constant physical exhaustion or my inability to concentrate. but I read the review and it sounds like it's right up my alley. oh well. tomorrow is a new day. chest pain does not equal death. there's a Scandinavian minimalism to it I enjoy. I value my simplicity and will be, as an offshoot of my mallwalking project, give you a breakdown of the best coffee to be found in the Millcreek Mall. I mean, why the hell not. I mean, whatever. I also will not be spending much time in Edinboro the next two weeks if I can avoid it. it's easy for most people- they live out there. when I ha

well, not personally. you know. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090421/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_national_service

Summer is approaching, and if you remember last summer, which some of us do, you’ll remember Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woods. (Or something along that line.) It was a crappy show, but somehow, it managed to pull my whole family together, and we were glued to the TV every Monday night. The winner of the show was a girly girl named Bailey Hanks, which didn’t really surprise me. She seemed to have an edge. But the point I’m trying to make is on one of the episodes, they declared that a number from Legally Blonde: The Musical (So Much Better) was the hardest song to sing on Broadway. Here is the Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WT4HR_rDJU While I was hearing that I was rather shocked, but I have really bad delayed reactions, so I’m not commenting on it until nearly a year later. Like any outstanding journalist I decided to poll people who were active in musical theatre as to what they thought the actual hardest Broadway show tune is, and here is what I got. And I will say t

it was so gorgeous out today. I'm worried about a lot at the moment- school and work and my new responsibilities (that makes it sounds like I have kids)- but these past few years I've experienced more moments of pure happiness, thrown about in chaos, then I've been open to in the past. like- the commute back and forth from Edinboro on a beautiful day. my shadow on the long grass. maybe it's the winter that muted everything. everybody's outside. everybody SHOULD be outside. this is probably very dumb and irrelevant to you. but it had to be said. going to call my BFF Mothman Jill now. - Brittany

so YAHOO! just released its list of movies you should see before you die. I summarized the list for my own sake: movies I want to see The 400 Blows 8 1/2 The Bicycle Thief Blow Up Blue Velvet Chinatown Citizen Kane Duck Soup Grand Illusion It Happened One Night M Modern Times Network ("MAD AS HELL!") Nosferatu On the Waterfront Roman Holiday (interestingly I bought this for my mom last M Day...she still has to watch it). Wild Strawberries Women on a Verge of a Nervous Breakdown I HAVE seen The Searchers though. SO, what do YOU think should have made the list? UH WHERE IS WEST SIDE STORY AND DR. ZHIVAGO I need to watch some Godard. at some point. I'm so uncultured. thanks for reading! Brittany/Britt/B.Kemp/whatever people call me anymore ("stupid slut") p.s. http://www.eupspectator.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticle&ustory_id=e645ef77-de2c-4e10-9a6c-3db3dc1f06b8

MURDERRRRR

I can't explain it, there's something about today that really makes me want to watch this movie. Maybe it's the spring? I don't know. it's probably some kind of blasphemous. WHERE HAVE YOU GONE, JOE DIMAGGIO? happy holidays my Christian friends. and Jews too. and Scientologists. Brittany

OMG METRIC'S NEW ALBUM IS LIKE OMG basically "Gold Guns Girls." "Gold Guns Girls." "Gold Guns Girls." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqldwoDXHKg Emily Haines. oh my god. OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. - Britt in other news, why I haven't died yet, I don't know.

apparently- gulp!- I've really moved up in the world. do you want to be the ad manager of the Edinboro Spectator next year? let me know. p.s. IF YOU ARE FROM EDINBORO GO SEE ANNIE HALL TOMORROW NIGHT: IT IS ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES EVER. IF YOU DON'T GO I PROBABLY HATE YOU. - Brittany, who will feel it in the morning

...that Miss Crazy herself, Tori Amos, is releasing a new album in the near future. whoA. I don't know why I'm surprised, she seems to release something every two - three years. here we go, there is a wikipedia on it: Abnormally Attracted to Sin is the tenth studio album by singer-songwriter Tori Amos , and is the artist's first release under her distribution deal with Universal Republic . The album, which Amos began writing while touring in support of her previous album American Doll Posse (2007), [1] explores ideas of religious truths, a familiar motif of Amos', and the roles of women and sin in religion. [2] Like all of Amos' post- Atlantic releases, Abnormally Attracted to Sin will be offered in a limited edition version, which will include a DVD containing 'visualettes', shot in HD and Super 8, that provide a visual narrative to the album. [3] oh my good god. too bad you didn't know me five years ago. this shit would have rocked my world. I kept

Pop star dressed as pineapple robbed in Sweden Published: April 06. 2009 5:38AM STOCKHOLM -- Police say a Japanese pop star dressed up as a pineapple has been robbed while shooting a music video in southern Sweden. Police spokesman Bo Paulsson says three young men beat up 41-year-old Hideki Kaji and robbed him of camera equipment worth around 20,000 kronor ($2,500) late Saturday. Paulsson says the pineapple-clad artist had been left alone with the equipment while the camera crew went for a break. He was left with a cut lip and lost a dental implant. Police said they had no suspects for the crime Sunday. Kaji has released more than 10 solo albums since splitting from the band Bridge in the 1990s. He is also famous for recording a duet with Saint Etienne singer Sarah Cracknell. - Associated Press not funny about the crime, but still. I can only imagine. - Brittany

I love Celtic music. In fact, I love all things Celtic. Over the past few months I’ve really been hooked on this Irish folk/rock group called the Orthodox Celts. They’ve been around for years (since 1992 specifically), but they have been playing under the radar. In 2007 they released their latest album, One Two Five. Also, I should mention that although, they toss out some great variations on traditional Irish music they are not actually Irish. They are native to Belgrade….yes we're talkin Serbia. How F’NG cool is that? Ever since I laid eyes on Serbian tennis superstar, Ana Ivanovic, I have been in love with everything Serbian. So this is like my dream come true. Serbian musicians performing Celtic music. HOT STUFF! For more info on Orthodox Celts here is their website. http://orthodoxcelts.com/ (As if you couldn’t guess.) Speaking of Celtic influences in music. Here are some other good artists in the Celtic Metal genre….and yes you can have Celtic Metal. I only say that because

before bed- I am going to asleep now, I am old before my time- in the light of recent current events, I feel like concentrating on small things of happiness is a good idea. here you go: 1.) this song (ignore the video) 2.) "Train Song (With Ben Gibbard )"- Feist VASHTI BUNYAN COVER 3.) this news 4.) CARLA BRUNI - MICHELLE OBAMA PHOTO OPS 5.) Wow, I just got the February 2009 issue of Paste ... since when did the CDs go digital? and also I love how Feist is on the cover even though she just has a brief write-up. ha, ha. still though: good music sampler! 6.) Stephen Dunn's poetry: "Welcome" if you believe nothing is always what's left after a while, as I did, If you believe you have this collection of ungiven gifts, as I do (right here behind the silence and the averted eyes) If you believe an afternoon can collapse into strange privacies - how in your backyard, for example, the shyness of flowers can be suddenly overwhelming, and in the distance the cl

ELVIS COSTELLO: AUGUST 29 CHAUTAUQUA w/ The Sugarcanes OH MY GOD, IT'S ELVIS COSTELLO. I've got to remind myself that I cannot afford a lot of concerts this summer. Nevertheless, it's tempting. I mean- it's Elvis Costello. WHAT. I had one moment of record store glory last month: I went to a vintage record store (the kind I've never been to before- the first record I saw? SAINT ETIENNE, wow) and was browsing hte aisles, intent on picking up the Long Blondes' first album (couldn't find it) when I heard a man talking to this hapless clerk. "Who's the chick that's married to Elvis Costello? I want her record. She's jazzy." and the clerk had no idea so I just stomped over and said "DIANA KRALL IT'S DIANA KRALL." it was wonderful. $38; on sale Monday. I may get them for somebody else....don't know yet. look: I think I'm every post on this page. how boring. I hate computer labs. and people that sort of levitate behin

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA This just reminds me of all those punks that I knew in high school that were like "OMGFSZ I AM BEING ACCEPTED TO HAHVARD" and how much this, happening to them, would have delighted  me. APRIL FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLs I'm meeting some random person off Facebook today for coffee that I go to school with but have no idea who is and I'm wondering am I going to disappoint them, in the flesh? I hope not! I've never been in this position before. :( oh, the world we (I) live in.  p.s. this is what I really look like. - Brittany/Bill/Brittany