Jamie’s Brain

Murderball isn’t just a film to introduce you to the sport of quadrapalegic rugby. It’s more about living as a quadrapalegic. As you watch this film, you begin to realize that this isn’t really a group of quadrapalegic men; they’re just a bunch of guy’s guys - jocks that are agressive and competitive and like to talk about how they get women.

Mark Zupan, who the film focuses on almost as much as the sport’s famed Joe Soares, lives in Austin. One of the best parts of the film is when he visits a rehabilitation center to tell the newly quadrapalegic patients about the sport. This one guy did not want to get out of the rugby chair once he got in it.

Speaking of the chairs, they look like wheelchairs that came from Mad Max. They have to be sturdy for all of the running into eachother they do. An important lesson learned is that while these guys all went through horrific accidents or diseases, they are alive and well now. They’re not fragile beings gingerly balanced on a thin line between life and death. They’ve been through rehabilitation and live what are mostly regular lives.

Murderball aims to entertain as much as to defy stereotypes. Run out and see it now.

I could just let you know that last night I was so close to 50 Cent and Eminem that they sweat on me, and leave it at that. But you want to know more….

It was my first experience paying megabucks on eBay for the best tickets possible at a big venue. I was a little nervous that they might be fakes, or that the best tickets weren’t really all that great. But, let me tell you, it was money well spent.

Though we got there late and missed Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz, due to the horrific construction on I35 between the ATX and the SATX, we made perfect timing to grab two beers apiece and get down there as 50 was coming out. We started closer to the top of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, and the security kept telling us to go closer. We’d go to the next area, and they’d say, “Go closer”. We were a bit freaked out. I felt like we were going backstage. And I was also impressed that the venue doesn’t pack you in to the GA section like sardines. It was roomy, and much less rowdy than most other shows I’ve been to. We took our usual position on the side, closest to the stage. Like, we could see their backs when they were performing. And the security was so tight - we took out my phone to snap a pic, because, you know, we were so close and all, and before we could even raise it up, someone cme up behind us and said, “you better put that away.”. Geez!

So the show kicked ass. It is interesting how they sandwich the lesser know guys in between the 50 and Eminem breaks, like when they have a wardrobe change Mobb Deep or Stat Quo would come out there. The bass and the pyrotechnics that sounded like gunshots were deafening.

And then there was the suicide of Eminem theme running through his set. Is he retiring? Or is he just going to change his persona, a la Prince becoming that symbol thingy? Or is he jumping on the ‘I’m retiring and am going to bank off of going on several years of retirement tours’ ploy?

Who knows. What I do know is, white boy can rap.

So, Donnie and I went to see The Island the other night. I had no idea what it was about really going into it, my broke ass is just going to the Alamo right now because between our Golden Ticket and the Rachael Ray disaster, we have enough comp food tickets to last us awhile. The movie started out promising: it was an interesting commentary on some politically driven subjects such as cloning, Schiavo, and even the Holocaust. But what ruined it for me is two-fold: the damn thing was about an hour too long, and, most of all, the product placement in this film was more out of control than any I have ever seen. It was, for lack of a better word, retarded. I won’t even attempt to touch on all of the companies that bought spots, but I will say this: Ben & Jerry, what the hell? I would not have expected you to sell out to a movie like this. Maybe something kitschy and independent, but not this.

Let me take a couple of steps back and say that I would however recommend seeing the film, just leave after an hour and a half.

Next time someone tells you some questionable story, go here. You can either debunk it or verify it and be scared.

Here are some of my favorites that I believed for quite some time:

Chevy Nova
Cocaine Tainted Money
Coke
Roommate Suicide
Kidney Burglar
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Star Wars C3POh My
Pudding Points

For all of those Austin hipsters that think they are too cool, the Austinist got ya pegged.

For girls that like boys.

For boys that like girls.

“You bet your sweet Aspercreme”

Target’s “I like backpacks” to the tune of ‘Baby Got Back’.

Old Navy’s “Super Skirt! Super Skirt!” to the tune of ‘Superfreak’

OK, now that that is off my chest, here is a good forum about jingles and their future.

Renting provides the opportunity to experience something that could otherwise not be afforded. You can rent a place to live. You can rent a car. You can rent books from a library and DVDs from a movie store.

But nowadays, especially with the internet, there are so many more rental possibilities. Take Bag Borrow or Steal for example. In Netflix style, you can pay a monthly fee to rent designer handbags. Different amounts get you more handbags and/or better, more expensive ones. It makes perfect sense when a Chanel bag can set you back $1000.

You can also rent an island. That’s right, an island. Next time you want to throw a party and invite all your friends, consider this an option.

Now, how about those signs on the street corners that say ‘Rent My Husband‘? It’s a handyman network where you can pay someone else’s husband to complete your honey-do list.

So, let’s face it. Renting may be the new owning. I mean, who can beat being able to give the bag back when you tire of it, give the island back when a hurricane comes, or give the man back when he’s done with his list?

Jodi, Donnie and I took the UT Tower Tour the other day. The main purpose for this was to film another segment for our Amazing Race entry tape, but none of us had ever been up there before, and it’s pretty. You can see absolutely everything. There is something interesting information given on the tour - such as the building was originally the library, and orders for books were sent fromm the main level up on a dumbwaiter to assistants wearing rollerskates (yes, rollerskates) that would skate over to fetch your book. The tower elevator is one of the fastest on campus (definitely faster than Walter Webb Hall’s). The tower is also not taller than the Texas capitol building, but it is higher due to it being built on a hill - three feet I think.

And just to let you know, there is no mention of Charles Whitman at all.

I was buying a barbie for my godchild a while back and stumbled onto this. Now where’s Account Executive Skipper? Be sure to read the description. Who on Earth writes this stuff? Copywriter Barbie?

I have recently been volunteering for the Hill Country Ride for AIDS. I am assisting with brainstorming a media strategy for their campaign to recruit riders and sponsors. It is a great group of people, and it is truly rewarding, even though I have just started. It is a challenge to get people to donate some of their assets to the organization. Everyone involved is so passionate about the cause, and it is great to be around people like that at a time when everyone is so jaded.