Five and Five

Oh, my beloved Redskins. We started out so strong, but alas, things have taken the usual turn for the worse. On the plus side this doesn't feel like the usual Redskins problems, and I feel like our team is much better than out record. Granted, it doesn't matter, as the record is the only thing that counts, but at the same time, this team gives me hope for the future. I will, however, offer some criticism for the next meeting with Dallas. Perhaps attempting to cover T.O. might be a good way to go. I don't know. That's just something I thought of when he scored his fourth TD against us. Just a thought.

Lots of wonderful media purchases this week including Mass Effect and Rock Band for the 36o, Live Free or Die Hard on DVD and Nirvana Unplugged in New York. A note on those last two. I just got done reading a compilation of the online diary Kevin Smith has been keeping on his ViewAskew site for the past few years, and along with an at times way too personal account of his bowel movements, he mentions the time he spent working on Live Free or Die Hard. One thing he specifically mentions is that due to the PG-13 rating wanted by the studio, they could only drop one F-bomb, and they were choosing to use it during the "Yippee-Ki-Yay" moment, but even then, it would have to be somewhat covered up however they were also filming a full blown "Yippee-Ki-Yay motherfucker" line for the unrated DVD. Upon reading the IGN review of the DVD, they mentioned that such a thing isn't the case. One wonders what part of Unrated the studio didn't quite get. Then again, at times, the only thing IGN can be depended upon is an improper use of homonyms, so who knows what's going on.

As for Nirvana Unplugged in New York, this is the famous MTV unplugged performance filmed in November of 1993. At the time, actually much earlier than this, MTV Unplugged was one of the best ways to see live music on television, and not just live music, but a reimagining of music you didn't usually see. I remember being blown away by Pearl Jam's unplugged session, as well as Stevie Ray Vaughn's. I can remember watching Difford and Tillbrook from Squeeze doing an awesome version of "Pulling Mussels from the Shells" and an absolutely roof raising performance by LL Cool J of "Mama Said Knock You Out". By '93 though, MTV Unplugged was pretty much for real big name bands, rather than the music variety show it had started out as. At the time, I was a casual Nirvana fan. I had "Nevermind" as did every other college student at the time, but didn't really follow them much past that album except to hear about the various problems Kurt Cobain was having.

When I had heard that Nirvana was going to be doing an Unplugged session, I'm sure I wasn't alone in thinking it would be worth watching just to see Cobain implode. Instead, I was treated to one of the most open and honest performances I've ever seen. This was not the Nirvana you would have expected to see. Cobain, who's struggles had been so public, looked comfortable and at ease, joking with the crowd and just enveloped by this huge, fuzzy, gray sweater. For some reason, that sweater stands out in my mind, because with it, Cobain looked smaller, almost like a child, yet at the same time, he seemed like he was finally putting his demons to rest and achieving some semblance of peace.

Four months later he would be dead from a self inflicted shotgun wound.

When I heard of his death, my first thought was back to the Unplugged show and how, when he seemed to have things so well in hand, could he have killed himself? Thinking back, it almost seemed like even then, he knew what he was going to do, just not when, and it was knowing that he didn't have to fight the demons for much longer that was giving him peace. Had I not seen this show, I don't know if Cobain's death would have bothered me as much. Certainly, I recognized it for what it was, the death of not just a person, and a musical genius, but grunge as it existed when Nirvana pushed it to the forefront. However, having seen that show, his death hit me hard, as I'm sure it hit a lot of people, because I thought that he was getting better. Silly, I know, but there it is. I'll be purchasing the DVD on Tuesday and although I'm hesitant to watch it, almost like conducting a seance, I certainly will, if only to see Cobain again with some measure of peace. I can only hope he has achieved more since then.