Exhortation.

Dear Readers

In eight days, on August 20th of 2009, a new school semester will commence. Alongside this new semester will come his best friends stress and lack of sleep. So, before you start freaking out and drinking more caffeine than the amount your body is able to handle. I exhort you to finish reading that book you began at the beginning of the summer, to watch a movie, to relax.

Consider going fishing or cliff jumping at Percy Priest Lake, check out the Taming of the Shrew at Centennial Park, go watch the Spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone at the Belcourt theatre, attend the current exhibit at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts or just enjoy a walk at the Cheekwood Botanical Gardens.

There are many things to do here in Nashville and if this summer you have been sitting around on your ass or working all the time get up and ask for a day off work, pick up the latest issue of the Nashville Scene and go have some fun before the semester begins. Don't find yourself working on a project at three in the morning wishing you would have enjoyed your summer two weeks into the semester.

Sincerely Yours,

Jean-Michael Vissepo

She's A Cute Indie Rocker Girl.

Esteemed Readers,

At one point or another our minds have been controlled by the magic and make-believe world that films create. There have been instances were our faces have been overtaken by smiles. On other occasions such films have uncovered the reality of our colorless lives and dare us to expand our color palette. By the end of such films our hearts are uplifted. The very same films have also left us feeling subdued and broken-hearted.

As of lately, there has been one actress who deserves an award for her successful performance on making us (and yes, I include myself) feel the ways listed on the first paragraph. She is married to the King of Indie rock, Ben Gibbard, and is a heartbreaker in her own sort; she's a cute indie rocker girl. If you have not guessed her name yet she goes by Zooey Deschanel.

Her bluish-green deer-in-headlights eyes, porcelain skin and black hair have hypnotized us since she made her appearance in the film Almost Famous. I am not against Zooey in anyway. I am Pro-Zooey. However, she has been continually playing the character of the “indie girl” who "does not want to commit" and wants to be “her own person” and has “a lot going on in her life.” Consequently, Zooey along with several other actresses/musicians that will remain unnamed, have influenced many girls in the same “scene” she is a part of to take on this persona and have given many a cynical outlook on relationships where the man does not know what the future hold due the woman’s inability to commit. This has been something that I have even seen played out in real life through some of the people I relate with.

I exhort all writers and actresses to please give audiences a break from this “cute indie rocker girl” character and give us something else for a bit. I don’t know, maybe bring back the Femme Fatale from the Noir films. Just an idea.

- Jean-Michael Vissepo 

These are some of the recent films that Deschanel has been a part of lately playing the character described above ( click on the image for movie trailer).

         

The Month of July-photo blog.

Greetings and salutations to all readers,

                  Today, I would like to share with you a slice of my summer, the month of July. This month I took a "leave of absence” from my life here in the United States. I did this to reconnect with my family, friends, and most of all Puerto Rican roots and culture. The time I spent there I did not check my email or any of my social networking sites and most of the time I did not answer my cell phone.

                  In order for you to be able to understand what a fantastic trip this was I have taken some photographs and explained what they are. Enjoy.

(This is the view from my dads apartment. I stayed here over looking the San Juan Bay.)

 (behind me stands an old Spanish fort built in 1539. I'm just dressed as an explorer.)

(Three generations of Vissepo's having a good time. My grandpa, dad and I.)

  

(The beach. Beautiful.)

   

(The rainforest .Me at the rainforest. Courtney- who came down to P.R. a few days after I did- and I take a picture at this touristy stop in the rainforest with the Chupacabras. Follow the link.  http://science.howstuffworks.com/chupacabra.htm.)

 

(the owner of the Spanish restaurant down the street from my dad's house. La Rosa De Triana.)

I am sure that from the pictures shown above you can conclude that I had a fabulous time in my home island and I did. However, now I am back in the major Nashville area working again and trying to get ready to start school.

Blessings.

Sincerely Yours 4ev-N-ev,

Jean-Michael Vissepo

long time

Dang dudes,
I am not good at this, I have been gone for a week up at Cornerstone Music Festival. It was a really great time, got to hang out with a lot of old friends and made some new ones.

Updates:
Summer is still great.
Transmission went out on car, trying to get that fixed right now, but until then it is my bike and bumming rides.
New roommate moved in, old roommate moved out.
New and exciting opportunities with music have come up, nothing official but could be awesome.
Rarely get on my computer anymore.
Trying to keep house clean.
Trying to read more.
Listening to a lot of James Taylor.
Might be buying a van when car sells.
Still 21 and confused, but loving every second of it.

How is everyones summer going?

-Tyler

My Creative Life Thus Far.

The following is a found image that explains my mental struggle right now.



Dear Reader,
I'm not going to sugar coat what I'm about to say. As an artist, I have come across a road block, a writer's block , a creative block or whatever the hell you choose to call it. At the beginning of the summer I was very excited because I was going to have all this free time to just create and that has not been the case. In retrospect, I think that the way I feel at the moment has greatly influenced this creative block that I am going through right now. I have done several things that I think have contributed to me getting past this. For example, I have looked at a lot of random artwork online in the ffffound website. Also, I got a new film camera. It's actually not very new. Its an early model of a Minolta camera and started shooting random photographs and trying to create a concept to shoot a project. Thus far, I am excited about what might come out of this and for what the next month holds. I am going to back to Puerto RIco which is just a great opportunity to get away from my usual surroundings and expose myself to new things and people.

Till this goes away,
Jean-Michael Vissepo

Indiana Livin'

Tyler and I have been living the country life for the last couple of days. Basically, what that entails is that we are in his hometown in Indiana 4wheelin'! Is really not a big deal you don't even have to worry about it! Yesterday, when we were riding we got caught in the middle of a hail storm and then on top of that my atv got stuck in the mud! No worries though. It was nothing that men like us couldn't take care of. We tried getting it out in the middle of the storm, but after trying and trying it was still stuck. So we rode back on Tyler's in the middle of the storm and well...long story short his dad got this big ol' chain and helped us get it out, here are some pics.

And they're off!

As Tyler stated before in the previous blog entry, summer has been fantastic. Work. Hang. Rinse. Repeat. You gotta love it.

Tyler and Jean left for Indiana tonight - visiting the Davis clan. I'm going to NY this Thursday for a film festival. I is psyched! Hope you all are well!

Leave a comment, drop a line.

Peace, love, and Nesquick-
Jules

ps - found this in the vault! Thought you'd appreciate it.