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Saturday, April 26th, 2008
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10:53 am - Weekend Ups
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There is a lot of jive going on this weekend. Some highlights:
1) Coachella - drink lots of water!
2) NFL Draft - One of my favorite times of the year. My teams (The Falcons and Raiders) are HOPEFULLY going to pick Matt Ryan & Darren McFadden. Also, yes.
3) Lakers at the Nougats - The Lacquers are just making the Nougats look silly.
4) Midterms next week. Studying.
yes.
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| Friday, April 11th, 2008
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3:45 pm - One Good Reason
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There have been some pretty decent bands from Down Under: Inxs, Split Enz, Midnight Oil, Hunters and Collectors (who were heavily influenced by CAN and also worked with Conny Plank) as well as my personal favorite, Olivia Newton-John.
But there is one band that is a lesser known guilty pleasure of mine: Swingers.
This song just makes me want to dance:
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| Sunday, April 6th, 2008
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6:46 pm - Memfish
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| Saturday, April 5th, 2008
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2:39 pm - Memphish
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| Friday, March 21st, 2008
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7:55 pm - Romantic Fist Attachment.
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Big Tuna.
This year, I am behind the Dolphins. Aside from the Big Tuna being the new GM, (insert Tuna/Dolphin tragedy-irony here) I think that they have a chance to make as big of a splash as the 2007 Raiders did after their worst season as well. They also have taken under wing Josh McCown to be their new QB.
Ricky Williams is expected to play this year too. That gives me hope. I dig him.
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| Thursday, March 13th, 2008
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3:31 am - You better hide love, hide love
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I am frantically searching through my uncatalogued music video collection (futile) for the song " A Way You'll Never Be" by the Leisure Process and came across this Gem by Gene Loves Jezebel called "Bruises" which is one of the their earliest recordings. In my opinion, their defining "Goth" moment both in video and in song. I have seen this video a million times, but it just dawned on me that the woman in the video is none other than JULIANNE REGAN! This just makes both AAE and GLJ much cooler in my mind.
Aside from my childhood dreams of meeting Jaz, Geordie John Foxx, David Sylvian, Mick Karn, and Kate Bush, GLJ and Julianne Regan are up there with them.
My goal for the year is to talk to Paul Ferguson at one of the KJ shows. IMO he really shaped their sound for the first 6 albums.
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| Thursday, March 6th, 2008
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1:57 pm - Secret October
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It was just announced on the Killing Joke website that they will be performing their first two albums with the original lineups in both NY and Los Angeles:
09 - (US) Los Angeles, TBC
11 - (US) New York, TBC
The downside is that the tickets are available through TicketMasher. Aside from the upside of seeing Killing Joke, I have a feeling that a lot of post-punk heroes will be in attendance. When Elan and I went a few years back (RIP RAVEN) Glen Humplink from the Tom Green show and the dudes from Love and Rockets/Tones On Tail/ 3/4 of Bauhaus were in attendance. Kevin Haskins even signed Elan's ticket and was totally nice!
Just an early warning.
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11:44 am - The Hanging Gardens.
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Foreclosures are at their highest since 1985.
I am not bringing this attention to try to ruffle any feathers. To those who participated in my research last year, this was what I was aiming towards figuring out: how people are dealing with achieving the "American Dream" with impending real estate doom imminent. Imminent is now, and I am curious to see how we are going to get out of this.
I personally believe that those who didn't get a drubbing in the Real Estate colobbus are going to be buying up a bunch of foreclosed houses and starting "Management Companies" to rent out these homes at huge rental prices to those who sold their houses to get out of the monthly balloon. Those who were once spiky-frosty tipped "Mortgage Bros" are coming out of their tequila and Smirnoff Ice laden cocoon to become "Slumlord Bros" with loans financed by Chinese MNCs and Banks. Not that Chinese investment is an inherently bad thing, but I think it's possible. Especially if no one else has money or resources. There are people who have lots of money, but want to make lots more. So why not?
Other collateral damage with mortgage meltdown is that if home prices lose their value (as happened in LA county recently) those people who considered their homes to be equitable assets are instead stuck with a money pit. You see, it's much harder to get home equity lines of credit on properties that are worth less than they were bought for. I think this is called a debt. It sucks to be in debt. It also sucks worse if you are in debt to a bank, property taxes, and need to repair a roof or water heater.
I had a long talk the other day with one of my old coworkers. He quit the semiconductor industry to become a full-time antique dealer and estate saler. He said that business has been really great in LA for the last couple years, but things are beginning to slow down.
So I guess what I am getting at is that if you are thinking about buying a home sometime soon, it might be a good idea to wait a little longer to see if (A) home prices dip a little lower, and (B) that you won't be left with a broken dream and pocket full of debt.
current music: The Pips - Geico Commercial
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| Tuesday, March 4th, 2008
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1:56 pm - With a heavy heart I announce the following:
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Brett Favre REALLY retires this time!
I almost shed a tear when I heard this news today. Brett Favre embodies everything I love about football: the long pass, the after-pass shuffle, farting, burping, puking, painkiller addiction, love for his family and his team, overcoming odds, the combination of green and yellow on a uniform, and (most importantly) wearing Cheese Triangles on your head.
He started out an Atlanta Falcon, got traded for his boozing, and lit up the metropolis and urban sprawl of Green Bay, WI. The gotham of Green Bay, with its large and diverse population will never be the same without redbeard leading the way. His successor, a graduate of Berkeley, will hopefully play with the same class and leadership as Brett. My only hope for Aaron Rodgers is that he will one day get a part in a Farrelly Bros movie.
He leaves the NFL holding multiple records. These include: most passing yards, most touchdown passes, most wins by a QB Starter, and the one which most quarterbacks would wince at, the most interceptions thrown. But he also leaves with 3 NFL MVP awards, 9 Pro-Bowl appearances, 127,000 RXs for Vicodin, and 2 Super Bowl wins.
Boo. And Randy Moss remained a Patriot.
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| Sunday, March 2nd, 2008
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1:00 pm - NO COUNTRY TIME LEMONADE FOR OLD MEN (OR WOMEN FOR THAT MATTER!)
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I am on the aforementioned elimination diet. During this diet, a panel consisting of Randy Jackson, Paul Abdul, and Simon Cowell all critique my shit. Yes I know that this is not unlike tha show "YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT" starring the bird-faced Scottish hag(gis) lady, but in this version I sing "Shebangs" and tilt at windmills.
I am reading books for my E8 - ENVIRONMENTAL ANAL DESIGN class, which should be renamed "DR. CRAZY EYES, or how I learned to love worrying, it's the bomb!" One of the books is COLLAPSE by Jared Diamond. His other well known books are the beastiality themed "Why is sex fun?" and "Guns Germs and Steel", the latter of which has become the basis of Humanitas Biology at my Alma Mater HS. I read most of if one day in San Francisco when we were visiting Brett, eating crepes, and Elan was getting her hair done in some awesome place that didn't want her to look like Robert Smith.
The other book, which I am reading is Lester R. Brown's "PLAN B 3.0". This is a fine book to read if you give a shit about anything. I wish I had read this book before I bought my MDX. Although the MDX is a pretty neato car which makes watching movies on long car trips fun and can haul up to 6 extremely drunk coeds (albeit 2 in a very uncomfortable place), I am getting my balls handed to me every time I enter the pump. Gas is way cheaper in OC than in many other parts of the panhandle, but still it adds up.
But yeah, this book is pretty great.
I am currently in Riverside, at said University reading on the values of Heterosexual Deviance. While reading the Clinard Book of Deviant Behavior (whose cover is graced with Fresh Apples, all green and one red! ) I was awakened from my academic haze to the sound of a tree falling in Riverside. I heard it! Also the winds here are fucking nuts! I saw winds in the plural rather than in the singular because it is crazy! Some might even say BANANAS!
Fresh-faced hipster <3.
Finals for the next two weeks. Then a life altering decision on what do with the next 10 months of my life.
current music: Paul Abdul - Cold Hearted Bed Snake
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| Thursday, February 28th, 2008
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6:15 pm - Original Killing Joke Line-Up to Reform and play early material on tour.
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No kidding??!!?
Somebody just posted this on the KJ LJ community:
"At last a ray of sunlight to illuminate these dark days. It is indeed my deepest pleasure to announce the dates of the 29th anniversary of the gathering. As usual we are never content sitting on the laurels of past Glories, a new Killing Joke recording is scheduled this summer!. Both Geordie and myself are thrilled as we hope you are with the line up, such anticipation comes as no surprise considering we have not played together since the Brighton Top Rank in 1982. We always knew this day would come after all it was inevitable. We hope all gatherers will join us in warmly welcoming back to active service our brothers Big Paul and Youth. The mysterious chemistry of the original line up is back, let there be gladness in your hearts." - Jaz
Finally, after numerous line-up changes through the years, all original Killing Joke members reunite for new album and world tour.
Drummer, Paul Ferguson, rejoins the line up for the first time since 1987 enabling a whole new generation of fans to see Killing Joke's legendary original formation. Diehard fans have been waiting for this moment for two decades!
Bassist, Martin 'Youth' Glover also steps back into the live arena after a near 15 hiatus, having not played live with Killing Joke since 1994's Pandemonium tour.
The tour will see Killing Joke take up a two night residency in most venues offering a different set on each evening. On the first night, they will play their first two albums in their entirety, 1980's self-titled album followed by the album 'What's This…For!'. Their second performance in each city will treat fans to 1994's Pandemonium and the Island Records singles of'79 to '80.
Once described by Ferguson as 'the sound of the earth vomiting', Killing Joke is anthemic and grandiose in it's evocation of nightmare visions. Taking a sarcastic jab at authority and perceived reality to a sonically charged mixture of post punk and metal, Killing Joke's heavy guitars and pounding tribal drums conjure a primitive atmosphere of doom, gloom and resistance.
Notorious for their use of inflammatory imagery, a backlash against a world they perceived as ever more materialistic, unjust and conservative, Killing Joke, railed against the establishment and created a unique sound from their very conception.
Ironically, in the current musical climate with it's obsession with rehashing eighties sounds, the 80's saw Killing Joke really pushing music forward, incorporating danceable elements with aggressive, grinding guitars and thumping drums. With elements of
proto-techno rock, their post apocalyptic vision has inspired bands as diverse and influential as Nirvana, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden and Godflesh. Killing Joke have always been and continue to be more than just a band.
Godfathers of post-punk, Killing Joke return with their eagerly anticipated new album to coincide with their world tour. Album release date TBC.
LIVE DATES
September
13 - (JP) Tokyo
14 - (JP) Tokyo
16 - (ES) Madrid
17 - (ES) Barcelona
19 - (IT) Milan
20 - (IT) Milan
22 - (CH) Geneva TBC
24 - (DE) Berlin
25 - (DE) Berlin
26 - (FR) Paris
27 - (FR) Paris
29 - (BE) Brussels
30 - (BE) Brussels
October
02 - (UK) London
03 - (UK) London
TBC - (US) New York
If this were indeed the case, I would get my ass to NY in a heartbeat. Who knows, maybe a visit to Brussels for a couple nights.
Also, new versions of the original albums have been rereleased with B-sides.
But seriously. This would be the best thing.
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| Sunday, February 24th, 2008
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3:45 pm - Joe-Joe's
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I ate a lot of them. They are tastier than Oreos ever will be. God bless TJs for their Chocolate and Vanilla Bean Creme cookies.
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? is a fine movie. I always forget how awesome Spencer Tracy was, even in his later movies.
But I digress. Joe-Joe's are the best.
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| Thursday, February 21st, 2008
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9:23 am - This isn't a real breakfast.
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I left my TV on all night. I often fall asleep to either language cds or Walker Texas Ranger. This morning I woke up to this show:
The Mr. Men Show!
As a tot, these were some of my favorite books. The Cartoon Adaptation I caught this morning was a riot! I think it is geared towards younger children, but it still have me a lot of joy.
Mr. Dizzy was from Cleverland, which I assume is right outside of Dayton.
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| Wednesday, February 20th, 2008
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4:56 pm - Coachella Valley Water District.
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Today my professor JBRICHLAND was talking about the toxic waste dump smell during the Rage Against The Machine performance at Coachella Festival, saying that :
"breathing in the toxic smell, Zach De La Rocha was damaging his already damaged vocal chords... with a pocket full of shells."
I burst out laughing hysterically in class. About 10 seconds into my fit of laughter I realized that no one else had laughed at his joke.
Then I remembered that Rage was big when I was in High School... 14 years ago. But, then again, one of my classmates didn't even know who Denzel Washington was until she saw American Gangster.
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| Wednesday, February 13th, 2008
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12:16 pm - College Humor Dot Dash
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In the men's room in Social Ecology: A creative vandal modified a sticker on the men's hand dryer. It usually says: "SAVE A TREE, BLOW DRY YOUR HANDS."
It now says: "SAVE A TREE. BLOW ME."
Two more midterms and then President's Day Weekend. I think I will celebrate by impersonating Grover Cleveland. He was well-known for his ability to eat and relax, and his dead-on impersonation of Kaye Ballard.
Someone just walked into class wearing a red hoodie that says SAC, which I assume is short for SACRAMENTO. Could you image if other cities were shortened the same way?
IRV
PAC
WIN
NOR
SEA
POR
CHI
NEW
BOS
RIV
VAG
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| Monday, February 11th, 2008
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5:40 pm - Sons of Pioneers.
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The Wendy's Fish Sandwich really really sucks. I know, what was I thinking eating at Wendy's and all, but I had already spent $10.40 on my lunch at the Veggie Grill across from Campus (which is awesome, seriously...) and didn't want to eclipse the $20 mark for food for the day.
I don't know what the current statistics are for Catholics in the United States, but I guess the number is substantial enough that during the lenten period of the year the big fast food joints (sans the Klan) really push the fish sandwich. Strangely enough, in my opinion the tastiest of them is Filet-O-Fish, which is also the cheapest of the bunch.
During lent, when my parents didn't feel like cooking for us, would go to Pioneer Chicken and pick up a giant order of their fish and chips. Those were awesome, and still to this day are my favorite fried fish stateside. I once had real fish and chips in NZ, which still is the best, but I have not been able to find anything comparable.
Pioneer Chicken was awesome. There used to be a bunch in the valley, but I think they went the way of the DODO during the fast food wars of the 1980s. There is one on Sunset still, but it doesn't serve the Pioneer style of chicken/ fish that was their staple.
Don't be too surprised if other fast food places go the way of the dodo in the next few years in southern California. I predict Chik-fil-a, Krispy Kreme, Quizno's, and Boston Market. Krispy Kreme first, because they are gluttonous and oversighted, then Chik-fil-a because their food sucks.
But seriously: disposable income will be disposed of soon enough. No use spending that money on Krispy Kreme. Go to Yum-Yum.
current mood: Midterms
current music: .38 Special - Caught Up In You
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12:16 pm - Capital. It fails us now.
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Monday morning.
School has been pretty hectic. I am dropping my Thursday night class "Civil Legal Theory" because it seemed like a good idea at the time that I signed up, but my eyes glaze over. Even Thomas Dolby has not been able to rectify the boring. Also, too much of everything. yes.
The weather here has been really nice the last few days. I miss LA mainly because of my friends there, and I am adapting well to the OC, but it is shorts weather today. Compared to what my parents are experiencing out in Rockford, and what my sister is experiencing in Memphis, I can't complain.
It is pretty expensive to live here though. In comparison to living in other metropolitan areas, it is pretty well priced. There are a bunch of apartments on my block going for $1600-$1700 that are 2+1 / 2+2. From what I can tell, that seems pretty decent for the area.
So I am enjoying living here at this point. The thing that I miss the most is the ability to play music as well as finding people to play music with. In LA, it was easy to play as a drummer, because everyone needed a decent drummer. Out here, everyone is a drummer (I attribute this to people having garages and parents who can tolerate the banging.)
That is about it.
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| Tuesday, February 5th, 2008
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11:38 am - Midterms and Mock Trials.
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The one thing I think I will miss the least when I graduate is group work. I know that working in law means I will be working with others who might be incapable of picking up the slack, but at least they can be fired. Supposedly.
This isn't to say that I don't play fair. I think I do for the most part. But seriously folks, I know that we all have busy lives and children and sports and beer and drugs, but please put down the bong and RTFM on how to cite sources. APA format is the easiest out there. It is like the Fisher-Price of writing styles. Look at OWL, look at the Bedford, look at the Hacker. Just read the manual already.
Also, I know my grammar isn't the best (reference its/it's Leah) but I have no clue why this generation of college students don't know wut to puts on there paperz.
Bottom line: if you are going to be a PHD, MA, MS, or anything above and beyond a Baracus (BA, BS) then prepare yourselves for the worst grammartickle mistakez evar.
If you don't, then you may go gray sooner than later. Cue, pulling of hair/pud.
SEE ALL THE GOOD I DO?!?!!?
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| Friday, February 1st, 2008
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3:07 pm - Inspired by NICO
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| Thursday, January 24th, 2008
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8:39 am - You are what U.K. ...
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This morning I turned on BBC America to a show called You Are What You Eat.
It is a show about the diet of people in the UK. The basis of the show is that people in the UK are fat slobs who eat crap. How do they prove this? They monitor what they eat for a week, then put that food on a table to show them. This includes 86 cups of coffee for a four person Hudson family, and a giant pile of curry, chocolate, chips and booze dumped in a mess.
The family ate 2500 packages of crisps. So the show dumped the contents and packages on the driveway to prove the point.
The host then belittles them and calls them all sort of derogatory names for overweight people. Like fat slobs.
There is a part of the show called "Whose Poo?" where the host opens a plastic tupperware container with the person's poop and asks around the table "Whose Poo is this?" During the brownish inquisition, she gives a detailed description of the poop in the plastic and points fingers at the members of the family. The host then bellittles the members of the family for the composition of their poop.
When the new diet is introduced, the host then informs the dad that he needs the Ginger Tea for his digestion because "she's seen his poo."
(Also interesting is that during the BBC show are the commercials.One advertiser is Weight Watchers. Their commercials claim "diets don't work! Weight Watchers does!" Another one is Time/Life Music "Songs 4 Worship". Does god hate fatties?)
But on the positive side, the family is then introduced to greens, teas, and fruits. They lose at least a "Stone" apiece and are then complemented by the host.
But seriously folks: one thing that reality TV has taught me is that it is ok for British people to belittle and chastize everyone else. It is rare that you see a reality show where a British person doesn't cut a person down. And if they give a compliment to a person, it means that the person has a miracle ability to dance, sing, cook, eat, not-weakest-link and eat. Now poop is something that the British can criticize as well!
The moral: don't let British people look at your poop! No matter how badly they want to!
current music: Fad Gadget - Fireside Favourites
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