Be excellent to each other

World hunger bad!
Music good!
This July 2nd, a whole bunch of musicians will join together to help fight world hunger or as least help the citizenry get really, really toasted. Find out more information about Live8 here.
I did my part by signing petitions that will somehow or another kill a bunch of defenseless trees, and then sending annoying emails to friends asking them to sign petitions. If the G8 were smart, they could sell all these signatures(and accompanying email addresses) to direct marketing databases, and make a little extra money on the side.
I'm trying to be cynical here, but I don't think I have my edge on. This Live8 is a good thing, and I would be down in Philly to listen to the music if I could. Enjoy it for me, if you can. Give money if they ask for it. Relative to the majority of the world, we don;t just have a high quality of life, it's almost downright decadent.

Exploring the limits of boredom

You are dignified, spiritual, and wise. Always unsatisfied, you constantly try to better yourself. You are also a seeker of knowledge and often buried in books. You tend to be philosophical, looking for the big picture in life. You dream of inner peace for yourself, your friends, and the world. A good friend, you always give of yourself first.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Your Virgo Drinking Style

Hey brainiac, you are compelled to impose order onto your bender. Your famously fussy quest for purity could lead to drinking less than other signs, sure... But it could also lead to drinking booze neatly (like sucking down organic wine or having extreme brand loyalty). You rarely get fully shellacked -- but, oh, when you do! Virgo's controlled by the intellect, but there's an unbridled beast lurking within, and they let it loose when walloped. It's dead sexy (and surprisingly unsloppy). As one Virgo friend used to declare, "I'm going to drink myself into a low level of intelligence tonight." A toast to the subgenius IQ!

Your Signature Cocktails

Many Virgos prefer clear, simple, untreacly drinks like vodka tonic or a real margarita, though you can be found drinking anything from unflinchingly downing Cuervo straight to smirkingly ordering a dirty virgin. You also tend to like bitter, low-alk guzzles like Campari and soda. However, you rarely change your signature drink once you've found it.

Your Celebrity Drinking Buddies

Cameron Diaz, Hugh Grant, Keanu Reeves, Nicole Richie, Bill Murray, Jada Pinkett Smith, Adam Sandler, and Ricki Lake.

What's Your Alcohoroscope?

Your Birthdate: September 12

Being born on the 12th day of the month (3 energy) is likely to add a good bit of vitality to your life. The energy of 3 allows you bounce back rapidly from setbacks, physical or mental. There is a restlessness in your nature, but you seem to be able to portray an easygoing, sometimes "couldn't care less" attitude. You have a natural ability to express yourself in public, and you always make a very good impression. Good with words, you excel in writing, speaking, and possibly singing. You are energetic and always a good conversationalist. You have a keen imagination, but you tend to scatter your energies and become involved with too may superficial matters. Your mind is practical and rational despite this tendency to jump about. You are affectionate and loving - but very sensitive. You are subject to rapid ups and downs.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Where were you when...

The Bush speech last night drew the lowest amount of viewers of his tenure. I didn't watch, as he was most likely going to give the same spiel he has been.
Bush's Iraq speech draws career-low TV audience
Overall, 2005 just seems to be turning out as a weird year. People that you've known for years just stop emailing, there really aren't that many good movies out, the Tom and Katie "Love Affair" is causing people to find rocks to crawl under, and Bush can't gather more than 23 million people to listen to him, even though he takes control of seven TV channels.
2005 is becoming the equivalent of Tom Cruise jumping on the sofa on "Oprah." I don't know WHY it's weird and creepy, it just is.

Work stuff

I usually don't talk about my work here, but I will anyway. I decided to go for a position that opened up in my department for an assistant manager. I'm a copy editor*, and the department in my company is growing quite rapidly, so they need a "next in command" dude.
I'm the first to say that nothing about me really screams out management, but I figure I can do this job. I still live like I'm a college student, and while I like that, I wouldn't mind having a bit more responsiblity..."growing up" a bit. As an adult, I obviously have some responsibilities: rent, bills, and making sure the cat doesn't starve. But still, it's time. Plus, I need a new sofa. This one just looks rag-ged. Thanks, Galileo.
So, we'll see how that goes. I'll stop talking about work now.

*Note: If you notice a bunch of typos in this blog, good on you. I can't type for shit, and I have no real desire to play "editor" on stuff I write.

Come on, say it

Bush to Argue for Staying Course in Iraq
Hey, Mr. President guy. There's a crisp fiver in it for you if you say, "It wouldn't be prudent. Not at this juncture."
If there is anyone who can do a good impersonation of Dana Carvey doing an impersonation of your dad, it's you.

Since when do we look like lunch?

Oh great. The sharks are out to get us and we're all going to die.
Another shark attack in Florida:
Shark Attacks 2nd Teen Off Fla. Panhandle
Thanks for the heads up, Mike

Otis

Aw, man! They just can't play Otis loud enough! It's one of those things that you just have to see live, so you can absorb the power of it all: the horns, the guitar backing everything up, and his voice. One thing to listen to it, but music like this you have to feel, too.
I was born at the wrong time.

myTunes

I've rediscovered how cool the Ben Folds Five album "Whatever and Ever Amen" is. I listened to it on repeat as I was driving aimlessly around Ewing and Trenton, and that piano was so grabbing and energetic that I just kept going and going. Not even quite sure were I was, but I did eventually make it home. Great afternoon, friends, listening to some great tunage.
Which brings me to some of the music I've been listening to lately...I highly recommend:

• Ray Lamontagne -- Trouble. I heard the title song on the radio a few times, but at first it didn't grab me. Then, I listened closer, and it hooked me. The rest of the album is just as strong. A mix of folk, blues, and rock, just like I like it.
  
• Aqualung -- Strange and Beautiful. The first time I heard a song off the album, I wasn't sure who it was. I was listening closely to the lyrics, and I thought, "Hey, that's me!" I love it when I can relate to music that closely. That's the beauty of it, I s'pose.
  
• Rilo Kiley -- More Adventurous. Wanted to get this album for a while, and once I saw them in Knoxville, TN for their free show, I had to get the album. It's not their first, so I'll be able to go back a few albums in the catalogue. Woohoo! Reaffirms the fact that I have a thing for women with guitars.
  
• Jack Johnson -- Brushfire Fairytales. Whenever I hear this dude, it reminds me of the beach. It's got a laid-back surfer vibe. I'm pretty sure it was he whom I was listening to when I had brilliant brainstorm of learning to surf, and then going to california next year to follow the cities cited in surfin' USA. Nothing like a couple of shark attacks to kill that idea.
  
• Joseph Arthur -- Our Shadows Will Remain. WXPN just loves this album, especially the song "Even Tho." I swear that we are on the same wavelength. I consider it a new generation of folk music, and I so dig it.
  
• Amos Lee -- Amos Lee. I've only had a chance to listen to this album once, but it was quite good. Plus, I think he's a Philly local, so rock on Amos!
  

Right now, iTunes popped up Otis Redding's "Nobody knows you when you're down and right."
Excuse me while I listen to greatness.

Sunday politics edition

Bush Trying to Win Over Americans on Iraq
This one is interesting. Bush, somehow, had the support of a whole bunch of people for this Iraq thing. Now, as people are beginning to realize that the administration was basically clueless and didn't think all that much about the outcome, Bush is trying to win them back. You had them at one point, brother, but all the mirrors are breaking in the fun house. Great quote from the article, from the democratic response to Bush's weekend radio address:
"Patriotism and love of country does not demand endless sacrifice on the part of our troops in a war justified by slogans."
Obama's Stand Against Patriot Act Cheered
Yeah privacy! The House passed a provision to stop the gov. from being able to go into libraries and bookstores to get info on what you buy. Now the provision is in the senate. Score one against fascism!
Pentagon Creating Student Database
This stuff just makes me want to go off the grid. Military recruitment via target marketing.
Sorry we're mucking it all up for you, kids. You're gonna have to buy some good mops.

Shark attack in Florida

This blog is apparently becoming shark-attack central.
14-Year-Old Girl Killed by Shark in Fla.
This puts the kabosh on wanting to learn how to surf. This happened in an area near Destin, Fla., where my sister and her husband go on vacation. I might be wrong, but attacks on the western shores of Florida happen rarely.
It takes things like this to remind us we are still part of this world, and while we may be on top of the food chain, when we go into habitats where the wild things are, we are as likely to be prey as anything else.

Burnin'

The flag burning issue has popped up again:
Democrats Fear GOP Push on Flag-Burning
Go ahead and ban it...I don't care one way or another. However, I thought the constitution was supposed to protect all forms of speech and expression, even the ones that you don't approve of or abhor. Thus, it'll most likely be deemed unconstitutional by the supreme court. Nyah! So there.
However, if they do happen to ban it, here's a solution for all you pyromaniacal protesters: take a picture of a flag, blow it up to an appropriate size, and then burn the picture.

Movie quotes

After I sated my need for a chicken cheesesteak last night, I watched the AFI's 100 YEARS...100 MOVIE QUOTES.
What, no Polica Academy quotes? For shame!
This list makes me want to watch a few of the movies they noted and never seen before, like "Cool Hand Luke," "Citizen Kane," and "Sunset Blvd." I'm kind of behind when it comes to the classics.

Bummer job market, huh?

I was bored with the food I had in my fridge(don't have much, anyway), and I had a real hankering for a chicken cheesesteak this evening, so I hightailed it over the Hoagie Haven in Princeton for one. Man, it was tasty!
I bought Nick Hornby's new book, A Long Way Down. I've heard some good things about it, so I'm looking forward to sitting down with it.
Ran into a friend with whom I worked at the bookstore. She graduated and has been looking for work. She had an interview with my company, along with another interview the next day with a magazine here in Princeton where another former bookstore person works. I guess it didn't work at my company, but I thought for sure that she'd wind up at the magazine. Just goes to show that the job market is still bad.

Music News

Rocker Corgan to reform Smashing Pumpkins

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Singer Billy Corgan said on Tuesday he plans to revive The Smashing Pumpkins, his Grammy-winning band which broke up in 2000 after more than a decade of blending alternative rock with the avant-garde.

Soul Asylum Bassist Dies

Soul Asylum cofounder Karl Mueller is, in the words of one of his songs, "Closer to the Stars."

About last night

So, last night, the roommie's band, Mouth of Wilson (look here and here), played the Philadelphia final of the Emergenza festival, at the TLA. They played against 12 philly bands and the winners from Pittsburgh and Washington DC. Although they didn't win, out of 14 total bands, they came in at number 3. Considering their first show was four or five months ago, they've done extremely well so far.
It was a really good time at South Street, hanging out at Blarney South before heading to the sidewalk outside the TLA where other people who weren't aloud in were gathering. For some odd reason, the festival was oversold, so we were only able to get in when other peole left. When we did get inside, it wasn't as crowded as thought, so why they gave us a hard time about going in is beyond me.
We saw two punk-rap-metal bands before MoW. Certainly not my cup of meat, but I suppose that's another post.
MoW kicked ass and played a tight set. Getting to play the TLA when you haven't even played live together for 6 months is quite a feat...
Go check out photos from the evening at my flickr page.

putting the myst in mystic

For a reason unbeknownst to me, an actor whom I haven't thought of in years, or probably never thought of, popped into my head. Dana Elcar, the dude who played MacGyver's boss on MacGyver.
I was wondering what ever became of him...
Strange thing to pop in to your head for no reason, eh? Why Dana Elcar?
Well, turns out he died June 6, and I found out about it last night as I read Entertainment Weekly. RIP.
Hmmm. Weird coincidence.
Something like that happened a few years ago with the death of Aaliyah. A few days before she died in a plane crash in the Bahamas, I was thinking "No famous pop star or actor has died in a plane crash in a while. I think we are due, and one is going to happen soon."
Before you go thinking that I think I have some sort of weird 6th sense or something, a few weeks after Aaliyah died, 911 happened, and that came out of left field.
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." Hamlet.
Who knows why stuff happens as it does. All we can do is hold on for dear life to the hand rails and fumble around, blind.

I think this is funny :)

haha You've opened it!!!! Good Luck! Tonight at midnight
your true love will realize they love you. Something
good will happen to you at 1:00-4:00 pm
tommorow, it could be anywere. Get ready for the
biggest shock in your life. if you break this chain u
will be cursed with relationship problems for the
next 10yrs. post this within 15 min

YOU'RE CAUGHT!!! If you REALLY LIKE SOMEONE right now AND MISS THEM and can't get them out of your head then re-post this within 1 mintute and whoever you are missing will surprise you tomorrow.

IF YOU BREAK THIS YOU WILL HAVE THE WORST DAY OF YOUR LIFE TOMORROW!!

Let me check my calendar. Oh, no, wait...Tomorrow is bad for me. It seems as though I'm fully booked, Maybe we can reschedule for sometime next week? Good? Great!

That one up there is...

I have just learned that David Gray is coming soon to a concert near you. When I first heard White Ladder, I connected with it immediately, and that album is easily within my top ten.
He's playing in Phili August 5, and he has a date in NYC too. So, who wants to go?!
All evening it's been threatening to rain. One can feel the electricity in the air, but it never really lived to all that natural pomp and circumstance. It barely got the pollen off my car...
Now, it's all clear and the humidity is washed away. Perfect for a chat with the stars.

Hi Bushie! Accountability calling!

Go check out this site:
After Downing Street
This is basically a paper trail of what the antiwar people were talking about years ago. Frustrating that all this stuff comes out after 1700 soldiers die.
One more thing, friends:
Democrat Urges Inquiry on Bush, Iraq
Yeah, I'm not gonna get my hopes up.

Another list

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, find line 4. Write down what it says:
   "One great thing about fly fishing is that after a while nothing exists of the world but thoughts about fly fishing." A River Runs Through It, Norman Maclean
   
2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What do you touch first?
   Air
   
3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?
   The Empire Strikes Back
   
4. WITHOUT LOOKING, guess what time it is:
   12:54
   
5. Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?
   12:54. I'm not kidding. I have a very good internal clock.
   
6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
   Typical of cube life: a fan, someone shuffling paper, possibly someone eating, ritualistic animal sacrifice(kidding).
   
7. When did you last step outside? what were you doing?
   This morning, I walked to my car.
   
8. Before you came to this website, what did you look at?
   A news story about how Terry Schiavo was basically dead before she died.
   
9. What are you wearing?
   A tinfoil hat and a space suit.
   
10. Did you dream last night?
    Yes. That's all I'll say about that.
    
11. When did you last laugh?
    Last night.
    
12. What is on the walls of the room you are in?
    Since it's a cube, I've stuck up papers. On the actual walls of the office, there is paint. A fine paint, I might add.
    
13. Seen anything weird lately?
    Yes. A mouse crossing the street. From far away, it looked like a black dot moving across the street. Not only until i got closer was I able to make out little feet scurrying along the pavement.
    
14. What do you think of this quiz?
    I'm going to withhold my opinion, as I've only just recently met this quiz, and any thoughts would be presumptuous.
    
15. What is the last film you saw?
    Well, I saw Empire Strikes Back last night, but the last movie I saw at the theater was Cinderella Man.
    
16. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy first?
    A fleet of sports cars, and then if I had any money left over, Delaware.
    
17. Tell me something about you that I don't know:
    since you don't know anything about me, that's easy. I have black hair, and I wear glasses. That's TWO things. You should feel special.
    
18. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
    I'm not God!!! Why all this pressure?!?!
    
19. Do you like to dance?
    Not even when drunk.
    
20. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her? a boy?
    I would not call her "a boy." That would be mean. I prefer Shannon.
    
21. Would you ever consider living abroad?
    Yes.
    

Hi-bye

I'm rather creatively challenged today, so I'm basically just writing this for writing's sake, and I have no idea if anything will actually come of this.
Let's see...I bought the Star Wars Trilogy DVD last night, and I watched "A New Hope" last night. Tonight, I'm gonna watch "Empire Strikes Back."
I'm also feeling quite lazy, so nothing is coming of this post, as it's done.

My Sunday Rest

These are days I left the bookstore for. I got in my car today with no real intentions, but I decided to take some pictures of all the places I went to today. Kind of like a photojournal. If you want to take a look, go here. For it to be in sequence, continue on to page 1.
I wound up at my favorite spot that I've found in New Jersey-a concrete jetty that juts halfway across the Delaware River, and this time, it wasn't flooded over. On these days, it's a perfect spot to hang out for a few hours and read a great book. After lunch in Lambertville, I headed over to Princeton for a drink at Small World Coffee.
All in all, a great day. I think I may do more of these photojournal things.

Parking lot theater

Screw Shakespeare in the Park! All you need is a Target/Wegman's parking lot and a bit of patience to wait for a play to unfold.
The players are an upset daughter and an irrational mother, screaming at each other for no reason that you can really gather. In the second act, a cop who would rather stay in the car. However, once the cop yells "You are being disorderly!" over and over again, the play falls apart, and the third act is over in a heartbeat, as the cop returns to the car to move out of the way so that someone can back out of their spot.
I never said the performances were good, but certainly interesting.

From the dude that gave us freedom fries

This is an interesting about face:
GOP Congressman Wants Troops Out of Iraq
Rep. Walter Jones is the same dude that decided it would be a good idea to call french fries "freedom fries" when France dared say "no" to the U.S's plans to invade a country.
I'm not sure whether to think this is coup for the anti-war people, or three years too late. The facts haven't changed, buddy.

"When I look at the number of men and women who have been killed — it's almost 1,700 now, in addition to close to 12,000 have been severely wounded — and I just feel that the reason of going in for weapons of mass destruction, the ability of the Iraqis to make a nuclear weapon, that's all been proven that it was never there," Jones said on ABC's "This Week."

No one had to die or be injured. People knew already in 2002 that what the administration was selling was a crock of shit. You just chose not to listen.

My iPod

I dig my little white plastic covered musical toy, and I got this little quiz thing from The Complete and Total Bisch. I am delving into my iTunes library as we speak:


How many songs?
1526 songs, 4.2 days, 6.7 gigs

Sorted by song title, the first and last songs:
(Bing Crosby) - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Zed's Dead Baby/Bullwinkle Part II - The Centurians, from the Pulp Fiction soundtrack

Sorted by artist, the first and last songs:
Noah's Dove - 10000 Maniacs
In the Waiting Line - Zero 7

Sorted by album, the first and last songs:
Peace the Fuck Out - Travis (12 Memories)
It's Summertime - The Flaming Lips (Yoshimi battles the pink robots)

Top 10 most-played songs:
Caribbean Blue - Enya
Find The River - R.E.M.
How Can I Keep from Singing? - Enya
Angeles 4:01 Enya
No Holly for Miss Quinn - Enya
Book of Days - Enya
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel
Ebudae - Enya
Lothlórien - Enya
Marble Halls - Enya
OK, sue me. I know it's mostly Enya. I like listening to that when I write.

Top 10 recently played songs :
High And Dry (acoustic) - Radiohead
Zed's Dead Baby/Bullwinkle Part II - The Centurians
Circle - Sarah McLachlan
Fumbling Towards Ecstacy - Sarah McLachlan
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses - U2
Please Please Me - The Beatles
Wouldn't It Be Nice - Beach Boys
Free - Jack Johnson
Trouble - Ray LaMontagne
The Long And Winding Road - The Beatles

Find "sex"; how many songs?
3
Sexy Sadie - The Beatles
Sexual Healing - Marvin Gaye
Sex, War, and Robots - Super Furry Animals

Find "death"; how many songs?
Girls - Death in Vegas (lost in translation soundtrack)

Find "love"; how many songs?
78 songs

Find "peace"; how many songs?
1, already mentioned.

Find "rain"; how many songs?
33 songs

Find "sun"; how many songs?
37 songs

I can answer that two ways

Since my trip down to the NOC, I've been exchanging a few emails with someone who happens to work there. In her most recent email, she asked:
"What is it that keeps you in that cube-monkey work environment?"
A daunting question, no?
I can answer this question two ways: one, by being a smart-ass, which really comes naturally to me. Two, by being what they refer to as honest.
Let's try the smart-ass way first.
* It's a safe and easy way to put food on the table. And, possibly to my health and greater benefit, my cat's food bowl. I just know that furball will come after me when the going gets tough. He's sizing me up already, I can feel it.
* Where else are cube monkeys to go if not for cubes?
* But somebody's got to make the doughnuts!
* It's the Man! The Man is keeping me in the cube-monkey environment.
Now for honesty, which, for 1030 on a Thursday, is quite challenging. It means I have to commit to thinking about my life for the next ten minutes or so! Ouch!
I guess I never really thought of all the options when I graduated from school. I knew, generally, the direction in which I wanted to go, and that was to work at a dot com. For better or worse, I got that wish here in New Jersey a few months later. That was in 99, and by 2000-2001, it all imploded, and I had to keep my head above water.
I've had my current job for two years now, and while it isn't glamorous and epitomizes the cube-monkey lifestyle, it allows me to edit some, gives me somewhere to go at 9 at every morning, and doesn't ask me to take it home at five. I'm pretty sure it isn't everything I want out of life ... I know I'm most at peace when I'm by a river or lake and mountains. I enjoy the sports one can do on them, but that's not the end-all, be-all for me. I more enjoy the rhythm of the nature around me, and its sounds, and that makes me feel I am actually part of the earth rather than just some being that lives on top of it.
But, where do I go from there? When I think about it, I don't have a perfectly suitable answer for that question. I guess for now I'll have to get my peace in doses.

Trains! Just like in Europe!

Aside from getting an "olde tyme photo" taken in GAtlinburg, I don't think there's anything more touristy that you can do in the Smokies. OK, maybe I haven't thought that through. There are many things more touristy in than a train ride.
Anyway, apart from a bit of rain in the morning, the train ride is a great way to see Fontana Lake.

It was followed by a rafting trip down the Nantahala in the afternoon. Greg somehow volunteered us both to sit up front, which probably turned out to be the most fun. Down the big rapid at the end, Greg and I lost our balance. He's convinced that he hit me in the head with his paddle, but seeing as that action by some grace of physics most likely kept both of us in the boat, I think I'll let it slide. I was pretty numb from the cold, so I didn't really feel anything anyway.

Shark attack

Great...Right when I wanted to learn how to surf.
New Jersey shark attack

Mountain Biking

The last time I ever went mountain biking for real, I was still in high school. Going up hill sucked as much back then, but at least now I have a camera, so brutalizing my leg muscles is worth it to get to these views. We were walking the bikes by the second switchback...however, once we got going, and our hearts got over the initial shock of actual exercise, it was quite fun. Brings me back to Colorado with my brother about 15 years ago.
I need to dust off my back and get it ready for some trails, no doubt.
That evening, the staff of the NOC had a fund raiser for a basketball court, and they played Napoleon Dynamite on the lawn. Vote for Pedro, friends.

Photos from my trip

I put some photos from my trip to NC and Tenn on flickr. Take a look.

Boating

I love it when things go smoothly relative to flying. It's so much better than the other option. If they get me on the ground safely, I'll even forego the peanuts.
I got to Knoxville about 2 hours before Greg, my college roommate, was due to arrive, so I lounged about the airport a bit and had some lunch. Once he arrived, and we met my sis and her husband Julian (the shoeclassics king), we got our rental car and then headed out to Fort Loudon Lake, where we would take Dave and Dawn's(friends of my sister and Julian) boat to a concert on the water.
They have it set up as such: People can access the concert by either taking their boats and setting anchor in a small harbor or by arriving on land. There are two concert stages; one is set on land and the other on a barge on the water.
How cool is that?! One can actually see a concert by boat.
The weather was perfect, although the ride back was rather cold.
All in all, a great way to start a vacation, and the perfect basis to ask myself what the hell I'm doing in Jersey when I could do this?!
When I was sitting on that boat, I never quite thought the vacation would go as bloody quick as it did. I guess they always do.
At least we didn't waste much time anywhere.
Stay tuned.

I'm back!

Dude, that was fun! I want to go again!
I have a bunch of pictures to process...I was able to do almost everything I set out to do. biking, rafting, kayaking, etc. I didn't get a chance to go fly fishing, but oh well. Can't possibly fit everything into one week, right?
My trip, in excruciating detail, to come.