He's Like A Detuned Radio

Done. Oh L. Ron Hubbard does it feel good to be done.

Back home in 24 hours.

Inadvertently, Zohair informed me that due to the fact that my party is a week earlier than usual, we will not have the Kentucky Derby to entertain us. Instead, its the NFL draft which isn't nearly as much fun. Unless Andrew talks about jacking off Reggie Bush for one million.

Time to clean things up...

P.S. C/O Now Magazine
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Hosted by homoerotic superheroes the Ambiguously Gay Duo (the voices of comics Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell), this first-time special compiles animator Robert Smigel's Saturday TV Funhouse shorts, including recurring cartoon ser-ies The X-Presidents and Fun With Real Audio. 11:30 pm on NBC/Global

I can't wait until Saturday, this might just blow away the Tracy Morgan DVD. It'll be close though.

8:30 exam, still up now...probably not the best idea. Posting on my blog, definately not my smartest moment except I'm past the point of being tired and am on my second fourth wind. 4 hours sleep, here I come.

I could actually taste the Strongbow at around 1:00...almost over...home in 38 hours or so. Last exam of the semester, of course I'm here in the summer so this isn't as monumental of a feat as what other's have accomplished recently.

Slice and a pop would be so good right now. I could probably last to 8:30 if I just had that.

Salt water infiltration occurs at the shoreline at high speed. It's a cruel world to have your well pumping salt water.

I really should've written during my exam today.

Top 12 CDs that I've downloaded and should probably buy since they're too damn good:
1)In The Aeroplane Over The Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel
2)Slanted and Enchanted - Pavement
3)Doolittle - The Pixies
4)Bows and Arrows - The Walkmen
5)The Soft Bulletin - The Flaming Lips
6)Crooked Rain Crooked Rain - Pavement
7)Anniemal - Annie
8)Bee Thousand - Guided By Voices
9)Bossanova - The Pixies
10)Original Pirate Material - The Streets
11)The White Album - The Beatles
12)69 Love Songs - The Magnetic Fields

The list was just a reason to talk about the album at the top of it. I'd never heard of Neutral Milk Hotel until I saw it on Pitchfork's Top 100 album of the 90s. They'd ranked it 4th behind:

1) OK Computer - Radiohead
2) Loveless - My Bloody Valentine
3) The Soft Bulletin - The Flaming Lips

and while I was very familiar with the top album and at a point in my life where I was only vaguely familiar with albums two and three, the fourth album was a mystery. Wow, Spin never mentioned this band, I wonder what their deal is. (I have since learned the depths of Spin magazine do not begin to scratch the essential music of the world.)

Anyways, I managed to obtain a torrented copy of the album and on first listen thought, "Track one wasn't so bad, he's got an interesting voice and I'm really liking the solo acoustic guitar, oh wait, there's an accordian too, that's cool and something that sounds like weird clarinet thing. This is pretty mellow stuff, it's not bad. And then, "I LOVE YOU JEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESUS CHRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIST!!!" WTF? I wasn't quite sure what was going on, guitar, drums and the lead singer seems to have to turned into a Newfie for a couple of lines. And then things pick up and now I'm very confused which is followed by a horn instrumental. We've got songs that seem to be referencing World War II, Anne Frank, the tragedies which consume our lives, spirituality.

The only girl I've ever loved
Was born with roses in her eyes
But then they buried her alive
One evening 1945
With just her sister at her side
And only weeks before the guns
All came and rained on everyone
Now she's a little boy in Spain
Playing pianos filled with flames
On empty rings around the sun
All sing to say my dream has come
Holland, 1945

I didn't get it the first time and I definitely didn't get it the second time but I stuck with it, probably because of the considerable heft it holds in the indie world. And in time this album has probably reached top five status for me and the thing is that I'm not sure why. It's good, it's really good but I can't quantify it. It might be my musical ignorance speaking or something else that I lack but I'd like to think that I know good when I hear it and this is good. I guess that I'd have to say that I find it vulnerable and this vulnerability for me allows it to connect on a level that few pieces of music or art can.

The rather un-pitchfork like review of the album. i.e. Toning back on the pretentiousness.

Someone please go to this concert, it's $12.00. Please.

2 exams down, 4 more to go.

1) "The last survivor of a boiled crown
Another casualty with the casual frown
The janitor vandals they bark in your face
Juveniles with the piles and paste" (1996) Minus - Beck

2) "After the glow, the scene, the stage, the set, talk becomes slow
but there’s one thing I’ll never forget: Hey, you gotta pay your dues before you
pay the rent." (1994) Range Life - Pavement

3) "You should feel what I feel you should take what I tell you" Star Guitar - The Chemical Brothers

4) "Out here in the fields I fought for my meals" Baba O'Riley - The Who

5) "Somebody keep my balance I think I'm falling off" Jaded - Green Day

6) "Let's go! It's never too late to be early" Pulmonary Archery - Alexisonfire

7) "For have I, I've built a castle upon believing before I doubt
I have suffered but my friends say I have learned from it" (2003) I Am Sound - The Dandy Warhols

8) "It can't be love for there is no true love" The Union Forever - The White Stripes

9) "Got me a movie I want you to know" Debaser - The Pixies

10) "He’s in love with rock’n’roll woaahh
He’s in love with gettin’ stoned woaahh" (1977) Janie Jones - The Clash

11) "If I could give you anything I would give you a kick
You'd rather have a dollar than a hug from your sis" (1990) Cinderella's Big Score - Sonic Youth

12) "When I look at you, oh, I don't know what I feel
Once in a while and you make me laugh" (1991) When You Sleep - My Bloody Valentine

13) "Well, is it true what they say about it?" Walk Idiot Walk - The Hives

14) "Come on over, and do the twist
Over do it, and have a fit" (1992) Aneurysm - Nirvana

15) "Things get hectic quick from the satellite dish to your joy stick
It's the night of the living cable box wires coming up from around the block" (1998) Remote Control - Beastie Boys

16) "Morning came to pieces without offering. Is it still real?
Precious little pistol beaten senseless till she cant feel." (1996) Ophelia - Moist

17) "I had this dream where I relished the fray" Nautical Disaster - The Tragically Hip

18) "Heard about your wife and kids where we slept I'm Still Your Fag - Broken Social Scene

19) "Once - The dogs have quit their barking
"Son," - my neighbor said to me." (2005) The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

20) "There's a little child running round this house" Fog - Radiohead

Posting from the library...

It's so close to being announced I can taste it. Boston isn't that far away.

One exam down and five more to go. I'm not sure if my study habits have simply gotten better over time or I've just become an expert bullshitter. Yes, it's possible to bullshit an engineering exam, especially if it's all theory.

I had more to say but the brain isn't working as well as it used to. Be back later...

Holy crap this is violent and an excellent diversion from studying.

A heart that's full up like a landfill,
a job that slowly kills you,
bruises that won't heal.
You look so tired-unhappy,
bring down the government,
they don't, they don't speak for us.
I'll take a quiet life,
a handshake of carbon monoxide,

with no alarms and no surprises,
no alarms and no surprises,
no alarms and no surprises,
Silent silence.

This is my final fit,
my final bellyache,

with no alarms and no surprises,
no alarms and no surprises,
no alarms and no surprises please.

Such a pretty house
and such a pretty garden.

No alarms and no surprises,
no alarms and no surprises,
no alarms and no surprises please.

"And, despite U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum's weak showing in recent polls, Gillespie predicted the Pennsylvania Republican will be heading back to Washington, D.C., once the votes are tallied in November.

"Rick, historically, is a late closer," Gillespie said. "He tends to come from behind.""

Hee hee...

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Sportsnet Playoff Pool

Group: Woburn Group
Password: Woburn

Just in case you forgot, I am the defending champ.

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One of the sickest moves you'll ever see inside of a MMA ring. Just go to 7:35 of this video and see something amazing.

Ryo Chonan HL

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The song lyric game is still going on, in case anyone cares.

Step 1: Put your iTunes on random.
Step 2: Post the first line from the first 20 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing the song.
Step 3: Post and let everyone you know guess what song and artist the lines come from (choose only ONE line!).
Step 4: Strike out the songs when someone guesses correctly.
Step 5: Looking them up on Google or any other search engine is CHEATING!
Step 6: Once everyone seems to have run into a brick wall, add another line and the year the song came out.

After going through my twenty songs I was left with a surprisingly mainstream list. This really isn't as difficult as I remember it being. Oh well...

1) "The last survivor of a boiled crown
Another casualty with the casual frown
The janitor vandals they bark in your face
Juveniles with the piles and paste" (1996)

2) "After the glow, the scene, the stage, the set, talk becomes slow
but there’s one thing I’ll never forget: Hey, you gotta pay your dues before you
pay the rent." (1994)

3) "You should feel what I feel you should take what I tell you" Star Guitar - The Chemical Brothers

4) "Out here in the fields I fought for my meals" Baba O'Riley - The Who

5) "Somebody keep my balance I think I'm falling off" Jaded - Green Day

6) "Let's go! It's never too late to be early" Pulmonary Archery - Alexisonfire

7) "For have I, I've built a castle upon believing before I doubt
I have suffered but my friends say I have learned from it" (2003)

8) "It can't be love for there is no true love" The Union Forever - The White Stripes

9) "Got me a movie I want you to know" Debaser - The Pixies

10) "He’s in love with rock’n’roll woaahh
He’s in love with gettin’ stoned woaahh" (1977)

11) "If I could give you anything I would give you a kick
You'd rather have a dollar than a hug from your sis" (1990)

12) "When I look at you, oh, I don't know what I feel
Once in a while and you make me laugh" (1991)

13) "Well, is it true what they say about it?" Walk Idiot Walk - The Hives

14) "Come on over, and do the twist
Over do it, and have a fit" (1992)

15) "Things get hectic quick from the satellite dish to your joy stick
It's the night of the living cable box wires coming up from around the block" (1998)

16) "Morning came to pieces without offering. Is it still real?
Precious little pistol beaten senseless till she cant feel." (1996)

17) "I had this dream where I relished the fray" Nautical Disaster - The Tragically Hip

18) "Heard about your wife and kids where we slept I'm Still Your Fag - Broken Social Scene

19) "Once - The dogs have quit their barking
"Son," - my neighbor said to me." (2005)

20) "There's a little child running round this house" Fog - Radiohead

If anyone is interested in joining me for the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, let me know. I'm definitely planning on checking out at least a couple of documentaries over the break. The schedule is here. This is one of the things that I've taken for granted living in Toronto. There are these absolutely amazing things going all around the city and it's a constant bombardment of activity that interesting events such as this get lost in it all. I guess being away has given me a perspective on that. Afternoon shows are free for students, so why not?

I'd also like to go to a baseball game but I figure I'm targetting a smaller audience for that than the documentary festival. And golfing too. Definitely going to have to hit up Mill Run and the driving range, probably in that order too because I never do anything in the logical order.

I've created a song lyric game in the vein of Chris and Peter's but I'm going to wait a while to post it until their games are finished. I would say mine lies much closer to Chris' in difficulty but there are a couple of free ones in there.

I handed the midterm back for marking and got 2 additional marks which now makes it look like I have the lowest mark in the class after the re-marking. Everyone else got 8 or 10 marks. Now I'm pissed off.

Fuck.

I can't let it end this way. How about some Dears to send me away? No, that's not going to help...Here it is:

Nicotine, valium, vicodin, marijuana, ecstasy and alcohol.
Cocaine.

Much better.