Bands/artists I would like to see in concert soon-ish:
Eric Hutchinson (again)
Modest Mouse (again)
MGMT
Ben Kweller (again)
Passion Pit
Vampire Weekend
Beck
Death Cab for Cutie (again)
Regina Spektor
Matt and Kim
Phoenix
Franz Ferdinand
Ben Folds (again)
Mates of State
Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers (again)
I want a site where I can enter the names of bands that I like, and it will provide me with something like Google Reader where I can check ONE PLACE to see all of their upcoming shows, albums, etc.
I mean, I could just like, put parts of their websites in Google Reader but it seems so ineffective to sort through all the stuff I don't care about just to get a quick list of places/dates.
::
2010 10 January :: 6.44pm
:: Music: Barenaked Ladies- What a Good Boy
I wake up wondering if anything in my life is ever going to change...
When I was born they looked at me and said
What a good boy, what a smart boy, what a strong boy
And when you were born they looked at you and said
What a good girl, what a smart girl, what a pretty girl
We've got these chains that hang around our necks
People want to strangle us with them before we take our first breath
Afraid of change, afraid of staying the same
When temptation calls we just look away
This name is the hairshirt I wear
And this hairshirt is woven from your brown hair
This song is the cross that I bear
Bear it with me, bear with me, bear with me
Be with me tonight
I know that it isn't right
But be with me tonight
I go to school, I write exams
If I pass, if I fail, if I drop out, does anyone give a damn?
And if they do, they'll soon forget
'Cause it won't take much for me to show that my life ain't over yet
I wake up scared, I wake up strange
I wake up wondering if anything in my life is ever going to change
I wake up scared, I wake up strange
And everything around me stays the same
I couldn't tell you that I was wrong
Chickened out, grabbed a pen and paper, sat down and I wrote this song
I couldn't tell you that you were right
So instead I looked in the mirror watched tv laid awake all night
We've got these chains that hang around our necks
People want to strangle us with them before we take our first breath
Afraid of change, afraid of staying the same
When temptation calls....
When I was born they looked at me and said
What a good boy, what a smart boy, what a strong boy
And when you were born they looked at you and said
What a good girl, what a smart girl, what a pretty girl, hey
::
2010 2 January :: 3.34pm
:: Music: bad romance...it is the song of this weekend.
an update, finally.
So I live in lansing with 3 girls I don't know. I live really close to 3 of my fiends though. Still working at kohls, but am looking to get out, so I am applying to MSU for the fall. I am looking at going into thier speech pathology program. on the boy front, still in love with my BFF's brother. he is one of the people whose house is close enough for me to walk to, so incidentally I am there all the time cooking dinner for him (and his roomies who are also my friends) at least a couple times a week.
I saw you new years eve and I realized how horrible i have been about keeping in touch. I really live in this small little world most of the time and I forget the person I could be if I let myself. I am so wrapped up in this one person who DOES NOT seem to feel the same way that I just let myself fall apart a little. we walked to a party when we got cold and I saw the guy I hung out with at my friends wedding last summer, and we hit it off again. I got a kiss at midnight and I hung out with him again the next day. he is a nice distraction from the ongoing drama of brad.
Top 50 Films of the 2000s
1. Munich (2005)
2. Lost In Translation (2003)
3. Children of Men (2006)
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
5. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
6. Memento (2000)
7. Minority Report (2002)
8. There Will Be Blood (2007)
9. The Dark Knight (2008)
10. Kill Bill, Volume 1 (2003)
11. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
12. Moulin Rouge (2001)
13. American Psycho (2000)
14. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
15. Adaptation (2002)
16. The Hours (2002)
17. Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
18. Amelie (2001)
19. The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)
20. The Departed (2006)
21. The Incredibles (2004)
22. The Prestige (2006)
23. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
24. Gladiator (2000)
25. Vanilla Sky (2001)
26. The Lives of Others (2006)
27. I Heart Huckabees (2004)
28. 25th Hour (2002)
29. Volver (2006)
30. Bowling For Columbine (2002)
31. Collateral (2004)
32. Ratatouille (2007)
33. Juno (2007)
34. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
35. Mystic River (2003)
36. Donnie Darko (2001)
37. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007)
38. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003)
39. Closer (2004)
40. Walk The Line (2005)
41. The Bourne Identity (2002)
42. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
43. The King of Kong (2007)
44. Star Trek (2009)
45. The Wrestler (2008)
46. Once (2006)
47. Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)
48. Away We Go (2009)
49. A History of Violence (2005)
50. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
# of films, by year
8 (2002, 2004); 7 (2006); 6 (2001); 5 (2005, 2007); 4 (2003); 3 (2000); 2 (2008, 2009)
Best of 2009 Top CDs
1. Regina Spektor - Far
2. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
3. The Decemberists - Hazards of Love
4. Silversun Pickups - Swoon
5. Pearl Jam - Backspacer
6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
7. Eels - Hombre Lobo: 12 Songs of Desire
8. A Fine Frenzy - Bomb in a Birdcage
9. David Gray - Draw the Line
10. Moby - Wait for Me
Top Movies work in progress
1. Away We Go
2. Star Trek
3. Sherlock Holmes
4. Avatar
5. Where the Wild Things Are
6. The Informant!
7. The Men Who Stare at Goats
8. Watchmen
9. Public Enemies
10. Angels & Demons
Top Video Games played, not necessarily released, in 2009
1. Bioshock
2. Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009)
3. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
4. NCAA Football '10 (2009)
5. Half-Life 2
6. Rock Band 2
7. House of the Dead: Overkill (2009)
8. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009)
9. Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
10. Silent Hill: Homecoming
Top Books read, not necessarily released, in 2009
1. Nick Hornby - Juliet, Naked (2009)
2. Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons - The Watchmen
3. Markus Zusak - The Book Thief
4. Mark Blake - Comfortably Numb: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd
5. Flannery O'Connor - Everything that Rises Must Converge
6. Dave Eggers - Zeitoun (2009)
7. Brian Vaughan & Pia Guerra - Y: The Last Man
8. Patrick McGilligan - Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness & Light
9. Michael Kane - Game Boys
10. Mark Oliver Everett - Things the Grandchildren Should Know
We learned today that we are getting Christmas bonuses! Yay! And then if I get my doing-my-job bonus, I will have money to pay bills and rent and school loans!
I should not eat when Nick is not around to edit my eating habits. He is asleep since he has to work at 7 am tomorrow.
Things I have eaten since Nick went to bed at 1:
Spaghetti with sauce and Parmesan cheese and green olives
Reheated TGIFriday's French fries (reheated in a pan with olive oil and crazy seasonings)
Green olives
Warmed up tortilla with above seasoning/spices and leftover oil along with garlic, sour cream and feta (the sour cream was a TERRIBLE idea... ugh)
More green olives
Snicker's bar
We don't have any food in the house. That is the main reason I ate a bunch of junk. Also I just went with my cravings. Usually Nick stops me before I add the sour cream. I am feeling really awful and would like to just throw everything up, please.
"If the FCC is going to investigate anything it should be that Lambert may be compromising the reputation of gay men everywhere. Gay men have proudly worked hard for centuries to cultivate the appearance of having good taste. Tom Ford, fashion designer and the living embodiment of homo-sexy refinement, is even bringing his mission to movie theaters this month with "A Single Man.’’ And then comes Lambert with his Mystic Tan, makeup, and eyeliner to steamroll it all back dozens of years.
"Even more offensive than the bump, grind, and kiss is that Lambert is now taking it upon himself to explain why folks had a difficult time digesting his American Music Awards performance. 'People aren’t used to seeing gay men portrayed that way on TV,' he told Ellen DeGeneres last week. 'The gay male image in the media tends to be very cliché.’ So, let me get this straight. Lambert, who dresses like the immaculately conceived love child of Siegfried and Roy, is not a cliché? Cut to me giving the TV the side eye and scratching my head. He’s a bundle of clichés, and represents a very outdated image of the flamboyant gay performer. Freddie Mercury and his stretch unitards were more groundbreaking, and definitely sexier."
- Boston Globe style columnist Christopher Muther.
::
2009 30 November :: 4.06am
:: Music: George of the Jungle
Recent thoughts with added emphasis
I like the idea of Montreal (much like one enjoys the idea having a baby but not the pushing it out of your own vagina part or the human being inside me thing or much like one may love the idea of organizing a bookshelf by color but not actually having said bookshelf (I cannot find any book I am searching for. Surprise, surprise, I do not remember my books by color.)) but that whole French thing always turns me off. Gravy and cheese curds on French fries? I am there. Calling it poutine? Sorry, I'll pass. Maybe next time. With bacon. And a not French name. Losers.
I think I might have mentioned it before but this I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant show is insane. How the fuck do you not know you are pregnant? "Oh I had missed my period two months in a row but I just thought it was stress." "I had a craving for tacos but I just like tacos, you know?" "I thought I had to poop and then a baby was in the toilet." What the fuck, kids? And they never have any prenatal care but the baby is always fine. While people who take care of themselves have sick babies. Also, what sexually-active woman is not hyper-aware of every single thing that is going on with her body period-wise?
I am having more and more dreams that involve someone sending me back to France for some reason. And I'm not allowed to leave for some other strange reason. Like I lose my passport or I lose a piece of luggage and cannot leave until it is found. I suppose that is what I get for speaking French all day.
Speaking of...speaking French, I think I speak more French in my average work day than I ever did during my 8 years of studying it in school. Probably even more than I did in an average day in France. I really hate myself for not speaking more French while I was there but whatever. I went to Budapest, bitches. French didn't matter. Now I talk about having votre numero de reservation and combien des chambres voudriez-vous and sorry, you need a carte de credit and who doesn't have an adresse email these days? My dreams are just filled with more French.
My sister is studying in Innsbruck, Austria next year. For the whole year. My mom didn't want her to go for the entire year because she didn't want to pay for Notre Dame with my sister not even being in the country but somehow they got over that. Also, next year is the motherfucking bicentennial of Oktoberfest so my friend and I were already planning on going to Munich. She lived in Germany for a long time and knows people we can stay with for free. We would only have to pay for airfare and food/drink money. My sister and I are planning a European tour since we can handle most countries with my French and her German.
I need to learn to play an instrument. I am thinking something terribly hipster like a ukulele or organ. I've always wanted a hurdy gurdy.
I have no clue what to get anyone for Christmas. Personne, kids. Not even Nick. It is terrible. I know what Nick wants but I can't buy him a 400 dollar laptop/netbook or whatever. And I can think of things I would like for him but nothing he would actually like. You know how guys are. I can think of about twenty things I think he would like but he would just say "oh, thanks." And not really enjoy them because it's nothing he wants. You know? And of course if you ask him what he wants, he never knows.
Nick does many things to annoy the heck out of me because he thinks it is cute when I'm mad. One of these is not putting the new toilet paper roll on the holder. He knows it drives me insane, so he doesn't do it. Every single time he does(n't do) it, I fake yell at him for it. It's what we do. It's our joke. Anyway, the other day, I was joking with him about it and he said he'll always do it. It's his thing, and it won't ever stop. And I said, "Just like it's never lupus." So today when I went to shout at him about it, he said, "It's never lupus."
I am torn about Monk ending this week. It jumped the shark years ago but it has always been one of my favorite shows. I almost have Nick hooked on it but I think it will be like West Wing, I will talk about it for years and he won't watch it until it's OFN and then he'll fall in love with it and talk about it like it's something new.
I read about the newest game from Team Ico and it looks like it's going to be only for the PS3. This may be the game that forces my hand into buying a stupid PS3. Damn you, Team Ico. DAMN YOU.
Nick's parents got us an electric fireplace for Christmas (and already gave it to us, obviously) and it is awesome. The smart cat has only slept on it once so far but their favorite thing seems to being going behind it for some reason. Silly cats. We totally tripped a breaker with it already too. Which was bound to happen since it's on the same plug with the xbox and the router and the modem and the TV and the cable box and the surround sound and the Wii.
I've typed for about an hour now so I think that more than makes up for my silence. I'm out, kids.
I love you all &c.
P.S. I was watching Zero Punctuation's review of Modern Warfare 2 and the little line he always puts in the credits said, "I wonder what kind of gun fires with a noise that most closely approximates the word 'BANG.'" I read this to Nick and he replied, wittily, "An onomato-P9." This is why I want to marry this kid.
P.P.S. Earlier today, we were eating pizza and watching Away We Go and we couldn't find the TV remote. We looked everywhere but it was nowhere to be found. Finally, after the movie was over (98 minutes after it was lost) and we began a hardcore-retracing-steps mission. This mission was quickly completed when Nick found the remote in his pocket. This is why I will keep this kid around.
The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).
Why 1001 Days? Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
My 101:
De-Cluttering/Organizing/Practical 1. Replace pictures in frames around the house
2. Get wedding dress cleaned and boxed 3. Organize the den 4. Get rid of old clothes that I haven’t worn in 1+ year 5. Back up files on the computer(s)
6. Give away three items on Freecycle 7. Take one full carload of stuff to Goodwill
8. Shred old documents and set up a better filing system
9. Have a garage sale
Relationships
10. Get a new address book- update, add anyone I am missing, add birthdays
11. Send out greeting cards to at least 8 people/families each for 4 holidays other than xmas 12. Actually throw our belated housewarming party
13. Send someone a surprise "care package" for no reason 14. Email or call Grams at least 1x per month 15. Make two new friends 16. Celebrate a random anniversary with Paul
17. Have a baby (I have, like, three years, right?)
Giving & Community 18. Volunteer for a charitable organization
19. Make a loan on Kiva.org 20. Donate to a cause
21. Give a 50% tip for service well done.
22. Pay for someone’s meal in the drive-thru behind me.
Going Without
23. Go one month without buying anything Made in China
24. Go one month without eating any fast food
25. Go one week at work without using the Internet for anything non-work related 26. Go one week eating only at home (including no take-out/pick-up), or with food brought from home
27. Go one week without spending any money. 28. Go one weekend (from Friday after work through bedtime Sunday night) without using the computer
29. Go one weekend (from Friday after work through bedtime Sunday night) without watching any TV
Health & Nutrition
30. Weigh the same or less than I did when I got married 31. Shop for fruits & vegetables at farmers market 32. Go for a walk (20 minutes or more) every day for one week
33. Go one month without drinking soda 34. Work out at least 2x per week 35. Go to bed by 10 PM every night for one week
36. Take vitamin every day 37. Try a new fitness class 38. Buy a Weight Watchers cookbook and start cooking better 39. Join a gym
House & Home 40. Make ten new dinner recipes 41. Purchase something from a local crafter/artisan that I would otherwise buy from a mainstream retailer
42. Have the hardwood floors refinished
43. Plant trees and vines in the back of the yard
44. Paint the main level of the house (or get it painted)
45. Put crown molding in the bedrooms
46. Build a headboard for the bed 47. Plant a vegetable garden
48. Buy a new vacuum
49. Buy a new washer and dryer
50. Redecorate the kitchen
51. Complete the landscaping in the backyard
52. Paint the windmill in the backyard
53. Complete an insurance inventory for the house
54. Put a new floor in the kitchen and entryway
Finances
55. Increase savings by $4,000.00
56. Sell something on Ebay
57. Buy some more stock 58. Increase income by $20,000.00
59. Eliminate all consumer debt
60. Increase 401(k) contributions to 15%
61. Create a will
62. Create and stick to a monthly budget
63. Put $5 into said savings for every item I crossed off and then do something fun with it at the end of 1001 days.
64. For every item on the list not completed at the end of the 1001, donate $5 to charity.
Personal/Professional Growth
65. Finish my CEBS credentials 66. Finish PHR designation
67. Start work on my MBA 68. Get promoted
69. Start building a real professional wardrobe
70. Start pursuing my resume writing/critiquing business
The Arts 71. Go to a show at Miller Auditorium 72. Go to 2 concerts per year
73. Go to a touring production of a Broadway musical
74. See a concert in another state
Travel 75. Visit two states I haven't been to before (actually spend time- not just drive through)
76. Travel to a country outside of North America 77. Visit Traverse City
78. Visit Mackinaw Island
79. Go on a road trip 80. Go to Vegas
81. Take a cruise
82. Visit Mom/Dad at least 2x per year
Hobbies/Leisure/Random
83. Go camping 84. Buy a new (used) car
85. Go to a drive-in movie
86. Buy a drink for a stranger 87. Go to a Red Wings game
88. Take a dance class
89. Go to an ethnic cultural festival 90. Buy a case of wine
91. Take a cooking class
92. Take another personal interest/leisure activity class
93. Learn how to mix a signature drink
94. Try ten restaurants that I haven't been to before
95. Go rock indoor climbing
96. Publish a secret I have on www.postsecret.com
97. Register a dollar on wheresgeorge.com
98. Color an entire coloring book
99. Learn origami
100. Go roller skating again
101. Get someone else to do 101 things in 1001 days
::
2009 18 November :: 10.09pm
:: Music: 3OH!3- Starstrukk
'Cause I just set them up/ Just set them up/ Just set them up to knock them down
Nice legs, Daisy Dukes,
Makes a man go (whistles),
That's the way they all come through like (whistles),
Low-cut, see-through shirts that make ya (whistles),
That's the way she come through like (whistles),
'Cause I just set them up,
Just set them up,
Just set them up to knock them down,
'Cause I just set them up,
Just set them up,
Just set them up to knock them down
I think I should know how to make love to something innocent without leaving my fingerprints out,
Now,
L-o-v-e's just another word I never learned to pronounce,
How do I say I'm sorry 'cause the word is just never gonna come out,
Now,
L-o-v-e's just another word I never learned to pronounce
Tight jeans, double d's makin' me go (whistles),
All the people on the street know (whistles),
Iced out, lit-up make the kids go (whistles),
All the people on the street know (whistles),
'Cause I just set them up,
Just set them up,
Just set them up to knock them down,
'Cause I just set them up,
Just set them up,
Just set them up to knock them down
I think I should know how to make love to something innocent without leaving my fingerprints out,
Now,
L-o-v-e's just another word I never learned to pronounce,
How do I say I'm sorry 'cause the word is just never gonna come out,
Now,
L-o-v-e's just another word I never learned to pronounce
Push it baby, push it baby,
Out of control,
I got my gun cocked tight and I'm ready to blow,
Push it baby, push it baby,
Out of control,
This is the same old dance that you already know,
Push it baby, push it baby,
Out of control,
I got my gun cocked tight and I'm ready to blow,
Push it baby, push it baby,
Out of control,
This is the same old dance that you already know
I think I should know how to make love to something innocent without leaving my fingerprints out,
Now,
L-o-v-e's just another word I never learned to pronounce
So, I went out drinking tonight. Ann from Homelux is great. Liam is cute too! I love laid back people who know what douche bags some of the Menard people are. Can I have Liam for Christmas? Please?!
Oh, Wikipedia, you slay me
"Vaughn dated two of his The Break-Up co-stars: actress Joey Lauren Adams during the filming of 1999's A Cool, Dry Place[9] and jon favreau between 2005 and 2006."
Ha ha. I'm totally not fixing that. That's awesome.
Also, in the discussion:
"This article seems incomplete without some mention and/or photo of his weird right thumb."
and
"Vince looks part black...he has some skeletons in the closet. he looks quadroon to me like he has black grandma"
I just unsubscribed from a wedding blog because they offered the most retarded wedding tip ever: "Etiquette strictly forbids listing where you've registered on your invitations, so enlist your families, bridesmaids and groomsmen to spread the word - tactfully, please!"
What. How does that make sense? That's just rude. Everyone knows you want gifts and that you registered somewhere. Making them ask you or someone else about it is just rude.
In other news, I'm thinking maybe I should clean up my RSS feeds. I last checked them at 5 am this morning and I now have 53 unread items. Omg.
::
2009 9 October :: 7.54pm
:: Music: Gossip- Heavy Cross
We can play it safe, or play it cool/ Follow the leader, or make up all the rules/ Whatever you want, the choice is yours/ So choose...
Last night I found myself begging Paul to agree to move out of state.
I'm feeling restless again.... it's time to make a change.
::
2009 8 October :: 8.24am
:: Music: The Killers- Read My Mind
I never really gave up on/ Breakin' out of this two-star town./ I got the green light/ I got a little fight/ I'm gonna turn this thing around.
on the corner of main street
just tryin' to keep it in line
you say you wanna move on and
you say I'm falling behind
can you read my mind?
can you read my mind?
I never really gave up on
breakin' out of this two-star town
I got the green light
I got a little fight
I'm gonna turn this thing around
can you read my mind?
can you read my mind?
The good old days
the honest man
the restless heart
the promised land
a subtle kiss
that no one sees
a broken wrist
and a big trapeze
Oh well I don't mind
if you don't mind
coz I don't shine
if you don't shine
before you go
can you read my mind?
it's funny how you just break down
waitin' on some sign
I pull up to the front of your driveway
with magic soakin' my spine
can you read my mind?
can you read my mind?
The teenage queen
the loaded gun
the drop dead dream
the chosen one
a southern drawl
a world unseen
a city wall
and a trampoline
Oh well I don't mind
if you don't mind
coz I don't shine
if you don't shine
before you jump
tell me what you find
when you read my mind
Slippin in my faith
until I fall
He never returned that call
woman, open the door
don't let it sting
I wanna breathe that fire again
She said
I don't mind
if you don't mind
coz I don't shine
if you don't shine
put your back on me
put your back on me
put your back on me
The stars are blazing
like rebel diamonds
cut out of the sun
can you read my mind?