Labels: college, random, school

Also - why are they called 'speed bumps' -- shouldn't it be 'slowing bumps' or 'destroy your suspension bumps'?

Finally, I am going to be posting a rotating set of song snippets and ideas from my next (4th) album, called Ignition. For all five of you that read this. If anybody who reads these are disposed to critique music, I'll post a link probably tomorrow to a place over on impulsenine.com and you can tell me how good or how shit they are.

Currently listening : Pop By U2

Labels: cats, demo, Ignition, Impulse Nine, mp3, random, women

But anyway. That's not really what I'm worried about, because the whole thing about cost will sort itself out eventually (I hope).

I'm worried about noise. One of the really unsettling things about seeing an electric car is when you turn it on - there's no noise. There is literally no discernible difference between when it's about to take off or it's just sitting there. This kinda freaks me out. Cars are dangerous enough when they make a ton of noise, but now we'll have stealthy 2-ton pedestrian flatteners on the loose. On the other hand, it really would be pretty ridiculous to have artificial sound-makers, wouldn't it?

So I don't know what to think about this. Flashing lights? No, that's for emergency vehicles. Sure, they have to happen for the environment's sake (and for costs' sake) but ... I remain freaked out.

PS - the new Fiona Apple and Sigur Ros albums are really good.

Currently listening : Takk... By Sigur Rós

Labels: cars, environment, kids, random, rant

Tuck: *knocks on the door*
Inga: Yes?
Tuck: Madam, your cats have been leaving their, uh, droppings in my flower bed again.
Inga: I assure you it isn't my cats.
Tuck: But haven't you noticed that the whole contingent will come downstairs rather than use the litter in your apartment?
Inga: There is no litter in my apartment.
Tuck: You mean to say you let your cats just leave their ... their droppings all over the outside world?!
Inga: Yes, it perfectly reflects my opinion of the outside world. *slams door*

Currently listening : X-Mas at the Point Depot By U2

Labels: anecdote, cats, fiction, old, stories

That said, I've been trying to complete my U2 MP3 collection. This ... is hard. Most people don't know just how prolific that band is. I already own all the albums on CD - that's easy. Oh, no, the U2 discography is much deeper than that. There's 125 songs on their 10 albums, there's more than 200 b-sides from the singles, 100 or so from various compilations and such, and I'm not even including any live b-sides or concerts or anything like that. If you include all that, these guys' discography includes about 700 songs, all told. I'm at 470. I need another 96 to feel like I've gotten the stuff I'm really anxious for - primarily it's the studio recordings, edits and remixes.

I can hear you think: "Why would I want the five different mixes of Please?"

To me, it's really interesting to hear all these different versions of the same song. It shows, if you look carefully, how the band felt about all of the different parts of the song. In the case of Please, which is from the 1997 album POP, there were different edits for the U.S. and European markets. The album version was quite different from both, and there was another 'regular' single version as well. Also, the live version was different from the other four studio versions. I think it's well worth my time, as a musician, to study how these very successful musicians make their decisions about editing, and that's how I do it.

Unfortunately, most of the remainder is out of print and/or hard to find. Up until today, I was looking for a remix of MoFo (also from POP) called the Matthew Roberts' Explicit Mix. The LP itself sells for over $100 It was a one-sided black vinyl promo-only single pressed in very limited quantities. Hell, I was lucky to get the vinyl 12" single when it came out. And that was an easy one.

Still, I think it's worth it for the above reason. And I don't feel too guilty looking this stuff up in Mp3 simply because I can't buy it from the band (not even in the 'complete' U2 from iTunes, which has a 'mere' 398 songs). And I'm a fan. That has something to do with it, too.

Currently listening : Mofo Remixes By U2

Labels: mp3, music, obsession, u2

I decided pretty early on not to let the staff have some because there was a lot more staff than giveaways - and to do trivia questions.

Now, that's all well and good but not interesting enough to justify a blog post. The funny part is how people act. I don't generally like doing giveaways because I inevitably end up acting as a referee.

It's not all bad - one guy who answered first and correctly thought I had the new 'Stewie' movie (which hasn't come out yet). He already had the set he had won and so gave it to someone else. That was really cool of him.

On the other hand, one girl literally tackled a guy to prevent him from answering a question (I didn't accept her answer - I don't care if you're right, you have to pay consequences for being a greedy bitch). Another guy actually won one - he got the 5-episode DVD - but kept bugging me to 'trade' for the box set. I told him to answer a question correctly like anyone else. And honestly - you got a free DVD, man, what are you complaining for? Doesn't help that he was attempting to crawl into my ear the whole night.

I feel very uncomfortable even when a good looking girl gets into my little personal space, nevermind a greasy lookin' dude who wants favors. I'm still a little suprised every time a girl thinks that grabbing my crotch or showing more cleavage will get a song (etc.).

Currently listening : Timeless: The Singles Collection By De La Soul

Labels: DJ, idiots, Maloney's, music, rant, rules, stories, true, TV, work

So why does everyone want to get all snuggly wif the cuuute widdle munkee?? What the Hell?! Just .. keep that fuzzy mofo away from me. Seriously.

Ugh. Damn monkeys.

Currently watching : Family Guy, Vol. 1 (Seasons 1 & 2)

I think best when I'm spending idle moments. Taking a shower, shaving, just before sleep, or sometimes zoning out in class. "Why is it that my best ideas come to me when I'm shaving?" once asked Albert Einstein. When our brains are allowed to wander, they connect things in a random way, like a dream, to create new ideas. Often, they are fanciful, silly things but they can also be shimmers of genius.

It is so easy to saturate our lives with information & business, and this mental wandering can be lost, or worse deemed unproductive, and we lose the most interesting part of ourselves: our creativity.

So I resolve, and encourage the resolve, to use these moments, to remember that the Muse follows us to the most unexpected places, and to let her have her way every so often. This is my secret. I sit ... and think.

Currently listening : Original Soundtracks 1 By Passengers

Labels: advice, random, rant

She went to the U of A the same time I did, and went into the theater. I didn't see her a lot, but went to her shows (though often she never knew - I never did work up that nerve) when I could and have always suspected she'd do well. Since I've been looking up my old friends and aquaintences, I looked her up.

And she's been on "The O.C.", and "That 70's Show", and she's got a new movie. Awesome?! YES! Go Catherine! Woot! I wonder if I can even still contact her.

I also found Steph, whom I also had a terrible crush in my early years at UA, but hung out with me and introduced me to more super cool things than I could properly list. This is fun. I just hope they'll remember me.

Currently reading : BLACK SHRIKE By Alistair Maclean

Labels: Brophy, college, friends, movies, nostalgia, school, stories, true, TV

This is a boring blog entry. Fair warning. I'm also experimenting with making highlights and such so that my blogs can be read more quickly, just getting the high points. I'm debating whether or not to attempt to actively find friends on MySpace, so to make my little blog a bit more public.

On the plus side, I would like to have feedback for all of these little ideas and stories I have. In particular, it occured to me to start posting songs that I've been writing for feedback. I have about seventy song ideas and demos recorded already for the next album, not including the songs I have written out but aren't recorded yet (that's another dozen or so). It would be nice to be able to say, 'you know what, this idea isn't working' and just ditch it before I waste too much time on it. Also, having an active readership and feedback encourages me to keep writing.

On the downside, it takes time. And I really don't need any more excuses than I already have to not work on my at-home job, being graphic design. Also, when you've got little numbers like 'views', 'kudos', and comments and such, it's easy to qualify your work based soley on those numbers and comments. This is not good. Public be damned, I do what I do. No offense.

Labels: blog, demo, Ignition, Impulse Nine, music, MySpace

At this time, a girl I liked at the time came in towards the end of my shift. She was at the stage where she thought I liked her, but was still doing that whole "I might be interested but I'm not letting on" thing.

Since the schedule was always changing, she asked, "when do you get off?"

"All the time, baby. All the time."

She looked like a deer in headlights, but my co-workers were laughing hysterically. Er, I did not date said girl... But it was totally worth it.

Currently listening : Elevator By Hot Hot Heat

Labels: joke, memory, random, sex, stories, true, work

Assignment 1:

1 The influence of foreign languages - Latin and both Norman and Central French in particular - has always been important in the history of English. Explain in detail the patterns of influence of these languages (chiefly lexical but also orthographic, grammatical, and morphological) on English from the early Middle English times through the eighteenth century.

2 Suppose that the Beowulf poet, Chaucer, and Shakespeare were all seated in a room attempting to communicate with one another about matters in general. Explain in detail the advantages and disadvantages that each of them would have in speaking with the other two. Would any of those advantages or disadvantages be significantly different if they were writing to each other instead?

Assignment 2

1 Explain in a clear, orderly way the major phonological phenomena affecting the English language from Common Germanic times through the Old English period.

2 Clearly explain in as much detail as you can the major morphological features of Old English verbs, nouns, and adjectives that make those parts of speech different from their forms in Present-Day English.

um wow...

Currently listening : Led Zeppelin By Led Zeppelin

Labels: college, frightening thought, Rachel, school, stories, true

Also, in anime especially (think Ruroni Kenshin), it's easy to tell how 'tough' the person is by how much trouble the artists and creators took to create an interesting backstory and/or visage. A masked nobody is going to die no matter what - while the complex, detailed character won't go out for quite a while. The list I have of hero:villain ratios goes like this:

>100:1 - Fodder
50:1 - Nameless, faceless mook
25:1 - Mook (group name)
15:1 - Punk
7:1 - Goon
4:1 - Agent
2:1 - Henchman
1:1 - Villain
1:2 - Leader
1:4 - Boss
1:>5 - Archvillain

It seems about right to me. Of course, there are times that the distinctions get a bit fuzzy .. Agent Smith in the Matrix movies went from Villain to Fodder, at least for Neo.

Currently listening : Use Your Illusion 2 By Guns N Roses

Labels: anime, movies, random, rant, rules, stories

*poof*

hai!

hai!

Labels: joke, random

Labels: friends, MySpace, nostalgia, true

Labels: demo, Impulse Nine, Maloney's, mp3, music, stories, true

Labels: college, frightening thought, idiots, joke, stories, true

"Honey, what are you doing in there?"

"Experimenting on aliens. I found them in the back yard" (Note we have no back yard, as we live in a duplex).

"I see. What are you doing to them?"

"Usual stuff - dissection. I had moral issues about it but ... fuck it."

Currently listening : Long After Dark By Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Labels: aliens, conspiracy, joke, Rachel, random, stories, true

I have a lot of stories and I like to tell them, but any story needs background. Here's the background on this one:

I work at Maloney's on Fourth, a bar, as a DJ. To avoid traffic and pedestrians I go around the back in my '62 baja Beetle. It's loud, but not annoyingly loud, and very bright red with the engine hanging out the back (like most bajas).

I arrive at 9 in the evening and pull around the turn around the back. I'm going a good 25 miles an hour but it's a very broad turn at about a 60 (as opposed to 90) degree angle, plus, since I'm turning left, I'm on the outside of the turn. And I down shifted into second gear, creating a wonderful roar from my, er, 40-horsepower engine.

As I pull in, the other doormen are hanging out behind the bar, and I hear whoops as a police car's lights turn on. I figure they're stopping a drunk guy. I pull into a spot and get out. And then I hear it:

"Stay in the car!" I look around. The spotlight on the cop car is on me. "Get in the car!" I'm a bit bewildered, and look behind me. No, he's definitely talking to me. I get back in my car. I hope this doesn't make me late. This is stupid. Maybe I've got a tail-light out and the cop is bored. Either way, the doormen who are waiting for the shift to start are now watching.

And I wait. Get my license and registration. And wait.

Couple minutes later, cop walks up and says, "well somebody's dumb tonight." I just look at him. I'm floored. I wonder if my engine is on fire and I just didn't notice. All I can manage is, "What?"

"License and registration." I already have it in his hands before the sentence is out of his mouth. "Hmph. How old are you?" I tell him. He walks away without comment, with my license and registration. Probably checking it against their little database. I know I'm clean ... I've never had a moving violation ticket, and only once had an equipment violation (for a tail-light, 'natch). The doormen would like them to have me arrested, judging from the catcalls.

A different cop comes up. Unable to suppress my curiosity I turn around to see the other cop leaning against the car I'm assuming is both of theirs. "OK, what's your deal, man?" he asks me. I stare blankly. "I work here?" Hey, it's the truth. Maloney's must have me trained well to be still thinking of getting to work in time. "My buddy here said that when he asked you how old you are, you said, 'old enough'." Which of course is fine, except for the fact that it's a total lie. But now I'm not sure what the hell's going on. "I didn't. I said I was twenty-four." He scoffs. I hate scoffs.

"You know, you need to learn how to talk to cops better - I mean, I could give you five tickets right now."

Right. Try and I'll see you in court. Now I'm getting a little pissed. He continues.

"You came around that turn real fast, didn't you? Do you know what the speed limit is here?" It's 25 miles per hour. I told him so. He seems disappointed. Jeez, what kind of idiot wouldn't know that the street - which is essentially an industrial alley - would have that limit?

"I saw you coming around that turn at 45 miles an hour."

Ok, wait a second. There's a lot of problems with this. First, I am not a good enough driver to get around that corner that fast - with the gravel that inhabits the corner, I'm not sure Mario Andretti could do it. Second, I was in second gear coming around that turn. I'd have to be in my top gear to do that - that's 4th gear in my little bug. (Yes, I realize that it's sad that 45 MPH is my top gear.) Going 45 in second gear would make my engine go kablooey. Seriously - my 0-60 with those huge back tires, is about 4 minutes. The car had a top speed of about 65 miles per hour - 75 with a good wind and a flat road. And third, why on Earth would I want to go that freaking fast in a blind turn back alley when I know there's several hundred people milling about, possibly including my boss?

Thankfully, my head was filling with reasons to tell this guy what an ass he was so fast none of them came out of my mouth. And he keeps going.

"You know, if you're going to have a car build for speed..." - my eyes bulged in an effort to control my laughter - "... you better learn how to drive it. Here." He hands me my neat little wallet of registration and my license. "I'm letting you off but if I see you go just one mile an hour over the limit, I'll bust you for everything I can."

It's about this time I realized that he probably thought I was speeding because I downshifted and the engine revved. Still - "Built for speed" .. my ass. I am not in a Ferrari. It's a VW Beetle. Seriously, guys like him give decent cops a bad name and explain why I mutter when I see cops. I was not late.

Currently listening : Happy Songs for Happy People By Mogwai

Labels: Beetle, cops, DJ, idiots, Maloney's, road rage, stories, true

The U.S. Government couldn't possibly hide anything of real significance - such as aliens living among us - because it simply doesn't run effectively or efficiently enough to do so.

Currently listening : Absolution By Muse

Labels: conspiracy, family, government, joke

I'm working on two albums at the moment - seems to be the way I work best musically. The first to be done will be Ignition, which is Exhaust's sister album (link). The other is Black Action Soul, a harder rocking and darker album. It also has a lot of lyrics that are based on other peoples' lyrics. The thing is that they're all lyrics that I misheard as something else that I think is better. For example, I misheard "Black as your soul" (from Head Like A Hole) as "Black Action Soul" ... which is so much cooler.

Incidentally, I already know the next album concept after Black Action Soul .. I'd like to do an entire album of songs that work on their own but also could be played over and harmonize with other peoples' songs. Wouldn't that be wild? And don't steal my idea.

You can't do that in heaven / You can't get your head in
You should know that well / You can't do that here.

Ever wonder why they kill the weak ones / Baby

Currently listening : London Calling By The Clash

Labels: anecdote, Black Action Soul, Exhaust, Ignition, Impulse Nine, music

We talked just for a bit about how this idea may or may not be as frightening as "the Corinthian" from Neil Gaiman's Sandman graphic novels - he has mouths with sharp teeth instead of eyes, and eats victims' eyes with them. We had this conversation outside as I was on my way to work.

I believe this 'vagina dentata' thing is much scarier because, as I put it: "I am not in the habit of stuffing my penis into other people's eyes."

Just then, I noticed our 10-year-old little girl neighbor peeking over the fence. I think I've just scarred someone for life.

Currently listening : Last Splash By The Breeders

Labels: frightening thought, joke, neighbors, sex, true

Labels: cars, frightening thought, gas, joke

I'm a fairly co-ordinated person and tried for a long time as a kid to artificially become ambidextrous. It never worked, but it did allow me to do various time-saving things like brushing my teeth and using a q-tip at the same time ... but what if I weren't so co-ordinated? Or got old and lost it, and suddenly juxtaposed the movements of the arm with the toothbrush with the other.

There ought to be a national "don't brush and q-tip at the same time" awareness day, to prevent deafness in one ear. I know it's happened. I just know it.

Currently listening : Batman Forever: Music From The Motion Picture By Various Artists

Labels: q-tips, random

What we need is self-sufficiency in fuel for our cars.

More than anything else, I'm convinced that this one, seemingly simple thing is where it's at for the U.S. for security, for our economy, Hell, for our sanity or what's left of it after all this terrorism-fear military-industrial complex hysteria.

Right now, we (that is, Americans) are in a position of very little real power. I am living in a weak country. How can I say that, with such a huge military power? Simple - that's not real power. Real power is when you've got something others want. And right now, the only really enviable thing about the U.S. is our colleges and our sense of eternal optimism: that if you work hard, you can make a better life for yourself here. Mind, those are two very enviable things but most of the people that really loathe the U.S. aren't interested in either one (especially the former).

I live in a weak country because it has nothing tangible to offer the world. Our electronics have long since been surpassed by Japan. Cars are behemoth gas-guzzling status symbols. And we can't support our own oil usage by a long margin. As far as the Middle East is concerned, we're no more powerful than a junkie is to his dealer. How to solve this?

It seems to me, there are a lot of smart people in this country. At least at the University level, where we don't have to teach just people from our own public school system. If you gave DuPont and a few dozen really great Universities, say, 10 Billion dollars, and told them to make a substance with the following qualities:
- Minimum octane of 94.
- Freezing and boiling temperatures of <-15F and > 140F.
- Total logistical cost, from manufacture to delivery of <$0.80.
- Minimal harmful emissions.

I believe it could be done. Or if it couldn't, give them 100 Billion dollars. That's how much we've spent in wars in the Gulf so far (according to Wikipedia, anyway).

Then picture what happens next in the Middle East - we send a diplomat to tell them that we don't need them anymore and that if they don't play ball, we won't let them sell our alternate fuel. Suddenly, every two-bit dictator from the United Arab Emerites to Pakistan has no choice because the only thing that's kept them in power - the money from oil - is gone. We have their balls in a fist.

Thomas Friedman is with me on this one, too: he pointed out that the only reason that the oil baron terrorist countries haven't collapsed is because of oil. After all, if it weren't for that, how could they lose half their work force (women), stifle education and skilled workers through religion-oriented learning, and trade nothing but drugs in the international market? (sources: 1, 2, 3)

At that point, my hope is that we would use our new found power for good instead of revenge, but at least it would be much more effective than popping dictators and invading for a few years.

Currently listening : All These Things That I've Done By The Killers

Labels: cars, gas, oil, politics, rant