12.18.2004

If I Could Change I Would

Ate one more piece of chicken, had my last beer. Never touched the Gin, no need to get completely wasted tonight. There's always tomorrow for that, gotta save it for when I really need it.

Sometimes I remember the darkness of my past
Bringing back these memories I wish I didn't have
Sometimes I think of letting go and never looking back
And never moving forward so there'd never be a past

(If I could change I would take back the pain I would)
(Retrace every wrong move that I made I would)
(If I could stand up and take the blame I would)
(If I could take all the shame to the grave I would)
(If I could change I would take back the pain I would)
(Retrace every wrong move that I made I would)
(If I could stand up and take the blame I would)
(I would take all my shame to the grave)

- Linkin Park


12.17.2004

Longing for what used to be...

99 dreams I have had
In every one a red balloon
It's all over and I'm standin' pretty
In the dust that was a city
If I could find a souvenier
Just to prove the world was here...
And here it is, a red balloon
I think of you and let it go.

-Goldfinger



and that's when I saw her, sippin' on water
I wanna kiss her mom just for having this daughter
excuse me miss, I don't mean to come across strong
but I've been waitin' a while and you've been taking too long
and she smiled and I began to blush
she asked if I'd like to go to the bathroom and make some love
and I got visions of us, and the mirror getting steamed
and that's the very moment I woke up from the dream

-Atmosphere



When we were young the future was so bright
The old neighborhood was so alive
And every kid on the whole damn street
Was gonna make it big and not be beat

Now the neighborhood's cracked and torn
The kids are grown up but their lives are worn
How can one little street
Swallow so many lives

-The Offspring



How long before I pass out, I wonder?

One More Time With Feeling...

TV got boring, so now i'm just listening to music. Drinking while my parents are here is a first, but no problem. Here's some of the stuff I'm listening to:

Don't leave me all alone
Just drop me off at home
I'll be fine, it's not the first
Just like last time, but a little worse

And she said that I'm not the one that she thinks about and
She said it stopped being fun, I just bring her down
I said "don't let your future be destroyed by my past"
She said "don't let my door hit your ass"

-Blink 182


My drinking buddy called me. Got all ready to go over there and get smashed but then I realized he has no alcohol. What use is a drinking buddy who has nothing to drink? Fucking useless. So I'll be here for the next few hours, listening to music, drinking Fat Tire beer and Seagram's Gin. Good Times!

To me, coming from you,
Friend is a four letter word.
End is the only part of the word
That I heard.
Call me morbid or absurd.
But to me, coming from you,
Friend is a four letter word.

-Cake

Friday Night

It's Friday night, my day off. I'm sitting at the computer, alone, eating a piece of chicken, having a beer, watching Ace Ventura on TV. Not exactly what I planned for, but hell, never really get what I plan. What I want. What I dream. See, I'm a Picses, a dreamer, I swim up in the clouds, imagining, dreaming, living. In my mind it seems so real. Then I fall back to earth, to reality, cold and alone. Good times.

Heard this song on VH1. Haven't heard it in a long time, but it's great. More dreams, will I never learn?

When I'm alone in my room sometimes I stare at the wall
and in the back of my mind I hear my conscience call
Telling me I need a girl who's as sweet as a dove
for the first time in my life, I see I need love
There I was giggling about the games
that I had played with many hearts, and I'm not saying no names
Then the thought occured, tear drops made my eyes burn
as I said to myself look what you've done to her
I can feel it inside, I can't explain how it feels
all I know is that I'll never dish another raw deal
Playing make believe pretending that I'm true
holding in my laugh as I say that I love you
Saying amor kissing you on the ear
whispering I love you and I'll always be here
Although I often reminsce I can't believe that I found
a desire for true love floating around
Inside my soul because my soul is cold
one half of me deserves to be this way till I'm old
But the other half needs affection and joy
and the warmth that is created by a girl and a boy
I need love
I need love

-LL Cool J

12.07.2004

Hey Lover

I went to the bookstore tonight. I wanted a white chocolate mocha and I wanted to read, so that's the perfect place. I looked at a travel guide to Cuba. I really want to go there even though it will most likely be illegally because of the double standard the US holds towards Cuba. Then I sat in a sofa chair and read A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin. Excellent book and series by the way. Dare I say better than Robert Jordan's? Aye, I believe so.

As I sat there and read I also looked up and watched my fellow patrons. Some browsed, some read, and other just chatted with each other. One particular girl really caught my eye. The way she was dressed was so appealing to me. She had on grey dress pants, most likely mens by the cut of the pockets. They were baggy and hung low on her hips. She had two long sleeve shirts, tight, low cut. I really like this style, where two different colored shirts are layered and the top one is shorter than the bottom one. She also had a scarf on and a cool wool jacket and short black hair. Not the most beautiful girl I've ever seen but something about her really got to me. And she was in the fantasy/sci-fi section. Then her boyfriend, or some guy I'm just assuming is her boyfriend, came up behind her and put his hands around her waist. Kind of killed my moment. LL Cool J's Hey Lover played in my head:

Last week I saw ya at the mall

standing at the pay phone bout to make a call
I had a vision it was me on the other end
telling you come by and then you walked in
I touched you gently with my hands
we talked about traveling the distant lands
escaping all the madness out here in the world
becomin my wife no longer my girl
then, you let your dress fall down to the floor
i kissed you softly and you yearned for more
we experienced pleasure unparallel
into an ocean of love we both fell
swimming in the timeless, currents of pure bliss
fantasies interchanging with each kiss
undying passion unities our souls
togehter we swim until the point of no control
but its a fantasy it(that,you) won't come true
we never even spoke and your man (still) love you
so I'm gonna keep all these feelins inside
keep my dreams alive until the right time

Rosario The Great

I watched Alexander a few days ago. It's pretty bad. It's sad that the only good thing about the movie is the beautiful naked body of Rosario Dawson. Wow. After almost falling asleep during Colin Farrel's monologues, her fight/sex scene really woke me up. Alas it was over much to quick, but its memory will remain forever. Anyways, the movie was boring. Right up there with Troy. Crap. Gay, bi, straight, I don't really care which team Alexander played for. But that's all the movie was about. Fucking his best friend isn't what made him Great. Mention it, show it, then move the fuck on to the conquering. And Colin Farrel, come on now. If you want Alexander to be blonde then get a blond actor. Don't put Colin in a blonde wig and let his black beard show, it makes him look...stupid. I was going to say gay(not in a sexual way), but maybe that's what they were going for.

Final word...this movie was bad. Cool vistas, great costumes (actually the Persians looked fucking cool), awesome use of a harem (more movies should have them), it's good to be King, but in the end the story was shit, the acting was lackluster, and highly dissapointing. Since I couldn't find screencaps I leave you with this: sweet Rosario




12.03.2004

11.23.2004

Binion Trial: Part 2

LA Times:

A jury on Tuesday found an ex-stripper and her former lover not guilty of drugging and killing Las Vegas casino heir Ted Binion.

Sandy Murphy and Rick Tabish were acquitted on three counts — including murder and robbery — after 18 hours of deliberations over four days by a Clark County jury. Both were found guilty of conspiracy, grand larceny and burglary.


Neon mentioned it and it's true, only in Las Vegas. It's just like a CSI episode. And why is her being an ex-stripper important. It's mentioned everywhere. They can't refer to her without saying she was an ex-stripper. Well anyways, the former exotic dancer will probably still serve some jail time for the burglary and grand larceny.

Watch Sandy cry during the reading of verdict here.



sandymurphy
Uploaded by Freon.


Updated Album List

Here's an updated list of the albums I've downloaded this year. I failed at the one per week goal but only because I would forget or put it aside for later. I've definitely downloaded more than 52, these are just the best, with more to come one a week (hopefully). The bold one's are my top 10.

52 Albums in 52 Weeks
Week Album Artist
47 Love Angel Music Baby Gwen Stefani
46 Has Been William Shatner
45 Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) The Wu-Tang Clan
44 72 and Sunny Uncle Cracker
43 Ocean Avenue Yellowcard
42 Sublime Sublime
41 Around the Sun REM
40 Music by Cavelight Blockhead
39 Cee-Lo Green Is the Soul Machine Cee-Lo
38 No Roots Faithless
37 American Idiot Green Day
36 Joyful Rebellion K-Os
35 White People Handsome Boy Modeling School
34 Rules of Enragement Lewis Black
33 If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears The Mamas & the Papas
32 Good News For People Who Love Bad News Modest Mouse
31 Americana The Offspring
30 It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Public Enemy
29 Blink 182 Blink 182
28 Sing the Sorrow AFI
27 The Low End Theory A Tribe Called Quest
26 Greatest Hits 93-03 311
25 To The 5 Boroughs The Beastie Boys
24 Hot Fuss The Killers
23 Diva Series Nina Simone
22 American IV: The Man Comes Around Johnny Cash
21 Pisces Iscariot Smashing Pumpkins
20 Confessions Usher
19 Kill Bill: Vol 1 Various
18 Love Songs Barry White
17 Billy Breathes Phish
16 Songs About Jane Maroon 5
15 Atlas Kinky
14 Life for Rent Dido
13 Musicology Prince
12 Boy In Da Corner Dizzee Rascal
11 Lost in Translation OST Various
10 Steal This Double Album The Coup
9 Personal Journals Sage Francis
8 Sonador Adan Sanchez
7 Cartel de Santa Cartel de Santa
6 The Grey Album Danger Mouse
5 Lo que te conte mientras te hacias la dormida La oreja de Van Gogh
4 God Loves Ugly Atmosphere
3 Sumday Grandaddy
2 Chutes To Narrow The Shins
1 The Preacher's Son Wyclef Jean

Sideways

I watched Sideways last night, excellent movie. Great actors, I really like Paul Giamatti, he did a great job in this and in American Splendor.

In this movie he plays a Miles, a wine loving, middle school English teacher with aspirations of being a published writer. He's divorced, depressed, and having a mid-life crisis. His friend Jack, an actor who mostly does commercials now, is getting married in a week. Miles takes him on a tour of wine country as a gift, and here the trouble ensues. Over sexed Jack wants to have an affair, while Miles just wants to sit with a bottle of Pinot and be moody. Miles falls in love, Jack has his nose broken for saying he's in love. Damn it's a great movie.

Dark Skies

I ended up going to the Dark Skies campout, Saturday, with Tim, or Gray as he introduced himself to people. It was organized by the Las Vegas Community Artists Group and they actually did a good job. From what I can recall through my rum induced haze, there was about 30-35 people there. Big bonfire, but it was still fucking cold, though the rum helped that. It was a billed as "10 of the most aggressive DJs in town kick your ass for 13 hours straight, plus fire, art, and pancakes!" Vegas isn't know for great DJs, so '10 of the most aggressive' doesn't really mean much. Plus I'm not big on techno and it's derivatives so I can't say the music was that great. But they did go on for 13 hours. In fact, I went to my car and listened to Wu Tang at one point, just to clear my head a little.

I met a lot of cool people there. Both young and old. A lot of them veterans from Burning Man. They all hope that this will grow, maybe not to BM proportions, but to something a lot bigger than this time.

Here's some pics.





11.11.2004

I'd Like That With Fries

Ronald McDonald never looked better.



click here for the video, it's small.

11.05.2004

We Fucked Up



Sweet Rosario



Doesn't Anyone Care

Why isn't this a bigger deal? The Democrats are just bending over, again, and letting the right fuck them in the ass with no vaseline, for another four years. Al Gore bent over, and now Kerry bent over. Four more years baby, four more years.

Computer error at voting machine gives Bush 3,893 extra votes use bugmenot.com for registration

Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio - A computer error with a voting machine cartridge gave President Bush 3,893 extra votes in a Gahanna precinct.

Franklin County's unofficial results gave Bush 4,258 votes to Democratic challenger John Kerry's 260 votes in Precinct 1B. Records show only 638 voters cast ballots in that precinct.

Matthew Damschroder, director of the Franklin County Board of Elections, said Bush received 365 votes there. The other 13 voters who cast ballots either voted for other candidates or did not vote for president.

Even More Bullshit:
Computer Loses 4,500 Votes

11.04.2004

10.31.2004

Come On Down, You To Can Be Homeless.

Very interesting site on how to live with out a home. It's a serious subject but here's a funny quote on the advantages of being homeless. It's like they're recruiting.
Imagine working two weeks to pay for your expenses for two months. You can easily go to college with an income requirement so low. My expenses, excluding food, averaged $300 per month for the five years I was homeless. That included storage, mailbox, telephone or pager, gasoline, vehicle insurance, health club membership, dry cleaning, laundry, new clothes, and entertainment. I went to the movies a lot. Imagine what you could do with the time if your work week was two days and your weekend was five.

Sign me up.

10.21.2004

To Lazy To Go Vote

I voted today. By mail. Well I guess technically I haven't voted yet since I haven't mailed the ballot off but I filled it out and that only took four days. So it should get mailed in the next couple days. One of my friends received a call from the Dems. asking if he wanted a ride to go vote. Fuckers never called me. But anyways, I voted, so fuck you.

10.20.2004

Lonely

I spent about 15 minutes staring at all this white space thinking about what to write, thoughts floating around in my head, not one of them worth a damn. I'll blame it on my mood. I've been a little depressed the last few days. Nothing serious. I think I need a girlfriend though. A steady girlfriend. That would do me good. Someone to help me keep my mind off depressing shit. Neon used to do that for me, keeping me sane, but she's not here anymore. And a cell phone just isn't the same. Whatever. Just ignore the man behind the curtain, he doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about.

and i still get to talk to you every now and then
definition of "over" doesn't have to be the end
it's good to see you grow girl
shake my hand
that's all i want from my ex-lover and my best friend
---Atmosphere


10.15.2004

Romantic Comedy...Oxymoron

I just finished watching Breakin' All the Rules, a romantic comedy starring Jamie Foxx. I love romantic comedies. they exagerate all the problems in relationships but they always end up working out. I guess I wish that would happen to me. Kind of sappy I know, but it's true. I talk and act all that player shit but deep down all I want to do is fall in love and be loved. But the kind of love you see in these movies, it doesn't exist. I've never encountered it. Anyways, I recommend this movie.

It's odd that in the special features, this movie includes a Three Stooges short. "Hoi Polloi" which frankly, I thought sucked. It had nothing to do with the movie, and it sucked on it's own. It was fucking lame. I haven't watched many Three Stooges clips but after this one I have no desire to.





10.09.2004

Movie Update

Ok so what have I done lately. I saw Shaun of the Dead, very very funny. It hit on all the questions I've ever had about zombie movies, like what would the zombies do if you acted like one of them? Would they be able to tell you were a fake? This movie was great. It's a romantic comedy disguised as a zombie flick and that may sound stupid but it's dyn-o-mite.

I also went to watch Resident Evil: Apocalypse. I heard it sucked but I was in the zombie state of mind so I went. I liked it. It was better then the first one. A lot of action and ass kicking. I don't know how close it is to the video games since I never played those but it makes me want to play them. The women were hot. Nothing like a girl in a skirt with a big gun. Very fun movie. What was even funnier was watching all the zombie tricks that Shaun made fun of still being used in Resident Evil.

Took my grandma to watch The Forgotten. We both liked it. I jumped a few times. More out of surprise than fear. I enjoyed it even though I knew what was happening. I figured it out from watching the trailer. But even though I knew it was fun watching it unfold. I also recommend this one.

I missed the Renaissance Fair because of work. And the last debate. Fuckers, I'm always scheduled when cool shit happens. Plan for tonight: rent some movies and have a drink with the homies. Movies: SLC Punk - I've seen it but none of them have, Cannibal Holocaust - which I finally found online and downloaded. That should make for a goodnight.

10.02.2004

Nightmare

I woke up around 5am from a really nasty dream. I was on a field trip in high school. But there were only two other people on the bus including the driver. I snuck away at a rest area and ran into my ex. We started kissing and were going to have sex. As she got naked I saw her back was all carved up with symobls and words. The word Joan(I don't know any Joans) was carved into an ass cheek. She said she'd cut most of them in herself. The cuts were large and deep but not bleeding. We continued what we were doing. I woke up sometime after that. Mainly because I couldn't believe I kept going after seeing all those fresh wounds. Very disturbing.

9.30.2004

Good Debate

I thought Kerry did a better job. That's about all I can say. I'm not in the mood to analyze it extensively. Kerry is a better speaker, simple as that. Bush kept pausing between words while he thought of what to say. It made him look stupid and unprepared. Kerry was right on the ball. I hope this gives Kerry the boost he needs right now.

Listening to: Murs

9.28.2004

Gettin Brain



Sore Throat

I've been sick for about a week and a half. At first it was just a minor sore throat, I thought it would be gone in a couple days. And it was getting better, but I ended up going out over the weekend instead of staying in and resting. We were drinking out by my the pool in my complex, and it was cold. So my throat ended up getting worse. I worked Sunday but Monday and today I called in sick. I couldn't speak worth a damn. Not very good when your job requires you to be on a phone all day. I'm getting better, lot's of tea and soup have helped. I've spent the days watching four straight hours of Star Trek on Spike TV. DS9 and TNG. I've been lucky so far that most of them have been new episodes to me. After that I surf the web and listen to the news or some other random show. Boring except for the Trek, I actually wish I was at work. They pay me to be bored. I hope something interesting happens soon to blog about.

The House Passed Gas...Shit to Come Soon

Just saw this over on downhillbattle.org, it's really bad news. Hopefully the senate will be a little more realistic.
The INDUCE Act is just one part of a legislative full-court press by the major labels. We've been very focused on INDUCE, because it's the biggest threat, the broadest coalition opposes it, and it's the most realistically beatable.

But we just found out that HR 4077 passed in the House this afternoon. This major label dream-law would send people to jail for sharing 1,000 songs, or just one unreleased album. That's right, up to 5 years in jail for sharing one album. It passed on a voice vote, so you can't even go see if your Congressperson supported it-- their votes simply aren't on record. They'll send hundreds kids to jail as a favor to some corrupt industry but they won't put their names on it. Cowards.

The bill also includes charming things like restrictions on devices that let you skip commercials (remember, America: if you don't watch the commercials, you're stealing TV). HR 4077 still has to go through the Senate, but it could easily sail through. We're doing some thinking about strategy right now, and we'd appreciate your comments if you have any thoughts.


Listening to:Star Trek: TNG

9.22.2004

The Dark Side

I feel like I joined the dark side today. I'm officially a nerd. Today, I bought my own set of dice...for Dungeons & Dragons. I buy comics, watch anime, read fantasy, blog, fix my own computer, play Everquest, etc, but to own my own set of dice, that was the last straw. Or was it. Maybe, just maybe, I'm ok. There's one thing I do that nerds do not. One thing that separates me from them.

I've gotten laid! More than once. And it wasn't on a computer. So ha, take that you evil spawn of SATAAAANNN!

Yup, I'm still a nerd. But a cool nerd.

Lucky

The UK version is most excellent:



Must...Go...Buy...



9.21.2004

KO

I watched the De La Hoya - Hopkins fight last Saturday on pay per view. I'm always nervous before one of Oscar's big fights but this time I wasn't that bad. All week I'd heard the 'experts' say Oscar was crazy for stepping into the ring with a fighter like Hopkins so I expected to be nutty but I was pretty calm. I remember when he fought Vargas I was shaking before the first round so bad I could barely stay in my seat.

So the bell rang, the fighters met in the ring and started circling each other. Oscar pushed forward going against all the 'experts'. He took the fight to Hopkins. He stood toe to toe with the 'Executioner' and looked good doing it. He won the first few rounds. But you could see his punches were not powerful enough to knockout Hopkins. He would have to go the distance and get the decision, something that hasn't always been in Oscar's favor in recent years, stolen fights came to my mind, Mosley, Trinidad, Mosley II, all fights Oscar won but the judges saw them differently.

Round 9 rang, again they met in the middle, moved to the ropes. By this time Hopkins bigger body was pushing Oscar around. Oscar gets pushed into the ropes, Hopkins lands a left hook to the liver and Oscar collapses. Just like that he's done. He rolls around grimacing, tries to get up to no avail, for the first time in his career he's been knocked out. The fight is over, Hopkins is still the undisputed middleweight champion of the world.

Nobody thinks Oscar was crazy now. They see courage in a man who attempted the impossible but failed. It's not the norm in boxing these days to see fighters take on the best again and again. Usually they pad their record with nobodies. De La Hoya has always fought the best. Chavez, Whitaker, Mosley, Trinidad, Vargas, Quartey, Carr, Leija. Always the best. Oscar is a welterweight, that's his true weight. Hopkins is a true middleweight. For Oscar to step up in weight and lose speed, lose power and still hold his own is a great feat. He wasn't abused like the 'experts' said he would be. That punch would have felled the greatest.

A sad ending but still a great fight.





9.14.2004

Fallen Angel

darkangelic
I'll bet you expected this answer. You already knew
you were a DARK ANGELIC, didn't you? You
are similar to a demon but slightly different
in that you don't revel in evil...you revel in
pleasure. Your wings resemble an angel's but if
that's so then you are a Fallen Angel - your
love of sin caused you to be cast from the
Heavens. They are black as raven wings and are
nearly as dark as your desires. You are
faithless and love it - you believe there is no
Judgement Day to fear and so you can do what
you want! You have a refined concept of what is
sexy and a slightly chaotic sense of 'fun.' In
fact, you love chaos and view much of what you
do as a game. You are typically attracted to
those that will challenge your mind, power, and
wit...and are 'dangerous' people like you. It's
not unlikely that you are bisexual or at least
open to the concept, because you seek
excitement and passion everywhere and in
everyone. Chances are you have a special talent
for magick - you're a powerful being and you
know what you want. Like a Serpent of Eden you
like to try your powers of seduction and
manipulation, though your intent is rarely to
cause harm. You have a deep, dark sense of art
and/or poetry, because your mind is a deep,
dark place. While typically smirking, amused,
and sarcastic, you are capable of severe
revenge and a passion and intensity unrivaled
by any other. In your eyes life is for
enjoyment and pleasure - nothing else. If
you're not having fun in your own twisted way,
you're not happy. You are easily bored with the
vast majority of people. You are most likely
drawn towards the Gothic subculture and
probably adore Goth music, art, and style. Many
people look down on your seemingly careless
lifestyle and may even consider you 'slutty'.
Not true. You just know you're sexy and you're
damn proud of it. Dark Angels have an outlook
most like Satanists - loving sin and looking to
none but themselves for power. Congratulations!
You're my kindred spirit. As far as I'm
concerned - you know what life is REALLY about.
Have fun...Muahaha.

Trying to find source, will be posted ASAP.


*~*~*Claim Your Wings - Pics and Long Answers*~*~*
brought to you by Quizilla


Listening to: Too early to listen to anything

9.07.2004

Fortune Cookie Says...

"You will enjoy a trip to Asia...in bed."*

Oh ya, bring it on baby. I wouldn't mind some mushu chicken.




* -you add 'in bed' at the end of your fortune to make it interesting.


Listening to: J-Pop


9.06.2004

Garden State

I love movies like this. A slice of life movie, but a slice that I give a fuck about. It all comes down to the feelings it brings out in you. I watched it with Mike and Kelsey, two people that have just been dumped by their significant others. The movie shows the main characters fall in love and mature. Mike saw hope in the movie, that he would find love. Kelsey saw bullshit. A totally unbelievable ending because it's a happy one. I understand their opposing views and agree with both. I am bitter from past relationships like Kelsey but I still have hope for a romance straight out of the movies. Realistic? Probably not, but you have to believe in something better.

Speaking of Mike getting dumped, he keeps asking for my advice on what he should do. How the fuck should I know. I can barely handle my own life, I probably shouldn't be giving out advice...especially while drinking but I digress.

Mike: She said she'd call me back and that was three days ago.
Me: She's probably too busy fucking someone else.
Mike: What? Oh my god, my life sucks I want to kill myself. (emo kid to begin with)
Me: Oh no, I'm sure that's not it, she's probably busy working.
Mike: All day, with no breaks, for three day's straight? She doesn't have five minutes to pick up the phone?
Me: True. Ok, she's fucking somebody. Want a beer?
Mike: Ya a Bud Light.
Me: Dude, quit being a pussy and get a real beer.*

So as you can see, I'm a little too jaded to be giving out relationship advice. But they ask, so I must share in the wisdom.

Listening to: Wonder Why They Call You Bitch - Tupac Shakur


*elaborated a smidge

Mmmm...



9.05.2004

Gmail

I have some gmail invitations to give out. If you want want one leave a comment. Recommend something to me, a book, a record, a movie, whatever. Anything interesting.

Listening to: Still watching Attila

Three Day Weekend

I'm going to watch Garden State later today, I've heard a lot of good things about it. It was described as this summers Lost in Translation, so on that alone I must see it.

I was at the Less Than Jake show at the House of Blues last Thursday. It was a real fun show. Corpus and I got a good buzz beforehand in the Mandalay Bay and that allowed me to jump into the pit a few times and kick some ass. But it was a very peaceful pit compared to others I've seen. Overall the show kicked ass and I'm now a fan.

Other than that this has been a quick week. Work, sleep, computer for the most part. I've been uploading to my new Ipod. Tiberius(it's name) has 1180 songs with 13.2GB left. Proud to say most of it is illegal thanks to suprnova, or ripped from friends. Gotta love the internet.

Listening to: Attila on the History Channel

8.31.2004

Ethical Philosophy Results

I took a quiz to see which philosophical view I'm most closely aligned with. According to the results I'm 100%:

Aquinas (1225 or '27-1274)
  • All life has a purpose
  • Meeting this purpose allows one to be happy.
  • Happiness is to be found in the love of God.
  • God's grace providing entrance into heaven creates the highest form of human happiness.
  • Short of heaven, a person can achieve a more limited form of happiness through a life of virtue and friendship.
  • Morality is not determined by the arbitrary will of God.
  • Morality is derived from human nature and the activities that are objectively suited to it.
  • The difference between right and wrong can be appreciated through the use of reason and reflection.
  • Religious reflection may supplement the use of reason and reflection to determine right from wrong.
  • Societies must enact laws to ensure the correct application of moral reasoning.
  • Human nature is good because God made it good.
But after looking through the results I agree more with this one which was only 41%, go figure:

Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm (1844-1900)
  • We have free will
  • There is no God
  • Social conformity should not hold us back
  • The interests of others should not restrain us
  • We should be passionate beings
  • Masculinity, strength and passion are the highest qualities in a person
  • Conventional morality is a crutch to man
Take test here if you want.
Listening to: Seinfeld

8.28.2004

Jiang Hu

I just got done watching Jiang Hu and really liked it. Read this review which I agree with exactly.
When night falls on Hong Kong the fate of the many is decided by the few, as the gang leaders and their people scramble to make a stand. Personal vendettas collide with old fashioned honor and modern practicalities, and the reign of the city will fall to whoever’s left standing in the end...

“Jiang Hu” arrives at a time when the Hong Kong movie industry still appears fresh and invigorated in the wake of the successful “Infernal Affairs” trilogy. It tackles a good old fashioned genre, the triads movies, with new-found gusto, and it stars a host of respected Hong Kong actors.




Listening to: Red Bull Commercial

8.27.2004

Scary Movies

I bought The Eye 2 on DVD about a week ago and finally got around to watching it last night. The old Mongolian clerk who sold it to me recommended it over the first one, that's why I bought it. From reviews I've read online most people like The Eye better when compared to The Eye 2. It scared me and kept me entertained so I enjoyed it.

I remember the actress, Qi Shu from a Jackie Chan movie I watched years ago called Gorgeous. She's still as beautiful now as she was then. And she's a good actress as well.



This movie is about Joey Cheng(Qi),who has just had a failed suicide, she's ignored by her ex-boyfriend, and she finds out she's pregnant. To top it all of she starts to see spirits at random places. One in particular, of a young woman, keeps re-appearing. At one point she even makes eye contact with Joey and looks at Joey's pregnant belly. Who, why, and what do they have to do with her baby is what follows.

I like the fact that the directors didn't rely solely on making the audience jump. That kind of stuff scares for a second and that's it. Instead they fucked with me psychologically. I've had moments, in the shower for example, when I close my eyes to wash soap or shampoo off my face and I hear a noise and I swear that if I open them there's going to be somebody watching me, starring at me. This movie just kept bringing those feelings up. I was alone in the dark and I kept hearing things behind me or in the other room. I was freaked. I usually don't get scared with movies but this one did it to me.

Now this might bring up recollections of The Sixth Sense, but that was not scary to me. It made me jump a few times but that's it. The dead people in that movie where all bloody and wounded and shit. In this movie they're normal, just dead, starring at you and you don't know what they want. To me that's creepier for some reason.

Listening to: my inner self

More Quizzes Out of Boredom

Take the quiz: "What do you love about making love?"

Thrill
You're in it for the thrill, the excitement, the adrenaline rush, you do it anywhere and everywhere. You love the danger of getting caught.... but be carefull..... you might scar some children for life!


Take the quiz: "WHAT RELIGION BESTS SUITS YOU?"

Agnostic
You've probably studied loads of different religions, but you're just not sure if any of it is true. Evolution makes some sense to you, but it doesn't satisfy you. Lastly, your personality is one of question, but you won't go out of your way to find -The Truth- It's more of a hobby.

Listening to: Microwave

8.23.2004

Quiz

Take the quiz: "Which American City Are You?"

New York
You're competative, you like to take it straight to the fight. You gotta have it all or die trying.

Listening to: MTV VMA Winners

The Blind Swordsman

I watched Zatoichi a couple days ago at the theater. I've never seen any other movie based on this character so I have nothing to compare it to. I really enjoyed. Some of the best movies I've seen lately are Asian including: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring, Hero...shit, I had a list in my head of some of the Asian flicks I've watched recently but now they elude me. Whatever, I'll edit them in if I can recall them.



Anyways, Zatoichi is fucking cool. An old and blind masseur who travels around doing good deeds, gambling, and other stuff old blind masseurs do. A Masseur? What the hell kind of job is that for a killing machine. When would he have time to learn how to give a good massage what with all the fighting evil he does. Anyways, back to the point. He's like a Jedi knight with the force. He hears and feels all the attacks that come at him. The fighting scenes in this movie are really cool. I like the way most fights go in Samurai movies. Usually it's one great swordsman against a lot of weak opponents, typical movie scene. What I enjoy is when two great swordsman meet and you know only one will live. It's very much like a showdown in a Clint Eastwood movie. The camera switches from one fighter to the other, the music builds up, faster, shot of hilt, louder, closeup of an eye, crescendo, SILENCE!, camera jumps out as they draw their swords and just like that one of them is dead. Very cool.



Aside from the great fighting the story is also good. It follows the typical samurai plot line: samurai wandering around saves village/family/child but this one has some excellent side stories as well. There's some great comic relief, good music, and awesome visuals. A must see movie.

Also watched I'll Sleep When I'm Dead which is a good British revenge movie. Not suspense's enough, since you know everything that's happened and you just watch the characters and how they react to what you already know. But still good, great acting.

Rented A Clockwork Orange. It's ok I guess. So many people have talked that movie up to me that I think I expected too much and was let down by it. Cupric movies, to me, are to sterile. The sets look to fake, not realistic. I can't believe in his world and that just throws the entire movie off for me. I really liked the threesome scene.

Listening to: Bill Clinton's Audiobook (boring me)

8.19.2004

Dos Pesos Taking a Bath


Dos Pesos taking a bath
Uploaded by Stewart.

Poor puppy. This is the best pic I've come across on Flickr. I need to get a puppy soon.

8.18.2004

Baby Freon


baby freon
Originally uploaded by Freon.

I've been playing around with flickr to post pics online for all to see. This one is a newborn photo my mom took.

Flickr

This is a test post from flickr, a fancy photo sharing thing.

Fantasy Football

Anyone who wants to give fantasy football a try this season is welcome to join my league. Here's the info needed:
League ID#: 191793
League Name: Football Club
Password: lasvegas

Just go to Yahoo's Fantasy Sports page here and sign up. If you have any problems or questions give just comment or email me.

Listening to: silence

8.17.2004

Kansas City

I took a little road trip with Neon this last week. She was returning to art school in Kansas City and I tagged along to help on the two day drive. The drive itself wasn't bad, but it did get boring. Driving through the Rocky Mts. was nice, it reminded me a lot of home and growing up in Jackson, Wyoming. We made it fine, even though we almost ran out of gas once while driving through Utah.

Kansas City has the preconception of being a hick, cow, backwards kind of town, at least with me it did. But it is really a cool town. It has major sports, great art scene, great music scene, and great entertainment areas. I love the brick buildings that make up the majority of the downtown/westport areas. Brick is great when you consider all there is in Vegas is stucco. While house searching we found this great Victorian style house built in 1901. It's three stories, each floor a separate 'apartment' and we looked at the 2nd one. It would be a great place to live. Kind of dirty though, since two guys live there, but all it needs is a womans touch. Hopefully Neon will get it.

We spent one evening at a brewery in the cigar lounge. That was so much fun. We had a couple great cigars, some good beer, and great conversation. The conversation was something I'd really missed this summer. Hanging out with Neon was the greatest part of the trip. I'm greedy, so having her all to myself was perfect.

I can't wait to go back.


Cell phone pic from a cool graveyard we walked around. It dates back to the 1800's. The graveyard, not the cell phone, dumbass.
More pics

Listening to: Olympics on Telemundo

Broken Thumb

The Olympic Basketball team takes another hit. A broken thumb. Iverson, arguably their best player, has a broken thumb. God hates them, he really does. First the scared pussies don't go to Athens, then their replacments are only there because of their name not the need for specific players, and now a broken fucking thumb. Hopefully we'll beat Greece today.

Listening to: Howard Stern interviewing Jenna

8.16.2004

Under Construction

Well, I finally got tired of my template. It was way to bloated and full of useless shit. I built it by trial and error and it felt like it was hammered by force to do something it wasn't meant to do. It had so many hacks and redundant code that it's amazing it worked as well as it did. So I'm starting one from the bottom up. A nice fresh start. Until then, I'll use this template provided by Blogger.

Listening to: Olympics

Drinking Story


I have a lot to tell since I've been in Kansas City for the last week or so, but all I'm going to talk about right now is what's going on at the moment. Corpus and I went drinking at the Suncoast Casino which I get free drink tickets from a friend at the sports book. We ordered Singapore Slings, and after every SS we had a shot of Patron Silver Tequila. So we had a great buzz going. Then a couple of his friends from high school joined us and that's when the fun started. Corpus had a couple tequila shots really quickly, by this time we'd move up to Anejo instead of Silver. As I asked him how his tequila was he sprayed it out onto his shirt, he stood up and headed to the bathroom but first got some on the guy sitting behind him, a bartender who was drinking after his shift. All in all very funny. To watch not to experience. I followed him to the bathroom where some fucker was making fun of him, his shirt covered in vomit. When we made it back to the table the girls, who'd names I don't remember, said that we had to leave since he was so drunk, bar policy i guess. So as we were leaving I notice they were sitting with the bartender he'd splattered, kind of funny, but anyways we got home ok. He hit the bong a little and we decided to go eat, we ended up at Jack in the Box. Got some tacos, not bad. What was great was the car behind us had some girls in it. One of them, Shirley, came up to our window and talked with us while we waited. She was way drunk off tequila just like us, which at the moment was great, but she got distracted by the guy working the window...Oh well, slut. Anyways not a bad night...I'll get to Kansas City in the next post, it was great.

Listening to: Comedy Central


8.08.2004

Update


Went to Huntington Beach a few days ago. Left early and got back to Vegas really late. Just Neon and me. It was a lot of fun, playing around in the waves and laying on the blanket together. I really needed that time together. We got lost a couple times on the way back, since I didn't print out the directions on how to get back. You'd think it would be as easy as doing the opposite of what you did on the way there, but the freeways in California don't seem to work that way. It was a great day. We're going to Kansas City in a couple days, that should be great fun as well.

I went to a promo of Without a Paddle which is funny, but a little preachy in parts when it tries to get a message across. Goddamn is Seth Green short.

Other movies I've seen lately but don't think I've mentioned:
Napoleon Dynamite - Really funny movie, must see
I, Robot - Yes it is Will Smith but he's not that bad, enjoyed more than Spiderman 2
The Village - sucked, bad, the twist was lame and easy to figure out, not scary, waste of good actors
Catwoman - enjoyed Halle Berry, movie kind of dumb, her villain is an ex model how Stripperella is that
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle - Very Very Funny, I laughed the entire movie, must see if you enjoyed Road Trip, Eurotrip, American Pie, etc.
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - unh, funny in parts, but overall forgettable

That's all I can remember. Well I'm off to work.

Listening to: The washing machine

7.31.2004

Love Again


by Philip Larkin

Love again: wanking at ten past three
(Surely he's taken her home by now?),
The bedroom hot as a bakery,
The drink gone dead, without showing how
To meet tomorrow, and afterwards,
And the usual pain, like dysentery.

Someone else feeling her breasts and cunt,
Someone else drowned in that lash-wide stare,
And me supposed to be ignorant,
Or find it funny, or not to care,
Even ... but why put it into words?
Isolate rather this element

That spreads through other lives like a tree
And sways them on in a sort of sense
And say why it never worked for me.
Something to do with violence
A long way back, and wrong rewards,
And arrogant eternity.

Listening to: Faithless - Mass Destruction

How Come...


How Come...we don't even talk no more
And you don't even call no more
We don't barely keep in touch at all
And I don't even feel the same love when we hug no more
And I heard it through the grapevine...we even beefin' now
After all the years we've been down...ain't no way no how
This bullshit can't be true
We family...ain't a damn thing changed...unless its you!


Listening to: D12 - How Come

7.29.2004

Amen


I love listening to The Reverend. He is the most passionate speaker so far. He has that great church minister voice that makes you want to yell out 'amen.' He really gets the crowd going. He knew what to say to rouse the troops. Clinton was charismatic but had a laid back feeling. Sharpton was in your face. He had great one liners, he made some great points, and he really took it to Bush.

It looks like he went off of the speech he was originally going to do, because the transcript on the Dems. website is much tamer than the one he delivered. I think this is a good thing. Sure, they need to make sure a speaker doesn't fuck it up but you can't completely restrain a speaker with out ruining his speech.
...The promise of America provides that those who work in our health care system can afford to be hospitalized in the very beds they clean up every day.

The promise of America is that government does not seek to regulate your behavior in the bedroom, but to guarantee your right to provide food in the kitchen.

The issue of government is not to determine who may sleep together in the bedroom, it's to help those that might not be eating in the kitchen.

The promise of America is one immigration policy for all who seek to enter our shores, whether they come from Mexico, Haiti or Canada, there must be one set of rules for everybody...

...We cannot welcome those to come and then try and act as though any culture will not be respected or treated inferior. We cannot look at the Latino community and preach one language. No one gave them an English test before they sent them to Iraq to fight for America...

...It, to me, is a glaring contradiction that we would fight, and rightfully so, to get the right to vote for the people in the capital of Iraq in Baghdad, but still don't give the federal right to vote for the people in the capital of the United States, in Washington, D.C....

...You said the Republican Party was the party of Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. It is true that Mr. Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, after which there was a commitment to give 40 acres and a mule.

That's where the argument, to this day, of reparations starts. We never got the 40 acres. We went all the way to Herbert Hoover, and we never got the 40 acres.

We didn't get the mule. So we decided we'd ride this donkey as far as it would take us...

AMEN!!!

Hear Sharpton here, or read transcript here.


Listening to: The Reverend Al Sharpton

Moore Interviews


I finally got to see the O'Reilly interview of Moore. I feel Moore did a great job. He really mad O'Reilly look bad. But like O'Reilly says at the end, you can't change a person's mind when they aren't open to it. If Moore said the sky was blue O'Reilly would dispute it. O'Reilly fails to see the logic in Moore's case. Too bad.

Also the Ron Reagan interview is cool.

All I'm posting are the torrent files because I don't have the space for the actual file. Get BitTorrent HERE.

O'Reilly vs. Moore
Reagan and Moore

Listening to: Above Interviews

Boldly Going Where...He's...Gone Before


I found out through Sizemore's MP3 Blog that William Shatner has a new CD coming out. The majority of the album was written by Shatner and his friend Ben Folds. He also brought in a few other stars to help out including: Henry Rollins and Brad Paisley. Go listen to his cover of Pulp's Common People, with Joe Jackson. I think I like it better than the original. This man is a God.



Here's a complete track listing:

# "Common People" (with Joe Jackson)
# "It Hasn't Happened Yet"
# "You'll Have Time"
# "Trying" (with Ben Folds and Aimee Mann)
# "What Have You Done"
# "Together" (with Lemon Jelly)
# "Familiar Love"
# "Ideal Woman"
# "Has Been"
# "I Can't Get Behind That" (with Henry Rollins)
# "Real" (with Brad Paisley)

Listening to: William Shatner with Joe Jackson - Common People

Happy Happy Joy Joy


I feel very good right now, well not physically since I have a sore throat and cold sore, but emotionally. I've been really down for about the last week, shit the whole summer really. I was going paranoid and jealous, but I took care of it tonight. It was better knowing either way than not knowing and just making shit up in my head. I was thinking of drinking tonight but I'll just listen to music instead. Happy music. J-Pop music. I can't understand the lyrics so it can't possibly make me sad. No rap tonight. I realized my rap mp3 collection has started turning very emoish lately. And nothing fucks with your head like emo. So all's quiet on this front.

Listening to: Morning Musume - BABY! Koi ni Knock Out ! (sounds familiar)

7.26.2004


I came home just in time to watch Bill Clinton's speech at the convention. Wow! What a great speaker. If only he could run again. Kerry's going to have a hard time topping Clinton. It was the best pro-Kerry anti-Bush speech I've heard all year. He didn't slam Bush yet gave great arguments against him. He didn't resort to name calling or character bashing, he just laid out a point by point argument comparing the two. Very well done from a great man.



Hopefully I can dl Al Gore's and the rest of the speaker's speeches with bittorrent.

Listening to: Convention Discussions



7.23.2004

Republican Guidelines


Stole these from happytapioca. Very funny and true.
1. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.

2. Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

3. The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing UN resolutions against Iraq.

4. A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multinational corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

5. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.

6. The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

7. If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

8. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our longtime allies, then demand their cooperation and money.

9. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy. Providing health care to all Americans is socialism.

10. HMOs and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.

11. Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

12. A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense. A president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.

13. Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.

14. The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving record is none of our business.

15. Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness, and you need our prayers for your recovery.

16. You support states' rights, which means Attorney General John Ashcroft can tell states what local voter initiatives they have the right to adopt.

17. What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but wha tBush did in the '80s is irrelevant.

18. Taking a classified document is the end of the world, but outting a CIA agent is good clean fun.


Listening to: Silence, damn it I just noticed.

Funny Old Lady


I was surfing the television around midnight. For some reason Oxygen, another network for women, was not blocked. I saw this old lady waving a pink dildo around, saying it's her favorite, how it was hard to get the testers to give it back, and how it smells fruity and then smelling it. Oh my god. That's great. I ended up watching the entire show. It's called The Sunday Night Sex Show (it's not Sunday). People call in and ask questions, she has dolls she uses to show different sexual positions, she reviews sex books, shows her favorite sex toys, etc. Since I only got to watch about 15 minutes I went online to the shows site. They have video clips there, which are must see. Especially the one about oral sex. She's holding the dildo up to her mouth to demonstrate. She's right about it not being a pretty sight. Funniest thing on TV, educational too.

Video



Listening to: The Daily Show

7.21.2004

King Arthur


I watched King Arthur yesterday. I don't understand why it's doing so bad at the box office. I loved it. Better than Troy, better than Spider-Man 2, better than anything else out right now. Yet, people are not going to see it.

The movie is the story of Arthur told as it could have happened, not the story you know. I love the magic of all the previous tales told about Arthur, but seeing this movie made it real. It had it's own magic, not from a wizard but from the land, their love, their heart.

I do wish the movie had been rated R, so the fighting could have been a more realistic, but even after saying that, I thought it was better than the fighting in Troy. Also the Roman sets could have been better done. They looked a little too new. I loved the costume and the local Britons looked incredible. They reminded me of Dark Elves. Keira Knightley as Guinevere, with blue makeup and a bow, baring her teeth at the Saxons, beautiful.

I loved the fact that Lancelot does not betray Arthur. I've always hated the Lancelot character because of his seduction of Guinevere. But here he redeems himself in my eyes. And speaking of Guinevere. Never have I seen a more beautiful Guinevere. She's not the week, blond, Princess that I've come to imagine. She's Arthur's equal.



7.18.2004

This Land


Very, very, funny Kerry vs. Bush animation. Here.

7.17.2004

With Trembling Fingers


A great article on the state of our country under George Bush, by Hal Crowther. Here's an excerpt.
A guerrilla who opposes an invading army on his own soil is not a terrorist, he's a resistance fighter. In Iraq we're not fighting enemies but making enemies. As Richard Clarke and others have observed, every dollar, bullet and American life that we spend in Iraq is one that's not being spent in the war on terrorism. Every Iraqi, every Muslim we kill or torture or humiliate is a precious shot of adrenaline for Osama and al Qaeda.


via Zenarchery


7.14.2004

Blankets


I just finished reading one of the saddest but amazing books ever. Blankets by Craig Thompson is one of the best graphic novels I've ever read. It's a story about Craig growing up, his first love, his faith, and finding himself in life. His relationship with Raina made me yearn for the same. I fell in love with Raina. I wish this book had never ended.

The book comes in at 582 pages, and I whipped through it in about an hour. Thompson's black and white art is excellent. It's very clear and never gets muddy and hard to make out like some b&w comics can. He portrayed emotion, especially saddness and lonliness, so well in his panels. The writing sounded very natural and never broke the spell by being out of place.

Excellent book, a must own for any comic fan. Go here for a six page preview. Great article here.

7.13.2004

Aquabats


I went to the Aquabats show a few days ago. Didn't really like them. I thought, a bunch of guys dressed up as super heroes playing music - has potential. But I was let down by them. Plus I was led to believe that they're a ska band. Right. A ska band with only two horns? I think not. I went to a Reel Big Fish show once, now that was ska. But anyways, I had fun if only cuz the people I was with are cool. They tried to get me to skank but to no avail. If I didn't skank in high school back when ska was cool, I wasn't going to do it now.


Losers



Well, some people think cucumbers taste better pickled.

The Las Vegas Heat!?


I was reading the Chicago Tribune (online) and I came upon this little tidbit buried within an article on the Shaq trade to Miami.
The Heat has been in financial difficulty in recent years. It's also the only NBA team that has hidden its balcony behind a curtain because of empty seats. Fortunes improved during Miami's exciting playoff run, but rumors remain that the franchise is one of most likely to be sold.

The Las Vegas Heat?

That's a name that fits the move.

South Florida isn't the greatest place for an NBA franchise. Pro basketball never has been big there. Even the old ABA bailed out after a short stay. It has been a struggle for the Heat, which already is playing in its second new arena since joining the NBA in 1988 and historically ranks among the lowest in average attendance.

With the lure of Las Vegas, O'Neal and Dwyane Wade in Heat uniforms, and Jordan in an ownership position, it would be no problem for him to put together a major ownership group. Jordan would have a chance to run the first major-league sports franchise in Las Vegas. And what a draw that would be for players.


Ooh wee! The Las Vegas Heat! Has a nice ring to it doesn't it? I would be in heaven if this happened. All the talk is about the Expos maybe coming to town (haven't heard yes or no yet) but come on, that's baseball. Baseball just doesn't have the excitement that basketball does. I would enjoy the Expos, but they kinda suck and it would be a few years before that changed. The Heat, on the other hand, would be Championship contenders immediately. Shaq in the East, nobodies stopping him. I've never liked Shaq, but for some reason his leaving the Lakers has made him likable. I guess it's the Lakers I hate.

While this may just be crazy talk, I'm excited.

7.12.2004

Great Advice For the Kids


Bad News Hughes has some more advice to lay upon us. Listen closely, and write it down, it may save your life.
Contrary to popular belief, you don't become a geek because you're smarter than everyone else. You become a geek because your social skills are retarded. While you're off administering a Linux system, the rest of us are kissing girls. So the tech support guys can be as snide as they want. The minute the clock strikes 5, we win.

A wise man once said, "If she can take the occasional punch without running off and crying to the cops, she's probably worth keeping around." Hmmm... Wait a minute... Did I type that out right? Shit, who the hell told me that, Ike Turner? Christ, that's terrible. Kids, maybe you ought to hold off on this one until further notice.


New Look


I had nothing better to do, so I started cutting and pasting and this is what I came up with. Let me know what you think. Don't hold back either.

7.11.2004

Unleash The Monkey


Drinking alone, on the other hand, is a much more pure and forthright form of imbibing, and I say that because it focuses entirely on the simple act of putting alcohol into your bloodstream. It tosses aside all the half-hearted pretensions about merely using alcohol as a social tool. It gets down to what drinking is all about: getting loaded, and by doing that, getting down to the inner you. The inner joy, the inner madness, the subconscious you, the real you.


Ha, and I always thought it meant I was an alcoholic.

It is now that you will recognize the monkey for who he truly is: he is you without social constraints. A slave unchained. He is you without the worry of what other people think. He is what you want to be, not what your parents, friends, lover, boss and God want you to be.


Must read this, it's great.
Maybe you can tell, I'm drinking alone.

Have a Beer


I've been on a beer kick lately. Just another one of the fads I go through every now and then. I've usually been a Corona or Heineken kind of guy, but I decided to give darker beers a try. My first choice, because I've heard of it and because they sell it around the corner is a beer from Colorado. Fat Tire was a beer I heard a lot about growing up in Jackson, Wyoming. The makers describe it as follows:
Like the ageless delight of pedaling a bicycle, Fat Tire Amber Ale's appeal is in its feat of balance: Toasty malt flavors (sorta like biscuits just pulled from the oven) coasting in equilibrium with crisp hoppiness. Delicious stability-in the sometimes precarious world of beer flavors-is perhaps what prompted a consumer who wrote us to say "this beer just makes you smile."

If someone had described it to me as 'biscuits just pulled from the oven', I probably would never have touched it. Nothing like biscuits, but it is good. I guess that's malt I'm tasting, only God knows for sure, but I like it. So this is my favorite beer at the moment.

I was at an English Pub awhile back, the Crown and Anchor, and I had a Smithwicks, or as the British fellow said, "When you're drunk, you can just say Smithicks". It was good, unfortunately, that's the only place I've seen it and it's all the way across town. I also tried Guinness Stout, that tasted like shit. Actually it reminded me of sausage, since it was so smokey flavored, it probably would have been good with some pork. Nasty though, too dark for me, I'll stick to the Amber Ales.

Bottoms up.



7.04.2004

Hazy


Songs I always come back to while drinking.
Its been so long since I've been home
I've been gone, I've been gone way too long
Maybe I've forgotten all the things I miss
Oh, somehow I know there is more to life than this
I've said it too many times and I still stand firm
You get what you put in and people get what the deserve

Kid Rock - Only God Knows Why

I'm feeling pain as it came to an end
I said to shorty "I will always be your friend"
Now if you ever need me I will be right there
I aint going nowhere
For real

Lost Boyz - Me and My Crazy World

Bury me smilin'
with G's in my pocket
have a party at my funeral
let every rapper rock it
let tha hoes that I usta know
from way before
kiss me from my head to my toe
give me a paper and a pen
so I can write about my life of sin
a couple bottles of Gin
incase I don't get in
tell all my people i'm a Ridah
nobody cries when we die
we outlaws
let me ride

2Pac - Live Goes On

7.03.2004

7.02.2004

First Friday


I accompanied Neon to First Friday which is an arts and entertainment event in the Las Vegas Arts District. Some months there is great art, some months the art is shit. This month, in my opinion, the art was bad. I don't pretend to be able to do any better but I feel like I can tell good art from bad art. Anyways, there was free alcohol, free cheese and crackers, and free music. So overall it was a fun night out. Here's a few pics I took with my cell phone.


I wasn't sure if these were art pieces or actually made for sitting. I grabbed a Tecate and sat down, nobody said anything so I guess it wasn't art.



A view towards the strip.


Picture of the mural on the wall of graffiti artist Dray's bungalow. Because it's across from a school bus stop, some people have complained over the exposed breasts. Of course these people don't complain about the showgirls asses that are plastered on most taxis or the stripjoint billboards. Whatever, losers. I happen to like this mural a lot and hope to see more. So do the kids at the bus stop.

An Interview with Chuck Palahniuk


Found this interview on Bookslut. It's pretty good. I haven't actually read any of his books, though I want to, but he seems like a really cool guy. There's some good tips in there for you writers.

Some writers research in order to write. I write in order to research topics that interest me. Especially if I can meet with other people, in forums from illness support groups to phone-sex hotlines, and learn what other people know best. Every character (really, person) sees the world through a framework of education and experience that they're proud experts about. To write a character, find out what they know best, and THEN you'll know how they'll describe a "hot day." Or a "pretty girl."
Chuck Palahniuk


6.29.2004

More Bullfighting


Go check out some more of my bullfighting pics here.

6.25.2004

Lemme Finish


This may be old news but it's new to me. Yesterday Dubya got interviewed for Irish television by Carole Coleman. She stuck it to him good. She'd ask a hard question and he'd start to answer it with what seemed like pre-written responses that were off topic. So she'd interrupt to get him back to the issue and Bush would get mad and scowl. "Lemme finish, may I finish. You ask the questions and I'll answer them if you don't mind." I do mind asshole. Don't run around the questions. And if you didn't pause so much when you spoke people wouldn't think you were done with your response. Good job Carole.

"What they should be angry about is the fact that there was a brutal dictator that had destroyed lives, put them in mass graves and had torture rooms." -- George W. Bush

So the brutal dictator has been replaced by an occupying force who happens to use individual graves while destroying lives and still using torture rooms.

Watch Interview (real audio unfortunately.) Article

6.23.2004

Whore or Artist?


If you put yourself into your artwork, then sell it, are you a prostitute? Was Donatello's patron, de'Medici, a pimp? Was Michelangelo a Vatican whore? I guess metaphorically you can say yes. But with Andrea Frasor you can also say literally.


Untitled,, 2003 was initiated in 2002 when Andrea Fraser approached Friedrich Petzel Gallery to arrange a commission with a private collector on her behalf. The requirements for the commission were to include a sexual encounter between Fraser and a collector, which would be recorded on videotape, with the first exemplar of the edition going to the participating collector. The resulting videotape is a silent, unedited, sixty-minute document shot in a hotel room with a stationary camera and existing lighting.

Definitely prostitution, but is it art as well? I guess you can call it that. But then you would have to call silent, unedited, sixty-minute shot of a woman being raped art. Or a murder. Interesting.
My first thought was, If I'm going to have to sell it, I might as well sell it,'' the artist Andrea Fraser said last week, speaking from a downtown studio. Fraser was referring in a starkly literal sense to her work's medium: a fit 38-year-old brunette in a sexy red V-necked dress, who is in fact herself.


Gallery Link NY Times Article

6.22.2004

Beasties and Killers and Others


I downloaded the new Beastie Boy album To The 5 Boroughs yesterday. I've heard a lot of good reviews on it but finally got it because of Mike's recommendation. I've never been a huge fan of the Beasties but I respect their music. I find it a little whiny when it comes to their voices but they usually have good beats. So I've been listening to it all day and I actually like it. It's very refreshing in this scene of Lil' John, 50 Cent and Bling Bling. It's got that old school feel with modern beats. Their voices are still high pitched but overall I liked it.

I also downloaded The Killers Hot Fuss after Josh Ellis mentioned them. I guess they started out in Vegas but I'd never heard of them. I like them so far. They have an eighties synth-pop feel to them which I enjoy but with a name like The Killers, I expected it to be a lot harder. I definetley enjoy them more than the Shins or Granddaddy.

Also, in the last month I've downloaded the following: Usher, Johnny Cash, Nina Simone, Kill Bill Soundtrack, Barry White, and Smashing Pumpkins among a few others. I've updated my DL list for the year. Check it out.

House Party


MoveOn.org is organizing house parties all over the country based around Fahrenheit 9/11. The following is the only one in Las Vegas so far, and while not in a 'house' technically, it still sounds like fun. I'll be there if work allows. Go register for the event.
Fahrenheit 911 City-Wide Town Hall Meeting (21 registered participants)
UNLV Boyd School of Law Building, Room 102
Las Vegas, NV
We will gather to discuss Fahrenheit 911 and Bush's failed policies in the War on Terror and Iraq. We'll also join a national teleconference with Michael Moore to talk about the movie and how to get involved in the 2004 election campaign.
The Boyd School of Law Building is at the Maryland Parkway and Harmon St. entrance to UNLV. Walk west into the campus. The meeting is in room 102.
Monday, June 28, 07:00 PM

6.20.2004

Fahrenheit 9/11


According to the website f911tix, Fahrenheit 9/11 will be opening in Las Vegas. Opening day is set for 06/25/04 and it will be playing at Century 18 Sam's Town, Century Orleans 18, Century Rancho Santa Fe 16, and Crown Neonopolis 14. So barring any more surprises this info shouldn't change.

gmailswap and filthy monkies


Today I received a couple things in the mail. A DVD boxed set which includes The Matrix and Matrix Revisited. Not scratched, which I'll admit is what I expected. I also received a cool little zine called Wishbone #10, from Angela. I haven't had a chance to go through it but it looks cool. All this for giving out gmail invites. This is so cool. I really didn't expect them to actually send what they said they would. Yay to honest people and gmail.

Hello to all you people cruising through here by way of DPH. For those who don't know I sent Warren a fansign and he posted it up. I feel so 13-year-old-cam-whorish right now.

6.19.2004

Dial Up Hell


I'm hanging out at Neon's house, which seems to be stuck in the mid 90's: no digital cable, and god forbid no cable modem. Aaaahhhhh!!! How do people live like this. 12 minutes to download an mp3. I've usually downloaded it and heard enough to delete most of the crap in 30 seconds. This computer has lots of memory (which mine doesn't) and lots of HD space (which mine doesn't) but it's all going to waste with only a modem to fill it up. It's cool though. I feel like I'm roughing it here, like taking a trip to some third world country. Good times.

6.16.2004

Haiku Writing Mother Fucker


Go vote, you lazy bastards. To vote just leave a comment under the haikus you appreciate the most(mine). Thanks.

Yahoo Mail


It seems that Yahoo mail is getting worried about the still in beta Gmail. I only check it about once a week to read some comic strips that get delivered there. When I logged into it today I recieved the following message:

Thanks for being a loyal Yahoo! Mail user. To ensure that Yahoo! Mail continues to be the easiest, most enjoyable way for you to stay in touch, we've made several great improvements to your service! In addition to all the features you currently enjoy, we've made these upgrades:

* Streamlined interface
Makes using your mail even easier
* 100MB of email storage
Keep more of the things that are important to you – without worrying about bumping up against your storage limit.
* Message size up to 10MB
Send monster-sized files – photos, presentations, whatever!

So thanks again for choosing Yahoo! Mail to keep in touch, and we hope you enjoy the additional services now at your fingertips. For more information, please visit our Help page.


I don't like their 'streamlined interface', the font bothers me and it doesn't really affect the ease of using the system.

Also 100mb isn't much compared to 1000mb. It's much better than the 6mb they used to offer. And allowing message sizes of 10mb is a good move too. But none of this really makes it compete with Gmail. A good try but not enough. Expect Hotmail to make some moves soon.

5 More Gmail Invites


I just received 5 more invites that I can hand out to Gmail. One of them is already gone leaving me with 4. Now the last 3 I had I gave them away on a first come first serve basis but the thing is that besides Dowingba, I have no idea who I gave them to. So this time around if you want one, post a comment about yourself. Tell me where you're from, what you do there, what brought you to my blog, what you're goals are, your mother's maiden name, your cat's eye color, I don't care, anything/whatever you want to talk about. I just want to be able to say, 'I'm giving this invite to so-and-so because _____.'

I wonder how Gmail decides when and how many invites I am allowed. For awhile there I had none after my original 3. Then suddenly I'm getting more every other day. It's cool though. If I don't get any takers I'll just hit up gmailswap again.

6.15.2004

Gmail Invites


I have three more invites to give out for Gmail. If any of you who read this would like one just let me know, first come first serve. I gave out three already on gmailswap and got a couple mixed cds, a zine and some stickers. Not bad if you think about it. But you lucky souls will get it for nothing. Of course if I get no requests in the next few days then I'll just use gmailswap again.

If you haven't tried it, Gmail is great. The best by far. It catches most spam, has a great search feature, tons of room (I'm barely at 1mb, but the best thing has to be the conversations feature. It groups all the replys to and from a person in the same window so you don't have to go all over the place to see what they said before. I have about 150 emails but have no problem keeping them organized with labels instead of folders. It's wonderful. So hit me up if you want an invite.

Free Comic Book Day




I love comic books. I wish I had the money to buy all my favorites, but I have a shitty job and have had to stop for the foreseeable future. So I live for days like this one. Free, as in no money needed, comic books. Damn right I'll be there. This is the third year they've had this promotion and I enjoyed it very much last year. I drove all over town to try and get all the comics that were being offered. Infact, I probably spent more on gas than the books were worth. Oh well, it was fun. Here are some of my favorite shops in Las Vegas:

Velvet Underground Comics
4241 West Charleston Blvd. Suite H
702-258-2689

The owner, Steve, is a great guy. He sells his books with no tax and 10% off if you join the club, so that alone makes it the best deal in town. He has a very cool shop, which he's been expanding recently. He has all the mainstream books, a large adult comic section, tons of back issues, busts and toys. If he doesn't have it he can get it for you. I do wish he had a larger independent section. He gets his books on Friday not Wednesday. Stupid home page.

Alternate Reality Comics
4800 SOUTH MARYLAND PKY Suite D
(702) 736-3673

First comic shop I went to here in Vegas. Ralph, the owner, knows his comics. He gives great recommendations and always has great books spotlighted. He has a large independent (alternative) books section incase your not into the superhero books. He also has a good manga selection. Last year he had Steve Grant (I think) signing books on Free Comic Book Day, so he'll probably have someone this year. His web page is no more unfortunately.

Those are the only two I support. Kool Kollectables (on Charleston) is another shop with an ok selection but the owner is a bastard. Don't you dare touch his books cuz he'll bite you. There's one small shop near the Latino Cinema over on E. Trop which was nice but it's very small. There's also a new 'Mega' store behind the Borders at the corner of Sahara and Decatur. I haven't had a chance to visit it but I've seen the ads. For more stores look in the yellow pages and call before you go because they seem to move a lot, bastards.