Just Another Blog
Monday, January 31, 2005
 
Picked a Title

I haven't decided if it's a book or a song yet (or perhaps a white paper) but I'm writing something, and it's gonna be called:

I Love You, But I Never Wanna Hear Your Poop Splash.


Friday, January 28, 2005
 
Distracted

It sure is hard to concentrate on your work when you have just received an offer to go work for another firm. I'm still negotiating the offer. I'll have more information between now and Monday.

I'll post much more on last night's show soon. It was a blast despite the ending. I was pleasantly surprised by my pit-fitness. In the old days, it was always the pit that reminded I needed to quit smoking. Six years after quitting, I'm getting close to returning to my smoking-weight and have the energy and stamina to dance hard to the Riddlin' Kids and American Hi Fi.

If this new job pans out, I'll be working downtown which would theoretically allow me to walk to work and hopefull complete my return to a healthier weight. We'll see.


Thursday, January 27, 2005
 
Pissed

I got kicked out.

High school kids couldn't keep up. I'm sorry, but if you can't hang with the 33 year-old in the pit...

You suck!!


Wednesday, January 26, 2005
 
Media Crazy

Ok, I'm ready for music swapping. Let's figure out how we do this.

I bought a 250GB Seagate external drive from Amazon. I ordered it last week, and it came today. In between then and now, I kind of freaked out because I thought to myself, "Hey, this doesn't do me any good. I'm almost out of room on my harddrive now. I certainly don't have the space to hold 25? 50? 100? more gigs of music. So, now I have this great collection all on one big drive, but what if it crashes?"

So I went to CompUSA on Sunday. There I got a good deal on a 200GB Western Digital internal drive. I bought a $40 enclosure that turns it into an external drive, and it was still a good deal.

The WD is USB 2.0. The Seagate is firewire and USB2.0. They actually tell you to plug them both in to your computer. The drive also functions as a USB hub.

So now the 200GB will be the media drive and the 250GB will back up the media drive, the old, 6 GB c: drive, and the 40 gigs of the F, G, & H drives. I have room for roughly 200 more gigs of music and complete backup of all data.

I'm ready!


Tuesday, January 25, 2005
 
Change of Plans

I had planned to go to bed early this evening, but just as I was going to get into the shower so that I could properly clean my piercings, my sister started a shower in her bathroom. I decided that I didn't want to fight over the hot water, and now, without much of a segway, here I am 90 minutes later: drunk and with a fresh beer and full glass of whiskey in front of me listening to the Carpenters.

That's not who you were expecting is it?

I listen to about 15 seconds of most of the songs, the ones I haven't heard before, and then I'm on to the next one. I like the songs I know. The rest sound more bad than the ones that I like sound good. Surely, there were better words that I could have used to express that thought, but I just couldn't lay 'em down. Heck, there's nearly 70 songs on that box album. I can't take it.

I need to listen to the new Bowling for Soup album anyway. I've really only listened to the first album, and I'm sure the emphasis at the show will be the new stuff. I need to go out and find some MC Lars stuff. Sounds like it may have potential. I have two or three songs each from American Hi Fi and Riddlin' Kids. I thought Ben Weasel was involved with Riddlin' Kids, but now that I look for supporting information on that, I think I'm wrong. You know the sound though: Screeching Weasel, Riverdales, Queers.

Some of this Bowling for Soup stuff is not rocking me hard enough. I enjoy the silly, teenage-punk lyrics, but the droning attempts to be lyrical and good on their instruments is more than I'm looking for.

Listening to a little more of A Hangover You Don't Deserve, , I think that if they stick to the stuff that they surely know that they should stick to in a live venue, they'll be fine. They've got some good, straght-forward, rockin' stuff.

This song would be the Malcolm in the Middle anthem if it weren't for the swearing.


 
Reminds Me

I had a girlfriend in Washington who thought that .. that very magical flavor .. that combination of bourbon and cigarettes .. that that was about the sexiest flavor in the world.

She may have been right.

It's a powerful mix, for sure. It would only be magnified by the Nouvelle Vague song below. (hint: get it before I delete it.)

I was lucky to find someone who was so affected by the heady combination. All I had to do was to order a shot of Beam and spark-up a Marlboro, and we were making out in two seconds right there at the bar with the bartender trying to slide her tip out from under my overturned, dripping shotglass.

In those days, I always drank to get laid. In those days, it worked.

In those days I didn't drink and blog -- like some wuss -- I just drank and drank.

But anyhow...

Jan, she was a crazy one. She was also probably the coolest girl I have ever met. I've liked other girls more, and I've loved other girls more, but Jan... Jan, she was punk rock for real. I drank and partied and fucked like some wild, young stud straight out of college because I was. She was a little older and reveled in my youthful exuberances. We had lots of fun for just a few months.

The crazy ones, they always...

Are they all crazy?


 
Music for You

I think I talked about this one before, but I don't think I let you borrow it.

Sultry. Sexy.
Bourbon and cigarettes.
Bond girl.

Love song.


Monday, January 24, 2005
 
Punk Rock Show

Grabbed a Westword at lunch just in time to find out that Bowling for Soup and guests are playing the Ogden on Thursday. Back to work where I was able to buy tickets, blog the experience, and get back to work all in minutes. I'll have to go home and download some songs from the other bands so that I can dance along as appropriate.


Friday, January 21, 2005
 
It's about Time

I watched Blade Runner for the first time last night. I thought it was quite good. I haven't seen AI, and I don't recall much of that recent Tom Cruise movie where he runs around in the future trying to stop crimes that haven't happened yet, but I think that Blade Runner probably does a better job at addressing some of the same issues that these movies bring up. Nowadays, you couldn't have a movie that brought up the subject of sex or relationships with genetic creations/androids/robots/whatever unless you actually had a robot and a person and the complexities of the relationship were put into words by the actors. Blade Runner brought up a lot of interesting theoretical ethical questions without ever actually ever asking those questions. Today, people are too dumb to get it.

I listened to MC5, The Big Bang The Best of MC5. Other than Kick Out the Jams, I don't think I had ever listened to them -- which was stupid of me. Of course I knew that they were an influence on lots of the bands that I listen to, but I had just never sought them out and gave them a chance. This was a mistake. I enjoyed most of the record with one listening under my belt. I'll be putting this on the next CD to take to work.

(Aside: Have I mentioned that Dick Dale makes for good music to do financial analysis to?)


 
Not my Words

I listen to the same five or six CD's worth of mp3's day-in and day-out at work. Nice that I have that opportunity. Not so nice that I can't queue up my entire collection. Of course I'm even more limited in what I can burn as .wav's that will play in the car. I like these couple of lyrics lately:

"Well I don't go to work, don't go to school, don't do a goddamned thing. Sittin' on my ass, smokin' bad grass, tellin' everyone I'm king."

"You're too young: you got a lotta drugs to do, girls to screw, parties to crash; sucks to be you. If I could take it all back now, I wouldn't. I woulda did more shit that people said that I shouldn't. But I'm all grown up now and upgraded and graduated to better drugs and updated, but I still gotta a lotta growing up to do. I still gotta a whole lotta throwin' up to spew."

"Girls don't like boys; girls like cars and money. Boys will laugh at girls when they're not funny. And girls with good bodies like boys with Ferraris. Girls don't like boys; girls like cars and money."


 
Moon Skiing

I know I've been terrible about updating lately. My time on the computer at home has been lessened since I spend all day on the internet at work. Granted, I mainly hang out on sec.gov, but I do take quick looks at the news throughout the day. When I get home, I'm not all that interested in surfing the web or playing around on blogger. On the weekends, I feel like I'm under a ton of pressure to do anything that doesn't involve a computer.

Today I actually have a couple of links and ideas to blog, but, alas, the night calls. We're heading up to Loveland Pass tonight to ski under the (nearly) full moon. I've never skied backcountry. I've never skied Loveland. I've never skied at night through the trees. I've never skied at night on runs that weren't properly lit. I'm a little apprehensive, but I'll be with a group of seriously good skiers, so it should be just fine.

There will be six skiers and at least one huskie, the blind version. Sonny and Don have two huskies, but I don't think they're coming along although I am certain that Marley, the skinnier and younger of the two, would love it. I'm going to try and talk them into bringing him. If we get stuck or stranded, it would be nice to have another huskie to eat cuddle up with.


Saturday, January 15, 2005
 
What about a Spark?

I think the photos and the mission to Titan are great.

I have a question though.

What happens when your entire atmosphere is drenched in methane and we throw a battery-powered toy in there and something in our toy causes a little spark of electricity?

Could we blow up it's entire atmosphere?

Surely, this must be a silly question, but methane is pretty flamable, right?

If the spark were further responsible for the development of life on Titan would that life grow up praying to us?


Monday, January 10, 2005
 
True Today

There's too much caffiene in my blood stream and a lack of real spice in my life.

I woke up in the middle of the night and again this morning completed soaked in sweat. I don't know if I had some sort of night fever or what, but I feel better now with four cups of coffee in the first 90 minutes of work.

It's a slow day at work, and I am trying to stay focused although I am apparently having only limited success.

We skied some pretty amazing snow off the t-bar at Breckenridge yesterday. More than once I hit patches that were knee deep. Good times.

Good Times is on my schedule for lunch today too.


Sunday, January 09, 2005
 
Pierced

I picked up a couple of new piercings this evening.

As, I discussed with the ghost this afternoon, I had a lot of shopping to do today. I spent alot of time driving around the city looking at cool stuff to spend money on. My sister and I did good time in Office Depot, Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, and DSW looking at digital camcorders, compact digital cameras, ultra-sized harddrives [Is there any drawback to me getting an internal drive? Office Depot had a 300GB internal Maxtor (might have been Western Digital) drive on sale for $149! Fitty sent a gig, as they like to say. Great deal. Why am I craving external?], and shoes.

Amazon's prices beat everyone by at least 10% on every item (shoes not included, no assembly required). Every high-end consumer-(highly-)discretionary, electronic product that we looked at was a better deal at Amazon. My sister will save $120 on her purchase. Plus they're giving you roughly 10% in credits toward future purchases, and they're still doing the free shipping. It was nice to have showrooms to go and test out the toys, though.

Grocery on the way home. Home for dinner. Salad for her; beer for me.

Yeah, we'll go as soon as this game's over.

Oh.

Overtime.

FUCK MARTY SCHOTTENHEIMER!

HA! HA! < / nelson >

Good game. Jets should have won anyway, were it not for #50's stupid, stupid, useless, pointless, and dumb hit on the quarterback. So, I was glad to see the rookie miss the kick. If he kills himself tonight the funeral will probably be on Tuesday with a viewing on Monday night to be carried live by ABC and hosted by John Madden and Al Michaels.

Check your local listings.

So, I can't really sit around and drink all of my sister's beers, so I hurry her along, and we head downtown. Upstairs for her, to Two Daughters, and downstairs for me.

Quick and expensive. --- Yeah, babeeee! That's how I like it!

Back upstairs to hang out with my sister. This is a seriously cool bar. Would you believe that that huge, gurgling, lava-lamp, thing behind the bar is actually a house-mix of 17 boozes and other stuff and that it is on tap?

Crazy-good too.

Skiing tomorrow if I can get myself up. No chance of figuring out how to set the VCR to record the game between now and then.

Tivo, I long for thee tonight.

Good night!


Sunday, January 02, 2005
 
Going Right

Bush won a second term even as he trended more conservative, more evangelistic, and more absolutist. If it's good for America, perhaps it's good for the Vatican too. Panzerkardinal is a beautiful word. German strikes me as a tough language, but it sure is neat when they have such stark terms that immediately transcend translation.


 
Mayor of the Sunset Strip

If you haven't seen this movie about Rodney Bingenheimer you should. The guy knows everybody even remotely linked to rock and roll in the past 40 years. He's lived a life of poverty and pussy while everyone around him was getting rich and famous. He has lived a great story and the movie does a good job telling it.

I loved the story of Elvis showing up at the Rodney's bar, The English Disco, with his DEA badge and a bag full of percodan.

Courtney Love does know a bit about rock and roll. I think her own tale seems a bit more tragic if her story that her father was the drug dealer to the Grateful Dead who gave her acid at 4 years old is actually true. It would sure explain some things. Her comment that Rodney, "gets the joke about almost every good band," is spot-on.

How fucking butch is Joan Jett? But man, those are some seriously sexy arms. She can pin me down any day.

Rodney introduced David Bowie to Los Angeles. Bowie comes across as a pretty cool guy. He has a line that goes something like, "It was far more hedonistic back then. I only remember the sex. I don't remember anything else about LA from back then." Yeah, they lived a good life. How about hanging out at a party with both Bowie and Neve Campbell?

I hadn't ever really noticed how hot Gwen Stefani is. Nancy Sinatra looks pretty good too.

It's funny that people still mistake Rodney for Davey Jones.

Rodney is said to have enjoyed, "an extraordinary posse of pussy."

Rodney used to live with Sonny and Cher and considers Cher a mother figure.

This was a great rock and roll movie that I'm betting many of my (multitudinous) readers will have already seen. But if you haven't and if you like music, I think you'll realy enjoy the movie. I've had it for a month from Netflix so that I could watch it twice. I only got about half-way through the extras as I tend to enjoy movies in an inebbriated state that doesn't always allow for extended viewing. Still, I promise you good stuff throughout.


 
Breckenridge

I skied Breckenridge for the first time this season on Friday. The mountain was packed with skiers and boarders on a beautiful sunny day during winter break. It was one of those days with Colorado-blue skies touched now and again with snow white clouds. The snow report said 3" in the past 24 and 7" in the past 48.

I'm pretty sure the snow report lied. I would give them 1" in 24 and maybe 4" in the last 48. The groomers looked nice and fast, but they were pretty crowded with tourist skiers.

Tourist skiers are dangerous. Someone died at Breckenridge Friday. I heard he hit a tree. I don't know if he was a tourist or if he was thrown off course by a tourist, but I do know that I saw way more people than normal skiing on runs beyond their level and way more people than normal skiing and stopping erratically.

Anyway, since Friday also marked the passing of another completed year for me, I had decided that I had better ski like a man. I hunted powder off the T-bar and through the trees along the northernmost border of the mountain with much success. I skied some big soft bumps. Twice, I followed the sunshine around a corner at a very high rate of speed only to have the slope drop off in front of me to a steep set of hard moguls. I skied 'em like a pro: straight through with knees bouncing (uhh, and arms flailing). I went to the south side and burned down the icy paths below Falcon. On the rollers heading down to the Independence Super Chair, I successfully landed the longest launch of my career. It was a fine day of fine skiing, so I rewarded myself with a big lunch and a half-bottle of wine at Ten Mile Station at the top.

After relaxing and planning out the rest of my day of skiing, I went out to find that one of my poles had been stolen. I have know way of knowing whether it was an intentional or an inadvertent act, but my pole was nowhere to be found. I skied down the mountain and went home.


 
I Know

I know I owe a bunch of you calls and emails.


 
Half Thoughts

* - I know why Alzheimers patients touch themselves. I can't explain it, exactly, but I know why.

* - When I turn 40, I'm moving to Manhattan and drinking myself to death.

* - I feel like everything about me is second-rate.

* - Wine for dinner, again.

* - Does "getting fucked-up" count as a hobby?

* - Sex is like communism: in the ideal it's perfect, in practice it's a little messier.

* - "The shit's chess, not checkers." Denzel Washington, Training Day

* - You can't spell NASCAR without scar. Alternatively: Putting the scar back in NASCAR.

* - I'm trailing off...


 
Happy New Year

I've been trying to convince myself to make some sort of public proclamation of a resolution promising to do something or other with regard to this blog in the new year, but I still don't quite know what I want out of this forum. I would like to write more fiction. I would like to write more stream-of-consciousness. I would like to write more entries more regularly. I would like to write deep, thought provoking, drivel that leaves you guffawing. I would like to improve my use of metaphor and allegory while reducing my dependence on and fascination with alliteration. I want to better capture the random musings that occur to me throughout the day and especially in the evening when I relax and let my mind think grand and random thoughts. I want to post more pictures and fewer links. I make no promises or formal resolutions, but those are some of the things that I want to work on this year.