Saturday, May 30, 2015

A collection of Xanga Blog Posts (for posterity) - Part 2

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 18:42:18

Sometimes I'm concerned that we're just hemorrhaging money

This morning I told my bosses at work that I'm leaving/not coming back. I also left some Bukowski inside a notepad. This is another entry to my list of things to find later and think "who would do such a thing?" 
you've got to
get rid of
false friends and
bloodsuckers first
before they
destroy you.

P.S. I think that women can sense a man who is taken
and decide if there is a single other woman on earth
that will put up with that man,
that man must be the hot hot shit.


Sun, 15 Apr 2007 17:30:40

    “When Hemingway killed himself he put a period at the end of his life; old age is more like a semicolon,” Kurt Vonnegut said in 2005.
    “My father, like Hemingway, was a gun nut and was very unhappy late in life. But he was proud of not committing suicide. And I’ll do the same, so as not to set a bad example for my children.”


Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:02:28

That whole Aaron Carpenter thing, yeah, a joke. But now I have a banjo and I can say that. Screw you eBay. Cheers, Craigslist.


Wed, 28 Mar 2007 14:48:59

Parts I'm leaving behind

Last night at work I was remembering the days of fanfic. At least, the days I consumed and created fan fiction on a variety of odd topics. For example, does anyone else remember the stories devoted to the Evils of Barney that Purple Dinosaur? No? I'm the only one? Hmm. Well, with that in mind, I've put together my 5 favorite views of Chicago. Let me know what you think:

1)Viewed from the CTA Orange Line between Halsted and Roosevelt
 - Looking north over abandoned pagoda-style park benches along the south branch of the chicago river, this is my personal favorite. It makes me feel like a tourist again approaching this malevolent unknown of Chicago.
 - Ideal weather condition: clear day, snow on the ground
2) North Lake Shore Drive headed south between Division and the 35mph curve parallel with Oak
 - This view of the north end of the skyline with the Hancock Building arching over the Drake is like living in a movie. Wheres my DoP when I need him?
 - Ideal weather condition: clear day, sunny, weekend morning is best for looking and not bumping into other cars.
3) 90/94 going north just past Cermak
 - Exactly like being alone in a room full of strangers.
 - Ideal weather condition: see view #2
4) South Lake Shore Drive from Roosevelt to the curve just past Monroe
 - This sweeping eastern panorama over Grant and Millenium Parks gradually reveals the Eastern skyline and the museum campus.
5) Atop Route 66 on the hill southwest of LaGrange Road
 - Ideal weather condition: a morning of rain followed by low western clouds at sunset. The sun blazing off the Sears Tower is all you need to remember that you aren't in a town, you're in a suburb of Chicago.

Runners up:
Leaving Navy Pier
 - Ideal weather condition: a light fog at night gives you a very real idea of how tall these buildings are, from Lake Point Tower and in.
South Lake Shore Drive
 - From the bicycle turnout on E. 51st street, Chicago is like a distant dream of summer.
 - Ideal weather condition: sunny afternoon, slightly hazy.


Tue, 27 Mar 2007 18:06:38

This weekend, we went to see 300 in the Imax downtown. This was pretty sweet, plus we saw it with Derek and Jill. This led to some inappropriate shouting and such. Movie screens sometimes have little ads and trivia before hand. One said "What is the world's largest untapped resource?". Derek and I were arguing about the answer loudly. I said "I bet it's Imax." He thought that it was Imax, rather. The answer surprised us both. Women. "Women?!" we blurted out a bit too loud and incredulously. Jill thinks we're idiots. The man taking tickets said "Your seat number is at the top of your ticket." I told him mine just said 300 on it and was that my seat? He actually moved tiredly over to help me before I had time to explain to him that it was just a joke. Probably more of the reason Jill thinks I'm an idiot.


Fri, 23 Mar 2007 17:24:21

Friday rain-in nap dreams tell me:
- don't try to sneak rolls of quarters into a courthouse
- don't try to sneak cell phone chargers into a courthouse
- "He's rounded the bases, judge.", "Hmm? oh, uh, case dismissed.."


Wed, 14 Mar 2007 22:10:22

I'm back from work.

Addendum: Damn eBay. Sniped with 4-seconds to go on a banjo that's most-likely older than I am. Aaron Carpenter still owes me one, too. But I did find this piece of bad -assery (Is bad-assery a word? Rachel thinks it should be, and I find it's healthiest to agree vehemently):


Fri, 09 Mar 2007 14:39:29

and my ears are still ringing

Thursday night: Metro: all ages: doors opened at six, and to paraphrase Mark Twain, the trouble began at 6:30.
First band: The Tossers
- Traditional new-Irish punk band, beloved by the Pogues' Spider Stacy. Though possessing the instrument-holding potential of an orchestra, the highest point of this band would have to be bass player Dan Shaw, who though delicately beating the crap out of a 6-string Ibanez ("what kind of asshole has a six-string bass?" queried one stoner to another immediately after the set), held both more energy and more attention than the rest of the seven-member band combined. Rebecca Manthe, the fiddle player, quietly played on stage with her eyes closed, perhaps in concentration, perhaps in boredom. What is the difference between a fiddle and a violin? You aren't afraid to spill whiskey on your fiddle. This seems to tie right in with the band's modus operendi, as Tony Duggins, the vocalist and mandolin player was often too smashed to remember the song titles, but though they played perhaps ten songs, he did remember to toast the audience with his beer at least 13 times. The band's set sounded remarkably like one long song, interspersed with 15-second gaps. The marriage of "traditional irish folk music and punk ethos", as quoted from the Tossers sampler may be lively, but the children of this coming-together sound mostly the same.

Very special guests: Murder by Death
- This quartet from Bloomington, Indiana is difficult to categorize. Their set included songs from all three of their full-length albums, along with the corresponding mood and style of each. Opening the set with a fog-spurting machine set behind a simple box fan, cellist/pianist Sarah Balliet began to writhe in time with the drums and didn't stop until the close, The Medley of Evil; a combination of the two instrumental tracks, Those Who Left and Those Who Stayed, from their first LP: Like the Exorcist, but More Breakdancing, here an astonishing and cathartic closer. Adam Turla, singer and guitarist, alternated the set between the two most recent albums, In Bocca Al Lupo and Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them?. Beginning with the Johnny Cash sounding braggadocio Sometimes the Line Walks You and moving directly into A Masters in Reverse Psychology, Turla demonstrated how he could just as easily write a song from a jail cell on the morning after as from a small Mexican town locked in a turf war with the Devil Himself. This transition repeated itself immediately with the next pairing of Boy Decide and The Desert is on Fire. The next four tracks were a showcase of the diversity of the most recent album, from Dynamite Mine, where bassist Matt Armstrong directed the crowd percussion mutely, then motioned those who couldn't follow his lead out of the room, to One More Notch, one of the newer pirate-style vocal pieces. The Big Sleep, a death-row apology to wife and child was then made sibling to the Boss-Nebraskaesque paen to family values, Brother. Creep-rock piece Until Morale Improves, the Beatings Will Continue wound down the set list only to bring it to its staggering conclusion with the Two Evils, the aforementioned instrumental slow-breakdown. 

Headliner: The Reverend Horton Heat
- This set was prefaced by Tobin Bawinkel of local band Flatfoot 56 wandering over and informing me that the Rev's new drummer, Paul Simmons, used to play for Petra. Though nearly identical in appearance to overrated Hollywood big name/douche Owen Wilson, Simmons made up for this unfortunate twist of fate with some heart-felt double bass extended-drum solo rockin'. The Reverend sidled up to the front of the stage in, appropriately for what was to immediately follow, a orange-flamed, white-leather smoking jacket and picked up his signature Gretsch model the G6120RHH. The sound was intense, the pace driving, and the antics, frantic. Whether taking turns standing on the upright bass with rightful owner Jimbo Wallace or pulling Spinal Tap moves and gunning down the audience with a raging solo, the Reverend played like a man possessed. Possessed and haunted. Armed with his tired smile, the Reverend Horton Heat, real name Jim Heath, allowed an average of 2 seconds to pass between songs in the first half of the set list. Heath has both the tired look of a worldy and wise uncle, and that of a man on the run. The speed at which he plays and the unwillingness to sit between songs send out a vibe of familiarity with his own mortality that I haven't felt since Dylan's '62 self-titled album. The Reverend played a first half, took a 2 minute break to tune and doff the jacket, then settled right back in. This half was slower, louder, and fan-request driven. Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues has never been more alive, or more mosh-worthy. Nor for that fact, in a moment of crowd indecision, has Greensleeves. The fraternity between Heath and Wallace is obvious, but the motionless, mirthless way Heath watched Simmons' drum breakdown was as clear as a slap in the face. Heath makes no false pretenses about love for modern drummers even going as far as declaiming their shortcomings on his MySpace page. That considered, they played every song I knew from them, which though isn't encyclopedic, included Bales of Cocaine, Eat Steak, Big Red Rocket of Love, Slow, 400 Bucks, as well as memorable songs, though new to me, such as Jezebel, Where in the Hell Did You Go With My Toothbrush?, Bad Reputation, One Time for Me, Now Right Now, Jimbo Song, Big Little Baby, Galaxy 500, and Wiggle Stick. The End, that's it, go see these bands, they're playing again tonight at the Metro.


Tue, 06 Mar 2007 18:46:06

Favorite part of my taxes

Either Credit for Alcohol used as Fuel, the Kidnapped Child Clause, or the inability to deduct an illegal operation from your taxes.
Here's a pretty obscure quote from the Schedule A Instructions: "Certain whaling captains may be able to deduct expenses paid in 2006 for Native Alaskan Subsistence bowhead whaling activities."
Also you aren't allowed to deduct the value of blood that you gave at a blood bank. (I would have made more of an effort this year)
Yessir, reading through the schedule A instructions would have to be the best part, since this year:

I MUST PAY!

Though of course I will still be telling the girls at work about my $5150 refund...


Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:49:20

Picture Post



Tue, 27 Feb 2007 17:28:52

The worst parts about work, aren't the bloody stools

At work
Me: Do you ever listen to Jackson Browne?
Other nurse: Only when..."I feel good!"
Me: ..... So, that's a no, then?
Other nurse: "Duna nuna nuna nunt!"


Mon, 19 Feb 2007 20:18:34

Lay me down in sheets of linen, I had a busy day.

I was arrested for the first time when I was 24. The circumstances that led up to this point were soft and slow, gentle. I had had a hard night at work. Medicinal leeches. Learning to ride an IV pole down the hallway like a strange combination of a skateboard, the furious and distinctly youthful exhilaration of a Ramones song, and the first unicycle invented by a cave-man. Now, when the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn had appeared, I was preparing to leave. But something was holding me back. Something unfinished. An old woman, one of my patients at the hospital where I worked as a nurse, was giving up her last ounce of energy. This wasn't a first for me to be in the room when someone breathed their last. But it was a very close second. An hour later I found myself at home in bed; the drive, inconsequential, unmemorable, unworthy of my feverish attention. I slept for nearly an hour before the phone woke me. My younger brother was on his way over to my flat. We had agreed previously to go out looking for suits that day. This was to be the first attempt made at leaving the apartment for this purpose. 
A few months earlier, the registration on my car had expired and the state I was currently living in, Illinois, couldn't be bothered to send me a renewal notice. I had registered my new address with them months before. I had also boasted to friends that I was going to try and make it until May when I was moving out of the state and driving to the west coast with all of my belongings. At the time, this seemed like a goal both lofty and novel. So when the police cruiser pulled in immediately behind my car on the way to the shop, I got a sick feeling like that immediately following a sprint after a long hiatus from any sort of cardiac exercise. Later I remarked to my brother, "I should have just made a right turn at that light."
He said, "Yeah, there's always thoughts like that." Lights on. Mostly blues and yellows. Very few reds. Following the standard non-chase procedure, the officer and I exchanged such pleasantries as, "Do you know if your license is suspended?" and, "No." My brother later told me he thought the arrest was weak, soft. I told him when it came to our family record, he and I were just pedestrians in the game of trouble with the law. In the back of the squad car, I looked back at my brother following us to the station and thought to myself, 'My camera is on the front seat. I wish he would get a picture.' There wasn't a lot of room for moving my legs in the back of the car on account of the equipment bundled into the dash. The cop, Officer Murray, remarked that my brother and I looked more like twins than he and his actual twin brother, non-officer Murray. Down at the station I was given a trial date, posted bail and we went home. I was badly shaken as was my brother, whose registration also showed an expiration date of the previous year. The muscle tension in my shoulders was giving me shivers. I tried to lay down, but the twitching was too much to allow me to sit still. I suggested a footrace to the nearest stop sign. Neither of us knew how far away it was, only that it was beyond the sight of my third floor apartment. He suggested a wager, but I declined. I was through running for glory. 
((fiction)?)


Wed, 14 Feb 2007 14:46:33 -05:00

For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese
his make.


Wed, 07 Feb 2007 20:16:27

Anyone else hate ASIMO?
The power of dreams indeed.


Tue, 06 Feb 2007 15:25:32

The only thing less dignified than a serial killer who races after his prey is one who does it while hiccupping like a bitch.


Sun, 04 Feb 2007 16:36:22

quack, Quack, QUACK!

Small breakfast menu pleasures:
- minimum two people per boot
- Egg Beatings.....add $1.00

Once again, our hearts and our minds turn to sports. Today is that day which is mightiest in all American television viewing: The Super Bowl. We cheer for our lovable losers and hope against oddmaker hope that they can pull through like some sort of miraculous footballing Mighty Ducks. Which brings me to my point: Disney movies promote child abuse. A lot of children's sports movies do this, but I postulate that Disney is the main transgressor. A motley crew of mismatched, single-skilled, child actors are engaged in a battle royale against not only the odds of beating the better, larger, and usually more fashionably-uniformed squad, but the opposing team's soccer-mom parents as well. These parents have gotten up at 5am for years to drive their child prodigies to practice. The kind of years of dedication that will hone their child's skills, but more importantly make them evil; the desire to win seeming disproportionate to the team camaraderie. Then, in spite of their own fortitude and persistence, as well as paternal devotion, they lose the " big game" to the underdogs. The repercussions can and must include: beatings. So there it is: quack, Quack, QUACK!, instead of a rallying paean for your favorite band of loveable losers, has actually come to signal the cries of twice-trounced children: once by their opponents, and then again by their own disappointed, frustrated parents. View wisely.


Thu, 01 Feb 2007 19:48:54

Marissa has never seen Blues Brothers. Somebody help her out, please. I was describing it to her and went kinda like this:
nitrojunkie2 (4:41:58 PM): it was on the blues brothers
nitrojunkie2 (4:42:07 PM): that was really cab calloway singing it
junkfood1221 (4:42:14 PM): i never saw that movie
nitrojunkie2 (4:42:24 PM): wha?
nitrojunkie2 (4:42:33 PM): (or rather)
nitrojunkie2 (4:42:39 PM): G'WHAA?
junkfood1221 (4:43:04 PM): no no
junkfood1221 (4:43:12 PM): none of this g'words
junkfood1221 (4:43:29 PM): i just haven't seen it
nitrojunkie2 (4:43:51 PM): that is unpardonable
nitrojunkie2 (4:43:57 PM): you freaking live in chicago
junkfood1221 (4:44:21 PM): no i don't
junkfood1221 (4:44:34 PM): i'm southwest of it.
nitrojunkie2 (4:45:53 PM): I don't wanna hear it
junkfood1221 (4:45:59 PM): sorry
junkfood1221 (4:46:04 PM): i just never saw it, is all.
junkfood1221 (4:46:08 PM): :-/
nitrojunkie2 (4:46:08 PM): don't be sorry, see that freakin movie
nitrojunkie2 (4:47:52 PM): ask aaron
nitrojunkie2 (4:47:58 PM): maybe he'll rent it for you
nitrojunkie2 (4:48:01 PM): if he doesn't have it
junkfood1221 (4:48:02 PM): okay?
junkfood1221 (4:48:04 PM): haha
nitrojunkie2 (4:48:32 PM): I mean
nitrojunkie2 (4:48:35 PM): I MEAN
nitrojunkie2 (4:48:39 PM): john belushi
nitrojunkie2 (4:48:42 PM): dan akroyd
nitrojunkie2 (4:48:44 PM): chicago
nitrojunkie2 (4:48:47 PM): Nazi's
nitrojunkie2 (4:48:56 PM): car chases in malls
junkfood1221 (4:48:56 PM): what?
junkfood1221 (4:49:00 PM): hmm
nitrojunkie2 (4:49:06 PM): bazookas!
junkfood1221 (4:49:10 PM): well, see, i'll get around to it eventually
nitrojunkie2 (4:49:12 PM): carrie fischer
junkfood1221 (4:49:16 PM): bleh
nitrojunkie2 (4:49:26 PM): bleh what?
nitrojunkie2 (4:49:32 PM): nuns
nitrojunkie2 (4:49:35 PM): cab calloway
nitrojunkie2 (4:49:44 PM): wearing sunglasses at night!
nitrojunkie2 (4:49:56 PM): ray charles
nitrojunkie2 (4:50:00 PM): aretha franklin
nitrojunkie2 (4:50:10 PM): John Lee Hooker!
junkfood1221 (4:50:17 PM): oh boy
junkfood1221 (4:50:20 PM): all these people
nitrojunkie2 (4:50:26 PM): see that freakin film!

Incidentally, in 1941 Cab Calloway fired Dizzie Gillespie from his Orchestra after an onstage fracas erupted when Calloway was hit with spitballs. He wrongly accused Gillespie, who stabbed Calloway with a surreptitious knife.

Seriously, that's jazz baby.

Songs I forgot: Fear Factory - Cars and Descent from 1999's Obsolete


Tue, 30 Jan 2007 20:43:57

look, I don't have a lot new to say
I've been watching Dave Chapelle
and reading Henry Miller
and downloading old Jawbreaker albums
can you understand why I feel self-conscious?


Sat, 20 Jan 2007 14:50:30

Hey! I found the New Years pictures on Curt's camera when I was working on FettHenge. Awesome. An hour of power AND a Lord of the Rings marathon. The only thing that could have made it better was curly fries. And if you jerks had showed up. That would have been cool too. 


Mon, 15 Jan 2007 13:55:36

Thundercats Ho!

Thanks to Scott, I can now catch up on my childhood cartoons online. It is a bit of a shame that the site doesn't offer My Little Ponies. That was one kick ass cartoon. But Thundercats is a pretty awesome start. All the animation style is still familiar because it was done by Rankin and Bass, the guys who brought you the animated Hobbit. (which I have, incidentally) I have yet to figure out why the credits list a psychiatric consultant. Anyone have any ideas, snarf, snarf? 


Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:45:46

A little late, but perhaps now more complete, we have:

JON'S DEATH LIST 2006

now unlike a wish list, these items require no further effort on my part, so without further ado, 
Syd Barrett, Aaron Spelling, Slobodan Milosevic, 
Kirby Puckett, Don Knotts, Peter Benchley, 
Betty Friedan, Coretta Scott King, Lou Rawls, 
James Brown, Gerald Ford, Robert Altman, 
Jack Palance, Steve Irwin, Maynard Ferguson, 
Ed Bradley, Wilson Pickett, James Bastien,
Gerald Levert, and most recently Saddam Hussein.

These were all people I knew personally and who will be severely missed. 

Ahem-dum: three more songs I forgot until today:
The Presidents of the United States of America: Video Killed the Radio Star
The Presidents of the United States of America: Cleveland Rocks
The Refreshments: King of the Hill theme song


Sat, 06 Jan 2007 18:33:59

10 Moments to Live For

1)Ours - Fallen Souls 2:59
2)Elliott Smith - Everything Means Nothing to Me 1:15-1:17
3)Damien Rice - I Remember 3:16
4)Weezer - Holiday 0:02
5)Boston - Something About You 0:28
6)Postal Service - This Place is a Prison 2:19
7)Radiohead - Just 2:25
8)Onelinedrawing - We Had a Deal 3:14
9)Smashing Pumpkins - Silverfuck 6:47
10)Chingon - Malaguena Salerosa 3:26

These are all moments in no particular order that I wait for in the song. They are absolutely the reason I like any of these bands. There are runners up of course, but those moments just make me drive like a jerk. Here is a small sampling:
11)The Anniversary - All Things Ordinary 0:11, The D in Detroit 0:09
12)Hopesfall - Far Pavilions 0:32
13)NOFX - The Decline 0:28, etc.
14)Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear the Reaper 2:44
15)Brand New - The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows 3:12
16)Bright Eyes - Road to Joy 3:02
17)New Bomb Turks - Defiled 2:38
18)Counting Crows - Catapult 0:12
19)The Damned - Democracy 0:08
20)Deftones - Change 0:44, 1:40, 3:01
21)Dream Theater - The Glass Prison 0:49
22)Foo Fighters - New Way Home 3:59
23)Hum - Stars 3:52
24)Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast 1:37
25)Sufjan Stevens - The Dress Looks Nice on You 1:00
26)King Missile - Detachable Penis 0:16
27)Minus the Bear - Let's Play Guitar in a Five Guitar Band 0:59, etc.
28)Modest Mouse - Shit Luck (every time Isaac yells something)
29)Nick Cave - Loverman 0:57, etc.

This of course discounts the whole sleep metal genre such as 
Explosions in the Sky - Greet Death
Mogwai - Ratts in the Capitol

but that is on purpose, as most of said music is written specifically to make me drive like a jerk. Feel free to add your own. I haven't finished the list, but again, it may never be complete. Such is the way of the list. 


Sat, 30 Dec 2006 23:52:01

The State that I am In

I was awoken from a dead sleep
by someone with the voice of a telemarketer
but she was actually calling back to let me know
she has Zelda: Majora's Mask

oh I was so touched
I was moved to kick the crutches from my crippled friend

I chatted her up for 20 minutes
apparently we both collect old N64 games
then she called her boyfriend a geek
for having a lot of stuff

I said, 'oh, aren't we all'
then Lee called from a truckstop in Arizona
'I'm on my way to Vegas'
he's so money, he doesn't even know it.

addendum: today I have outlived Cliff Burton by 45 days and if I live just 19 days more, I shall outlive the Noteworthy B.I.G. Thank you deadoraliveinfo.com


Wed, 27 Dec 2006 19:53:43


holy crap is it sweet to make it to midway and back in 49 minutes.
I saw gambling billboards 
and I had the time to notice the small print.
Have a gambling problem? Call 1800-GAMBLER
does it direct them to the nearest casino?
that could be counterproductive otherwise..

Oh, and this is the airline Rachel is taking South. Note the Chicago cops. That's right, that's Midway, the airport she is flying from.
P.S. I was inspired to make art, I'll put the others on my other page:


Tue, 26 Dec 2006 12:36:01

swagloot

Sweet mother of Christmas:
Grab on to Me Tightly as if I Knew the Way - Bryan Charles
Won't Let Go Until You Bless Me - Andree Seu
The Best American Nonrequired Reading of 2006 - intro by Matt Groening
The Best American Comics of 2006 - intro by Harvey Pekar
Ask the Dust - John Fante
Wait Until Spring, Bandini - John Fante
The Royal Tenenbaums 
Rushmore
King Kong Ext. Ed.
Ebow Plus
Strap-loks
family photo
Jay Ryan t-shirt
Jay Ryan print (signed)
Dutch language course

this will significantly reduce my shopping cart on Amazon. another great year of nothing to return.


Thu, 21 Dec 2006 09:15:39

forgot somemore

Like I said originally. The 90's list isn't really ever done. I found a whole other album I'd forgotten (Stone Temple Pilots 1999 No. 4) which had three singles: Down, Sour Girl, and No Way Out. Which of course reminded me of their excellent Zeppelin cover of Dancing Days on Encomium in 1995. Yeah, I know. Screw me. But you didn't remind me either...


Fri, 15 Dec 2006 10:04:12

who are those good looking people?

and why do they always end up at this site instead?
P.S. Sarah, we owe you more than a $4 suitcase


Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:50:13 -05:00

dreamy

I woke up this morning because I was attacked by dogs. 
Big dogs. 
German shepherds.
What a terrible dream.

So I looked up what to do online.
I think I'm ready 
for when it happens 
for real. 

I watched a German shepherd
pull a man out of a van
in motion
because the window was open

I watched another German shepherd
jump over a compact car
in one leap to attack a man.
Who thinks this is a good idea?


Mon, 11 Dec 2006 09:30:34

For their rock is not as our Rock

Ok, so there is this really insane group of people. Maybe not insane, maybe fundamentalist is a better word. But insane conveys the obsession that these pages are created with.  
is a collection of dead rock stars, time of death, band, yadda, yadda. embedded into an altar call. 
For kicks try the "choose death" and "reject" buttons at the bottoms of the first and second pages respectively. 
I think also that some of them are incorrect, eg. I believe Rob Pilatus killed himself. And possibly also Brian Jones was murdered, but that is, of course, purely theoretical.
And don't blame me if you get converted.


Thu, 07 Dec 2006 19:32:44

Tonight's Dinner:
Thanksgiving Leftover Tacos
Leftover turkey (salted)
Leftover stuffing (salted)
Two slices of cheddar cheese

heat it all up
wrap it in a tortilla

Pretty damn good for being 4 of the last 6 things in the fridge.

Gift Wrap Ideas:
used blueprints (2008)
maps (2007)
brown paper tied with string (2006)
Chinese menus (2005)
old movie posters (2004)
Sunday comics (before that)


Thu, 07 Dec 2006 16:05:51

F U Chicago
and your supposed love of music
you don't love musicians.

F U Chicago
for everything being so spread out
for tollways and tow zones
and nowhere to park.

F U Chicago
"face for radio" means
don't put DJs on billboards.

F U Chicago
for being a personable city
only when compared to New York.


Sun, 03 Dec 2006 09:35:11

Sorry if my voice is hoarse

Curt and I were having a shouting match about who should do the Hobbit if Peter Jackson doesn't drop his lawsuit. This is what we came up with. Though I don't know if any of you really are as obsessed as we two geeks.

Director: combine Spielberg's scope with Burton's tendency towards the darker elements.
Gandalf and Elrond are holdovers: Ian McKellan, Hugo Weaving
Bilbo: nothing coming here, Ian Holm is too old now, everybody we discuss is a poor fit
Thorin: can't remember what we decided
Bombur: Louie Anderson (the only other dwarf an audience will remember)
Beorn: Lawrence Makoare
Lord of the Eagles: James Earl Jones
Gollum: Andy Serkis (and any other odd characters eg. trolls, spiders)
the Elf King: Christopher Lee or possibly Robert Plant
the two drunken elves: Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd
the Town Master at Lake Town: Alan Rickman
Bard: Karl Urban
Smaug: this has been the longest discussion though various accents have been discussed. Possibly Alan Rickman or Anthony Hopkins (british acc.) Jean Reno (french acc.) Bruno Ganz (german acc.) Kevin Spacey (american acc.) Chef Paul Prudhomme (cajun acc.?)

We were taking it pretty serious. Yelling, some might say. But suggestions are welcome. Heather just said, "are you still discussing that?"


Fri, 01 Dec 2006 17:00:58

Holy crap
It finally snowed;
Snowing hair and dandruff 
All into my trashcan

Found I enjoy 
Eating in restaurants
That I'll never be able
To find again

Christmas shopping
Mostly done.
Just no idea what to get
The man who has everything

Went to the store 
In shorts, beater,
Sandals
Lee, I just know you wimped out.
Again.


Wed, 29 Nov 2006 19:39:35

90's List (cont.)

I think it's done. With the recent addition of Supercharger Heaven by White Zombie and those INXS albums. I think it's finally done. Of course, it's not. More songs will always come up. I'll post it on my angelfire page. Because I can embed documents there, but not here on xanga. Go there for the link http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/dehaan/understatement.html/
(shudder) Like I told me sister, this was my life's calling. 5 years of work. And now it's all downhill. 


Tue, 28 Nov 2006 10:31:32

this doesn't happen often, but it has
I've discovered an entire band that I've neglected to cover at all in the 90s list
this is why the list is never going to be finished

band I forgot: INXS
Suicide Blonde, Disappear 1990
Beautiful Girl 1992
The Strangest Party (These Are the Times) 1994


Mon, 27 Nov 2006 10:28:52

if I were a good man,
I'd understand the spaces between friends


Mon, 27 Nov 2006 10:09:04

ridiculous kid

don't get so wound up
I was driving to work last night thinking you were crazy for wanting to marry me
you do the cooking
and the clean-up
and all I do is eat and mess and irritate
and look for things to try and make up for it


Thu, 23 Nov 2006 14:06:19

"I found myself back in the sepulchral city resenting
the sight of people hurrying through the streets to
filch a little money from each other, to devour their 
infamous cookery, to gulp their unwholesome beer,
to dream their insignificant and silly dreams.
They trespassed upon my thoughts. They were
intruders whose knowledge of life was to me
an irritating pretense, because I felt so sure they
could not possibly know the things I know.
Their bearing, which was simply the bearing of 
commonplace individuals going about their business
in the assurance of perfect safety, was offensive
to me like the outrageous flauntings of folly
in the face of a danger it is unable to comprehend.
I had no particular desire to enlighten them,
but I had some difficulty in restraining myself
from laughing in their faces so full of 
stupid importance."

- Joseph Conrad

which is to say, I'm back.


Mon, 20 Nov 2006 11:21:16

Tomorrow I fly to Portland. Everyone at work is wishing me good luck on my trip to Seattle. I just say thanks. The Beowulf/9 Stories project has come to a shrieking halt. I'm pretty excited/pretty nervous. Time to find a job, a house, a local thrift. A Powell's nearby never hurt. I just want to take a moment to call all of you suckers. And next time you want to visit Portland, let me know. Suckers.

Song I forgot: Supercharger Heaven - White Zombie (1995)


Thu, 16 Nov 2006 15:49:21

just one more firebomb, please Mom

what an adventure 
another thing I can never 
forgive the city of Chicago for

you tow Rachel's car
before the sign says tow zone
and write it a ticket once you get it to the lot

the woman at the used book store
asks how we are
"Terrible, but we're here to get better"

eight beer samples later 
at the Rock Bottom Brewery
I find my panacea by mixing the stout and the lite

we meet a guy that sells me a pedal
a worse audiophile than me
Rachel says we talked for an hour

went to a chemistry lecture on conversion of polystyrene to PHA
(polyhydroxyalkalinate) and one on how drinking beer is good for the planet
Lee would be interested, plus beer and pizza were served in the classroom

Lee, I saved you all the notes
but none of the beer
some of it was in cans

and we had to find a parking spot in uptown chicago 
for each of these things
another thing I can never forgive the city for.


Mon, 13 Nov 2006 22:22:51

I woke up from a dream

I had just won a million dollars
and the rest of the dream was me figuring out how I need to spend it
I woke up right after I realized
that a million would never be enough

now I have to reconcile that with my daydream
of feeding Jay Leno raw vegetables and salad
until he dies

song I forgot: Big Gun by AC/DC (1993)


Sat, 11 Nov 2006 17:20:30

I saw you standing in the window as the train pulled out of the station.

Don't look so sad.

You never notice me watching you as you get in your car and leave.


Sat, 11 Nov 2006 17:23:19

Ok, so last night was caffeine mixer night. Which, in retrospect is ugh. I had something called monster assault in a 24 ounce can because it was 3 times the amount of a red bull for 1.5 times the price. It didn't taste that much different than red bull. Neither did this morning. As I said, ugh. The can even said consume responsibly. Limit yourself to two cans per day. Not recommended for children, pregnant women, or those sensitive to caffeine. How could I have thought that was a good idea?

It did occur to me though that the time for grand gestures and macrosculpture is really gone. Can you imagine the local uprising there would be if someone tried to install something as permanent as the Eiffel tower in your neighborhood? What about the Statue of Liberty? Don't even get me started on the Colossus of Rhodes. People complain too much. There is too much grassroots nonsense over things like this and things of lesser significance to ever have this type of project again. But once they are installed, people in those neighborhoods couldn't imagine not having them there and landlords tend to charge more to rent in the neighborhood. I can't even compare Christo and Jeanne Claude to this despite the efforts people put up to fight them due to the transitory nature of their projects. So good people, stop fighting things that don't seem so nice in the short term. Think long term. Do you think in 4 years, you'll remember who you voted for this last week? Point taken? ok.


Thu, 09 Nov 2006 13:58:28

box-top confession

outside there's a guy mowing the road in front of his house.


Sat, 04 Nov 2006 17:15:21

along your lips now

and I go "oh. wow."

tonight was the go-away old boss party
I had 5 beers 
sang some karaoke 
and drove home

you would be too embarrassed to admit you sang:
Have You Ever Seen the Rain
Wooly Bully
Walk on the Wild Side
Brown Eyed Girl
Don't Tell My Heart
Mony Mony
American Woman
Sultans of Swing
and
Bittersweet Symphony

but I am not
and I am home in one piece 
ready to continue the party 
but there is no one here

come
remedy this travesty
I await a drinking buddy
or at least some one who can harmonize with James Taylor


Wed, 01 Nov 2006 17:45:06

you laugh at every joke

today was another cancer seminar
pretty soon, i too will be able to cure it
i sure hope so
after all this lecturing

the woman with the broad mouth
and the long thin lips
said hello to me
i felt bad for calling her toad mouth behind her back

the frustration of neighbors and loneliness
things get broken
i dreamed about snow and it felt alright
so i made a cross out of beer cans

but praying to it only got the sidewalk salted
i wonder if that's more accurate
than checking the weather report
i have to get out of here

every day is a hurry
i don't have the time i used to
and i don't know why
but i'm ready for november now

and i'm ready for may 
immediately afterwards


Mon, 30 Oct 2006 22:57:10

This isn't a long walk

but it took me 3 hours
and it was raining
and I don't know what I was looking for
but I'm pretty sure I didn't find it

I did find a Lexus with a tiny scrolling marquee
above the license plate
and I did find a guy who said,
"hey buddy, do you have a minute to talk about gay rights?"

I said,
"No, do you know where TJ Maxx is?"
He said no,
but he would help me if he could.

Sometimes you just start crossing streets when the light is green
if its red you turn and cross the other way.
this never gets you anywhere.

updayt: November 8 is Harvey Wallbanger Day


Tue, 24 Oct 2006 10:34:26

I hope I don't sound too ungrateful

What history gave modern men
the telephone to talk to strangers,
the machine gun and the camera lens

I remember almost exacly 3 years ago, my life was changed for what I thought was the worse by one phone call. 
I remember thinking it right as soon as I hung up.
This isn't what I had planned.
You could say it turned out alright for me in the end. 
i'm still angry though

I made a phone call this morning that will more than likely get someone fired.
I realized it before I dialed.
Several people know the situation and have tried to console me.
I have to remember that things will turn out alright if they are meant to.
i still feel terrible

non timetis messer


Mon, 23 Oct 2006 15:12:44

One year of Honda

including all costs $2.19 per mile
including only oil changes, gasoline, and insurance to simulate next year $.27 per mile. Want to know more? 


Thu, 19 Oct 2006 13:54:51

you freaking bastards

wretched
just wretched

I don't know how many of you remember Brian VDVeen
but he was hit by a stolen car after attempting to stop a robbery
this guy is responsible single-handedly for the "gallon o' vodka" incident
as well as the "sliding on the job" incident
that goofy slacker that everybody liked

my day is shot...


Wed, 18 Oct 2006 19:36:33

sorry
I guess I should specify
the hair does get cut
once the snow comes

and stays...

and seriously
could you ever use the phrase,
"circling the drain"
to describe someone about to die?
didn't think so

thanks for trying though sarah
jill I know you said that
cause you hate the longhairs
but thats ok
I'm tired of hippies too


Wed, 18 Oct 2006 00:57:52

sorry I've been boring
there are a lot of things I'm dealing with
a lot of things I've heard and
have to deal with soon

but on the upside
3 doctors in one week
seemed to fix me
right up

now I actually have homework
and I am ignoring it
as Jill said:
goodbye class, I hope I never see you again

thanks Jillian for unwittingly giving
life to my unborn sentiment

everybody wish hard for snow
I'm tired of this hair


Tue, 10 Oct 2006 22:01:44

RAGs to RADs

"Yeah, you were right, and it's a whopper."
"Not really that common at all among men."
"Just in case you want to follow up on this."...
not the sort of thing you want to hear from a doctor of medicine.
but I'm alright.
God bless ciprofloxacin.


Mon, 02 Oct 2006 11:08:48

no one I know is posting

does this mean that everyone I know is boring?
does this entitle me to belittle them like that?
am I just sad and lonely?
would me writing inspire you to write more?

or should I just stop checking your pages on a daily basis?
Derek is 22 today. 
22 years ago a fetus became
either the best or worst thing to ever happen to a kid
in his terrible twos.
I brought him beer and Bukowski
He said once when we were quite young
drinking frozen lemonade concentrate on the back stoop
I can't wait till we're old enough to drink beer
I don't know why I remember that
but I like the feeling of growing up together,
the inclusivity 
that it gives me.


Thu, 28 Sep 2006 22:33:42

bugs all under my skin, all over my desk

Tonight's drink recipe includes:
1/2 can of pineapple chunks with syrup
1 1/2 cups Crystal Light raspberry lemonade
1 1/2 cups oranje juice
1 1/2 cups white grape/peach juice
1 1/2 cups sweet and sour mix
1/2 cup triple sec
fill the rest of the blender with vodka
blend
serve over ice
nice.


Thu, 21 Sep 2006 14:00:20

copyright violation

Setlist for the show Monday night

Isis:
played only 4 songs: 2 that I recognized including Backlit from Panopticon
35 minutes
some guy sat next to me telling me about how all his buddies are spread all over the place cause they bought tickets late. this guy looked like every other guy that might be prone to use the word "buddies." like Eric Matus.
we went downstairs and watched shirts for awhile. some good ones. mostly a lot of 10,000 days ones. we did see a Helmet shirt. which was cool since I haven't ever seen one of those at a show or even in general before. Helmet made shirts? sweet.

Tool played for nearly 2 hours which was nice. the light show right away reminded me of an apple commercial. so i spent all morning making this. thought maybe someone other than me should see it. 
Setlist
Stinkfist - opener. i had guessed they would open with Vicarious (inserted right ear plug)
Jambi
Forty Six & 2
The Pot
Schism
Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann) - at this point the lighters went up. i have never seen so many lighters at a show. an arena moment.
Rosetta Stoned
Wings for Marie (Part 1)
10,000 Days (Wings part 2) - this is where the light show turned laser-ish and Windows 95 screen saver. with as Eric pointed out, better music. pretty sweet on a gigantic scale sync'd with the band. the cell phones came out to take pictures much the same as the lighters had earlier.
Lateralus (inserted left earplug when i felt how numb that ear was)
Vicarious
Aenima - closer. i guessed this one right. Maynard repeated the line about uff all you junkies and uff your short memories thrice. probably the funniest part of the show.
overall, very exciting show. maybe fear factory this november. maybe...


Mon, 18 Sep 2006 18:31:21

Tonight we are all Tool's

I woke up yesterday with my pants half on. 
I was exhausted. 
I thought:
wow I was tired
I didn't even get my pants off
before I fell asleep

half an hour later
it occurred to me
these were not the pants
I was wearing last
neither were they laundry

these pants were working their way 
back on.


Fri, 15 Sep 2006 16:36:47

Lake Kite Party

Hmm, photos are back. We went greasy food kite flying beer drinking drum lining adVENturing
the greasy food led to some fake cheese 
violence 
the skyline was nice though
we flew kites, i mostly took pictures and went in the lake (ask anyone, i always go in the water)
reeling it in...


Wed, 13 Sep 2006 17:49:29

overqualified

I found this, thought I'd share it with anyone out there who might appreciate it: Sample first then link:

Looking for work is an exercise in selling yourself. You write cover letter after cover letter, listing the parts of you that you respect the least, listing the selling points that make you valuable in a buyer's market. You leave out the little details that you tell yourself in the morning to make things okay. You don't mention the way your heart flutters when you meet your lover's eyes across the table, the way your feet felt like lead at your aunt's funeral. You write cover letter after cover letter, listing the same store bought traits in the same wording, day after day, hoping to find another job. 

And then maybe one day you just snap a little. You sit down to write a cover letter, and something entirely new comes out. 
And you send it anyway.


Fri, 08 Sep 2006 18:22:11

no matter how fast I drink

there is always more to try.
Wednesday night was awesome. went to a falsely advertised brewpub. drunk people yowlering take me out to the ball game. CAAUUUZITS ROOT ROOTROOT FURDA CUBBIES IF DEY DONWINIZZA SHAME! (or perhaps expected at this point) but I got to try a couple new taps: Summit's Hefe Weizen and Newcastle's Brown. Then on to Jimmy's Brickhouse or something. We went it because of the neon rogue sign. New: Rogue Chipotle ale (burns in the back of the throat), Samuel Smith Organic Lager (meh) Dead Guy Ale on tap. Awesome. Just as good as bottled but a bit lighter. Then on to the Twisted Spoke for Whiskey Wednesday. Tried Wathen's and Russel's Reserve. They were good for whiskey, but they're still whiskey. So meh. Anyone know anywhere else that has Rogue on tap besides Uncommon Ground? I know Moxie has bottles, but I have got to find another place. This time maybe one that will sell me the dead guy tap handle.


Wed, 06 Sep 2006 13:35:38

I been everywhere man

I'll be flying from North Texas (O'Hare) to Dallas to West Texas (Portland) in November. A bit out of the way. But its better than that 4 1/2 layover in Detroit. This is a big deal. Time to start looking at real estate. Ya know, instead of all that fake estate I'd been viewing heretofore. So all you suckers who don't want to come with me, ya know, you can just, uh, be suckers... yeah.


Sat, 02 Sep 2006 17:34:52

i know what you did last summer bowl

September is upon us. The time may seem to be slipping by for you, but that's because you dread the future. You must have nothing to look forward to. For those of us on the other side, time is simply crawling by. Summer bowl is over. Last average 116.5. Not so wonderful, but I only had to get one round. Tonight is work. Tomorrow is Nick and Emily's wedding. Tomorrow night, more work. Oh and next time any of you see Curt, tell him to buy toilet paper. We are so out.


Fri, 01 Sep 2006 14:46:34

and I said gimme mine back and then go there...for all I care

I finished the 90s jukebox. There are 714 songs. Now I need a spreadsheet program of sorts so I can post them and organize them. Cause doing it in notepad sucks! But now I can relive the music of a certain year if I so decide. I also have two alternative lists. Songs that I loved and thought would fit, but they do not, and songs that do fit and I do not love. Anyways lemme know if you have a program idea I could use. Not Excel. Too expensive.
Here's the first page:
Because The Night 3:43 10,000 Maniacs MTV Unplugged In New York 1993 
Kryptonite 4:00 3 Doors Down The Better Life 2000
Loser 4:24 3 Doors Down The Better Life 2000
If I Could Be Like That 4:27 3 Doors Down The Better Life 2000
Duck And Run 3:50 3 Doors Down The Better Life 2000
Down 2:53 311 311 1995
All Mixed Up 3:01 311 311 1995
Come Original 3:42 311 Soundsystem 1999
Flowing 3:13 311 Soundsystem 1999
Beautiful Disaster 4:04 311 Transistor 1997
Cumbersome 4:01 7 Mary 3 American Standard 1995
Lucky 3:57 7 Mary 3 Rock Crown 1997
Satisfied 3:05 8 Stops 7 In Moderation 1999
Question Everything 4:28 8 Stops 7 In Moderation 1999
Judith 4:07 A Perfect Circle Mer de Noms 2000
3 Libras 3:39 A Perfect Circle Mer de Noms 2000
Hard As A Rock 4:31 AC/DC Ballbreaker 1995
Are You Ready 4:08 AC/DC Razor's Edge 1990
Money Talks 3:46 AC/DC Razor's Edge 1990
Thunderstruck 4:52 AC/DC Razor's Edge 1990
Stiff Upper Lip 3:34 AC/DC Stiff Upper Lip 2000
Satellite Blues 3:45 AC/DC Stiff Upper Lip 2000
What Kind of Love Are You On 3:15 Aerosmith Armageddon 1998
Crazy 5:13 Aerosmith Get A Grip 1993
Crying 5:09 Aerosmith Get A Grip 1993
Living On The Edge 6:08 Aerosmith Get A Grip 1993
Falling In Love Is So Hard On The Knees 3:25 Aerosmith Nine Lives 1997
Pink 3:54 Aerosmith Nine Lives 1997
Sweet Taste Of India 5:53 Aerosmith Nine Lives 1997
Uninvited 4:37 Alanis Morissette City Of Angels soundtrack 1998
You Oughta Know 4:09 Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill 1995
Hand In My Pocket 3:41 Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill 1995
You Learn 3:59 Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill 1995
Head Over Feet 4:27 Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill 1995
Ironic 3:49 Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill 1995
Thank U 4:19 Alanis Morissette Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie 1998
Heaven Beside You 5:32 Alice In Chains Alice in Chains 1995
Again 4:07 Alice In Chains Alice in Chains 1995
Grind 3:59 Alice In Chains Alice in Chains 1995
Them Bones 2:32 Alice In Chains Dirt 1992
Rooster 6:18 Alice In Chains Dirt 1992
Angry Chair 4:51 Alice In Chains Dirt 1992
Down in a Hole 5:41 Alice In Chains Dirt 1992
Would 3:33 Alice In Chains Dirt 1992
Man In The Box 4:46 Alice In Chains Facelift 1990
Sea Of Sorrow 5:49 Alice In Chains Facelift 1990
I Stay Away 4:18 Alice In Chains Jar of Flies 1994
No Excuses 4:17 Alice In Chains Jar of Flies 1994
Don't Follow 4:25 Alice In Chains Jar of Flies 1994
Get Born Again 5:26 Alice In Chains Music Box 1999

See what a mess it is? You should see it in notepad.


Tue, 29 Aug 2006 16:26:07

The Clock

Yesterday I had several cavities filled. In my teeth. This is the first time though that the dentist has thought to offer me a walkman to listen to instead of the dentist drill featured so prominently in both candy tasters' and tooth grinders' nightmares alike. Much love. Haydn is so much more numbing than the local anesthetic. "Hmm, I think she just stabbed my gums with a high RPM drill. Hmm. Yes. Indeed." She pauses to go see about another patient. I feel around with my tongue. "Hmm, that tooth seems to have 3/4s of its perimeter left and nothing inside. Yes. Hmm. Indeed." Instead of course, of that all-encompassing panic I know that you know. So good move dentist. Good move Haydn. Now if I could just get them to play some more Rimsky-Korsakov. Maybe that piece they used to play on Looney Tunes. Not the Flight of the Bumblebee from Tsar Sultan. That other one. The scary one. That would do a wonderfully soothing job compared to a dentist drill. Two points if you can inform me of the title.


Tue, 29 Aug 2006 15:50:14

Hmm, abrupt subject change

Does all music sound better with a subwoofer, or is it just Primus that sounds like a mad Gwar army running to eat me?
Does all music sound romantic and beautiful with the sunroof open, or is just after one in the morning driving through Frankfort?
Is it possible to plan every detail of my life, or am I always going to have to make one more lap around the block to fit in that last one minute and thirty-seven seconds?


Tue, 22 Aug 2006 12:23:43

Tonight's the Night

Er, actually last night. Curt started his new wage slave position and we went bowling and finally broke out the olde Founder's Brew. Very flavorful after that fizzy yellow tasteless stuff we had at the lanes. So my three game average was 120 2/3 with a personal best of a 4-bagger. Hmm Metallica just released some more live from the vault stuff. Crap? No, its 80s. All the album cuts I love but live. Which equals 25-32% faster than studio. Holy crap? Yes. Yesss.


Thu, 17 Aug 2006 22:02:36

the tampa bay devil rays of the sciences

Aren't most of the people doing Pilates actually middle aged overweight women? Or should we actually stop pronouncing it "ploddies"? 
Excited to see the new Christopher Guest film
Also excited to see the new Woody Allen film
Tonight is bowling, scores later
Finally: still pondering the unlikelihood of a street musical at Sea World. I think I last saw it when I was ~6. Still can't figure it out. Does anyone else remember that?

Huzzah! average of 162 and a new personal best of 192.
Suck it Trebec.
and the day is mine!


Tue, 15 Aug 2006 12:04:08

soaked, inside and out

Ah, summer bowl. We walked there in slight sprinkles. I had a teenager tell me she hated me. Did I know her? Don't know. I don't think so. My cup read: No longer a prisoner of fear. Had to explain it to the lady running the tap. Average bowling score: 129. Not shabby. Trounced Curt every game. Played four games instead of three. Bought big beers instead of small. Harrible. Wandered back to Rafferty's in the pouring rain. Sat at our favorite table and played chess with sugar packets. Had dinner, walked back to the apartment in unprecedented deluge. Drank wine and watched Fight Club till we couldn't stand it any more. Lee, you missed out on the ritual scarification. Again. Anyways, in the dark ages how would I die? 

You would die as a result of being overworked and malnourished. Sadly, you would predate the notion of worker's compensation and/or benefits.



Thu, 10 Aug 2006 13:45:52

man i hate political blogs

but,
if the US continues to support Israel
and Israel invades Lebanon
and Iran uses this as an excuse
and continues their nuclear research
the US will have an excuse to invade Iran
then Saudi Arabia will get involved
and Jordan will get involved
and no in Iran even likes us
so getting a supporting government
there will be impossible
and I thought Iraq was an ugly situation
this will be much worse
Turkey, Pakistan, Russia, China
will jump on the boat
Hugo Chavez isn't going to be a concern
any longer
because the general feeling towards us
is sod off
the Roman Empire crumbled after some hundreds of years
too decadent they said, too sure of everything
buy an electric car
and a gun

song I forgot : A Perfect Circle - 3 Libras (2000)


Sat, 05 Aug 2006 19:36:32

Insane in the brain

I'm back from California; one funeral down. Just in time to go to another one. 
So here's to Bill, too fast for love. 
Songs:
Cypress Hill : (Rock) Superstar (2000)
10,000 Maniacs - Because the Night (1993)


Mon, 31 Jul 2006 16:29:56

You may be saying to yourself,

But Jimmy Carter isn't dead...
well he is to God. 
read the South one about the Arrogant Northeast Liberal Elite (for Rachel)


Sat, 29 Jul 2006 16:35:50

i, mephisto

Today I went to the dentist for the first time in several years. This is something I dread, because as Eric so nicely put it, its just an hour of gum-jabbing and guilt trips. I picked this dentist because they have the most dentist building I've ever seen. Looks kinda like this. 

All Buckminster Fuller and such. I asked the hygienist and the secretary why this building. They seemed to think because it was available. Not the ideology I was hoping for. I still cling to the possibility that the dentist, who it turns out might just be a holistic dentist, digs the philosophy of the structure. Still...
Turns out I have 6 cavities and the worst venereal disease of all:
GINGIVITIS

wish me luck on my big trip to California this Tuesday.


Tue, 25 Jul 2006 01:33:41

summerbowl

You have no idea how many new songs I've found. Enough to make even Scott Deur jealous. Bowling tonight was great. My average score not really up to snuff, but 127 1/3 is a lot better than last week. And getting a meal and a pint for $6 is always nice. At some point when I finish the 90s jukebox, I'll post the list to one of my pages. Until then,
keep rollin rollin rollin, what?


Sat, 22 Jul 2006 00:52:50

crazy plans

tonight we are at an eighties party. this of course comes after a full day of goofing around downloading songs for the 90s jukebox. up to 620-some now. so, sarah calls and until i say so, the rest of this will be written in negation. she didn't say that we can't go down to the merch mart and not get free tickets to Ozzfester. so we didn't go down and on the way in, we didn't talk to the CTA gate guy (not named Rob) about where Q101 wasn't in the building. off we didn't go. we didn't talk to sherman from the night show. he didn't let us in the studio for about half an hour. he didn't comment to rachel that we seemed like we were in the industry since we knew so much about it. i didn't find out that his least favorite band is coldplay and that playing them every shift isn't certain misery for him. we didn't go back alert the CTA guy about the free tickets. so we didn't end up with 6 tickets for Ozzfester tomorrow in Wisconsin. 
Hmm, how to not call in to work tomorrow.


Thu, 20 Jul 2006 23:11:36

Yuck. 
Thursday bowling sucks. 
Average score; 104. 
The brown magic is gone. 
What with the dying cowboy 
and that rap music shite
Yuck.
Expensive pizza sucks.
Fifty bucks.
Toppings that slide off.
What with the stupid shows
and the no "ambience"
Yuck.


Wed, 19 Jul 2006 13:04:12

note to self: grow wintergreen when you have a home
thoughts from work:
 - the dead always come back with a British accent and as I pointed out to Pastor Rog, with a hunger for proselytization
 - Craig Ferguson mechanically destroys his set after some mediocre pop band plays him a mediocre pop-rock tune. "That kind of song makes me want to break things apart. Yargh!" not verbatim but 1000 points for someone finding me more information or a video link. weird british wank.
note to self: see A Scanner Darkly
 - too fluffy
 - too Siamese
 - too needy
 - too arrogant
 - infected eye
 - clearly a skunk
today's 90s forget-me-nots: Travis - Why Does it Always Rain on Me? (2000) 
Sprung Monkey - Get 'em Outta Here (1999) 
Soul Coughing - Circles (1998)
Queens of the Stone Age - The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret (2000)
Pennywise - Alien (1999)
Machinehead - Message in a Bottle (1999)
The Cure - Friday I'm In Love (1992)


Mon, 10 Jul 2006 21:26:38

mark it a foul

Bowling average score for this week: 147 1/3. Not too shabby. At least not as shabby/shambly/stinky as the sink. We needed to do the party dishes still from Saturday morning. It was draining too slow. We tried to plunge. Broke the metal pipe underneath instead. Big stinky mess. Lots of grey water. The smell is reminiscent of something. Its hard to remember. Its hard to remember. Like stagnant water or... like pond sludge or... ah yes, there it is. When my sink stopped working last year and they had to roto-rooter the tub. All the water that came from inside the pipeworks bore this identical smell. So really the only equivalent for the smell of plumbing disaster is... the smell of another alternately located plumbing disaster. Stuff a rat down your sink, do dishes in that sink a week, and crack the pipes with a ball peen hammer if you really want to know what I mean. There isn't anything quite like it. There are at least a hundred things close.


Tue, 04 Jul 2006 18:32:45
 
Hang on baby, friday's a-comin'
 
Monday night summerbowl: average 136  2/3. So getting better. And getting more consistent from game to game. And late night wanderings and better than-expected chili made for an all around good in a spiteful kind of way evening. We are gearing up for the oranje crush here though the Netherlands has been out for awhile now. Portugal cheats. What can you do? Make sure you show up.


Thu, 29 Jun 2006 13:45:43

Oranje Crush - July 7 

So for Friday July 7 there is a party here. The Oranje Crush. If you need directions, just call me 708-352-zero7three8. If you read this, you may as well be invited. You need to wear oranje and bring some sort of dutch beer or liquor or spirits. If you need some ideas, we have been shopping:

Beer
Amstel
Alken-Maes  
DeBlock 
Grolsch
Gulpener
Heineken
LaTrappe
Bavaria
Hertog Jan
Hollandia
3 Horses

Spirits
Ketel One vodka
Van Gogh vodka or gin
Vox vodka
DeKuyper mixers
Advocaat
Effen vodka
Boomsma vodka or gin
Yes vodka
Royalty vodka
Voyant Chai liquor
Damrak gin
Vermeer chocolate liquor

There. That should get you started. We are already drinking the Hollandia beer here and making our own advocaat. Ik versmacht van de dorst!
next 90s forgotten song: Dinosaur Jr. - Feel the Pain


Wed, 28 Jun 2006 13:01:34

Camera is here
bowling and beer
average score 135
3 major projects completed with the fourth on the verge
organized books
 - bedroom doors work
 - internet works
 - 90s CDs almost all labeled
go to my real webpage for my better mousetrap article
party here Friday July 7
if you read this you're probably invited 
just call me and let me know you are coming 
we should have the theme figured out by then
next 90s song I missed : Hooch by Everything (ca.1998)


Tue, 20 Jun 2006 01:14:22 

you know where you are? you're in the jungle bowl baby
 
new toy new toy
mostly for the wedding
trying to make PatrickandKutu's wedding as expensive as Rich's
never gonna make it 
staying with the Dirty parents instead of a hotel
driving instead of flying and renting a car
need a gift idea for PatricKutu
need to write a best man toast
have been informed that a toasted best man will not suffice
 - summerbowl has begun
average score 106? bah!
want to bowl Monday or Thursday nights? we might be there
drinkin cheap beer and irritating the owners with our persistent (and at last effective) requests for Appetite for Destruction
i wanna watch you bowl!


Thu, 08 Jun 2006 19:56:41

In California
 
I shouldn't have mentioned to Curt that thing about what I thought of PT Cruiser convertibles. 
I've gone and pulled a Napoleon into Russia on California. Oh, a bit cold, a bit
...in a PT Curser convertible.
more updates later (?)


Sun, 04 Jun 2006 16:46:38

I got on the roof. Totally been wanting to do that since I moved in. It was covered in roughly 30 coats of white latex paint. As a result everything was very spongy. Only two small open wounds to show for it from the nails around the skylight cover that we removed. Big props to Curt for letting me stand on his face to get up there (sorry). The sponginess means there probably isn't anywhere good to anchor the rope ladder we were intending to build and secure up there for ease of access. So that is a no-go. 
Tonight Rachel returns from her re-foray to the great Pacific Northwest. And Wednesday we fly to California for a wedding of sorts. Oh and:
Top Five Albums of the 90's
Jon:
1. Weezer - Blue Album
2. Counting Crows - Recovering the Satellites
3. Radiohead - OK Computer
4. Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness (loop dub)
5. Elliott Smith - XO
- note: numbers 3 and 5 don't really count since I didn't technically listen to either of them till '02 so in their place go Live - Throwing Copper and Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape.
Curt:
1. Deftones - Around the Fur
2. Tool - Aenima
3. Weezer - Bleu Album (french remix)
4. Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie & the Finite Sadness
5. Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power


Tue, 30 May 2006 23:26:53

I spent three days last week in Indiana fronting a garage sale for Curt to help him move to Chicago. We made almost hundreds of dollars on stuff we mostly found in the dumpster. This is why garbage-rovers will be king. Or at least morally superior to the people buying things from us. Hmm. 
Another day of rearranging the furniture and sound system. Awkwardly, one is much better than the other. So maybe there are only two classes of people. Let me ask you this: Does your music collection take up more than one shelf? 
Welcome to the fold.


Wed, 10 May 2006 09:56:17

and you cannot eat this with chopsticks

So here we are in the Pacific Northwest. Raping/pillaging and the like. I have had a per deum requirement for Guinness Stout that I've done pretty well keeping up with. My CD requirement is higher of course. I found an average of 1.6 CDs that I was looking for every day. We landed in Seattle on Thursday, went down to Astoria, Oregon, then up to Long Beach, Washington, then down to Portland, Oregon. And now we are done with our border crossing for today and are back in Seattle. While we were in Portland, there was this horrible, destructive bookstore that we went to. I told the cashier what I thought of the store after I single-handedly cleared out their used Bukowski poetry section + some more nonsense. No small task. While I was fetching the women folk in a fashion store, I ran into the Christy Henry. And spotted Mark peeking around a clothes rack. For those who aren't Derek, these were high school friends. Odd to see them in Portland. But there is a lot that is odd about the Pacific Northwest. Every other car in Seattle is a Honda. Every third house in Portland garages either a Ford Mustang Mach I or a Maverick. Ask me personally about tales of debauchery in Oregon. (shudder) Today was wake up in Portland, drive to Seattle, eat sushi for lunch, tour Seattle record and jewelry stores and tourist traps (the troll, gasworks, pike place market, the first Starbucks) eat Indian food for dinner and come back here and retype up my adventures more to my satisfaction. There were of course a lot more things finished, decided, miles driven, hopes broken, rebuilt, shrouds shriven, no, no, getting carried away.
tomorrow I come back to the great white north centralia
PostScript: Oregon has black liquorice flavor ice cream. Its all over but the licking.


Fri, 05 May 2006 12:14:24

and i did forget to mention

we are in seattle. an old shower reminded me of my shower at the new apartment. not the worst shower ever. BUT CLOSE! The worst was definitely in Mexico; a bucket of warm water and cold running water in a concrete cell. like mexican prison. but we won't go into that. back to the new one in Chicago. the water pressure is so bad, it reminded me immediately of the commando 9000 episode where no one can rinse the conditioner out of their hair so they all have silly hair. though that show always did seem to encourage silly hair. what is it about mid-90s nbc sitcoms? look at kelsey grammer for example. so silly. "where did my career go?" ha ha. so back the shower, i had to get on my hands and knees and rinse my head under the spout. i found you can rinse most body parts under the spout. EXCEPT the armpit. so beware pacific northwest. 
grunge smell is back.


Thu, 04 May 2006 01:53:06

new address same number so much stuff

I found my previous list of 90s songs with some added notes. I was moving into my new apartment and deciding what to throw away. Shouldn't have looked so close. The phone doesn't receive calls. The buzzer doesn't work. Try catching me in the parking lot or throwing (very small) rocks at my window. So...
songs I missed:
 - Chris Cornell - Can't Change Me (1999)
 - OMC - How Bizarre (1997)
 - Mr Oizo - Flat Beat (2000)
 - Mad Season - River of Deceit (1995)
 - Mike Ness - Don't Think Twice (1999)
 - Gravity Kills - Guilty (1996)
 - Jerry Cantrell - My Song (1998)
Well thats that. And now I'm off to Seattle. And Portland. And Astoria. And I'm not coming back. 


Mon, 24 Apr 2006 09:53:37

Insanely mundane

The party on Saturday could have gone either way. Good because it was fun. Bad because Rachel was sick. Good because the drive home seems so short in retrospect. Bad because I left the booze in Kristin's trunk. But ultimately good because I was wearing my work clothes and drinking. That is something of a delicate revenge. 
The 90's list/collection has been shared with one of its major contributors. I think Hilary Ryan and Ryan Bouma remain. I still owe him for the superdrag. 
Today is back to normal life. Next week we leave for Seattle. Mundanely insane.


Thu, 06 Apr 2006 10:51:40

the deaf sleep better

next song I forgot is called You Blew Me Off by Bare Jr. 1998


Mon, 03 Apr 2006 09:50:57

crap crap crap
i forgot 8 stops 7's song Question Everything from 1999
I finished another Tolkien Lost Tales book. This is not recommended for anyone but nerds. Not even for people who are impressed by someone who's read the Silmarillion 3 times. I read it annually. Its a small enough sample of people who even know what that book is. Almost completely a historical and linguistic study for a world that doesn't even exist. My first recollection of paying attention to differences in languages or even intonations was singing along with my sister to Nada Surf's 
Popular. When matthew caws hits the peak of his rant, she sang "..popularity" like such a valley girl. I'll never forget it.
there are mallards walking past the window -- wtf?
Work last night and the drive there:
deer i passed in the model airplane field: 19
cars i almost hit while counting deer: 2
balsa model planes derek lost that i know of: 2
balsa model planes he's lost since then: probably 2
imaginary girlfriend that surprised me at work with cake: darn you
fraction of said cake that i personally ate: 2/3
driving home: sick = full of cake
drinky crow is home - his new name is Apollo; the god of crows and truth (serum)


Fri, 24 Mar 2006 10:35:39

sleeping is giving in
no matter what the time is
sleeping is giving in 
so lift those heavy eyelids
I made it safe to Michigan State. yahoo. So far Lee is much less messy than Patrick. patrick = the neu dirty? NO And if anyone (everyone) ever wants to start a bar near a medical school, call it PubMed. Yes its my idea but you can have it. You just owe me a beer. And none of that lite garbage. Lee finished the 90s mix and left it by me while I was asleep. Not a bad way to wake up. Like waking up to being a high school senior again. All king of the hill without the terrible prospect of getting a real life like the last year of college. Oh, I just noticed it snowing. Personally glad it waited til I was here. 
I can't find anything on my survival car other than that Fountains of Wayne did a song with a title of the same. Curses on them and on their lemons, those madmen! Incidentally, do you KNOW what gelatin is MADE OF? Read on if you dare (as though you could stop now): gelatin is made from processed cow bone chips and "freshly chopped" pig hide. Now just in case you think you'll never do another jello shot, here are other things you have to fear (made from or with cow bone chips and pigskin): marshmallows, nougat-type candy bar fillings, liquorice, Gummi bears, caramels, sports drinks, butter, ice cream, vitamin gel caps, suppositories, and that white peel around salami. Think you can avoid all those for the rest of your voluntary eating life? 
Hmm, listening to the Damned reminds me of high school too. My civics teacher used to run sound for them. Democracy! DeMoCraCy!


Mon, 20 Mar 2006 11:54:10

there's some static in my head

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 00:30:38

I finally got to a computer long enough

The set list for the Elected/Stars show on February 17 at the Metro goes lika dis:The Elected
Did Me Good
Would You Come With Me
Greetings in Braille
The Bank & Trust
Sometimes You Can't
Fireflies in a Steel Mil
Biggest Star
(thoughts): blake sennett is really powerful for being so short : short set, mostly songs off the new one Sun, Sun, Sun : smokeless concerts are nice even if tobacco is the only smoking that really gets cut down on : last track spun into a huge instrumental coda = always a good way to end a set
Stars
The Theme From Stars
Set Yourself on Fire
Reunion
Death to Death
Going, Going, Gone
Heart
Land of Nod
Soft Revolution
Life Effect
Hungry Heart (springsteen cover)
What I'm Trying to Say
One More Night
Ageless Beauty
:: interlude :: what's the world got in store for you?
The Big Fight
He Lied About Death
Your Ex-Lover is Dead
:: Encore ::
The First Five Times (with Elected rhythm section)
Time Can Never Kill the True Heart
Calendar Girl
(thoughts): monster set : girl singer (amy millan) somewhat masculine : very pleasant overall


Fri, 17 Mar 2006 00:31:43

this morning
walking a path outside
tired
cold
wearing that same jacket
it was high school camp all over again
dreams about girls I could never talk to 
the way I wanted to
impropriety meets impossibility
it would be almost nostalgic
if it weren't so sad
winter leaves, me caught in the midst of another depression
insomnia screws up everyone's plans
revenge, thou art sickening-sweet


Fri, 17 Feb 2006 12:19:21
 
rant rant rant
i hate filler TV. America's Next Top Model. This means you. Its playing over my shoulder and i hate it. You stupid judges making up terms and requirements for beauty. Formula beauty instead of giving the eye of the beholder any sway. 
but then i stop
isn't music the same way? American Idol judges making up why music is good and why it isn't based on an interpretation of someone else's songs. I was trying to explain to someone at work why covers are so effective at endearing a band to you though you have no ties with them. So why do I have to hate some music *Whitesnake *The B-52s and love other music *Elliott Smith *Pink Floyd? 
Viscera.
So lets take something into consideration. Is Miguel Mendez the new Elliott Smith? Is Tim Kasher? Is cookie monster singing dying off after all?*  
The struggle to convince myself not to totally abandon music over schisms and pretenders, word-wasters and space-takers, continues. There is a reason behind me not listing music that I'm listening to on the last several posts.
but is it possible for me not to continue making up imaginary reasons why i love or hate music? no, but it is a lot easier to tell you not to

* (ed. note: I archived the original link here: https://letsjustleavethathere.blogspot.com/2023/10/thats-good-enough-for-me-by-jim-fusilli.html) 


Tue, 07 Feb 2006 20:56:20

Disregarding cash purchases, I spent $299.78 at Borders in 2005.
And I spent a lot there in cash
Rachel thinks I should have bought stock 
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