Jesus...Sweet, Sweet Jesus

Making Merry—And Pippin Also!

I'll drink to that, too, you cute little hobbits!

Ketching Up. Squeezing Hard.

Wow! It's been a while since I last posted something. But this indeed happens often, I realize. I'll go for a while without writing, then write, then neglect to write for an extended period of time. Consistency would be nice, but I don't that I should expect that of myself. Nevertheless, my intention is to post more regularly from now on.

I've been trying to read more since I've lived in San Marcos. Well, I guess I've been trying to read more since the day I was first immersed into that mythic and action-packed world inhabited by the four-eyed Harry Potter. My tastes have matured a little since then, but I give that book series credit for peaking my interest in reading books. Right now I am reading three books—the Bible, written by all of those blessed saints of old by whom it was the Lord's will to speak, the earnest and contrite Confessions by Saint Augustine, and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. In a way I don't know if I really need to list the Bible. In my prescience there's no foreseeable point in which I see myself taking it off of the roster, perpetually on cue as it is. At some point, I'll either stop or finish reading Les Miserables and Confessions, but the Bible is continually to have it's own sacred space on the shelf of my reading list.

In regard to music, I have been listening to an old nineties emo band lately—some of the progenitors of emo, Sunny Day Real Estate. If your favorite band was determined by the one you have been listening to most currently, then I guess Sunny Day Real Estate would be mine. I still hold to Radiohead as my favorite, yet something about the austerity and terseness of their music has made it less listenable for me lately than it was in the past, wheras I feel strangely uplifted by Sunny Day Real Estate and the solo recordings from its lead singer Jeremy Enigk.

I should go now, for I have work tomorrow morning and should get some rest. Plus, I have a cold and the congestion/running nose is pissing me off. I hope that sleep'll help me forget about it. Amen

"Money...It's a Drag."

The only cash I have on me is in the form of coins, which makes for an interesting time when I dump them in my pocket. I imagine that these quarters, dimes, and nickels are all the paterfamilias of currency. I imagine that they are actually worth something--a lot, in fact! The clinging against each other as they fall in my pocket makes me think of the way the shekels of ancient Israel or the drachms of Hellenistic Greece must have sounded as they slid into their masters' satchels.

have I got a long way to run

Sweet Deals, Pickle.

My Tori Amos collection in my iTunes library nearly takes up a whole gig. That's a lot of Tori. Also, I went to Hastings today and found Boys for Pele for $7.99 and Tales of a Librarian for $5.99. When I checked out, Pele came out to only $4.99 and Tales for $4.50--both new. That was unexpected and quite delightful.

I'm looking forward to her new album coming out in May. I love spring album releases; they kind of paint part of my vernal experience. When I was a freshmen 3 years ago, I was listening to Placebo's Meds and Copeland's In Motion. Sophomore spring was spent listening to Tori's American Doll Posse, Modest Mouse's We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, and Frou Frou and Howie Day albums, even though these two had been released prior to that year. Last spring, I listened Ours' Mercy, Death Cab's Narrow Stairs, and Portishead's Third.

I've been listening to a lot of music lately, probably more than usual. There have been releases by Doves, Animal Collective, and Telefon Tel Aviv that have been nice, but the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album It's Blitz is really where it's at. Mmm...it is so delicious, and I love it. I'm looking forward to the new Depeche Mode coming out this Tuesday, even though their beyond their golden days. I still think they put out good stuff, though. And Tori, well she her Abnormally Attracted to Sin is coming out on May 19th. I'm so excited.

Cherry Professor Pepper

I got Cherry Dr. Pepper on my gray t-shirt and tan cords this evening. Man, that sucks, you know. Cherry Dr. Pepper is probably one of the last drinks I'd want to spill on my clothes. Milk is the last.

Yesterday, I made my poetry professor laugh, which I think is probably one of the hardest things to do in life. She had a take a word and just write about it. I wrote about "warmth." I wrote, "Warm is not worm, even though they sound similar. A coward never feels warmth from the things he is cowering from." She laughed at the worm part. That made me realize that she can actually laugh instead of always just saying "that's funny" without even letting a laugh out. She's probably my favorite professor. I wonder if she likes Tori Amos.

tuna
robber
a little blubber in my igloo
and I knew you pigtails and all
girls when they fall ~ Tori's "Marianne"

Holes in Memory

Shoot, man! Yesterday was my brother's birthday, and I forgot to call him. I don't deserve a call from him on my upcoming birthday.

Kingdom of Lust

I bought a vinyl for a girl one time but shouldn't have, so I never ended up given her the vinyl. But I'm not crazy about it, and I've lost the receipt. I would have rather bought the Portishead vinyl for their self-titled sophomore release--that's where it's at. I say I made a mistake out of rash behavior, but I'm cooled-down and like being that way. Doves are coming out with an album tomorrow. I'm so excited!

I rediscovered a most wonderful beer yesterday--Sam Adam's Black Lager. I had a sip of it for the first time when Nathan came to town this last summer. We went to HEB, and I bought a six pack of Honeymoon, while he got a pack of the Black Lager. I remember him letting me have a sip of his stuff, but I had already had two beers prior to the taste-test, so the normal reception of my taste buds weren't in a state to let me know whether or not I liked the taste. But yesterday, I had the strangest desire to try the Black Lager again, so I bought a pack, and having zero alcohol in my bloodstream, I found with delight upon the first sip that I absolutely love this beer. Very flavorful and not too hoppy for a Sam Adam's.

On Lesser Preferred Vinyls

I have this vinyl that I bought at Hastings about a month ago. I'm not sure why I bought this particular vinyl, for, you see, there was another one that I liked better for a lower price. I still have the receipt and have been meaning to take it back to exchange it for a cooler one, but I don't know if I'll ever get around to doing this because I've been thinking about it since I first bought the thing. Plus, as an added factor to tension, I do like the vinyl I bought.

A7

I sure do like A7. I used to not--you know, a little to bluesy. But I've come to a point in my life where I've really grown to appreciate this particular chord. I suppose it's a reflection on my own maturation. Perhaps...

?

Which Radiohead song are you? 2 + 2 = 5 You can scream and you can shout, it's too late now because you have not been paying attention. And apparently you`re not very good at math. All hail to the thief!

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

I'm not sure I agree with this quiz since the questions the creators ask are completely stupid and irrelevant. Still, I take it as a complement. I like "2+2=5"--it's a good song!

Frosti

When I was in charge of the radio station at camp this summer, I would let the campers in my block class (the two hour activity block for the oldest kids) choose DJ names for themselves. Without shame, I'll admit that most of the names were kind of stupid. Some examples are Direct Input (d.i.), Snow White, I Love Rascal Flatts, Wii-mote, and the Daredevil. My favorite DJ name, though, was DJ Frosti.

I can't remember whether or not I prompted the kid to use this name or not. He may have come up with it, which is very likely. I'll bet he was thinking of the frozen deserts you can get for a dollar at Wendy's. In my mind, though, I was thinking of this beautiful two-minute song written by Björk that appears as the 6th track on her 2001 album Vespertine. I named the one recording I did with him as "Interview with Frosti." That's with an "i," which is the way Björk's song is spelled. I doubt he envisioned the spelling of his DJ name, but I'm sure that if he would have written it down, it would have ended with a "y". But this was my own way of paying homage to a wonderful little tune that seems to be so shadowed in the rest of the glory that Vespertine oozes. Here's to you, "Frosti" -- and to you too, Frosti.

Autumn's Cornucopia of Dreams: potentially less heat and frappuccinos

Today, September the 22nd, is the autumn equinox. In celebration of this blessed day, we are going to eat pizza. I might even smoke my pipe.

The Hippopotamus by T.S. Eliot

The broad-backed hippopotamus
Rests on his belly in the mud;
Although he seems so firm to us
He is merely flesh and blood.

Flesh-and-blood is weak and frail,
Susceptible to nervous shock;
While the True Church can never fail
For it is based upon a rock.

The hippo's feeble steps may err
In compassing material ends,
While the True Church need never stir
To gather in its dividends.

The 'potamus can never reach
The mango on the mango-tree;
But fruits of pomegranate and peach
Refresh the Church from over sea.

At mating time the hippo's voice
Betrays inflexions hoarse and odd,
But every week we hear rejoice
The Church, at being one with God.

The hippopotamus's day
Is passed in sleep; at night he hunts;
God works in a mysterious way--
The Church can sleep and feed at once.

I saw the 'potamus take wing
Ascending from the damp savannas,
And quiring angels round him sing
The praise of God, in loud hosannas.

Blood of the Lamb shall wash him clean
And him shall heavenly arms enfold,
Among the saints he shall be seen
Performing on a harp of gold.

He shall be washed as white as snow,
By all the martyr'd virgins kist,
While the True Church remains below
Wrapt in the old miasmal mist.

Sweet Surrender

it doesn't mean much
it doesn't mean anything at all
the life I've left behind me
is a cold room
I've crossed the last line
from where I can't return
where every step I took in faith
betrayed me
and led me from my home

and sweet
sweet surrender
is all that I have to give

you take me in
no questions asked
you strip away the ugliness
that surrounds me
are you an angel
am I already that gone
I only hope
that I won't disappoint you
when I'm down here
on my knees

and sweet
sweet
sweet surrender
is all that I have to give

sweet
sweet
sweet surrender
is all that I have to give

and I don't understand
by the touch of your hand
I would be the one to fall

I miss the little things
oh I miss everything

it doesn't mean much
it doesn't mean anything at all
the life I left behind me
is a cold room

ah Sarah
ah Sarah McLachlan

Weird Fishes Live - Radiohead

I know I haven't posted anything in a while, and to simply fill up space with a music video may seem lame. However, this is not a lame video, for it is amazing.

Vaka - Sigur Ros

Coffee Shop Stop

Well, today was my last day to work at the Barnes and Noble Café in Tech's Student Union building. I'm supposed to work their next year, but who really knows what next year holds. Maybe I'll be the lead guitarist of a band called the Iron Tree Roots. Maybe not. Maybe Barak will say something extremely detrimental to his campaign and be pushed way behind in popularity. Maybe not. Nevertheless, who knows? And Who knows indeed. But I would like to mention some of the people I'm going to miss and some of the people I'm not going to miss. I'll start with the nicer stuff first.

I'm going to miss:

that short, old, senile lady who works at the ATLC in the library and who gets a refill of coffee every day, even if she just has a plastic lid to validate that cup is indeed a "refill."

the really pretty girl who wore Chacos and Chucks and who ususally got a refill of coffee and a bran muffin. I never actually talked to her, though. She wore a Stars Wars T-shirt one day; that was cool.

all of the asian people who are usually really hard to understand and who, as a general rule of thumb, buy every drink in 12 ounce portions.

I'm not going to miss:

that douche bag frat boy who seems to think that I inherently know the size every drink order he makes.

the crazy — and probably autistic — Russian lady who would drink the condiment bar's half-in-half in 3 ounce cups

all the sorority girls who would order "tall, skinny, sugar-free vanilla lattes"

the occasional influx of junior high and high schoolers who would order — without a doubt — frappuccinos.

Well, these are the customers I will and will not miss. I bet I'm forgetting somebody...

The Deluge

I can hear the blessed pitter-pat, pitter-pat of rain outside my window. I can feel the the rumble of the lightning's thunder. And I can beat box in five different modes of gibberish...but I wish I could.

"Caught A Lite Sneeze"

Caught a lite sneeze, caught a lite breeze
Caught a lightweight lightningseed
Boys on my left side
Boys on my right side
Boys in the middle, and you're not here
I need a big loan from the girl zone

Building
Tumbling down
Didn't know our love was
So small
Couldn't stand it at all
Mr. St. John, just bring your son

My spire is hot
And my cells can't feed
And you still got that Belle dragging your foots
I'm hiding it well, Sister Ernestine
But I still got that Belle dragging my foots

Right on time
You get closer and closer
called my name, but there's no way in
Use that fame
Rent your wife and kids today
Maybe she will, said maybe she will

Caught a lite sneeze
Dreamed a little dream
Made my own pretty hate machine
Boys on my left side
Boys on my right side
Boys in the middle, and you're not there
Boys in their dresses, and you're not here
I need a big loan from the girl zone

Finals, Vinyls, and Prince Caspian

Well, I don't have any more finals until Monday, and even then, there is only one. So what am I to do with myself until then? Should I study for the rest of today and all of tomorrow? Probably so, but I know I'm not going to. This break presents itself as time for me to read, get back to the guitar, or contemplate extensively why I still have a cold. Aren't colds supposed to go away after two weeks? I thought so. This is a bastard of a cold.

Yesterday, my LP copy of Radiohead's In Rainbows came in. It's so beautiful. I wish I had a cool frame to place it in. Urban Outfitters has them on their website here. I should get a couple.

In other news, Prince Caspian is coming to the theaters on the 16th, which sort of sucks because we'll be at summer conference. I advocate that we sneak out and watch it at midnight. I'm not sure if Laguna Beach, Florida has a theater that will doing a midnight showing for Prince Caspian, but if they don't, they should.

CQ

Well, I haven't listened to this recording in a while, but I've picked it up recently. This is actually my friend Nathan's band. I'm not actually sure if it's a band either, since it Nathan and his friend Jeremiah. Anyway, I forgot how much I liked it. It's so fresh and honest; it's some of the only modern praise music I truly enjoy. They didn't sacrifice their talents at writing music to make this record. I would say more, but my ability to write is currently being stifled because I feel weird. Check them out at their myspace page also.

Wal-Mart...Ugh

I went to Wal-Mart today because I needed to get a couple of new tires for my car. Each wheel was a mere $45, which is such a great price. But is it such a great price?

I don't really like to go to Wal-Mart, neither do I like its lack of aesthetics and how that lack of aesthetics seems to perforate all of America. I understand that Wal-Mart does a few good things for our society, such as offering jobs to hundreds of thousands of people and providing edible nourishment for a low price, but it still pains me to do my business there.

Since I was going to have to wait for about 45 minutes, I figured I would kill some time by walking around the store to check out some of its goods. I did this for about two and a half minutes ere I became bored. So I called my mom, and we talked for a few minutes. I miss my mom; she's so crazy but so lovable at the same time.

After a while, I decided I ought to buy something cheap so it wouldn't look like I was trying to steal something when I walked out of the store with just my messenger bag on my back. I bought this bottled Godiva French vanilla latte. It sort of tasted like a glorified Yoo-Hoo. So I sat on one of the benches outside the entrance —you know, the ones upon which you always see weird people sitting and then resolve to yourself that you will never sit upon such a thing — and drank it.

Glorified Yoo-Hoo...ha ha. I paid $1.48 for a Yoo-Hoo.

There There - Radiohead

In pitch dark
I go walking in
Your landscape
Broken branches
Trip me as I speak
Just because you feel it
Doesn't mean it's there
Just because you feel it
Doesn't mean it's there
There's always a siren
Singing you to shipwreck
Steer away from these rocks
We'd be a walking disaster
Just because you feel it
Doesn't mean it's there
Just because you feel it
Doesn't mean it's there

There There

Why so green
& lonely?
Heaven sent you to me

When the Weather Outside Is Frightful

Today, it was overcast outside and seemed as though rains were going to fall. That sounds wonderful. But wait! This is Lubbock — I nearly forgot. The weather is so backward here. It's usually extremely dry and dusty, and on the one day it isn't, we don't even get to see the full fruition the change was supposed to bring. Instead, it just felt muggy, and at the same time, the sun was shining. It was gross.

On another note, I am now no longer a pee-wee member of the unofficial Ours fan club. I think I'm an Ours fan at this point, but I'm not sure. Whatever the case may be, I have been listening to them a lot, lately. They just released a new album a week ago. It's called Mercy...Dancing for the Death of an Imaginary Enemy. I like it a lot, so far, but I'm afraid it's still not as good as their debut album Distorted Lullabies, which is just phenomenal, to say the least. You should check them out, at least Distorted Lullabies.

Since She Is Going To Be My Wife

What (James) Bond Girl Are You??? (great pics)

Vesper LyndYou are Vesper Lynd, played by Eva Greene. You are the latest of the Bond Girls, and James Bond's intellectual superior (you are smarter than him). You are a little weird and emotional, but that's ok. You are deceiving towards the end of the movie, but you are still loyal in the end.
Take this quiz!








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5 Reasons Why You Should Listen To Radiohead

5) They released an amazingly brilliant record without the backing of a major record company.
4) Six consistent releases of pure musical bliss.
3) Their songs speak for a generation tired of globalization and ultra-consumerism.
2) The song "Where I End and You Begin."
1) Their unique sense of composition: interesting time signatures, polyrhythms, great melodies and harmonies, elements of jazz, elements of rock, blending obscure instrumentation with the mainstream. Amazing.

Top 5 Coffee or Espresso Drinks

5) Vanilla Latte (Iced)
4) Latte (unadulterated by any sugary sweetness)
3) Americano
2) Vanilla Latte (Hot)
1) Black Coffee (light or medium roast.)

This is slothy. He wants more friends. Can you give him yours?

fat, chubby, rotund - it matters not how you refer to this little fellow.

:: : I'm so tired of school...and my daily routine...and crappy habits. I starting to "feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean: like butter that has been scraped over too much bread," as old Bilbo once said. I'm just waiting for this school year to come to its end, and maybe then I'll be able to relax a little, write some music, and read good books more frequently. I'm just so tired. God help me.

'I am old, Gandalf. I don't look it, but I am beginning to feel it in my heart of hearts. Well-preserved indeed!' he snorted. 'Why, I feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean: like butter that has been scraped over too much bread. That can't be right. I need a change, or something.'

-Bilbo Baggins, A Long Expected Party, The Fellowship of the Ring.

: ::

Perotin

I am very much in love with Perotin's "Sederunt Principes." The beauty, complexity and spirit of this music is something musicians in the Xtian rock industry need to be pitted against. Maybe then, people will realize how much "musicians" like Barlow Girl suck. It's just a thought.

Harvest Moon

I think of all the games I played on the Nintendo 64, Harvest Moon may have been my favorite one. You could plant crops and then sell them, make friends with the townspeople, and lay some action down on the sweet honeys in the town (of which there were only five). And when I think about it, the crop planting and harvesting was totally environment-friendly. You dig a few patches in the soil, plant the seeds, water them for a few days, and then bam! you harvest them. No pesticides, no corporate farming. Those little 18-year-old hipsters would even shed a tear on their books of philosophy.

Fake Plastic Trees

A green plastic watering can
For a fake Chinese rubber plant
In a fake plastic earth

That she bought from a rubber man
In a town full of rubber plans
To get rid of itself

And it wears her out
It wears her out

She lives with a broken man
A cracked, polystyrene man
Who just crumbles and bursts

He used to do surgery
For girls in the 'eighties
But gravity always wins

And it wears him out
It wears him out

She looks like the real thing
She tastes like the real thing
My fake plastic love

And I can't help but feel it
I could flow to the ceiling
If I just turned and run

But it wears me out
It wears me out

And if I could be who you wanted
If I could be who you wanted all the time

"New Grass" - Talk Talk

Lifted up
Reflective in returning love you sing
Errant days filled me
Fed me illusion's gate
In temperate stream
Welled up within me
A hunger uncurbed by nature's calling
Seven sacraments to song
Versed in Christ
Should strength desert me
They'll come
They come

Lifted up
Reflected in returning love you sing
Heaven waits
Someday Christendom may come
Westward
Evening sun recedent
Set my resting vow
Hold in open heart

Top Ten Two Thousand and Seven

10. Kurr, Amiina

Amiina is the femme string quartet that plays strings on many Sigur Ros songs. Paired with Sigur Ros, they help create a musical experience that is completely organic, yet complex and wonderful. Without Sigur Ros, they still know how to write good music, albeit different music. It's kind of hard to explain how it's different, but they aren't quite as bound to the sound Sigur Ros makes. Therefore, I'd say their music sound a little more quirky and even folkish in an icelandic kind of way. Tis a fun record to play while you have to study or if you just want to listen to some good background music.


9. Fake Noise From A Box Of Toys, The Autumns

When I first listened to Fake Noise From a Box of Toys, I wasn't sure what to think. Had the Autumns released an album that could somehow be better than their previous self-titled album, which is such a wonderful recording. Well, after a few more listens, I came to realize that Fake Noise was more a slight derivation from their previous record. I still enjoy it, though, but I'd recommend listening to it before you listen to their self-titled release, because if you do, you'll probably be more impressed with it. Favorite Songs: "Boys," "Clem," "Killer In Drag," and "Only Young."


8. Our Love To Admire, Interpol

I haven't quite given this record enough time, but I do like what I hear on it, although it's not quite as enticing as their previous record Antics. However, this album doesn't fail to disappoint with such catchy songs as "Pioneers To The Falls" and "The Heinrich Maneuver." Favorite Songs: "Pioneers to the Falls," "The Scale," The Heinrich Maneuver," and "The Lighthouse."


7. A Weekend In The City, Bloc Party

Though a bit more conceptual than their debut Silent Alarm, A Weekend In the City does not fail to delight, at least in my opinion. Most of the songs on this album are more contemplative and strive to ask deeper questions than those on their previous album. You can be the judge of whether this is for the better or worse. Nevertheless, Bloc Party has put out a pretty nice sophomore release, even if it isn't quite as fun as their debut. Favorite Songs: "Hunting for Witches," "The Prayer," "Kreuzberg," "I Still Remember," and "SRXT."


6. We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank, Modest Mouse

When I first listened to We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, I was slightly disappointed. I had been expecting something similar to Good News For People Who Love Bad News. After listening to Modest Mouse's most recent release enough, though, I've come to like it better than Good News For People Who Love Bad News. As a whole, WWDBTSES is much more consistent than Good News. Favorite Songs: "Fire It Up," "Parting Of the Sensory," "Little Motel," "Invisible."


5. Armchair Apocrypha, Andrew Bird
Andrew Bird plays violin and guitar. He also whistles and sings. You can hear all this in his album Armchair Apocrypha, which is so cool. I think one of my favorite things about this album is the lyrics. Bird has a real talent for writing songs with such intellect, yet they are so full of art as well. "Imitosis" and "Armchairs" are perfect examples of this.Favorite Songs: "Imitosis," "Plasticities," Scythian Empires," and "Yawny At the Apocalypse."


4. Wincing The Night Away, The Shins

I think I'm doing a rash thing by giving this album fourth place, because I only purchased it a week ago. But what can I say, It's so cool. I don't know if it will stand the test of time for me, and that's one of the reasons I didn't give it second place, but for now, I'm way into it. Favorite Songs: "Sleeping Lessons," "Sea Legs," and "Black Waves."


3. Kismet, Jesca Hoop
I haven't really spent enough time with this album in order to know how to dissect it properly, nor do I have a broad enough understand of the genres it uses. However, I do know that I really, really like it. From listening to this album, i can tell that Jesca Hoop is talented, innovative and honest with the music she writes. I guess the best way I know how to describe Kismet is that folk is the backbone, but it's fleshed out with styles like funk and trip-hop. Favorite Songs: "Seed of Wonder," "Dreams In The Hollow," "Love Is All We Have," and "Havoc In Heaven."


2. American Doll Posse, Tori Amos
I hadn't really gotten into Tori Amos until this year, and their are probably some sound reasons for this. She's definitely not for the faint of heart, yet at times, when one's heart is faint, she has some songs that can so perfectly relate. Anyway, American Doll Posse is her newest work of art, and it's amazing. I've been listening to it since May, but I hadn't listened to it as much until lately. I don't know what it is about American Doll Posse, but most of the songs are so great and enjoyable to listen to. There are 23 tracks on this album, so it's hard to listen to the whole record all in one sitting. However, if you can get through it all, you'll realize the how good this work is, especially because the best songs seem to be on the latter half of the album. Favorite Songs: "Bouncing Off Clouds," "Father's Son," "Roosterspur Bridge," "Beauty of Speed," "Smokey Joe," and "Dragon."


1. In Rainbows, Radiohead
I love Radiohead. I love the way they seem to be able to craft music so wonderfully. I love every album they have released since the Bends, and In Rainbows is no exception. I love In Rainbows. I'm not sure how to describe this record correctly, but that's probably because it's so innovative and original, just like all the other Radiohead albums (with the exception of their debut Pablo Honey). It's a bit more stripped-down than their previous masterpiece Hail To the Theif, yet it is still equally as brilliant. A couple of the songs here on this album take me back to OK Computer, but I still wouldn't consider In Rainbows to be the offspring of the ten-year old OK Computer. All in all, In Rainbows is brilliant and beautiful, and I love it. Every song is wonderful, but my favorite tunes are probably "All I Need," "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi," "Reckoner," and "Videotape."

Stardogs

This holiday season I realized something. Uh...what was it I realized? Well, could it be that I finally had a revelation that christmas has become unnecessarily commercialized? Could it be that I have finally settled on the truth that I really don't like red wines as much as I was telling myself I did. NO!!! It was neither. I'll tell you what I realized:



+





If you don't quite understand what I trying to say here, I'll give you a hint: people sometimes name there pets after things they like. Whoops! I think I let too much out. Anyway, I was outside one morning trying to make a phone call on my cellular phone when my next-door neighbors' dog started to bark at me. The next thing I knew, it was running toward me. But fortunately, the dog's master called it back to herself.

Now this is all very normal. What's so strange about someone stopping their dog from attacking their next-door neighbor? Nothing. However, it was the name my neighbor cried out to beckon her dog that surprised me.

"Starbucks! Come back here! STARBUCKS!!! GET BACK HERE NOW!"

"Wow," I thought to myself. "Do people really name their pets after franchises? I never would have guessed."

This is what I realized this holiday season. If you don't like, I don't care. If you don't care, I don't like it. If there are two boys a boat, one named Pete and the other one Repete, and Pete happens to fall out of the boat, who's left?

foreignors

At the Barnes and Noble Café where I work, there is a crazy woman who comes in very often. She's about 5'4", where's glasses and has really thin, stringy hair. She also talks funny, as you would expect any eastern european to talk. When she places an order, I always have to try really hard not to laugh. If she is buying an apple, for example, she will with a sort of guttural urge, "I'll take diss!" Then there's my favorite thing I've heard her say, which is "What soup you have today?" I also really liked it when she asked me to put hazelnut syrup in her iced tea one time. "I want hazelnut in tea!" ...weird. I'm glad she frequents the café, though, because it's the crazy foreigners that make my job interesting.

Winter Wonderland (Not a Theme Park)

Since it's starting to get cold outside, I think it's appropriate to share some of my reasons why I don't like chilly temperatures. But don't worry, for this will not be a complete bashing of winter. There will be some reasons why I like winter to counter the reasons why I dislike it.

3) I get cold easily, which apparently isn't very normal for my gender. In my house, one of my roommates likes to keep the heater at 68 degrees, whereas I like the temperature to be a nice, moderate 72 degrees. I think 74 is ideal for the house in the winter, but that may seem a bit extreme for most. My roommate and I constantly have quarrels about our preferences in temperatures. Once I tried to compromise by setting the thermostat to 70, but that didn't change anything because he still changed it back to 68.

2) I sweat more in the winter and late fall than I do in the spring and summer. This seems like a paradox--and it may be--but it's real annoying since it seems to dry out my palms. I don't own any lotion, and even if I did, I don't like the way it feels on your hands when your trying to use them. Nathan, you're a sick man.

1) The ice (occasionally) on the road.


So here's a few reasons I like the cold of late fall and winter:

3) The change is nice. If I had to spend my entire year in Lubbock, Tx, I'd probably lose my sanity. Likewise, if I had to spend the entire year in a constant summer, I would get real bored. I'd probably also lose my sanity just because.

2) It's a good reason to cuddle with people, and by "cuddle with people" I mean cuddling with females. By "cuddling with females," I mean making out. By "making out" I mean, ...jk

1) I think one of my favorite things about cold weather aside from jackets and fireplaces on fire is the contemplation of why Buddy, our dog, likes to go outside so often. I swear he's been outside at least 5 times tonight. Each individual "visit," as we shall call them, has been short, but it baffles me as to why he's taken so many of them. I know he doesn't have to go to the bathroom that much. It's good food for thought. I mean, what do our animals do when they go outside and we're not watching? Do they interact with the wild creatures? Do our cats exchange feline sex for cat-nip from the alley cats? And don't try to tell me that that doesn't happen, because it totally does...just maybe not the part about the cat-nip. I'm just rambling now. Anyway, I hope you like these two lists I've just made. Enjoy.

"Don't Let Them See Me Like This" ~ Slow Runner

You
Stuffed all full of tubes
All our friends prefer to call
It's easier on you
Not to have to see them all

Don't let them see me like this
Don't let them see me like this
I won't

I'll
Be right down the hall
Buying cokes and choking up
I'd rather you not know
I've already given up

Don't let them see me like this
Don't let them see me like this
I won't

You're weak and needled arms
They must feel like useless things
But you smile like all along
They've been turning into wings

Don't let them see me like this
Don't let them see me like this
Don't let them see me like this
Don't let them see me like this

Ye Olde Top Ten Coolest

Sometimes, I dream dreams that are very strange to me when I wake up in the morning. But...I can never remember anything 10 minutes later...the actual dream itself, the feelings that it gave me, what the dream may have meant. Maybe that's a good think. Does anyone ever wake up not remembering their dream but still bearing the emotion that they had in their dream? It happens to me sometimes. Nothing to worry 'bout, though, because I'm normal. I swear...

Brilliance

Radiohead–Wow! In Rainbows–Wow! What can I say about their new album except that it proves that Radiohead is still completely capable of writing amazing music, even after such phenomenal releases such as Okay Computer, Kid A, and Hail To the Thief. In Rainbows presents a collection of new and innovative songs that are pretty stripped-down in production, which has given it a minimalist reputation. It is very unlike its predecessor Hail To the Thief, which is rife with an amazing array of electronic and organic instrumentation that are so perfectly blended together. It’s not to say that In Rainbows lacks that brilliant production quality, but rather it lacks the vast amount of instrumentation in many of the songs. This is not by any means a bad thing; it’s just a different way that Radiohead has chosen to craft yet another brilliant work of art. Don’t worry, though, because this record still has a lot beautiful synths, awesome beats, and rocking and jazzy guitars.

“15 Step”
I don’t know what it is about this song that draws me in so much, but whatever it is, it totally entrances me. “15 Step” starts the record off with a somewhat complicated rhythm that’s very unexpected, but then you hear Thom sing the words, “How come I end up where I started? How come I end up where I went wrong?” and at that point, you know that this song is going to groove.

“Bodysnatchers”
“Has the light gone out for you? Because the light’s gone out for me. This is the twenty-first century; it is the twenty-first century.” “Bodysnatchers” rocks so hard. In fact, of all the songs on this record, it may rock the most. The competition is really between it and “Jigsaw Falling Into Place,” but if you ask me, I think it should go to “Bodysnatchers.” Anyway, “Bodysnatchers” kicks off with a rocking start and eventually breaks to a point where the distortion is cut off and e-bows take control of the guitars. It’s great. I love it.

To be continued...

I've begun to notice just how tired of caring about image I've become. Everyday when I wake up and decide what to put on, the pressure is always on how will others percieve me through what I'm wearing. As a result, my identity is not completely in my own perception of myself any longer, but rather in an illusion given to me by others but presumed by myself to be my very own. Yesterday, I ran out of contact solution, so I had to wear my glasses. In addition to these accessories deemed "nerdy" by society, I wore an old button up shirt that's probably a size too short in length. With the combination of these two articles of clothing, my perception of myself was altered from the normal, comfortable idea I have of myself to one of "Dude,-you-look-like-that-dorky-guy-who-sits-in-front-of-you-in-your-political-science-class." I was so anxious to get home and shed the shell of nerdome that I had so readily taken upon myself. My sitation and reaction to it were sad for two reasons. First--as you obviously have picked up on by now--the state of my appearance was something very nagging to my idea of what should be cool. Worse, though, is the fact that I actually cared.

My question is this: why do I even care about the way shallow kids my age think about what is cool and what's not. If they think that glasses and loose-fitting, frumpy shirts are uncool, why should I take on that same mindset. But I do, though I don't want to...though it'd be better not to.

I like cranberry juice, but cranapple is a blessed union of juices that totally outdoes any other.

"Debra" aka "I Want To Get With You (And Your Sister Debra)"

I met you
at JC Penny.
I think your nametag
said, "Jenny."
I coldstep to you
with a fresh pack of gum.
Somehow I knew
you were lookin' for some.

Like a fruit
that's ripe for the pickin'
I wouldn't do you like that
Zankou Chicken.
'Cos only you've got a thing
that I just got to get with.
I just got to get with you
and you know what we're gonna do.

I wanna get with you
(Oh girl)
and your sister.
I think her name's Debra.

I wanna get with you
(Only you)
and your sister.
I think her name's Debrah-ha-haa.

I pick you up late at night
after work.
I said, "Lady,
step inside my Hundai."
I'm gonna take you up to Glendale.
Gonna take you for a real good meal.

'Cos when our eyes did meet,
girl you I was packin' heat.
Ain't no use in wastin' no time
gettin' to know each other.
'Cos only you got a thing
that I just got to get with.

I wanna get with you
(Only you, girl)
and your sister.
I think her name's Debra.

I wanna get with you
(Girl)
and your sister.
I think her name's Debra.

Ew, lovely lady
Girl, you drive me crazy.

"Debra" ~ Beck

Fotography

I want to be a photographer hobbiest so bad, but I don't even own a camera. But it's such a cool hobby. The images that you can take in with a camera and never let go-priceless. The vines that climb up the oak tree that is planted firmly by the back door to the back yard—how can I really describe it while still doing justice to what that image really is. That's why I like photography so much. It allows us to capture an array of pictures that words simply are not able to express. Thus, the cliche saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words."

Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls

Today in Hastings while I was checking out the music, my friend told me that, "as a medium, music is bad." I knew from the onset of what he was about to say that I totally disagreed with him, but I responded with an "mmmhmm." The "mmmhmm" was meant to inform him that I didn't want to converse with him, but he proceeded to keep talking about how music is a bad medium and why. I didn't want someone talking to me--I wanted to be alone with my thoughts; however, he didn't seem to get my subtle hints--the "mmmhmm's" and "ya, sure's." Needless to say, he eventually stopped nagging me with his bantor. I'm pretty sure that of what he said to me, I may have retained 8% of it, which is to say that I now know that he thinks music as a medium is bad.

Sugar cookies and lollipops can give you a stomach ache, if you eat too many. The same goes for hamburgers and hot dogs, but they do not have the bad reputations that sugar cookies and lollipops do.

I don't actually want to liberate sugar cookies and lollipops; I just wanted to point a discrepancy in the conventional thought of americans. Also, I can't think of anything meaningful to write about.

Off To Camp

I'm about to leave for the Texas Lions Camp to do some lifeguard training.
A few things:
1) I'm really tired.
2) I love Keane.
3) I still want to learn how to rock out so hard that opposites will switch. The south will become north, the vegetarian will eat meat, and gamers will go outside and plant herb gardens.

Peace

Too Humid

34 minutes ago
a moderate downpour
left an uncomfortable humidity
because they always do,
they always do
and It's making me sweat
just like you do
and I'm reminded
I'm already the late one
because I'm always the late one.

I'm So Ready

There's roughly two more weeks of school left. This is a good thing. I'm so ready for a break, especially one that lasts for 3 months.

If you came to this blog in hopes of finding some post that is tied to the impending doom of global warming, you came to the wrong place.

And if you came to it to see a nicely formatted and designed web page, you came to the wrong place.

But...if you came to this site to read about my feelings related to the soon-to-be summer break, this is the place you've been dreaming of.

Cheers

This video made me laugh a little when I first watched it.

Here are some fun facts about yours truly:

I'm philisophically challanged.
I enjoy good music.
I like a nice game of chess—as long as the person I am playing is not very good.
I'm getting tired of school projects.
I like the summer, and I like it more the closer it gets to me.

When the Cold Gets Old

The weather here in sunny Lubbock is always an interesting subject for me to write about. I feel like I never have anything to say on this poor, malnourished blog. But wait! What's that?! The weather in Lubbock is acting strange again. Oh boy, I have something to write about and thus, give substance to emptycdwallet.

So here's what I've noticed about the weather, lately. For the past 4 or 5 weeks, things have been pretty warm; spring is in the air and you can feel it. By the time Easter rolled around, a quick change in weather occurred. (Because it was so quit, I like to refer to it as a "quickie," because I'm immature.) On the morning of Good Friday, I woke up, stepped outside, and upon feeling the chill of the newly forged cold front, involuntarily thought to myself that I had slept an entire 8 months. "Shit!" I said to myself. How could I have missed so much school...and life? What are people doing these days? Do I still have the same roommates? Are any of my friends now engaged? Do I have a beard and long hair? After feeling my face for the beard that would put Paul Bunyan to shame, I realized such a beard did not exist upon my boyish visage. I was confused. How did I not grow any hair over my 8-month hibernation? In fact, why is it that nobody even tried to wake me up? I was more than confused; I was delusional. At that moment I remembered one of the important things about Lubbock, TX I shouldn't have forgotten—it can get really cold in the spring. We have dust storms for crying out loud. Why should a cold spell in spring be any different.

So after I figured out that a cold front just came during the night of Good Friday, I proceed with my day. I thought to myself, "yeah, that's Lubbock for you."

I think that one of the most beautiful things in life is green, wet grass. You know what I'm talking about: how the spring rain completely saturates every blade; how the saturation makes fields and pastures look like marches. It's been raining a lot in Lubbock lately, and surprisingly, I am quite pleased when I walk out the door and see green lawns and feel moisture in the air. The winter was so dull and dry. Now, things look nice, and I'm amazed that I'm actually saying this considering my typical dislike with the climate and appearance of Lubbock.

a music video "enjoy the silence"

my spring break(out)

Spring Break 2007 was a spring break that occured during the year 2007. I spent most of it within my house in Kerrville. It was good for me because it took my mind off school and the all the crap that comes with it. I had a lot of time to relax and enjoy myself. Because I had so much free time, I was able to make some keen observations about my about my surrounding environment. Here are just a few things: First, my mom likes to make pancakes...a lot. I am pretty sure that for three of the nine days I've been here, she's made pancakes for breakfast. 3 of 9 reduces to 1 of 3. 1 of 3 is also one-third. I think that's a sizeable amount of pancakes. I also noticed that April showers sometime come around sooner than they are expected to. The rain came hard. It came so hard that some of the front lawns in my hood looked like miniature swamps. Also, once the rain was over, it left moisture to rest in the air. The moisture in the air made me break out a little. I'll spare the details.

I watched 7 movies over spring break. Here they are in the chronologocial order I saw them:
1) 300
2) Van Helsing
3) Breakfast at Tiffany's
4) Borat
5) Death to Smoochy
6) The Time Machine (the version from 2002)
7) The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra

It's possible that I might watch The Prestige before classes start, but we'll see if that happens. If so, it could be considered number 8.

Wow, just what I needed.

Here are the top 10 most romantic songs in my iTunes library. This is just my opinion. They are in no particualar order as of right now, because I don't want to take the time to sort them out.

Recycled Air ~ The Postal Service
You Could Be Happy ~ Snow Patrol
Chasing Cars ~ Snow Patrol
We Might As Well Be Strangers ~ Keane
Sleep Don't Weep ~ Damien Rice
Accidental Babies ~ Damien Rice
Cattelya ~ The Autumns
The Moon Softly Weeps A Lullaby ~ The Autumns
Twenty Two Fourteen ~ The Album Leaf
Andvari ~ Sigur Ros

This list was harder to make than I thought it was going to be. Plus, I think it may have some discrepancies. For example, pretty much all of these songs transcend beyond romance. Maybe the next list I make will be better. Hopefully, it'll incorporate some radiohead.

I got into another pointless argument with one of my friends, recently. I made some comment about how certain guys try to prove their "machismo" by being obsessed with football and going hunting. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a particular problem with either sport, but I do get annoyed when "what is manly" is defined in such narrow terms. Then something happend. My friend didn't seem to want to believe that "machismo" is a real word that is actually used in english. I could feel the tension creep up between us. Maybe he was really just upset with the social commentary I made with regard to our culture's definition of manliness. Maybe he really didn't want to believe that "machismo" is a real word. I truly have no answer for why a small bit of dissonance developed inbetween us for that brief period in time. I will tell you this, though: I'm getting tired of the constant arguing over stupid, pointless things.

This Is Funny.

This Is What Happens When I Have To Write a Paper for My Technical Communications Course.

According to Wikipedia:
"A gnome is a legendary creature characterized by its very small size and subterranean lifestyle. According to the alchemist Paracelsus, gnomes are the most important of the elemental spirits of the classical element of earth; they move as easily through the earth as humans walk upon it, have conical hats, and the sun's rays turn them into stone. In other traditions, they are simply small, misshapen, mischievous sprites or goblins (with pointy caps). Some sources claim they spend the daytime as toads instead of in stone and they are also said to have magical powers that make people feel sad or happy."

Let me just tell you that writing a four page paper (single-spaced) about corporate and local codes of conduct isn't nearly as much fun as reading about gnomes.

I've really gotten tired of blogging. It's not that exciting anymore. Maybe I'll have some more inspiration to do it in the future.
Anyway, today was the superbowl. I don't pay much attention to football, but I did catch that the colts won. What does this information do for me? Nothing really. What does this information do for avid football fans? It either elates them or crushes them. I've never understood football. I probably never will. I do like a good sci-fi, though. I can understand those.

This is Clark Gable. He was an actor that played in movies from the 1920's to the 60's, though he was more prominent during the 30's and 40's. He is best known for his role as Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind.

The Postal Service has a song titled Clark Gable. That's the real reason for this post. I just wanted a shameless excuse to increase awareness for The Postal Service, because they deserve it.

sloppy, slovenly sloths

As you may well have noticed, there is now a picture of a sloth on emptycdwallet's sidebar. Don't be disturbed; the more you look at it the less freaked out by it you will be. It is a little bit of a strange picture, but the sloth is very cute.

Personally, I've always liked sloths. They rank in the top three of my favorite kinds of animals. I think most people don't think about them because they're too busy thinking about dogs or cats or midterm papers or court briefs. Yes indeed, the sloth is a forgotten beast, yet it is also a majestic beast, with it's three huge claws on each hand (or is it a paw?) and its dumpy, slow body. I hope this post has increased awareness for sloths. It should. I hope the sloth picture doesn't creep you out too much.

I watched a show last night on TLC about instances in the ER that rarely happen and seem to go untold. Hence, the program was rightfully named "The Untold Stories of the ER." The show phased in and out between three different stories. Each story had its very own doctor who explained the event that he saw was a part of.

My favorite story was about a woman who was brought into the ER naked with burn marks on her legs and strange, satanic paint markings on her abdomen. As the doctor was trying to get her to respond to him, because she was conscience and seemed to be aware of everything that was going on around her, he soon figured out that she was deaf. He asked her if she could read lips. In response, she nodded that she could and so he continued to speak to her while he sent for someone who could sign. What happens next is creepy. She motioned the doctor to come closer to her. Immediately after he bent down close to her head, she jumped up and started to strangle him while blabbering some kind of satanic jabber. It took all four nurses, according to the dramatization, to get her off of him and pin her down. Now the doctor is totally clueless to really anything that's going on: the burns on her legs and the sudden change in behavior. Not short after the attack, the woman's psychiatrist calls in and informs the doctor and his nurses that the woman has multiple personalities. The deaf personality was one of the nice ones, but the personality of the one who was an occultist was trying to purify herself by killing the deaf one. The psychiatrist informed the doctor that there was another personality, a nice one who was not deaf and mute, that also existed and was aware of the conflicts between the other two. When the doctor went back to his patient, the nice, normal person personality had now come into the forefront of the picture. For the remainder of her stay, she kept this personality. The doctor had some people from the psychiatric ward come to interview her. According to him, they would take better care of her than her normal psychiatrist.

If you don't believe me that this actually happened, you should consider that I saw it on TLC, which stands for "The Learning Channel." With a name like that, how could it not have happened?

Here are my top ten favorite radiohead songs. They are in no particular order and not very much thought has been put into it. So here's my list as best as I can present it in a short amount of time:

-"Where I End and You Begin"
-"Climbing Up the Walls"
-How To Disappear Completely"
-"Fake Plastic Tree"
-"Myxomatosis"
-"Let Down"
-"Everything In Its Right Place"
-"Exit Music (For a Film)"
-"The National Anthem"
-"No Surprises"

That's probably not a very accurate list, but these are some of my favorites, even though the majority of radiohead's music is pretty much my favorite.

Here in this photograph I was documenting the life of the wealthy aristocratic canine. It seems so wrong that in this day and age there is an ever increasing chasm between the dogs on the street and the ones that live so comfortably with loving masters who dote on them and take good care of them. This is America! This is the land of opportunity! But no! Only a handful of dogs are ever able to make the jump from the poor stray to the affluent best friend!

You know what pisses me off? The fact that Wal-Mart is starting to implement Subway as the new fast-food store in its stores. Basically, Wal-Mart is unwilling to admit that it is a big nasty megacompany that distorts beautiful land by building its ugly, albeit convenient, stores. Wal-Mart knows that there are many people out there who are disappointed with it---the way it treats it's "associates," the shoddyness of some of its goods, the ugleness of its buildings. So, in an effort to redeem themselves and wash their hands of all that people disapprove of them for, they've decided to replace McDonalds with Subway because:
A) Subway is healthy(er) and
B) Micky D's is a big and evil company, too, and is at constant emnity with Wal-Mart because of power struggle. Truthfully, I don't honestly know why Wal-Mart made the switch other than it's better for it's image---yes, it's powerful, brazen image.

So why am I actually pissed off? I wasn't able to get something off of the McDonalds Dollar Menu during thanksgiving when I was a Wally World with my mom and sistor. I was pretty hungry and I needed immediate satisfaction for my stomach; although, I don't really know if I would call the food at McDonalds "satifaction for the stomach."

Have a good day. I hope that none of you guys have to go to Wal-Mart or McDonalds any time soon.

It's 1 o'clock in the morning here in my bedroom in ye olde Lubbock, TX. I'm drinking an IBC root beer while listening to "Trains to Brazil" by the Guillemots, who incidently, aren't that good. I can hear the tremendous winds howling by window as they speed through the small section of space between our house and the neighbors'. I am now listening to "You're It" by Halloween, Alaska, which incidently, is a beautiful song. It's a little later and my root beer is more in my stomach and less in its glass container.

"You're it,
the silver on a little cloud.
You're it,
and this is the shit that I've been talking about.
You're it,
the sickness in a thinning crowd.
Your it,
and this is the shit that I've been talking about."

There are two things you should know about me.

1) Octopi have eight tentacles, and

2) I like IBC Root Beer ...a lot.

I've got a picture---a really cool looking picture. I've got a Jesus picture on the green wall of my bedroom. It's only 6" x 5". It's not very big. It's humble. It's gentle. I like it because the portrayal of Jesus Christ in this picture is not very representational. It has an abstract quality that intensifies the humble posture of His body and the solemn look on His face. It reminds me of how the greatest King is a most majestic servant who refused to open His mouth in the face of accusation and death because of His wonderful love and obedience. Totally left alone, He bore the weight of sin and shame fully upon Himself. It was heavy but He was God. He conquered that hefty burden. He's good. He's the very image of Almighty God, both as fierce as a warrior and gentle as a shepherd.

I really like that Jesus picture on the green wall of my bedroom.

"She Has No Time"

If you haven't heard of Keane, you should check this beauty out. If you have heard of Keane and never heard this song, you should check this beauty out. If you have heard of Keane and have checked this beauty out, I hope you are swelling with emotion as you read this.

Why Not Try to Possess Some Mystic? It Will Make You Feel Cool to Yourself, and You'll Be Healthier, More Positive, and Better at Decision-Making.

I realize that a lot of people like to express and even pour out their feelings in their online journals/blogs. I don't think I put to much of my inner feelings on my blog. To do so would mean that I'd be showing my humanity before an audience I'm not too sure I would really be comfortable doing that with. Nonetheless, I hope that my little blog here lacks no depth, which can be hard to conjure up if you don't express the inner recesses of your souled self. So, in order to prescribe my blog some depth, here's something Picasso said:

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."

You can do with that quote whatever you want. Picasso is sort of a misfit in some circles, and some people just might want to disregard it. I remember being taught growing up that he was a creep, wierdo, and the devil's best friend (I'm kidding about the devil's best friend, but it sounds funny and legalistic.).

This is Buddy

Yeah, he's cute but he's not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree. Nonetheless, no one ever expected dogs to be very smart anyway. Sometimes I get irritated with Buddy and my roommates think that I hate him, but that's not true. I love Buddy; it's just a tensioned love because he doesn't understand that I don't like him constantly jumping on and biting my legs. We let Buddy get away with too much. It's because he's cute.

Something that's taken for granted

Flossing. Let's face it, folks, only a small number of Americans actually floss on a daily basis. I'm not in that minority. The person reading this probably isn't in that minority. I wish I was in it. I wish you were in it. And here's why: Everytime I go to the dental-hygenist for the semi-annual cleaning, my gums are always left in an uncomfortable pain because she (because dental-hygenists are always of the female persuasion) put the floss to the inner recesses between my teeth.

I flossed my teeth tonight and my gums weren't very happy about that. With consistency, though, the little guys will become tough hard-a's soon enough. I just have to stick with it. Did I also mention that flossing daily is good in the prevention of cavities. It's a win-win situation.

Pale Like White

"It felt like rain
That fell again
Down on me

It felt like rain
That touched my face
And I can't believe it

Like rain
I can't believe it
No, I can't believe it

The things You said
seem to find their way into my head
And I regret my ways
You never left
Remind me once again so I won't forget
You're never far away

It felt like rain
That said again
That it's okay

Pale like white
I close my eyes
'Cause I can't believe it---the way You forgive me"

"Forgiveness" ~Luna Halo

"When you look at, there can be no hesitation. There cannot be a close second to you."

I'm beginning to get tired of this long hair. It's starting to get in my eyes. It's a well-known fact that eyes don't take well to foreign objects entering into them. Hair's not an exception. In fact, I don't even know how girls cope [ha ha... a shameless reference to Copeland, a rock band that I like heaps] with it, but they do. And this cues in a little bit of an insight. There's a reason why girls should be treated so well by guys. It's because they put up with so much crap for my gender's gratification, satisfaction, and all those other words that end in "tion".

On a different note about an above reference, I still like Copeland. Nathan, if you read this post, realize that even though "Testing the Strong Ones" has a very generic emo rythym to it, you can't dismiss the whole Beneath Medicine Tree album for that reason alone. Give it another chance. If that doesn't do it for you, give it two more chances. Finally, if that doesn't do it for you, know that you tried to like it. That'll be satisfactory.

Bradley Hathaway: a Poet

Step 1: go to http://www.myspace.com/bradleyhathaway
Step 2: listen to the "boobie poem"
Step 3 (this applies to the majority of people reading this post): laugh at how true and "in-yo-face" it is. I did. I was also inspired.

If you want to listen to the other recorded poems he has, they are good, too. He does have a sort of whiny voice, though ...just a disclaimer.

O_o

It's been a while since I last posted on my poor forsaken blog. (I love you blog...just want you to know this.) So here's the dirt:

1. The 18th of August, that's when I go back to Lubbock. That's when I go back to school. That's when I go back to having countless adventures in a far-off, dust-filled, windy land.
Getting ready to go back to Lubbock: C+ (It's not too bad preparing to move into a house, but it's not a walk in the park.)

2. For anyone interested, lifeguarding is way overrated. Having nothing to do but sit in the sun and live in fear of burning alive is not a good way to spend your time. Lifeguarding: D-

3. The only coffee shop Kerrville has is Starbucks, which means that's it's the new hangout place for kids and middle-aged folks going through mid-life crisis. I'm kidding about the mid-life-crisis people. On a different note, I did overhear a man and a woman who were in their thirties talking about love at this particular Starbucks. It reminded me of a scene from a movie almost. So, based soley on this one event, I've made a generalization. Kids and young adults in their twenties go to local, more romantic coffee shops to share in one another's love, but men in their thirties and forties take their dates to Starbucks because they've been in corporate america for so long that they no longer no any other coffee shop other than ye olde Starbucks.
Making total assumptions based on one event: A+ (This is a lot of fun to do because it really pisses people off and they think that you're actually serious about it most of the time.)
Starbucks in general: C
Starbucks in Kerrville: B (it's all we have...and it's on the river, which is nice.)

I have a high systolic blood pressure.

It's either that or the machine at Wal-Mart that checks it is messed up. My point? Blood pressure is a good thing to check up on from time to time. This is the first time I've actually checked it in probably 5 years, and back then I didn't even know what it meant.

I Like Death Cab for Cutie.

There's a song by Death Cab for Cutie called "Passenger's Seat." Here are the lyrics.

I roll the window down
And then begin to breathe in
The darkest country road
And the strong scent of evergreen
From the passenger seat as
You are driving me home.

Then looking upwards,
I strain my eyes and try
To tell the difference between
Shooting stars and satellites
From the passenger's seat as
You are driving me home.

"Do they collide?"
I ask and you smile.
With my feet on the dash
The world doesn't matter.

When you feel embarrassed,
Then I'll be your pride.
When you need directions,
Then I'll be the guide
For all time.
For all time.

This song remineses the story of a young boy riding right next to his father in the car on their way home. The cool thing about the dialog is the accuracy of the ideas and mannerisms in it ("with my feet on the dash, the world doesn't matter.") They tell the story in a way that most people could relate to on their initial listening. Additionally, the words Ben Gibbard uses to portray these ideas are also so precise that they help in giving a strong portrayal to the story a young boy riding in the car with his father. I particularly enjoy the line, '"Do they collide?" I ask and you smile.' That's so cool.

"Sleep Now Moon"

Sleep now moon.
I'll watch over her while the sun is up,
And you'll have her eyes again soon.
It's a glorious day
And my lonely heart is tired again
And I am
Starved for her attention, oh

That's when Paula sparks, oh
That's when Paula sparks a little light in my eyes
(Ever since she went away)
That's when Paula sparks a little light in my eyes
(I miss her more everyday)
That's when Puala sparks, oh

Sleep now sweet princess.
I'll cheer for you silently
And carefully not to disturb, oh.
And I'll be ready on that evening
When you're starved for my attention
And you'll say
You'll say
"Wait now prince.
There's a brilliant sky above
and a jealous moon in love and they are
Starved for our attention, oh."

"When Paula Sparks" ~ Copeland

I Live in the Boonies...No Cell Phone Service Whatsoever.

I used to live in the city of Kerrville. I liked living in the city of Kerrville. My cell phone (which has a lubbock area code) got service, we had time warner cable*, and lastly, it didn't take 20 minutes to get to river right by starbucks (as opposed to the starbucks by the river**). We recently moved to a housing division outside of Kerrville. My point here is that I can't recieve or send calls to people where I live now; I've tried. Most of the people in my cell phone directory are my friends from college. I can't really call them, nor can they call me. So if any of you are reading this who have my cell phone number, don't bother calling me; it probably won't get through, that is, if you wanted to in the first place. On a side note, I tried calling my friend Andrew and couldn't get ahold of him. That's what it's like.

*I liked time warner cable because it had Food Network on it. The cable we have now, which is from Dallas of all places, doesn't have Food Network. What kind of garbage is this? Why don't they have Food Network? That channel kicks serious backside. Congradulations Extended Cable, you've thouroughly disappointed the child of one of your customers. Oh well, at least you have the Discovery Channel. I can't complain about that.

It's been a while.

Comments on my posts make me feel good. I like it when people comment on my posts. In fact, maybe one of you will comment on this post. I'm just trying to give a little nudge to those of you who read this blog. Besides, you don't even have to have a blogger account. You can do it anonymously and then leave your name with you message. Come on guys, I don't bite.

"The only losers are those who don't try."

My entire junior year of high consisted of fixations. I was fixed on radiohead, keira knightley*, being a free-spirit, and how to supress these obsessions for the sake of God. Does it sound ridiculous if I say that radiohead pulled me away from walking closely with God. Rather, I think it was the simple fact that I let myself become enamered with that cool band. But I rememer thinking during that period of time that I wanted to get close to God. I would try but all my attempts seemed fruitless. I would think of times that displayed me being close to God. Well, recently, I came across a journal that I had written in during one of those fond times and found that I was struggling with very similar stuff then as I was in my junior year of high school. It really still doesn't make sense to me, but I assume that when you literally cry out to God for help when you are struggling, you feel much more in line with his step than when you "cry" out. I think the struggles of my junior year were comfortable struggles; they didn't seem to cause any direct harm to me except for my conscious, which was saying, "Forrest, you have idols." The moral of all this?: Harmless idols are so much more destructive than painful oppressions of the mind, body, and spirit.

Call Us Up when You Need Some Flavor to Your Party.

One of the highlights of this year was dressing up like complete idiots. The picture above is of Ben, Andrew, and I, and we look like complete dorks. At least we had fun doing it---that's important.

I'm OCD about C.O.P.E.

"Cause your words hit like a train and I can't ignore it.
This moment could be our last.
You fall in love and I'm running after.
You move way too fast." ~ "Don't Slow Down"

If you're wondering why I'm posting so many lyrics from the the band Copeland lately, it's because they are such cool lyrics. I don't know that these lyrics would be as moving to me if I had never heard the music that goes with them, but I know that where I stand, these lyrics are awesome. If you've never heard Copeland, check them out on the itunes music store or amazon.com. They're so cool. Aaron Marsh's highly sung vocal melodies are awesome. The songs are so easy to get into.

"Priceless"

"I need you like the dragonfly's wings need the wind,
like the orphan needs home once again,
like heaven needs more to come in.
I need you here like you've always been."

Schlitterbahn ...in Lubbock? Say What?

So it's 4:30 in the middle of the night when the stupid fire alarm starts going off, wailing with a fake voice "please evacuate the building ...blah blah blah." Andrew (my roommate) and I were not happy campers. Although, I think he took it better than I did. Anyway, we returned to our room at 5:00. Both of us had 7:30 a.m. finals, so this meant that we could get about one more sleep cycle in before we took our exams. Still, my heart is very bitter toward those fire alarms. What was that? There was no fire? Can you note my sarcasm?

Needless to say, I woke up and went to take my final for psychology. As I walked the Art building with it's broken sprinker's, I felt as though I should have been at Schlitterbahn, maybe even Seaworld. Finals aren't as fun as water parks; this is a universal truth. Also, the weather is rainy and dreary outside anyway, which almost always tends to be the case whenever I go to a water park. It's days like this that remind me how much I like Schlitterbahn.

Aside from this, you few who read this blog, I like you guys. I hope you all have a good day and get an opportunity to go to a water park soon---hopefully a good one like Schlitterbahn.

Oh the humanity that I hate so much but couldn't live without
In dazes I find myself straying from the one I should love most
and hazy I find myself sculpting figures that just make me pout
Love, break these clay mannequins and make me love you the most

Hush your voices while the star talks.

I wish I had an orchestra playing behind be while I spoke aloud deep thoughts. In the movies it seems like the still, pensive atmosphere that a gentle orchestra supplies gives already deep dialogue an even greater level of depth. So it seems.

"Remember me when you're the one who's silver screened."

Am I not interesting to you anymore? Do I bore you? What happened? Can you feel the heartbeats anymore? Are they slowing down with every moment of distance? Would you even care to contribute to a conversation at a cup of tea? Has everything become unraveled? Only the Creator of time can tell.

"So long and thanks for all the fish."

This is a dophin.

According to some people, dolphins have magical powers. I don't know if I would agree with that, but they are cool. Dolphins are mammals. They have been known to save the occassional diver who is stranded in shark-infested waters, and I'm not kidding about this one. In short, dolphins are better than pigeons, which serve no purpose other than to piss mankind off by daring to crap on his statues and monuments.

"..."

Last night in the empty apartment room, I stared blankly at a plain white wall. As I stared at it, there was a gentle praise and worship song being played in the background by a skinny man with a skinny guitar. Staring at the wall with music playing, I felt so surreal and thought to myself, "God, it's in the quiet when I'm trying the least to find you that You reveal yourself to me." It's that kind of spiritual bliss that's hard to describe because it seems like it only comes rarely. A quiet moment when any potential utterance, whether verbal or mental, is not allowed to speak. It's not an emotional "thriller." No crying, no laughing, just a daze of silence wear I had nothing to say and even if I did, couldn't. It's surrender. It's me shutting up for once and allowing God to speak---to assure me that He is what this life is about. It's a stillness.

.

Crap! It's been a over month since I last updated this thing.

Here's some things I have to say about Texas springs:
1) They are blissful when the first role around.
2) How hot they tend to become wears thin fast.

Here's some things I'm doing today:
1) going to 3 hours of class today
2) writing a paper for english
3) going to a picnic for my Bible Study via Cru
4) and if I am lucky and someone spontaneously comes up and asks me to go, I may check out the new freebirds. I'm crossing my fingers on this one.

This Beautiful Mess

I can't get over this album; it's so good. This Beautiful Mess is probably sixpence none the richer's best album, not to mention that it's one of the best album's under the Christian label (if you really want to hold sixpence to that limitation). It's so beautful because it is so real. In "Love, Salvation, and the Fear of Death," singer Leigh Nash cries "I can't speak in tongues and even if I could, it's nothing because I have not love." Everything is so introspective and self-examined. ("Will I ever know what's wrong with me? Will I ever see your hand again in mine?" ~ "Melting Alone.") I'll admit, there are times when I can simply relate with what this album has to say. There are moments of desperation but never a complete loss of hope. ("Messiah, I know you are near, within without me, holding me" ~ "Within A Room Somewhere") I enjoy every minute of this album, except maybe the song "Disconnect," which I do like, though. My favorite songs are "Love, Salvation, and the Fear of Death", "Within A Room Somewhere", "Bleeding", and "Circle of Error."

Hmm

Hmm, so I haven't posted in a while. Yeah, that's right. Since I have nothing to say, here's the chorus to a song I just bought off iTunes. It's a really cool song.

"Just nineteen, a sucker's dream
I guess I thought you had the flavor.
Just nineteen, a dream obscene
with sixmonths off for bad behavior." ~ "Special Needs" by Placebo