I live in Chicago now.
You know what that means.
Listen to Fossil Arm.
www.myspace.com/fossilarm
June 30, 2009
June 26, 2009
And I Ran, I Ran So Far Away
President Obama smokes still, right? A man after my own heart.
Here's the sad truth about Obama and I: I think we're a lot alike.
When I first heard about him, what appealed to me was that we seemed so different. On issues where I was ideologically unable to reconcile my opinions with reality, he always seemed pragmatic to me in a way that made sense. When he wanted to end the war in Iraq, but wanted to still get anyone who attacked us, I saw my own moral and pragmatic agendas aligning in a way I hadn't previously considered. When he struck a moderate tone on Israel, I wanted to be enraged at him for disregarding the treatment of civilians (those in Palestine and Lebanon in particular) in the way of their continued effort to combat terrorism. The Israeli state, for all the sanctimony connected to the history of it's foundation, is a sovereign nation carrying out the political will of the Zionist movement.
Just to be clear on something, if you're unfamiliar with Zionism, please read about it before you think I am attacking Jews. Zionism is a political movement that is less than 200 years old, Judaism is a faith whose history spans millenia.
Obama recognizes there is a need to strike a moderate tone on Israel. Between our country's tradition of supporting Israel he is, I think, realizing there has to be some trepidation from the international community when a country with as much international support as Israel is needlessly killing civilians. The bombings of Lebanon after Hezbollah kidnapped or killed less than a dozen Israeli troops should be regarded as a criminal act. Sustained fire on areas where civilians have no means of escape is not just a lazy military policy: it's gotten to the point where in some minds there is a question of whether Israel thinks by punishing the civilian populations they can effectively scare and anger these civilians into fighting these terrorist militias.
So Obama declared support for Israel, a country strangely quiet in the wake of the Iranian election, but also struck a tone that indicated he would not support needlessly bloody military policies. In doing this, Obama appealed to me because it seemed he understood the immense complexity of these issues but was willing to take a stand to a country that had in recent years been enjoying the Bush administration's criminally lackadaisical approach to foreign policy.
Recently there seems to be a lack of a connection between the Obama of the election and the Obama of the present. As politicians, they are surely aware of election cycles. Surely they're not so cynical as to wait until mid-term elections to start passing legislation on gay rights or raising taxes on the wealthy? They have not delivered on their promises to make the government more transparent. They have not gone after the people who wrecked our financial system on Wall Street, they have not gone after the crooks in Washington who wasted dollars and lives in a disgusting display of public corruption.
I fear that Obama has a plan in place that only a cynical mind could devise. We all know politics is a study of measuring the perfect moment. Revealing information at a critical time. Ask Mark Sanford how happy he is Michael Jackson is dead, and I'm sure he'd say he's as distraught as anyone else. The fact of the matter is, he's loving life today because the news cycle has been taken over.
I'm not sure what happened to President Obama, but at least he hasn't stooped as low as the pathetic ranks of the GOP. Now if he'd just find a way to get on the ball and throw those guys in jail...
Here's the sad truth about Obama and I: I think we're a lot alike.
When I first heard about him, what appealed to me was that we seemed so different. On issues where I was ideologically unable to reconcile my opinions with reality, he always seemed pragmatic to me in a way that made sense. When he wanted to end the war in Iraq, but wanted to still get anyone who attacked us, I saw my own moral and pragmatic agendas aligning in a way I hadn't previously considered. When he struck a moderate tone on Israel, I wanted to be enraged at him for disregarding the treatment of civilians (those in Palestine and Lebanon in particular) in the way of their continued effort to combat terrorism. The Israeli state, for all the sanctimony connected to the history of it's foundation, is a sovereign nation carrying out the political will of the Zionist movement.
Just to be clear on something, if you're unfamiliar with Zionism, please read about it before you think I am attacking Jews. Zionism is a political movement that is less than 200 years old, Judaism is a faith whose history spans millenia.
Obama recognizes there is a need to strike a moderate tone on Israel. Between our country's tradition of supporting Israel he is, I think, realizing there has to be some trepidation from the international community when a country with as much international support as Israel is needlessly killing civilians. The bombings of Lebanon after Hezbollah kidnapped or killed less than a dozen Israeli troops should be regarded as a criminal act. Sustained fire on areas where civilians have no means of escape is not just a lazy military policy: it's gotten to the point where in some minds there is a question of whether Israel thinks by punishing the civilian populations they can effectively scare and anger these civilians into fighting these terrorist militias.
So Obama declared support for Israel, a country strangely quiet in the wake of the Iranian election, but also struck a tone that indicated he would not support needlessly bloody military policies. In doing this, Obama appealed to me because it seemed he understood the immense complexity of these issues but was willing to take a stand to a country that had in recent years been enjoying the Bush administration's criminally lackadaisical approach to foreign policy.
Recently there seems to be a lack of a connection between the Obama of the election and the Obama of the present. As politicians, they are surely aware of election cycles. Surely they're not so cynical as to wait until mid-term elections to start passing legislation on gay rights or raising taxes on the wealthy? They have not delivered on their promises to make the government more transparent. They have not gone after the people who wrecked our financial system on Wall Street, they have not gone after the crooks in Washington who wasted dollars and lives in a disgusting display of public corruption.
I fear that Obama has a plan in place that only a cynical mind could devise. We all know politics is a study of measuring the perfect moment. Revealing information at a critical time. Ask Mark Sanford how happy he is Michael Jackson is dead, and I'm sure he'd say he's as distraught as anyone else. The fact of the matter is, he's loving life today because the news cycle has been taken over.
I'm not sure what happened to President Obama, but at least he hasn't stooped as low as the pathetic ranks of the GOP. Now if he'd just find a way to get on the ball and throw those guys in jail...
June 24, 2009
Wednesday Morning Fast Facts
1. I am fucking sick of talking, reading, and thinking about Brett Favre. He has never been as good as people made him out to be. He had a decent last season with Green Bay considering how shitty he'd been playing before 07-08, but he still ended the season with a vintage Favre interception. His inability to just walk away shows a total lack of respect for the game.
I wish someone would just cut the bullshit and give me some real sports stories. I want to read about the 4-3 vs. the 3-4. How on earth were there no stories on that, especially after the 4-3-utilizing Giants dismantled the offensive line of the Patriots, whose 3-4 scheme was (and still is) becoming the most popular defensive switch for new coaches since the Cover-2?
I know, it's probably too much to ask (sports) journalists to practice journalism.
2. Michael Ian Black tweet of the day: "Soup is future food because it's two states of matter at the same time. Probably causes cancer."
3. Converge has a new album coming out. Gaza has a new album coming out. I have a new album coming out(maybe). Obama really did bring change. '09 could be the best send-off this decade could have asked for, musically.
4. Funniest post of the day so far goes to The Onion.
5. Not sure if you heard about the script that would have turned Moneyball into a movie starring Brad Pitt and Demetri Martin, but Deadspin got a copy of it and Bentern read over it. It's classy, and Joe Morgan haters will catch a serious boner for it. And it's here.
Should be a good Wednesday. I've got to clean my apartment and practice for the show tonight, see you later...
I wish someone would just cut the bullshit and give me some real sports stories. I want to read about the 4-3 vs. the 3-4. How on earth were there no stories on that, especially after the 4-3-utilizing Giants dismantled the offensive line of the Patriots, whose 3-4 scheme was (and still is) becoming the most popular defensive switch for new coaches since the Cover-2?
I know, it's probably too much to ask (sports) journalists to practice journalism.
2. Michael Ian Black tweet of the day: "Soup is future food because it's two states of matter at the same time. Probably causes cancer."
3. Converge has a new album coming out. Gaza has a new album coming out. I have a new album coming out(maybe). Obama really did bring change. '09 could be the best send-off this decade could have asked for, musically.
4. Funniest post of the day so far goes to The Onion.
5. Not sure if you heard about the script that would have turned Moneyball into a movie starring Brad Pitt and Demetri Martin, but Deadspin got a copy of it and Bentern read over it. It's classy, and Joe Morgan haters will catch a serious boner for it. And it's here.
Should be a good Wednesday. I've got to clean my apartment and practice for the show tonight, see you later...
Six Days, Doldrums Likely (On Tweets and Such)
So I was laid off today. I knew it was coming, but I as expecting it to be Thursday. I'm not upset or anything (I still got paid as if I worked the next two days) but now I'm realizing I have six days to kill before Chicago. Yeesh.
I've been watching a lot of Wired Science lately, and the most recent episode I watched featured Rainn Wilson being very awkward, which brings me to tonight's topic: Twitter.
Will Leitch (look him up, he may be my favorite writer at the moment) wrote an excellent column for Deadspin about Twitter and it turns out not only is he awesome at writing he also uses Twitter for the same reason I do: it's like an RSS feed with more to offer. I get updates from my favorite sport blogs (Sportress of Blogitude, ProFootballTalk, Deadspin) webcomics (Explosm, SMBC, ALP) and then I still get links and quotes from Rainn Wilson (who is awesome and talks about SoulPancake a LOT), John Cusack (who alternates between asking about bars and quoting Keats, no kidding), and Michael Ian Black (who may be the funniest man in 140 characters or less, all time, hyuk). And a lot of other people I don't have time to mention, including Shaq, who is a modern Plato.
Anyway, I know hating on Twitter is in vogue, but the fact of the matter is any time a lot of people use something there will be something cool.
And check out Will Leitch on Twitter and at his blog. He is the man.
Sorry for the excessive links today, but you'll get over it or find a cool site or two in the, I promise. Or else. Please?
I've been watching a lot of Wired Science lately, and the most recent episode I watched featured Rainn Wilson being very awkward, which brings me to tonight's topic: Twitter.
Will Leitch (look him up, he may be my favorite writer at the moment) wrote an excellent column for Deadspin about Twitter and it turns out not only is he awesome at writing he also uses Twitter for the same reason I do: it's like an RSS feed with more to offer. I get updates from my favorite sport blogs (Sportress of Blogitude, ProFootballTalk, Deadspin) webcomics (Explosm, SMBC, ALP) and then I still get links and quotes from Rainn Wilson (who is awesome and talks about SoulPancake a LOT), John Cusack (who alternates between asking about bars and quoting Keats, no kidding), and Michael Ian Black (who may be the funniest man in 140 characters or less, all time, hyuk). And a lot of other people I don't have time to mention, including Shaq, who is a modern Plato.
Anyway, I know hating on Twitter is in vogue, but the fact of the matter is any time a lot of people use something there will be something cool.
And check out Will Leitch on Twitter and at his blog. He is the man.
Sorry for the excessive links today, but you'll get over it or find a cool site or two in the, I promise. Or else. Please?
June 22, 2009
Blog Reblogginated
What better day than today to try and start blogging regularly again?
I suppose, technically, I would have had to have blogged regularly before to do so again...
But wasn't LL Cool J's first single about how he was back, and on top?
In any event, it's a beautiful day in Tucson, I have the store to myself and I am listening to Jawbreaker. This is the second time today I've listened to 24 Hour Revenge Therapy. I am predictable.
So this is my last week at the good ole Chicago Music Store. Tuesday I move to Chicago, a metropolis known for it's wind. Anyone who knows me well knows I hate wind slowing me down when I'm biking and temperatures below 75 degrees. This is probably a terrible idea, but maybe it will inspire me for the first time in my life to purchase and wear warm clothing. That would be something.
I have a show coming up on Wednesday I'm pretty stoked about. Should be the last show in Tucson, and I'm going to be recording it AND trying new shit out! At this point, I can't wait to play two sets, in the same week, that have the same lyrics and song structures. That's probably not a good aspiration to have as a musician (should be a solved problem by now, right?) but shit's tough out here on the street. Drunk stoner kids having trouble remembering shit.
Something that really pissed me off recently was the discovery of a single here at work (I sell sheet music) of a single by Britney Spears named "If You Seek Amy". I pointed it out to my co-worker, saying "What the fuck does this ridiculous title even mean? Has she gone country or something." My co-worker, laughing at me, says "Sound it out dude. If. You. SeekAmy. F-U-C-K-ME."
Horrified, I thumbed through the lyrics, hoping it couldn't be true.
"Love me, hate me, say what you want about me. But all of the boys and all of the girls are begging to if u seek Amy."
Wow. I can't believe that shit, to the point that I can't muster the rant it deserves. But wrap your head around that today.
I suppose, technically, I would have had to have blogged regularly before to do so again...
But wasn't LL Cool J's first single about how he was back, and on top?
In any event, it's a beautiful day in Tucson, I have the store to myself and I am listening to Jawbreaker. This is the second time today I've listened to 24 Hour Revenge Therapy. I am predictable.
So this is my last week at the good ole Chicago Music Store. Tuesday I move to Chicago, a metropolis known for it's wind. Anyone who knows me well knows I hate wind slowing me down when I'm biking and temperatures below 75 degrees. This is probably a terrible idea, but maybe it will inspire me for the first time in my life to purchase and wear warm clothing. That would be something.
I have a show coming up on Wednesday I'm pretty stoked about. Should be the last show in Tucson, and I'm going to be recording it AND trying new shit out! At this point, I can't wait to play two sets, in the same week, that have the same lyrics and song structures. That's probably not a good aspiration to have as a musician (should be a solved problem by now, right?) but shit's tough out here on the street. Drunk stoner kids having trouble remembering shit.
Something that really pissed me off recently was the discovery of a single here at work (I sell sheet music) of a single by Britney Spears named "If You Seek Amy". I pointed it out to my co-worker, saying "What the fuck does this ridiculous title even mean? Has she gone country or something." My co-worker, laughing at me, says "Sound it out dude. If. You. SeekAmy. F-U-C-K-ME."
Horrified, I thumbed through the lyrics, hoping it couldn't be true.
"Love me, hate me, say what you want about me. But all of the boys and all of the girls are begging to if u seek Amy."
Wow. I can't believe that shit, to the point that I can't muster the rant it deserves. But wrap your head around that today.
January 17, 2009
Everyone around here...
Listening to Radiohead and decided to maintain my blogging street cred...
I wish there was an ex-girlfriend tracker service, like, a bunch of nice girls who would find out your ex-girlfriend's schedule so when you go out on the town you can avoid her like the plague.
I went to see Hedwig and the Angry Inch the other night. My boss played bass, and it was quite entertaining. If you haven't seen it/heard about it, there's not much to say other than it's a tranny rock opera. The entire experience would have been much more enjoyable if my ex wasn't there radiating awkwardness.
I wish I had pictures from the chinese buffet we went to today, but to recap:
Me and my good buds Tim, Mitch, and Gene all went to China A Super Buffet.
Gene ate sushi for the first time, and salmon for the second time in his life. This led to several hearty conversations about bears.
The waiter hung around like we were going to bail for basically our entire meal.
I ate some squid, but only a tiny bite. Tim ate a whole one, and Mitch and Gene were far too American for that shit.
They had that fake ice cream. What a tease. It looks like chocolate ice cream, but it's more like crappy frozen chocolate milk.
So in the spirit of the conversations I had about bears today, I would like to encourage anyone reading to try and find me videos of sharks fighting crocodiles in the Ganges river. I would be eternally grateful.
I wish there was an ex-girlfriend tracker service, like, a bunch of nice girls who would find out your ex-girlfriend's schedule so when you go out on the town you can avoid her like the plague.
I went to see Hedwig and the Angry Inch the other night. My boss played bass, and it was quite entertaining. If you haven't seen it/heard about it, there's not much to say other than it's a tranny rock opera. The entire experience would have been much more enjoyable if my ex wasn't there radiating awkwardness.
I wish I had pictures from the chinese buffet we went to today, but to recap:
Me and my good buds Tim, Mitch, and Gene all went to China A Super Buffet.
Gene ate sushi for the first time, and salmon for the second time in his life. This led to several hearty conversations about bears.
The waiter hung around like we were going to bail for basically our entire meal.
I ate some squid, but only a tiny bite. Tim ate a whole one, and Mitch and Gene were far too American for that shit.
They had that fake ice cream. What a tease. It looks like chocolate ice cream, but it's more like crappy frozen chocolate milk.
So in the spirit of the conversations I had about bears today, I would like to encourage anyone reading to try and find me videos of sharks fighting crocodiles in the Ganges river. I would be eternally grateful.
January 11, 2009
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