Just some random quotes I was thinking about.
"I never wanted to be famous; I wanted to be good."
-- Neil Peart
"If you don't ever make a mistake, you're not trying, you're not playing at the edge of your ability. You're playing safely, within limits, and you know what you can do and it sounds after a while extremely boring."
-- Artie Shaw, 1910-2004
"For the rest of your life, no one can tell you that couldn't do it, 'cause you did it."
-- Bill Parcells, Super Bowl XXI
Monday, January 3, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Phish at MSG and the beauty of shows with friends.
Since returning from an absolutely necessary hiatus in 2009, Phish has been consistently fun and great the several times I've seen them. There was that one bum show in Camden 2009, but that might've been my fault, since we traveled overnight from Boston (where they played a fantastic show, including my first "Fluffhead") and I, for one, was spent. Actually, looking at the setlist now, there were some pretty cool moments!
Besides the stellar music that happens for about three hours, Phish shows also offer me a chance to have a blast with some good friends. There is the anticipation of guessing the first tune (I've never been right); the knowing nods or, at a particularly good song selection, the jumping, back-slapping and high-fiving when hearing its first notes; the occasional quizzical looks to each other for an unknown song (usually, given by me, the Phish neophyte in my group; I've only been seeing them for 10 years!); the assessment at intermission of how good the first set was; and, of course, the incomparable highs when Phish hit those otherworldly levels during a jam, when your friends and the crowd as a whole are all having the same incredible experience.
There are only a few bands whose shows achieve all these things for me. Phish, Pearl Jam, Radiohead and Yo La Tengo spring readily to mind. Unfortunately, I never got to experience the Grateful Dead, but from years of listening to countless live shows, I imagine they'd have to join that list. I also imagine Springsteen would make the list had I see him more than once and NOT at Giants Stadium.
The Phish experience is distinct from the others, though. There is always a buzz (of various sorts) at the start of the show, there is always a sea of smiling faces surrounding you -- whether in a parking lot, on 7th Avenue or in the seats -- and a feeling that everyone there is happy to be there with everyone else. It's the intangible reason why millions love these shows and why just as many frown at the prospect of that many "hippies" and "freaks." I attend these shows with a core group of people that range in their buzzes of choice (from none to massive) and we all can achieve that same music high together. Each show typically has several musical highlights, but, also, there are a few memories related to the people you're with that make each show truly singular. (Falling asleep on Dan's shoulder at Hershey Park in 2000 and waking up at the height of the "Run Like An Antelope" jam; realizing what 9th row means at Nassau Coliseum in 2003; the surreal experience watching the first show of their 2004 Farewell tour at a movie theater on Route 1 in North Brunswick and everyone dancing in the aisles; flipping out next to Evan in Mansfield, MA 2009 when "Fluffhead" began and then doing the same next to Dan a year and half later at MSG this year.) You don't get these moments with just any band.
Bands and fans like this have their many detractors -- some of my closet friends and bandmates are among them! -- but, mostly, I end just feeling sorry for these people. There are few experiences as spine-tingling and smile-inducing than a packed house at the World's Most Famous arena, Phish killing it and the several thousand in attendance having the same feelings of exuberance and exhilaration at the same time for the same reason.
I highly recommend seeing at least one Phish show before you die.
9th row, Nassau Coliseum, 2003.
Besides the stellar music that happens for about three hours, Phish shows also offer me a chance to have a blast with some good friends. There is the anticipation of guessing the first tune (I've never been right); the knowing nods or, at a particularly good song selection, the jumping, back-slapping and high-fiving when hearing its first notes; the occasional quizzical looks to each other for an unknown song (usually, given by me, the Phish neophyte in my group; I've only been seeing them for 10 years!); the assessment at intermission of how good the first set was; and, of course, the incomparable highs when Phish hit those otherworldly levels during a jam, when your friends and the crowd as a whole are all having the same incredible experience.
There are only a few bands whose shows achieve all these things for me. Phish, Pearl Jam, Radiohead and Yo La Tengo spring readily to mind. Unfortunately, I never got to experience the Grateful Dead, but from years of listening to countless live shows, I imagine they'd have to join that list. I also imagine Springsteen would make the list had I see him more than once and NOT at Giants Stadium.
Bands and fans like this have their many detractors -- some of my closet friends and bandmates are among them! -- but, mostly, I end just feeling sorry for these people. There are few experiences as spine-tingling and smile-inducing than a packed house at the World's Most Famous arena, Phish killing it and the several thousand in attendance having the same feelings of exuberance and exhilaration at the same time for the same reason.
I highly recommend seeing at least one Phish show before you die.
9th row, Nassau Coliseum, 2003.
Same show. Dan, me, Evan, Dave (?)
Monday, August 2, 2010
Originality is dead?
So says, apparently, a German teenage author, or "author," in this New York Times piece. The article details how plagiarism is increasing on college campuses, not necessarily by students trying to cheat, but out of ignorance over who owns certain information and whether citations are even necessary.
The idea that information on the Internet is available for public use and consumption without need for attribution is a frightening one. It ties in directly with ability of citizens to distill which sources are valid, solid and reputable, and which are potentially unreliable, unstable and questionable. The irony in the Internet Age is that while we now virtually drowning in information, and are presumably better and more easily informed, there is a heightened need to determine from where every piece of information is derived.
As some of my friends will attest, I'm still an unabashed backer of the Mainstream Media, primarily for this reason: there is a tried and true, though not at all flawless, system of vetting and confirming information that is blatantly lacking in many newer media outlets online. On one hand, it seems second nature to many of us who went to college at the dawn of the Internet Age that you should recognize and use primary sources to support your text; that you should reference such sources, or any other resources you've used; and that your sources be able to stand up to scrutiny from a professor or reader.
However, as the New York Times piece explains, there is a decreasing sense of such responsibility among students who grew up with the ability to access information quickly, but who give less thought to who or what provided such information.
Wikipedia is probably the best and most popular example of readily available information that may be coming from unreliable sources. I've spent a lot of time on that site and find it extremely useful and a pretty brilliant idea, in general. But, by its very nature -- an evolving resource that can be edited and written by anyone -- it is an unreliable source for any serious academic writing. That does not mean, however, that it doesn't have value. Its intended use, I believe, is to inform quickly, but also encourage you to further investigate the concepts using more solid sources and media. To that end, many -- but, not all -- Wikipedia entries include references to primary sources, which would more than likely serve as reliable reference, or, at the very least, offer support to the text. Merely copying and pasting content from a site like Wikipedia should feel inherently wrong to a student. I haven't been out of school so long that the entire concept of having to properly cite has reached extinction.
In any age, with any medium used, that's just plain laziness -- as a college senior says in the Times article. The author of the article seems to imply that because college-age people have grown up stealing music digitally, being bombarded by "mash-ups" and sampling in popular music and seeing pop icons whose actual identity is secondary, they simply might not know better. I don't see the correlation. In each instance, there is an originator, an author and a definable source of the information they are obtaining. I'm willing to bet if someone has illegally downloaded the entire Lady Gaga catalog, they can still identify the songs as being her performances. The younger generation might think it's irrelevant, but I doubt they are ignorant to the concept of authorship. If there is ignorance, it lies in thinking authorship and idea origination are not important.
It is the onus of teachers of writing in middle school and high school and professors at colleges to continue to teach and emphasize the concept of reliable sources (shout-out to Howard Kurtz there) and of intellectual property. An idea is not for the world's consumption without deference to its thinker. Its importance at the academic level is surely important, but more broadly, it is an essential concept that our next generation of national thinkers and voters need to understand. In the age of the blogosphere and cable news outlets dominating the national conversation with seemingly little regard for accuracy and vetting in their reporting, it is of dire consequence that, at the very least, the people absorbing such information be ever vigilant. They must be able to differentiate between the reliable and the suspect, the solid and the questionable.
The Internet Age does not spell the end of originality. Nor should it be the death knell for innovation or the concept of intellectual property. These concepts are still essential components to having a nation of experimenters, tinkerers and thinkers -- the people who ultimately take societies and civilizations to a future unimagined, the people willing to risk total failure to see an idea through. Their successes should never go unnamed and unremarked. The ability to distill and process information properly continuing respect and reverence to the concept of authorship are absolutely intermingled. If it is believed that the source doesn't matter, then the information is inherently suspect. If one's ideas can be copied and pasted in perpetuity without regard for their origin, there will be a dearth of innovators.
Originality is important. Respect for the creators is important. Teaching teens and 20-somethings that these concepts are only more important now is imperative for the continued success of this country.
The idea that information on the Internet is available for public use and consumption without need for attribution is a frightening one. It ties in directly with ability of citizens to distill which sources are valid, solid and reputable, and which are potentially unreliable, unstable and questionable. The irony in the Internet Age is that while we now virtually drowning in information, and are presumably better and more easily informed, there is a heightened need to determine from where every piece of information is derived.
As some of my friends will attest, I'm still an unabashed backer of the Mainstream Media, primarily for this reason: there is a tried and true, though not at all flawless, system of vetting and confirming information that is blatantly lacking in many newer media outlets online. On one hand, it seems second nature to many of us who went to college at the dawn of the Internet Age that you should recognize and use primary sources to support your text; that you should reference such sources, or any other resources you've used; and that your sources be able to stand up to scrutiny from a professor or reader.
However, as the New York Times piece explains, there is a decreasing sense of such responsibility among students who grew up with the ability to access information quickly, but who give less thought to who or what provided such information.
Wikipedia is probably the best and most popular example of readily available information that may be coming from unreliable sources. I've spent a lot of time on that site and find it extremely useful and a pretty brilliant idea, in general. But, by its very nature -- an evolving resource that can be edited and written by anyone -- it is an unreliable source for any serious academic writing. That does not mean, however, that it doesn't have value. Its intended use, I believe, is to inform quickly, but also encourage you to further investigate the concepts using more solid sources and media. To that end, many -- but, not all -- Wikipedia entries include references to primary sources, which would more than likely serve as reliable reference, or, at the very least, offer support to the text. Merely copying and pasting content from a site like Wikipedia should feel inherently wrong to a student. I haven't been out of school so long that the entire concept of having to properly cite has reached extinction.
In any age, with any medium used, that's just plain laziness -- as a college senior says in the Times article. The author of the article seems to imply that because college-age people have grown up stealing music digitally, being bombarded by "mash-ups" and sampling in popular music and seeing pop icons whose actual identity is secondary, they simply might not know better. I don't see the correlation. In each instance, there is an originator, an author and a definable source of the information they are obtaining. I'm willing to bet if someone has illegally downloaded the entire Lady Gaga catalog, they can still identify the songs as being her performances. The younger generation might think it's irrelevant, but I doubt they are ignorant to the concept of authorship. If there is ignorance, it lies in thinking authorship and idea origination are not important.
It is the onus of teachers of writing in middle school and high school and professors at colleges to continue to teach and emphasize the concept of reliable sources (shout-out to Howard Kurtz there) and of intellectual property. An idea is not for the world's consumption without deference to its thinker. Its importance at the academic level is surely important, but more broadly, it is an essential concept that our next generation of national thinkers and voters need to understand. In the age of the blogosphere and cable news outlets dominating the national conversation with seemingly little regard for accuracy and vetting in their reporting, it is of dire consequence that, at the very least, the people absorbing such information be ever vigilant. They must be able to differentiate between the reliable and the suspect, the solid and the questionable.
The Internet Age does not spell the end of originality. Nor should it be the death knell for innovation or the concept of intellectual property. These concepts are still essential components to having a nation of experimenters, tinkerers and thinkers -- the people who ultimately take societies and civilizations to a future unimagined, the people willing to risk total failure to see an idea through. Their successes should never go unnamed and unremarked. The ability to distill and process information properly continuing respect and reverence to the concept of authorship are absolutely intermingled. If it is believed that the source doesn't matter, then the information is inherently suspect. If one's ideas can be copied and pasted in perpetuity without regard for their origin, there will be a dearth of innovators.
Originality is important. Respect for the creators is important. Teaching teens and 20-somethings that these concepts are only more important now is imperative for the continued success of this country.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Forgotten albums: Bad Religion's "Into the Unknown"
From the moment I first heard about this mysterious, disavowed album from punk/hardcore legends Bad Religion, I've been intrigued. In the liner notes to the early years compilation, 80-85, guitarist Greg Hetson makes reference to the Into the Unknown, first making sure to say he and bassist Jay Bentley had nothing to do with its creation. Apparently, this album -- only their second full LP -- pretty much broke up the band for a minute.Scouring their Wikipedia page many years later, I was reminded again of this lost record's existence. Bad Religion's...PROG ROCK album?! Seemed too weird to even be true. I also was kind of bummed out that they only produced 10,000 copies of this album and it would most likely be a difficult and expensive find/listen.
Enter badreligion.com! You can stream all their albums on the site, including...INTO THE UNKNOWN! Today was an exciting day for that reason only, my friends. Excuse my nerddom.
So...I giddily pressed play to hear this travesty of an album. The record opens with a keyboard swell, immediately signaling a change in direction that must've freaked out a hardcore kid or two back in 1983 on the heels of their savage classic, How Can Hell Be Any Worse?
Funny part is, though, as someone who became a Bad Religion fan a decade-plus into their existence (with Stranger Than Fiction in 1994), the music doesn't seem all that out there. Hell, if you took out the startling keyboard flourishes in some of the songs, it wouldn't sound so different from some of their 90s output.
So, I tried to put myself in the position of someone who had bought that first record and saw their shows at the time. The contrast to the first album is, indeed, shocking. Slower, mid-tempo tunes. Greg Graffin singing for the first time with that inimitable voice that's become their trademark -- instead of the raspier half-yell of the first album. And, of course, longer song lengths. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of this album is Brett Gurewitz's lead guitar work. The dude does some heavy rock guitar shredding here. I suppose, though, in the days where anything resembling slow, excessive, '70s arena rock was reviled by a lot of people, these new (for Bad Religion) sounds were not welcome.
The keys seem to be what make this a "prog" record (along with the spacey album cover). There aren't, however, the twists and turns of time signatures or ultra complex riffery and drum patterning that define most progressive rock music. That's probably a good thing.
Also included on the page for this album are two short, but great interviews with Brett and Greg -- the masterminds/criminals behind the weirdest album in the Bad Religion catalog.
In the aftermath of Into the Unknown, Bad Religion would regroup, releasing a more "Bad Religion"-y EP in 1985 -- with the self-consciously appropriate title of Back to the Known -- and, eventually, in 1988, releasing arugably their finest record, Suffer, and becoming the phenomenal band we all know and love. But, perhaps that wouldn't have been possible without a brief foray into the unknown.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Work and Non Work, Guitar "playing" and the All-Star Break
Hello, hello!
First, a disclaimer to my out-of-work friends: the following is not intended to brag nor rub anything in or complain. Well, maybe the latter a little.
So, after a month back at the grind, they've run out of things for me (and I assume the other Quality Assurers) to do. So, I sit there...daily...with nothing to do. While it sounds nice, and was at first, it's actually pretty fucking annoying. Especially considering I work not in a cubicle, but what amounts to a converted janitor's closet with a dry erase board. My closetmates seem equally unoccupied. The ad guy left at 4 today. Got in at 10. Wish I had the balls. Instead, I show up at 9 and promptly get my read on for 8 hours. I guarantee by now I'm the most well-informed person "working" there. But, as I and some of you know, there are worse things. Anyway, since I'm just looking for anything and everything to pass the time (except blogging more regularly, obviously), I've gone back -- half-assedly -- to the job hunt. I figure if work is this light now, no way they're going to keep me after December. So...time to start gearing up for being out of work in the new year! Hooray!
This week, in lieu of baseball, which is on break this week and which typically dominates my after-work life hours, I decided to dust off the acoustic guitar I've had for years and try to actually play the thing. I decided, too, not to tune it and not to learn anything, you know, proper. I think I came up with a couple cool things just fiddling and experimenting -- at least, my guitarist tells me so. I'm finding that fretting hurts my delicate fingers as does picking without a pick...those are my excuses for sounding terrible. Also, I've decided my axe-slinging stage name is Rudy Mentary. You'll be hearing from me -- er-- him.
I need to mention that I hate the All-Star Break. I used to really care about the All-Star game as a kid because I hated the American League so much and the National League were dominant then. Not so much anymore. They really need to get rid of fan voting in this thing, too. A popularity contest for what amounted to a game for bragging rights is one thing, but if they're going to base home-field advantage on it, then the fan should be left out. Mostly, because fans are idiots. (Trust me, I am one.) Also, I'm definitely done caring about the Home Run Derby. It's fun for like 15 minutes, then it's just mind-numbingly boring. Not to mention it somehow manages to make Chris Berman even more insufferable. I just can't take him anymore. Sorry, no Mets baseball makes me cranky...but, then again, so does watching Mets baseball most of the time.
Well, let's not end on a whiny, sports note. Let's end on a fun and interesting music note. This week, one of the true mad scientist guitar players in the rock realm today, Nels Cline, is doing a string of solo gigs at the Village Vanguard. I believe it's mostly instrumental, freeform noise, free jazz kind of stuff, which makes me smile unendingly. Here's a sample of the man at work:
Nels Cline Singers
Here's the man shredding with his dayjob band, Wilco, from the show I was at last year. Highlight of their set by far.
Wilco: Impossible Germany (solo excerpt)
I'm going to try and hit one of those shows this week. Come join me for some face-melting good times!
First, a disclaimer to my out-of-work friends: the following is not intended to brag nor rub anything in or complain. Well, maybe the latter a little.
So, after a month back at the grind, they've run out of things for me (and I assume the other Quality Assurers) to do. So, I sit there...daily...with nothing to do. While it sounds nice, and was at first, it's actually pretty fucking annoying. Especially considering I work not in a cubicle, but what amounts to a converted janitor's closet with a dry erase board. My closetmates seem equally unoccupied. The ad guy left at 4 today. Got in at 10. Wish I had the balls. Instead, I show up at 9 and promptly get my read on for 8 hours. I guarantee by now I'm the most well-informed person "working" there. But, as I and some of you know, there are worse things. Anyway, since I'm just looking for anything and everything to pass the time (except blogging more regularly, obviously), I've gone back -- half-assedly -- to the job hunt. I figure if work is this light now, no way they're going to keep me after December. So...time to start gearing up for being out of work in the new year! Hooray!
This week, in lieu of baseball, which is on break this week and which typically dominates my after-work life hours, I decided to dust off the acoustic guitar I've had for years and try to actually play the thing. I decided, too, not to tune it and not to learn anything, you know, proper. I think I came up with a couple cool things just fiddling and experimenting -- at least, my guitarist tells me so. I'm finding that fretting hurts my delicate fingers as does picking without a pick...those are my excuses for sounding terrible. Also, I've decided my axe-slinging stage name is Rudy Mentary. You'll be hearing from me -- er-- him.
I need to mention that I hate the All-Star Break. I used to really care about the All-Star game as a kid because I hated the American League so much and the National League were dominant then. Not so much anymore. They really need to get rid of fan voting in this thing, too. A popularity contest for what amounted to a game for bragging rights is one thing, but if they're going to base home-field advantage on it, then the fan should be left out. Mostly, because fans are idiots. (Trust me, I am one.) Also, I'm definitely done caring about the Home Run Derby. It's fun for like 15 minutes, then it's just mind-numbingly boring. Not to mention it somehow manages to make Chris Berman even more insufferable. I just can't take him anymore. Sorry, no Mets baseball makes me cranky...but, then again, so does watching Mets baseball most of the time.
Well, let's not end on a whiny, sports note. Let's end on a fun and interesting music note. This week, one of the true mad scientist guitar players in the rock realm today, Nels Cline, is doing a string of solo gigs at the Village Vanguard. I believe it's mostly instrumental, freeform noise, free jazz kind of stuff, which makes me smile unendingly. Here's a sample of the man at work:
Nels Cline Singers
Here's the man shredding with his dayjob band, Wilco, from the show I was at last year. Highlight of their set by far.
Wilco: Impossible Germany (solo excerpt)
I'm going to try and hit one of those shows this week. Come join me for some face-melting good times!
Monday, June 21, 2010
I heard you missed us, we're back...
...I brought my pencillll...(Van Halen, Anyone? anyone?)
or keyboard.
So, hello once again. You've all been champing at the bit since May 26, I know, so here're some updates.
I once again work! Blog name FAIL. But, so far so good. I'm still adjusting to life post-vacation, but fortunately, the gig so far is pretty chill and easy. We'll see how long before I hate it. I'm mostly excited to be among the mass transit commuters once more after too-long a stint as an angry Turnpike driver every day. Yeah, that not one of my better ideas. My daily ride into the city isn't too terrible. I walk alongside the skyline to the light rail to take me to Hoboken, where I tunnel underground and magically appear on 14th Street. Though, most everyone would consider me "laid back," I must say I do function slightly better within this frenetic, chaotic energy, so this is working for me thus far.
But, what of the ultimate goal of Permanent Saturdays! you exclaim incredulously. It's definitely not on hold, but I felt incredibly guilty for almost turning down this job just to continue to try to "find myself" or whatever I was/am doing. I'm just not good at living on the dole, whether I've been contributing taxes toward it for years or not. I got a little frightened that I was rapidly getting used to my life of leisure, so I took this job mostly to shake myself out of slackerdom, which comes way too naturally to me.
I've been thinking semi-half-seriously about the idea of teaching English abroad. (Thank you, M. McG, if you do indeed read this.) It seems to be a near perfect setup for me: different place, long-term but not permanent, subject I can handle and potential for adventures. The lure of Europe is ever-present with me, but not in a "Oh, it's so much better over there!" annoying kind of way...more like in a "I like girls with accents" kind of way.
But, seriously, I want to do more traveling and idea of being some nomad teaching people English around the world is pretty tempting. I'm increasingly starting to realize I should embrace my antsy, restless tendencies and find something that would allow me to give into them and not be totally reckless -- just a LITTLE reckless.
So, perhaps the modified goal is Permanent Transient Saturdays?
or keyboard.
So, hello once again. You've all been champing at the bit since May 26, I know, so here're some updates.
I once again work! Blog name FAIL. But, so far so good. I'm still adjusting to life post-vacation, but fortunately, the gig so far is pretty chill and easy. We'll see how long before I hate it. I'm mostly excited to be among the mass transit commuters once more after too-long a stint as an angry Turnpike driver every day. Yeah, that not one of my better ideas. My daily ride into the city isn't too terrible. I walk alongside the skyline to the light rail to take me to Hoboken, where I tunnel underground and magically appear on 14th Street. Though, most everyone would consider me "laid back," I must say I do function slightly better within this frenetic, chaotic energy, so this is working for me thus far.
But, what of the ultimate goal of Permanent Saturdays! you exclaim incredulously. It's definitely not on hold, but I felt incredibly guilty for almost turning down this job just to continue to try to "find myself" or whatever I was/am doing. I'm just not good at living on the dole, whether I've been contributing taxes toward it for years or not. I got a little frightened that I was rapidly getting used to my life of leisure, so I took this job mostly to shake myself out of slackerdom, which comes way too naturally to me.
I've been thinking semi-half-seriously about the idea of teaching English abroad. (Thank you, M. McG, if you do indeed read this.) It seems to be a near perfect setup for me: different place, long-term but not permanent, subject I can handle and potential for adventures. The lure of Europe is ever-present with me, but not in a "Oh, it's so much better over there!" annoying kind of way...more like in a "I like girls with accents" kind of way.
But, seriously, I want to do more traveling and idea of being some nomad teaching people English around the world is pretty tempting. I'm increasingly starting to realize I should embrace my antsy, restless tendencies and find something that would allow me to give into them and not be totally reckless -- just a LITTLE reckless.
So, perhaps the modified goal is Permanent Transient Saturdays?
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
I'm back!
Before anyone starts posting my face on milk cartons, here I am!
And here are a couple reasons why I was out of commission here lately:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUiTCmR1I9E
http://queens.ny1.com/content/top_stories/119160/mets--k-rod-triumphs-over-a-rod-in-subway-series
This weekend -- hopefully, a long one for those of you with gainful employment -- my apartment becomes an inn. I got friends from Nashville, Philly and Cleveland all crashing here at some point from Thursday-Saturday. Should be interesting, just hope they're not expecting food...or a bed.
On the job front, I have an interview tomorrow in the city with the good folks at WebMD. While I'm not panicking just yet (unemployment starts tomorrow, apparently), I am starting to get antsy as far as life direction. And I still can't get that damn green apron out of my mind; it's become a near-obsession. I have a feeling no matter what happens, I'll end up trying to get in there, if only for some extra spending cash and discounted coffee.
Alas, not much else too exciting going on here. I'm getting a couple new(ish) music projects off the ground, since I have ALL THIS TIME. If you have any fun band names in your head, just screaming to get out, lay some on me!
Take care, y'all.
And here are a couple reasons why I was out of commission here lately:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUiTCmR1I9E
http://queens.ny1.com/content/top_stories/119160/mets--k-rod-triumphs-over-a-rod-in-subway-series
This weekend -- hopefully, a long one for those of you with gainful employment -- my apartment becomes an inn. I got friends from Nashville, Philly and Cleveland all crashing here at some point from Thursday-Saturday. Should be interesting, just hope they're not expecting food...or a bed.
On the job front, I have an interview tomorrow in the city with the good folks at WebMD. While I'm not panicking just yet (unemployment starts tomorrow, apparently), I am starting to get antsy as far as life direction. And I still can't get that damn green apron out of my mind; it's become a near-obsession. I have a feeling no matter what happens, I'll end up trying to get in there, if only for some extra spending cash and discounted coffee.
Alas, not much else too exciting going on here. I'm getting a couple new(ish) music projects off the ground, since I have ALL THIS TIME. If you have any fun band names in your head, just screaming to get out, lay some on me!
Take care, y'all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)