At this moment...
04.29.05:
After work I went for 20 mile bike ride. Slightly chilly, but I just needed to get out and exercise until exhaustion since it's been one of those weeks. After the ride I made some dinner, listened to some Keren Ann and Nick Drake. Now I'm watching David Bowie's Reality Tour DVD, and Bowie is hands down the coolest person alive. "Man I don't need TV when I got T Rex." Fucking brilliant. I never tire of Bowie.
04.28.05:
Walking down the hallway at work I overheard a woman having a rather loud conversation on her cell phone. My best guess is that she was talking with a friend when she asked, "Did you have a fun birthing?" I found that question slightly odd. While childbirth is a wonderful process (I have yet to go through the experience, and I never will, at least because I am a male) I wonder if the actual moment in labor can, or even should be, considered fun.
04.26.05:
Lately, after a run, as I'm winding down I have these crippling moments of self doubt where I begin to question every decision I've ever made. Tonight I ran three miles, and without fail, thirty minutes after the run I was depressed as hell.
Song:
Jenny Ondioline (Alternate Tour Single Version) - Stereolab
04.25.05:
Earlier I was thinking today was a different date. I'm still a bit perplexed with time, or maybe just a bit astonished with how time passes.
Today Turn TV Off Week officially begins. Read a book. I just finished with Free Culture. It was a fairly quick read, but got a bit boring at the end. I guess that can be expected since it's not the most thrilling subject matter, although it's an extremely important subject. Maybe it felt slightly tedious as I'm exhausted. It's nice to finally get some solitude. I went for a 3 mile run and it felt really wonderful. Now I could fall asleep, but I'm trying to keep myself up until at least 10PM, but that might not happen.
Listening to:
Tago Mago - Can
04.24.05:
Home has never felt so good.
04.20.05:
Evidentially I was in a bad mood last night when I wrote the below entry. I needn't let others bother me, but when I run I'm in my own world, and when somebody breaks into that reality it can be frustrating. I'm just tired of the masses, always being in a rush to go nowhere special.
I found this brilliant essay on mega-Supermarket culture, or just American culture in general. Here's an excerpt, but you can read the entire article here:
We are surrounded. We are immersed. American consumer culture is teeming with so many neon-colored, overprocessed, semicomestible, demon-spawn products we can no longer even recognize how bad it is, how it is all meant to drive us slowly insane, so slowly we forget to keep asking why we feel so sick all the time, and we just shut the hell up and buy more giant tubs of Country Crock to go with our liquefied reconstituted pork tubes because we think this is the only way.
It's good to know that I'm not a food snob.
Sometimes, mostly after my long week night runs, and especially when it's warm out, I can't sleep. Last night I threw open all the windows in the apartment, but that didn't work as the freight trains were plowing through the city at all hours of the night. At one point I crawled into my living room and attempted to sleep on the couch only to be awoken by a few claps of thunder. I've decided that upon my return from New Orleans I will purchase an air conditioner.
However, I feel like a zombie today.
04.19.05:
To the fat lazy SUV driving in a hurry to get your pathetic ass home so you can stuff your face with more fat while watching some god awful sitcom, a big thank you, for nearly killing me as I crossed the road while running after work. Thank you for not obeying the law and ignoring the sign that says 'No Right On Red When Pedestrians Are Present'. Next time, put down that cell phone and pay attention to the world around you.
04.18.05:
7:11 PM. Dinner is a Pop Tart and some yogurt. I just ran three miles and the thought of venturing out and trying to find dinner doesn't appeal to me. If I wasn't leaving for New Orleans on Thursday morning I'd probably go buy some groceries. It's times like tonight when I hate living alone since it'd be really nice to cook for or with someone.
Listening to:
Greetings From Michigan! - Sufjan Stevens (I told a friend that they needed this album. When asked if they would cry while listening to this I replied yes, but in a good way. Tonight I ran to this and sang out loud. It felt good.)
04.17.05:
Spent the day reading Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity by Lawrence Lessig. Good stuff, very straight forward discussion around copywrite, intellectual property, and media. Must read for those that care about our digital and creative future.
If someone would have told me when I was 12 and totally into Metallica and Iron Maiden (hard to believe I know, but even still I'm always half tempted to buy Master of Puppets, but only for the sake of nostalgia) that when I was 31 I'd be listening to quiet indie pop, with strong undertones of The Caprenters, I'd have laughed. These two albums by Nedelle are fantistic gems. Republic of Two could be a soul album, and From The Lion's Mouth is a slice of warm gentle indie pop. Perfect for a Saturday night and Sunday morning.
04.16.05:
For those that pay attention, today I hit the 200 mile mark in running. It's now 12:06 PM and I could probably fall asleep, but I won't.
Last night I picked up A Ghost is Born on vinyl. I love this album, even the parts that a lot of people seem to find masturbatory. And yes, it sounds way better on vinyl. I also grabbed a copy of Pet Sounds, the latest Out Hud, a 12 inch of Mouse on Mars' Wipe That Sound featuring Mark E. Smith of The Fall ranting about something (last night while doing dishes I found myself dancing all over the apartment because I can't help but dance when listening to Mouse on Mars), and a 12 inch featuring a stellar remix of LCD Soundsystem's Daft Punk Is Playing At My House. Seriously, I need to have some sort of party, but I'm sure my neighbor below me wouldn't like that.
Yesterday I stopped at my parent's to see my nephew as they're watching him this weekend. I also wanted to find my melodica, which I did end up finding buried in their basement. While my nephew was cramming a Spanish tortilla in his mouth I played him music on the melodica. He loved it. He danced in his chair, and every time I stopped playing he requested more. The kid cracks me up.
PS... And then there were three. Mark, our fearless drummer for seven years, has put down his drumsticks to concentrate on some other things in life, non-music related. His departure was unexpected. It'll be weird to have somebody else behind the drum kit, and in a weird way it's a bit heartbreaking. We have a plan, sort of. And no, it doesn't involve drums machines, specifically tracking down Dr. Rhythm.
PPS... The French kick ass. Not only do they make outstanding wine and vodka, but I just finished drinking a bottle of Lorina Sparkling French Berry Lemonade. Outstanding.
04.15.05:
There's a story behind the bingo game. Ask and I shall tell. It's very The Office (BBC Version).
Listening to:
Lycanthropy - Patrick Wolf (Werewolves, electronic beats, and violins.)
04.14.05:
Kelly asked that I update this website. Does this count?
I have these moments where I wonder if something should be going on. But nothing is going on. If I wanted I'm sure I could make something occur.
Yesterday I saw some gravediggers filling in a grave, and I thought the whole burial process odd. Then I kept repeating the line, "Bring out your dead." Me, I just want a viking funeral. I know, that's such a morbid thought, but inevitable.
Listening to:
Alone, Not Alone - Montag