October 31, 2004

the (temporary) end of job #1.

there's something mildly surreal about pulling up your own file, throwing all the stuff that says you work there in it, and realizing that you won't have to be back for six months at the earliest.

at least my weekends are free now.

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October 30, 2004

just found out I'm working an extra 10.5 hours next week, all of it before 11am.

fantastic.

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October 27, 2004

so, dilemma.

it's a small one.
I should be receiving this scarf that I won in an eBay auction in the next couple of days, and I'm somewhat enthused. Never entirely understood why things coming by mail are automatically more exciting, but that's neither here nor there.

However, I got this email today:
Hello there! This might come off as an odd request, but I was wondering if you'd be interested in selling the scarf from the auction you just won. It is EXACTLY like the one I lost three years ago... one that went quite beautifully with my old winter coat. Please let me know. If not, enjoy your new scarf! Best regards, Scott

I understand the power of sentimental value, and I'm pretty sure I could make a small profit off this guy... but what if I like the scarf?

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October 26, 2004

ergh

not a good week for me and work.

:|

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October 24, 2004

why can't we just play the other game?

Last night was a show of pleasant surprises; I walked in to the Commodore, out of the rain, and ambled up just in time to catch the Secret Machines. They weren't mind-blowing, and I'd heard the album before (and was okay with it) but to hear them play it live removed some of the prog-wank overtones, because they were a blast to watch. They opened with the First Wave Intact, a long, drawn out opening that leads into frenetic drumming and typical alt-rock, made all the more enjoyable by the visuals. I didn't know the songs through the rest of the set, but I liked what I did hear; the musicians kept the crowd interested both musically and visually, and the crowd was sparse enough that it was possible to weave through holes and get closer to the stage. Between sets, I discovered that I was standing directly behind Sean Owen, which made it really funny when he sent me a text message and I shouted a response. Jordie and I made our way over to him, which put us about 5 rows back and smack in the middle, which gave me a decent spot from which to take photos.

Interpol was definitely dancier than I expected; after opening with Last Exit (which appears to be the new song to sing along to), Obstacle 1, Evil, and Say Hello to the Angels got the crowd moving, and kept them bobbing through Not Even Jail and Leif Erikson. The other big singalong came to NYC, and Slow Hands and PDA rounded out the first set. The encore consisted of Stella and Roland, both of which had everyone dancing, swaying and singing along at the appropriate moments.

Performance-wise, they were what I expected; the lead singer (Paul) didn't move around very much (and wore a dopey hat, to be honest), and the rest of the band wasn't cement-footed, but they weren't exactly The Darkness, either. Two things that sort of bugged me; the drummer(Sam) was way too far back, not on a riser, and shrouded in smoke - I enjoy watching drummers ply their craft, and seeing as Interpol's drummer is very good, I was annoyed at not being able to see him. The other was that the drums weren't high enough in the mix, meaning that they lost the punch that they usually have, which sucked. Other than that things were really good; sometime during the set, Graham messaged me from backstage because he was working the show; I asked him for a setlist, and he delivered later on, much to the chagrin of a pair of bizarrely dressed girls who were absolutely puzzled as to how "he asked me first" when all I'd done was yell at him. Fantastic.

I also wanted them to play Specialist, but I didn't think they would and I was right. No grudges*, my ass!

Anyway, here's some photos:


And here's the setlist:
  • Next Exit
  • Obstacle 1
  • Evil
  • Say Hello To The Angels
  • Public Pervert
  • NARC
  • Not Even Jail
  • NYC
  • Slow Hands
  • PDA
  • Stella was a Diver
  • Roland


*when Interpol was here in 2002, their guitars were stolen. They came back, so their grudge isn't that big, but given we got a set with nothing particularly rare, I think it's still in effect.

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October 23, 2004

weird, where productivity comes from...

got into work today at 10am, then saw sign that said the trailer was open from 3-7pm.

call Vanessa, feel like an ass, and can't do 3-7 because of interpol tonight.
am given day off.

now, I sit in MASS, letting squarepusher alternately drone and thump, as I study for my brain and behaviour midterm tomorrow.
given all I expected to do today was work and then party, this is a pleasant change.

better get back to it, though...

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October 22, 2004

new pants ‽

I know I said there'd be a five in heavy rotation up soon, but it's not today.

Today, I talk about shopping.

I bought some stuff.
It was fun.
Here's some pictures: shirt 1 | shirt 2 | boxers

However, I am currently engaged in self-debate over whether I should keep or return a pair of pants I have purchased.

They're very nice pants.
Here's a picture of them.

At the same time, they're more than what I'd usually be okay with paying for pants, and I am working three jobs because I'm effectively broke, not because I want all sorts of frivolous things.

(Which I do, but that's neither here nor there.)

...I can't believe I'm having a pants conundrum.

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October 18, 2004

four sentence update:

Job #3 is ultra-boring; I spent 3 hours on eBay looking at scarves (and saw a bunch I liked.)
Five in Heavy Rotation sometime later this week; you can probably guess one or two tracks given that I've been listening to Matador's 15th Anniversary compilation fairly heavily; in fact, I think you should try - tracklist is here.
Tours are fun... now if only they'd pay me.
Can we stop discussing Quinn's emoness (or lack thereof) and maybe vote on the shirts some more?

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October 15, 2004

design by democracy.

choose one:

typical emo anatomical heart, with pistons coming out of the three arteries that come off the aorta and go to the head (and arms, I think; been too long since I've done anatomy). both pulmonary arteries have sparkplugs coming out of them, and the superior vena cava is accepting a stream of cogs. there might be an exhaust pipe leading from where the inferior vena cava should be; haven't decided yet. caption on back between shoulderblades: "I need tungsten to live"

or

typical emo heart again; this time, it's wearing headphones (eggos, even) covering both pulmonary arteries, with little notes coming out the ascending arteries (come to think of it, it's the carotid and then both subclavians that pop out the top of the aorta; Patricia, let me know either way) and maybe a stream of little CDs flowing into the superior vena cava. caption on back: "Do I listen to pop music because I'm miserable or am I miserable because listen to pop music?"

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nebulous one-liner

it's interesting that the more time one spends near* someone, the less one likes said person.

*that's right; near, not with.

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October 14, 2004

purchasing! on! whims!

bought, although I really should'nt've, Matador's 15th anniversary compilation yesterday. It was a huge impulse buy, and although there was some buyer's remorse, it vanished the moment I popped the plastic wrapper off and dove in. It's a 2 CD and one DVD set, composed of 1 disc of greatest hits from the last five years, 1 of unreleased/rare material, and one DVD of videos I haven't had the chance to watch yet. The whole thing came to $22.88 after taxes, a rarity for a single CD from Zulu, let alone a 3-disc extravaganza.
Matador, in case you didn't know, is home to artists such as Interpol, Spoon, Pavement, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Yo La Tengo, The New Pornographers and various others, and the greatest hits CD serves as an introduction to the artists which one may not be familiar with while remaining anchored by familiar songs. Unless, of course, you know the entire stable, in which case I tip my hat to you. The rarities disc is similar but not the same; the artists are familiar while the songs are not, and sometimes both confuse the pants off of you. I found myself digging out the CD player, looking at the track number, then seeing who the artist was on the CD case in a lot of cases, with songs from The New Pornographers, Interpol, and AC Newman being the only ones I recognized off the bat.

Whatever. They're both really good.

I've been listening to the first disc more than the second since I bought it, partially because I've been introduced to a lot of artists I'd only heard of in passing and find myself liking, and also because Cornelius' Drops is incredibly addictive.

more later; must study.

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October 13, 2004

for the boingites:

I realise that the first (now second) thing you see when you click through isn't terribly interesting, and there's really not much for me to do about it - I am a university student with three jobs and sometimes, I just lack the energy to write something exciting.

There is some decent stuff, though, so I'll cobble together a few links from the archives because I know you're jonesing to waste time if you're clicking through random submitter links of BoingBoing.

but, yeah, here's some stuff:


but, yes, for the most part, it's ultra-typical pap (whee! I used pap in a sentence), so have fun with it.

for the usual gang:
go here. Brie's now an internet celebrity, and since I submitted the story, people appear to be dropping in here, too.

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October 12, 2004

things to do

generally, I start my internet slacking off here, so by having a list of things that I should be doing instead, I'll be able to stay efficient for the day.

    Thus:
  • pay off VISA
  • study for midterm
  • prepare questions for Chris
  • Iron out term 2 schedule
  • get said schedule to ISIT
  • visit Christina
  • yell at bookstore re: mispriced book.
  • figure out which tours I have to cancel on, get those to Jackie
  • figure out finances (budget?)
  • write CD review
  • work on shirt design
it's an exciting life I lead.

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October 09, 2004

five in heavy rotation: 10/9/2004

the premise is simple: I write about five songs I'm listening to fairly frequently, and post 'em up somewhere for you to download. I was thinking about using a GMail account for that, but since it would require contacting me first so I could give you a login and that might put some people off (what with me being a minor internet celebrity in the Netherlands and all) so I'll probably figure out some other way to post them for your enjoyment - suggestions are welcome.

[edit: they're going up on yousendit.com; links will be the song name, and they're only up for seven days, so make sure to get them fast.]

in the meantime, here they are:

Snow Patrol - How to Be Dead
This, if I remember rightly, is the song that moved me from "this isn't too bad." to "I'm liking this.", or in Hipster Body Language, from the Arms Crossed and Decidedly Not Moving to the Nodding in Time. It's no Run but it's what's in heavy rotation, so it gets a moment in the sun.

The Futureheads - Robot
My favorite part about these guys is that you can tell that they're having fun, and it shines through their music. Two minutes of post-punk-pop with tight harmonies and delightful lyrics. If/when they show up in Vancouver again, I am totally going to see them.

The Arcade Fire - Crown of Love
I think this is an underappreciated song. Everyone loves Neighbourhood #1(Tunnels) or Rebellion(Lies) but this one slips under the radar; until the bass and the violin light up the ending, anyway.

Ellen Allien - Erdbeermund
Chopped beats, clicks, bleeps, incomprehensible German women, a slide whistle and basslines that could've stepped out of a videogame. This track is made for playing Scorched Earth to. Or practicing your post-apocalyptic dance, because in the nuclear winter of the far future, it is your groove that will ensure the survival of the human race.

The Cardigans - And Then You Kissed Me
Stop snickering. The Cardigans are far more than a one-hit wonder band and their latest release shows remarkable range from the band that brought us Lovefool . It's easy to dismiss as a throwaway (but nonetheless solid) mopey pop song with a slightly country bent, until you realize exactly what the song is about.

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October 06, 2004

I am so weirded out.

found this while checking my referrers.

www.akt-online.nl :: Bekijk onderwerp - Staplerfahrer Klaus

translation: I got today this link of a friend of me. It is a German small film concerning what there all wrong can go with heftruuk in t magazijn. More does not will I say, you must look at him simply itself http://heeeraldo.blogspot.com/2003/12/foreign-safety-videos-awesome.html and on the officiele Internet site seem be able download m. you, but I cannot find where.

who's his friend?
am I his friend?
is someone else directing random Dutch people to my archives?
I'm so confused.
hold me.

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barely a real post

news:
- have a third job, working at Arts ISIT in the C-Block Labs.
- maybe going to see GWAR and reviewing it for discorder
- won't try and save Plaza stage with the "we can do it all for $1000" plan; have decided to try for Control.
- got two plain shirts yesterday; will stencil after prewashing.
- Jill's here tomorrow! Woo!
- I imagine you're all tired of point-form posts, and this should be the last one for a while; there's a Five in Heavy Rotation tomorrow, and possibly some photos.

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October 03, 2004

grenouilles and bougears and dropkicks, oh my!

blogposts about whistler never really encapsulate all the things that happened.

all that really needs to be said follows:

- RIP Upper Plaza.
- I have come to terms with being an Old Person.
- being a hack is way more fun.

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