IBTC

I was reading up on Michael Rosenbaum at IMDB.com and saw this quote:

What I really want in a woman is a good sense of humor, intelligence, and she can't be part of the IBTC.

I've never heard of this IBTC. Am I in the minority? Anyhow, this must be the reference he's making.

And to answer your question: Because I really dig Smallville.

What of it?

Keeping you up to speed.

Just wanted to make sure everyone here knew about these. I read about them two or three weeks ago, somewhere. They won the 2005 IG Nobel Peace Prize for Medicine.

Don' miss the store.


A.Ho

Decemb'rists

The boys & girls played a hell of a show last night down at The Big Easy. Not many shows of this caliber make their way to Spokane. It's really too bad.

If Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene somehow found their way here in 2006 it would officially be a very good year.

a sweet get-up

Sure, it is a bit spendy, but we're talking about a costume for life.

Now, someone give me $799.


A.Ho

Confirmed

As I suspected Wolf Parade made quite a leap in my last.fm charts. Taking the top 5 in overall tracks, nailing number 2 in the Overall Artists category, and el numero cinco in Weekly Artists. Unsurprisingly, to me, The Constantines take the number one spot for Weekly Artists. I like that album and my current favorite song from it is Hotline Operator. Dig, or dig not.

Don't miss Kris' latest musings on music, and nerdery.


A.Ho

Tag. You're a goat.

If you've never heard the song My 2600 by Captain Funkaho, track seven of this compilation (and available on iTunes), you are missing out. It's a song about the widely distributed Atari 2600 home gaming system…

"joystick left to right, centipede all night…lose your mind while you're playing pong, frogger all night long"

…that also sees fit to reference goats rather cryptically. After a peek of Funkaho's ep/single I realized it's a theme. I tagged both the song and the artist with goat at last.fm. Being as I could do a tag search I was curious what other songs may have been tagged thusly. I can proudly say I am the only user to use goat as a stand-alone tag. Others chose to use it in tandem with other descriptors.

When my brother heard this song he thought they were saying, "Frog-Her all night long." He's not well.

The Constantines / Wolf Parade / The Hold Steady

I picked up The Constantines Tournament of Hearts today. If you walked by this and thought about getting it, but ultimately passed it up, I recommend grabbing it next time you're out for music. If you liked Shine A Light, which I liked more than a little, you should dig this immensely.

Also check: TinyMixTapes

I was in Boo Radley's today and they were playing Wolf Parade. I already liked this band but sometimes I need to hear something without trying to hear it. I found myself really digging it, bouncing my head and maybe even dancing a bit. You'll probably see it climb on my last.fm charts this week, if you're watching.

The Hold Steady's Separation Sunday should be heard. I'm not saying it should be liked, but I imagine that will be the case most of the time.


A.Ho

W.T.F?

Booted up this morning to check my email. And my Bookmark Toolbar is GORRAM EMPTY!

For that matter, all my bookmarks are gone. I do not get it. How does this happen? They were there last night. I suppose I better run a virus scan.

I'm not pleased.


A.Ho

Fireworks

If I rated songs based on iTunes visualizations I'd give Nirvana's Drain You 5 stars. Definitely.


A.Ho

Linux?

I'm getting frustrated with Windows. Specifically, I ought to be able to search a folder the same way I search my iTunes library. By way of typing a filename in a search window the files are narrowed down with every keystroke.

Vince has a new G4 laptop and was showing me Spotlight on the Tiger OS, it works along those lines. I wonder if Linux has something up that alley. It seems to me that Windows Explorer is becoming incredibly outdated.

A.Ho

UPDATE: I don't know a thing about Linux, so reading this helped. Here's some points I took away from my reading:

• The 'typical' Linux user is a hobbyist: He uses computers because computers are fun, programming is fun, hacking is fun. And Linux is a far better OS for a hacking hobbyist: He can take it apart to its most fundamental level, and reassemble it exactly as he sees fit.
  
  However, the current influx of Linux users has a large percentage of non-hobbyist non-hackers. They want a computer that Just Works, a computer that works like Windows. They aren't interested in spending time setting up Linux to make it work the way they want it, they want it to work like that out-of-the-box.
  
  And that's perfectly okay, but from the typical Linux user's perspective, this is like somebody who wants a Lego car that comes pre-assembled and glued together so it can't come apart. It is alien to their understanding. The only way they can react is with a baffled "Why would anybody want that?"
  
  It's baffling. If you want a ready-made model car, buy a toy car. If you want a car you can build and take apart, buy Lego. Why would anybody want a Lego car that can only be used as a toy car? The whole point of Lego is that you have fun assembling it yourself!
  
  This is how a typical Linux user reacts to the "Why can't it Just Work?" brigade: "If you want it to Just Work, use Windows. If you want to hack it, use Linux. Why would you ever want to switch to Linux if you have no interest in taking advantage of its open source nature?"
  
  The answer, usually, is that they don't actually want to move to Linux. They just want to get away from Windows: They're running away from viruses; they're fleeing malware; they're striving to be free of restrictions on how they use their paid-for software; they're trying to escape from the clutches of the E.U.L.A. They aren't trying to get into Linux, they're trying to get out of Windows. Linux is simply the best-known alternative.
  
  
• Before you decide you want to switch to Linux, ask yourself "Why do I want to switch?"
  
  If the answer is "I want an OS that puts all the power in the hands of the user and expects him to know how to use it": Get Linux. You'll have to invest a substantial amount of time and effort before you get it to where you want it, but you'll eventually be rewarded with a computer that works exactly the way you want it to.
  
  BUT. . .
  
  If the answer is "I want Windows without the problems": Do a clean install of Windows XP SP2; set up a good firewall; install a good anti-virus; never use IE for browsing the web; update regularly; reboot after each software install; and read about good security practices. I myself have used Windows from 3.1 through 95, 98, NT, and XP, and I have never once had a virus, suffered from spyware, or been cracked. Windows can be a safe and stable OS, but it relies on you keeping it that way.
  
  If the answer is "I want a replacement for Windows without the problems": Buy an Apple Mac. I've heard wonderful things about the Tiger release of OS X, and they've got some lovely-looking hardware. It'll cost you a new computer, but it'll get you what you want.
  
  In either case, don't switch to Linux. You'll be dissapointed with both the software and the community. Linux is not Windows.

I have some thinking to do. And I have about 70 GB unformatted on my HD that I could install Linux on. Maybe I'd dig it.

Smash Your Head

I swear I used to have this Sebadoh album. Part of me does wonder if it was a roomate's, but I don't think that's the case…whatever & anyhow, after not thinking about it in some years I've had urges to listen to it lately. I'll have to do some networking and see if I can come up with a facsimile.

Cousin Marcus called this album the 'ultimate been burned by a girl' album. I wonder if something under the surface of my psyche needs the release of these sounds.

A.Ho

Minor Injury Boy

If you're keeping track of the myriad of ways I've hurt myself over the years you can add this:

Taking a pan out of the oven setting it on the counter, putting down the oven mitt, do this, do that, turn around, pick up the pan with my unmitted hand. Yurg.

A.Ho

Cinema

Haven't heard much about A History of Violence but, after reading The Goat's review, I may go see it this weekend.

A.Ho

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My Favorite Quotation Of The Day

"I was very impressed with the way he counted his change, and I am confident he will bring that same understanding of money to his new role as head of the Federal Reserve."

Ahh, satire...I will never tire of you.

My fav quote of the day

Comes from Fark; the poster in question was talking about the insanity of Fred Phelps, who apparently has a 'church' and a 'website' (www.godhatesfags.com-I include that so you understand where I'm coming from, not to promote the man, his ideas, or 'god'). I read in the thread that their site apparently has a counter on how many days Matthew Shepard has been in hell.

"I am trying to be a nicer person than I was in the past, but, I don't think I could pass up a chance to kick this SOB in the nuts."-icecycle


You know, I've been taught all my life that hatred is a dark, horrible thing. That fear and hatred can (and has!) taken people into hellish scapes Dante would cower in fear at the thought of. Yoda taught me well.

But I read shit like that, and I think: hatred has it's bonuses. 'Cause believe you me, given the chance and ANY reasonable motive to boost that goatblower's testicles to the moon with steel toed boots, I WOULD DO IT IN A HEARTBEAT. Repeatedly. And I don't feel bad about that, nor like I'm doing something wrong, even. I would be perfectly content to let him be eaten by wolverines on rabies; and fuck it, I'd sell tickets to the event. Beer. Superballs to throw at the wolverines soas to goad them into even nastier action. Whatever it took to make sure he was fucked up.

I'm just sayin'.

Abusing My Privilige

did I miss something or are the 'Kannonites of this weblog not planning on seeing the vaunted Built To Spill in a coupla days?

Mainly Bad News To Report

Trip to the Great White North was great and white and north. Here's the bad news:

Bad news the first: I caught either the SARS or the common cold. I feel like shite. The silver lining is that when a woman on the plane was very rude to me, I breathed all over that beyotch and wished her the worst.

Bad news the second: Someone broke in to my house while I was gone. The silver lining is that I expected it and had some...shall we say failsafes, in place for just such an occurance. I'm reminded of a line from Jackie Brown - gold star/cookie/etc. for the first guesses to guess correctly!

Bad news the third: Someone's been reading my diary. By which I mean, my privacy on this weblog has been compromised. The silver lining? Well, there is none. I'm going to stop blogging on here. I'll continue on Hapless Happiness, but all of my intimacy, all of my vulnerabilites, all of my doubts and dreams are going to have to spend the rest of their days in the confines of my cranium. Poor intimacy, vulnerabilities, doubts and dreams. The bigger the headache, the bigger the pill, compadres.

A - would you mind taking my namesake and beautious visage down? You guys have my maths (I think), if you want to talk, because I'm pretty sure email is also compromised. Fuck. I'll be in touch as things calm down.

love like the strongest diamond,

Mel

Presenting Mr Ventura, again

The link goes to a column on where he sees the future of America going.

Many of his thoughts mirror my own. The column focuses mostly on transportation, and what will happen to it as a result of oil prices skyrocketing.

After spending time in Europe, and getting everywhere either by rail, foot, or occasional bus, I really wonder why the fuck this country is so far behind on train travel. I love going to Seattle from Portland. Takes about 3 hours-just a little longer than the drive-and the trains run all the damn time.

But to get from Portland to Spokane, the next biggest city east of here, really, that's even close to accessable, that trip takes 12 hours. And you have to be willing to leave at ungodly hours of the morning. Or arrive at ungodly hours of the night.

What?

Shit, in about a week and a half, I fly to Las Vegas. Made reservations for the trip last week-figure the 3rd or 4th. Costing me almost $300. Costs me $300 bucks to get to San Diego this weekend by plane.

These are popular places to go for a weekend. Who the fuck can just afford $300?

And why does no one want to use the train? Well, I suppose this actually depends on where you want to go. I wouldn't rely on the public transport in Spokane to move dogshit. If I want to get anywhere in a reasonable amount of time, I drive. In NYC the subway costs about 3 bucks a ticket. Holy fuck, I might as well walk unless I gotta go great distances. Seattle's public transport system I've heard fair to middlin' things about.

The road trip has been an American staple for a long, long time. Moving is part of who we are-I think it might be so ingrained in our character that stillness is something I think most people only reserve for sleep. So what happens when we start to revolt because no one is actually thinking of our character as a people? Instead of looking forward, we rush to keep things the same.

And that's really sad to me.

Ooch.

Big Suckness.

A.Ho

Smile. Or…

Turn your frown Upside-Down!

VPrice509 is shaking it up.


A.Ho

Perchance to dream?

Sleep has been elusive these last couple of days, or, more accurately, sleep of a nonirregular nature. Oh well.

Maybe you've been wondering about my photo-double status? Well I hadn't seen Gretchen in a while so I figured she'd found someone better suited to the work. She came by work yesterday, and indeed she has.

In the last two weeks I've been told three times that I look like Tommy Lee. Others aren't disagreeing. The hair has gotten long. That's the only explanation I can offer for this sudden public epiphany.

Ted Leo is rocking me.

I've a new book. It came in the mail today, a nice surprise. It was written by my friend Kevin Sampsell who resides in Portland, OR, works for Powell's, and gave me a place to stay and my first Espresso job back in 1996 when I moved, briefly, to Portland. It came to me from Dan, whom you may be (somewhat) familiar with. I read some bits of it, hardly any really, and found some delightful excerpts to share with friends. So I leave you with this: "You are the unslickest motherfucker I have ever seen."


A.Ho

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Bits

• Year in which perfluorochemicals, used in Teflon and other nonstick products, were first introduced : 1956[Environmental Working Group (Washington)]

Percentage of U.S. children who now have one of these nonbiodegradable chemicals in their bloodstreams : 96

• Year by which Brazil's government will have switched its computers entirely to open-source software : 2010

Amount they expect the switch will save each year : $48,000,000 [ …or maybe $120,000,000? ]


• Minimum number of prescription drugs currently under investigation for Medicaid price-gouging or • marketing fraud : 500

• Number of Danish graduate students who last December released a copyright-free recipe for an “open-source beer” : 15

Number of times the website has been accessed so far : 133,000

• Average number of $75 anal bleachings that an L.A.-area salon performs each day : 5


Stats courtesy of Harpers Index
Linkage dug up by A.Ho

whew...

Almost burned dinner.

3/3

Strange new code is appearing in my postbox. What up with that?

Exchanged a bunch of CDs yesterday. Got 52 bucks out of 'em.

Bought: Death Cab For Cutie-Plans.
It isn't sticking right away, but I've only listened to it once. It doesn't suck, but I probably need to listen to it somewhere that isn't work.

Pelican-The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw
Holy shit it's good. Instrumental epic metal. If the vocals to heavy metal give you headaches, give this a shot-then check out anything by Isis (who have vocals, but mine the same territory, which is interesting enough for them to be on Mike Patton's Ipecac label).

Broken Social Scene
They should've named it Windsurfer Nation.
That is my only complaint. One of the albums of the year, I have no doubt. Floored after only one listen. Just plain good, and if you don't like it, there is, most likely, something deeply flawed within your soul that requires surgery.

But I figure I got 3 out of 3. Pretty good score.

If Melissa gave a fuck about a bitch, I'd always be broke. I'd never have no motherfucking Indo to smoke.

I am listening to a great song right now. It's called "Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)". Its by a rapper called Snoop Doggy Dog and it is off his debut album "Doggystyle" and it features fellow LBC clique members Korupt and Warren G. This song makes me giggle. Here why:

So back up, Bitch, because I'm struuuuuggling
Just get on your knees and then start juuuuuggling
These motherfucking nuts in your mouth
Its me, Warren G, tha nigga with the clout

You know why that makes me laugh so much? Well, yes, because juggling balls is funny, but also because, even though I *know* he says "clout", I always think he says:

"Its me, Warren G, tha nigga with the gout."

Also, the beat is infectious. Am I qualified to write for Pitchfork yet?


Okay, gotta go get ready to...ahh, too easy. What I mean to say is that I gotta get ready for my flight.

love like a torrent,

mel

PS. You'll never be my only one, trick-ass bitch!

Revolution…?

…file under Things that make you go hmmm…

This is the new Nintendo game system. Yes, that 'remote' is the controller.




Larger image.

A.Ho

none too loyal

Please let it be understood that I had to. The means were provided, my choice undeniable.

I bought the new Broken Social Scene today…from Best Buy.

I buy almost all of my new music at a local outfit, Boo Radley's, and expected to do the same with this new disc, but it didn't work out that way. Through no fault of their own Boo Radley's was unable to get their pristine, ungrubby mitts on ANY of the units ordered, their distributor didn't order enough. They are supposed to get some this week, but they won't be the limited bonus edition containing e.p. to be you and me.

Grant and I had plans to go on a hike today, but I've had a bit of a cold and felt limited to short term bursts of energy. We opted to seek out BSS and coffee and, through a course of mutual decision making, headed north to check out a new Starbucks and hit Best Buy. They had what we sought, and for cheap. Which, honestly, doesn't hurt.

Sorry Boo's.


A.Ho

So awesome I post it here

I haven't had much to contribute here lately. Beyond the semi-amusing comment and, of course, general insanity that comes when you're drunk 24hrs a day.

However, I'm so glad satire still fucking cuts to the bone in this society.

Bill Hicks, genius and ranter extrodinare, often wailed that demons were being sent "to lower the standard for the rest of us, perfect and holy children of god, which is what we are make no mistake about it." And when you look at the current level of competitance (which I've probably gloriously misspelled, making me a jackass) in the public sector, coupled with the sheer raping economic savagry of the private sector, I can't help but think: fuckin' a, the demons are winning.

Is that the wrong impression? Am I just fuckin' stupid or high?

No. I don't know when it became so American to stop questioning the authority, to just accept the struggles that were losing ones were always going to be losing ones (hi Democratic party!) and basically to just cease to call Bullshit on people who were running such high bullshit that superdense forms of matter were taking place, but Fuck I Am Tired of it.

I want every goddamn thing proven, now. I want to take what I need, and be free to give what's extra away. I want to make sure my things don't fucking own me. And I won't let 'society' tell me that if I have an X360 and a PS3 and a Revolution then I will be happy or things will be OK.

I should've gone into politics. I'd be the worst politican ever, but everyone would know it, at least.

• New album picks. •

I am listening to Wolf Parade Apologies To The Queen Mary and liking it immensely. So I've added it to my album picks for the year, which feels good because it's pretty sparse over there.

The new Broken Social Scene comes out tomorrow, and though I probably won't pick it up until Friday I went ahead and put it in the album picks as well. Heck, I was in there editing so why not. Call it prescience.


A.Ho

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Got Danglers?

(sigh)...

I went to EB Games the other day to look around, one day I will learn not to do this. I almost made it out untempted, but then spotted a wall of boxes for games being launched with the XBox 360. I planning on holding out for quite some time before getting the new system, waiting at least one, if not two, price drops. $399 seems like a fair deal though, the problem being that to me $399 is a chunk of change, a big chunk. Solution? Well Christmas is right around the corner of course, and around the corner from that is my birthday. I'm thinking I should just request money/giftcards to put toward the system and a couple of games (Perfect Dark|Zero for sure. And I should replay the original.) and grab one for my birthday in January. Then I could take 2 or three days off (maybe Dan could come up), stock up on food (defined as: candy/pizza/soda/beer) and break that sucker in. How's that for a plan? The problem I face with that is priorities, like I could really use a new bed. And if I get that system I'm really going to want a new TV. Maybe a holiday job @ EB is in order, earn extra cash, get a discount. Problem solved? We'll see.

A.Ho

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Mommy?

In a recent post MT linked a Wiki on lucid dreaming. This led me to an entry on sleep paralysis, which I used to experience on an all too regular basis.

Creepy. Icky. Intriguing.

A.Ho

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