Friday, August 29, 2003
Shooting the One That Bumbs
It's off to Bumbershoot I go -- four days of music, music, and more music! Pictures and memories shall document what is going to be a brilliant trip :-)
NP: (nuthin')
posted by Hanson |
8:00 AM
Thursday, August 28, 2003
Another Six Year Wait Over
New studio material from Sarah McLachlan! Before radio, before TV, Electronic Arts brings it to you in high-quality Shockwave. Yeah! None of this waiting until September 1st!
NP: Sarah McLachlan - Fallen
posted by Hanson |
11:18 AM
Colourful of Leaks
A good number of posts here refer to how I get albums before they're released. Well, here's another one -- Azure Ray's Hold On Love, due out on Oct. 7th, the same day Transatlanticism comes out. First impressions: I like about half the songs, and I LOVE the other half. Some background:
Azure Ray is made up of Maria Taylor (the really cute one) and Orenda Fink. They play a kind of stripped down, ethereal dream-pop, the band's lead vocal duties shared equally by the two. Now, I absolutely adore the singing of either Maria or Orenda, but I can't figure out which voice belongs to which name. Just finding out which one is the cute one took me friggin’ forever, and I’ve had absolutely no success figuring out whose voice I adore.
On Hold On Love, like on the other Azure Ray records, my favourite tracks are sung by she-whose-voice-I-adore. This time around is no different, as standout tracks include the beat-enforced New Resolution (perhaps the best female-sung song released this year) and the upbeat If You Fall, both sung by she-whose-voice-I-adore. The album is a slight departure for the duo, incorporating more electronic experimentations than on previous releases. It’s a good direction for them, as the standout tracks are the ones that sound the least like their previous stuff. Overall, it's good shit -- likely top twenty of the year material.
Bah…. this post was badly written! I feel completely devoid of…. write… good… stuff… ness. Bah…. bed.
NP: Azure Ray - If You Fall
posted by Hanson |
1:14 AM
Wednesday, August 27, 2003
Angel After No Angel
David Boreanaz stars in the new Dido video, complete with creepy facial hair. He always seems to have a smirk on him whenever he's not brooding on his own show, although you can't really tell by watching this. Even without DB, this would still be one of the coolest videos I've seen in a while. Oh, it's not hard to figure out why -- just watch, and you'll know what I mean. Hehe... Ms. Armstrong is climbing up that list real fast :-)
PS: All Tomorrow's Parties is so on.
NP: Dido - White Flag (video)
posted by Hanson |
11:52 AM
Another Andro Name
Oh, and let me just say that I can't believe Mischa Barton is the same girl I saw in Lost and Delirious. I don't see Mouse anywhere!
NP: Mary Lou Lord - His ND World (Live 07-07-00)
posted by Hanson |
12:34 AM
Shortest. Post. Ever.
Anna Stern was spot on. I need to get me some more of that.
NP: Mary Lou Lord - Hey Antoinette (Live 07-07-00)
posted by Hanson |
12:23 AM
Tuesday, August 26, 2003
The Two Editions
The theatrical cut of The Two Towers is out today! Featurettes, Sean Astin's short film, the 12 minute preview of Return of the King (which I've already seen), and, oh yeah, the movie! This will tie me over until November, when the real shizzy -- the 214 minute extended cut -- is released. Weeeeeeee! I only saw it four times in the theatres, and I feel like a bad fan for not seeing it more. I must atone for my sins by watching both Fellowship and TTT today!
NP: Jewel - Who Will Save Your Soul? (I'll get this right at karaoke next time!!)
posted by Hanson |
10:41 AM
Flip That Page Over
Man, Virtual Light is some mad-ass good shit. Probably the best Gibson I've read so far. And none of the main characters are becoming too generic like in his other works! Lets hope the ending doesn't let me down.
NP: (nothing)
posted by Hanson |
1:51 AM
Monday, August 25, 2003
What A Load of Hogwarts
In the fake paper today, they had an article about some guy trying to get the Nobel committee to nominate J.K. Rowling for the literature award. I'm sorry, but WTF?
I mean no disrespect to those who enjoy the (Hatchet) Harry Potter series of books, but give me a friggin' break! No SF or fantasy author has even come close to getting the nod, and you're telling me that someone who's written *five* books in *one* series deserves it? Come back in forty years and if there's a swarm of HP clones, then we'll talk. No, not even then. If genre-setting and being influential alone are the deciding factors, Tolkien would've won it years ago. He almost single-handedly created the D&D-esque genre of orcs-and-elves fantasy we see today, but we don't hear shit about giving the old doctor a posthumous Nobel. And what about grandmasters Asimov and Clarke? That's two-thirds of your ABC of science fiction right there already (apologies to Alfred Bester, and to a lesser degree, Ray Bradbury, whose works I'm aware of). None of them have gotten a sniff of that illustrious Swedish ass, and like hell Rowling's gonna get there first!
IMO, she's not even an elite SF/fantasy author -- she's more like the Eminem of the fantasy world, turning the mainstream on to a more-or-less niche genre. Let Rowling get the respect of her peers first by rack up a bunch of Hugos, Nebulas, Loci, and World Fantasies; before that happens, lets can the Nobel talk, eh?
NP: The Faint - Sex is Personal
posted by Hanson |
12:05 PM
Sunday, August 24, 2003
When Anxiety Attacks
I feel so unaccomplished. By 22, Conor Oberst had released several great albums; Michael Owen had represented his country in the World Cup, and Isaac Asimov had devised his Three Laws of Robotics. Me? Nada. I haven't written shit that's worth shit; I haven't done shit for my country except finish last place at quiz bowl tournaments, and I certainly haven't devised anything short of shitty semi-offensive classification systems. No, this won't do. I have to do something -- create something! I feel so... blah... the filth... the uselessness... not washing off! I need to feel... something... something more. No, this won't do.
Aside: apparently, Virtual Light is the first of the trilogy, so I'm on that now instead of All Tomorrow's Parties. My bad. Luckily, since VL, Idoru, and ATP are only loosely tied together a la Gibson's first trilogy of Neuromancer, Count Zero, and Mona Lisa Overdrive, I'm not in too big of a jam.
NP: Kim Richey - Echoes of Love
posted by Hanson |
8:17 PM
Saturday, August 23, 2003
Multiple Thoughts Bleed Into One
It's less than a week till Bumbershoot, and that means it's less than a week until I finally get to see Mary Lou Lord. The six-year wait will soon end!! We got a room at the University Motel, the infamous site of SFU QB's trip to UW two years ago. This time, though, no Dew Drivers will be (over) consumed, hence no nights spent huddled over the porcelain god.
Ugh. But I got work I have to do before Bumbershoot. I need to buckle down and get that shizznit done!
I noticed a girl staring at me at karaoke last night, a notion confirmed by Tara. She might've been someone I went to school with or something, but I didn't recognize her. Then again, she could've just been staring at me for no good reason other than -- oh I don't know -- the shape of my head because she was drunk, stoned, or a combination of the two. Whatever the reason, it felt odd because I don't usually get stared at.
Speaking of karaoke, we even got Brock to sing last night. For those of you who know him, you know that this is indeed something worth mentioning; for those who don't, just take it from me that it's a big deal.
And I finished Idoru today. Meh. It was written beautifully, perhaps as good as (if not better than) anything I've read of Gibson's. Story-wise, however, it felt more like a set-up than anything, though it did feature a cast of interesting characters along with a few blah ones. The plot itself wasn't as compelling as his other works, but I'll reserve my full judgment until I finish the sequel, All Tomorrow's Parties, which I bought yesterday.
Noted Buffy-scribe Jane Espenson wrote the third episode of the OC. The line about "bringing home a black kid next time" is pure Jane.
These new glasses allow me to see people from a distance now. No more squinting and wondering if I should say hi, not knowing if the person I've waving to actually knows me too. It'll take a while for me to adjust to them, as they're giving me a headache now. But it's worth it.
Mint drops the Gay's new album on Sept 16. Woohoo!
NP: The Shins - Kissing the Lipless (yes, Chutes Too Narrow has been leaked too)
posted by Hanson |
3:08 PM
Thursday, August 21, 2003
What Are the Odds?
Spammers often use realistic names as the senders of their emails so that gullible people would open up the spams that they sent, thinking they were from real people. I got one such spam today -- one of many, actually, selling boner pills or whatever spammers try to sell these days. This one caught my attention because it was supposedly sent from a "Jennifer Wyatt." Coincidentally, that happened to be the name of this girl I had a crush on in high school. Hehe. It was still deleted along with the others, but this was fucked up, no?
NP: Quasi - Lullaby pt. 2
posted by Hanson |
4:04 PM
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
What's My Line (Part III)
So I acted in the Business Mentorship Program's "Becoming A Business Major" video today. I played myself, at least the sanitized, non-swearing or farting version. It feels funny to do stuff off a script again after so long. Not to sound like I have a lot of acting experience or anything, but I fell back into my old habits of rushing through lines and ad-libbing again. Every take, I has something different to say -- I just can't keep my mind from changing stuff up!
Oh! And I've been meaning post about the start of the football season. No, not the one where the players get armours and helmets; I'm talking about the one that North Americans don't get -- footy! United got off to a rip-roaring start with a 4-0 defeat of perennial relegation threat Bolton. For some reason, the Wanders have been fairly successful against United, winning their previous two encounters at Old Trafford. Luckily, my early morning wake-up was rewarded by four United goals: a brace from Giggsy -- one of which was a brilliantly taken freekick -- an offside goal for Scholesy, and a thundering drive from up close by van Nistelrooy, who was having a shitty game up to that point.
The introduction of new-boy Cristiano Ronaldo changed the pace of the game, as both sides were fairly equal in the first 60 minutes, United being ahead 1-0 before Ronaldo subbed in for Nicky Butt. The new United No. 7 man turned the game around, drawing a penalty (which led to Ruud's first ever Premiership spotkick miss) and worrying Bolton defenders with every touch. United dominated from that point on, and they never looked back, popping in three additional goals. Eric Djemba Djemba was also given his debut as a second-half substitute, as did American Tim Howard who kept a clean sheet. He looked damn good, actually, saving a nice chip from Kevin Nolan (I think). I guess it's au revoir, Fabien!
Meanwhile, Watford lost its opening First Division game 1-0 to Crystal Palace, the club that new signing Bruce Dyer played for last year. Watford was supposed to open at Vicarge Road against Coventry, but the death of Jimmy Davis postponed that match. The team fared better last week, winning its first round League Cup match again Bournemouth 1-0 in extra time. With the death of Davis and a looming financial crisis exacerbated by asswipe former manager Gianluca Vialli who's suing for the remainder amount of his terminated contract, it could be a difficult season at Vicarge Road. Come on Elton -- I know you still have some dough!
NP: Sarah Slean - Julia (Our Lady Peace cover)
posted by Hanson |
6:25 PM
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
Easily Amused
The beginning of chapter six of Idoru contains a vague reference to someone that I've gathered to be Thom Yorke. Nice. Nice!
NP: (nothing)
posted by Hanson |
1:52 PM
Monday, August 18, 2003
It Sounds Like French For Cherries
Cerys Matthews has a solo record out!!
In her native Great Britain, the raspy-voiced former frontwoman of Catatonia is on a first-name basis with the public (like Kylie, for instance), but she and her old band are virtually unknown on this side of the Atlantic. Catatonia broke up after the commercial disaster that was Paper, Scissor, Stone (an album that I liked, the been-there-done-that feeling notwithstanding), and I lost track of Cerys. I had always known she has a solo record in the pipeline, but I thought I'd hear about it before it comes out. So imagine my surprise when I learned that Cockahoop was released in the UK way back in May! Geebus. That'll learn me to not read NME or Mojo (but I never will). Naturally, I logged on to Soulseek and I got the album in no time (yes yes -- I’ll still buy it!).
At first listen, it holds its own -- it's what you'd expect a Cerys solo record to sound like. Similar to the post-Letters to Cleo Kay Hanley solo record, it's more of a stripped-down affair that relies more on acoustic guitars rather than electric ones. The pop hooks are still there, but the album sounds, at times, a little twangy, an adjective that could never be used to describe anything Catatonia has ever put its name on. This may be due to the location at which the songs were recorded: Nashville, TN. Yup, Music City USA is a loooong way from Wales. I like it well enough. Will it make my top twenty of the year? It ain’t no Transatlanticism, but we’ll see.
On a completely unrelated note, I bought Gibson's Idoru from the local suburban big box bookstore. Should I pace myself or blow through it in a couple days?
Oh! And The Kills show at Richards sold out!! WTF?? I got tix for Grandaddy, Rooney, and Delerium today, but they had no more for the Kills! Also, Ticketbastard isn't selling tickets for the Raveonettes (who I'm really getting into), which means I'll have to drag my ass downtown just to get them. Ack.
NP: Cerys Matthews - Only a Fool
posted by Hanson |
6:19 PM
Sunday, August 17, 2003
Death Cab Made Me Do It
This is the first cross-post between my blogs -- a call-up, if you will. It's a parody inspired by the upcoming semester based on The New Year, the opening track of Death Cab's new album. Since I spent more time on this than on the other more-or-less quickly-out-of-my-ass posts of My Experimental Side-Project, I thought I'd plop it down here too. Anyway, here it is:
so this is the new year
and i don't feel any different
the cracking of textbooks
term papers off in the distance
... in the distance
so this is the new year
and i have no resolutions
is it pointless to bother
with questions with pointless solutions
so everybody put your best shirt or skirt on
lets make believe that we gave a shit for just this once
doing readings lying there on the futon
as thirty paragraphs bleed into one
i wish school stimulated like the old days
and i can learn just by going to class
no more midterms or finals or essays
there'd be no bullshit that could hold us back
so this is the new year....
For anybody who's interested, let me know if you want the real song.
NP: Rooney - Daisy Duke
posted by Hanson |
9:46 PM
In Defence of Tofu
The Food Network ran an episode of The Best Of... today featuring the best of vegetarian cuisine in America. I was appalled when they stopped at a restaurant that served tofu. In a salad. In room temperature. Unflavoured. No wonder most North Americans don't like this stuff!! I wept for the tofu when I saw on TV. One cannot serve it in such a manner and expect non-vegetarians to like it!
Tofu is one of my favourite foods when prepared correctly. Deep-fried, braised, with syrup, marinated, steamed and served with soy sauce, hot oil, green onions, and cilantro, whatever -- you don't just cube it and toss it in a salad, wankers! You know, I've never seen a non-Asian cook tofu right. Maybe it's because I really haven't been exposed to that much non-Asian vegetarian cuisine. From what I've seen though, it looks as if non-Asians ain't got no skillz when it comes to tofu. I hope I’m wrong.
So, anybody reading this who don't like tofu: please don't judge it until you've had it prepared right. The various types of tofu, each with a different texture and flavour, can be massively appealing when cooked properly. It's not hippie food; it's just good food! Go to a (real) Chinese restaurant and you’ll see the light.
NP: Quasi - Hot Shit (yes, it's been leaked!)
posted by Hanson |
1:14 AM
Saturday, August 16, 2003
Eyes Wide Open
I went to the eye doctor today and she dilated my pupils. Everything is so bright and blurry now. The good thing is, I'll be getting new glasses so I can finally see clearly. Apparently, the prescription for one of my eyes is so out of date, I shouldn't be allowed to drive. Yeah, my glasses are five years old :-)
NP: (Best of Will Ferrell DVD)
posted by Hanson |
5:01 PM
Friday, August 15, 2003
Friendster Me!
I signed up for this thing called Friendster a few months ago after hearing it from a friend. It's a website where you can check out the friends of your friends, kind of like a six degrees of Kevin Bacon thing. After signing up, I didn't do anything with the account, and it was just left there to waste away. Fast forward to tonight when the founder of Friendster was on Jimmy Kimmel promoting his site. For some reason, it piqued my interest, so I thought I'd check it out in earnest.
So yeah, if any of your guys are on Friendster or who plan to check it out, please add me (email addy: hansonho (at) shaw.ca) or let me know you're on so I can add you -- I'm currently friendless :-(
NP: Goldfrapp - Crystalline Green
posted by Hanson |
1:38 AM
Thursday, August 14, 2003
Hi Ho Dido
Dido was on Kilborn last night. She didn't play or sing; she was just there for an interview. As the first guest, she did Five Questions as well, and I think she got three. Who knew that "tackle" is another British slang for "junk?" She said it referred to a tackle in football, by which I'm sure she meant "real" football. Oh, and she looked great, by the way. She’s a little skinner than I remembered, but still as cutesy as ever. And damn I love that accent!
As she revealed last night, her new album, Life for Rent, won't come out until September 30th, pushed back from its original release date of September 9th. I so need to get my hands on that before then. Speaking of the 9th, you can add the new Decemeberists to the list of records to be released on that day. Quasi, whom I will see at Bumbershoot, will drop "Hot Shit" on the 9th as well. Yippee!
NP: The Aislers Set - Catherine Says
posted by Hanson |
12:43 PM
Wednesday, August 13, 2003
Gettin' Biz-zay
I haven't done this in a while, so here goes -- my tentative show sked for the next couple months:
Aug. 29th to Sept. 1st - Bumbershoot Festival
Sept. 3rd - Delerium
Sept. 24th - Calexico / The Frames
Sept. 25th - Rooney
Sept. 27th - The Kills
Sept. 28th - Raveonettes / stellastar*
Sept. 29th - Damien Rice
Sept. 30th - Goldfrapp
Oct. 10th - My Morning Jacket
Oct. 16th - Grandaddy
Oct. 31st - Beluah / John Vanderslice
And this is assuming I don't suddenly feel like seeing Manitoba, Evan Dando, or Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Of course, I'm sure there are shows that have yet to be announced, like Death Cab's gigantic fall tour. It's likely that I won't be able to make all of the shows listed above, but by geebus, imma try! My wallet and schoolwork are going to kill me for this...
NP: Pedro the Lion - Winners Never Quit
posted by Hanson |
6:15 PM
YEEEEEEP!!
Grandaddy - Oct 16th - Commodore
Rooney - Sept 25th - Richards
September and October get even better!!!
NP: (Sounds of the Ho doing the happy dance!)
posted by Hanson |
12:29 PM
Tunes on TV
Gilmore Girls used to be the show with all the cool music on it, but season three was severely lacking in that department. That said, I think I've found two candidates to replace it -- Six Feet Under and the OC. During the first few episode of season two of 6FU, I heard Built to Spill and Sarah Harmer. Claire even talked about going to see Sleater-Kinney at the Showbox, after which Nate said he like SK also! Wicked ass. Meanwhile, the OC is using Phantom Planet's California as its de facto theme song. It also used what I think is Rufus Wainwright's California, as well as Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah. Maybe in the future, they'll get to Sarah Slean's California, Elliott Smith's LA, or Death Cab for Cutie's Why You'd Want to Live Here. Any of those on TV would be unbelievably cool.
That reminds me of the latest /. poll about zealots. I'm a zealot -- music, TV, you-name-it. I try not to be, but then I remember all the pop cultural infidels of the world, and I slip back into my zealousness :-)
NP: Ben Lee - Something Borrowed, Something Blue
posted by Hanson |
12:50 AM
Tuesday, August 12, 2003
Insert Glowing Light Bulb
I think I've figured it out.
No no, seriously. I think I've got it -- I'm only good at writing things that come directly from my head. More precisely, I SUCK at writing things that I have to do research for, particularly if the research needs to be rigorously documented. In almost every paper I've done, there's usually a lack of research. Instead of looking up people's ideas, I do a brain dump and write what I think. Hence my being docked marks every time for not properly supporting my arguments or giving enough evidence. Well, in my head, there's evidence a-plenty; it just doesn't translate well on paper.
The way I work is I learn a bunch of stuff and then I apply the hell out of it, devising my own solutions in my head using what I know. I don't like to dig through stuff and use what others have used, though admittedly, sometimes that's necessary. For me, research is applied indirectly, and that's why academia isn't an arena I can thrive in. It is also why software and marketing appeal to me so much. Code is code, and as long as I make it work, no one can give me shit. Ditto product management, and to a certain degree, marketing in general. I like going with my gut, and I usually do what my gut says. School has led me to stray from that, and I don't like it.
Creativity. Now that's what gets me going. If I were a better writer, both technically and creatively, I'd try to write fiction for a living. But I know my limitations. I write derivative and contrived shit using long-ass sentences and awkward phrasing. Music would fit my personality too, but I can't even begin to list the things I lack to be successful in that field. That's why I'm on a path to use my creativity in a more practical way. It's a compromise, I know, but one has to work with the tools that one has, eh? At least with financial security, I can focus on my record label dream.
NP: Delerium - Fallen
posted by Hanson |
4:13 PM
No Shame, Just Links
If it pays, 'tis better to receive than to give? I wonder if this is real. Probably not, but it's still link-worthy.
NP: Death Cab for Cutie - Title and Registration
posted by Hanson |
12:13 AM
Monday, August 11, 2003
Bunch O' Randomness
I didn't end up going to the Maren Ord show tonight because dinner with my grandparents went long. I guess I could've left in the middle, but I didn't want to do that since they were flying back to Hong Kong tomorrow morning. In the grand scheme of things, that's just one show, so it's no big.
We got a box of Skor from Costco yesterday. Two down, forty-six to go.
I finally had the time to finish Buffy and Philosophy. It's nothing Slayage isn't, except with a focus on philosophy. Now I'm dying for some (non-manga and non-re-read) fiction. The stupid public library near me doesn't have Darwin's Children or else I would've been all over that.
S.W.A.T. was entertaining. Honestly though -- it's hard for a movie to suck when you put Josh Charles, Sam Jackson, and Colin Farrell in the same cast. Since I've been watching Casey on 6FU, I just had to get my Dan fix.
Speaking of which, season one of Six Feet Under is done, and season two has been downloaded. This is good shit yo.
Hehe. The new President of Liberia is a bloke by the name of Moses Blah. Blah blah blah. Hehe. They now need a VP named Abraham Meh and a Secretary of Defence called Isaac Whatever. Hehe. Oh Liberia.
NP: All-Girl Summer Fun Band - New In Town
posted by Hanson |
11:56 PM
Sunday, August 10, 2003
Bands Bands Bands
I went to see a bunch of bands at the Pic last night. Of course, I had to find parking, but since it was the last night of the fireworks, all of the street parking was taken. As a last resort, I parked in a parkade on Seymour, but because of what happened the last time I parked in a parkade downtown, I left my glove box open, making sure to let would-be window-smashers know that I've got nothing that was worth smashing for.
Before the show, I met up with Eggy, a friend of Bruce and Priscilla's and a fellow Buffy fan who's really into British music. In fact, she was the one who told me about the show in the first place. We got to the place at around 9 pm, which was supposed to be the start time. Apparently, though, that was only the time for doors. As a result, the place was nearly empty when we got there, so we were able to nab a good table right at the very front. We had drinks and chatted before the bands started playing, noting that very few Asians show up to these kinds of shows -- unless they were Japanese tourists or if the show were at a more "respectable" place like the Commodore. Hehe. Yeah: the Pic ain't no Atlantis.
S'anyway, the music didn't start until about 10, though it didn't end until 2:30 am. Thank you new liquor laws! While the last two bands, the High Dials and Orchid Highway, were awesome, show openers Norton Niels and the Evil Band were only good when Norton isn't singing. The second band, the Flyin Dutchmen, was an absolute train wreck. They started off OK enough, playing organ-augmented garage rock, but as their set progressed, the band started to deteriorate, swearing at and physically confronting the crowd. By their last song, everybody seemed to be jamming on their instruments on their own, and it didn't even sound like they were playing the same song. The Jack Osborne look-alike lead singer even stole a beer off of some guy's table when he stepped out! Yeah, they sucked it pretty badly and showed that not all Seattle bands were cool.
Still, it was a good show overall. It was long and there was some real quality there. And they had Keith's! Also, it was nice to finally meet someone I've been hearing about for a while. Eggy was interesting and good company. Plus it was a show I didn't have to go to alone. That in and of itself merited some bonus points!
NP: (The Restaurant)
posted by Hanson |
10:31 PM
Saturday, August 09, 2003
Music Night In Vancouver
Tonight, I'm going down to the Pic to check out a bunch of bands I don't really know (High Dials, Flyin Dutchmen, etc.). Anybody up for a (cheap) night of music (and beer for those who are so inclined), feel free to join us. The start time is 9:00 pm, I believe. And it's a good thing I got my car back this morning. My plans of seeing S.W.A.T. last night were dashed by my wheellessness (which I’m sure is not a word), and damn it if I would let it ruin tonight. Admittedly, if it weren’t fixed, there really wasn’t anything I could do about it; it’s just really good to bitch and moan and act as if I were powerful and stuff.
Anyway, time to watch the Pirates of the Caribbean again -- this time, illegally.
NP: (Orlando Bloom talking in a posh accent)
posted by Hanson |
3:27 PM
Another Tragedy In Football
Jimmy Davis, a member of Watford's squad this year who was on a year-long loan from Man Utd, died in a car crash this morning. Football has been stricken by another tragedy, and this time, it involves the two teams that I actively support. This has to end.
NP: (silence)
posted by Hanson |
10:38 AM
Friday, August 08, 2003
This Is Why I'm Down $100
1. Read a message on a Rilo Kiley forum in which someone asked about how to get an RK opossum tee
2. Read a reply that pointed him/her to the Saddle Creek website
3. Went to the Saddle Creek website
4. Found out that there's a new Azure Ray single available for pre-order
5. Added that to the shopping cart
6. Started adding more stuff into the shopping cart, including t-shirts, CDs, and buttons
7. Charged $70 US on my credit card
I am so weak. But only because Saddle Creek is so cool.
Also, the battery for the car died. That's another 100 bucks right there, which means I'm down two Bordens for the day. Ugh.
NP: The Organ - Sinking Hearts
posted by Hanson |
2:42 PM
Thursday, August 07, 2003
Plan B
Episode 1x05 of Six Feet Under just crapped out on me. Ack! Stupid faulty d/ls. This means I'll have to re-queue it on IRC since I can't find the torrent for it (suprnova isn't working right). Hmm... I could rent it instead of steal it, I suppose. I need to do a few things too, so maybe I'll leave for practice earlier. Since 6FU broke, it's reading time!
NP: Death Cab for Cutie - The Sound of Settling
posted by Hanson |
2:37 PM
Wednesday, August 06, 2003
He's In
Arnold's running for Governor of California. He said he wouldn't, but he announced. All we need now is for Rob Reiner to throw his hat into the ring so we can see the Terminator vs. Meathead!
Oh! And what's this I hear about Gary Coleman getting a piece of the action??
NP: (CNN)
posted by Hanson |
5:29 PM
Bigger Than Jebus? (Among 18 Year-Old Girls)
I know some of you are into this John Mayer character, so I've taken the liberty to upload his new single for your downloading pleasure in case you don't have it already. I'll leave it up for a few days. Bigger Than My Body, from the album Heavier Things, out Sept. 9th. Go pick it up along with a shitload of other cool records coming out the same day (Dido and a few others I can't remember... GbV maybe?).
NP: John Mayer - Bigger Than My Body (shocking!)
posted by Hanson |
1:57 PM
Left Behind (Sans Kirk Cameron)
You know, I think I'm going to miss the biz classes that I was in this semester -- especially the people in them. For the first time, I was in classes with people I've known from previous semesters, which was something I really liked. The fact that I'm in two faculties and I select courses based on interest and the days and times the courses are offered instead of any "logical" progression had made these occurrences rare. For example, I've basically knocked off most of my 400-level marketing requirements, yet I still have a bunch of 300-level survey courses that I need to do. So from 30-people seminars, I'll be dropped back into the hell that is 100+ people lectures. Not only that, I won't be doing them with the people I've gotten to know since most of them are done after this semester or have finished those courses already. This sucks. I like most of these people, some more than others, *ahem*, and I'm sure some of them don't mind me either. And they already know my reputation and have come to fear my questions during presentations! Oh, to have to instil fear into another cohort! This'll mean more work to re-establish my rep :-)
Basically, in the next semester, my classmates will mainly be people in their 3rd year or have just started their upper division course loads. Not that there's anything wrong with that; it'll just be another group of people I'll need to get to know, making the "forming of groups" all the more difficult and awkward. This is because the established keener cabals will no doubt suck the talent pool dry, leaving the scraps and the dregs to the likes of me. And I'm MORTIFIED by the thought of walking up to virtual strangers and asking them if they want to be in a group with me -- more so if they're cute girls, but that's another story. I’ll do it, but I won’t like it, at least the initial awkwardness. Of course, there could be people like me in similar situations. It is those people that I'll have to form groups with. In those people I might find solace, allowing myself to relinquish control just a teeny bit. Yessssss.... must, find, smart, people, to, work, with. This semester was no problem, and hopefully, the next won't be either.
NP: Angie Hart - Blue
posted by Hanson |
1:01 AM
Tuesday, August 05, 2003
Sit Back And Watch the Mediocrity Roll In
Had my only exam today. Done. Yay! Was pretty easy, which justified my watching Sports Night last night instead of doing hardcore studying. Got my paper back for political economy today too. B. Bleh. Only spent a little more than a day on it, so it was pretty good ROI.
Also picked up my grade for the business plan. Another B. Ouch. Now this one hurts. Expected a little more, though wasn't entirely unprepared since Bob was a hard marker and this had its share of holes. Still proud of it, mind you -- just wished I had more time to work on it. Or help. No, not help, but rather wished I would've farmed it out little more. Fucking control freak that be me. Really need to work on that. Well written though, Bob said. Fo' shizzile cuz we in da hizzy wit da wrizzy! Baaah! No prize money then. Can't wait to see what Bob gives us for our advertising plan.
Addicted to Six Feet Under now. Peter Krause in tha hizzy. Pizzile to tha kizzile, fo' rizzile. Snoop just be on tee vee. Dats why I be writing like dis, see. Ain't use no complete sizzy tizzy. I iz outtie.
NP: The Flaming Lips - Can't Get You Outta My Head (Kylie cover)
posted by Hanson |
3:34 PM
Monday, August 04, 2003
El Ho Ho Perfecto
Just minutes ago, I found another instant where I was being too critical. I was making cup noodles, and on the container, it said that it was "seafood" flavour. Fine. So I look at the French, and it said poisson. Now, unless I'm grossly mistaken, which I don't think I am, poisson is fish, not seafood! This bugged the hell out of me. Can't they just take a couple of minutes and look the shit up? I mean, dude! It's right on your package, so the least you can do is be consistent!
This is yet another example of how I get way too hooked up on details. The manufacturer of the cup noodles won't loose any money over this, so it makes no pragmatic difference whether or not the translation is completely right. In fact, not caring should be what a good pragmatist, like what I claim to be, would advocate for. It still irks me though.
It's like this morning when I got thinking about my business plan again. The balance sheet was a mess, and I didn't include an operational timeline. Now, these are but two components of a humongous whole, so I shouldn't get hung up on them since the rest of it is fucking awesome, right? Wrong. I've basically decided that the balance sheet is a deal breaker and that it has basically screwed over any chance we had of winning the competition. And the timeline -- well that's just the icing on my cake of defeat. True, we're likely to the only group who had detailed specs of our product. And true, we had built in extra good stuff like production wastage, recruitment tactics, after-sale support, pre-emptive market expansion, customer motivation, operational redundancies, and personal availability, but why does it still feel like our plan still isn't good enough?
There are two reasons, obviously -- either we're actually not good enough, or that my expectations are too high. Some have told me it's likely the latter, but being me, I still can't shake the former. Well, we'll get an indication on Tuesday when we get our mark. It won't directly affect the outcome of the competition, though it'll be a good indication of what's likely to come.
*sigh* A lot of people claim to be perfectionists on their résumés, just to say they have a weakness when they don't really want to admit their real faults. Well, I actually *am* a perfectionist, and I actually think it's one of my weaknesses.
NP: Elliott Smith - Live 06-06-03 - Hooray For Tuesday (Minders cover)
posted by Hanson |
1:51 AM
Sunday, August 03, 2003
What To Do
I should've been studying today. I did all my notes yesterday, and I was going to settle in and get some of that knowledge into my head, but things didn't unfold as I had hoped. Instead of learning the differences between the instrumental Marxist and structural Marxist theories of the state, I read manga and slept. I did a fair amount of TV-watching too. *sigh* I know what I should be doing but I can't get off my ass to do it! So. Lazy. Nope. Gotta get my ass going. NOW!
NP: (Chris Isaak Show w/ Lisa Loeb singing)
posted by Hanson |
8:35 PM
Saturday, August 02, 2003
Who To Do
Borrowing from princess, here's my annotated celebrity "to do" list. Fine fine fine... it's more like a "want to do" list, but that was implied, wasn't it? The five listed here shouldn't surprise anyone who knows me or has been to my website, so this post is even more pointless than it seems on the surface. And yeah, I know it's kind of crude, but that's just the kind of guy I am ;-) Anyway, in order of preference:
1. Mary-Louise Parker
The lacklustre season four of The West Wing was made better by the future Mrs. Billy Crudup. I can get up on her left-wing agenda any day of the week, and twice on Sundays.
2. Lauren Graham
I've sat through episodes of Townies for her, and now she's on one of my favourite shows. Fo' shizzile tha Lizzile sizzles!
3. Katie Holmes
She almost made me watch Dawson's Creek, which is saying a heck of a lot. Chris Klein sure is one lucky idiot.
4. Mandy Moore
Don't look at me like that! She's 19! 19! 22 divided by 2 plus 7 is 18, so I'm in the clear. I hear her next record is a cover album on which she'll cover cool bands like XTC. Hehe... I hope she pulls an Alanis soon!
5. Liv Tyler
A few years ago, she would've been right at the very top of this list. What can I say? Tastes change, but she's still here cos she's still smoking hot. BTW, I prefer her sans elf ears.
NP: (TV)
posted by Hanson |
6:57 PM
Merriment Overdose
Since I'll be studying pretty hard the next couple days, I suspect this will be the first of many entries this weekend.
As I've alluded to in the previous post, yesterday was a day of gluttony for me. It started with getting out of bed at 12, which was fantastic since I didn't get to bed until 2 the night before despite not having any work to do. I then saw the wildly entertaining Pirates of the Caribbean with Ricardo whom I haven't seen in ages. Monkey! Parrot! Crazy Johnny Depp! It was just wicked cool. After that was a trip to get what is probably my only guilty pleasure, Popeye's Chicken. I know it could potentially kill me eventually, but it's so, so good. Afterwards was part two of the movie doubleheader, the second Tomb Raider flick. Good: they had actual Hong Kong actors play pivotal roles; bad: the people in Hong Kong were speaking fucking Mandarin! Argh! And there's more...
That night, I watched Big Brother, complete with a disappointing nominations ceremony -- Jun took the place of Midget beside Man-Troll on the chopping block. Aly!! Listen to Jack! Cut the head of the evil 3 Stooges Snake! *shakes head* Anyway, my brother and I headed to the grocery store afterwards to pick up some ice cream to go along with an evening of the Best TV Series Ever Produced: Sports Night. I got a tub of Ben & Jerry's Mint Cookie thing while my brother chose Strawberry HD's. And in there somewhere was a rerun of L&O: SVU that I've never seen that featured a transgendered perp/vict who was obviously played by a chick (to be honest, she was pretty hot too). But yeah, after that was all ice cream and Sports Night (beginning of season two with crazy Dana’s dating scheme and the incredible Bill Macy), and I went to bed around 2. Oh it was good... so good... so gluttonous.... and now I gotz ta get crackin' on that studying.
PS: Oh! I found out that the Filipino guy from PoCo on Canadian Idol is actually Ricardo's cousin! I was thinking that since his last name was De Torres too. According to Ricardo, his family is related to or knows every De Torres in Vancouver except for this one in Delta. Weeeeird.
NP: Radiohead - 2+2=5 (Live at Glastonbury 2003)
posted by Hanson |
2:14 PM
Friday, August 01, 2003
Mann Oh Mann
So Aimee Mann was last night. Pete Drodge opened, looking and sounding like a younger Tom Petty with a bunch of songs that make you go meh. Aimee rocked though, playing a little under two hours. Her voice was soaring the way only Aimee's could. She even gave us a couple of covers -- Coldplay's The Scientist and Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama. And jokes about losing the Oscar to Phil Collins. And even an Elliott Smith Oscar shout-out, Celine Dion slam and all! Awesome stuff. Before, the show, we ran into Tara. I thought she was she was selling her tickets and not going, but it turned out she had two *extra* tickets. Who knew? Well, she did, but that's beside the point. Anyway, Aisling and I had dinner before the show. Rousing conversations were had involving butch lesbians and the sharing of used condoms. And bodily functions! Who can forget bodily functions? Hmm... it seems like I've told the story backwards. Blah. Consider this Memento, except with less Joey Pants and Mike-from-Neighbours. Yeah. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Tomorrow, I must get cracking on my studying because today was a day of TOTAL gluttony. Details at 11, i.e. tomorrow.
NP: (Sports Night)
posted by Hanson |
10:07 PM
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