January 2006 Archives

Current mood: A False Sense of Superiority
Today was my first shift at Best Buy in three weeks. A follow-up:

Rouge Wave is now a featured band on Best Buy Radio. They even make comments about how this new album is better than their previous releases: Their "previous releases" involves only one other cd, a disc that Best Buy doesn't even list in their system as ever existing. Glad they are on top of things, though, and willing to dole out their expertise.

We also play The Subways on Best Buy Radio now. The introduction goes: "And now for The OC-approved Subways..." They actually say this. Not something similar to this: these are the words they use.

I am right about everything at all times. I am a god. I fucking rule.

I am going to bed.

I'm not a big fan of bulletins, I'd much rather do a blog post so people can choose if they want to make the mistake of noticing it or not.

Thanks to the dozen or so people that got back to me on the pilfering of music, I've got a couple good options now. I'm not sure at what point I fell so far out of the loop but I'm pretty sure it all comes back to alcohol. And I just can't stay mad at alcohol, no matter how hard I try.

Lastly I wanted to do a general nod to the fact that today is Thursday. Actually, who gives a shit what today is. Tonight is Thursday and that's all that matters. There's actually a sizeable selection of people who have not made an appearance at the lodge- who may in fact not be aware of the Awe-Inspiring Feat that is the Leine's Lodge "Pitcher & Pizza". Get this- you buy a Pitcher of Beer... and they give you a Pizza at no additional cost! And we're not talking about a mere slice of delicious pizza, we are, in fact, speaking in volumes of full Pies. You can't lose!

My gameplan is to get there around 7 and from recent experiences Aaron, SS & Co are ready to switch scenes by 9 or so. I think we don't go as big as we can. We need front unification. Chris's front- I'm largely speaking your way, but not singularly. I've got three people who want to come out but are unable to do so until 10ish. I may be willing to return as of this time if these people do, in fact, commit to showing up. I will not promise sobriety. In polar opposition, actually, I will commit to a lack thereof. Regardless we will be at the Lodge or around the corner from the Lodge for most of the night.

Make a cameo. Unless I don't really like you. Actually- I'm not well-liked and I still show up weekly, so I guess that's not a pre-requisite.

It was a matter of time until it happened to me.

I just wrote probably the most engaging and complex posting to date. I clicked a wrong button. It went away.

I'm a little irked by having spent my past hour detailing my randomly coming across 9 separate people at separate times last night and a conversation that prompted me to realize that this scenery grows stale without comparison and also to muse on mankind's general craving for more more more more.

It's probably for the best, I don't write nearly as well as I sometimes think I do.

One point I'd like to retain: I had a conversation last night at Rascal's with a Journalism Major. She told me she really wants to write fiction for a living but that a major in any English field will allow her to do this and Journalism provides less BS to swallow than something like Creative Writing does. This came off as an intelligent way to process the system. It also made me realize a bit more that in any artistic field--be it Film or Writing, Art or Music--general practice is what really matters. The best thing School can honestly do for someone in these areas is provide them materials and time to learn through trial and error, and to give you examples. Art is subjective. We decide what we enjoy. Reading a book will not make you a photographer. Getting out there and snapping photos will. A degree may help get your foot in the door with what you want to do but honestly: innovation is just as good.

Last night was strange at times. Let's just say I literally had a moment when I couldn't take more than 5 steps without hearing someone new recognize me and say my name. Good times were had, alcohol was consumed, Karaoke was irritating to listen to. I'm very irritated at having wasted an hour writing a blank page epic but again: I'm sure it's for the best.

I swung by Toys-R-Us tonight after work and checked out their Nerf paraphenalia. I ended up with two Nerf Maverick guns and they are fucking awesome. I'm not sure how I've progressed this far in life without the guidance of Nerf. These things shoot like 35 feet and stick to nearly any surface flawlessly. Mike and I are slowly adopting rules of combat, including the Acknowledgment of Flesh Wounds and Superficial Damage, and also Damage and Response Times for Varying Distances of Proximity. Basically if my right leg happens to be grazed during a standoff, I have to verbally acknowledge this and act as such. Also if Mike charges in towards me, shoots and misses, and I have my gun trained on him and ready to fire, I can declare myself the victor and decide his fate. These guns have to be cocked back before each shot so in close enough of a spacial area he stands no chance to load the bullet, take aim and fire. It's like we're Eight again, except the bickering over "I shot you-- no, I shot YOU!" hasn't taken hold. Yet.

We did have some interesting random standoffs on the first armed night. Most notable would probably be Mike and I shooting out one opponent's leg but then being forced to team up against Maya once she wrangled a gun and took base in the hallway. I used the standing lamp as a blinding spotlight and after she managed to take two of the three lights out Mike managed to nail her right in the forehead, removing her from play.

Maybe I am 8 again. Hey- blame Penny Arcade for their Nerf strip last week. It triggered nostalgia. Awesome nostalgia.

     This is what happens when I sit at work for seven and a half hours and have absolutely nothing to do.
     This is what happens when I choose to not go to the bars and instead opt for a leisurely night at home.
     This is what happens when my friends DO go to the bars and find themselves sleeping the Sunday away while I'm murdering brain cells at work perusing the same goddamn MySpace pages over and over and over again.
     Repeat.

     A few months back I started listening to Youth Group and Rogue Wave. I had to pick their CD's up at Atomic for full price because Best Buy wasn't on the ins yet and didn't carry the bands. At some point this season THE OC started playing Rogue Wave every now and then, and honestly one of the things that got me hooked on the show was their fondness for dropping references or clips from bands like Atom & His Package, pre-billboard topping Death Cab for Cutie, Rilo Kiley, etc... so I wasn't terribly surprised at their showcasing. But not two weeks later I'm sorting through the restocking shipments at Best Buy and what do we now carry? Oh of course, Rogue Wave. Not only that- here, sure, let's get in 45 copies of a disc we never even considered worthwhile to carry a lone representative copy of before. I'm not really sure who I'm irritated with here: Me, for always thinking I've gotten into something unique when really I'm just slightly pre-empting complete trendiness, shows like THE OC for essentially oil-drilling counterculture for bands that deserve popularity but assholes like me pretentiously hope against, or companies like Best Buy for carrying 750 copies of the new Mary J Blige but not finding it worthwhile to give smaller bands a mere inch or two of shelving space until various Teen Angst mediums give them the hot tip.
     Probably Best Buy.

     This is the most bored I've been in a while. We have had like four customers today. I hate MySpace. I almost wish I had a survey to fill out. This is why I drink. Speaking of which- Trivia tomorrow? I think I'd be in.

I'm about 98% of the way moved out of Brian's and about 20% of the way moved in to Mike and Maya's. These are about as good of statistics as I've ever had. I've got a few large items still at Brians (Bike, Futon, Couch, Kitten) that require extra hands and/and modes of transportation. Busses are pretty big, but I don't think toleration would be on the up and up if I drag a couch on board.

As to the M&M's (see what I did there?), I was truly only about 5% of the way moved in but it seems being the guy on the couch is incentive enough for them to give me a kickstart. I came back from work a couple nights ago to find they had situated my TV, Computer and Surround, cleaned up the basement area, and prepped an actual bed. Rock on. All that was left for me to do in the situation was speaker up the room and cable the shit out of everything. I took care of enough of that last night so that Mike and I could network up our XBOXes and throw down on some Halo 2 action. Also, he upgraded his surround while I set mine up so now he is kicking ass (or, more accurately, getting his ass kicked) is 7.1 DTS ES. I think we should set up some sort of King-of-the-Hill winner takes upstairs, loser takes down. Somehow I don't think he'd go for that.

So- anyone down for some system link XBOX fun should swing on down to 74th street. We're all set up for 8-players, we just need a few more duplicate game copies to get things going.

With regards to P&P: I didn't blow it off for XBOX sweetness, I've actually been sick for the past few days and couldn't bring myself to get out of the house. Just a clarification because usually I'll never pass up that phenomenal pizza and less-phenomenal Miller Lite.

Side note: There's a mysterious smell I noticed upon arriving at work today that I can only liken to that of when you have a burner pumping gas into the room and no flame to take care of it. I couldn't find the source and don't have much of an option but to remain here until someone else arrives, but the headache I have and the fact that my hands and lips feel kind of numb is probably a bad sign. Oh well, at least if I die everyone can now know I was MySpacin' til the end.

That may be the most pathetic way to go out. Ever.