[ Saturday, March 05, 2005 ]
Remember the other day when I was talking about how smooth I was?Well, just to prove that there are two sides to every coin...
A couple hours ago, I was in a computer lab, printing out some stuff. After returning to the computer from the printer, I sat down in the wheeled chair provided so kindly for all lab users by the university. I guess I sat down with (technical term) a little too much oomph, because the chair took off with me in it, and we went gently careening straight into the right shoulder of the woman sitting at the next terminal. She, needless to say, was surprised. I was highly apologetic, and she - seemingly, at least - was very understanding. As embarassed as I was by our little bumper-car ride, I was even more red-faced at my complete inability to stop laughing, which (though I suppressed from the loud guffaws that would've come naturally) she must've noticed. Oh well. Another day, another screw-up...
On the box right now: Shooter Jennings, PUT THE "O" BACK IN COUNTRY. Waylon and Jessi's son puts out a damn fine little record...
Peace...
Dove With Claws [2:50 PM]
[ Thursday, March 03, 2005 ]
EspionageSo, in my other life as a secret agent, I've perfected a few techniques that are useful in obtaining information of varying levels of sensitivity. Today, I got to use one of them. Sitting in a coffeehouse, having a long talk with a friend who I've been meaning to talk to for too long, this dude walks in. Immediately, two things come to mind: 1) I know this guy and he knows me, and 2) I have no idea who this guy is. After exchanging the standard wave-and-nod, he steps up to the counter. Meanwhile, I'm relating to this friend this awkward situation, made even more awkward by the fact that it looks increasingly likely that he'll come over and say something to me. Despite my Secret Service training, I'm no good at hiding the fact that I don't know who somebody is, and am not looking forward to the uncomfortable conversation sure to arise when he comes over.
"Well, you don't have to introduce me, if that'll make things go quicker," my friend suggests. And this is where the CIA lessons kicked in. "No," I interjected, "I'll introduce you, and maybe that'll cause him to introduce himself. Hopefully, I'll remember him then."
Now, this is a bluff that I've tried to call in the past, with absolutely no luck. So, as the mystery man came over to our table, I was not confident in this mission's potential for success. After introducing Mr. X to my friend, who is a fellow graduate student, he said "Oh, hey, I'm Josh." Now, you may think that this signalled a victory for our team, but - as I should have expected - the reveal of his name did nothing to jog my memory. Sullen, I was confident that I'd now have to engage in the same dull and cautious conversation, even though I would be able to throw in the name "Josh" every once in a while as extra cover.
"So," turning to my friend, "why weren't you at the fish fry two weeks ago?" Now, while this detail may seem abstract to y'all, these six words clicked it for me. The tumblers fell, and this guy's identity revealed itself to me. Cool as a cucumber, I launched right into the conversation that I would've had if I'd recognized this guy from the very beginning. Josh never knew the difference, and my stupidity was once again temporarily safe behind a wall of polite recognition. My mission accomplished, Josh satisfied, my friend and I went back to our previous assignment: bitching about professors and debating the merits of different hip-hop records. I saved my own ass again, and looked relatively smooth in the process.
Just like motherfucking James Bond...
On the box right now: Roky Erickson, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE BEFORE: ANTHOLOGY. I've been waiting for this collection a long time, and it's been worth the wait. Kind of like Buddy Holly on acid, I guarantee that Erickson's work - from the 13th Floor Elevators through his solo records - is unlike anything you've ever heard.
Peace...
Dove With Claws [9:04 PM]
[ Tuesday, March 01, 2005 ]
Grad school good'uns, revisited"So, after that, shit pretty much sucked, basically."
"But, in a post-modern gender critique, that's not powerful, that's just sissy."
"One of the major sub-themes for today was Patrick Swayze."
On the box right now: Solomon Burke, MAKE DO WITH WHAT YOU GOT. New album from the self-proclaimed King of Rock and Soul, just came out today. On first listen, it's not as good as his last record, but there are definitely spots where he's able to still claim the throne.
Peace...
Dove With Claws [10:50 AM]
[ Sunday, February 27, 2005 ]
Well fancy thatThe best picture of the year actually
won Best Picture at the Oscars. I loved SIDEWAYS, but can't begin to argue with the choice of MILLION DOLLAR BABY, which affected me as much as any movie in recent memory. Swank and Freeman deserved their acting awards, as did Jamie Foxx (although I would've gone with Virginia Madsen over Cate Blanchett). I'm a huge Scorcese fan, so it's a little hard to watch him lose yet again, but not for THE AVIATOR, which really might be his worst film.
Other observations: Chris Rock was hilarious; the segment at the Magic Johnson Theatres was absolutely brilliant (a total inversion of the "Hollywood doesn't understand America" thing); both screenplay awards were well-deserved; Sean Penn takes things too seriously; the Best Song performances were pretty much terrible; and - as a friend who I watched the ceremony with pointed out - Counting Crows lead singer Adam Duritz looked like Sideshow Bob.
On the box right now: Various Artists, STUDIO ONE SELECTOR. A free disc enclosed with MOJO magazine, of choice reggae cuts from the legendary studio. Jah is mighty...
Peace...
Dove With Claws [9:00 PM]
