More Movies Worth Seeing

So I don't go to the theater often. I like to rent movies more now since I don't pay for them and I can watch them at my leisure. So when I do movie reviews, they are usually older new movies and are rentals. So if you are sitting around, bored, go and rent these next to movies. Here are my reviews for:

Lucky Number Slevin

My inital thoughts on what this movie would be like was a crappy heist film. However, I add it to the lexicon of movies that should not be judged based on trailers and buzz. Lucky Number Slevin is a noir peice. Not totally in the way Brick was but not far from it. The story follows Slevin (Josh Hartnett... trust me... he's pretty excellent in this) who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is stuck in the worst case of mistaken identity. He supposedly owes money all over town and is indebted to two different mobster bosses. The Boss (Morgan Freeman) and the Rabbi (Sir Ben Kingsley.) The first half hour so, we get acquinted with the shitty situation at hand in a rather comical way. But then things become serious once the jobs need to be done. The Good Cat (Willis) is an enigma to the very end and Slevin only has the help of a nosey neighbor, but a hot one at that (Lucy Liu)... or does he? It's a really twisting turning narrative with ridiculous wordplay. It's not a straight up action film. A lot of story telling, but it builds the suspense. It wasn't impossible to figure out, but it was still a fun ride.

Don't Come Knockin'

This movie is a bit different than Slevin. It is directed by Wim Wenders who did the original City of Angels (it was called something else and had Columbo in it) and a much acredited German director. It was written by and starring Sam Shephard who has been in everything under the sun. The movie is about an aging actor going through a midlife crisis and searching for what he has left behind. He leaves the set of the western he is shooting on horseback. He visits his mom (Eva Marie Saint), an old flame (Jessica Lange) and runs into an array of other characters including long lost children. He is being stalked by a bond company man (who is far from a Stooge... fucking Tim Roth!) This movie has a great quietude to it. I know that really isn't a word, but the visuals tell the story of lonliness. The American West has a beauty to it that is perfect for the story at hand. If you are looking for a great character film, this one is worth the look see.

Man Bites Dog

I wonder if these young, French films students liked A Clockwork Orange. Good thing they did. In this bizarre mockumentary, some young-gun film students follow around Benoit, a serial killer. They watch him galavant around Paris murdering people with no real point behind his motives besides collecting money from their homes. He murders no names as to not create waves in society. He writes poetry. He sings, although he isn't good. It's a very dark, yet utterly hilarious film that looks at our violent society and puts it in a strange perspective. The film is super low budget, but the visuals are great. Any true film lover can appreciate it for its use of sound, editing and its unique direction style. I can't stress enough how ridiculous this movie was. Check it out sometime.

Work is Dead

So this is what I do instead!


Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net


Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

It's hard when it's raining out to get people to go on tours. GRRRRRRRR!

Nite Train

Last night, George of the Frisbee team (not Noringo George) came up with the idea to make our fantasy supergroup. Now, we didn't choose it like a fantasy league, we just came up with one. I did my research and decided to make the best soul funk groove supergroup I could think of with players from many different bands. I think their styles would all match and here is what I came up with. The band is called Nite Train.

Lead Guitar and Vocals~ Marc Bolan
Many people of our generation don't know it, but the brains behind T.Rex not only can write some of the funkiest lyrics you've would ever hear ("You slide so good with bones so fair/ You've got the universe reclining in your hair"), he has the guitar licks of some of the best. He's got a twangy tone and a sexy fast vibe that would wail over the rest of the band who would be the anchor to some of his onstage shenanigans. Of course, he is no longer alive, but that is why it's fantasy.
The key track to prove his funk vibe: "Jeepster" off of Electric Warrior

Rhythm Guitar~ The Edge
As much as my love for U2 has fallen apart with their last effort, there is no denying that the Edge would be a great fit for the Rhythm guitar. The tonal quality of his guitar is spacey enough and would just be used as the atmospheric backdrop to the jaunty, groove of Bolan's lead guitar. He's the darkhorse of the band, but he brings more to the table than you might think.

Bass~ Larry Graham
The man to reinvent the way bass was played, Larry Graham of Sly and the Family Stone pretty much started funk music with his style of bass playing. I didn't know this before picking him, but he invented the slap style that so many bassists use (Les Claypool, Flea) to give the grooveir feel of the instrument that was more or less before that used to be a part of the rhythm section. Having someone who is a legend, but not too notable on bass is perfect for the band. Pure musicianship is what I went for rather than big-headedness. Graham is the man

Keyboards~ Beck
Although we know what a wicked guitarist he can be, and we know his antics onstage, Beck on the keys (probably a keytar so he can move around a bit) is the move I made late in the game when I realized no great funk band is without keys. We know from Vultures that he knows how to be funky.

Drums~ Stewart Copeland
The Police veteran is easily one of the greatest drummers of all time. His jazz infused style would bring the class the band needs in the rhythm section. I feel that Copeland would know where to fill in the blanks of Grahams bass and of Edge's spacey rhythm. A perfect compliment to what we already have going here.

Horns~James Pankow and Lee Loughnane of Chicago
Easily one of the greatest walls of sound in rock, Chicago's horn section (before they turned into fluff in the late 70s) will bring the power that every funk band needs from the brass.

Overall, I think it would be a great band. They have power, groove and the power to make funky music with crazy lyrics.

Secret Machines Fantasy Set

So I haven't blogged about anything of substance, but that is because I am busy at my new job and shite. The thing that makes me love life are the concerts I got lined up. So here is yet another fantasy set-list (with two more to come shortly.) This one is a little shorter in length because I know they will jam out most of these songs. Also, it might be longer than the actual set, but these are the songs I want to hear the most. Without further ado, here is my fantasy Secret Machines set list. When I finish the Orwell Essays I'm reading, I will post something worth reading.

~Main Set~

Light's On
Alone, Jealous and Stoned
Daddy's in the Doldrums
Pharaoh's Daughter
Sad and Lonely
Faded Lines
I Hate Pretending
It's a Bad Wind That Don't Blow Somebody Some Good
Lightning Blue Eyes
Road Lead's Where It's Led

~Encore~

First Wave Intact
1,000 Seconds
You Are Chains

Built to Spill and Primus to come.

Girls like you make guys like me make love to a computer

Minus losing Dom to breaking rules of the club (yea, he got kicked out... sad times), E6 in DC was amazingly glorious. Here were my predictions for the show. Highlighted are the ones played.

Naked Pictures (Of Your Mother)
She's White
Devil Nights
I Buy The Drugs
Infected Girls
Danger! High Voltage
Improper Dancing
Dance Epidemic
Rubber Rocket
Night Vision
Gay Bar
Rock and Roll Evacuation
Slices of You
Pulling the Plug on the Party
Future is in the Future
I Am Detroit
Nuclear War (On the Dance Floor)
Future Boys
The Band in Hell
Synthesizer
Dance Commander

The new songs they played, including Germans in Mexico, opening the night with There's Something Very Wrong With Us So Let's Go Out Tonight, Mr. Woman (a million times better live) sounded great. From older albums, I pretty much nailed all of them on this set list minus the great treat of Be My Dark Angel.

And, oh yeah.

This song:



JIMMY
FUCKING
CARTER!

It was great.

So for my 4th time around, it was just as good as the first time. Mainly because the new songs were really fun live and The Black Cat is an awesome venue.

Also, check out the band The Blue Van. They were brilliant.

E6 Fantasy Draft

Electric Six. The 4th time in 365 days. Here are my picks for this Saturday's concert at the Black Cat in Washington, D.C. I will come back to this post after the show and highlight the ones played and add the ones not played as I did with the Who show. And in fact, I will be doing this for all upcoming concert events (Built to Spill, Secret Machines, Lemonheads and more to come including Primus?!) Also, this time I will split it up with main set and encore. I know last time it was the Khyber and they didn't really do an encore, but I don't know the Black Cat set up. So this is how I want it to go.

Main Set:

Naked Pictures (Of Your Mother)
She's White
Devil Nights
I Buy The Drugs
Infected Girls
Danger! High Voltage
Improper Dancing
Dance Epidemic
Rubber Rocket
Night Vision
Gay Bar
Rock and Roll Evacuation
Slices of You
Pulling the Plug on the Party
Future is in the Future
I Am Detroit

Encore:

Nuclear War (On the Dance Floor)
Future Boys
The Band in Hell
Synthesizer
Dance Commander

This surprisingly a short set, only over an hour. But these are the songs I am banking on hearing. If for some strange cosmic reason Jimmy Carter is played, I'll let you know.

Current Events

Uhhm...

Sweet Sassy Molassy!

So as I emailed some of you, I got a new job already. I am hightailing it out of Rapid Forms tomorrow so i can rocka four day weekend (my parents don't know this, but I don't care what they say.) I am going to be working at the Cherry Hill Towers as a leasing agent for the complex. Yes, that new place across from the Mall. It pays better, has room for advancement, has benefits after 90 days and is closer to home, not to mention a job that if I hold for a while can be interesting as I will meet some high end people from around the area. This place is CLASSY!

Anyways, just a quicky update on life. I think I am taking the rest of the week off as I don't feel like coming here although I could pull in another full check. I haven't completly decided on that one. We'll see how today goes.

Fantasy Concert Draft

Just a few hours before the show, here are my projections for tonights playlist of ROCK care of the greatest rock and roll band of all time, THE WHO!

(In no particular order)

Blu, Red and Grey
Wire and Glass Mini Opera
The Seeker
Bargain
I Don't Even Know Myself
Tattoo
Baba o'Riley
Getting in Tune
Pure and Easy
The Relay
Pinball Wizard
Substitute
Magic Bus
Naked Eye
My Generation
Who Are You
I'm Free
I Can See For Miles
Love Reign O'er Me
Let's See Action (Nothing is Everything)
Behind Blue Eyes
Won't Get Fooled Again
We're Not Gonna Take It
See Me, Feel Me

So I misunderestimated the fact that The Who is in fact releasing a full album on October 30th. But, I was never so glad to be wrong. Here were a few more key tracks.

I Can't Explain, Amazing Journey/Sparks, You Better You Bet. And a lot more that I can't remember. It was a great show and I had brilliant seats. Thanks to mi madre and padre for that one.

You're So Novel

So remember back when I was all about Brave New World? This was the idea the book gave me. I am going to make amix where each song is representitive of a novel that I love. So here tis.

You're So Novel
1. The Beach Boys- Don't Go Near the Water {Cat's Cradle}
2. The Zombies- Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914) {Regeneration}
3. Neil Young- Sample and Hold {Brave New World}
4. Stephen Malkmus- The Hook {Treasure Island}
5. XTC- Dear Madam Barnum {Straight Man}
6. New Order- Blue Monday {Breakfast of Champions}
7. The Jesus and Mary Chain- My Little underground {Notes from the Underground}
8. Electric Six- Jimmy Carter {Naked Came the Manatee}
9. XTC- Books Are Burning {Farenheit 451}
10. Bing Crosby- White Christmas {Mother Night}
11. Pink Floyd- Pigs (Three Different Ones) {Animal Farm}
12. Bob Dylan- "Idiot Wind" {Confederacy of Dunces}
13. Cream- Politician {In the Lake of the Woods}
14. The Stranglers- It's a Small World {Jitterbug Perfume}
15. David Bowie- Big Brother{1984}
16. Elvis Costello- Less Than Zero {Less Than Zero} (I was originally going to use a different Elvis song, but this is the song the books title actual derives from, so I went with the cop out choice.)

Auf Wiedersehen?

By far my favorite author (and really, who doesn't love Kurt), I finally got around to reading another of his books thanks to this lovely job. Mother Night blew my expectations of the way Kurt Vonnegut writes. Most of his books that I have read so far have been black satire with a twist of science fiction. This one takes a different turn on his usual (or maybe not usual since I don't have too many of his books under my belt yet) style of writing. In this captivating book, Kurt tells the tale of a Nazi propagandist, a radio show host who said some of the worst things about the Jews and the enemies of Germany during the war, being hel in an Israeli prison for his war crimes. The thing is, Howard J. Campbell Jr. was an American spy who transmitted secret messages through his speeches to some of the most important people involved in the war. Where does the line end, however? What exactly can he be considered guilty of? His own identity is torn between different worlds and he struggles as he writes the story of his life from the war to the present day. The story is more than just a political satire. It is a beautiful love story, a story about how art is more important the lot of human advancements and how one man's identity can be skewed into fragments. The whole theme of multiple identities can be found in many characters from the soldiers of the war to the ones closest to him. I highyl reccomend this novel to all fans of the Vonnegut way. It isn't as hilariously dark as some of the others, but it may be one of his most meaningful and touching stories he has ever written. Also, this was made into a movie in 1996 starring Nick Nolte. I will be checking that out as soon as possible.

In other news, there are a lot of great albums out there these days and new additives to my list from previous are pending and already out. As of now, here are two quickie reviews for two of the years finest albums. These are sure to make the end of year list so definitely pick these beasts up.

Cursive- Happy Hollow
Thanks to Kevner, I was introduced to their seminole album The Ugly Organ a few years back and after a few listens was totally on board for how amazing it was. The new release is pretty unbelievably good. With a tweaked sound adding a ridiculous horn section and more jazz influenced guitar parts, Happy Hollow goes above and beyond the call fo duty of rock albums. The albums lyrics are also some of the most meaningful of the year. Remember when I asked for a soundtrack to the "Sickness"? Here it is. With lyrics questioning God, human nature and all the other goodies I have tried to blog about, this nails it straight against the Church doors Martin Luther style. Definitely worth checking out for any fan of good rock music with a heart.

Bob Dylan's- Modern Times
You really can't go too wrong with Dylan. He's had his ups and downs, but his downs were as low as some bands best works and his ups usually soar high above some of the best in music recording history. On Modern Times, the soaring is pretty high, but not so high that makes it an isntant classic. Where this album takes the cake is in Bob's old salty voice. He's always had that distinct vocal sound, but in his old age, it takes on a new personality all its own. He also delves into some awesoem rockabilly licks that seem to be almost dead in our new age of music. Rockabilly bands are few and far between, but Dylan does the classic sound justice. Also, although many people complain about it, Dyaln's deal with iTunes is sweet. you get a bunch of video performances of Dylan. I was almost totally excited when I noticed one was the performance on the Oscars when Soy Bomb trapsed onto the stage, but after viewing, it looks like they edited him out somehow. That makes me angry, but the song is still worth seeing performed.

Now, since I didn't want to spend money on anything else but food, drink and vinyl this weekend, I decided that my next book will be In Cold Blood followed by The Things They Carried. Your suggestions on reading have been noted and will be added to the queue. If I see you and you want to lend me the books, I'd appreciate that very much.

Until then, It's Capote time!

More fun with paint!

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

12. Beer

Yes. I am putting this old adage of Beer as my 12th point because, I love beer. And beer is living proof that there is a God. If Ben Franklin said it, I believe it. So why talk about beer? Well, this is more of a forum for me to make another list of my all time favorite beers (a top 15 if you will) and explain some of the moments behind why I love them, how they came to be my favorites and show you that even though alcohol can lead to bad things, if used for the intended purpose, it is a great gift from the powers above. I think a lot of these will be Sam Adams flavors because it is, what I will now say, my favorite line of beer.

15. Iron City Lager- Basically on here for nostalgic purposes, Iron City is the beer of the Steelers. It reminds me of last years amazing Super Bowl game and the good times we had whilst downing the many many cans we indulged in. It really isn't the greatest beer I've ever had and it gets a little more credit than it might deserve, but then again, does it? I love it. I drank a ton of it in celebration and felt great. Some beers like that can do a number on you. Yuengling, although superior, is a little bit heavier than good ol IC. I don't care what Dave Sullivan may say, but Iron City RULES!

14. Yards' Love Stout- Of all the stout's i've had in my day, some are almost impossible to compare to the good ol Philadelphia brewed Yard's Love Stout. It has a special taste to it that is somewhat indescribable, but the quaffability factor is where it kicks into full effect. My first Yard's Love Stout was actually stolen from me by one Lou Perseghin. The Foodery was a haven of greatness that, thanks to Anthony Chwastyk, lead to me finding a lot of these here beers. Love Stout was an obvious choice because Yard's is one of my all time favorite line of beers. And after taking the initial sip of my tembered Stout, I knew that I wouldn't give it up ever again in fear of missing out on the simple pleasures of life. And being the romantic I am and my fervent love for the city of Philadelphia, there is no better stout from the USA to stand up to this one.

13. Rolling Rock- The good ol Stallions. The mysterious "33". The ridiculous amounts drank during The Deer Hunter. It was a PA brew from good ol Latrobe, but now is moving to stanky New Jersey. The thing about Rolling Rock that makes it so good is the crystalline watery flavor you get. You can taste the mounain air inside that beer! It's nothing fancy, but it will be in my heart forever as the beer that washed down my wings on Quizzo nights and the beer of Wow Video choice. But when the move comes, the bottle changes, we will see if it was really just the mystique of Latrobe that was doing it or if the beer is actually where its at.

12. Magic Hat's Blind Faith- This will be the only Magic Hat to make the list. I like their beers, but there really isn't all that much variety. When it comes down to hit, they have a few IPA's, a lager that is being discontinued, #9 which is too fruity and gives me heartburn, and a Heifweizzen that doesn't really do it for me. However, Blind Faith is definitely a beer I can stand behind. It's crispy. It's tasty. And for an IPA, it has a quaff factor that skyrockets above the rest. I don't know what it is about Magic Hat, but I can't fully dive into it like Dr. Carey. I guess beer tastes can vary more than one would think.

11. Sam Adams Winter Ale- Surprisingly coming in near the tale end of the list, but when Sam Adams has a crap load of beers to choose from, it's easy to see that some will definitely take the one-up on the others. I think 3 more SA beers will make it on this list. Anyway, Mr. Adams brewed the winter season into a bottle with sheer perfection. With cinnimon and ginger added to the malts, you are braced for a night of caroling, throwing snowballs and enjoying pure taste and flavor. This was my beer for last winter, which was a lonely one. But Sam was my friend.

10. Duchess de Bourgogne- After trying the delish, yet ruthless to the bowels Flemish Sour Ale, I knew there was a belgian flavor of untapped goodness that awaited me. So I went to Bethlehem and Danno purchesed for me the tasty and beautifully dark Duchess. She was good to me. Her flavors were much like Monk's Flemish ale and it didn't upset my stomach. It was smooth and quaffable to the max. My GOD! Danno knows where it's at. Beer has never tasted, so good.

9. Sam Adams Scotch Ale- Sneaking into the top ten, after having a ton of Brewmasters mix packs, my favorite in those (minus the #8 beer) is by far Scotch Ale. I love me some Scotch, but when it comes to beer, not many can capture the warm, smokey, high class feeling that a glass of Dewars and Water can do. Well, here it is. Scotch Ale brings in the malts that are used for makign Scotch and are added to beer to give it that manly stoking the fire flavor that Scotch brings to the table. It goes down nice, doesn't taste bad at all and is great for these fall and winter nights that are slowly approaching. Plus, ya gotta love the plaid label!

8. Sam Adams Black Lager- Oh Black lager, keep on flowing, Sam Adams brew won't you keep on shining on me! Sorry. I seem to be in a weird Doobie Brothers mood these days. Anyway, this was my introduction to being able to drink mass quantities of a heavy beer. Black Lager is basically a Pop Shop milkshake. Thick and tasty with a hint of Chocolate and Caramel?!?! What more can a beer lover and sweet tooth as for! YES! I think only Drust shares in my pure love of the dark lager. Looks like a stout, drinks like a milkshake, name like a lager.

7. Guiness- Oooooo not in the top 5! Oh Snap! I may be irish, but Guiness isn't cutting the top 5. That's not to say it isn't in great company right here! It's sandwiched in between two of my favorite standards whence going to the beer store. Guiness is known for its quaffability, its smooth, natural feel and it's beautious head. It would be higher if I didn't discover something like it that leaves me feeling less full afterwards. And you will see my treachery to my Irish brethren, but alas, I must move on from the frivolity that is being obsessed with Guiness. But that doesn't mean I won't down a Black and Tan or a Blacksmith anymore.

6. Lager- Do I even need to say it's brand, my brothers and sisters? Yes. Jsut to give it it's due credit. Yuengling is the local boys favorite lager as the rest on this list are not lagers. Well, some are, but beer has changed from only having two real class distinctions (Lager and Ale's), to having tons of new monikers. Yuengling is the lager that will one day consume all of America, but for now, I'd like to say it's our cheap local favorite that will stay near and dear to our hearts forever. America's oldest brewery knows where it's at.

5. Boddington's Pub Ale- GASP! An English beer over Guiness?! You bet. Boddingtons has the lighter yellowish color of your standard pilsner style beer btu the same frothy head and crisp clear taste of Guiness. There ain't nothin' better than a 4 pack of Boddingtons to keep my heart content these days. On tap, the beer is even tastier. It's a recent favorite, so it being in the top 5 already is big news. It may crack the higher echelon of favs along the road.

4. Miller's High Life- Okay. It's fucking champagne, people. Although it's been fanc micros and old standards so far, you better believe that the top 5 will have two considered low-end beers when really they are top notch. High Life not only has many many many good times and good people attatched to it, it has a taste and consistency that I can drink all the time. I can't always have those heavier beers. And when I get older and can't handle them anymore, I will be drinking this and #2 at all times. I'll be living the High Life as an old man.

3. Sam Adams Oktoberfest- The top notch beer of all Sam Adams is by far their Fall beers. Oktoberfest makes me want to jump into a turkey dinner, a pile of leaves or a hayride like whoa. And since Autumn is my favorite season, you better believe that this beer will trump the rest. When I heard that Quizzo nights will be plagued with Sam Adams Oktoberfest on tap for 2.50 a pint, I creamed my pants avenged seventy times seven fold. Taste city! My fav Sammy. Look for the bottle with me on the cover!

2. Pabst Blue Ribbon- Preemptive SHUT UP to everyone. Pabst, PBR, what have you, will forever be one of the best beers on the market. When the douchebag local yokel Collingswood cop pulled me over for NO REASON and then had the audacity to mock our PBR, I was ready to bet the shit out of his lanky ass and make him apologize to the blue ribbon. Earn Your Blue Ribbon 1 was a brilliant party, kegs of PBR are always the way to fly (cheap AND good) and all the khyber happy hours of cheap PBR. Even though this may have nostalgia value, it's not only that that makes it great. I really do love the taste of PBR. BANG-O!

1. Yard's Philadelphia Pale Ale- Duuh. I am alone on this one, but nothing beats Yard's Philly Pale Ale. I can enjoy the crisp, smooth local taste that makes Yard's a masterwork of beer. The North Star is where I first enjoyed the hoptastic taste, and did I ever enjoy it! It was at my first E6 show. I also purchased all different kinds of Yards from the Foodery. Mmmm. I want one tonight! It's just that old time goodness and local support that I love. I guess I should have more explanation of why I love it, but it's kind of like finding the perfect fit. Sometimes there is no real reason. I jsut know that if I had one beer

Brave New World extended

I finished this excellent book yesterday and my mind was blown almost out of my head while at work. The last few chapters have some of the msot pertinent societal commentaries I have ever read. In the final chapters, the character known as Mr. Savage who was taken form an Indian Reservation by another character back to London was appalled and shocked by what the new society was like. This new society, which is disgusted by family, thrives on sex and drugs and is produced inside of test tubes is a shock to what he is used to. There is a climactic scene where the savage is throwing away in a huge public square tons and tons of soma which is a drug that every member of society takes in order to dull the pains and hardships of life, making happiness almost eternal. He gets arrested and taken to the Controller (which is the name of the overlord of sots... a fitting name). Mustapha Mond, the Controller, goes into a great epic speech with him. Here is an excerpt:

"Actual happiness looks pretty squalid in comparison with the overcompensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn't nearly so spectacular to instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand."

In this modern age, all of us are searching for one thing and one thing alone: happiness. Wether that happiness comes from money, love, stability, etc., we are all searching for it. And in BNW, happiness is 100%. But happiness is a tough bargain. In the society, they cut out art (minus music and very dull, conditioning poetry), religion and science in order to keep stability. In another great line, and a famous one at that, from this novel is this:

"God isn't compatible with machinery and scientific medicine and universal happiness."

This is there reasoning for cutting out God from modern society. It's easy to see that in these ways, this is how oru culture is going. "God changes with what we believe." in this modern age, God seems to be the lack of a God. That's what Huxley brings up in BNW. It's interesting and strange to think that he was on the right track all those years back.

I'd like to believe that God hasn't changed, but the way we see God has. I believe in a higher power. I think it makes sense to believe in a God. And i don't agree that beliving in God, we can't believe in science and universal happiness. I think if there was one thing to cut form society, it should be the idea of a universal happiness. it's not possible without losing so much more that is important in life.

O brave new world, that has such people in't!

So some of you know this, but my job is in the slowest of the slow seasons. It will be about a month before thigns pick up and right now, at 7:30, with an hour and a half to go, it's me, the supervisor and one other temp left. No calls since around 5. GAAAAAAAAAH!

Moving on, I will be reading a LOT these weeks, so some book reviews will be going up. I'm not currently done, but Brave New World (which I read about half of today so far) is amazing. I am a sucker for satire, but this along with 1984 are among the kind of books that get better each passing day. Something about Huxley and Orwell that blow my mind is the fact that they wrote about the kind of things that were going on in their era, but are actually (with technological advancement) are also going on NOW. BNW is a little different than 1984 in it's view of society, but it hits upon many topics and taboos that happen now. The one thing that strikes me is the fact that since people are produced in this novel, the thought of family, and more specifically having a mother is laughed at and considered vulgar. Did Huxley know that the family is slowly spiraling into oblivion with the divorce rate growing ever larger? Did he know about the sexual and drug revolutions in the late 60s and 70s? Did he know about test tube babies, cloning and all that jazz that are issues of the modern world? This was all in the early 30s! His first edition was in 1932!

It's all to strange for me to read this, but this novel fits in with what I have been reading in philosophy texts in past posts. So I think that this is going to have to be the next point.

11. Technology as End of Society
Many of Huxley's ideas in Brave New World were sued in some films recently about technology taking over. Specifically, the idea of hypnopædia in the film The Matrix. Sleep learning, which seems more like conditioning through hypnotizing is a scary subject. Although the modern "New World" in the novel is pretty much a utopia, there is the void of family, art, literature and solitude that makes our moden society worth it. I have blogged before about artistry and it's importance in my life. I can't imagine a soceity where humans are produced to be certain classes and are hedonistic and drug users in order to be happy as a utopia. But what of this is actually science fiction? I see that most of what Huxley writes about has come true. Drugs, sex and money are all thigns that humanity takes as "happiness" and we forget how important family, rituals and art really are. Before I continue, I must finish this book, however, to see what comes of it all. But for the time being, think about these ideas or pick up Brave New World and check it out. It's going into the Top 5 unless it ends crappily and is triggering a new mix idea which will be unveiled in a later blog.

They call me Mr. Pibb!

Bored. Bout to watch In The Heat of the Night. Until then, here is some fun with paint!

The question is, do you think he will sell it?

If I were President...

If I were Pope...

Ending is better than mending...

Okay so I posted about the Sexional already, but it is, as of today, 100% gone. Yes. Empty, keys turned in and a desolate wasteland of emptiness. Last night was a religious experience for me. I went over to the apartment around, say, 8pm. For a few hours, myself, George, Mrs. S and some random brothers of George came by and cleaned, trashed and emptied the apartment. When all was said and done, the only thing we had left by 12:30am was some light fixtures, cleaning supplies and whatever George and I needed for the night. It was a great way to end the epic place it truly was. So as we were unwinding, George and myself downed some Boddingtons (we had to have one last alcoholic beverage before it was over), went out on the balcony with glow sticks, lit some sparklers my sister got for me about 3 years ago and played the ceremonial "Baba O'Riley" for the final time. It was silly times, but something that needed to be done. As we went into the empty bedroom, we chatted about our favorite things about the apartment and we quickly realized that although the location is gone, we gained a better friendship out of the whole experience. It was hard to move back home after a year of freedom and prosperity with two brothers that I have never had. I love my sisters and have a great relationship with them, but having to brothers now is something that I truly love. So when I think back to August 2004, several things in my life changed for the better. I realize that now, the Sexional has been the second best thing to happen to me. The other is Noringo. So when I get upset thinking about this place being gone, don't harsh my buzz. It has been a great part of my life.

One last thing. Whilst cleaning, I came upon a fortune cookie fortune. And it read the following:

"You will always be surrounded by true friends."

Ain't it the tuth.

"The exodus is here
The happy ones are near
Let's get together before we get much older."
~The Who