November 13, 2006

The "P" Is For Perfection

I posted a "missed connection" on CraigsList. Here it is in its entirity for your entertainment.

Friday night, November 11th, karaoke at the too-famous-for-its-own-good Brass Monkey in Koreatown. I don't frequent that place as often as I once did. It hasn't been the same since Luke left.

You—under the pseudonym of LaToya—adorable, brimming with sass and moxie... but not in that annoying Hollywood Hipster bullshit way. Thank fucking goodness, too. Seriously. This Los Angelistic fake life-stlye I'm forced to witness in an outing is beyond annoying.

Your alias was called out by the host and the word "Supersonic" flashed across the karaoke monitors.

"Great," I thought. "Let's see someone else fuck this song up to shit."

I couldn't believe my ears. You gave J.J. Fad a real run for the money. Even the end—the fast bit that no one knows—absolute perfection! That sass, that moxie, you worked it in straight properly... not like that fucking disgusting and talentless hack Fergie. What the hell is her deal?! Seriously. Fergalicious?! What the fuck is that tripe?! Who's the moron that gave her a microphone? I still have night terrors because of "My Humps". I'm shuddering right now.

I got a free subscription to Rolling Stone when I ordered my copy of Dub Side Of The Moon. A couple issues ago, her withering mug was on the cover. I nearly scratched my eyes out and fed them to rabid rodents whilst filling my bloody eye sockets with freshly-squeezed spoiled lemon juice and coarse sea salt. That leathery texture, all pixelated—I mean, what the fuck, she couldn't send them a proper high-resolution photo? There is nothing good about her and she has the uncanny ability to convince the meager-minded that her drivel is some form of art. She's kinda like King Midas except, instead of turning things to gold, she turns anything she's associated with into a steaming watery spray of hangover diarrhea. Fuck you, Fergie.

But I digress. We chatted. Your camera snapped photos. You wore my glasses. I found your hair clip for you. There was a conga line. You took a sip of my whiskey and grimaced.

My ride was on his way out. In my drunken haste to insure a way home, I left without exchanging information.

You let your real name slip once. That's the best I've got.

I wonder if I look as ridiculous in those photos as I imagine.

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November 05, 2006

Musing whilst strolling

So I wonder
Is there some sort of hint I should be taking?
So I wonder
Should I find a way to shut of my mind?
So I wonder
Should I just let go?
Should I let it be so?
So I wander
To find a way to shut off my mind.

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October 27, 2006

"I don't wanna stop now."

Aaaaand another MOG post.

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October 26, 2006

"Is there a sad ending?"

ln time, every sad ending will become happy. The sad ending is only because the author stops telling the story. But it still goes on, it's just untold.

--- Francis Blake, Twin Falls Idaho

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October 24, 2006

Endogenous opioid biochemical compounds

We're not so different
And we're not the same

My eyes sting
Tinge
Tart
They feel like a lemon tastes
And endorphins won't kick in

My focus is all broke-us

I remember the day I fractured my foot
I had the strength of an army
Super human
And I felt no pain

It hurts to hurt

And endorphins won't kick in

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October 17, 2006

Hippiesters need to die.

A MOG post. The first of many.

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October 11, 2006

DuBiouS

On the brink of bile
With a simple shift in thought
In a constant race with my mind
And I can feel the soil slipping

Maintaining maintenance
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Bypasses me

Derailed

Fixtures permanent
Fundamental foundations
Losing root
And I can feel the soil slipping

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October 09, 2006

Oh. Holy. Fuck.

James Brown SO wins.

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I. Love. Bollywood.

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Careful, by Hot Chip

Every year--exactly this time of year--
They go up, balloon up into the air,
And hold on to one who is near.
Remember: everything is here.

Every year about this time of year,
I am with you as if you are here.
I remember the way it fell through,
you and all we all could do.

I hope that you will be careful.
The stories you told are hopeful.
I hope that they aren't just artful.
I hope that you will be careful.

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George Bernard Shaw

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."

"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them."

"If you have an apple and I have an apple, and we exchange apples, we both still only have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea, and we exchange ideas, we each now have two ideas."

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October 04, 2006

Things I could currently use

A few stiff drinks and/or fine Belgian Ales, preferably of the Trappist persuasion.

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October 02, 2006

The mind is a terrible thing.

I've been taking more photos. You may look at them.

http://picasaweb.google.com/zulaica

I haven't enough money for the number of models required to occupy my mind.

Trying can be so trying.

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September 19, 2006

I have kittens.

On Saturday, September 16th, my kittens came home. Their names are Sgt Pepper and Billy Shears.

Do not refer to them as my children or babies, etc. I am not nor do I want to be one of "those" people.

They're my roommates.

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September 13, 2006

Deepocity.

Watch me. Watch me. I got it. Watch me. I got it. Hey.

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August 30, 2006

In Decision

There are fundamental standards that keep the world spinning, that allow for movement forward.

Excelsior.

A basic separation will allow for the desired freedom and growth, not clinging to history and habit.

Life is as simple as we'd like it to be. It is we who complicate our own worlds unnecessarily, especially when we know the solution. It need not be as horrible as we might think, the solution.

Worry is for naught.

A simple breath and a step forward, "as if I would ever want to stop trucking." I'm handing you the keys.

Life isn't fair, yes, but there's no reason to make it any less fair to fare. Through no fault of my own, I feel thrown into competition with history and habit--not mine and not fair.

I've been called relentless. I say steady, focused, determined--and jovial.

I take another breath and step forward.

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August 21, 2006

Snakes On My Fist In Your Face

I swear on forever, if I hear one more thing about Snakes On A Plane, I'm either gonna have to choke a kitten or die of three simultaneous heart attacks.

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August 08, 2006

Re-cognition

I lost my train of thought
Under a cascade of blue light
I fought away the shivers
On a temperate summer night

I drowned in liquid velvet
Under a cascade of blue light
I found myself at home
On a temperate summer night

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August 01, 2006

"Science, again!"

From The Times (UK):

Growing skin tissue around metal enables artificial limbs to be joined to the bone, making them stronger and more useful.

The concept of growing skin tissue around metal, a staple of science fiction films such as The Terminator, has been realised for the first time by a team of British scientists.

The breakthrough, which was reached after a detailed study of the way skin seals around deers' antlers, paves the way for significant advances in the technology of artificial limbs, including the use of bionic limbs controlled robotically by nerve impulses.

Now, if they could just make it so I'd make that sound effect every time I jumped or ran or brushed my teeth....

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July 31, 2006

"She blinded me... with science!"

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July 17, 2006

I want to go home.

Albums released within this year that I own that everyone should listen to, listed in alphabetical order by artist name:

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July 06, 2006

"You Go To Hell And You Die"

Whilst watching the news last night, the following was brought to my attention:

Experts debate whether children should be called obese

...

Is it OK for doctors and parents to tell children and teens they're fat?

That seems to be at the heart of a debate over whether to replace the fuzzy language favored by the U.S. government with the painful truth -- if kids are obese or overweight, telling them.

Labeling a child obese might "run the risk of making them angry, making the family angry," but it addresses a serious issue head-on, said Dr. Reginald Washington, a Denver pediatrician and co-chair of an American Academy of Pediatrics obesity task force.

...

The diplomatic approach adopted by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and used by many doctors avoids the word "obese" because of the stigma. The CDC also calls overweight kids "at risk of overweight."

Fuck you. Just... fuck you to shit. That's like diagnosing someone with HIV or Cancer as "relatively ill".

Fuck the lot of you. This isn't about stigma, this is about the health of a child or teenager. To say that using words like "obese" would perpetuate eating disorders is absolutely moronic, careless and heartless. I'm not saying to call the kid a fat fuck, just explain the definition of the word and how obesity going to kill them.

Seriously, it's going to fucking kill them. Hurt a couple feelings now to save a life later. Shit, you people make me sick.

I blame parents. I really do. Obviously there are exceptions to every rule, but more often than not it's an ignorant, inattentive parent that's the catalyst and the perpetuator. Turn off the TV and go ride a damn bike. Lead by example. Just do something--anything--besides moping and complaining.

Changing vernacular won't change the situation.

Fuck you.

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April 25, 2006

I'm gonna keep well my vegetables

News of the world.

That is all.

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March 14, 2006

Dr. Zoidberg is a genius

"Love? That word is unknown here. I'm simply looking for a female swollen with eggs to accept my genetic material."

--Dr. Zoidberg

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March 11, 2006

Ways I've been described in the last month or so

"A horrible waste of a straight guy," after having just commented about being able to taste the orange zest in a chocolate truffle.

"Complex," with regards to my thought processes and ways of thinking.

"A ray of sunshine," told "just for kicks".

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March 09, 2006

Invitation

I've been inspired to write lately, which is fantastic as I've had quite the block for a few years.

I wrote this on the way to work this morning whilst on the 720 headed westbound.

I'd like to make Saturday day plans with you
We can watch movies, play video games
Maybe, just maybe

I'd like to make Saturday day plans with you
I don't recall the sunlight resting on
You fascinate me

And when It's time to leave
I can smile
Genuine
But dare I be so brave
To hold on tight?
Please, don't let go

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February 24, 2006

Mmm...

Buy me this and I will love you forever.

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February 16, 2006

Clarity.

irealizenowthemistakeimadeandit'sallembodiedinoneinstantwheniopenedadooronlyto
finditspathblocked.

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February 06, 2006

Bullet Points

I got an e-mail on Saturday informing me that my 10-year High School reunion is tentatively scheduled for the 24th or 25th of June.

I'm still not sure how I feel about that.

It's always good making friends with a barkeep, and I've done so at Lucky Baldwin's. Previously he introduced me to Achel Trappist. Last night I was introduced to Avec Les Bons Voeux. He also pleasantly omitted a few beers from the bill.

Indeed, it's good to make friends with the barkeep.

Animal Crossing: Wild World has been consuming a greater part of my life.

"Addictive" isn't nearly a strong enough word to describe this game.

I bought Guitar Hero on Friday and took it over to JP & Brandon's place. Josh and Tiffany were also present. We drank and rocked and drank.

This game, too, is beyond addictive

I've been working extensively with PowerPoint the past couple weeks. I've always hated that application. I now have more gripes with it, but the most prevalent and annoying of all: removing elements from the presentation does not necessarily remove them from the file.

I can't seem to find a way to purge unused data from the file, so I have to create the presentation to my liking, open a new document, and paste only the elements that made the final cut. It's tedious and horribly inefficient in terms of workflow, but it does make for a much smaller file size.

Microsoft really needs to fix that.

I won $50 as a result of picking squares on a sheet of paper on Sunday.

Go team.

I made the move from my office to another location in the building closer to the Corporate folk. I believe I'm slowly being assimilated. They bought me a new computer with a dual-core processor and 4 Gb or RAM.

This awesome machine has made me more productive; as a result, I believe I will have more time for being non-productive.

I'm planning on attending Coachella and Bonnaroo this year.

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January 31, 2006

Addendum.

Post script:

I almost forgot. I wrote a line that had no home back in '96. I've decided, yesterday, that it will have a home in "Up To The Moon, Down To Tokyo: We Have A Trip Planned."

"If you're happy, and you know it, you can suck my dick."

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January 30, 2006

I Am Aware.

"
i've
got
a
me
ta
cog
ni
tion
in
my
head
tell
ing
me
words
i
don't
un
der
stand
thoughts
keep
me
up
at
night
when
i'm
a
lone
with
my
self
"

From the forth-coming track, "Up To The Moon, Down To Tokyo: We Have A Trip Planned."

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January 28, 2006

Duly Noted

Them: do you get the saying 'i got keys coming from over seas'
Me: i don't think i do
Them: heh
Them: cuz i have it on a tee
Them: and people always think it's weird
Me: i don't think it's weird, i just think that it's ambiguous... like it can mean a few things.
Me: weird would have been "i got apple gum tartar wrinkle"
Them: haha
Me: *writing that one down*

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January 25, 2006

We're doomed.

I believe this qualifies as the third horseperson* of the apocalypse.

*I'm an equal-opportunity Doomsday sayer.

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January 16, 2006

Life's mysteries: solved.


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January 11, 2006

Yet another thing?

There was something about the MWSF keynote that left a lot to be desired. While the revised iMac and the MacBook Pro (awful name, by the way) are awesome, they feel incomplete. Those were my thoughts. And even though it's this comes from an anonymous source, it's being reported by a reputable journalist... and it stays in line with what my thoughts were on Tuesday.

I don't think this has anything to do with a lack of chip supply. Intel is not IBM or Freescale and has Duo Core chips flying out all over the place.

I imagine there'll be another "One more thing..." event like there was in October.

According to Jobs last year, the low-end Macs were to be the first to receive the update. The iMacs did, but the Mac mini was absent as was the iBook. Instead of the iBook, however, it appears as though the PowerBook has been rechristened the MacBook Pro... but oddly enough is only available in a 15.3" widescreen model... sans FireWire800 and a Dual Layer DVD burner.

Suspicious.

Don't get me wrong; both are amazing products. It just feels rather incomplete and incorrect. According to Jobs last year, we shouldn't have seen any updates to the professional line until end of 2006 or early 2007.

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

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December 13, 2005

Retrolicious

Sometimes I crack myself up.

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December 12, 2005

Things I contemplated doing today, of which I did none

Of those things, the only thing I will be doing is returning the video card to get a camera.

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December 06, 2005

Regarding Diners

One of my favorite things to do is to hit a greasy spoon and perch myself right at the counter with a meal and a cup of coffee. It's a nice way to just sit, relax, and slow down--perfect for introspection.

Today--and the past couple weeks for that matter--have been unnerving, to say the least. Not much has changed in the last year, aside from the obvious superficial and tangible matters. Rather, it seems to me that few mindsets have grown. I'm not exactly sure what to make of that. Truth be told, I try not to focus on that and, rather, give myself the attention I deserve.

"As if I would ever stop truckin'!"

I'm rounding out my 30 minutes here at Brite Spot. The food is decent and the help is friendly, cheerful, and full of character. What better way to wind down? What better way to center my Chi, as it were.

I'm off to Kiss or Kill, now.

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November 30, 2005

I will not feel guilt on account of yours

I am horribly awake. My mind is racing terribly. I don't imagine I'll be getting much sleep tonight.

I'd love to elaborate, but I really just can't be bothered. There is just way too much shit to type. If you really want to know, feel free to ask about it on the phone or in person.

I've nothing to hide, really.

That song I started working on not to long ago, tentatively titled "She Spells It With Two 'C's" has had more work done. From the looks of it, this is going to end up being some sort of 20 minute epic and will be released as such. More details as they form.

....

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November 14, 2005

Name the Liberal Hypocrite Quiz

This in no way implies my political leanings or anything of that nature. Hell, you shoulda seen my ballot from last week's election. In fact, I try to steer clear from conversations on politics simply because, well, I'm tired of hearing people yammer on about things and rant without being able to hold a decent conversation.

That said, I'm not a fan of hypocrisy. That's not to say I haven't fallen prey to it—I'm just sayin'.

Name the Liberal Hypocrite Quiz - PDF

Many thanks to Laura for the find.

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C8H11NO2

Eddie Valiant: Seriously, what do you see in that guy?

Jessica Rabbit: He makes me laugh.

It's the subtle differences between males and females that end up being blown to a grand proportion. The problem with their subtlety, as most have assumed, is that it stems from a biological level—much deeper than the obvious ones, that is.

The Stanford University School of Medicine performed a study on the differences in the sense of humor between males and females. What they seemed to have discovered is not that males and females perceive humor different, but rather that humor is processed differently in their brains and affects the brain in different ways as well.

However, they were surprised to find differences in the part of the brain known as the reward centre. The nucleus accumbens, part of the mesolimbic reward centre, is a dopamine-rich area that is most strongly activated when a reward—in this case, a funny joke—is unexpected.

The team discovered that when women found a cartoon funny, their reward centre was more active than for men, suggesting the females’ expectation of being amused was lower. But when men found a cartoon unfunny, they showed de-activation in their reward centre, suggesting disappointment.

It's all starting to make more sense.

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November 10, 2005

“Reason and accountability”

While at the gyme today, CNN showed a story about one Michael Sessions of Hillsdale, Michigan winning the mayoral election.

Not only did he do so at the young age of 18, he's done so while still a high school student and, amazingly, with a write-in vote campaign.

Fucking wowzers.

Still, as amazing as that is, I did find something completely hilarious.

Sessions was sitting in his English class, media circus in tow, when the SuperNintendo excused him from class to conduct interviews. The part that had me cracking up—out loud, at that—was all the girls just ogling Sessions.

They seriously wanted to fuck the living shit out of him. Every single one—right then and there—given the opportunity, I'm sure.

The power of celebrity is phenominal, and I think that's what disturbs me about it so much.

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October 13, 2005

straw++

My voice is hoarse, my neck aches, my back pains, and my eyes are heavy. I honestly am not sure if I can make it through tomorrow. I just feel like at any moment I'm just going to either faint or snap—or both at the same time.

Still, I carry on as I always have.

Just one more day.

I've felt the wetness in my eyes grow more and more every day this week. The weight just gets heavier and heavier and I don't think anyone can see that they're breaking me.

"It's all too much."

"Too much pressure."

Et cetera.

I've never had to close my eyes and bite my tongue this much and this hard. I am definitely not liking it.

Even just now, the phone rang yet again and I had to take a few moments to breathe before answering. I don't believe I should have to do that on the daily basis that I have.

My vacation has gone through a few transformations in my head, but I've decided on the following:

Just one more day.

I'm only one person. Really, I am.

It's taken everything I have, everything I am, to not up-and-quit these last two weeks. Constant reminders to myself about my vacation just aren't doing the trick.

The edges are fraying.

Please, just let me be.

Tuesday at Kiss Or Kill was somewhat difficult. It's hard putting yourself in a place where everyone is ready to just rock-out and you're ready to take a nap and punch a few people in the face. Still, I really wanted to see the debut of Alcoholic Poisoning In Outer Space. More tongue biting, but well worth it. The Camel guy gave me two free packs, Brandon and Josh were kind enough to give me a couple beers, and APIOS fucking killed.

Good times.

Tonight carries a similar theme. Ryan & Ron, aka Modest Proposal, will be performing at the Knitting Factory's Alterknit Lounge. The same aches and pains, if not more, but I carry on.

I'm currently preparing myself for some tongue biting. I'm also preparing my blanket reply when asked if I'm okay, etc: "Oh, I'm just a little tired. I'm okay."

Tonight promises to be a bit different, however, seeing as how this is an early night and one of comedy.

I haven't been laughing as much these last two weeks. Most of it has been polite laughter. I don't like that.

Not to put any pressure on you, Ryan & Ron, but you bitches better make me laugh.

I keed, I keed.

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October 10, 2005

My teeth hurt.

Just one more week, just one more week.

A co-worker and I decided that our broke asses were gonna go dig for some lunch today. I went into the kitchen to get a cup of tea only to find that she already grabbed lunch with someone else. I wouldn't have minded so much, really, if I would have just been told that it was going to happen. As hungry as I was earlier, I waited for both of us to be ready.

So much for that.

Is it really too much to ask for some simple consideration? I'm more than capable of getting lunch myself, as I just have, so it's not like I'm asking for anyone to hold my hand. Rather, it would have been nice to know about the change of plans so that I could have gotten something to eat earlier.

Hell, if I hadn't gone into the kitchen to begin with, I don't think I would ever have known about the change in plans.

And all of this with no apology. I'd at least feel better if there were an apology.

I suppose considerations and apologies are too much to ask for.

Just one more week, just one more week.

I'm browsing Amtrak's website right now. I think Santa Barbara might be a good destination. It's $18 each way on the train, which is a bargain-and-a-half, if you ask me.

I don't really care to do anything. I have never understood people that have a set agenda whilst on vacation. Isn't the point to get away from the stress of a schedule?

I hope to stay from Sunday evening to Wednesday morning, subject to hotel fares.

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October 09, 2005

“I'll sign my autograph on the back of your throat.”

So I ended up going to see 8-bit on Friday, afterall. Before that, though, Brandon picked me up and we went back to his place to play We ♥ Katamari and drink beer.

Beer is good.

After a few rounds with the game, Brandon, Josh, Tiffany and I decided to go to Acapulcos. It was actually quite a good meal, especially with the manager graciously ignoring the "one coupon per table" disclaimer. He also let us know he'd ignore expiration dates. That was smart of him; he created future business.

We met JP and Brillana at Mr. T's Bowl. It was definitely good times, but I was horribly exhausted. By the time 8-Bit hit the stage, though, I snapped a little bit out of my "funk" and made my way to the front. 8-Bit just isn't the same from the back.

Their set was amazing. It was the best I'd seen them yet, to be honest. It was also the first time I'd ever seen them do an encore, but they really had to, though—did they really expect to leave the stage and not play "Suck My Dick, Bitch"?

In true 8-Bit style, a fight also broke out during the encore. Apparantly a bit of a scuffle broke out between their merch guy and someone in the crowd on stage. Next thing you know, you see Andy just start wailing, security rushing to the stage, Andy yelling "don't fuck with our merch guy" on the mic, and everyone singing "Suck... My... Di-i-i-i-ick... Suck my dick, bitch" to the guy as he was dragged out.

Good times, indeed.

We made our way back to Brandon and JP's. Brandon wasn't feeling too well so he went to sleep. I stayed up a bit to think, drink, and play more Katamari.

Saturday morning, Brandon and I decided to get some coffee. Sure Starbucks was closer, but we decided we would rather go to The Coffee Bean And Tea Leaf—they really do have the best vanilla. Since we had made our way out a bit, we decided to walk around Old Town Pasadena.

We walked around a bit, tried to figure out what else to do. Brandon picked up a copy of the new Coheed & Cambria album. For those of you who haven't heard it yet, I highly recommend it.

Eventually we decided on the beach.

There's a spot on Venice Beach by the shore where a group of rocks interrupts the tide. Between 5:30 and 6:00pm, we stood by these rocks (along with a healthy group of strangers) and watched the waves crash. The waves were enormous—you could see them rise over the rocks. The ones that would make it to the rocks would explode on the rocks, sending water even higher into the air and flooding the shoreline with overflow. It really was incredible.

We decided right then that Craving The Seamstress needs to record a video there.

Fucking rock glory.

On our way back to the car, we decided to stop off at a place that had a "buy one pitcher, get a free hooka" deal. Who can say no to a pitcher of Stella Artois and a vanilla-melon hooka?

Obviously, we couldn't.

We made our way back to Brandon's place, all the while trying to figure out if we wanted to go to a party. For some reason the beach always takes it out of you, though, even if you don't go into the water. Once we made our way back in, we decided we were too tired to go to a party. Besides, sometimes you really don't feel like mingling. Further, there was a 12-pack in the fridge and funny shit on the TV.

"Pee on you"....

Oh Mr. Chappelle, you are the quarry.

Pleasantville was also on television. I had forgotten how good that movie is. It's so poignant and timeless—I need to get that on DVD.

I've had a lot on my mind lately. It was nice being able to just voice these things and get another perspective. I really needed that. I think it'll help in keeping the next week not as hectic as this last one.

It'll also help having Sergo back from his vacation.

If I can just survive this next week, I think all will be so much better.

Note to self: Seriously. Pick a destination, already.

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October 07, 2005

Tjú

I had every intention of writing yesterday. In fact, I began writing a nice, lengthy post on my Treo and tried submitting it.

The submission failed, for whatever reason.

And, of course, all that painful-to-type text was gone. At that point I just couldn't be bothered. But enough of that; I'm on a computer now and it's my lunch time.

Lunch came early today. Yes, that's sad.

On Wednesday I scored some last-minute tickets to see Amina and Sigur Rós at the Hollywood Bowl. I was lucky enough to enjoy what was the absolute greatest concert I've ever had the privilage of attending.

Ever.

Tiffany was kind enough to accompany me so I didn't have to trip balls alone.

When it comes to rock shows, the Hollywood Bowl isn't necessarily known for it's sound. During that show, however, I was engulfed in music. Sigur Rós had some speakers set up in the back of the venue which allowed for some amazing surround-sound effects. I hope to hear more of this at future concerts.

Their visuals were also amazing. Very subtle and simple, but so very perfect. The sky was crisp and the air was temperate; it was almost as if they had composed the weather themselves.

Toward the end of the set, I was completely taken. At one point it began to feel as thought everyone in the theatre had simply vanished and I was left alone in my seat with Sigur Rós performing only for me. It was incredible.

How very "American Beauty".

"It's like a koala bear crapped a rainbow in my brain."

Last night I met up with Ryan from Modest Proposal at Lucky Baldwin's Pub in Pasadena to discuss the whole MySpace fiasco. I introduced him to Westmalle Trippel and the absolute best Fish & Chips I've ever had—which is saying a lot considering I'm not the biggest fan of seafood.

A few beers later we got down to business. I think it was a lot to take in, 'cause when we were done he said "wow" a few times… and I'm pretty sure he wasn't looking at my wang.

While making our way out of Pasadena, we took a wrong turn. It ended up being a pleasant mistake, though—we turned onto Fremont which is very close to JP and Brandon's place. We headed over there to play We ♥ Katamari and Burnout Revenge with Brandon and to drink more beer.

Pabst Genuine Draft is surprisingly good, especially when you factor in the price.

8-Bit are playing tonight at Mr. T's Bowl. I'm not positive if I'm gonna go, although I'm sure I most likely will. I didn't get a chance to shower this morning or change (except for my shirt), so I'm feeling quite craptacular right now. Maybe if I can sneak a ride home to shower and change I'll feel better about going out.

It is 8-Bit, afterall.

Posted by zulaica at 02:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 05, 2005

√-1

I believe that by saying "not gonna try anymore" I was being a bit melodramatic—sensational, if you will.

Please say you will.

It's been brought to my attention recently that I simply don't try enough in certain cases. For that, a sincere blanket apology. At this point someone would normally say "you know who you are", but I don't think you do; hell, I don't think I do. Well, not everyone.

I've filled out a vacation request form. From October 17th–21st, I will not be in the office. In fact, I'm not entirely sure where I'll be. All I know is that I need to get away.

Either a train or an airplane will fit into this equation called "My Summer Vacation". I've yet to make that decision. Perhaps I should figure out where I'll be going first.

Logic would dictate.

Note to self: pick a destination.

I need to make a conscious effort to write in this thing more often. I hear that a lot from a number of people, and, really, I just make excuses when I say that I don't have the time for it. Besides, time is a figment of imagination that we've all agreed upon. Since it doesn't exist, I can't possibly ever have any.

Logic would dictate.

Complicating, circulating
...
Operating, generating

Posted by zulaica at 01:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 30, 2005

I recall a memory.

You remind me of someone I can't recall, a song I'm not quite sure I've heard, a character from a book my mind drew.

You remind me of a place I think I once called home.

Posted by zulaica at 03:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 23, 2005

This is only a test

I had planned on writing this last night, but I finally got around to making the DNS changes and didn't want to create a Blogger post that would disappear should something go wrong. Luckily nothing went horribly wrong, meaning there was nothing I couldn't recover. Good times.

I was a bit ill prepared, especially considering I made the poor decision of changing the nameservers somewhere 'round 3am. The changes, apparantly, had propagated rather quickly, as everything domain related was pointing to the new server at least 7 hours later.

Not bad.

This is actually my "test" post on MovableType, but rather than deal with the obligatory "test" or "hello world", I decided to post something with a little more substance.

And I've found that I've digressed.

My original post last night intended on being something to the effect of the following:

I've decided, band and work exempted, that I'm simply not gonna try anymore. I'm done trying. It's fruitless.

Following my current endeavors and/or projects, effort will be brought down to a minimum.

That is all.

Posted by zulaica at 10:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 28, 2003

“We were swingin' oh so nice”

Did I ever tell you guys the story of how I met Nina Persson from The Cardigans? Not sure I have—maybe in a past incarnation of this site. In any case, I'm gonna tell you anyway.

What year was it...? I think it was either late '96 or early '97. Live 105 in San Francisco had some sort of concert/event and I somehow landed a ticket through a friend.

"You wanna go?"

"Sure. Who's playing?"

"Blah, blah, They Might Be Giants, blah, blah, blah, The Cardigans..."

"Definitely!"

A nice group of us went. I think Mary supplied my ticket. I don't think I paid her for it.

Sorry about that, Mary.

They Might Be Giants were fantastic. Aside from that, it's hard to piece most of that night together. It's all pretty much a haze, except for the part when The Cardigans hit the stage. I don't know how we did it, but somehow my friend Claire and I made it from the absolute back of the venue to the absolute front. Smooshed on all sides, there were with only two people ahead of us.

In a few words, they were fucking amazing.

Now, by the time this show had come around, I had an enormous crush on Nina. And why not? She's completely gorgeous, likes to smoke cigars, has an amazing voice... I could go on and on. So, naturally, while enjoying the show as much as is possible while being smooshed on all ends, I tried to raise a hand out and grab her attention. Of course that didn't happen. No, instead I got a fucking steel-toe to the head while someone decided to crowd surf... to The Cardigans... like a fucking moron... leaving me to elbow everyone around me so that I could make room and look desperately for my glasses that got knocked to the floor.

Luckily I found them.

After their set, Claire and I made our way out of the crowd and met up with our friends. As great as the show was, something just wasn't right. Here was this moment, a great show with one of my favorite bands, this opportunity, this woman that I completely adored within, quite possibly, the shortest distance she would ever be from me and it was disappearing.

We were all sitting on the floor, Claire and I sharing our stories of the set from our perspective with the rest of the group, talking about being so close, my glasses falling, the idiot that kicked me in the fucking head... and the whole time I couldn't sit still. I was fidgeting, couldn't get comfortable, and just overall annoyed. It wasn't so much that I ever thought I'd have a chance or anything ridiculous like that at all. Rather, I just kept thinking about a conversation I had with claire a couple months before the show saying that, if the opportunity ever came up, I would introduce myself to Nina. Claire said the same about Bengt.

It was a team effort.

That's what did it—that's what annoyed me. It was the fact that I said I would and I just wasn't... and I was fed up with myself.

So, I stood up.

"I'll be right back."

almost immediately i bumped (quite literally) into the on-air personality for live 105 that announced the cardigans.

"i need to meet them."

he laughed. "well, see that guy heading towards back stage? that's their manager. you can try talking to him."

"thanks."

somehow i refrained from running.

i made my way to the back stage entrance. their manager had already made his way in, just out of sight.

"i'm trying to get a hold of the cardigans."

"sorry. i can't let you back here."

"oh, i know that. i'm just wondering if there's a way you can get a hold of their manager for me. he just walked in."

"sorry. can't help you there."

"mind if i sit here and wait for him?"

she chuckled. "sure."

i planted myself to the floor and sat.

at this point, things got very surreal and dream-like. after what seemed like a combination of a couple minutes and an eternity, i happened to shift my gaze from the floor a bit to the right. that's when i saw the bottom of a pair of capri's and heels followed by a small group of men's shoes making their way toward me.

i stood up.

the very second i finished getting up and dusting my hands off, nina stepped right in front of me. the sudden appearance shocked the both of us and we both jumped back a bit.

*insert speechless david*

"uh... hi."

"uh... hi."

*insert pause that seemed to take forever... and probably did*

"my name's david. i'm a big fan."

"oh! hi david. i'm nina."

we shook hands and then she proceeded to introduce me to the rest of the band. there was a short exchange of small talk. i told them how i loved their music and they seemed genuinely appreciative and thanked me.

"i'm sorry. i wish we could chat more but we have a plane to catch."

"oh. no worries. it was very nice meeting you."

"yes, it was nice meeting you too."

that's about when they started to walk toward the side door just a few feet away.

"wait!"

i had no reason to tell them to wait. i'm not even sure why i did at that moment. all i remember is that i needed them to remember me. i needed her to remember me.

i needed to say something quick before i looked like more of a moron.

"i want you to have this."

people always talk about that split second—you know the one—that split second where your mind races just before you get in an accident and you somehow manage to maneuver out of it. i had that split second. in that split second i was able to decide that she needed to remember me and that my first and last name were engraved on the inside of my high school ring.

i looked down at my hand, took the ring off, and placed it in hers.

i stared at it, in her hand, completely in disbelief of what i had just done.

i looked up at her and saw that she had the same expression on her face.

i looked around and saw that the rest of the band had the same expression on their faces.

"wow.... thank you."

somehow i managed to squeeze out, "you're welcome."

"i'm sorry... we really have to get going."

"i know. have a safe trip."

they thanked me as they waved goodbye on their way out.

it's about that moment where time started to move a bit more regularly. as the door closed behind them, more people that had just recognized them clamored for the door just missing them.

i looked over to my left. the security guard at the entrance to the back stage area was still standing there.

she had that same expression of disbelief on her face.

"wow," she said.

"yeah."

"that was amazing."

"i know."

slowly, i made my way back to my friends with an enormous grin on my face. i sat down.

"what?"

i sat there.

"what are you smiling at?

i sat there.

"no... no! you didn't!"

"i did."

it wasn't so much the fact that it was nina. granted, that played a huge role. what really put me over the edge about that was the fact that, just a couple months before, i told claire that i would meet her. i told her that i needed a mission, so i picked one that i figured was near impossible. a short time later, it happened.

mission: accomplished.

after that first mission, i set my sights on others... others that i thought were near impossible, like meeting bis. i accomplished that one as well, but that's another story for another time.

it's time to bring that back; i think i need a new mission.

Posted by zulaica at 11:07 PM | Comments (0)

October 06, 2003

RTFM

It's really simple, yet, while some do get it, an overwhelming number of people simply don't. I'm here to spell it out.

Regarding conversational differences between females and males, generally speaking:

Understand this and life will be much simpler easier.

* = Solutions not guaranteed.

Posted by zulaica at 01:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack