< Resolutions from the sports world >

Saw Life Aquatic the other day.......I'm probably going to have to see it again to make a better judgment call, but initially it seemed too random. The thing that makes Wes Anderson's other movies, besides his special touch for scene symmetry, is the relationship between randomness/"natural humor" and the story. In Life Aquatic the storyline is lost in random and contrived dialogue. The music was a bit lackluster as well. Though, there are still plenty of classic Wes Anderson touches....and that alone makes it better than most movies out there.

...mp3 player on random...

"Come Away With Me" ~~~ Norah Jones

--What a smooth song. When this jazz serenade is over you feel like you could woo anyone, because you are just that cool. Ah, the power of a small girl from Texas and a piano. Not to discredit Norah in any way, for I'm sure she has worked hard over her years, but how much of her talent is simply luck of the draw? Which begs the real question: how much of life is a lottery? Often I feel that this is the case. There are those who will reap the benefits of luck, those who will be cursed, and those who will be unable to participate in either. I love the name Casket Lottery.

"Young Pilgrims" ~~~ the Shins

---Ah, this song rivals, though does not surpass, "New Slang". This is probably my favorite song on "Chutes Too Narrow". The lyric that describes grabbing the "yoke" from the pilot and crashing into the sea reminds me of a scene in Fight Club; the one where Edward Norton wishes another plane would crash into his. I really hate planes. The benefit of quick trips are wonderful, though its difficult when you combine pessimism with the inability to control the means.

"In My Place" ~~~ Coldplay

---What a simple drumbeat....what a simple guitar riff....what a simple chorus.....what a hook. This song reminds me of older bands (the kinks, beatles, etc.)and their ability to grab you with a simple melody that is repeated throughout the song....not too much...not too little...just right. I can't wait until their next album. This may actually be one of those rare bands where I love everything they write.

"Ohio" ~~~ SunKillMoon

---I don't think I'll ever learn the words to this song...just the chorus. Perhaps that is all I need to know. Mark's songs fit into a few molds for me: winter, depression, writing, failure, and beauty. Lets just say I rarely listen to him in the summer when I'm happy. I am this way with many things...especially music.

"Love Will Come Through" ~~~ Travis

---Two Words: Garden State. I love this song, yet I hate the rest of their album. Wish they would just alter this song 12 times. Will love come through? What if it fails?

"You Remind Me of Home" ~~~ Ben Gibbard

---What a great voice! Not to be confused with the unmeasurable talent of say Jeff Buckley, but its not everyday you come across a singer who sounds this good with any medium. Acoustic guitar: check, Electric guitar: check, Piano: check, Electronics: check. I love the bridge....very clean. Home is such a strong word these days. With an eventual move that comes closer and closer everyday, so many thoughts and emotions rush into my head. I've lived on my own since I turned 17, but I've always been within a 2hrs drive of my mother. And what about my friends? Starting over at 26?

"Ali vs. Frasier" ~~~ Bane

---There is sooo much to say about this song, that I've dedicated my blog to it. The perfect song for this part of my life....like it was written just for me.

"Such Great Heights" ~~~ Postal Service

---Winner of the 'Best Headphones Song' award.


time for bed...

Johnny Oates dies



"Johnny Oates, who guided the Rangers with a steady hand and a folksy twang to the only three playoff berths in franchise history, died early Friday, four weeks shy of his 59th birthday.

Oates, an inaugural member of the Rangers’ Hall of Fame, passed away in Richmond, Va., with his wife of 37 years, Gloria, and his three children at his side after a three-year battle against the most aggressive type of brain tumor. He had recently been hospitalized for lung problems.

"He was the best manager the Texas Rangers ever had and ever will have," said former Rangers manager Jerry Narron, who coached for Oates before succeeding him on May 4, 2001. "He was solid, organized and very prepared. I don't know if he ever really knew how good he was. And as good a manager as he was, he was a better man."

Browser Wars



Are you sick and tired of Internet Explorer? Have you grown weary of the constant vulnerabilities and patches? Do you scratch your head at sudden program lockups and crashes? Are you dismayed that Microsoft hasn't lifted a finger to improve or enhance IE since it buried Netscape's Navigator browser at the dawn of the century?

Sometimes I look around and wonder how everyone gets so caught up in daily living. Its easy to see from my angle, because I've been forced to adopt a new philosophy that helps me avoid insanity. Look left and you'll find two football fans still arguing a call made 2 months ago. And to the right you will see highly ranked religious leaders focusing their efforts on whether or not dancing is a sin. Still...the call will not be overturned, and a man with no legs can only dream of dancing. The effects of a society based on rule-governed behavior are easily seen in its people.

Sometimes I think people forget that they are in the forest.

well.....that was pointless.

hahaha



President George W. Bush and Office of Management and Budget Director Joshua Bolton (C) talk to conferees, above a misspelled sign, at the White House Conference on the Economy in Washington, December 16, 2004. The White House went all out to showcase the advantages of U.S. President George W. Bush's ambitious financial agenda this week, but in the end the 'challenges' proved too much. The word 'challenges' -- a main theme of a two-day White House economic conference that ended on Thursday -- was misspelled on a large television monitor that stood in front of Bush during a panel discussion.REUTERS/Reuters TV

Ya know, I have always misunderstood those who carried with them chapstick everywhere they go, especially when winter has yet shown its face. But, tonite I really wished that I were one of those people.

Mavs blew another home game...they are so inconsistent. Atleast Josh was on the jumbo-tron!

I can't get over this weekend. I seriously had a lot of fun with my friends. Got to enjoy the good weather by playing some golf; which I for some reason got better at...how? I thoroughly took in some great food and good moods. Hung out with Gordo and Shalee....those kids are soo much fun, and they do a very good job of hosting guests. There are only two things I wish I would have been able to do: 1) see Danielle and 2) watch Chris put together his computer. Am I becoming more social? Yikes.

here are a few things for ya:

1) Thunderbird 1.0 has landed. I see they have added built-in RSS/Blog support. This shall be fun. Yet another program that kicks Microsoft in the ass.

2) Lets talk about RSS for a sec. For those of you who don't know (and I didn't until today), this stands for Rich Site Summary. Basically, you download a program (or the Thunderbird mail client) that is built to recieve a daily, even multi-daily, news feed from any site that features RSS support. Now all your news goes to one convient place. Yeah, I know...its really lazy. But, why surf when you can just read. The real benefit here is for blogs, especially after you get back from the holidays. Of course if you would like to comment you still have to visit the site. Here is my url for XgivebloodX if you would like to subscribe: http://xgivebloodx.blogspot.com/atom.xml

3) This is hilarious!

Only 7 more months!


Click on the poster for a teaser.

It seems that i have alienated my blog for a bit. Guess there is not much to talk about. I do have trouble getting motivated to write, but that is half the reason I have this blog. Anyways, I do have some good news that just so happens to also play my alibi. I'm proud to announce the relaunch of Chris's blog:< go sit in the car >. Designed by yours truly. I'm actually pretty damned happy with the way it turned out. Feel free to leave feedback on it.

In other news, tonite I will officially become the best boyfriend ever...seeing how I will endure 2hrs of Jimmy "the fucking parrot" Buffet for my loved one. Man, I'm such a catch.

"It's the biggest petroleum discovery of the past three decades: 13 billion barrels of crude in the Kashagan oil field under the Caspian Sea. The only trick is extracting it from beneath the shallow waters."

...and we will accomplish the task....because thats what we do. Reminds me of a memorable scene in the Matrix.

I'd like to share a revelation that I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species. I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment, but you humans do not. You move to an area, and you multiply, and multiply, until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area.