It's a mad, music loving world out there...

I've had site feed for a couple months now, and it's pretty much great. It satisfies my stalker tendancies... oh... heheh... *ahem* ... that is to say, my curiosity. No really, don't wory, I just really wanted to know if anyone reads this blog. Turns out there's a few of you that do. It's pretty gratifying, now I just wanna know who reads my blog with the Cornerstone server. And how the guy from Hawaii that's a member of the Indiana Smallmouth Forums ever found my blog. That was pretty random- he linked to my Right Brothers post, and I guess he thought it was funny that I posted about smallmouth bass and right wing punk rock in one post or something. Anways my post went against their Religion and Politics taboo, so the link was removed, but that was a record week for hits. Interestingly enough, the majority of unknown hits have been people looking up obscure music titles, Europeans in particular. (And on company time too- they've all been on company computers.) I've gotten hits for my random mentionings of The Ventures Christmas Album, Aeslin Debelin, and Mannaheim Steamroller, among other things. It's quite odd. Maybe I would have better success if I started a music database. Or maybe it's just that music is an important part of my life, and is therefore given a prominant role in my blog. I would say that it's the latter, particularly since I was spurred to a post by finding an absolute gem on You Tube yesterday. It's one of those videos that you just have to see to believe. Somehow, this song called "I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman" (batman being some kind of commando soldier thing) went pretty high up on the charts in the 60's. The funky thing, besides the title, is that the main instrument is a human whistle. The success of this song suprised the producers, who quickly hired a poster boy for the song. Thus Whistling Jack Smith was born. One fine day, when my dad's neurons were in particularly fine form, he remembered this hero of his youth, and purchased the record. Yes, the vinyl. Much of best and brightest of our family's collective music collection can be found on records. There's always something special about playing records. Songs just don't sound the same without the crackle. Anyways, I digress. The record was chock full of Whistling Jack goodness, and as I was idly browsing YouTube yesterday, I made this startling discovery:

DISCLAIMER: THIS SONG HAS DANGEROUSLY HIGH POTENTIAL TO GET STUCK IN YOUR HEAD. AS THIS KIND OF SONG GOES, IT IS UPBEAT AND MOST PEOPLE DO NOT FIND IT ANNOYING, BUT I DECIDED TO WARN YOU ANYWAY.

Pretty vintage, no? He's actually kind of cute, in that 60's kind of way. Probably ain't so cute now though.

Vida es buena... este dia at least.

I'd have to go back a ways to find as good of a Thanksgiving as this one was... Way back to age ten, or possibly less. It was a wonderful day- we were all outside in t-shirts playing touch football, as opposed to last year's snowball fight. Weather sure is quirky. But anyways, it was a Thanksgiving to be thankful for. I hope that my regular readers (all 5 of you) can say the same.

Cure for Writers Block?

Well... I'm supposed to be writing a paper, but it just isn't coming out, so I'm hoping a whiny freewrite will help loosen up whatever it is that's stuck. I like only having to write three papers, but I dislike the fact that I'm always working on them, and working on them. Polishing, revising... or, more frequently, just plain finishing. The paper I'm working on now is about 13 pages long (we have a 6 page minimum) and I still have to finish 2 paragraphs and the conclusion. Another thing about these papers is that I have to think big thoughts. Which, although I can do, takes time, stress. I've always got these papers hanging over me, so whenever I try to relax, its "You should be working on that paper..." There are only 16 days left, and I need to finish, do detail work, get creditable sources and MLA format on the film analysis, detail work on the ad analysis, and then brainstorming, revision, detail work, sources and MLA the person analysis. The detail work is the hard stuff- you have to go through every sentance and rework it for conciseness, a & b lists, alliteration, metaphor, generalization, claim and explain, all that sort of thing. I seriously spent about 10 hours one day just doing detail work on the ad analysis. It's insane the amount of time I spend on these papers, if not working then at least stressing. Good thing my other classes are easy. Or not. And I have to get a job somewhere, and re-arrange my schedule for next semester, plus decide on a career. All this, and I'm really bad at taking compliments. I need to develop a method of accepting the compliment and agreeing, while still being calm, cool and modest. If there are any proven methods or suggestions, please let me know.
So, sorry about the whiny, self-centered post. I just needed to vent, and if I get a little sympathy on the side, that's always nice. I would just tell the "dear diary" this, but it's so much easier to type. Plus, you can actually read the things I type.

*BONUS*
These are the songs (so far) that I can listen to over and over and over again in a row, without getting sick of them: (We're talking, like, 10+ listens in a row)
Life Ain't Always Beautiful, Best I Ever Had (Gary Allan) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-87iBIEohhI
Different Drum (Joe Scruggs- it's a kids song, but back then, it was my anthem.)
Eternal Memory of Lightwaves- Intro to FFX-2, very sad, pretty song, feels otherworldly... I have the piano music, but it's slightly different and doesn't have the cool sound effects. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KZyhlOAg-Q
Only Time (Enya)
Complicated (Avril Lavigne)
Memory (from Cats, but the piano version by Sally Harmon)
Wintersun (Bond)
Listen To Your Heart, I Can't Be Your Friend, Someone, Seventeen... not individually, but in rotation. (D.H.T. is easy on the ears.)

Many of these are great songs to do homework to. Particularly Enya.

There, hopefully I'll be able to concentrate.

A Day Late...

It's a day late, but still a great song...

When Common Sense Was An Uncommon Virtue

Election Day 2006

"Lord, forgive us, for we know not what we do."

Christmas comes earlier every year...

Well, the radio is playing Christmas songs now. (Nov. 5) Some people make a big deal out of this, but I don't really truely mind. So long as it's just the one station. Although I really thought that the "Day after Thanksgiving" rule was working well... I do wonder when they are going to draw the line. I mean, as far as I can see, there is a increasing linear function since 2001 associated with when they start playing carols. Every year they start about 2 weeks earlier. In 25 years or so, we'll end up with an "All Christmas, All the time!" station if we're not careful. Which would not be a good thing. The thing that makes carols so special is that you only hear them once a year. And snow. Snow is essential to Christmas carols. So as I sit here on this 50 degree day in the fall, with green grass and some leaves left on the trees, Christmas carols are just out of place. The closest I can get is Snow Patrol... Chasing Cars. But, the dear aunties and grannys want their Christmas music and sob stories... so here we are.