'Cause Tramps Like Us, Baby We Were Born to Run

A recent thread in the Something Awful forums has gotten me to think about music, as I'm so apt to do on my own. The thread is entitled "Perfect Moments in Music," and is found in the NMD sub forum. I've yet to post in this thread, as it is on the long side and I'd rather not repeat anyone on it. Once I've slogged through I'll think of something. For now I think I'll list some of my ideas.

• The break after the solo in Springsteen's "Born to Run" where he counts off and then passionately sings out"The highway's jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive." This moment never fails to get me to sing along at the very top of my lungs. The Boss is the boss.
• The part in Lennon's "God" where a defeated sounding John sings "I used to be the Walrus, but now I'm John." It perfectly lets everyone into the kind of hurt that Lennon felt over being part of something so special (The Beatles and the Love Generation) just to see it fall apart. It's a terribly poignant moment within a terribly poignant record.
• "The Scream" in The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again." If you do not know what I'm talking about, then you don't listen to enough music.
• The entirety of the song "The March of the Gay Parade" by of Montreal. It crystallizes the goofy, off-the-wall charm of "the indie Sgt. Pepper" in the most unanticipated and brilliant skits I've had the pleasure of hearing.
• The moment in the lyrics of Death Cab for Cutie's "Tiny Vessels" where Ben shifts the perspective from the second person to the first person and transforms the entire song into a guilty confession. This is one of the moments on Transatlanticism that made me fall in love with Death Cab.

Well, there's a handsome group of moments in music history. I welcome suggestions in either the comments bit of this site, or an instant message. Whatever your heart desires.

I Swear to the Stars, I'll Burn this Whole City Down

Through my audioscrobbler page, which is linked to somewhere on this page, I learned of a fantastic event happening this coming Friday (November 7). One of my favorite bands, The Decemberists, will be playing the Electric Factory that night to what will no doubt be a sold crowd. All signs point to the show consisting of tracks from my favorite album of the band's and one of my favorites of this decade. The album of which I speak (or type for those who fancy being literal) is the latest release by Meloy & crew The Crane Wife.

There is one problem with the concert's timing, I work on both the day of the show and the day after. This will make the timing tight and force me to make some real decisions, not the least of which being the idea of coming in early to leave early on Friday or eating into my reserve of OT built up over a couple days of lengthy setup required for the All Staff Rally happening at work.

One good thing out of this show is the possibility of the tour being a harbinger of a new album from The Decemberists, who happen to be due for one. This is simply a guess based on the timing of it all, but if they are going to be recording soon then the bar is mighty high for the band to follow up their current magnum opus.

Songs to Which One Can Sip Tea on a Winter Morning and Look at Freshly Fallen Snow

This playlist was put together on a whim because I got "Blackbird" stuck in my head and wanted to put together songs like it. As it turned out, some songs I settled on have a bit more happening than just the singer and the guitar, but I think it gels pretty nicely. Without further ado, here's a new playlist:

1. John Lennon "Imagine"
2. New Order "Ceremony"
3. Lou Reed "Perfect Day"
4. U2 "With or Without You"
5. Sufjan Stevens "Chicago"
6. My Bloody Valentine "Blown a Wish"
7. The Beatles "Blackbird"
8. Spiritualised "Soul on Fire"
9. Felt "All the People I Like Are Those that Are Dead"
10. The Monkees "I Wanna Be Free"
11. Pavement "Here"
12. r.e.m. "Sweetness Follows"
13. radiohead "Fake Plastic Trees"
14. The Verve "The Drugs Don't Work"
15. Belle & Sebastian "Piazza New York Catcher"
16. Bob Dylan "Shelter From the Storm"
17. blur "Badhead"
18. Cat Stevens "The Wind"
19. The Decemberists "The Engine Driver"
20. Elliott Smith "Between the Bars"
21. eels "Dead of Winter"
22. Peter Murphy "Let Me Love You"
23. Simon & Garfunkel "America"
24. The Psychedellic Furs "Sometimes"
25. The Replacements "Here Comes a Regular"

A bit on the long side, but I like it.

What's My Age Again?

In an effort to remember less hectic times, I've found myself listening to those lovable pop-punk scamps blink-182 a bit more than usual (which means I've actually been listening to them). I'd forgotten how catchy and melodic their songwriting was, having written them off as immature man-children after discovering different bands. While their lyrics generally are about as mature as a toddler, they're also as charming in a naive sort of way. That naivete is refreshing after an extended venture into the working week.

My life itself seems to have stagnated while moving forward. I'm in a fast-paced, career potential job that is actually enjoyable at times. I'm working towards getting a car, credit card, and other grown up toys. I've also begun paying into a 401 K program in an effort to begin preparing for my potential senior citizenship a long way down the road. With all of this going on, I feel like I'm no where near adulthood. I live with my parents still, and I have no plans on moving out of the house for at least a year. I rarely go anywhere conventional for my age (i.e. bars, clubs, et. al.), and I've not spoken to a woman outside of my circle friends and work in a long while. I just feel bored.

That and I could use some exercise.

Ciao.

8 Days a Week

I have officially started work. In fact, I've been working for nearly a week solid--by tomorrow I will have been at Harrah's on seven consecutive days. I've also hit the ground running at full steam, as I've been tasked with a couple jobs with little time to steady myself out of New Hire Orientation. All in all though, I like my new job and would like to hang onto it for a while.

I've learned one major point about this position over my first few days on-the-job, I'm being paid to do a lot of walking around. Tons of it. From one end of this massive facility to the other and back again and again and again. I ache for a seat to sit in when I get to my car. The amount of time I spend on my feet in a given day is more than I have been used to for a couple years now, and while I prefer a seated job I do appreciate the exercise I'm getting here.

The folks I work with are pretty friendly people who know a hell of a lot more about computers and what not than I do, which I pretty much expected. They've been nice to me and have been eager to help me get used to the flurry of fixes required regularly to keep this place afloat. My main supervisor, Rob, is a funny guy who seems to be on a first name basis with everyone in the entire company. I'd be shocked if there is a single person here with whom he can joke.

On a Flyers related note: they've won their first game and lost their highest paid forward for a month. Yay/boo.

Elliott Smith RIP

Five years ago today, the world lost a conflicted genius. We're all a little sadder for it.

Philadelphia Freedom

As anyone who knows me is well aware of, the Philadelphia Flyers kicked off their season yesterday with a fizzle. They lost to the Rags 4-3, and looked horrible in the first period. This was the biggest disappointment I could think of with how much I'd been looking forward to hockey these past couple months, but I am happy about one event last night.

As part of the opening night festivities, Flyers' owner and big-time Republican Ed Snider invited Alaskan governor and GOP vice president candidate Sarah Palin to drop the puck as the most famous hockey-mom in the United States. Cheap political stunt as this was, it thankfully backfired as Snider evidently didn't realize that the city his team played for was a staunch Democrat stronghold and that its fans were know for their vocal tendencies.

As soon as voice of the Flyers Lou Nolan announced her name, the boos began to cascade down. The Flyers' faithful were so loud as to necessitate an increase in the music's volume to drown them out.

This one part of the evening was nearly enough to make up for the utterly disgusting play exhibited by the Flyers during a first period that saw them give up 4 goals to the hated Rangers. Over the next two periods, the Flyers tried to climb back and eventually scored 3 times to make it close at the end. It was all for naught, though, as the Rangers managed to hold on for the win.

Welcome to the Working Week

After a little over a month, the PA State Gaming Control Board have finally approved my application for a gaming license. It took them such an extended amount of time because they are a pack of phenomenal idiots and honestly can't communicate with their different departments. Fuck them.

If all goes well, I should start training at work next week, and then I hit the ground running. After all this, I find myself optimistically apprehensive about starting work at Harrah's; I can't help this, I am a worrier when it comes to new things.

One thing that must happen within about the first month, if not week, of starting work is the purchase of a new car. My dad and I will not be working hours that would allow us to share one car well, so something has to give. I am loathe to start using public trans for the simple reason that there is no direct route to Harrah's Chester from my house. All public trans routes will take nearly an hour and a half, and require changes at different intervals.

I've resolved that my first car will be a Honda of some variety, as they are fuel efficient and cheap (two of my three main criteria for buying a car, the other being a CD player). The two different cars I'm going between are as follows: the Civic and the Fit. The victor will be the cheapest one I find.

PS: FLYERS vs RAGS SATURDAY!

Flyers Update

Bryan Berard has been let go. There goes my thought that he'd do well with the team this year. The link follows: http://flyers.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&id=18891

There is now less than one week until the home opener against the Rags. I cannot wait.

If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It

Over the period of time that this blog was inactive, a friend (Scott) and I made a curious discovery in the Granite Run Mall. On a whim we walked into the one store that has become the punchline of every scenester joke--Hot Topic. Inside, we found something... strange. Amazing, but still perplexing.

The reasoning behind entering the epitome of all trendy bullshit merits a little explaining. While sucking in almost every regard, there is one good thing about Hot Topic--band tees. There are a lot of cool band shirts to be had there, one in particular is a classic Misfits logo, but I digress.

Once inside, we both were confronted with the normal aesthetic and auditory torments that the store presents (bad tunes, and just offensive design and colors). Walking up and down the store looking up at the shirts, trying not to make eye contact with the clientele or pierced workers I decided that there were no shirts worth buying this time around. That's when it caught my eye.

An album on their new release listening station piqued my interest with it's garish and bewildering album art, which is pictured below. The band name: Austrian Death Machine, the name of the name of the album is Total Brutal. Intrigued, I picked it up and glanced at the back. First thing I noticed, was a sticker on the front attributing the album as a side project to the frontman of all Christian hardcore act As I Lay Dying. Instantly I resolved myself to hate this band, but fate had something else in mind. The tracklisting consisted primarily of lines from Arnold Schwarzenegger movies. A quick peak at the front sticker again revealed that the entire work was a tribute to the muscular one.

Laughing, I put the headphones on and hit play on the first track. I nearly laughed hard enough to vomit at the introduction, done entirely in a spot-on impersonation of Ah-nold. The album is sort of a throwback to 80s thrash metal, and never fails to beguile smiles with its Arnie gimmick.

When I got home, I simply had to have this music on my computer. It demanded to be heard and played over Halo matches. It is the greatest tribute Arnold will ever receive in my eyes.

Flyers Thoughts

So it's now October, meaning that my beloved Philadelphia Flyers will be taking the ice for the regular season soon. I figure now is as good a time as any to commit my thoughts on this year's team to the wondrous internet.

Offense
The Flyers' strength last year was the depth up the middle, led by Mike "Captain" Richards who had a banner year in almost every regard. The scary thought for the rest of the league is this: he's still getting better as a player. He's just now getting to his prime, and he will remain an elite talent in the league for years to come--barring injury of course. Another centerman that looks to improve on an impressive 2007-08 campaign is Jeff Carter, who missed 30 goals by an inch last year.

Danny Briere looks to rebound from a season in which he put up 30 goals and a minus 22 performance. The return of winger Simon Gagne and a move to Richards' wing himself could be a big help. I'm looking for a big year out of Danny. Ditto for Lupul, who has been locked up for another 4 years.

Coming into the offensive fold, hopefully, is Claude Giroux. This kid is going to be exciting to watch, since he lit up the minor leagues for big points. I see him as a second line winger with Jeff Carter.

Defense
A big question mark for the Flyers last year was their defense, which allowed the most shots on net in the league. They also led the league in shots blocked, but I'm not so sure that's a stat to brag about since it just means you're good at hiding your defensive fuck ups. To remedy this, the Flyers made a conscious effort to be more mobile on the blue line, signing Steve Emminger, Osi Vannanen, and offering a trial deal to Bryan "Cyclops" Berard.

The obvious top pair is Timonen and Coburn, who were just spectacular in the playoffs. Look for Stevens to break them up on occasion to spread the wealth then throw them back together when it doesn't work.

Goaltending
Martin Biron shut every critic saying he's unproven in the playoffs up. I think there's no reason to doubt that he'll be just as strong to start the season. Niittymaki was injured in preseason, so the Flyers brought in J.S. Aubin to mind the backup role while Niitty recouperates.

Prediction
The Flyers improved their blueline, and maintained an offense that is downright scary. The rest of the Atlantic Division did not improve substantially. The Flyers take the division and second place in the Eastern Conference. Another deep playoff run is written on the wall. And I couldn't be more pumped.

It Happened.

I knew this would happen. I predicted it when I clicked the "Publish Post" button on the very first entry. I completely neglected this thing for the majority of the summer. I feel so lazy and careless now.

I suppose I should mention that I managed to secure a job in the interim, since a good deal of the SEVEN entries of this blog deal with me being depressed over my nagging unemployment. I am now an employee of the local casino (Harrah's Chester). My job title is IT Support AV Specialist, and I'd give a greater and more comprehensive description of what it is that I actually do but there's one simple problem: I haven't been able to work yet.

There's this silly little rule in this funny sovereignty known as the USA that dictates that one cannot work for a casino in any capacity without first possessing a Gaming License. The process for acquiring one of these is only slightly less daunting than Frodo's odyssey to destroy the One Ring (fuck you, it's still a relevant reference). After what's seemed to be an interminable amount of weeks, the fucking thing finally seems to have gone through and I shall be receiving it within the week.

My self-imposed deadline of working before the first game of the Flyers' season seems like it will be made. This means I might actually get to go to some early games. Neato.

In other news, I've appropriated a "new" desktop computer for myself. It's a Dell and it comes courtesy of Widener University (where I've found myself more times than I could've predicted since graduating) for the all-too-numerical price of just $75. Soon to come will be a webcam and a digital camera. This might still become a photoblog yet!

Until we meet again, I bid thee all a fond farewell.

Something Vague That We're Not Seeing

It feels like my job hunt is just not going anywhere, and I'm the only one to blame. I've scoured the usual resources, i.e. job websites and want ads, and so far I've come up relatively empty handed having only gotten 2 interviews. I feel so inept at this whole process that it just makes me want to give up.

When I last talked about my life, I wrote about an interview with a certain firm. That very firm wrote me back within a matter of days with my very own Dear John letter. While I didn't necessarily want the job, it was certainly disheartening to receive a response like that for a job I felt I'd interviewed so well for. I'm not heartbroken over the whole thing, just a little brought down by it all.

All of this rejection has me thinking about life as one massive series of acceptances and rejections. The menagerie of it all goes into every facet of our lives: socially, professionally, romantically, educationally, and metaphysically. In this, I can't lose hope because of the simple fact that I can't be refused and rejected forever.

I'm just going to keep plugging along until I find some place that will recognize me for the talents I have. Until then, I have to keep my head above water.

The Earth Is a Cold Dead Place

Watching the news while eating a nutritious dinner of Forman Grill-made hot dogs, I saw a story that has me more than a little concerned. Apparently some idiot made a video entitled "How To Kill a Cop" and posted it on that wonderful website youtube.com. He has been charged today with several crimes relating to the video itself, including but not limited to Corrupting a Minor and Making Terroristic Threats.

While guilty of being a complete fuckwit, I fail to see what crime this man has committed. He has simply made inflammatory statements on the internet. Who hasn't heard that one before? Heaven forbid someone say something objectionable on a medium that seems to be tailor made to piss off everyone in the world. This type of thing is just another step towards internet censorship, and we've all heard the phrase "the road to hell is paved with good intentions."

The story can be found here: 6abc.com: "Kill cops" rant lands man in jail 6/27/08

In other news: Jeff Carter has signed a 3-Year-Deal with the Flyers worth $15 million. Oh happy day.

Teenage Angst Has Paid Off Well

While I'm still tweaking and finalizing my Happy Mix, I've begun brainstorming another mix that seems to be a natural progression out of the last one. This time, I went the other way with it and picked songs that just seethe with angst and rage. Though this one has more of a genre focus than the last one (i.e. I'm tapping into my punk reservoirs for most of the tuneage), I feel that these songs can hit the target very well. Here goes (as before, there are some bands that are represented twice, but I'll only use one per artist on the actual thing):

• Brand New "Seventy Times 7"
• Nine Inch Nails "We're In This Together" OR "Wish"
• Pennywise "Fuck Authority"
• The Cure "One Hundred Years"
• Dillinger 4 "Mosh For Jesus" OR "Superpowers Enable Me To Blend With Machinery"
• Weezer "Why Bother?"
• Death Cab For Cutie "We Looked Like Giants"
• Stiff Little Fingers "Wasted Life" OR "Inflammable Material"
  
• Taking Back Sunday "Cute Without the E (Cut From the Team)"
• The Alkaline Trio "Fuck You Aurora" OR "Radio"
• The Smiths "Bigmouth Strikes Again"
• Rise Against "Dead Ringer"
• Strike Anywhere "Infrared"
• NOFX "Perfect Government"
• Cursive "The Martyr"
• Bright Eyes "Let's Not Shit Ourselves"
• Nirvana "Serve The Servants" OR "I Hate Myself and Want to Die"
• Anti-Flag "No Borders No Nations"

The completed track list for this and the Happy one will be forthcoming when I get them hacked down and properly arranged.

The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows

Yesterday's interview went very well, at least from what I could glean from the demeanor and reactions of the guy in charge of giving the thing. As the position is sales related and most of the work will consist of doing business over the phone, my experience in college with the fabled "Widener Fund" should prove to be a big factor in the whether or not I land this job. Stay tuned.

Another beacon on the career front comes in the way of nepotism. A relative of mine happens to be an editor with a magazine put out by Merion Publishing, the very same company I applied to not one week ago. Isn't it funny how these things just work out? Needless to say, this fine lassie is assisting me in getting in the good graces of the HR department and the head of the magazine that has the opening. While this is far from having a foot in the door, I have my fingers crossed nonetheless.

These past weeks spent looking for employment have left me feeling helpless and lost in this swirling world. It's like I'm a bit of drift wood caught in a tidal pull of paperwork and rejection. I long to break into my dream job, but if things keep progressing the way they have I'll have to settle for something much less rewarding. If only to stop living at home.

Sell Out With Me Tonight

I woke up this morning early (for me), and hopped right into the shower. After a thorough scrubbing, I shaved as best I could and began to put on my best suit. Put on deodorant, aftershave, and pulled a comb through my hair.

All this preparation into my appearance is owed entirely to my pursuit of a job. That wonderful, ethereal achievement that comes some time after graduation from college. Today was the day of my interview with J. G. Wentworth, a big firm that I found through a noted job search website. The position was described in completely nondescript terms; it's an entry-level Marketing Representative position.

When I arrived on the scene in Brynn Mawr, I came to the conclusion that the position could be either one of two jobs: a sales position that will require me to make calls to clients and such, or a creative position requiring me to come up with different bits of copy. After the rather brief but promising interview, I've found out that the position is more the former, so whoopee...

Thus ends a rather bland and banal entry of my lovely blog.

A List of Songs to Make Me Happy

An indeterminate amount of time ago, I was talking with my friend online and we came up with an idea that intrigued me to no end. Both of us being fans of boring, mellow indie music, we decided there were certain songs that just made us feel happy and smile (yes Jen, I'm talking about you). Even though the idea passed and our conversation veered into other areas, I began thinking about this "Smile" mix and what would go on it.

So far, I've compiled a list of nearly 30 songs that could make the grade. With a some thought and cutting, I should have a mix worthy of my ludicrously high standards. Here is the list of songs that I have compiled so far (note--there are multiple songs for some artists, but the final will have a one song per band limit):

• The Ramones "Do You Wanna Dance"
• Death Cab For Cutie "Sound of Settling" OR "I Was a Kaleidoscope"
• Beat Happening "Noise"
• Heavenly "Cool Guitar Boy" OR "C Is the Heavenly Option"
• The Cure "In Between Days" OR "Love Cats" OR "Just Like Heaven"
• The Beach Boys "Wouldn't It Be Nice"
• The Shins "Australia"
• The Beatles "I've Just Seen A Face" OR "Oh! Darling"
• The Monkees "I'm A Believer" OR "Daydream Believer"
• The Postal Service "Such Great Heights"
• Dntel "(This is) The Dream of Evan & Chan"
• Muse "Starlight" OR "Invincible"
• Simon & Garfunkel "The Only Living Boy in New York" OR "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)"
• New Order "Age of Consent" OR "Weirdo"
• The Vaselines "Son of a Gun"
• Belle & Sebastian "Another Sunny Day" OR "Mayfly"
• Oasis "Don't Look Back In Anger" OR "Champagne Supernova"
• The Polyphonic Spree "Running Away"
  

This Is Not a Greeting

In the scheme of things, I guess the creation of a blog for myself was inevitable. It all makes sense given my proclivity towards inane ramblings and my fixation on journalism. Perhaps it makes too much sense. Maybe this is just too easy. Should I reconsider doing something so predictable? I can't do that now since I'm already this deep. Get it together, start making sense.

I'm not going to explain who I am or what I am like, that's simply too narcissistic and completely unnecessary--if you're reading this, then you know me and know what I am like. The thinly veiled attempts at self-deprecating humor I'd no doubt make would only serve to paint me as a pathetic waste digging for complements and ego-massages. It would be almost as easy and predictable as this blog's creation.

I've decided to make begin keeping this blog as a means to vent my feelings to the internet and attempt to make a cathartic pseudo-journal. Future entries will chronicle my life and times as so many blogs before me have done in many different ways: job hunting, movie watching, music listening, romantic failure, and anything else I deem worthy of my meager writing talents.

Peppered in with the verbose and completely pompous words I write will be the occasional obscenity since saying the word "fuck" makes me cool. The aforementioned pomposity will be used because I have a low self esteem and constantly need to make myself feel smarter; ergo I use words like "ergo" to that effect. That and I find it amusing to flex my lexicon at any possible time.

At different intervals of the year, the focus of this blog (that word is just so addictive) will shift to sports or music. This will noticeably happen in the Fall when the ice is freshly Zamboni'd and the puck is set to drop.

With that being said, I shall leave you with the first line of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, "When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin."