The Fist of Spring

I believe it is safe to say that spring is here. Of course, right when we say that, winter slaps us in the face again one last time with a gelid open palm.

This week and next week is my spring break, so I am going to try to write more.

Beth and I went to see The Prenzie Players' production of The Taming of the Shrew. All of the action took place right in the midst of the audience, and that was my favorite aspect of the show. The actors all did a great job, too. It was nice to get out and spend eight dollars on something less passive than a movie. I would recommend checking out future shows by these players.

My dad gave me his review of No Country for Old Men today. He said that it should have been titled "There Will Be Blood." My mentor teacher said that he wonders how much people are beginning to see violence for violence's sake as good art. He has yet to see the movie, though, and so do I. Once I see it, I will share my opinion.

I went on a post-rock/math rock binge on eMusic. I downloaded albums from Saxon Shore, Couch, Del Ray, and Piglet. All of it sounds really promising so far, but I haven't been able to listen to them much yet.

Too pretty to fly?

You be the judge.
These two young ladies claim they were discriminated against on their flight because they were too aesthetically pleasing. "No one else on the plane that looked like us except us." Unbelieveable.

The store I work at now carries Sugar-Free Peeps. Wth? Has the whole world gone crazy?

miscellany

I'm doing well with my student teaching. The only issue I have is being somewhat spineless when it comes to discipline. It is evident that I'll need to overcome that problem soon.

Beth now has an Etsy page! She has been quite industrious lately. Check out the fruits of her labor at http://bettyround.etsy.com

Do you watch Lost? Well, why the hell not? It is a bright spot in the morass of writer's strike era reality show chaff.

I enjoyed watching the Giants this postseason. They played some of the most spirited football I have seen in a long time--especially the defense.

Apple iTunes will no longer take my money since I still run Windows 2k. nice.

Mixtape 2: The Vengeance

Side B:

1. ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead -- "Wasted State of Mind" Why don't you like this band? I will make you a "best of" if you want.

2. Bloomsday -- "Blush" Remember those cd clubs back in the day--the 10 discs for 99 cents crap? Well there was a Christian one, and my gf at the time didn't know what cd to get for her 10th pick. I picked out Bloomsday's The Day the Colors Died. Probably the only good album in the whole damn catalog.

3. Califone -- "Our Kitten Sees Ghosts" I need to get some of Califone's other albums. I like the brief, ethereal nature of this song, and I find "The way you shatter/When you hit the water" going through my head all the time.

4. Jejune -- "Morale Is Low" Sort of a jarring transition... I've been digging out the old "emo" to see how it stands up now. The answer is pretty well in some cases (Jejune) and not so well in others (Braid).

5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- "Maps" I love this song. I'm not usually a huge fan of tom-heavy drum stuff, but it does it for me here.

6. Sunny Day Real Estate -- "How It Feels to Be Something On" So effing intense... Pull out this album again--it is really good.

end Side B

arrggh

I am in the midst of my student teaching experience, and it is going well so far. That explains the sporadic nature of my posts.

Beth is planning on starting a photo blog, and I am looking forward to it.

Chad and Troy are continuing the fine First Order Historians tradition.

good night.

roadhouse

Unfotunately this post is not about one of my favorite movies dealing with fisticuffs and flagons of beer and philosophical Swayzes full of feces. I just wanted to complain about how people come to the store and think they are at Texas Roadhouse.

"OOOOH PEANUTS!!!111" (I sure hope he said "peanuts")

No, dipstick. If they were for sampling/snacking, we would've placed a stack of little take 'n' go baskets for easy snacking along with a spitoon for your shells. I find shells everywhere. I've seen them hiding among the paper products and in the frozen foods section. That is a long way for those shells to have travelled. Don't touch those peanuts, man. Unless you are planning on handing over some green paper, you cheap mofo you.

Mixtape

Hey you! I'm making you a mixtape. Yeah you. Don't look around. You.

Side A

1. The Beatles -- "Golden Slumbers" Damn you Beatles and your melodies. I've had Abbey Road for quite a while, and this song just now really struck me. Strange how that happens. Go piss up a rope, "Carry That Weight." J/K you're okay, but "Golden Slumbers" will get along just fine without you.

2. The Flaming Lips -- "A Spoonful Weights a Ton" Don't forget about these guys. I had a bunch of their discs sitting on my shelf waiting to be added to the itunes rotation. Check out the reverb-icality guitar strums on the chorus. Hot damn.

3. Holopaw -- "Abraham Lincoln" John Orth writes some evocative words. Holopaw combines electronic elements and traditional instrumentation to create a delightfully nuanced song. Check it.

4. The Mercury Program -- "Sultans of El Sur" Wow... drums. Delay pedals are fun. I can deal with no vocals.

5. The Microphones -- "II. Solar System" Great subtle percussion and spare guitar here. "What stream used to flow here and now what dusty decay. Let the flash flood begin. Wash me down the canyon. Quicksand pull me in. Blow over me solar wind." This is a beautifully haunting song.

6. Red House Painters -- "Have You Forgotten" This is the first RHP song I ever heard. I was so surprised to hear the F word sung in such a beautiful manner.

end Side A

Sort of an odd assortment of groups, but I can deal with that. I'll post Side B soon.