It’s been a while.
Being on vacation in California has been bittersweet. Well, mostly sweet, but vacation in itself carries a problem. That problem is that it’s easier to get away from your looming obligations. And the funny thing is that my obligations aren’t really necessary to be filled. It’s just this blog and my personal writing. It’s sad really, because I had things planned, and I keep telling myself to do it, but lazing around is just so much more…convenient when you’re on vacation. I need to do a review on some of the albums I’ve gotten recently, and I seriously need to revise some poetry and get back into the novel game. Admittedly, all I’ve written while on vacation is IMs. Bah.
Lazing around.
With vacation underway, I felt I needed a few days to just…laze around and do nothing, and essentially get “in the mood” for my largely obligation-less summer vacation. Plus it’s been a good rest after those hectic last weeks at school. I wonder how good of a grade this blog project got? Hmm.
A review to come tomorrow, I think.
Project ends tonight, at midnight.
Hey guys, how many of you already knew that this blog was originally just a project for a college course in electronic writing? Well, tonight the project essentially ends, but I’ll likely be continuing the blog just for the hell of it. Album reviews will come slower, especially once we get into the latter part of May and the subsequent summer, as I won’t be around a computer nearly as often.
Another random tidbit: I bought a bunch of spine-b0und notebooks today. I can’t help but love these things, even though they eventually fall out of their binding. Maybe it’s the fragility that makes me like them…or maybe I just hate spiral binding. I’ll go with the latter. I’m designating a new, crisp green one and writing “California Waiting” (Kings of Leon song) or something like that across the front to designate it as my writing notebook for the trip to CA in June.
Koos a la goop a goop is dead.
What I mean to say is that Dom DeLuise is dead, as of yesterday. You may not know him by name, but you probably know him by voice. Koosy in Dexter’s Laboratory is what first comes to mind, but he also had some prominent roles like in Blazing Saddles and Fail-Safe, as well as being the voice of Tiger in the American Tail movies and Pizza the Hut in Spaceballs.
But he’ll always be Koos a la goop a goop to me.
Throwback.
I had a bottle of Mountain Dew Throwback today. It’s a temporary drink released alongside Pepsi Throwback. They’re called “Throwback” because they’re made with the old natural sugar formula. For those of us old enough to remember that old taste, it’s probably quite a nice reminder. For those of us who are entirely used to the HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) formula of modern Mountain Dew and Pepsi (and all soft drinks, really), it’s pretty strange.
I’m part of that latter group, and honestly, I can say the difference is easily tasted. The natural sugar makes the Dew taste sort of like Diet Dew, but a little better than that. Considering there are no real health benefits to consuming sugar instead of HFCS (same calories and everything, and just as bad for you), I see no reason for me to try Throwback again. No point in trying to force myself to like natural sugar in soft drinks when Throwback is just going to be cancelled soon anyway. Cheers to all of those who do like it, though.
Oh, one note: the retro look is cool. I love that old logo.
May 1st
Ahh, May. It’s a wonderful month for those of us still going to school. Typical high and elementary schoolers may have to wait until to the end of May to acquire the summer freedom, but most university-goers that I’m aware of are getting out no later than the middle of May. Myself…I’m already out of class, but I’ve got two finals to attend next week. And then it’s all over, and I’ll be sitting around at home for a few weeks before heading out to California. Can’t wait.
I can feel the stress melting off my body already. I’m not even worried about these finals. Considering the ease of the corresponding midterm exams for the two classes, they should be a breeze.
To come: more reviews, of course. Though I’ve already done two of their albums, I plan to put up a Doors one soon, maybe their debut album. Also, expect (but don’t count on) The Who, Iron & Wine, Hot Tuna, Robert Plant, The Stone Roses, Neil Young, Heart, ELO, Def Leppard (hey, I need something to bash), and David Bowie. Of course, it’s likely that I’ll do something I didn’t list here at all instead.
Happy Easter!
Slept in a while due to exhaustion and woke up to Easter, with a basket of candy and some other gifts. My family is one of those weird ones that gives lots of gifts even on Easter…you know, living the American dream. Commercialization, ho!
So yeah, got a couple CDs and books, and a copy of “Pan’s Labyrinth,” which is one of my favorite movies of this decade. No church for me, as my family is not religious and I don’t think my mom has even noticed that I am.
Hope you all are having a wonderful Easter. I know I am. Ciao.
April Fools on the Interwebz
OH GOD GUYS RECENT YOUTUBE VIDEOS ARE UPSIDE-DOWN BY DEFAULT AND THIS VIDEO IS ONLY FUNNY BECAUSE IT’S UPSIDE-DOWN
OH GOD GUYS UNCYCLOPEDIA HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN
OH GOD GUYS COLDPLAY IS PLAYING WITH BRIAN ENO IN ZERO GRAVITY HOLY SHIT
OH GOD GUYS REDDIT IS NOW DIGG
OH GOD GUYS I CAN’T WAIT TO BUY MY WII BUDDY ON GAMESTOP
lkj;ljsdf
Album Reviews: An Introduction
Dirty Blvd., as of tonight, is becoming a place to host album reviews that I’ll be doing. On one side of the proverbial coin, these reviews make up a college course project. On the other, they’re something I’ve wanted to start putting up for quite some time now, because they’re just that enjoyable for me.
Writing an album review is enjoyable because it’s a form of writing that incredibly versatile for being something so static and “uncreative,” as opposed to a poem or short story. Shall I emphasize an album’s shittiness by making a review short, or should I rave for paragraphs about a single track? Should I mention where this song’s introductory chord progression was stolen from, or should I stick to how good the tune actually is? Depending on what I choose to say, my opinion comes out differently. One minute you could love me, the next…hate me for bashing your precious Uriah Heep for the umpteenth time (god forbid).
Oh, and I’m very prepared for fanboys. I know what it’s like, trust me. The first time I started reading music reviews I wanted to call the reviewer and tell him to quit spreading lies about Led Zeppelin.
Anyway, this is my disclaimer: none of my reviews are to be taken as being from the viewpoint of a lover or hater of any particular band. Try to imagine me struggling to be as fair as I can be, because that’s really what’s going on here. Even bad music sometimes has something salvageable…I’ll be sure to mention it.
Words
Words are fun. But some words are more fun than others.
Portmanteau: A word about words, and a fun word to say. How delightful!
Debacle: CNN’s favorite word!
Gorgonzola: Probably tastes awful, but damn that’s a great name.
Ebert: Why do siskins get their own flock name, anyway?
Snarky: 1000 bonus points if you use it in a snarky way.
Gherkin: See if you can even define it without an innuendo coming to mind.
Brouhaha: I don’t even know. It’s just amazing.
Gubernatorial: Haha, what? Who made this shit up?
I spend a lot of time thinking of simply fantastic words.
