My good friend Phil who lives in Montreal has a sweet air flight deal site starting up which will list the greatest of greatest deals there ever was (or the ones he can actually find for you!)
Take a look at his site and also note that it will always be on the menu bar to the right in case you ever feel like going for a flight to Turkey anytime soon!
http://www.airplusplus.com/montreal/
iplaying: Muzzle – The Smashing Pumpkins (1995-02-28 Double Door – Chicago IL)
How has my day been so far?
Pretty sweet.
I took the day off and it’s a beaut outside. I started the day by watching the season finale of Smallville. Very cool…very…bizarre (this is for all those who don’t like being spoiled).
I then headed out to The Brick to pick up a few armchairs for Vero and Melanie (Vero’s new roommate) but they didn’t have them in stock so they’ll be in on Tuesday. They looked pretty swank.
Then I headed out to Blackburn and dropped by Lynn and Sue’s pad but they weren’t home (well, I suppose that isn’t a huge surprise being a working day) so I headed to one of the greatest pubs in the world – the Blackburn Arms.
Sat myself at the patio, ordered a beer and some fish and chips and started reading the newspaper where I realized I forgot an important birthday today!
Star Wars turned 30 today. This is a huge day. In fact, I find there is more emphasis put on the age 30 than 25.
There’s not a whole lot that I can say about Star Wars that I haven’t said before. I thoroughly enjoy the movies, they really made an impact on me and I’m glad to see that there is still A LOT happening with the legacy.
There. That’s it! I’m sure you were expecting more. You should watch Star Wars tonight just for old times sake.
iplaying: Blew Away – The Smashing Pumpkins (1995-02-28 Double Door, Chicago IL)
As I noticed my underwear one day, I was thinking “What does the name Fruit of the Loom actually mean?”
So I went to Wikipedia and found this bit of trivia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit_of_the_loom
The name “Fruit of the Loom” is interpreted by many as a play on words with respect to a part of the Hail Mary prayer: “…blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.” (cf. Gospel of Luke 1:42) The two phrases are unrelated: it is merely a coincidence that “womb” rhymes with “loom”.
iplaying: Drugstore – Stabbing Westward (Darkest Days)
Maren wishes that I write a new blog entry so she can live vicariously through me so I guess I’ll have to post about…new things?
Let’s talk about Maren for a moment. Right now, she is probably in the midst of insane wedding preparations. As someone pointed out the other day, the first 25 invitations are fun to do, the rest of them are a chore. 😉 Hence, my belief in using evite.com to send out wedding invitations! Anyhow, Maren is working in another office since December and from what I’ve heard she is doing well although working downtown probably doesn’t help her wallet that much. I know I would be upping my spending if I worked downtown!
Nothing has been going on in my life that is of importance. Although, the Pumpkins community has hit overdrive as they played their first concert in seven years yesterday in Paris. I was here for the action around 2:30 in the afternoon. All Pumpkins message boards crumbled under the weight of people refreshing their screens to see any more information on the set list. Our only outlet was a single blog set up to give us pictures uploaded from someone’s cellphone. It was amazing. It was so…raw. I can’t really explain how I felt to hear that the Pumpkins were actually back on stage. I am awaiting the bootleg of the show – soon.
Yesterday I went with Vero to pick up a used desk. I personally think it’s a sweet desk, and they threw the office chair in for free (with just reason. It’s a craptacular chair). We found it on usedottawa.com. If you have never gone on this site, check it out! Its better than the Glebe Garage Sale.
Speaking about the Glebe Garage Sale, its on this Saturday which is very unfortunate for Vero and I as we will be in Toronto to catch the Evil Dead Musical. 🙁 Very disappointed as the Garage Sale is somewhat of a memory for us as this was where our first date took place. That’s right, Palmer knows how to treat a lady right. If any of my faithful readers haven’t been to the Glebe Garage Sale before, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! Overall, I can’t say I’ve ever found anything amazing at the garage sale, but if you go for one item in your mind, chances are you will find it there. Case in point, I found a weedwacker last year for $2. Beauty.
I am sporting a white dress shirt today (purchase for the Prom I went to a few weeks ago) and it’s the first time I’ve sported the white shirt at work. The question that arises when wearing the white dress shirt is this:
Should you wear an undershirt?
At first, I thought no because maybe my hairy chest would be visible and that ain’t cool. So I scavenged through my drawer to discover an old white t-shirt. I threw that on but noticed the collar was falling apart. With that idea in hand, I figured I should go without it. But as soon as I put the shirt on without an undershirt, I heard the cries of fashionable women everywhere (Maren and Krista, I bow to you) saying that this is a no-no.
How to get out of this quandary? Well, that’s what I have a roommate for. With any luck, there will be a fresh undershirt waiting for me in the dryer. Sure enough, the planets were aligned and Mike had a few undershirts waiting there. By the way Mike, I have one of your undershirts.
The story of undershirts brings up this interesting part of The Rebel Sell which spoke about years ago when men wore the same shirt for numerous days but wore a new undershirt every day. It makes sense, but nowadays there is a stigma attached to doing so. Why is this? Well the clothing industry jumped on the bandwagon of different colour shirts and changed the way shirts were worn and it wasn’t COOL to wear the same shirt twice in a work week, so they ended up making more cash in the long run by selling more shirts! Very shrewd. Interesting how a clothing change can influence the way a society thinks (“Ew, you’re wearing the same shirt TWICE?!”)
So another question about undershirts is this – clearly I have not worn an undershirt with my other dress shirts, but should I? What is the etiquette on the undershirt? Clearly it is needed for the white dress shirt…but what about the others?
My colleague is selling XBOX games for $5 each. Here’s a listing. Let me know if you’re interested in any of them.
– Counter Strike – online enabled
– Hitman: Contracts
– Star Wars: The Clone Wars – online enabled
– Medal of Honor Frontline
– Pac Man World 2
– Dead to Rights
– Gunvalkyrie
– Ralli Sprot Challenge
– Enclave
– Oddworld Munch`s Oddysee
– Kung Fu Chaos
– Starsky & Hutch
– State of Emergency
– Burnout 3: Takedown
– Rainbow Six 3 – online enabled
– Conflict: Desert Storm
– 007 Agent Under Fire
– American Chopper
– Project Gotham Racing
– Malice
– Gun Valkyrie
– Mad Dash Racing
– Battle Engine Aquila
– Apex
– Dark Summit
– Tony Hawk`s Underground
– Night Caster: Defeat the Darkness
– Splinter Cell: Stealth Action Redefined
– Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
– Pisoner of War
– BRAND NEW STILL IN PKGING – X2 Wolverine`s Revenge
– Star Wars the Clone Wars and Tetris World – online enabled
– Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick
– Monster Garage – online enabled
– Spider-man
– Azurik: Rise of Perathia
– Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers
– Dead to Rights
– Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
– NFL 2K3 – online enabled
– XSN Sports Top Spin – online enabled
– XSN Sports Links 2004 – online enabled
– Thirteen – online enabled
– Buffy the Vampire Slayer
– Enter the Matrix
– Syberia
– NFL Street
– Brute Force
– SpyHunter
– Blood Wake
– Rayman Arena
– Mission: Impossible M:I Operation Surma
– Ghost Recon – online enabled
– Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2
– NBA 2003 Inside Drive
– Rally Fusion
– The Thing
– Drag Racing 2004 – online enabled
– Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
– Invisible War
– All Star Baseball 2003
– Terminator: Dawn of Fate
– BMX XXX
– NFL Fever 2004 – online enabled
– Unreal II The Awakening – online enabled
– Tao Feng
– Reign of Fire
– Turok: Evolution
– Max Payne
– Kill Switch
– Red Dead Revolver
– Wreckless – The YaKuza Missions
– 007 Agent Under Fire
– UEFA Euro 2004 Portugal
– Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller
– Shenmue II
– RLH: Hunt or be hunted
– Night Caster II
– Cell Damage
– Genma Onimusha
– NCAA Football 2004
– Test Drive
– Solder of Fortune II
– Panzer Dragoon
– Amped Freestyle Snowboarding
– Unreal Championship
– Max Payne 2
– Transworld Snow Boarding
– Fuzion Frenzy
– Big Mutha Truckers
– Rogue Ops
– Tenchu – Return from Darkness
– Project Gothan Racing 2 – online enabled
– Jetset Radio Future
I haven’t seen this movie, but I know it’s about two ladies traveling the roads in their car and getting into trouble.
This is what I think about with Mom who has gone to visit Nanny for the week. I kept asking Mom what they had planned and she was very cryptic. She said something about hopping in the car and traveling around and asking if I knew how to put the odometers back on a car. I have this vision of that scene in Ferris Buehler when they try that. 😉
Anyhow, here’s to Mom and Nanny who probably won’t even read this until they are done their adventures to God knows where. Don’t get into too much trouble!
Who the heck are The Himalayans?
More importantly, who knows Adam Duritz?
Of course everyone knows the name Adam Duritz as the singer from Counting Crows. Counting Crows are the best band ever (except for the Smashing Pumpkins). They aren’t even on the same scale, but there. It’s been said. Much of my guitar playing is credited to the great songs of Counting Crows.
So before Counting Crows got together, Adam was bumming around looking for something exciting to do and he answered an ad in the paper asking for a singer of a band. This band became The Himalayans and I never knew about them until now as they re-released a remastered first (and only) album.
Turns out that the band was going to make it big but then Adam left to create Counting Crows. While this gets a little muddy in my brain, I guess there are some musicians out there that are in multiple bands and then decide to focus on one at a time. This is what happened here. Adam left for Counting Crows.
Now, what really piqued my curiosity about this album was the fact that it has turned out that Counting Crows Round Here was actually a COVER of the original which was recorded by The Himalayans! Imagine! So I picked up this album (only available from Adam’s new record label Tyrannosaurus Records if you want it) and am plesantly impressed with it.
I must admit that I have come a long way in my music tastes. I am more into the classic rock styles so this low-key alternative music isn’t exactly my thing anymore. But I managed to but my 1991 ballcap on my head and listen to the album as it should be listened to – with your frame of mind back then, and not in the year 2007.
In that, I find a great album with some great tracks intermixed with radio interviews. Essentially they wish to collect everything that the band was at this moment in time. It is strange to hear Adam sing to different songs and especially strange (yet cool) to hear the original Round Here. It’s rolling bass line holds the song in familiar territory. The album is worth picking up for this reason alone!
So there you have it. If you’re a Counting Crows fan and enjoy Adam’s great vocals, and won’t mind a different style of music from Counting Crows (but still clearly from the early 90s), then pick this album up.
Iplaying: Angels in American – The Himlayans (She Likes The Weather)
Is this a Linkin Park album or something else? Gone are the days of their hybrid of rap and rock (or nu-metal for those of you in the know). They have revamped their music entirely which I was a little scared of at first. Can a band still survive when they change their direction? I was hearing strange things from the studio – listening to a lot of Pink Floyd during the recording. How can Linkin Park survive an uprising from metal-esque screaming music to some laid back riffs?
Well, they managed to pull it off. This is definitely NOT the Linkin Park of old. Forget everything you know about them. Just appreciate this as a good album and you will love it. I cannot get this out of my stereo right now. There are some key tracks which I come back to (Valentine’s Day, Bleed It Out (which, coincidentally I heard on Saturday Night Live last week and thought it was the most horrible song ever. Clearly their live versino of the song doesn’t do it justice). They have the classic Chester vocals all over the place and a lot less of Mike Shinoda. Some of the tracks remind me of old Linkin Park (ala My December-like).
I thoroughly enjoy this album but prepare yourself for something entirely different from the Linkin Park you know and love. But you will enjoy this album if you enjoy some good music.
iplaying: Diamonds and Babies and Cars – The Himalayans (She Likes The Weather)
Hey, hey! A new Megadeth album is out! I’m sure my faithful readers know my love of Megadeth as the kings of heavy metal. I dig them more than Metallica, that’s a fer sure.
This is a follow-up to their The System Has Failed album which brought Megadeth back from the dead when there were fears that Dave Mustaine had put the beast to slumber due to him losing mobility in his arm. But he fought back and he is back with a vengeance with both his last album and this one.
I have listened to it a few times and I must say it may become one of my faves. As always, Megadeth have politicized lyrics and this album is no exception as we enter the atrocity of the current state of affairs. Their tunes Washington Is Next is reminiscent of Holy Wars (but not as good, of course!). They also re-record one of my favourite tunes – A Tout Le Monde featuring Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil on co-vocals. An excellent re-recording of the track although I prefer the solo from the original. It’s interesting to note that for the longest time everyone thought this was a song about suicide but it was really about a person facing their death – like an older person sitting there realizing that death is upon them. It’s an interesting note.
Overall, an excellent Megadeth album and I can see the new lineup in the band may become one of the better ones (alongside the classic lineup of Marty Friedman, Nick Menza and David Ellefson).
iplaying: She Likes The Weather – The Himalayans (She Likes The Weather)
I was introduced to Ted Leo and the Pharmacists by my co-worker Rob a few years ago with the Shake the Sheets album. It was a rocking album and I tend to listen to it while I’m out on a jog. Ever listen to the Strokes and it makes you feel like running? This is what this album makes you feel like. So when I heard there was a new album out from Ted Leo I scoured the entire city for it. Finally stumbling upon Music World in Orleans, I ended up with the copy with the limited edition EP along with it! Beauty!
It has some excellent tunes on it and I can see he is honing his songwriting ability. There are some good rocking tunes for the most part, and mixed up with a reggae tune and some sombre tunes makes for a decent album. I would have to say tht I enjoy Shake the Sheets better but if you are a fan of Ted Leo, I would recommend you pick up the album. I feel this will be my summer album as it has the feeling of hanging out on that porch with your friends on a sunny afternoon.
iplaying: Jaded – The Himalayans (She Likes The Weather)