Wednesday, October 25, 2006

"Chinese Democracy" - Coming Soon?

I don't care how much you hate Guns n' Roses, you have to be intrigued by an album that was supposed to come out 10 YEARS AGO (that's over a third of my life thus far). And it looks like there are some juicy tidbits floating around the atmosphere indicating that it might really come out this year. Only "really" this time might actually mean really.

I bought Guns tickets in 2003, when they were supposedly going to be on a world tour. Of course, that was canceled and Axl went back into reclusivity, and I was pissed off. In fact, I'm sure I mentioned something about hating Guns before I popped in Use Your Illusion I and wept like a baby. In fact, I probably proclaimed that I'd never go to a Guns concert again for fear of Axl flaking out again or taking his trademark 2 hours to come out after the opening band (boo!). But I take it all back Axl, seriously! I am dying to hear this album. I will be at the store Radiohead-style to pick this thing up, and if you know me you know that's pretty significant.

Of course, seeing, hearing, and absorbing is believing in this case. I'll not only have had to purchase the CD, but actually listen to it, read the liner notes, and scoff at Axl's hideous dreadlocks immortalized in an album cover something like 123.52 times before I'll actually believe I possess the album. And that will take a while.

But certainly not another 10 years.

Misc.

Prepare to drop your jaw – the weathermen have been dead accurate for the last month. It blows me away. I blame everything on a climate that has been far too predictable lately – it’s just been giving the forecast away! Come on now, Mother Nature, put those dolts in their place.

Overreacting is highly annoying, unless it’s by me, of course. My apartment complex picks up trash on M/W/F. In the past, I’d put out the trash around 7:30, right before I leave for work, and it would be gone before I got home. A couple months ago, though, there was a trend starting where the trash would still be lying around the complex at 6:00 in the evening when I’d get home. The place was beginning to look like a dump, and I think that enough people complained (including me) that they decided to outsource the trash pickup to people other than their maintenance guys. Well, now the trash is being picked up at some mystery time before I’m awake. However, supposedly they’ll fine you $20 per bag for putting your bags out on the curb the night before. Riiiiight.

Miles the man, but he has no clue yet. He whimpers at the sight of dogs half his size and just sort of freezes up. He thinks he’s a lap-dog. He literally has no conception of how large he is – it’s hilarious. Example: “I can walk under this object because I’m a little puppy.” *Clunk* He bangs his head. When we throw him a tennis ball, he has a hard time picking it up because when he extends his paw to draw the ball closer to him, he “overshoots” it but has no idea why. I’m also fairly amused by how big his dumps are already. I think I’m going to need a much bigger bag…

Friday, October 20, 2006

"Kite"

"Rice 'n' Noodle"

A month or so ago, Monika and I received a flier for Rice 'n' Noodle, a new Thai restaurant. I was a bit skeptical given the cheesy name but the food is excellent. I've already been there 5 or 6 times over the past month for either the red or green curry, which has just the right level of spice and the classic hint of coconut milk. At lunchtime, for around $6 you get a salad and an egg roll to accompany your fine meal.

If you're in Fort Worth reading this, they are located on Camp Bowie near 820, across from the Chevy dealership, next to the 7-11.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

The Best Marching Band Performance EVER.

A marching band does Radiohead. Wow.

"The Departed"

If you don’t like blood, bullets, and bravado, do not see this movie.

Otherwise, get yourself to the theater.

Saturday, October 14, 2006

YES!

You can now find me and the boys sitting on the couch, watching some football, enjoying some drinks, RELAXING, and amazed by the fact that we're finished with out MBAs.

Disclaimer - 1/4 bottle of Crown now demolished - not responsible for blog contents at this point.

Friday, October 13, 2006

Mmm...Friday the 13th...

Friday the 13th is always a great day for me. My birthday occasionally falls on one (January) and the universe just seems to line up well on these days. I now have the windows open with pleasant 60-degree air pouring in (my friend Rajiv is shaking his fist as he reads this in Michigan) and

IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS I'LL FINISH MY MBA!

You can find me sitting on my couch tomorrow night, watching Texas football, feeling relieved.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

"Sam's Town"

Apparently there has been a lot of hype surrounding the new Killers album, including brash declarations of “the best album of the last 20 years” from their singer, Brandon Flowers. I’m glad I wasn’t aware of those statements when they were first said (I was most likely drowned in schoolwork), because they bother me less viewed in retrospect. Hype is typically overblown and wrong. When I purchased the new album, though, I tried to force any preconceived notion out of my head because, as I’ve mentioned before, the Killers’ first album was one song short of perfection, and there was no reason for this to be any different.

The short verdict is this: “Sam’s Town” is excellent, and one of the best albums I’ve heard this year – but it’s not quite as good as “Hot Fuss.”

What made “Hot Fuss” so excellent was the incredible consistency with which songs would immediately capture you and make you want to listen to them on repeat, over and over again. It took me a good week to get past the 4th song on that album because the opening songs were so fantastic that I just had to hear them again. “Sam’s Town” has a different feel to it from the first song, the title track, which ramps up in a grandiose sort of way. Whereas before we felt like we were about to go on a fun ride, this time we’re being told that we’re part of something really BIG. But that’s okay, because as soon as you hear “Why do you waste my time?” in the first chorus of the first song, you realize that a lot of these are going to be stuck in your head as well.

Of course, after the title track, we move on to the “Enterlude,” which is harmless but also useless. And come on, this isn’t a rap album featuring 46 tracks, 17 of which are songs and the rest is nonsense. We could do without the fluff and with a couple more real tracks. On a bright(side)er note, there are no songs on the album which totally suck, like “Everything Will Be Alright” from the first album. I’d point out a couple tracks that I don’t particularly care for at this point, but I’m know to be fickle and pull 180s on these things, so I’ll refrain. However, I will say that my favorite couple songs at the moment are “For Reasons Unknown” and “Read My Mind.” There has been a lot of talk about Flowers’ desire to channel The Boss and U2 on this album, and I have to say, when I heard “and these lips, they don’t kiss, they don’t kiss the way they used to” that’s the first time I heard Boss influence, and “When You Were Young” has a very obvious U2 feel about it. But they actually pull it off.

As a whole, The Killers shot for the sky on this one, and they didn’t get there. But they got pretty damn close. And at the end of the day, “Sam’s Town” is what I’m currently listening to, on repeat, over and over again.

Saturday, October 07, 2006

Back when I Had Time to Read...

I've been tagged by the Barmaid, so I must oblige.

First, I must warn you - I have read virtually nothing over the last two years (for leisure, that is) and generally, when I read, I am a sci-fi dork. Odd, but true.

One book that changed your life
1984

One book you've read more than once
The Lord of the Rings series (after the movies, I had to re-read these for a comparison. Like Chad mentioned on his blog, typically the movie pales in comparion to the books, but I had to do a double-take on these)

One book you'd want on a desert island
The Bible (don't interpret this as religious zealotry, by the way - it's more along the lines of the length, the diversity of stories, and the open-endedness of interpretations.)

One book that made you cry
Nothing I can think of (I tend to shy away from tragedies)

One book that made you laugh
The Dilbert Principal

One book that was best read as a child
The Wizard of Oz

One book you wish you had written
Ender's Game

One book you are currently reading
The Management Game handbook

One book you have been meaning to read
Rich Dad, Poor Dad

One book that rolls its eyes at you from your bookshelf
All the 800-page monsters recently written in the Dune series (they tell me the odds I'll finally get around to them are slim).

One book you are ashamed to admit to loving
I'm shamless (seriously)

One book that made you think
American Psycho

One person whose list I'd like to read
Kim!

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Madness!

Sometimes I’m mystified by the number of things I can do at once. I won’t go into boring details (I’m often told that I get far too “into the weeds” when rambling about work), but suffice it to say that I have a hearty chuckle when I think about how worthless I was as a new employee, but now run multiple tasks at once and somehow manage to keep it all straight in my head.

During said multi-tasking tonight, I made a quick trip to an Academy a couple miles or so away from work to buy a golf bag transporter case so my clubs can go with me to Nashville this weekend. Academy apparently sells exactly one type of case, which I purchased. As I approached the Vette, I had many doubts, but they waned slightly as I eyeballed the trunk. “Wow, this thing might actually fit,” I thought. I popped the trunk, and…damn, I needed a couple more inches of room. No dice. Oh, well, I’ll have to put the damn thing in the front seat.

Or not.

Last alternative – lean the front seat forward and lay the bag behind the passenger seats. And...nope. Unbe-freaking-lievable. Before you start berating me, rest assured that the vette can hold an uncanny amount of cargo. However, apparently it maxes out at something that’s 46” long and completely rigid. So, two minutes later, I returned the damn case. I’ll have to go back in the 4Runner later.

Speaking of golf, the last time I played was the day I got married – ah, the “Savage Thunder Open.” (But that’s another story) Since it’s been so long since I’ve played, I’ll probably be fairly awful this weekend, which would change my game by approximately nothing.

I’m drinking from a bottle of Dasani water right now. Of course, I refill these approximately 142 times before throwing them away – basically, I know it’s time to throw them away when I can visually discern aquatic life beginning to cultivate at the bottom of the bottle. I always wonder, though, who “invented” bottled water? I mean, the genius here is staggering. A bottle of water costs MORE than a Coke, and the Coke has “substance.” This begs the question – if you have equally-sized containers of water and Coke, but the Coke is cheaper, despite containing other ingredients, the implication to me is that pure water sells at a premium, which implies that Coke is syrup mixed with carbonated toxic waste. Think about it.

The new Red Hot Chili Peppers album is fantastic, and at $8.99 for a double-disc, you’re on the verge of insanity if you don’t purchase it. I’m rocking out to it as we speak. If you were put off by their last album which had an extra tablespoon of pansy, rest assured that “Stadium Arcadium” veers back toward the direction of the swaggering, funky Chili Peppers, which is where they really shine.

How many times do you guys wear pants before you wash them? Clearly one wear is over the top, you germ-o-phobe. Two, three? Duration also counts big-time here. You can get by with a good 5 rounds if you’re throwing them on to check the mail and then returning to clothing-freedom upon your return. If you were going commando-style, though, you better wash those pants…gross!

Before I consume the banana in front of me, I’d like to give a shout-out to Maria Sharapova – you rule because you’ve won two Slams (Wimbledon and the US Open), you’re pretty as a picture (at least, Nike says so), you grunt louder than Sam Kenison would if his cheeseburger were pilfered, and last but not least, you apparently can’t figure out by yourself when it’s time to eat a freaking banana. Pa-thetic (for those of you not in the know, there was a lengthy debacle during the Open because she and her coach/dad were clearly signaling each other, and she claimed it was to remind her to eat, you know, because in the heat of competition she can’t possibly remember to eat on her own volition).

This post has been brought to you by Wacky Badger Productions:

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Mmmm/Puppies!

-Tonight, Monika won the "Best Chef Ever in the History of the Universe Award." It came in recognition of her cumulative feats of myth and legend in the kitchen. It comes as no surprise, though, seeing as how she is the best chef ever in the history of the universe! Remember to check "cooking lessons" on the right if you're in need of yummy recipes (although you'll never be able to make them like she does :)). It's absolutely ridiculous how well I eat.

-We're adding to the family in a few weeks! Say hello to our Rhodesian Ridgeback:
















Yay! Puppies!

I'll reveal his name in a few weeks once we actually have him in our possession, plus many more pictures.

Monday, October 02, 2006

Misc.

Yesterday, one of my friends said I look “tan,” and I just about fell over and died on the spot. You see, “tan” and “Adam” never go together, let alone in the same sentence. I don’t tan, I burn. And then I go from burnt back to pale. That’s just the way it works. Conan O’Brien joked a few months ago about how his family crest is adorned with bottles of sunscreen, and the same applies for me. So needless to say, “tan Adam” comes as a shock to me. Apparently during the 8-mile hell-trek yesterday, wherein I began wearing my typical long-sleeve-sun-blocking Nike Dri-Fit shirt but had to remove it halfway to avoid keeling over and dying in the 95-degree heat, some sunlight penetrated by thick slab of SPF-30 sunblock and turned my skin from “pale” to “less pale.”

Last night I saw Alice in Chains live. Come again, you say? Their lead singer has been dead for 4 years, you say? Yep – they are touring with William DuVall, a guy from a band you’ve probably never heard of who sounds quite a bit like Layne Staley.

Let me pause a moment to describe the full-circle nature of this concert. AIC were slated to be my first concert ever back in 1993-ish, when they were touring with Metallica and Suicidal Tendencies. At the last minute, AIC pulled out due to Layne overdosing (big shocker). I never got another chance to see them live, because I’m fairly sure they never toured anywhere in the vicinity. Needless to say, I was incredibly happy to hear I’d get another shot last night.

The concert was awesome. They played everything I really wanted to hear, including “Nutshell,” although that was one of the only moments where I really missed Layne’s voice. For the most part, however, DuVall did a fantastic impersonation. When he was harmonizing with Jerry Cantrell, it almost sounded like the real thing.

One of the best aspects of the show was the general vibe between the band and the crowd. The band members clearly loved every moment of the show, and the crowd was incredibly excited, fists pumping and totally engaged with every song. At one point early in the set, some asshole threw a cup of beer up on stage between songs, and Jerry Cantrell said “hey man, if you don’t like it, you can just get the fuck out of here” to riotous applause from the crowd. They Jerry said to William “someone’s always gotta be a dick,” amusingly referring to a slogan printed on the back of one of the shirts for sale at the merchandise stand. They had a good chuckle, and so did I.

Attention concertgoers: why would you ever throw a cup of beer at the stage? Let’s see: you paid $8 for that cup of beer, so you obviously don’t value your money. Or your beer. Did you actually buy the beer as a projectile, and not as a drink? Of course, then there’s the even-more-obvious fact that you paid $40 to get into the concert including the $15 Ticketmaster-bending-you-over-charge, plus $12 for parking, and now you’re HARASSING THE BAND YOU PAID MONEY TO SEE. What the hell is your problem?! To quote Jackie Chan from “Rumble in the Bronx,” “Don’t you know you are the scum of the earth?”