O Conan...

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Godspeed you in L.A., sir! Never forget who you are!

Bill Clinton is cool again.

Slick Willie the rational, fiscally conservative ex-Prez is BACK!
Courtesy Good Morning America/ABC News


A funny little Obama/Clinton extra below, just in case you're somehow nostalgic for the weird, inter-Democratic Party animosity of six months ago:

Bad taste, guys.

REAL bad taste.

Fuckers.

Mixtape Schmix no. 1 - The Low Jump-Off

In ramp up to tomorrow's Low show (haven't been this stoked about a live show in years!), here's a mix of tracks from Low's last four records:

Breaker (off 2007's Drums and Guns)
Silver Rider (off 2005's The Great Destroyer)
Dragonfly (off 2007's Drums and Guns)
Just Stand Back (off 2005's The Great Destroyer)
Dinosaur Act (off 2001's Things We Lost in the Fire)
Walk into the Sea (off 2005's The Great Destroyer)
Like a Forest (off 2001's Things We Lost in the Fire)
(That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace (off 2002's Trust)
Sandinista (off 2007's Drums and Guns)
Canada (off 2002's Trust)
California (off 2005's The Great Destroyer)
Everybody's Song (off 2005's The Great Destroyer)
Belarus (off 2007's Drums and Guns)
Whore (off 2001's Things We Lost in the Fire)
Murderer (off 2007's Drums and Guns)
Dust on the Window (off 2007's Drums and Guns)
Broadway (So Many People) (off 2005's The Great Destroyer)

Well, punta me culo...

Junot Diaz's reading at FSU last night (part of Seven Days of Opening Nights) was incredible. At first, I was like, "Oh fuck I don't know ANYBODY here." And, "This is so fucking bourgeious compared to a Warehouse reading." I was small talking for no reason with a guy who recognized me in the elevator. It was that bad.

Then Mark Hinson, a buddy o' mine who did this great article on Diaz's reading himself, came in with the HARDBACK, pre-Pulitzer, copy of "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" I lent him months back.

He got it signed for me.

Hinson is the man.

I'll snap a picture of the signature and what Diaz wrote to me and post on here later. It's worth seeing. (EDIT: Added up top.)

Usually, I wouldn't covet something like that. In fact, unless I know the author, kinda, I don't care all that much. But coming from Mark (who I didn't expect to return the book to me in a timely fashion much less, y'know, have Diaz SIGN IT FOR ME in absentia) it meant all the more. Plus, I didn't have to stand in the massive line for it after the reading, which was a plus.

Speaking of lines, the turnout was actually okay. Not what David Sedaris (whose show/career is sold out-- oh, snap!) is going to get or anything. Shit, they may as well pass out Borders Rewards cards and shake them down for public radio contributions while they've got all those old bookish liberals all in the same room.

But seriously, while I do want to see that reading, I would just not want to hang out with that kind of crowd, that sort of size and hell in that sort of large venue. Hence my worries about the upcoming Girl Talk concert.

Anyway, below is a video of selected clips from the lecture Diaz gave a small group of FSU english students yesterday afternoon at about 3 p.m.


Courtesy tallahassee.com

Btdubs: Some guy named Eric, a self-described "unpublished writer" (who I'm assuming is an English/Creative Writing student at FSU) blogged the video I've embedded above. Enjoy.

A quick insight into my psyche

On impulse, I made a musical/linguistic observation involving my iTunes music. Clicked the "Name" tab of the songs, putting them in alphabetical order, making no sense genre- or album-wise. Of course, that was the fun of it.

But more importantly, here's what I noticed: Many songs start from disparate artists start with the same, or very similar, first word. As I skimmed, I realized this not only was an insight into the timely and timeless creative resevoir of humanity but of myself, as well.

WTFz?!

Here's a (relatively) brief alphabetical list I compiled, giving: the word and/or its basic root use along with plurals, etc.; an explanation of its meaning, if need be; the part(s) of speech; and the number of times its used. I eliminated basic contraction pronouns and articles as first words and kept the unique ones with five mentions or more.

I kept the exclamations, however, because, well, why the hell not?

Have fun. You're going to learn so much about me.


ARM- (as in weaponry, adj./adv./n./v.) | 5
BIG (adj.) | 9
BLACK (adj.) | 7
BLUE (adj.) | 8
BRIGHT (adj.) | 5
BROKE(N) (adj.) | 9
CIRCLE(S) (n.) | 5
COLD- (adj.) | 6
DANCE- (v.) | 7
DAY- (n.) | 5
DEAD/DEATH (adj./n./v.) | 10
FIRST (adj.) | 6
GOD('S)/LORD (adj./n.) | 6
GOLD- (adj.) | 7
GOOD- (adj.) | 17
GREAT- (adj.) | 9
HAND- (n.) | 7
HEART- (n.) | 6
HERE('S) (adj./n.) | 5
HUNT- (n./v.) | 5
LA (article, non-English) | 8
LIFE (n.) | 5
LIGHT- (n.) | 5
LIL'/LITTLE (adj.)| 19
LIVE (adj./adv./v.)| 6
LONG (adj.) | 7
LOSING/LOST (adj./v.) | 10
LOVE (adj./n.) | 16
MEET (v.) | 5
MYSTERY (adj./n.) | 5
NEVER- (adv./n.) | 7
NIGHT (adj./n.) | 6
O (exc./n.) | 6
OH (exc.) | 12
OLD (adj.) | 6
ONE (adj./n.) | 14
PLAY(S) (v.) | 5
POOR (adj.) | 7
READY (adv.) | 6
REAL(ITY) (adj.) | 5
RED (adj.) | 7
RUN (n./v.) | 5
SLEEP- (adj./n.) | 9
SLOW (adj./adv.) | 7
SONG (n.) | 9
SOUND (n./v.) | 5
SOUTH (adj.)| 5
STREET- (adj.) | 5
SUMMER- (adj./n.) | 6
SWEET (adj./n.) | 6
TIME (n.) | 8
TWO (adj.) | 7
WALK- (adj./v.) | 7
WINDOW- (n./adj.) | 5
YOUNG (adj.) | 5