I certainly can't complain that my birthday was boring.
The day before my birthday Erica and I called it quits (actually it was pretty much her idea). We were actually on our way to the fabulous steak & salmon dinner prepared by my gourmet stepfather. Dinner itself was good. My friends and I totally bloated ourselves and I didn't even get to the chocolate fountain. It was better than moons over my hammy.
I had to work on my birthday. We had to write and record a couple of commercials. Not too big a deal, but this was the first time I had done new live production work in the studio. Anyway, after figuring everything out and loading it into the system I got out of there at 6:30. I should have told them it was my birthday.
The state actually sent me some gifts. I got my new driver's license in the mail. I'll have to scan it in here when my scanner is working. I look pretty stoned. I think it was because I had to hang out at the license place for an hour and a half. The state also sent me a trial summons over an old speeding ticket.
By the time I got home I had just enought time to set up the easy-chair I took from my parents and clean the house for my own party. My people did a good job of getting food and people there. I gave Maria a hard time about the lack of cups and the inclusion of German chocolate cake and drumstick ice cream cones (neither of which I completely appreciate). They were a huge hit, however, so no difference. Plenty of people showed up (most of them knew who I was), even though I didn't really get the word out. I was going to tell everyone myself, but the time just got away from me. I did have time to burn a cd to play specifically during the festivities. Here's the track listing:
1. A Little Respect - Erasure
2. Secret - O.M.D.
3. Inbetween Days - The Cure
4. I Wanna Be a Cowboy - Boys Don't Cry
5. Wild Wild West - The Escape Club
6. Underneath the Radar - Underworld
7. Venus - Bananarama
8. Take Me Now - Vicious Pink
9. Situation - Yaz
10. Desperate But Not Serious - Adam Ant
11. Johnny Q - Crazy 8's
12. Master and Servant - Depeche Mode
13. Party at Ground Zero - Fishbone
14. When the World Falls Down - David Bowie
15. Father Figure - George Michael
16. Riders in the Night - Freur
As you can see, I made a pretty hard attempt to keep an 80's theme. I also had one tv showing Flash Gordon and another just showing Depeche Mode videos.
I cleaned up with gifts. My parents sent me home with a 25 gallon container of food. I got a litte remote control car, a Barnes and Noble gift certificate, a Virgin gift certificate, Can't Buy Me Love on DVD, Songbook, by Nick Hornby, Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges Into Hollywood and 14,000 Things to be Happy About. Maria gave me the last book. She put it in this Apple Store bag that I just can't get enough of. It feels real slippery. The bag might be the best thing I got.
So anyway I went back to normal today. Today was actually the last day I had to use my $10 coupon for Happy Sumo. Erica and I went. I suppose I could spend a lot of space here detailing how we're not dating, but still close, but still complicated. I don't think I will, though.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Thursday, February 23, 2006
beautiful (birth)day
Before I forget, I just want to announce that my birthday is on Monday and everyone is invited over to my house to celebrate. Come over at about 9 p.m. I'm guessing. There might not be cake, but there will be eighties music.
If you're wondering what to get me, I need a new briefcase, restaurant gift certificates are always nice, a new suit, ummmm... shoot. Just look here for what I wanted for Christmas. Don't get me the bathrobe, the shoes, Home Movies, the PS2 controller, Auto Repair for Dummies or Fargo Rock City.
It was a very very beautiful day yesterday. I was going to write about it, but I didn't get around to it. I was so excited to go home to Salt Lake and on the way there the radio played "Where the Streets Have No Name." Maybe it would have been ideal to hear "Beautiful Day." It was pretty fitting nonetheless, because the song is actually about Salt Lake City itself, which was where I was driving to. Obviously. Lots of people aren't aware that the song is about Salt Lake, but it's true and relevant especially in light of the Winter Olympics.
Let's break down the lyrics a little.
There are many LDS churches here built for the purpose of showing love to God. Unfortunately, many are victims of arson. Okay, fine, that was a reach. Anyway "going with someone" in this context could mean the importance of temple marriage (which is actually what the entirety of the song "One" is about if you listen to the words).
The area to the west of Salt Lake is called the Bonneville Salt Flats. This dusty area is open enough to be an amazing wind catalyst.
Cool, huh? Bet you didn't know all that.
Come to my birthday party.
If you're wondering what to get me, I need a new briefcase, restaurant gift certificates are always nice, a new suit, ummmm... shoot. Just look here for what I wanted for Christmas. Don't get me the bathrobe, the shoes, Home Movies, the PS2 controller, Auto Repair for Dummies or Fargo Rock City.
It was a very very beautiful day yesterday. I was going to write about it, but I didn't get around to it. I was so excited to go home to Salt Lake and on the way there the radio played "Where the Streets Have No Name." Maybe it would have been ideal to hear "Beautiful Day." It was pretty fitting nonetheless, because the song is actually about Salt Lake City itself, which was where I was driving to. Obviously. Lots of people aren't aware that the song is about Salt Lake, but it's true and relevant especially in light of the Winter Olympics.
Let's break down the lyrics a little.
I wanna reach outThe title part of the song is very significant. Where is a flame so brilliant and inspiring that it would lead someone to physically strive to achieve it (perhaps by exhibiting incredible feats of strength and prowess)? The answer is wherever the Olympic flame is burning. Where was an Olympic flame burning over streets with no names? Salt Lake City 2002. There aren't too many places in the world where the streets don't have names. Salt Lake City is notorious for having the huge grid system where all the streets are numbered instead of named. This is very significant even though the song was actually written 15 years before the Olympics came to Salt Lake. Inspiring!
And touch the flame
Where the streets have no name
I wanna feel sunlight on my face
I see the dust cloud disappear without a trace
Salt Lake City is also famous for its inversion. When the inversion (dust cloud)
lifts, the sun is absolutely brilliant.
I wanna take shelter from the poison rainAlthough it's sort of polluted here, I've never known Salt Lake to have any acid rain.
Where the streets have no name
We're still building
Then burning down love,
Burning down love
And when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do
There are many LDS churches here built for the purpose of showing love to God. Unfortunately, many are victims of arson. Okay, fine, that was a reach. Anyway "going with someone" in this context could mean the importance of temple marriage (which is actually what the entirety of the song "One" is about if you listen to the words).
The city's a floodMany may be too young to remember the famous Salt Lake City flood of '83. The rust, however, is eternal with all the salt on the roads in winter.
And our love turns to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Trampled in dust
The area to the west of Salt Lake is called the Bonneville Salt Flats. This dusty area is open enough to be an amazing wind catalyst.
I'll show you a placePerhaps most obvious of all is the fact that this city with nameless streets is not only a desert, but a desert with a very high, mountainous altitude.
High on a desert plain
Where the streets have no name
Cool, huh? Bet you didn't know all that.
Come to my birthday party.
Monday, February 20, 2006
labor and love and lucre and lust
So Stephanie Stephan (real name!) recently told me that she never sees me anymore and all she knows is what I write on the blog. I think she was complaining that I wasn't around much, but I'm going to take it to mean that I should update this thing more often.
This past week has been very monumental.
I went to a radio job interview in Provo last monday with the full intention of saying to them, "Listen, you're very kind, but I spent all last year driving back and forth to Provo, losing money in the process, so I'll be leaving now." Instead, they told me I'd actually making $12 MORE an hour than my last radio job. I guess it's not that much considering when my last radio job told me how much I'd be making the first thing I said was, "Is that legal?" Anyway, this new place hired me on the spot and started me three days later. For some reason I've been going through tremendous anxiety over the whole thing. Charlotte, my ex-girlfriend, told me to not worry. Apparently, all our jobs ever do is make our bosses rich, so I shouldn't freak out about my job so much. Incidently, the radio program I'm now producing is called Free Capitalist Radio and Ayn Rand is a major contributor. Listen to it from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at www.freecapitalist.com or on 630 AM.
So the day after I started the new job, I fulfilled my life-long dream of going to a monster truck rally. When my friends wanted to go out to eat, I bowed out since Erica and I had plans to stay in and watch a movie. I felt bad for being the only one to leave the party, but I really looked forward to seeing Erica. Anyway, I guess I have a girlfriend now. These are troubling and confusing times for dating, so maybe I shouldn't jump the gun here. I will say, however, that we did kiss and we did tell each other that we liked each other, so that's got to be worth something. I mentioned before that Erica and I have known each other for some time. I met her when she was 15. That means that I'm just like that horrible guy in Memoirs of a Geisha (which i talk about a little right here). Anyway, not only is Erica incredibly sexy, but we finished last Sunday's crossword puzzle AND cryptoquip together. I'll be speaking of her often.
I watched Crimes and Misdemeanors with Erica a couple of days before we started dating. I've been meaning to mention for a long time that for the past few months I've really felt like watching it. It might be my favorite Woody Allen movie. Most people really like the main story which deals with Martin Landau (***spoiler alert***) coming to terms with the fact that he had his mistress murdered. Personally, I like the other story line which deals with Woody Allen as a struggling filmmaker pining over Mia Farrow. In the end he loses her to Alan Alda, an evil television executive. I kind of need movies like that to tell me that just because I'm cool and poor, it doesn't mean the women will flock to me. Of course, two days later I get Erica. Anyway, this last time I saw the movie I noticed the continuous mentioning of "living in the real world." What that meant in this particular movie is that people need to only look after themselves. If someone gets in our way, we need to subdue them in any way we can. I always thought that Woody's point is that there is nothing that stops us from doing so, so we need to be extra careful to not just care for ourselves.
Erica and I watched Match Point on Saturday. I try not to watch R-rated movies. Usually when I do, I don't tell people I do so that it seems like I don't support films that don't quite uphold the standards I pretend to uphold. I realize that this is probably a bad way to go. So, while I'm still avoiding most R-rated movies, I will tell you every single one that I see. That way everyone else can keep me in check. I really liked Match Point. Strangely, it was a whole lot like Crimes and Misdemeanors which was made way back in 1989 (it's kind of a big coincidence that I watched both movies in the same week). It was good because it was very squirmy. Toward the end, I got incredibly tense. If you needed to choose between greed and lust, which would you choose? It snowed hard that night, I remember. What a weird week.
This past week has been very monumental.
I went to a radio job interview in Provo last monday with the full intention of saying to them, "Listen, you're very kind, but I spent all last year driving back and forth to Provo, losing money in the process, so I'll be leaving now." Instead, they told me I'd actually making $12 MORE an hour than my last radio job. I guess it's not that much considering when my last radio job told me how much I'd be making the first thing I said was, "Is that legal?" Anyway, this new place hired me on the spot and started me three days later. For some reason I've been going through tremendous anxiety over the whole thing. Charlotte, my ex-girlfriend, told me to not worry. Apparently, all our jobs ever do is make our bosses rich, so I shouldn't freak out about my job so much. Incidently, the radio program I'm now producing is called Free Capitalist Radio and Ayn Rand is a major contributor. Listen to it from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at www.freecapitalist.com or on 630 AM.
So the day after I started the new job, I fulfilled my life-long dream of going to a monster truck rally. When my friends wanted to go out to eat, I bowed out since Erica and I had plans to stay in and watch a movie. I felt bad for being the only one to leave the party, but I really looked forward to seeing Erica. Anyway, I guess I have a girlfriend now. These are troubling and confusing times for dating, so maybe I shouldn't jump the gun here. I will say, however, that we did kiss and we did tell each other that we liked each other, so that's got to be worth something. I mentioned before that Erica and I have known each other for some time. I met her when she was 15. That means that I'm just like that horrible guy in Memoirs of a Geisha (which i talk about a little right here). Anyway, not only is Erica incredibly sexy, but we finished last Sunday's crossword puzzle AND cryptoquip together. I'll be speaking of her often.
I watched Crimes and Misdemeanors with Erica a couple of days before we started dating. I've been meaning to mention for a long time that for the past few months I've really felt like watching it. It might be my favorite Woody Allen movie. Most people really like the main story which deals with Martin Landau (***spoiler alert***) coming to terms with the fact that he had his mistress murdered. Personally, I like the other story line which deals with Woody Allen as a struggling filmmaker pining over Mia Farrow. In the end he loses her to Alan Alda, an evil television executive. I kind of need movies like that to tell me that just because I'm cool and poor, it doesn't mean the women will flock to me. Of course, two days later I get Erica. Anyway, this last time I saw the movie I noticed the continuous mentioning of "living in the real world." What that meant in this particular movie is that people need to only look after themselves. If someone gets in our way, we need to subdue them in any way we can. I always thought that Woody's point is that there is nothing that stops us from doing so, so we need to be extra careful to not just care for ourselves.
Erica and I watched Match Point on Saturday. I try not to watch R-rated movies. Usually when I do, I don't tell people I do so that it seems like I don't support films that don't quite uphold the standards I pretend to uphold. I realize that this is probably a bad way to go. So, while I'm still avoiding most R-rated movies, I will tell you every single one that I see. That way everyone else can keep me in check. I really liked Match Point. Strangely, it was a whole lot like Crimes and Misdemeanors which was made way back in 1989 (it's kind of a big coincidence that I watched both movies in the same week). It was good because it was very squirmy. Toward the end, I got incredibly tense. If you needed to choose between greed and lust, which would you choose? It snowed hard that night, I remember. What a weird week.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
eye heart
I've decided to stop making fun of Dick Cheney. He totally might blow my head off.
If anybody recorded the two hours of Arrested Development that ran on Friday, please please get it to me. Actually, I think I have a copy in the bag, but it might not be until next month. Recently, my good friend Erica moved into town. I met her nearly ten years ago when two of my best friends got married. One of those people happened to be Erica's sister (see the side link on the right that says "Ammon and Heather's blog"). So anyway, this girl is back in town and reminds me an awful lot of The O.C. where Marissa's sister Caitlin comes back into town as a very mature 15-year-old and totally shakes things up with her newfound womanly presence. Erica totally won't like that analogy since she's a much bigger fan of Laguna Beach. Also she was 15 when I met her. Anyway, Erica may have persueded her sister (my friend Heather) to send us a copy of Arrested Development. Having her back has been totally delightful. Here's a picture of Erica circa (I'm guessing) 1985. She must have been about three years old when this picture was taken.
If anybody recorded the two hours of Arrested Development that ran on Friday, please please get it to me. Actually, I think I have a copy in the bag, but it might not be until next month. Recently, my good friend Erica moved into town. I met her nearly ten years ago when two of my best friends got married. One of those people happened to be Erica's sister (see the side link on the right that says "Ammon and Heather's blog"). So anyway, this girl is back in town and reminds me an awful lot of The O.C. where Marissa's sister Caitlin comes back into town as a very mature 15-year-old and totally shakes things up with her newfound womanly presence. Erica totally won't like that analogy since she's a much bigger fan of Laguna Beach. Also she was 15 when I met her. Anyway, Erica may have persueded her sister (my friend Heather) to send us a copy of Arrested Development. Having her back has been totally delightful. Here's a picture of Erica circa (I'm guessing) 1985. She must have been about three years old when this picture was taken.
We were going to record AD, but my roommate Joe decided to record the opening ceremonies of the Olympics instead. I didn't watch them, but I heard this year's opening ceremonies were the weirdest ever. "Imagine" is vividly about communism.
So Valentine's Day is tomorrow (actually, it's past midnight, so I guess it's today... happy VD!). Don't get a girl one of those Vermont Teddy Bears. Their big commercial catch phrase is that the bears are the only things that you can do next day delivery. They're pretty much saying that a Vermont Teddy Bear is a last resort, so your girl will totally see through your lack of planning.
This year I'm taking in my good friend Alecia. I'm not taking her out; we're watching a movie inside. I don't go out for Valentine's. Too crowded. Not romantic at all. It's totally like herding cattle at all the restaurants. Yeah, her name is Alecia, pronounced all-eeee-si-a. Don't mispronounce her name. Unfortunately, she was named a name that isn't Alicia, so she has to differentiate the two throughout her life. It's kind of how I have to do the same thing with Jon and John. We're probably going to grab a pizza and watch either Roman Holiday or Casablanca. I also have special gifts planned, but I don't want to give things away just yet. I don't have a picture of Alecia, but here's a picture of that girl in from the new When a Stranger Calls movie. They look very similar.
I've been doing pretty well for Valentine's. After this one I will have gone out three years in a row (see here and here)! I'm still decorating the place with black hearts, though.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
my hard is breaking down
A couple of days ago I listened to one of my favorite songs by Caesars: "My Heart Is Breaking Down." It made me wonder a little bit about Barney Clarke. Remember that guy? He was from Utah and he was the first guy to receive an artificial heart. He lived with it for a week or a month or something. Did you ever wonder how an artificial heart affected him emotionally? For that short time, he had the heart of a robot. Do you suppose his wife asked him if he still loved her and he unfortunately replied "My heart is breaking down. I'm sorry, but I have an artificial heart. How can I love with something so plastic?"
On the other hand, maybe the machines are our souls. I've said many times that my amount of energy is directly related to the amount of battery left in my cell phone. Speaking of which, the camera broke on the stupid thing. This is added to the fact that my computer is still broke. Without a computer, I can't use my other appendages, like my video camera and mp3 player. I took the computer in yesterday and today they informed me that the hard drive is failing. What do you suppose the hard drive is, the heart or the brain? In either case I've been very disoriented and unstable.
Remember the panic of 1837? I think it was 1837. I don't know anything about finance, but I think the deal with this period in history is that rumors spread that money wasn't safe in banks, so everyone made a run to the banks, withdrew everything and left nothing for those who didn't make it in time. If everyone looked at the big picture, they would have realized that acting on the panic wsn't a good idea. It's easy for us to say that when we're not panicking of course. It's just hard not to panic when you see everyone around you running toward the same thing. I may have to check my facts.
I was going to say about a month ago that I sensed something sinister on the horizon. I was going to tell everyone I knew to watch out. I don't know what for, but watch out. It was just a feeling. Probably means nothing for all of us. Mom, I know you're reading this. Don't freak out. It's just me sayin' stuff.
On the other hand, maybe the machines are our souls. I've said many times that my amount of energy is directly related to the amount of battery left in my cell phone. Speaking of which, the camera broke on the stupid thing. This is added to the fact that my computer is still broke. Without a computer, I can't use my other appendages, like my video camera and mp3 player. I took the computer in yesterday and today they informed me that the hard drive is failing. What do you suppose the hard drive is, the heart or the brain? In either case I've been very disoriented and unstable.
Remember the panic of 1837? I think it was 1837. I don't know anything about finance, but I think the deal with this period in history is that rumors spread that money wasn't safe in banks, so everyone made a run to the banks, withdrew everything and left nothing for those who didn't make it in time. If everyone looked at the big picture, they would have realized that acting on the panic wsn't a good idea. It's easy for us to say that when we're not panicking of course. It's just hard not to panic when you see everyone around you running toward the same thing. I may have to check my facts.
I was going to say about a month ago that I sensed something sinister on the horizon. I was going to tell everyone I knew to watch out. I don't know what for, but watch out. It was just a feeling. Probably means nothing for all of us. Mom, I know you're reading this. Don't freak out. It's just me sayin' stuff.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
continental drift whiplash
...No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were. Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee...
The above is from "Meditation XVII" by John Donne, in case you're interested. Ever see that one Far Side where natives are trying to build huts on the floating guy? Anyway, I sure wish I was (were? crap. i think it is were) an island sometimes. so nice. I can't stand affecting people and i really hate the effect they have on me. I treat people very subtley, but my treatments still make me the most horrible person in the world. Worse than Hitler. Oh well, good thing I'm all continental today, though. My computer just broke again and I need to use my roommate's.
Hey, why does my computer break all the time? Am I being punished? I suppose I could just be negligent, but even if I don't take care about the thing, I worry about it all the time!
It was Mozart's birthday a few days ago. I celebrated the occassion by falling asleep to Amadeus. I celebrated my birthday early by snuggling up with a beautiful girl and watching one of my favorite romantic movies: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. That's probably worth a post in itself, so prepare for it.
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