How to fight loneliness

Vacation

ryan — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 04:48:00 +0000

UFC was still up when I got home from work. She’s on vacation until the new year. I can honestly say this is the most time we’ve spent with each other since I got back from camp. It’s pretty awesome. Tomorrow we’re going to see a movie at 11:15AM. Why? Because we can (also it’s like half price and we have no money).

More Music

ryan — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 14:21:00 +0000

I’ve been recently going through a Bob Dylan phase. It started with the “bio pic” I’m Not There and was followed by hearing the new bootleg disc. Since then I haven’t been able to get enough of the damn guy.

I used to know a guy in university who was obsessed with Dylan. He was always listening to him and going on about how good/revolutionary he was. I usually tuned him out. He’s like the guy in high school you knew who loved classic rock and couldn’t stop talking about it. He was probably a great guy, but you just couldn’t stand his taste in music. That’s how I felt about Dylan and this dude.

Anyway, these days I’m listening to Dylan while going through the some of the “best of” records of 2008. So far I’ve had a chance to listen to the TV on the Radio, Vivian Girls, and Q-Tip. They’re pretty good records.

Also, I forgot to add She & Him, Jenny Lewis, and Gnarls Barkley.

my favourite albums of 2008

ryan — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:22:00 +0000

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals – Cardinology
Ra Ra Riot – The Rhumb Line
Nick Cave – Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
T.I. – Paper Trails
Fleet Foxes – self-titled
Bonnie “Prince” Billy – Lie Down in the Light
Bob Dylan – The Bootleg Series Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs

So far that’s all I’ve got. Oddly enough I bought most of these records on CD. Not all of them but most.

Let it snow

ryan — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 06:23:00 +0000

I had previous written this post about getting in contact with people I had known a while ago. It was written before everyone and their mother was on Facebook. Of all the people on that list, I still haven’t gotten in contact with one person. Everyone else is my “friend”. Almost makes that post obsolete but it won’t get deleted. It does, however, let people figure out how who I am.

Why is this important? Well, I met someone at work who went to my high school (the co-worker is three years younger) AND one of the people on that list contact me via Facebook. So it worked.

It’s also snowing like a motherfucker.

MARCH 3rd!!!!

ryan — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 04:11:00 +0000

This is what I liked about Weezer

ryan — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 17:50:00 +0000

Rivers Cuomo – Can’t Stop Partying (from Alone 2: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo)

Why doesn’t the new Weezer record sound like this? Seriously? Also, it was written by Jermaine Dupri.

Okay, I totally know why (Pinkerton’s horrible record sales) but still…

Late Anniversary

ryan — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:20:00 +0000

Soy Candles! Is there anything they can’t do?

Once again December 6th has passed and I missed the chance to celebrate my blogiversary. Eight years! Crazy! While I don’t post as often as I did in previous years, I’m still trying to find things to talk about on a semi-regular schedule.

I’m still waiting for the day I crack the 1,000th post mark. Should be happening soon.

Check out the 6 year anniversary post.

American Boy

ryan — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:17:00 +0000

According to PopMatters, this video is the best single of the year. I’m not entirely sure. Can’t wait for the Pitchfork list.

don’t wanna be an american nerd

ryan — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 04:52:00 +0000

I’m currently reading a book called American Nerd: The Story of My People. It’s about nerds in America. It starts with the history of the nerd (the origins of the word, etc.), the politics of the nerd (stupid things like democrats versus republican), and personal anecdotes. It’s well written and easy to read but it makes me uncomfortable.

According to this book, I’m a nerd. It seems I’ve always been one. Since I was what is now called a “tween”. I’ve always read comic books, enjoy science-fiction, and learning about all and everything.

Yes, in high school I played in a punk rock band but I also played in the jazz band and was part of the pit band for the high school musical. Even my friends were less punk and more pop music nerds than anything else. We spent more time debating and arguing with each other than playing music. It was about who could find the most obscure/awesome new music. And mix tapes. And girls we couldn’t talk to. Very middle class, not very punk.

Hell, even our shows were more “performance art” than music shows (not that we knew what performance art was. We just thought we were punk rock). I probably spent more time trying to throw pies in people’s faces than playing music.

Even now, I’m still a nerd. I blog regularly, work in the history/political science section of a large corporate bookstore, and rarely engage in strenuous physical activity. My undergraduate degree is in semiotics and communication theory. I took philosophy courses not because I was good at it but because I enjoyed it. These are things I enjoy doing. I enjoy thinking. Does this make me a machine? Doubtful but then again anything is possible.

Like I’m fond of saying, I was only cool for five minutes in 1998 that was by accident. It had something to do with a punk rock show, potatoes, and almost all my friends.

Oh, and my girlfriend likes nerds… and Asian babies… and reading. She’s a little bit of a nerd herself. It’s kind of awesome.

Ubiquity

ryan — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 02:19:00 +0000

This is a totally cool application that I’m exactly sure how to use properly. I really do like the idea behind it. It’s totally awesome.

Someone want to explain it to me?