Matt Stuart Shoots People

You may not know Matt Stuart. Even when I had known of Matt Stuart, I didn't know Matt Stuart. I guess I still don't really know Matt Stuart. But I do know that Matt Stuart shoots people.

Matt Stuart is a photographer focusing on people on the street during their everyday lives. He has been described as "making big city life look so much more ironic and interesting than it is. It would take the average Joe a lifetime to capture the moments that reel off his website. He'd be the ideal wedding photographer for a marriage to oneself."

On Matt's website ( http://www.mattstuart.com ) he says of himself, "I am not sure which came first, being nosey or an interest in "street photography" but a fascination with people and the way they live their lives is why I enjoy the business so much. I can't hide behind lights and technology, I am reliant on a small camera, patience, and lots of optimism. But what I get in return is the chance to make an honest picture which people know immediately is an honest moment and which hopefully burrows deep into their memories."

Today I was posed an intriguing question and I'd like to take sometime to think about it. The question that I was asked was to think about your own life. Think about the greatest thing you have ever done, and think about the worst thing you have ever done. Try to remember what motivated you to do the former, and try to remember what motivated you to do the latter. How similar are these two motives?

Now this really struck me in several different ways. First, I tried to think of both the greatest and worst things I've ever done. Not an easy task by any means. I like to think that my greatest accomplishments have yet to come, and that my worst mistakes are behind me but there is a decent chance that neither of these statements are true. Picking out a single moment in your life and calling that one moment your greatest accomplishment just seems depressing. Either way, that is irrelevant to the second part of this question. What motivates us to do the things we do? Is it personal justification? Is it social approval? Whatever it may be, motivation is what keeps us going on a day to day basis. In my own experiences I'd say that its a combination of both. But sometimes are own motivation gets in the way of our relationships with others. It can push us to do things that are out of our moral boundaries in hope to better ourselves. So how should we feel about motivation? Is it the greatest feeling that we can have because it continues us to progress or is it the worst thing we can imagine due to its overwhelming ability to cause us to compromise our own personal beliefs. I won't get any more involved with this question because I find it more of a personal dilemma, but take a minute to really think about this for yourself. Keep striving for success, keep striving for improvement, but remember not to let motivation get in your way at the same time.

Merry Christmas Ever. Have a happy holiday everyone.

Us Placers Video

I love this video. Lupe, Kanye, Pharell...

Primary Flight

Here's a video I picked up off of the Wooster Collective. Some serious shit goin down in Miami, FL. This is what its about. London Police represent. Lupe Fiasco represent. Hold it down.

BROOKLYNBASEMENT

Travis McCoy, MC for the band Gym Class Heroes, has a new side project known as Tequila Mockingbird consisting of Travis and Nick Scimeca. Here's what Travis has to say about the song on his blog.

"So Nick Scimeca( my white slave roach) and myself have joined forces to create TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRD, our new side project, just to give you a taste, here is a song from the ep we plan on putting out really soon, The songs called BROOKLYNBASEMENT, it came from living in louis logic’s basement in bushwick, it was soooooo cozy and soooooooo depressing, kind of like this song…. "



Zak and Brettt arrive back in the Cut 2day.

Be True To Your Dunks

Walk Hard

The Cool on The Leak

Visit MTV's The Leak to hear Lupe Fiasco's new album The Cool in its entirety. The Cool drops on December 18th.

Jackie Moon Is A Player

" I saw it on TV a couple times and thought, I could do that."

I'm On The Dyno WIth The Black Mags

Cool Kids still killin it. Chi-town hip-hop.

Nike Fall '08

Well this is the first line of Nike SB products that as a full line I really like. The black t-shirt is perfect. P-Rod 2 Highs are fire. And both pairs of mids are pretty legit. The only disappointment really in my opinion is the dunk high. Might be breakin the bank on this one. Click on any image for a larger image.

Snoop Dogg x Boogie Nights

The Doggfather at his finest

Lost At Sea. Late At Night.

With each day it has become more and more apparent that the cold harsh winter draws closer. It's days like today when I wish I was out in California not having to worry about going out in this weather. The other day I went out and bought the new Thursday cd/dvd "Kill The House Lights". The CD portion of the set is nothing amazing although it does feature a live version of Signals Over The Air and the demo version of Paris In Flames. The DVD portion of the set on the other hand is everything I could've hoped for, the DVD is about 2 hours long and features live footage of the band throughout their career and approximately 40 minutes of documentary footage for each of the bands 4 CDs. If you consider yourself a fan of Thursday then you'll definitely need to go pick this up.

On a much sadder note, Casey Calvert, guitarist for Hawthorne Heights passed away in his sleep last week. I had the privilege of meeting Casey on several occasions and can attest that he was an amazing person. He managed to always seem to be in a good mood and all around happy person as well as being a talented musician. Unfortunately there have also been other deaths in the family that I'd rather not go into but the holiday season has already had its fair share of loss. So I'd like to take this time to express my sympathy for all of those that we've lost and wish that everyone stays happy and safe through the season.

I Got It For Cheap... That's The Re-Up Anthem

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. Having a break from work and school really has been amazing. It was good to see everyone over break and now that school is about to start again it's only a matter of time until winter break is here.

If you are a fan of jazz or hip-hop I have a great new band for you. The Re-Up was formed by students at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA including Drew Plourd of Newington, CT on trumpet. They bring a new sound to the music scene that takes a hip-hop style and infuses it with a sophistication and vibrance that jazz offers to come through with what can only be classified as "too good to be called pop".




Check these guys out and then tell everyone you know to do the same. Visit the Re-Up at Myspace or join the facebook group Here. The Re-Up is interested in playing shows for you, so if you are looking to have a party or a concert please get in touch with them.

Midnight On A Beach In The Mediterranean....And I Miss You

Over the past few days work has really taken over the majority of my time. I've been too busy to really even stay in contact with a lot of the people that mean the most to me. Those people that I have been lucky enough to spend time with lately have really made things easier. Having a full schedule is much less stressful when the time you do come across is spent worry free with people you can just get along with. Hopefully, this upcoming Thanksgiving break will give me not only a chance to get away from work for a few days but also to see those that I don't get to frequently.

Other than my busy schedule though things have been great. Moving out might have been the best decision that I've made in a while and I feel like after a long stagnant stretch of time I'm finally moving forward with myself. I've been looking to get back into doing some design work and over a bit of conversing with some friends will be having a sneaker design competition. For any information you can talk to Pregler about it, I really don't have much to offer.

Anyways, I don't really have much else to say. I'm sorry to anyone that is reading this whom I haven't talked to lately. Feel free to try and give me a call or leave me a message and I'll do my best to get back to you.



An artist is someone who produces things that people don't need to have but that he - for some reason - thinks it would be a good idea to give them. - Andy Warhol

We The Dope Boys Of The Year

New hot single. New hot video. Same hot soundtrack.

G's Up, Pencils Down

Ghostwriters on strike.

Ghostwriters On Strike from jeff on Vimeo.

The Cool pt. 2

The Cool is coming baby. Lupe is jus killin it.



And while we're talking about Cool, check out The Cool Kids. Sometimes it seems like people try to hard bringing back 80s style. I mean sure some good things came out the 80s....Back To The Future, Run DMC, Crack, but whatever. Anyways, these guys have solid 80's style beats but come with a sound that is fire. Check em out at their myspace, http://www.myspace.com/gocoolkids

The Future Is Belligerent And So Am I

The past week has been filled with working, going to school, and partying at pretty much any available moment. Such a lifestyle begins to where you down after a while and now that the weekend is here I'm starting to feel such affects. Either way, in times like these, there's nothing to do but keep going. Live life to the fullest.

As you may or may not know, the Nineteen Eighty Eight art gallery located in Los Angeles, CA and San Franciso, CA may be my favorite art gallery in America. Each of the artists on display at both galleries has an amazing ability of using color and personal style to portray a message through their art. One artist that is especially good at this is Joe Ledbetter, whose artistic styling can't help but remind you of Luke Chueh or Thomas Han (both of whom have pieces on display at the same gallery.) Below are a few prints of his, more can be seen at the Nineteen Eighty Eight website.

The World Burns But We Still Breathe...

As you may or may not have heard, all members of The Dear Hunter have recently quit the band excluding of course Casey and the very talented guitarist Erick Serna. As much as this was a devastating loss, Sam & Luke Dent were both very talented, I can't think of the bass players name off hand but he was also pretty cool, you have to assume very little will be lost as Casey is still the driving force behind the band. I guess this goes to show that Casey truely is a difficult person to work with but that surely doesn't take away from his ability to make breath-taking music. Anyways, here's the video for The Church And The Dime, the first music video The Dear Hunter has released featuring all original members.

Brohemian Rhapsody

Remember, Remember The 5th of November

Happy Guy Fawkes Day everybody. If you are unaware of the significance of Guy Fawkes or the 5th of November, it was on this very day that Guy, an English Roman Catholic attempted to blow up the House of Parliament and kill King James I and by doing so ending the protestant aristocracy. This attempted act became known as the Gunpower Plot. However, Fawkes was captured just before igniting the gunpower that would have set off the explosion. He was then tortured for four days before confessing to his crime and was found guilty of treason. His punishment was to be hanged, drawn, and quartered, considerably the cruelest form of punishment, in which you would be hanged until near death, then disembowled, and finally beheaded and having your body cut into four pieces. Afterwards, the 5 pieces of the criminals body (the head and four sections) were then put on public display. Fawkes however, escaped the worst part of this punishment by jumping from the scaffolding he was due to be hanged from causing him to break his neck and die before they could disembowl or quarter him. Today, Guy Fawkes is seen as an English revolutionary and was ranked #30 in the list of 100 Top Britons as well as being included in the 50 greatest people from Yorkshire. Now, every 5th of November the English celebrate the capture of Guy Fawkes with a night of fireworks. So go about your day as usualy but remember, remember the 5th of November.

Open Your Mind You See The Circus In The Sky

Niggas say they wanna bring the 80's back, that's okay with me, that's where they made me at. This video is on some other ish and the more I listen to this soundtrack the more I am impressed by it. GO PICK IT UP!!!.

I'm Like A Fly Malcolm X.....Buy Any Jeans Necessary

My apartment finally has internet and cable. It's about time.

This past week has been pretty wild to say the least. I've gotten to see a few people I hadn't seen in a while which is always a good time. My American Heart was in town for a show with Just Surrender and House of Fools so I went. Brought the guys some Capital Lunch so they could see what New Britain is about and I'd have to say they enjoyed it. House of Fools were really cool guys, it was a lot of fun getting to hang out them for the day with MAH. You should check them out at http://www.myspace.com/houseoffools.

American Gangster comes out today and although I've seen the bootleg I'd still like to go see it. This is definately a movie that would be amazing to see on the big screen. Denzel just doesn't do bad movies. And of course, the soundtrack to this movie is unbelievable. Jay-Z makes up for a less than stand out performance on Kingdom Come with an album that can't help but remind you of his Reasonable Doubt and Blueprint days. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not comparing the two albums, Jay-Z will never be the man he once was, but this is a definate pick up. Some stand out tracks are Say Hello, Blue Magic feat. Pharrell, Hello Brooklyn feat. Lil' Wayne, and Ignorant Shit.

I'll try and get some of it up real soon.


My homies got blogs son. Check em out to know wut the cool kids are doin.

http://Underthewillowtree-jj.blogspot.com - J-Tweezy
http://sour-diesel.blogspot.com - Roceezy

Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself

Well, we still don't have internet or cable in our apartment but we have made the appointment to get both installed. Along with those two utilities we are also gettin a home phone. Yup, I've made it to the big time now. Things have been going pretty swell recently, I've been casually moving more things in while working fairly regularly and the place is starting to feel more and more like home each day.

I was talking to an acquaintance of mine from California today and he told me he had recently finished editing the Soulja Boy video for the song Soulja girl. While on one hand I think the song is pretty bad, on the other I think it's cool that he was hired to do the video. He also showed me these two videos that are pretty recent.





Hilarious.

To check out more of Dan Dobi's work visit http://www.dandobi.com or http://www.youtube.com/user/dandobi

Also, on the Sigur Ros dvd Heima I had mentioned a little while back. At the time I didn't know the release date off hand but the date is November 20th so be on the lookout.

The New Apartment Is Live

Well, we made it. We're finally into our apartment and I must say its pretty sweet. At first the electricity was off but we found the switch in the closet and were able to get it on. It sucks that I have to work tomorrow so I won't be able to give it the proper braeking in it deserves but soon. Anyways, time for bed.

Black Kids

Black Kids are a relatively new indie pop rock band out of Jacksonville, FL. I'd have to consider them one of the better bands I've heard recently. They have a sound pretty similar to Tokyo Police Club who are really talented as well. They're demo EP Wizard Of Ahhhs is up for download on their MySpace page. Listen to their song, I'm Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You below.

Altered States Make Great First Dates

So it might finally be happening. After a lot of talking and encountering a lot of problems I might finally be moving into my apartment this week. I don't want to get too confident but this really should be it. I've been working my ass off this past week or so and pretty much have all the money I need to move in and get going. I'll be happy once this whole fiasco is over with and I've settled in, then the wildness with commence. I'm going to be updating and publicizing my flickr account more recently after the move, seeing as I don't have a digital camera right now my account is pretty vacant. So be on the lookout for that.

As you probably know by now, My American Heart is going to be playing with Just Surrender and Quietdrive later this month. I've been telling people to go since I heard about this show, so go. MAH are great bunch of guys and put on a really good show so any support is appreciated. Go buy a t-shirt! I hope to see a bunch of you at the show. Here's a video my close friend Pat sent me of A Day In The Life: Warped Tour feat. My American Heart. He's currently residing in San Diego, holding down the SoCal life. Interestingly enough, while this video was being made I was living in his apartment, staying in his room.



Also, Brian has just finished a photo shoot for Suicide Girls. He's waiting to here if the photos are going to be published or not but from what I've seen they definately should be. His talent is undeniable so best of luck to him with that.

Hip-Hop Is Dead?

Mos Def and Kanye West freestyling together.

Another Quick One

Just another quick thing I wanted to let people know about while I was on the topic of hip-hop. A recent battle was posted on youtube off the new SMACK DVD between Iron Soloman and Math. Iron Solomon's rhymestyle is kinda different but there's no denying that he's funny and talented. In his first verse he comes when he comes with the line ending with "Math is History", that is just impressive so here ya go.

Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3:

The Cool Is Coming

I'm currently sitting here watching the VH1 Hip Hop Honors and writing a lab report that probably should have been done atleast a couple days ago. But oh well, what can you expect? I'm still unsure how I feel about these VH1 hip hop awards, since when does VH1 and hip hop go together? Since Flava Flav got his own show? Since Salt N' Peppa got there own show? Or way back in the day when VH1 had MC Serch discover the next great white rapper? What happened to Shamrock anyway? Or even moreso John Brown. Hallelujah Hollaback. Anyways I guess none of that is important. I mean where else would I get to watch Ice T and Pharrel cover Snoop Dogg songs and then watch Snoop get on stage and rap with rap phenom (Lil'?) Bow Wow. But Lupe Fiasco is due to perform and hopefully he will put on something impressive. I stumbled across this video a while ago and never figured to post it but I will, Lupe Fiasco's new cd "The Cool" is due to be released fairly soon, not sure on an exact date though. Anyways, if it manages to be anywhere near as good as Food & Liquor I'm sure it will be an amazing album. Lupe still manages to be one of the few current rappers that I think of that can be seen as talented and important to hip hop. Well here's a video for his song "Dumb It Down" off The Cool where Lupe raps about how his lyrics can sometimes be seen as too complex or intelligent I suppose and that a lot of his wordplay and metaphors go unnoticed. Song sounds pretty good, video's alright.



Here's another video I've been watching a lot lately, its actually a great combination of two things I love. Rediculous rap songs and wild, impressive drumming. I know it's not too new of a video either but here you can see Travis Barker of +44 drumming to Souja Boy's Crank Dat. If you haven't seen this yet, your welcome.



Congratulations to Jake and Nick to having an awesome party this weekend too. I'm glad you guys' birthdays ended up being such a good time. Pictures can be seen all over facebook, they're currently dominating my mini feed. But yea, goodtimes. Now it's time to do work.

Some Say, "Hov How You Get So Fly?"

Home Is Where The Art Is

Icelandic band Sigur Ros are preparing to release their first film entitled, Heima. The film will be a documentary about the bands tour through their native country of Iceland. The film will feature two new tracks as well as songs from all four of their previously released albums. I can't wait to get my hands on this. Check out the trailer below.

Hey! Let's Cross The Sea and Get Some Culture.

Well, our friends My American Heart recently went on tour with Madina Lake and Halifax throughout Europe. The guys have posted this video showing some highlights of the tour. I've also posted a video from Warped Tour of the guys as they seek revenge on Paramore. After you check these two videos out you'll know just why they get love from the Legends.

MAH in Europe -



MAH on Warped -



Also, my good friend Nick "Presto" Pregler has recently started a blog of his own. So if you want to check out what's going on his unusual mind head over to http://npregler.blogspot.com or check out the link to the right.

The Man Speaks Truth

Kat Williams -



The HT Stony Awards this year will be in LA at the Knitting Factory. Tickets are available for $75 and will take place on October 13th, 2007.

You Must Be An Illusion

The school year has come to the point where most have began to settle in. I find myself stuck here, still awaiting to move out, seemingly unemployed with too much free time on my hands. School has been easy to say the least, and takes up a fairly minimal part of the day. I've been trying to find something more fulfilling to spend my time on, but nothing has come up. It's actually started to become pretty frustrating. Luckily, I've been able to find places to go at night, so a lot of partying has taken place already this semester, but I find myself just waiting for the day to end before I start doing much and it seems unnecessary. The unnerving part about all of this, is that when I do find something to occupy myself with, I'm confident it will turn into taking up too much of my time and I'll have the exact opposite problem that I do now. Well, I still don't have much to really talk about seeing as how little has happened to me recently. Knights, enjoy.

Welcome To The Twilight Zone

Beekers and test tubes full of memories
In my labatory I create stories
Doze off then wake up surrounded by Forties
Wit glocks tucked in they labels
And they caps is baseball hats
Playin poker at a table
Cigarrettes massage they shoulders in belly tops showin off they navels
A dime sack side bets, a tech is runnin' for president
Jesus pieces walk around with niggas hangin from they necks
Monopoly is playin' chess
I just picked up an obituary of a bullet proof vest
Put the headphone on my mouth speak into my ears
Yea microphone check, check, check, check, check
Check, a pair of Air Forces told me Rims've been extinct for years
Been ethnic cleansed by Jersey's tryna take over the set
And Television is on deathrow for killing BET and MTV over a dice game
And paralyizing CNN for knifing him in the neck
I hear Clear Channel's been fightin him in the rec
Who's in for givin' grape Kool-Aid laced wit STRY 9 to Mixtapes and arm robbin cassettes
Dope told me Weed was a crack fiend but Crack told me Dope was a base head
Hi-hats told police he was just a soldier he did what the Bass said
The Snare and the Kick didn't make it out alive
The Sample made it out with some money but he died in the ride
The 808 got caught wit some work (He ain't never comin' home)
So the MPC's and the MP3's is fightin over his turf
Sean Don just gave birth
But she's thinkin' bout leavin it on the doorstep of a church
Cristal can't have kids she plottin' to kidnap it that she orchestrated with a purse
But Gucci told Fendi and Fendi turned and around and told Henny
And Henny is Moets baby's father
But she tried it anyway disguised as nurse
In the newspapers it says "Hip-Hop called Rock n Roll racist"
The Six ripped the Five and the Maybach taped it
A Hundred dollar bill just signed a record deal
But blew all his money on the Braceletes
And givin' the Gold Dollar a face lift
A Button Up just drove by in a 6-4 Impalla
All the Rolex's is hatin' you see the smirks on they faces
The Havatampas is defending the Dutches they keep catchin cases
But the judge is a Swisha he just give em iBonds and community service with the Papers
so the Newport's is gettin mad at the ZigZags then out come the razors
See the Kool's is killers on the creep
Rush up on the Philly, leave his guts spillin on the street
Some Gold Grills burned down a building of some teeth
Some Sharpened Tooth Brushes is holding the trampoline cuz some children finna to leap
I just seen Rocawear rock Sean John to sleep with the same heat that Baby Phat carried
Sprint is pimpin Nextel she just gave head to a Black Berry...
I heard she go two-ways
But he was skeetin on her face as it was beepin on my waist
This is the mind of Lupe
Just make sure my mic's on when I Twilight Zone

Worse Than A Fairy Tale

For a lot of people, this past week has meant the end of summer. I suppose that's pretty depressing, especially with how great this summer turned out to be, but I mean atleast it's an awesome summer that we'll all be missing.

I mean think of some of the crazy things that went down this summer:
-Trip to Canada
-Warped Tour Montreal VIP
-Warped Tour Boston VIP
-Going To San Diego
-Beach Houses
-Jake & Nick Getting their own place

and there's plenty of other goodtimes for sure.

But here I find myself, in the awkward spot in time before school starts but after summer has pretty much ended, and I must say it's rather inconveniant. Even knowing who to get in touch with and who hasn't gone to school yet or who from school has moved in already becomes frustrating. The good part of this time is the ability to freely visit friends at school without having to worry about what you have going on the next day. Adam, Mark, and I went to UCONN for move-in weekend last night and it was definately a good time. Pete, John, and Rob's new room is hooked with Shane, Aneesh, and Lionel so I'm sure those guys will have a good semester. Can't really provide any details about the events of my time spent at UConn but I wasn't really planning on being able to when I decided I would be going up for the night.

Here's the latest recap for people that have moved to Cali now....
Pat Pathammavong
Brettt Stanley
Zak Smola
Ricky Dionne
Brian Barnicle

and Due To Leave
Gitamba - Sept 1

good luck Gitamba, have a wild time out there dude. To everyone else I hope you guys are doing great.

So that's all for now, good luck to everyone going to school and have the best time you can. There's no point in going to school if your not planning on being outrageous frequently, if you don't know that already you'll learn it.


Today I picked up the new Drop Dead Gorgeous cd, Worse Than A Fairy Tale. It's a concept album about Saylor Lake, Colorado, where a killer sadistically killed 12 villagers between October 27th 1978 to September 7th , 1979. Produced by maestro Ross Robinson, Fairy Tale explores the mind of a psychopath and hysteria of a small town through 12 blistering tracks. I haven't listened to the whole cd yet but what I have heard was interesting, check it out.

Moving For The Sake Of Motion

I made it back from Canada, and have decided that it is just an amazing place to go party. I spent the whole weekend just doing whatever I/We felt like doing and really just being completely wreckless. I was able to go to another Warped Tour and hang out with all the guys from MAH for the second time this week. I spent a load of dough but it was worth it to add just one more wild thing that went on this weekend. Although the ride home left much to be desired, the trip as a whole was without a doubt succesful, and is a highlight of the summer without a doubt. Pictures of the trip can be found in either Adam O'neill or P-thom's facebooks.

After getting back from Canada we went to Rhode Island pretty soon after and I have just gotten back from that. It was a good time even though the weather wasn't too great for a beach trip. All the drinking that has gone on this week has just been out of control and it's only Friday. But hey, summer is coming to an end and I want to make the most of it. Speaking of summer coming to an end I believe Sutton and Roland went to school today to start football training. It'll be a while before I see those guys again but man after that Canada trip I can't even imagine what will go on the next time we hang out. Those guys are just wreckless and I love it.

So, if you haven't noticed yet, this blog is really my way of letting people know about all the interesting, thought-provoking, or intriguing things that I find on a daily basis. I suppose on a greater level it's a way for me to recount the things I've done and discuss how I feel about them too, but I do like sharing a lot of cool things. So I stubled across this website this week called We Feel Fine (http://www.wefeelfine.org) and it's basically a datebase of human emotion categorized by gender, age, or other characteristics. It's a really cool site and somewhat hard to explain so I'd have to recommend you check it out. I think that the idea behind the site is very innovative and really helps people connect on atleast a small level, and sometimes even a small connection to someone you don't know can make a big difference. This is the site's description of their purpose for the site.

"We Feel Fine is an exploration of human emotion on a global scale.

Since August 2005, We Feel Fine has been harvesting human feelings from a large number of weblogs. Every few minutes, the system searches the world's newly posted blog entries for occurrences of the phrases "I feel" and "I am feeling". When it finds such a phrase, it records the full sentence, up to the period, and identifies the "feeling" expressed in that sentence (e.g. sad, happy, depressed, etc.). Because blogs are structured in largely standard ways, the age, gender, and geographical location of the author can often be extracted and saved along with the sentence, as can the local weather conditions at the time the sentence was written. All of this information is saved.

The result is a database of several million human feelings, increasing by 15,000 - 20,000 new feelings per day. Using a series of playful interfaces, the feelings can be searched and sorted across a number of demographic slices, offering responses to specific questions like: do Europeans feel sad more often than Americans? Do women feel fat more often than men? Does rainy weather affect how we feel? What are the most representative feelings of female New Yorkers in their 20s? What do people feel right now in Baghdad? What were people feeling on Valentine's Day? Which are the happiest cities in the world? The saddest? And so on.

The interface to this data is a self-organizing particle system, where each particle represents a single feeling posted by a single individual. The particles' properties – color, size, shape, opacity – indicate the nature of the feeling inside, and any particle can be clicked to reveal the full sentence or photograph it contains. The particles careen wildly around the screen until asked to self-organize along any number of axes, expressing various pictures of human emotion. We Feel Fine paints these pictures in six formal movements titled: Madness, Murmurs, Montage, Mobs, Metrics, and Mounds.

At its core, We Feel Fine is an artwork authored by everyone. It will grow and change as we grow and change, reflecting what's on our blogs, what's in our hearts, what's in our minds. We hope it makes the world seem a little smaller, and we hope it helps people see beauty in the everyday ups and downs of life." - Jonathon Harris

Also, as I was writing this post I came across a new Dear Hunter video of them live in concert. The quality of the video is really good and the video is of their entire set. So if you have yet to see The Dear Hunter live in concert definately check this out. Erick Serna on guitar has a rediculous solo at around 20 minutes and his guitar work is part of the reason their live show is just so amazing.

Another California Clone

We both smell of sex, even though we've slept on seperate sheets for several dozen sunsets
We both see that same sun set over the horizon, just off the coast of different oceans
We both taste the truth tiptoeing off the tips of our tongues, yet it seems as if only lies are able to somehow spill out
We both hear the lone wolf's contagious cry in the distance off the pinnacle of a peak….
I just cant tell if it's from the Rocky or Appalachian Mountains
We both touch the train tracks that separate our souls as we walk on a tragic tightrope…
but I know she'll never meet me halfway

She-
Poses for the camera and feigns a foreign smile while simulating how to suitably showcase pseudo sentiments and sensations
She walks the red carpet like a robot
Except there are no wires
She still shows some slight and subtle signs that she was once a human being
Like the tear that fell from her eye that frigid night in mid December
When she boarded that plane to the Pacific and told me
"Donnie, my darling…I don't think I'm ever going to see the Atlantic Ocean again"

All the agents and assholes out West have now transformed and molded her into what she promised she would never become
A contaminated, comatose clone continuously crashing cars in her cranium
She even dyed her hair platinum blonde…and died a little inside too

What she does not know
Is that for her, there is a feasible way out
It's called Arizona
It's called Nevada
It's called Oregon
Hell, it's even called Mexico
But her heart hibernates in Hollywood now
And the spotlight always shines on her
And the spectacular stage is now her claustrophobic cage
And all the hormone happy teenage drama queens mold themselves into an identical copy of her figure and form
And all the world is a theater…and all it's citizens merely help act out this traumatic treachery

Someone once told me that it never snows in San Francisco
And it never hails in Hawaii
And it never rains in Washington
But I could see the storm clouds suffocating Seattle even from the Atlantic Ocean
I could smell the sex on her mattress from seventeen states away
I could taste the truth on the tip of her tongue as she sucks the celebrity status out of her director's million dollar dick
I could hear the lone wolf's cry high in the Rocky Mountains
I could touch the train tracks while the light at the end of my tunnel inches closer and closer
I see her on the screen and scream
I see her holding hands with Harrison Ford
While her other hand holds an Oscar
I decide that this needs to come to end
That she needs to open up her eyes
And realize what the Golden State has done to her
I need to save her from herself

I had plans to permanently plant peace in our planet tonight
But in 4 minutes and 47 seconds I will march out of my one room apartment
and I will parade all 2,883 miles from New Haven, Connecticut to the City of Angels
Without hitchhiking, without stopping to take a shit…hell, without even blinking or breathing
I don't know exactly what I'll do once I get there
But as soon as I cross the invisible line
She's right there waving and greeting the world
Like she freaking owns the stupid city
I pull her off her pedestal and plead for her to please come home
But she pleads with the police to please take me away
I came all the way here with a purpose
But now that purpose seems to have slipped my mind
Perhaps I've become a California clone too myself
Perhaps it wasn't her fault after all
Perhaps it was the Pacific

I grab her by the hand
I hold and kiss her in a way even Ron Jeremy would have applauded and approved of
But I don't have the heart to look her in the eye and tell her
That she's the worst thing to happen to the world since the invention of the word "love"

That she's become more dirty and disgusting than Detroit
That our relationship is a bigger mistake than America's invasion of Iraq
That the chances of me and her overcoming the obstacles are less likely than Chicago Cubs winning the World Series
That she is more overrated and glorified than God

I finally lift my head and stare at the stranger
A distasteful, counterfeit version of my former soul mate
I almost vomit over the sight off her fake tan and acrylic nails and beach blonde hair and ten tons of makeup
I breathe again for the first time since Bridgeport
And blink again for the first time since Brooklyn
And speak again for the first time since Santa Fe
And as an ounce of oil drips from her eye
I ask
"Is this really you?
Is this what you truly want to do?"
Her tears
Turned to ice
Her heart
Turned to stone
Her diamond ring
Turned to coal
My blood
Bled black gold

I can not continue this sadistic charade for even another second
So I wave farewell to forever
And say goodbye to the goddess of the Golden Globes
Because this is not where I belong
This is not where people belong
This is a whole different world here
The air tastes different
The people act different
The rules are different
And I must escape before I get sucked into the Beverly Hill's Black Hole
Before the red carpet turns into a tongue and swallows me whole
Before Hollywood has a hurricane and the only remaining letters on the huge sign are "H-O-L-Y"
Before California separates from the rest of America just like the scientists said it would
Before the mannequins start to move
Before the clones start to cry

I step on her star on the walk of fame and I sprint toward salvation at the state line
And when I get there, I don't even look back
And I hope she doesn't assume that I'm ever going to come back
Because the only time I will ever see California again
Is on an enormous silver screen at a matinee show
Maybe she'll make a cameo appearance in my dreams
But the only thing I have left to say to her is
"I hope that the Hollywood sign doesn't fall from its mountain and crush your corpse you while you're crushing another actor's heart"

…So I hang my head low and stare at the train tacks as I walk back to the Atlantic alone
Forcing myself to accept the fact that my former ally is now merely another Beverly Hills Barbie Doll,
another Malibu Mannequin...
a corrupted California clone…

- Donnie Darkhorse

She Had A Summer Smile With Winter Skin....

We're Sitting Ducks, With Our Feathers Plucked

The new TREOS album which I've mentioned a few times finally comes out on August 7th, which is in two days. Now, generally I'll get a cd a couple weeks before it comes out but this CD wasn't so easy to come by. I finally picked it up today however and must say it's pretty good. Not as good as Between The Heart and The Synapse, but come on that cd is golden. Either way if you want to check it out let me know. Warped Tour is this Thursday in Mansfield, MA, not Boston. Anyone who is going please let me know.

"All these suits with big black lives
Can't put me on the company's dime
I won't be bought
No I won't be sold.

All these greasy palms and greedy hands
All my supply; all your demand
I'm not your whore
And I won't be your Babylon." - TREOS, "Smoke and Mirrors" from The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi

The California Sun Has Sunk

Well, I'm back in the Cut. I made my two and a half week venture to San Diego to spend some time just kicking about and enjoying the summer and I must say it was more than I had expected. In the time I spent there I was able to get some cool things done: went hiking, hit up some beaches, went up to LA, went to the Casino and a few other miscellaneous adventures. I'd like to thank Brettt and Pat for being some awesome hosts, they really know how to make a good time happen out in Cali. Also, while doing all the things that I had hoped to in Cali I met some cool people which is always good. My time there really has made me reconsider moving out there, by the time came for me to come home I had already felt at home in San Diego and I'd liked to thank everyone for making that happen. It wasn't until I got back that I realized how crazy the weather here is, it seems almost absurd how hot and how cold it can get here while it is almost consistantly a beautiful day there. Let it be known, if you enjoy doing things outdoors, SD is the spot.

I got a chance to go see the premier of The Simpsons movie and as a lifelong fan I more than enjoyed it. To anyone who watches the show or considers themselves a Simpsons fan past or present, my recommendation to see it has been offered. I suppose I could go on about all the different stories from California that I have, but that would take a while and then what would I have to talk about in person. Actually, when you think about it, it seems like the internet can change the importance or necessity of a conversation all together. In theory, I could say all that I need to right here, just type until I had nothing else to talk about, and anyone who is interested could read it and never need to talk to me, or know me at all for that matter. Oh well, just a random observation but I guess its something to think about. I'm planning on buying a new bicycle and trying to get a few things done in the next couple of weeks but I do need to go back to work too.

I don't have any pictures from Cali, I don't own a camera, so you're going to have to trust me that I actually went.

I stumbled across this site one day and have been playing around it with it for a while. It's a group art project where using several different graffiti art supplies, and limited paint, you can start a project to have finished by other people online and I believe you can finish someone else's started project. The process leads to a collection of pieces with several inspirations and creative interpretations. The site is http://www.wetpaintpleasetouch.com and can now be found with the other links I have listed. Also added to the links page is a friends of mine's new site The Retrospective, http://www.theretrospective.com, which is filled with constantly updated indie music news, interviews, and album reviews. The people behind this project are all very talented and creative so go ahead and check it out.....I dare you.

Reside in my mind; Resonate In My Eyes

Alright, so I've been pretty busy lately. I recently decided that I'm going to be going to California this month so I'll be leaving on Tuesday. Because of this unexpected trip I've been working pretty hard so I can have some money while I'm there. Also, since I'll be gone for a good part of the summer I've been doing my best to catch up with those that I'll be missing while I'm gone. Unfortunately, it seems like there's never enough time for those that you care so much about. It feels like even though summer's end is still a ways off, that school is right around the corner and the friends that are going away to school will be gone until November. So to those people who I'll be missing, you know who you are, if it were up to me we'd spend every day together and you will always be in my mind.

On the bright side, my job has allowed me to meet several cool people over the last week alone. I mean, I got to go CD shopping with Hawthorne Heights at Best Buy. I'm still waiting to get ahold of the new Receiving End Of Sirens cd, The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi, but I'll let everyone know when I do. It's really the only CD due to be released this summer that I'm anticipating. Also, The Dear Hunter will be returning to the Webster on 8/29 with Boys Night Out and Scary Kids Scaring Kids so if you can go to that show I would recommend it, The Dear Hunter is an amazing band to see live. Here is a link to a video of TREOS performing a song off of their new album. The song is titled Smoke And Mirrors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVONhVheKOQ

This Ain't A Surfin Movie

So, it's been a while since I've taken the time to really write anything on here. I guess most of the people that really know me assumed I had found something better to do or something like that and had just forgotten about keeping this going. Well, nope. Anyways, I haven't written anything because I really haven't had much going on. Summer is going well, nothing too crazy has happened but it has been a good time. I haven't really gotten to hang out with all the people I'd like to but I've had good times with the people I have been with. Brettt and Pat had visited for a while which was a pretty good time, hopefully I'll get out to Cali soon enough to party with them again. But yea, I really don't know what else to say. I've spent my days just being lazy and listening to music and hanging out so I dont' have any good stories to tell. Maybe a few more will come as the next few days go by.

Our Days Are Based On Fantasy...

Well in the past few days I was able to acquire the new Circa Survive, My American Heart, Minus The Bear, and Dear Hunter cds, and all four are definately worth picking up. An early start to what appears to be a great summer of music. Some notable tracks off each cd include:

Circa Survive - On Letting Go : In The Morning And Amazing, The Greatest Lie, Travel Hymn

My American Heart - Hiding Inside This Horrible Weather: Boys! Grab Your Guns, The Shake, Fantasy

Minus The Bear - Planet of Ice: Burying Luck, Knights, Double Vision Quest

Dear Hunter - The Meaning Of, And All Things Regarding, Ms. Leading - Red Hands, Where The Road Parts

The Final Four in Baltimore was a good weekend where Johns Hopkins was able to win the championship after beating Deleware and Duke. Other than that not too much new things have gone on so I don't really have much to say.

Lax Season Is Ending

This weekend brought college lacrosse one week closer to it's end. Over the weekend Division 2 and Division 3 played their semi finals games. In the Division 2 semi-finals, Lemoyne beat Limestone 8-5 to put their record at 14 wins a 2 losses, Mercyhurst beat NYIT 13-10. Mercyhurst and defending champions Lemoyne will now play for the Championship on Sunday in Baltimore, MD. The Division 3 semi-finals consisted of undefeated Salisbury beating Gettysburg 9-6 to advance to the championship to play against defending champions Cortland State who made it back to the finals by beating Wesleyan 9-8.

As far as Division 1 lacrosse is concerned, the highly favored Duke was able to bring their team to the Final Four by beating Providence in the opening round and UNC in the quarterfinals. Cornell, who is the only Division 1 team to go undefeated throughout the season, advanced to the Final Four with wins over Towson and Albany. Johns Hopkins University was rated #3 overall going into the playoffs and was able to advance to the Final Four by narrowly beating Notre Dame and then with a victory over Georgetown. The final, and most unexpected team to make the Final Four is University of Deleware. Lead by midfielder Alex Smith, unranked University of Deleware upset #2 Virginia in the opening round and UMBC in the quarterfinals. This is the first time that the Blue Hens have ever made the Final Four for Division 1 lacrosse.

As you can see, the playoffs this year have been exciting and have lead to an unexpected Final Four. Sometime next week I'll have pictures up of this Memorial Day weekend's festivities.

Also, here's a video I stumbled across recently that features highlights of the Tufts Lacrosse team and is shot in a style that made me think of Friday Night Lights but with lacrosse. This video will definately entertain any lacrosse fan whether you like Tufts or not simply by the quality it was done with. It takes a while to load but is definately worth it.

So This Is The Difference Between Living And Not Living

Live Minus The Bear concert. Your Welcome.

Cause You Can't Be Caught Red Handed If You're Not Red Handed

Well I've pretty much finished school and summer has come. And what better way to start start summer off than by being terribly sick. I spent Wednesday in my room with a 103* fever and have spent the rest of the week trying to recover while still trying to enjoy the weather and all that. Oh well, what can ya do. Over Memorial Day weekend I'll be going to Baltimore for the lacrosse final four so I'm getting ready for that and I've been just getting ready for the end of the high school lacrosse season. After that I may be heading out to California although I haven't really put any action into those plans.

Within the past few weeks I've gone and seen The Dear Hunter (Casey from TREOS's new band) and TREOS play without Casey and I must say that while I was concerned TREOS might suffer from the lack of Casey they continued to impress me by putting on a great show. They played two new songs and both sounded pretty good but it's hard to get a feel for a new song by a band like TREOS live. Their new album, The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi will be released I believe August 10th, but that may not be a correct date. The Dear Hunter also put on a great show, however they were opening for Say Anything and Saves The Day and their set time was pretty limited so only a few songs were heard. Fortunately, they will be headlining at The Webster Underground in a few weeks. I was able to hear a few final versions of some tracks off their new cd, The Meaning Of, And All Things Regarding Ms. Leading, and they sounded really impressive. That cd releases May 22 and they will be playing a free acoustic set and signing cds at 7 pm at Best Buy at the Greendale Mall in Worcester, MA.

The Things Our Eyes Can't See

Well May is here and summer is that much closer. Some of my friends are getting out of school this week and the rest in the upcoming weeks so I'm sure things will start to pick up around town. The only thing that is going to be tough is staying focused on the things I need to get done at the end of this school year with all my friends coming around but at the same time I'm sure it will be cool.

Yesterday, The Sound of Animals Fighting released their dvd entitled We Must Become The Change We Want To See. The band did a three show tour in San Diego, LA, and Las Vegas and has said that these shows will be there only live shows ever. So if you are a fan of TSOAF or RX Bandits, Circa Survive, Finch, or Chiodos, or experimental music in general I would definately recommend picking up this DVD. I've posted a few clips from the DVD just so you can check it out and decide for yourself if it's worth picking up.

Matthew Kelly of The Autumns performing The Heretic


Act II: All Is Ash or The Light Shining Through It


I also picked up the book Rant which is Chuck Palahniuk's newest novel. If you don't know who Chuck Palahniuk is, he is the author of Fight Club as well as other popular novels including Choke and Invisable Monsters. The novel is written as an oral history and is comprised of several interviews with differant characters in a similar fashion to the way in which Capote was written.

"A high school rebel who always wins (and a childood murderer?), Rant Casey escapes from his small hometown of Middleton for the big city. He becomes the leader of an urban demolition derby called Party Crashing. On appointed nights participants recognize one another by such designated car markings as "Just Married" toothpaste graffiti and then stalk and crash into each other. Rant Casey will die a spectacular highway death, after which his friends gather testimony needed to build an oral history of his short, violent life. Their collected anecdotes explore the possibility that his saliva caused a silent urban plague of rabies and that he found a way to escape the prison house of linear time..." - taken from the inside jacket of the Novel.

A Man. A Plan. A Canal. Panama.

So nothing too new has really gone on lately. Just been partying kinda, schools almost over so just getting ready for summer. The NFL draft was today and the Arizona Cardinals picked Levi Brown, OT from Penn State, as the 5th overall pick. Surprisingly, Cleavland picked Joe Thomas as the 3rd overall pick so we didn't get him. Hopefuly Levi will add a much needed presence to the Cardinals O-Line.

I found a house for rent in New Britain that has 6 bedrooms, rent is $2100 a month so if anyone is interested let me know.

Check out this video, Clock Suckers. Shit is hilarious.

Awake And Still Dreaming

So the last week has been a blur of parties and all around wild occasions. It's hard to believe that I've been going to school and working thoughout this week when you think of the things that have gone on. First off, I don't think theres been a night that I haven't consumed a substantial amount of beers. Spring weekend at Uconn was this weekend and the only way to really describe it would be out of control. I mean, I wasn't even really to wasted but to be partying at all over this whole weekend was just obscene. Circa Survive played tonight and I have some videos of them live that you can check out. The sound isn't really good but I took the videos on my cell phone so deal with it. I coached two games this week and won them both too so really it;s just been an awesome week. That's all for now though so I hope everyone who reads this is doing well and that the past and future weeks will be this good for all of us.

White Daisy Passing

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In The Morning And Amazing

Circa Survive recently released a new single entitled, "In The Morning And Amazing" off of there new album On Letting Go. I would have posted the song earlier but whatever. The new song is pretty awesome, can't wait to get the rest of that cd. Circa Survive will be playing the Webster Theater on April 21st with As Tall As Lions, Envy On The Coast, and....Cute Is What We Aim For. (I guess I won't be staying for the end of that show) Well...let me know what you think about the new track.

One Day This Chalkline Will Circle This City

Well I've been pretty busy lately, for the first time in a while. Lacrosse season has been going pretty much full force between playing at CCSU and coaching at Northwest Catholic. In a given day I could have lacrosse for anywhere from 5-9 hours a day which is awesome but not so much on somedays I suppose. Lupe Fiasco is coming to Eastern for there spring concert which is going to be amazing seeing as how Lupe is the man. Fullbleed's new season has been released the other day and can be seen here. (http://www.fullbleed.org) Some of the designs are pretty excellent....others not so much. I finished a few stencils of my own these past few days, my first two ever actually and while neither are amazing I was pretty happy about getting it done. I built a couch a while back with some help from a friend but never posted any pictures of it which surprised me so I'll get those posted up as soon as possible. I don't really know what else has been really going on lately but for some reason I feel like something big needs to happen. I get this strange feeling at times like something is still missing even though everything has seemed to have been goign pretty good lately. Well until I figure out what it is I guess I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and maybe whatever I need will come across me.

Let's Get Digital

So yesterday was my birthday. I'd like to thank all of those that wished me a happy birthday or came and saw me for making my birthday a solid day. Anyways, I've been a bit busy but I stumbled across this tonight and thought it was too funny. This show definately kicks ass. Best quote - "They taste like old man's mouth."







Here's a link to the 300 bootleg. No idea how long it will stay up but check it out if you wanna watch 300 in low quality yet the comfort of your room. 300

Jesus And The Sharp Electric Star

Gemut - Livingston, Burgundy
5.99, two for ten
We're here and together
Anti-vitamin in the crudest form of nutrients
"You can't hold it against them" she said.
She believes that all those who suffer from life is from an illness or in the right
The woman in the lobby stares me down mocking and unconcerned
In California, news anchors all look like they were plucked from a threesome porno scene
We've got one hot slutty vixen type
One down from her is the short, hot, business woman
And in between them is an orange colored three piece suit
White-haired and fifty something
Witty -
with a dirty, tired smile.
The man staying next door plays his radio just loud enough so you can tell there is something really close -
on.
When this whole thing started I was a name
now there's a definition and a reason.
The more I expect the harder things are
Jesus and the sharp electric star.

a-

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Well, so far my St. Patrick's Day has been pretty sub par. I mean it's still fairly early but overall I'd have to say that this has been one of the worst St. Patty's in a while. Overall, the main factor in St. Patrick's Day this year being worse than previous years would be the snow. St. Patrick's Day Parade = Cancelled. Then tonight, I wasn't able to get a Guinness and had to settle for Budweiser. The one day of the year that a Guinness should be guarenteed and nope. So yea, no parade, no cornbeef, no Guinness and that's my St. Pats. But whatever, still have to celebrate.

My advice for having a good St. Patricks Day.....get drunk.

Dropkick Murphy's - Bar Room Hero


The Black Donnelly's - Episode 1

http://www.dailymotion.com/visited/search/black%2Bdonnellys/video/xupby_the-black-donnellys-1x01-pilot

GO WATCH THE BOONDOCK SAINTS

March Madness has begun

Well for college basketball, players and fans alike, March is the most exciting time of the year. Now I don't consider myself to really be the biggest basketball fan around but every year its just too hard to not get dragged into the madness that is March. Especially since CCSU won their NEC championship the other day over Sacred Heart in the best sports event that I've ever gone to. I mean I've never gone to a school that has won a game so big as that and it was just hard to explain how great it felt. Anyways, CCSU will now be playing the NCAA tournament as a 16 seed but it's still cool being the only team out of CT to make the tournament this year.

Other than that I've just been enjoying everything that's been going on lately. Trying to make the most out of each day has become something I take pride in and always being ready for whatever may come up.



I found this site that really boils down to a personality test using visual representations but I still thought it was interesting. It's intended to show you your visual DNA and explaining your personality. I'd like to think that mine was pretty accurate and you should try it out. http://a.imagini.net/friends/

Read my VisualDNA™     Get your own VisualDNA™

LED Throwies Graffiti Party

This is just really cool.


Via: VideoSift

A Work Of Art Is Never Finished....Only Abandoned

I can no longer sleep at night
Your face keeps haunting me in my dreams
The days have been blending together
The nights seem endless as I wait
The only thing I have left to do is wait

February has gone and March has arrived. Hopefully the last days of winter will pass quickly so that the weather will be nice again. In the upcoming weeks is Spring Break and my birthday so I'm planning on a wild month. I've been sick the past few days but I'm hoping to recover quickly. Wax on Radio cancelled there show which was disappointing but I wasn't feeling so great so whatever. Circa Survive has finished there album entitled "On Letting Go" which I can't wait to hear along with The Dear Hunter and The Recieving End Of Sirens cds. CCSU has their NEC semi-final game tomorrow and the championship on Wednesday. Other than that really there's been nothing new so I'm really just hoping for the best.

Myspace.com....A Place For Fiends

Wow another post....I'm on a roll. Nothing too important to say other than CCSU men's basketball beat Wagner in there last home game to finish there season with a 12 game straight winning streak. The game tonight was a comfortable 79-54 win and finishing the season with a record of 16-2. The next game is the opening round of the NEC tournament and will be held at Central on Thursday night.

Also, check out this video all about the dangers of being "emo" and the destruction it is causing to the community. In the video you can see some of Rob Dobi's work.

The Dead Flag Blues

the car's on fire and there's no driver at the wheel
and the sewers are all muddled with a thousand lonely suicides
and a dark wind blows
the government is corrupt
and we're on so many drugs
with the radio on and the curtains drawn
we're trapped in the belly of this horrible machine
and the machine is bleeding to death
the sun has fallen down
and the billboards are all leering
and the flags are all dead at the top of their polls
it went like this...
the building tumbled in on themselves
mothers clutching babies picked through the rubble
and pulled out their hair
THE SKYLINE WAS BEAUTIFUL ON FIRE
all twisted metal stretching upwards
everything washed in a thin orange haze
i said "kiss me, you're beautiful -
these are truely the last days"
you grabbed my hand and we fell into it
like a daydream or a fever
we woke up one morning and fell a little further down -
for sure it's the valley of death
i open up my wallet
and it's full of blood

In dreams....emotions are overwhelming.

Sometimes I think that we, as a society, focus so much on our differances that we don't realize just how similar we all are. Sure we stretch ourselves creatively to make the slightest difference from one to another - the clothes we wear, the music we listen to, the hobbys we pass time with, the company we keep, but in the end by devoting so much effort to emphasizing these differances we are only bringing ourselves to a closer simularity. Today as I walked through the mall, I looked around to see one person after another just appearing like a follow up to the person before them. An evergoing stretch of consumerism and commercialism pushed upon us at a constant rate. Don't get me wrong, I'm not above any of these things, as I believe none of us are, nor do I try and be above such tendancies. I just feel that we need to accept this for what it truely is. We each can strive for individuality but at the same time we seek comfort in the relationships we pursue and in fitting in with those we trust. So why is it that we have such a hard time dealing with eachother on a daily basis? Is it that we fear what we truely are or that we haven't taken the time to notice the simularities we try so desperately to hide? I suggest that we all try and stop hiding our emotions that in one way or another we keep to ourselves. By realizing we are all, in general, the same, we should realize our emotions will be taken and reacted to in the way that we should expect them to. I believe a genuine heart will free you of a stagnant mind and that we should all take the time to put our efforts into being honest with ourselves and those that we encounter in daily life rather than seeking to set ourselves apart these same people.


If this sounds too self-righteous or preachy than the reasoning behind my message may have been lost in the translation. As of late, thoughts have crossed my mind too quickly for me to grasp them entirely but please do your best to consider atleast some of what I've tried to convey. If we can all start putting our mind to being more forthcoming while also honest with eachother we can free ourselves of the lifelessness that grows inside each of us on a daily basis.

...I've Seen Your Hope On Television.

The last few days have been pretty big for me I guess you could say. Like all periods of time, when broken into long or short enough segments, it has had its high and low points. I worked the Thursday, Fear Before The March of Flames, Murder by Death concert this past week at the Webster Theater which was a great experience. All the members of the bands were really cool, down to earth people and made the day a real good time. How many people can really say that they spent there first day on a new job hanging out with Geoff Rickley and listening to live music by bands you are a fan of yourself.

Brett and Pat have left for California and I wish them the best of luck out there. From what they've told me they are having a great time and are doing really well out there which is all you can ask for. Of course everyone here misses them but with this time apart it will only make the times we spend together that much better. I'm already in the process of planning my second trip out there so that I can see how everything is going.

Good luck to everyone whose gone away to school, I hope to see you all soon.

"I want to take you far from the cynics in this town and kiss you on the mouth.
We'll cut our bodies free from the tethers of this scene.
Start a brand new colony where everything will change.
We'll give ourselves new names.
The sun will heat the grounds under our bare feet
in this brand new colony. Everything will change." - Ben Gibbard

Dear Sleeper, You Could've Found A Better Bed...

Well...Jake and I finally made are tentatively scheduled trip to the city this weekend and it went pretty much the way I expected. Not a lot was accomplished but some funny events did occur. On the train down the guy sitting in front of me kept putting his hand over his seat right into my face so we figured it would be funny if I licked it. I didn't...but it would have been funny. As we walked through the city we ran into the Empire State building which we hadn't noticed until we were right in front of it. We were curious why people were stopped taking picture and then realized that massive building directly in front of us was it. Soon after we saw the New York Sex Mueseum which had a sign in the window warning guests to avoid touching, licking, stroking, or mounting the exhibits which we both found hilarious. Later, we stopped by the dunkxchange but decided to not go in due to a long line and figured we could find better things to do with our time. The day was spent pretty much aimlessly walking around parts of the city and a few small things were bought. Overall it
was a pretty good day.




EPL:
To anyone who has been following the EPL, January reopens the transfer market. Manchester United signed Swedish striker Henrick Larsson who scored the opening goal against Aston Villa in his first game for United. Drogba and Carvalho of Chelsea have been suspended for the semi final game of the Carling Cup. Rumors had been going around that Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins was being considered to be sent to Chelsea which was denied by Newcastle front office staff and regarded these rumors as an agent ploy and that both Newcastle and Martins are happy with eachother. So far no other big moves have been made but expect some to take place in the near future including a move of Shaun Wright-Phillips to possibly Arsenal, Newcastle, or one of several other clubs.

TWLOHA:
10 monthes ago, To Write Love On Her Arms started out by just printing a few t-shirts to pay for the treatment process of a girl named Renee. Today, it has become a non-profit movement to offer hope to many in similar situations. In America alone, it is estimated that 19 million people struggle with depression and approximately 2/3's will never get help. Untreated depression is the #1 cause of suicide and suicide is the 2nd most common cause of death in young people. In 2007, we hope to make a difference and to help treat these problems. The goal for To Write Love On Her Arms is to raise $100,000 in 2007 to help fight depression. If you can donate money online please do so here http://www.twloha.com/form.php Also, the Stop The Bleeding Tour which was started by To Write Love On Her Arms will be looking to expand there tour throughout the country this year. Any help is appreciated as I feel that everyone deserves a chanve to be saved and that hope and help should be for everyone.



~Listen to Bayside - Just Enough To Love You~

So This Is The New Year?

So Happy New Year to everybody. I hope '07 has been going good for everyone so far and that you all had a wild new years. My computer has been broken due to some poorly made cables so I haven't been able to update this in a while but what can ya do. I got a new job working on the coaching staff for the lacrosse team at Northwest Catholic which should be a pretty good time. There's going to be a Dunk Xchange on Sunday in New York which I will be attending so if anyone is interested in going let me know. I've decided to add some links to some cool shit and good people which I recommend checking out if you have the time.


~Listen to Honorary Title - Cut Short~
~Watch A Scanner Darkly~