My Dream Festival

Fantasy South by Southwest 2009 headliners, as carefully selected and cooltext.com-generated by me:

Supporting Acts Include: 

Letters to Cleo, Chalkfarm, The Odds, Freedy Johnston, Local H, Screaming Trees, The Verve Pipe, Geggy Tah, The Sisters of Mercy's More, Cornershop, Possum Dixon and Ned's Atomic Dustbin

Some Movies I'd Never Watch Again

I love movies, but I admit that I haven't seen a lot of the 'classics' or even 'modern classics'. I have, however, seen a bunch of crap that I would never watch again unless there was a fucking ticker on the bottom the screen revealing the meaning of life, tim kasher's phone number, and maybe the winning lottery numbers for good measure. agree?

* Dungeons and Dragons - well here we go, another total piece of shit starring people way too good for it. I'd call it a paycheck movie, but I'm sure it wasn't. that simply means that jeremy irons (aka jeremys iron) and thora birch are assholes. for someone actually into dungeons and dragons stuff, this was an atrocity, and didn't even really follow a lot of D&D stuff. can I say, Marlon Wayans is in this garbage, and once when discussing the movie, I decided to call him 'Merlin Wayans', which is pretty next level considering.

* The Devil Wears Prada - I am a feminist who also ends up liking a lot of shit, but this is just too much. this movie is totally unbelievable (not a bad thing, but it is when it tries to come off as such) and can I say, for a movie promiently featuring designer clothes, the wardrobes are a total snooze. Pat Fields did wonders on Sex and the City, but she puts all the characters here in boring common interpretations of high fashion. plus gisele is in it for a scene, AS AN ACTRESS, and she should just stick to fucking Tom Brady back to health, kthx. ah, hot rich brazillian pussy, shit is like the ancient healing waters of Shangri-la.

* Howard the Duck - can you even believe that piece of shit was based on a comic? ooh, tim robbins though, he is crazytown. good to know that an actor starring in IMDB's top rated movie, Shawshank Redemption, can also be in this one, which is probably in the top 100 worst. I don't even remember when I saw this, except that my parents probably strapped me down with a kids meal and set me in front of the tv. I'm sure my Batman Returns toy was cool though.

to be continued....

I'm in love

so in honor of Mark D and I's 6 monthversary, which came and went last week, The Walkmen are going to be playing 'In The New Year' on the best show ever, Conan O'Brien. this is particularly nice for me, because You & Me kind of became something special for Mark and I. it's a beautiful, romantic album full of both hope and sadness. I've never met anyone like Mark D and I am incredibly in love with him. 

I gave up some things that were important to me to move here and help in trying to make a future for us. things have not always been easy; I've learned that the things that can make you so passionate about someone can also make your fights worse. I have made my share of mistakes. this is a testament to what can be accomplished when you meet someone who changes the way you view things, ultimately for the better.

so tonight I'll watch The Walkmen perform their beautiful song about love and hope in the new year, and cheers to Mark D and hopefully what will be a year of firsts for us.

surprise!

so this is the look on my face as I watched the SAG awards:

there were some surprises up in there! mostly in the television categorie. although meryl streep as best actress for doubt was unexpected. heath ledger continued to steam roll the supporting actor category, as did kate winslet, only this time for the reader. 

the SAG awards supposedly mean a ton to the actors because they are voted by fellow actors, but again, the television awards were kinda bonkers in my opinion. 

hugh laurie again for best actor, I'm so tired of that. I wanted to see Michael C. Hall for Dexter win, especially after how next level the third season was. Best Female was Sally Field and again, so played out. 

I mostly watch that shit for the dresses anyway.

'an interesting intersection' or, 'how I can still be eco-friendly while selling my art to an insurance company'

so here's a semi-interesting modern tale:

about a month ago I got hip to this new esurance commersh (the ones with the gross animated ads featuring people who look like tackier bratz dolls and a bizarre super-hero backstory) prominently featuring a song by a band, Cloud Cult. the ad is basically just a mini animated music video and doesn't even really mention insurance. the song, 'Lucky' is pretty tacky too, and the band's name is splashed on the bottom of the screen, labelled as an 'Esurance Favorite', like the cats at their offices fancy themselves indie rock connoseurs. 

fast forward to a couple weeks ago when I was in Mark D's car, cd's typically strewn everywhere, on the way to nowhere in particular. mid-sentence, I exclaim 'omg, you have the cloud cult cd!', and then he asks me not to change the subject. but c'mon it was really weird to me that he had that cd. admittedly, my pal has a very very eclectic music taste, and he has a great time going back and forth with his friends about the hilariously bad music they used to listen to, or rediscovering old gems from high school. I knew nothing of Cloud Cult other than that ad, and immediately thought they were one of those throw-away type bands and I wasn't sure why he was listening to it, except maybe as research for a future conversation at Tortilla Flats. 

on the excruciating 2 hour long ride home from Frightened Rabbit, the truth was uncovered: Cloud Cult is actually an experimental, extremely eco-conscious indie rock group from Minnesota, one that his band The Brother Kite saw at SXSW and is revered by a few of the guys. fittingly enough for a band with a song in an insurance ad, these guys have a bunch of sincere gimmicks, if such a thing is possible: they feature people within this collective painting onstage along with the music, producing a finished painting at the end of each show. the lead dude also has his own record label, embarassingly called Earthology Records, which he runs on his organic farm. they tour in a biodiesel van, keep track of their carbon footprint, and everything having to do with the band is recycled, etc. basically Cloud Cult makes us all look like assholes. 

I really wanted to know how and why the Esurance commercial came to pass. according to an interview with aforementioned lead dude, they've gotten tons of offers over the year to liscense their music out, but because of the stringent eco-ethos they have, they had to turn it all down, despite the much needed money. Esurance apparently asked them, dude did some research, and felt like he could support the company. Esurance had helped make a fest the band played earlier 'green', and also became the green-sponsor for the band's current tour, paying for the bio-diesel and picking up the tab for the carbon offset. 

I guess my cynical self can suck it, and we can all ethically jerk off to Erin Esurance now. I mean, there is really nothing negative I can say about this, and I look forward to seeing the Cloud Cult documentary coming out later this year. 

if this blog was tv guide, the song would get a jeers for being kind of lame, but the story in general would get a cheers. here's to next levs.

vice/socks/necklaces/tits

so I guess if I post interesting pictures of myself where I happen to be topless, I should make this thing private, huh.

new musicccccc

do you:

a) like real long weirdo songs
b) things that are a little acoustic-esque a little punky but not described as acoustic punk?
c) cool

then this is for you!

you know that band, Mountains, they put out this song, 'Choral' which apparently they 'recorded in real-time, so you hear the song unfold naturally', whatevs that means!

check it:



editor's note: the widget I had for this song was not working at the moment, so I'll try to fix/repost it soon

what it's like

*it's like, watching a movie, and a vehicle is going through some winding/mountain road and the director uses that played-out overhead loopy shot like the shining/the ring/da vinci code

*it's like, watching someone get excited about the quality of wood delivered (yes, literal wood)

*it's like, doublewhiskeycokenoice

*it's like, when you're on the greyhound making the trip to portland for the millionth time this decade, and you're in the window seat with your ipod going, and your head is resting on the window listening to some folk or something, and you feel like you've seen this before in a terrible music video or embarassing movie, and what it would look like to someone watching you

*it's like, when you're not even jerking off anymore, you're just laying there thinkin'....

*it's like, answering the 50-millionth question about what your recent manager would say about you

*it's like, will anyone anywhere ever achieve the success of tyler perry?

*it's like, being so in love with somebody and wondering what the hell is going on

*it's like, getting out of the shower on a sunday at about 1:30 pm and you had USA on the tv, and you come into your room and realize that return of the king is on and you sit on the edge of the bed, in your towel, fully intending to get dressed but instead your hair dries as you catch 1.5 hours of it

*it's like, being so frustrated that you have to focus on something pretty until it looks weird like how when you say a name so much it sounds absurd

*it's like, viola davis in doubt

*it's like, I hope no one ever talks to me like that again

*it's like, how you see many many girls wear leggings and uggs and side ponytails and northface jackets and pouffed at the top hair and scarves, and how you always thought it was kindy tacky or boring but then it's so pervasive that one day you put something similar together and leave the house for some reason feeling more confident even though you'd rather wear old lady clothes

*it's like, how I believe someone somewhere would appreciate me more

*it's like, anything is only good in moderation

*it's like, how nowhere will ever be as cool as Crystal Lake 1981

*it's like, how I'm surprised I don't hear the whoosh of a leader-shell in my dreamz

my style idol.....

the best outfit ever goes like this:
black crop top, high-waisted black shorts, hot pink tights, huge silver hoops earrings, and black combat-esque boots.

sound familar?

CLARISSA DARLING I SALUTE (YOUR SHORTS) YOU!

you are my style idol, and it's hard for me to put on my bright tights and clashing skirts without thinking of you and your ridiculous outfits!

I've realized a lot of what I wear is a direct reinterpretation of clarissa outfits: high-waisted everything, crazy tights (or in her case, leggings), colorful cardigans and vests, sequins, random t-shirts with skirts, headbands, hoop earrings....the list goes on.

bitch kills it every time. I'd love to know who was the stylist for this show, but there is no deets on the dvd for costume design. carrie bradshaw is sort of like a grown-up clarissa as well.

creep alert jr: while looking for clarissa pics I stumbled upon a trove of clarissa fan fic. fans will recall the show ended when clarissa left to pursue her dream newspaper job. the fan fic picks up with her new life in the city. I guess this makes more sense than the darkwing duck fanfiction I found earlier this month....

HEY! if you like MIDI's then click here for a bonkers MIDI versh of the Clarissa Explains It All (or CEIA for those who like obsessive fan internet acronyms) theme song!

rapper or toiletry?

I found this amusing, and also difficult:


Rapper or Toiletry?

1. Suave
2. Nice & Smooth
3. Soft & Gentle
4. Shyne
5. All Fresh
6. All Natural
7. Remedy
8. D-Flame
9. Cream Silk
10. Volume 10
11. Dimension
12. Cool Breeze
13. Smooth Appeal
14. Q-Tip

okay, have your guesses?
ANSWER KEY:
Toiletry: 1,3,5,9,11,13
Rapper: 2,4,6,7,8,10,12
Both Toiletry and Rapper: 14




*courtesy Mike Daulton

music videos I never knew existed: XYZ Affair

I don't know who this band is, XYZ Affair; I admit, for someone who pays attention to supposed buzzy-brookyn bands, a few are bound to slip through the cracks.

what I do know is that I would like to have a conversation with these guys, because their music video for 'All My Friends' was pulled straight outta my effed up head (see 'review of my daydream #1 for further proof). 

this video is like a U.N. summit meeting for washed up Nickelodeon stars! you gotttt, one of the Petes, fuckinnnnn' BOBBY BUDNICK, and even a bald/bespectacled Ferguson Darling looking like a super creep jr.

I'm all like 'whatevs' about the song, I just want people to get SLIMED. 

whoomp! there it continues to be

ya know, 

this week I'm feelin':

*not puttin' g's on the end of my words

*doin' mid-level geometry proofs while watching dane cook yuk it up in 'my best friend's girl'

*tights, because baby it's colllllld outside for pants-less cartoon ducks like me

*treating coke like it's a craft beer

*this picture of paul mccartney

joy!

"Watchmen fans rejoice!

The Fox vs. Warner Bros. dispute that threatened the theatrical release of the flick has been resolved!

On Thursday night, the rival studios confirmed that they've reached a confidential deal and the long-awaited movie will be making it onto the big screen.

Watchmen will be in theaters on March 6th."

yeeessssss!!!

and with that, I'll leave you with this piece of gloriousness:

review of my daydream, #1

the inaugural review of my daydream segment on this blerg

*****************************************************

title: "good morning, ms. witham"

when: weekly, in my lower points of thinking about jobs/careers, often during the commercial breaks of the 12-2 block of unsolved mysteries (the new one, which uses google maps to zoom in on the beginning location of each story, and has a huge distracting credit to google maps at the top of the screen, what is this?) on spiketv

synopsis: I'm here in providence, employed as a high school history teacher at a public high school. I don't know anything about the high schools in providence, but this one is large and has the kind of racial and social diversity that got the producers of 'freedom writers' and 'dangerous minds' hard. this minute-long fantasy sees me as the attractive, quirky, super-popular 'cool teacher' that makes the students actually want to learn, for the most part. somehow, I am able to use 'a people's history' as a text, and I also have cool glasses. while mr. belding's brother on SBTB was a cool teacher, I am way cooler. I make simpsons and arrested development references that for some reason all of my student's get, and spend the first 10 minutes of every class talking about whatever sporting event the night before. similarly, I'm also one of those teachers in which the students know they can get me rolling on a particular pop-culture topic and distract me for the duration of the class, except for the last 10 minutes where I say, okay since we didn't do anything today tomorrow's test/quiz is open note/book. joke's on them because it's an essay test and bitches will need to use their nubile young minds! 

*postscript: in this daydream I'm also married to mark d, and sometimes bring in hilarious d-anecdotes, and the kids sort of get to learn his personality through my stories, and also when he comes in sometimes and drops off a weird asian lunch for me. if this particular daydream is the version in which i'm in my late 30s/early 40s, D is dressed hilariously similar to what he does now, in layered thrifted tops and neat shoes. he also still has black-rimmed glasses, and the geeky girls in class secretly think he's hot, plus he plays guitars. HEY LADIEZ.

critique: reveals certain embarassing self-truths as well as raises important questions. what happens when, as I age, my physical charms are lessened and my once-quirky style of dress now appears to be more 'desperately alone crazy aunt'-esque? also, in 20 years these kids aren't going to know the simpsons/arrested development quotes, and I'll just seem crazy. will this institutional setting make me more conservative? all in all a reasonably satisfying yarn bearing uncomfortable similarities to 'dead poet's society' and the aforementioned 'save by the bell'. 

LISTEN UP KIDDIES.

oh?

Drunk at the bar at last, last call my baby's home on her night off, So I'm involved in a serious talk with a girl I had known growing up. So we buy a six; decide to split  she has a downtown apartment. She opens the door, falls to the floor, says, I'm bitter sick of sweet and pure, take me now I'm yours

Notes in his pockets, rumors in the mill, phone calls after the bars close, unlisted numbers. If she only knew, then he'd be through  but who knows which parts are true. She hates how it looks, but what can she do? The girls all talk behind her back, they say she's being used.

At Sullivan's drinking with Justin, he says he's seen my ex-girlfriend. She's back in town and what's worse  he knows where and when she works. So we head over to the Underwood, she's trading shots with regulars: She gives me a hugs 'til our hips are flush, says, Boy, we've hardly kept in touch it's time for catching up

Notes in his pockets, rumors in the mill. Phone calls after the bars close, unlisted numbers. Still, he insists on his innocence; says those girls are all gossips. She's gotta drop the axe, catch hi m in the act,with his shame around his ankles, chain the guilt around his neck.

chuck bass '09

DEAR MANS:









That is all.

most dangerous movies #2

another movie off of the 25 most dangerous list:
Dancer in the Dark (2000)


dancer in the dark is one of those movies that either makes you lose all faith in the entire human race and shove your head in the oven, OR, reignites your wonder of all the beauty in the world and reminds you that the meaning of life is simply that it ends. therefore, this movie is great! not many flicks can illicit that kind of duel emotional response. it makes you angry, sad, and then angry again.

on the outside, this could appear to be another tale of a weaker-willed character struggling against all the evil in the world, but I see it as so much more. DITD combines elements of documentary-esque storytelling/cinematography, straight drama, and of course musical. oh and bjork in the lead actress, and the one doing the most of the singing. oh hai, BJORK. only a woman responsible for some of the most quirky, unpredictable and enchanting music ever could pull off selma. sure, chicago is a musical (and a decent one at that), but this is cut from an entirely different cloth. somehow, bjork manages to make even industrial music seem soft and lit from within.



I don't know wtf this picture is but it makes me laugh......NEWAYZ

a quick synopsis from imdb:
Dancer in The Dark tells the story of a single mother, Selma Jezková (Björk), a Czech immigrant living in Washington State (though shot in Sweden) with her her son, Gene Jezek (Vladica Kostic). They live in a trailer on the property of town policeman Bill Houston (David Morse). Selma and her friend Kathy, whom she nicknames Cvalda (Deneuve), work at a factory and go to the local cinema together to watch Hollywood musicals. Selma is pursued by a timid coworker, Jeff (Peter Stormare). She suffers from a congenital eye disease which is gradually causing her to go blind. She is saving all her money in a tin can to pay for an operation which will prevent Gene from suffering the same affliction. Selma frequently falls into reveries involving elaborate musical theater numbers. When Bill steals all of her savings, Selma Björks out (with the help of a gun), seeking her own justice in a corrupt world.

I don't really have any negative criticisms of this film, which is very unlike me. I love that bjork was totally emotionally drained after her role, because bitch killed it.

the director, lars von trier, founded this filmmaking style called dogma 95: "the goal of the dogma collective is to purify filmmaking by refusing expensive and spectacular special effects, postproduction modifications and other gimmicks. The emphasis on purity forces the filmmakers to focus on the actual story and on the actors' performances"....

so apparently the handheld camera and other lo-fi techniques are part of this master plan. this type of filmmaking definitely fits in with the marxist tones of DITD (seriously, reread your abridged marx theory and compare folks, shit is next levs).

watch dancer in the dark if nothing else than for bjork's performance. she's in company with bowie as one of the few musicians who can also act.

5/5 stars!

new musicccc

what's this now? leaked track, 'blood bank' from bon iver's new ep? yes please!




sounds like the ol' boy is upping his storytelling game, and that voice is still next levs. this track is like my hair on this fine tuesday morning: not shiny and short. enjoyenjoyenjoyenjoy.

( also the boy has that scrappy lumberjack-or-fisherman look to him that's always been a panty-dropper, and now is kinda trendy for some reason. yeah boy!)

what's the vernon-dict?

did I really drown?

10X10

3X3

was the house

that buried me

I've never been so confused in my life. 

but time heals all.

real quick.....

watching the golden globes right now,

bruce springsteen just accepted his award for best song, from the wrestler,

bitch wanted the boss to go offstage to do god knows what, but oh know, he just walks back down the stairs and back to his seat in the audience. oh and also gave a shout out to beloved saxophone banger clarence clemens.

shit is next levs.

I mean that's why he's the boss, and you're just that guy from entourage.

reel talk, and various other movie puns #1

premiere came out awhile ago with this list of the 25 Most Dangerous Movies Ever Made (link at bottom), and it. is. awesome! there were a lot of non-obvs selections, and the write-ups were very interesting, as were the pics. admittedly, I have a particular interest in both psychologically and visually disturbing films. I love horror movies, Lynch, thrillers, mind-benders, whatevs. I'm always on the lookout for ::nerd alert:: good forums and threads where people discuss these movies, try to figure out inland empire, and the like, and it's the best place to find stuff I've never heard of. what is also good is I don't even need to pay for netflix: my providence public library card is my golden ticket to dysfunction! every movie I've ever searched for, they have had in their catalogue, and I simply request it on the internet, and in a few days it's mine for FREE. FREEEEEEE!

I'm going to watch all 25 movies on the list, and see what strikes my fancy.

***First up, is Happiness. I had seen this movie a couple of times before, as I'm a huge todd solondz fan, and mark d and I watched it on vacation as well.

I remember in '98 when this movie came out it was on virtually every top-ten list. solondz movies usually involve frank discussions of sex and children, and that certainly applies here. what is great about happiness is how divisive the editorials were. the plot is hard to summarize, but relationships and families are a central theme. basically, kind of like Blue Velvet (another movie on the list) it aims to show how perversion lurks around every corner, whether you want to admit it or not. this movie really isn't for the faint of heart; one scene involves a father, who has recently raped his son's friend, explaining to his jealous son that he would never rape him, he would simply just jerk off instead. heartwarming! some people get up in arms because the pedophile father is represented very sympathetically, and children in the movie are basically a means to an end. I'm not sure what solondz is trying to say by having the kids in the movie be either pathetic jokes or means to sexual gratification, but it is hard to look away either way.

the acting is exceptional, you can't go wrong with phillip seymour hoffman or jane adams. lara flynn boyle has one of the many more minor roles, and she is awful as usual. you watch twin peaks and think, maybe she's a piece of plywood because this show is fucking weird (and awesome) and it's all part of the schtick, but not she's really just terrible (how she ended up with jack nicholson, the person with the second most oscar noms or something like that, is beyond me)

but really, when I hear a movie is filthy or morally bankrupt, i'm first in line.

an excerpt from an amazon.com review of happiness, by 'john winston, fan of unusual things' (no joke):
"I realize some call it daring and groundbreaking but I don't agree,there is a difference between ground breaking and just trying to make the sickest film you can for its own sake.Ultimately after watching this movie I found myself feeling very depressed and deciding I never wanted to watch this garbage ever again.....For example were not one but 2 scenes of shooting semen really so important to include?Also one cannot help but get the impression the film maker is subtly trying to show at least some sympathy for Dylan Bakers sick child molester and if anything thats the most disturbing thing of all about this movie as it goes without saying the charcter is not remotely deserving of sympathy. "

mr. winston, fan of unusual things, also goes on to say that happiness is a film which wears its intent on its sleeves. I have no idea what that means.

4/5 stars!



Happiness

Premiere's List of 25 Most Dangerous Movies

these kids today

so yesterday I'm all up in the mall, providence place style, rumbling around on my way to the bookstore. I venture past the old mall staple hot topic. we've all been in there, for whatever reason. maybe they were the only place in your area selling converge shirts at the time (true story) or maybe you just enjoy getting your retna's seared with the dayglo graffitti-like animal printed band shirts that seem to be all the rage these days. or maybe you simply needed to refresh your stock of nightmare before christmas wristbands/mints/dolls/pillows/slippers, whatevs. 

anywho, in the doorway, or rather the dungeonesque entryway that hot topic has, there was a chalkboard explaining that hot band The Academy Is.....would be doing an in-store appearance later in the month, and if you bought a shirt or cd you could get a sticker guaranteeing you could meet the band.

I had heard of these guys here and there, as I used to read AP at the bookstore I worked at, as well as that's the type of stuff my 18 year old sister gets her lip-ring in a tizzy for. I thought nothing more of the hullabaloo until I sat down to read the newest rolling stone at mark d's apartment, as he fiddled online with stuff about the new animal collective cd (which I'm about to get burnt out on before I even get the chance to enjoy. I am prepared for many of the music outlets I read to release a verbal ass-licking praise tornado upon this mastery of audio science, but the damn thing hasn't even been released yet, vinyl today I know.)

Rolling Stone, in their year-end best 50 albums of the year, put The Academy Is "Fast Times at Barrington High' at number 46.  where have I been? well, in a place in which rolling stone has hardly any critical hold for me anymore, but still. they do cover and admire many of my own personal favorites, so perhaps this was something to look into. RS refers to the album as a 'soaring pop-punk tribute to senior year'. I love pop-punk, and senior year was a delicious combination of straight A's, constant hanging out with friends and the best sex yet.  however, this album sucks. I went online and listened to it this morning . RS also put a song from in on their best songs of the year. I honestly don't get RS. I was hoping to get my snooty music snob ass handed to me by suprisingly enjoying a stylized emo-pop band that looks like the jonas brothers if they started drinking. but no, epic fail ensued.  RS put Blitzen Trapper's 'Furr' as the 3rd best song of the year, which is also a surprise. however that song rules, and even people who don't get soaking wet over every subpop release think so. I guess I underestimated Rolling Stone's radar, in both directions.

enjoy the douchbaggerie.

vacation, all I ever wanted....

back to my normal routine in rhode island after the whir and blur of thanksgiving/christmas/vacation in maine/new years. unfortunately there is not much to come back to right now.

december 26th-29th mark d came to maine to visit with my family again, and stay at my mom's lake house by our lonesome, as sort of a pseudo-vacation.

vacation roundup!:

number of times dad called mark d a loser: 4

number of kids that gave mark d a high-five and snubbed me altogether: 1

number of dunkin donuts we stopped at: guessing 4 or 5

number of football games watched: 2

number of trips to walmart: for me, three

number of times I bought alcohol at walmart: 3

number of times my sister mouthed 'fuckyoufuckyoufuckyou' to mark behind his back welcome to the dollhouse style: 3 I recall

number of hotels stayed at: 1, the holiday inn, whereupon my mother forced us to stay the night before we left for sebago lake, because she didn't want us staying on my older sisters couch like heathens

number of times mark d slept totally naked: 2

number of meals eaten that were in some form cooked by us: 1, frozen pizza and wings

number of times mark d beat my 18 year old sister up with a broom: 1, when she hid on the stairs and scared him

number of times mark d fooled me into thinking the 'demo' on the electric piano was actually him: 1, the talentless hack

number of woodchuck ciders my underage sister drank that I bought at walmart: 3.5

amount of minutes spent debating whether or not to buy scene-it or trivial pursuit: probably about 40 total, at walmart and at the cabin, mark d and I will over-discuss any purchase, like the time we legit spent 30 minutes in a stop and shop discussing the purchase of a $3 plastic pitcher, at 9pm

number of suits bought at thrift stores: 2, D's

number of guys reacquainted with at bars in portland, whom I went to one year of college with 4 years ago and was friends with, and haven't seen since 2004, and who mark d made fun of moments before I said hi to him realizing it was my old friend: 1, Lee.

well, that's a partial roundup of my 'vacation' in maine, there are several pictures from the journey on my facebook.

oh has anyone else seen this commercial for the earpiece that gives you 'sonic' hearing and the ad shows it being used for everything from listening to someone talk about you at a party across the room, to the elderly at bingo, to a girl at the beach listening to someone compliment her body, to kids struggling in big classrooms?

it reminds me of seinfeld where george has the deaf girl read lips at a party for him.

this thing rules!