The Leap Day where We Turned the Corner

Looking at the weather forecast this week, we see that temperatures will stay well above the teens for a few days. This is good. Nothing beats a sunny, warm late-winter/early spring day. You're more likely to do something outside because you finally have the chance to not wear a coat. Kids and dogs were everywhere. Cars were being washed. Everybody seems ready to crawl out of their caves. All good things.

- Quinn turned twenty-five and had a party for it on Friday. He had T-shirts made with the phrase 'Win with Quinn'. Designed by Steve Sleeve, this shirt looked like a political poster if it were made by Steve. The 'man-of-the-future' party favor was a nice touch. Those around us looked at the shirts and gave a strange look. Those with us acted as if nothing was different. As of the time of publishing this, I can't find my shirt. I'm sure I came home with it.

- After 2am, we closed off the evening at a Jazz club. I don't know why I never went to this place until now. I guess that when I thought of Jazz Clubs, I thought of a smoky bar with pimps and old people smoking cigars. The concept didn't appeal to me. Instead I found a pretty relaxed place. Everybody was having a good time and hot girls even show up. Attractive girls who like jazz? I once used the jazz angle to woo somebody. Hmmm....

- Seeing live jazz again gave me flashbacks to playing Hancock's 'Chameleon' in middle school Jazz band. We probably sounded like hell, but it didn't matter. We discovered jazz. The next time any of my band-geek friends comes to town, I'm taking them there.

- This building is fairly quiet and peaceful. The horribly low occupancy rate in this sixteen story building gave me the feeling that I was always the only person in the building. I kind of liked that feeling. Today seems to bring in a new era. I saw more people moving in today than I ever have. I could be wrong, though. This is the only last day of the month I've been around for. While the prospect of meeting a flirty neighbor appeals to me, I'm not looking forward to the constant rooftop traffic around my apartment. Oh well, this was bound to happen.

- I went back to the parent's house yesterday. When I got home I stepped out of the car, walked around the driveway, and took a deep breath. I think the spring-ish smell of my neighborhood is one of my favorite of all the odors. It is both sentimental and invigorating. On days like this, my buddy Danny and I would play basketball on the driveway for hours on end. Early spring was always the only time of the year we would do things outside. I think spring is my favorite season of the year.

- Speaking of Danny, we hung out last night and watched Blind Date. This was out of necessity. We were treated to a 'weekend edition' where 'anything goes'. One date featured two little people. They went to a trapeze place and learned how twirl and stuff. No. I am not making this up. The guy was really low key and laid back. Somehow I identified with this guy. The woman was touchy feely and pretty much declared that she will sleep with him as soon as the date started. The guy refuted all attempts. Somehow I identified with this guy. I was waiting for the camera to show a scene where someone would shout: "FREAKS!", but it wasn't to be. I guess I wish the world to be mean. Either way, that's what I call entertainment.

- Things always get better for me when spring rolls around. I've had a pretty good year so far. One can only wonder what lies ahead.

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Getting Brigher

At the same time, sunsets mean the end of the day. All things must come to an end and the glowing warmth of a sunset can put it all in perspective. I sound sentimental, but this is just a segue into another bus story. I was sitting on the bus doing my thing. We hit up a stop and I looked outside the window. I saw a couple standing at the stop. The girl had this stone cold look on her face. The guy looked sad and agitated. He was talking, and she was staring down the street with that 'I am not going to cry' face. I think it was a break-up in process. They were in a very public place. I could be wrong.

This scene reminded me of Madison. The Student Union was along the lake. The lake had a nice pier area. During senior year, my roomate Shugart made the observation that the pier and lake setting at the union is the place to go when you break up. He broke up with a girl there...and he's seen other people breaking up at the lake. It's true, I've seen that. If you saw a couple standing by the lake without ice cream, they were probably breaking up. This concept made me laugh. While I was laughing at the thought, I watching the girl yell at her future ex-boyfriend. The guy looked up at me...and I was still laughing. Ooops...well, you have to admit: Breaking up sucks, but seeing it happen to strangers in public is always funny.

With that, I give you the four week progression:

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Wear the Cross Day

Today I saw many folks running around the Loop with the ash mark on their forehead. No, it's not the apocalypse. It's Ash Wednesday. I don't think I have ever received ashes on Ash Wednesday. Growing up, they would give us the cross during Sunday school. Anyway, I learned today that there are a lot of devout Catholics in downtown Chicago. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since this is a pretty Catholic town. For a while, I felt bad that I didn't get the ashes. That's the Catholic guilt creeping in. At the same time, I still hold on the personal belief that religion is more important as an internal force. Falling into a yearly routine takes the true meaning away from things.

My buddy Brendan asked me today: "what are you giving up for Lent?" I said I had no answer. I'm not questioning the sanctity of lent...but it seems to me that giving up something for a period of only 40 days is a cop out. Most people give up a guilty pleasure that they go back to in full force. The Catholics taught us that Jesus went without eating a thing for forty days and nights. That's a real sacrifice. Giving up chocolate is a sacrifice that benefits only the self...for only 40 days. I know I'm leaving a lot out of this argument, but I don't want to bore you. To me, I think people should give up something for good every lent. Drop a bad habit for the rest of your life...don't pretend that you can hold yourself back if you're going back to it come Easter Sunday. As football coaches say, "Go hard, or don't go at all." I think that should pertain to this celebration as well.

On the lighter side of things, I found seeing the cross on women walking around the loop an endearing thing. I'm not sure why I found that attractive. It's probably because I don't want to deal with conversions and what not when I do become a religious man. Meeting someone with the same religious upbringing as me would make things easier, in some unexplainable way. I don't quite get it.

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Just Like Last Year

Fortune Smiled Upon Me. That's all. A day like this makes me question my intentions as a corporate lackey. I'll be happy once I find a calling I can consider socially beneficial. I'm not sure the souless pursuit of profit on behalf of myself and those who hired me is the right way to finding a spiritually fulfilling living. At the same time, I get the sense that I can successfully carve out a financially comfortable living in my field. This sounds like an inner battle: having a soul vs. living comfortably with money. Overall happiness being the goal, of course.

There may exist a compromise here. Teaching in the fall and selling space in the summer might be the ticket. Perhaps working for a city municipality would be a socially useful way of life. I could do city planning, work on acquiring tax funded property developments, or deal with greenlands and parkspace. Yeah....that could be it. Thanks, readers...I appreciate your help. If I'm staying in the field...I'll look for social responsibility.

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Look What I found

Courtesy of mister no-spam at Random Blog dot com, I stumbled upon a web log that had a link to an interesting site. I'll post it on here as well. Get the word out. For those of you who want show off to your friends that you have a hot girlfriend (two states over), I present: Imaginary Girlfriends dot com. Yes...for a nominal fee (of $45 for two months), you can have someone write handwritten love letters to you to show off. They'll send you pictures and give you false hope that you can maintain a normal and socially healthy relationship. When your subscription ends, you get to break up with them for any reason....then they write you a letter begging you to take them back...so long as you renew, of course.

...yes...this does exist. At least one person has blown money to receive love letters from an imaginary source. At least one person has used these to brag about it. At least one person was genius enough to come up with this money making scheme. Whomever it is probably won't be a millionaire...but I salute their attempt to prey on the meek and those without any self-esteem whatsoever for cash. Only in America!

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About and Out

In start contrast to last weekend, I did not sit on the couch all weekend long. There were people to see, things to do, and places to go. Yep, I had to get out of the house this weekend...I was starting to get cabin fever. Laughs where shared, hugs where exchanged, and my CD collection sprouted a few more discs for my commutes. All in all, it was all gravy.

- The elaborate schemes cooked up by the government to uncover information is starting to go public. Without our knowledge, the government can mine private records for patterns of terrorism. For me, that means I better keep this web log pro-American and very pro government. Does anyone see the irony in that the controlling republicans, who are fundamentally opposed to 'large government', continue to fund these programs that expand governmental power over what civil liberties they can skirt around? I sure do. Oh yeah, God Bless the USA.

- To continue last saturday's post about the late Chris Saathoff, I was able to attend a memorial gathering tonight. It has been over a week and the funeral was on Friday. Even though I didn't really talk to too many people close to the loss, I could tell that spirits were much happier. I got the vibe that everyone has taken a few steps closer to coming to terms with the loss. It was damn good to see.

- It's finally raining and the temperature is finally holding above 40 for more than a day. Another hint of spring is upon us. However, I checked the radar and saw that it was snowing up in Wisconsin. This time of year, the weather can be drastically different in spots merely 50 miles apart. This weekend, we got the benefit of the doubt. That probably means it will snow again....damn.

- At 4:30 pm on Friday, my bosses dragged us out for a few beers. I didn't mind hanging out with these people outside of work. Once you peel off the yuppie/jerk-off exterior, they're nice folks. Sometimes it's nice to reveal that I have social skills. It was also nice to get out of work early to drink...or was it? I got home at 7pm with three beers under my belt, and it felt like 11:30pm. Somehow, I managed to last the rest of the night.

- This occurred to me yesterday: I really like being single right now; I like chillin' alone in my apartment; at the same time I hate feeling devoid of female companionship. Somehow those emotions rotate in and out of me. It's an interesting mix...my issues with commitment chase me away...yet I think I need someone there. I guess I have to find the happy medium, eh?

- Relax folks, Nader's run for president is not all that bad. He'll get some spotlight time and make his point. In a perfect world, he'll pull a Perot and drop out of the election late summer. There might as well be someone there to make sure the correct issues are being addressed. He won't keep the democrats and Bush honest...but he'll make them address different issues. That, my folks, is my uninformed reaction. Take it for what it's worth.

- I have nothing but five day work-weeks to look forward to until Memorial Day. Tomorrow begins the 'baseball season' portion of the year. The weeks are long, they go slow, and no one shuts up about how the Cubs will do this year. I foresee taking a personal day or sick day between now and then. Sometime in March or April, an unplanned day off is in the cards.

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The TV Stayed Off Tonight

No Simpsons, No Family Guy, no nothing. I got home from work today and decided that I should change my pace and see what it's like to not watch TV for an entire night. I got quite a bit done tonight. I did groceries, cooked a damn good stirfry, read for an hour, and socialized on the telephone machine. I can't believe how productive one can be when the TV is off. Dare I cancel cable and live the dream that all intellectual snobs live? Perhaps...but I think I should just wait until my cable company figures out their bankruptcy mess. I should stop paying that all together.

For only four dollars tonight, I purchased sixteen chicken drumsticks. The price per pound of that is way cheap. I guess I got too far into the habit of dealing in chicken breast meat. Drumsticks are so versatile, anyway. You can bake them, fry them, or just yank all the meat off for use in a stirfry or a soup. Plenty of bang for your buck...and that's my food tip of the night.

I've noticed that my fingernails have been quite weak as of late. They have been breaking and chipping quite a bit lately. Either I need to calm myself down, or something in my diet is lacking. Perhaps I am drinking too much tea.

Have you ever walked down the street, locked eyes with an attractive member of the opposite sex and shared a smile for a few seconds in passing? Have you ever wondered what that other person is thinking after gracing your presence? After I thought to myself "wow, she smiled back", I immediately thought "I wonder what went through her head just now?" Hmmmm......

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Vivian. Cold Calls. Warmth.



Vivian was born yesterday evening at 5:30 p.m. Since her arrival, the weather has warmed up and the hint of Spring is in the air. After Emma and Ruby, Vivian is the third niece born in the last eleven months. All the babies are here...let's have a party. Welcome Vivian! We're happy to see you!

At work last week, I took a cold call from some smooth talking salesperson. She opened by saying "this may be the strangest call you have ever received..." After that comment, she asked me a few questions about my wardrobe. After a few more questions regarding how much I usually spend on clothes, I found myself making an appointment to make this girl some money. This morning, I called her and told her that "after taking a look at my wardrobe and reviewing my finances, I'd be wasting your time." She said she'd follow up on me in a few months. Why didn't I say 'no' when she first called? I figure since she smoothly slipped me into an appointment to shop, I'd get her hopes up on a sale and hang on to an appointment for a few days. The universe balances out.

This Winter act is getting old. It's finally nice to walk down the street without having to bundle up. It's finally nice to walk down the street without wishing for warmer weather. I am ready for Spring to tease us every few days. The occasional warmth can only mean one thing: in just a little more than a month from now, knee-high boots and skirts will make its return on thousands of Chicago Loop females. Ha!

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This Being Tony

Enjoying my day off, I got a call from my old college roommate, Tony. We lived together during freshman year in college. That will forever be our bond. We had been friends in high school and decided that living with strangers would suck. To make the transition to college easier, we agreed that living with someone you already knew would be one less thing to worry about.

The year was fun and we managed to live completely different social lifestyles. We always got along and every few nights would be like a slumber party. We'd just lie on our respective ends of the dorm room and talk about everything under the stars. We have only seen each other a few times since that year. Every time we get together, the classic inside jokes come back as if we never stopped living together. The guy's living habits would occasionally drive me nuts...but I wouldn't trade that experience for anything in the world. It was good to see Tony...it's good to see figures from the past.

I don't have a picture of the guy. We lived together before the digital age...but I might as well roast him like I have the other "this being" subjects. I'll list the top five things that come to mind when I think of Tony.

- The episode we quoted the most on the Simpsons featured the line: "I think he's talking to you." That line came up tonight.
- He coined the campaign phrase "Vote Lo and Get Some!" when I ran for Senior Class Vice-President. He even convinced me to use it.
- He respected my religious boundaries and didn't try to make a conversion. I really appreciated that.
- Sometimes he'd wake up, crawl out of bed, and slam a can of Mountain Dew. Wow.
- In High school, I had a crush on this girl for quite a while. It was a sad case where I was too shy to talk to her and couldn't come up with a convenient way to get to her. At one point, she had a crush on me. Tony knew this...but was jealous because he liked her, too...so he withheld that information from me. Thanks, dude.
- Another time in High School, this new girl came to school. She was tall, had long cherry red hair, long legs and a smile that could bring down any man. On the first day of she came to school. I met her and got a total positive vibe. Two minutes later, Tony says to me: "So, are you going to go after this girl like you do all the new girls at school?" At the time I had given up on the girls at school and just went after the new ones. I wanted to spite him, so I said "Hell No!"...and I dropped my interest and moved on. It turned out that she did like me...and I blew her off. Once again, Tony...thanks, dude.

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The Weekend I Sat at Home

If it weren't so could outside, I'd have spent more time on the roof. Unfortunately, we're still in the grips of a strong winter. I haven't left the building since I got home a 3:30 am Saturday morning. I should have left the house last night for a while, but I set myself back. Well, there was still a weekend of lessons...I think.

- Gin is evil. I had two tasty Bombay sapphire martinis after midnight on Friday and two things happened. I sprained my ankle walking back to Miller's car and had a hangover so bad, I couldn't fall back asleep. It's Sunday night and my ankle is still sore as hell. That's the last time I hop around. Whenever I consume gin...good things rarely happen. I always wind up struggling for the better part of the next day. Oh well.

- I haven't sat around and watched movies in a while. I did that this weekend with The 'Burbs, The Big Lebowski, and a film to be viewed tonight. Every time I watch these titles, I notice something new. For instance, in the second to last scene of The Big Lebowski, some random dude walks through the shot while The Dude and Walter hug. Watch the upper right hand corner...you'll see it.

- I was hoping to get out of the house today, but I picked up the book I just stated and got carried away. Ghost Soldiers is a world war II rescue book. I'm still in the beginning. So far the author has pained the Japanese as very sadistic and evil people. Now I finally understand why my relatives (and Filipinos in general) are cool to the Japanese...they committed many evils on their soil...many evils. Well...it should be a good book nonetheless.

- I've been so grounded the past two days, I thought about going into work tomorrow anyway. Not much is going on and I've relaxed as much as I could today. Wait..this is the only day off until Memorial Day...I shall sit around and celebrate Presidents day like I did today and yesterday: on my ass (or not).

- I saved quite a bit of money by staying in for the most part this weekend. It sure is amazing how much you save when you're sitting at a bar or riding in a cab. Somehow, I feel productive because of that.

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Pour a drink to the ground

I don't normally post on Saturday, but here is a short memorial. My buddy Quinn lost his roommate and best friend, Chris last night/this morning . I never met Chris, but by all accounts he was an amazing guy. A sudden tragedy like this should make everyone connected to this person appreciate the short time we have on earth that much more. Life does suck at times...but if you appreciate what you have around you, you'll find that life can only suck for short amounts of time.

I'm quoting the story from the WWB, but for my non-WWB readers:

Last night, Chris Saathoff, my roommate, bandmate and one of my best friends was struck and killed by a car just after leaving the Empty Bottle with Tiffani. The car was being chased by another one and both were involved in some sort of gang fight. Chris was able to push Tiffani out of the way but unfortunately he was hit and killed instantly by one of the cars. The police caught the guys, who turned out to be Latin Kings, and found their car was full of guns.

I really don't know what to say. I'll just say what I've been telling everyone all day: Chris had all the qualities you could ever ask for in a friend. He was kind, funny, quirky, intelligent, generous and always up for anything. Over the past year, Neil, Chris, Matt and I have all grown very close. People have said that we were like a family here and I can't think of a better way to describe what we have. We were four roommates but more importantly, we were four best friends. I love Chris with all my heart and have yet to fully realize the impact that this is going to have.

- Quinn G.



These were taken shortly before Quinn (right) and Chris (left), parted ways for the evening. That turned out to be a final parting. May all the affected grow stronger because of this tragic event.

Rest in Peace, Chris. I'm sorry I never got the chance to meet you.

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The Final Valentines You'd want to Drink to Forget (3 of 3)

Oh, the love fest continues. For some, all bets are off tomorrow night. For others, the "liberal media" won't give up the pursuit of the truth behind their national guard record. I don't know know where I fit in on that spectrum...I've lived two thousand four as if all bets were off anyway. No media is following me around, either. So anyway, enjoy the third and final installment in Leftover Chinese's February Fourteenth celebration.

The Year: 2002. I was fresh out of college. Instead of merely liking girls, you actually love them...and that means good and bad things. At the age of twenty three, I had maturity, full understanding of where I stood in life, and no job. Life became a party for a few weeks in those months. Living in your college town when you don't go to school and don't have a job is a winning formula.

Anywho, this particular February Fourteenth adventure was a shot in the dark. There was this ladyfriend I was interested in. We had seen each other a few times the previous fall. In fact, I broke up with my then-current girlfriend once and for all because I wanted to see other people...namely the ladyfriend. The night before she left town for winter break we realized that there was mutual interest. From the vibe I caught, I'd call her after the break and things would be cool. Well, that wasn't the case. This chick was slow to return my calls and we saw each other only once. Well, not more than two weeks after I got back to the city, I realized that I could use February Fourteenth as a way to confirm whether she even cared.

My plan was to get a single rose and write a little note that said something to the tune of "You shouldn't go this Valentines Day without getting a rose, so allow me to do the honor. Call me sometime." I thought it would be a classy message. It's not too gushy, and subtle enough to arouse interest. That afternoon, I went to the store after a job interview and picked up a rose and a bottle of vodka (I wasn't anticipating anything). I drove over to this chick's place and knocked on the door. No answer. Okay, I'll just leave the flower at the door and go home. I was happy about that because I was flossed out in a suit at the time and it would have been too nutty a stunt if she opened a door and some guy in a suit handed her a rose. So I taped the flower to her door, got myself a cup of coffee, and went home.

The phone has yet to ring about that one. I wound up playing my guitar for most the night before taking my anger out on the pool table (I ran the bar's pool table for six games that night). My date that night became the bottle of Vodka and I think it treated me well that night.

These three episodes in my world taught me a lot. First, always leave pleasant notes when you present a flower. The note is as important as the deed itself. Second, the easiest way to see if a lady has taken a shining to you is to give her a flower. A psycho act like that gives you a clear picture of what is going on. You'll either scare her far away, or she'll come running. Third, don't break up with a girl you wind up to realize you really did love. It takes a while to get over that one...Especially when you strike out at the next at-bat. Finally, the most important thing I learned was to forget the losses and just take your chances. Failure can become a funny story a few days later. You never know what's going to happen next.

Did somebody say three-day weekend?! Thank you, dead presidents. Thank you.

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The Other Valentines Day I forgot to Forget (2 of 3)

Father: "So...what are you doing this weekend?"
Son: "Uh...not too much, I don't know...*insert sarcasm* It's Valentines Day. I'll find a girl"
Father: "Ha! ha!...good...find an Asian Girl."

- click -

Well....at least this time he didn't say Filipino. I can't fault him for wishing I marry an Asian woman. It's the way he was brought up. However, I say nothing is certain...all the ladies are fair game in my book. Unfortunately, the more pressure I get from the parents to go Asian...the less likely that will happen. That's the way it goes. Okay...story time.

The Year: 1996. Junior year in High school. Instead of merely liking girls, you get to actually date them...and that meant good things. However, at the age of sixteen, you lack understanding, maturity, and knowing the time and place for humor. At the time I was dating a girl full of sarcasm and smart-ass remarks. Some of it rubbed off on me and I tended to dish it out left and right. In the right settings, I felt that my brand of comedy knew no limits. Anyway, I was at the same high school, and yes..it was carnation week (see Wednesday). So I dropped my dollar and sat down with my buddies to write the card. We tossed out a few jokes, and I came up with: "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue...You're not getting any roses because they're too damn expensive." It made me laugh. It made my friends laugh. I said I'd really do it. They said: "yeah dude." Uh...you can probably predict where this is going. I figure I'd get at least a laugh...well...it turns out nobody found the humor in that one. Damn.

Ladies = 2, Me = -5.

Oh yeah:

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The Valentines Day I Forgot to Forget (1 of 3)

Shall we take the "Oh, woe is me!" approach? No. Let us not complain about anything. February fourteenth of every year is no different than November, or September fourteenth of every year. Say what you will...I'm not jaded...I just don't take stock in the frenzy that is Valentines day. Here is one of thee possibly hilarious/pathetic/pointless anecdotes from the past ten years of my short life...all having to do with this particular day. The names may or may not have been changed...or have they?!

The year: 1994. Freshman year in high school. Instead of merely liking girls...you try to date them. However at the age of fifteen, you lack mobility, maturity, and common sense. If you didn't have a job, all mating efforts were done at the school. So around this particular week, the school did a carnation delivery thing. You'd pay a buck, write a note, and achieve instant happiness. At the time I had liked this girl for a while. That was a good time to make a move, right? So on that fourteenth of February, it turned out this particular interest of mine wasn't in class, or had something else to do..so she never got the carnation. Somehow, she knew she was supposed to get it...but never actually did. We became friends for a short time after that...I never asked her if she ever received that carnation....and she never brought it up. I should forget about this day...right....now. Ladies = 1, Me = 0.

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Non Sports Corner

Yeah, I know that I said sports will be discussed every other tuesday. However, every game I've watched in the last two weeks featured 'my team' losing. UWM lost on Thursday, UW lost on Saturday and the Bucks lost tonight. How in the world could I entertain you with stories about that? Actually I got to see the UWM loss in person. During the game, UWM's coach was ejected from the game. The ref's slowed the game down with their whistles, and after another stupid call, the coach lost it and had to be escorted off the floor. I can cross that occurrence off the sports spectator checklist. The elusive basebrawl still tops that list.

Instead, I'll plug more stuff I find around me. I added two more liks to the lower left of your screen. Jason and Nate. I haven't read much of Nate's. I caught up with Jason's for the first time in a while today and it cracked me up. If you like to laugh at people's stories...check that one out.

Tomorrow may or may not begin the a Special Edition look at Valentines Day....or not.

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Music Nerd Plug

The Secret Machines have a new album coming out. If you plug in your headphones, you can sample this album in streaming audio before the release. The music is basically modern with the added touch of Pink Floyd. I plug this CD for those who don't listen to much other than a few select bands. It is a nice change of pace from the usual.

On a tip from Dan, Bitchdork decided to review the first five Yes albums. Whether you love or hate the review stylings of Pitchfork, anyone with a familiarity to the Yes library should give it a read. The review seems to base their thoughts on the music alone as compared to the rest of the 70's prog sound. They don't compare it to todays music. Well, I've only read one album's worth...but trust me on that one. Anywho, out of all the people whom I think read this blog, Casey would know what I'm talking about. Out of my entire high school, Casey was the only other guy I knew who listened to yes. Confidential to Casey: Where have you been, dude?

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The Weekend I got Ten Hours of Sleep on Saturday Night and Left a very Cynical Post

Yeah. Once in a while, I get to do that and it feels good. Even when I don't go out, I can stay up past 3 on a weekend night. Getting to sleep early was never my thing...and it probably never will be. Well, at least I'm getting better on going to bed early on Sunday nights. I just may fall asleep before midnight. Don't question my nightowl lifestyle...live it with me.

- A friend of a friend's band, Bang!Bang!, played a set Friday night. This is another band I notice that is getting its shit together. It takes a while to get the sound figured out...they're well on their way to hitting the right Groove. If you've ever wondered what "Sex Rock" sounds like...find some Bang!Bang!

- I took home a Vintage Super 8 camera today. I'm not sure if I can actually produce anything with this, but it's a cool antique to have. I'll have to do some research on the possibility of spinning together silent and grainy films. I doubt it...but a man can dream, can't he?

- The Badgers (UW) lost to the Wildcats (NU) on Saturday. I was in the stands among a large contingent of Badger Fans. We collectively groaned when the away team messed up, and we collectively cheered when they would threaten a run. We even collectively boooed when the NU dance team did their dance. The spoiled rich kids got their win...and they stormed the court. Of course this is as good as it gets for the perennial losing basketball team. After they celebrated, the students turned toward the Badger dominated side of the arena and gave the classic "overrated!" chant. Total classic action.

- An actual Real Estate license was mailed to me. Finally, I can show people this and say: "you should pay attention to what I say, I can practice real estate for the full financial benefit of other people!" Whatever, it's a $400 piece of paper (non-reimbursable) and nothing in my world will change because of it.

- Don't ask me this week if I watched the Grammy's. I did not. I will not have anything to share at the proverbial water cooler. I don't care what other think about other people. Why people care so much about a celebrity's personal life? Who determines what "quality" is? Why should people purchase items based on what a guy sitting in his office thinks? Where's Norah Jones? Okay, I'll get of the soap box now...

- There's a holiday coming up next week. Well, it's not really a holiday. More of a time where: (1) single people are supposed to feel sorry for themselves; and (2) those paired up are supposed to feel good about their relationships. Well, I could choose the former and dedicate this week to what I learned from all of my ex- girlfriends (i.e. woe is me...pity me, blah-blah-blah)...or I could choose the latter and get the ball rollin' (i.e. cheer for the good guy..go get 'em, tiger, blah-blah-blah). Hmmm....I'll sleep on that one.

- Yeah, I don't know what's up with the cynical comments. I need to fix this.

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Stuff I See



This sight is not new to anyone who lives around here. To the folks in other parts, I give you this sign. On my three block walk from work to lunch, these were everywhere. I never thought walking outside was such a death hazard. When the conditions are right (a windy, rainy or warmer day after snow) this shit flies. Sometimes, I'll look up and see something floating in the air. It looks cool for a few seconds until it hits the ground with a loud crack. That's when you realize...keep your head up.

This begins the second Thursday feature: Stuff I see. I go to work. I work in a city. I walk on the sidewalks from point A to point B. I say this because I grew up in a suburb where people walking on the street got the suspicious eye. I think I was about eight years old when my Mom frantically called the house and told my brothers to lock all the doors and stay away from windows. It happened to be night and she saw people on foot delivering circulations...but they freaked her out. Hence walking in a city will always have novelty.

I was standing on a street corner tonight. It snowed pretty hard tonight and slush was everywhere. Well, a car was approaching, I saw my buddy start to jump back...and well....you can probably guess what happens next.

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Music Corner

The list on the right has been updated. I'm not saying I bought all of these CD's, but they're new to the library. One of them doesn't even come out until next tuesday. If you're looking for something new or different for the ear...sample what I've got.

Here's a quick recap of the new ones (this is for the archive readers in us):

Kanye West - College Dropout : Good, bad, talks about Chicago...give it a shot.

And you Will Know us by the Trail of Dead - Madonna : I still haven't listened to it. If it's as good as the other album of theirs I own (ST&C), I recommend this before I even listen.

Ludacris - Chicken and Beer : Better than I expected. The guy gives a touching account of his career in one track.

Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea : A lot better than I expected. It's a good mix of driving acoustic rock with horns, organs, accordions, saws, banjo, and zanzithophones.

Oneida - Each one Teach One : Driving Music. Once I understood the music, I loved it. I saw them live a few months ago and they were pretty funny. This album opens up with a 15 minute song based on two chords...and the song is pretty good.

!!! - Me and Guiliani down by the Schoolyard : Take the Clash's "Car Jammin" and turn it into a funk-jam band. This is what listening to the band is like. If you can tolerate jam band tendencies...you'll like this.

Music corner does not condone music piracy. You're just hurting the record companies, the artists, and that one guy in Metallica. Don't be an ass...buy your music.

download away.

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Plant Corner

New feature! Let's take a picture of a plant charged with cleaning the air around here. I give it water, it gives me something to breathe. I stare at the plant, and I'm sure it stares back. It has probably formed its own judgements about the way I live my life at home...wait...what is this pointless drivel? I'm sorry...



I don't know what kind of plant this is. I didn't even think it would last the summer. Somehow, this seemingly tempermental plant pulled itself together and turned into a fancy looking ivy. I water this thing every two and a half days (horribly dry air in this apartment) and the branches feel too fragile to even touch. Looks, good, eh?

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Mail Call

If I had fans, I'd answer the letters and questions sent to me via e-mail. However, since that's not the way Leftover Chinese exists. I get nothing tossed my way. I don't lament though....I still get mail. Since I don't have anything good to say today, let's open up the mailbag....courtesy of my yahoo dot com address.

One.

What's up,

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get it now rmo
stop offerz

Dear Stop Offerz:

What the hell is a cli.max? I am unfamiliar with that term. Perhaps you come from a land where "rmo" means something. Unfortunately, I'll have to decline your offer to give "my mate the pleasure they deserve." For you see, you start with a singular pronoun and end plural....that and I would need a mate for that of what you sell.

Two.



Dear guy in the coat:

I'm not a pill-popper and those prices mean nothing to me. Is that per pill or per bottle of twelve pills? In the off chance that I am: (1) in too much pain to sleep; (2) need something to put me out; (3) feel the need to stop my appetite; and most importantly, fail to give "my mate the pleasure they deserve"...I'll call you guys up.

Three.

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Dear Get Rich Quick Guy: You want me to send you money, so I can send spam to other people so they send money to me? I can get $27,000 in two days and six hours? Hmmm.....sounds good. Do you take cash?

Four.

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Dear Guy: I thought medication is defined as "something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of disease." What does this patch cure?

Five.

susan,

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holia

Dear Susan/holia:

....what?!

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The Weekend Where Not Much Happened

In contrast to last weekend, this weekend was less eventful but fun nonetheless. I stayed in both nights and attempted to create a restful and relaxing weekend. I got ever closer to unlocking a classic Sonic game on the GameCube and began a new potentially expensive habit: Green tea. I spent all day today at my brother's condo keeping an eye on the TV. In order, I think I watched the Timberwolves/Sixers game, pro bowling action at the Reno Open, that VH-1 Reunions show, and the Super Bowl. That's too much TV in one day. I shall forgo Adult Swim tonight in favor of not staring at a Television Screen. I normally have a few smart-ass comments to make about this weekend, but I think this time around the following paragraphs will be bland. You have been warned.

- The Bucks made their only appearance on national TV. Luckily, they pulled off a decent looking win. This was their only chance to perform on a national stage and show what everybody has been ignoring. This was the country's only chance to see exterior shots of Milwaukee. When I see that pathetic skyline, shots of the Milwaukee River, and various tiny landmarks...I totally miss that place. I guess I miss and love Milwaukee more than I thought I did.

- I took home a piece of work with me this weekend. At one point in the last few years I vowed to never do that...ever. Well, I committed the sin and attempted to work on something job-related. The scary thing was that I did this voluntarily and without any notice to my bosses. Why the hell would I want to do this?! Well, I'm converting spreadsheets between programs and this has resulted in having to solve a puzzle. I like puzzles. The work I am doing is not at all related to my trade...it's all about working spreadsheet commands...yet, I wanted to work on this for fun. Luckily, I didn't get a chance to work...life remains mine for another week.

- The commercials during today's Superbowl seemed really lame. Maybe it was because I was distracted by my crafty and cute 11-month old niece...but these commercials didn't really make me react. Was it just me, or did a lot of money get wasted on these commercials? I do know one the thing...annoying ad campaigns were launched tonight...prepare to get sick of them fast.

- My parents are currently en route back from Manila. The entire trip (flights and layovers) takes about eighteen hours. The worst stretch is the nine to eleven hour flight from Japan. You sit in one seat, take a few walks, and pretend that you're having the time of your life for eleven hours. They could be in the air right now. Let's say they took off from Tokyo right now (11:30pm). I will probably go to sleep, wake up and get to work before they land in the States. They will have endured a long trip...but do you know what? The days they get to spend in their homeland are worth every second spent sitting in the air.

- My ex-girlfriend from back in college had a birthday a few days ago. I think she was in London, but I still forgot to call and leave a pleasant message on her cel-phone. I really shouldn't care that I didn't make a call to this particular ex- though...I've was/still probably am hung up on her and need to accept the fact that I'm a closed chapter in her book. This has gone on way too long. Damn, I said it...in a relatively public forum...and now I move on (don't worry she doesn't read this shit anyway).

- The previous paragraph is reveals way too much about me. Please pretend that I made that last one up...in fact, uh...that last paragraph was a total lie. I've thrown a few of those on here just to keep you readers guessing what's really going on. What's that? You don't buy it? Damn....

- I'm listening to Northern Star Online radio. My friend's band, Mount Saint Helens just did an interview/acoustic set on the local show. It's funny hearing someone you know on the radio. It made me want to call his cel-phone to see if it would ring on-air. Then I realized that he was probably smart enough to do something about that.

- I should sleep early tonight and get a head start on the weekend...oh wait...it's almost midnight.

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