Hipster, Total Hipster pt. 3

A man walks down the street 

He says, "Why am I soft in the middle now? 

Why am I soft in the middle? 

 The rest of my life is so hard."

Cover Art for Paul Simon's Graceland

As I get older I see more than the funny video with Chevy Chase for "You Can Call Me Al" that was made.  I always found this song on the funny side and the video even funnier, but now I see it closer to a man getting older and wondering what happened to him and his life and having to travel to figure it out.

Inner sleeve, so many lyrics, so many

Another great Gift from Ted and Donna this year.  Paul Simon's Graceland on 180 gram vinyl.  Again complete with free digital download, which again is more handy that a portable record player.  I do not think that there is a bad song on this record.  I'd like to know your thoughts.  included with this record was a giant Graceland artwork poster on thick nice stock paper(photo all the way to the bottom), I will put some serious thought into getting it framed (I already have about 6 other items that need framed so what would be one more, it is only money right?).


I think that getting soft in the middle is something that most people can relate to.  It is a literal getting old and doughy "Mr Beerbelly Beerbelly" and maybe it is a spiritual softness from growing soft in convictions.  I do not have the answers I did not write the song.  Then again maybe it is just a funny little story with a super catch hook... Who wouldn't want a bodyguard named Betty that can call you Al?

Back cover artwork and Thanks

Track listing
Side one    
No.
1.     "The Boy in the Bubble"
2.     "Graceland"
3.     "I Know What I Know"
4.     "Gumboots"
5.     "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes"
Side two    
No.
6.     "You Can Call Me Al"
7.     "Under African Skies"
8.     "Homeless"
9.     "Crazy Love, Vol. II"
10. "That Was Your Mother"
11. "All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints"       Simon  
Additional tracks on the digital download
No.
12. "Homeless" (demo version)
13. "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" (alternate version)
14. "All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints" (early version)

That inner sleeve speaks volumes to me.  So many words.  When I turn on the radio today there are seemingly only  2 lines of words repeated over and over and over and over.......  Now one tells a story, they just tell you It's Igggy Iz or something like that.  NOW GET OFF MY LAWN!

I am sure that there are better song writers and wordsmiths, but for my money Paul Simon is probably the best.  I will take his words over Dylan and McCartney any day.  But that is the beautiful thing about art and music, it is subjective and you don't always have to agree.  Please leave some of your favorites in the comment section below.  I am always on the look out for new stuff to try.

today's song of the day is a double live treat:
Paul Simon - "Graceland" and "You Can Call Me Al"

That is one big poster!

Hipster, Total Hipster pt. 2

Soon I will have to dig up my moutsche wax there is so much hipster in me.  This post is in the hipster vein of vinyl and was a Christmas gift from my parents Ted and Donna.

On 180 GRAM vinyl The Black Keys-thickfreakness is a limited edition release. And it came with a free digital download of the album. And that is way more convenient than taking a record player with you when you travel.

Album Cover

Album back "artwork"

Inner sleeve

I would agree that the grease on the cover is some fantastic "thickfreakness".  As is the sound that these two make.  The White Stripes, The Black Keys.... bands like these it is amazing the depth of sound that only a few can make to me.  Some can say it is dirty or sloppy but I think that is what makes it sound more real, like it came from an earlier time.  A time when there wasn't auto-tune and people recorded together and not onto laptops in their living rooms one layer at a time.  Maybe that is just me being a romantic, longing for less produced pop and more heartfelt rock.  But hey a guy can dream can't he?  It isn't that I don't

like POP I certainly do.  That is why it is pop, it is popular, but sometimes you want something a little more authentic.

Track listing
No.
1.     "Thickfreakness"
2.     "Hard Row"
3.     "Set You Free"
4.     "Midnight in Her Eyes"
5.     "Have Love Will Travel"
6.     "Hurt Like Mine"
7.     "Everywhere I Go"
8.     "No Trust"
9.     "If You See Me"
10. "Hold Me in Your Arms"
11. "I Cry Alone"



It is in the inner sleeve that we learn that "all songs recorded and mixed december 2002 by patrick carney in akron ohio at studio 45 using his patented recording technique called 'medium fidelity'[...]"
Digging more on the interwebs tells us it was recorded in Patrick Carney's basement using an early 1980s Tascam 388 8-track recorder resulting in an older sounding sound. And an older sound is exactly what draws me to this I do believe.

Plain black, thick-assed vinyl

Some albums have some really fun images or thing with the actual vinyl itself, not this one.  True to the theme of stripped down and in your face, the album itself is just standard black and I find that completely appropriate for what it is.  An unapologetic fantastic rock album.  While there a similar sound (think we can agree most band have this) I think it is more a result of all the songs coming from a single 14 hour recording session.  I think that is add to the honesty of the recording.  The song to pick will be:




""Hold Me in Your Arms" by (of course) The Black Keys

I-State Game Tonight

So I was invited over to Trent and Monica's last night to watch the Iowa State game, and this morning I went over and told Trent that Jamie Lou couldn't make it but I could.  This was the IM conversation that followed:

That's all I got, hey it made me laugh.

Movie Invite, tonight (Jan 19)

Tonight (1-19) Cobblestone we are going to "Contraband" with Marky Mark.  The movie starts at 7:15.  If anyone wants to we could meet up at Joe's Pub before hand.  If you are coming or want to meet up before just get ahold of me

movie write up from Flixster:

Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) long ago abandoned his life of crime, but after his brother-in-law, Andy (Caleb Landry Jones), botches a drug deal for his ruthless boss, Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi), Chris is forced back into doing what he does best- running contraband-to settle Andy's debt. Chris is a legendary smuggler and quickly assembles a crew with the help of his best friend, Sebastian (Ben Foster), for one final run to Panama and back, hoping to return with millions in counterfeit bills. Things quickly fall apart and with only hours to reach the cash, Chris must use his rusty skills to successfully navigate a treacherous criminal network of brutal drug lords, cops and hit men before his wife, Kate (Kate Beckinsale), and sons become their target.

Song of the Day (reminds Me of College)  Offspring "Self Esteem":

T.F.A.N.B.T.N.B.T.N.B.C.N.O.D.

Well T.A.N.B.T.N.O.D. fell apart this year as we were out of town, so that is why this year we are starting up the T.F.A.N.B.T.N.B.T.N.B.C.N.O.D. (The First Annual Night Before The Night Before The Night Before Christmas Night Of Debauchery).

This is going to be a very low-key event this year.

Going to meet at Carlos O'Kellys 6PM on Merle Hay for $0.99 mug draw and $0.99 mug-o-ritas and food of your choice.... if you have time....

Then Old Chicago 6:30...
Then Irina's 7PM
Then Mickey's 7:30PM
Then off to Billy Joe's around 8ish, for a night of fun and singing.

Give a shout if you think you can make it on Thursday the 22nd!

Adventures in trying to play Skyrim

1) 11:30 AM I bought sky to play on Friday
2) 7PM wife wanted to go to dinner had too much wine to play that night
3) 8AM Saturday had to go to Simpson to talk to future Math-letes that might want to come to Simpson
4) 4PM sister's b-day - went to dinner and the bar got home at midnight
5) 12:30 AM fire up the old xbox for the first time in a few months
6) 12:31AM find out my Yamaha receiver is fried
7) 12:32AM slip in Skyrim
8) 12:33AM get told I need to apply updates to play the game
9) 12:37AM receive an "E66" error
10) 12:38AM go to xbox support like the screen says
11) 12:39AM unplug and plug back in, turn on receive "E66"
12) 12:40AM go to xbox support like the screen says
12) 12:41AM unplug, remove hard drive, put back in hard drive, plug in and turn on receive "E66"
13) 12:42AM start going to other web sites
14) 12:43AM find that "E66" means marked for being Modded
15)  12:44AM say, play offline
16)  12:45AM have the machine tell me I can't play without updating
17) 12:38AM rage quit and go to bed.
18) 10:00AM skip church and make wife go alone, go to best buy
19) 10:30AM buy new xbox, Yamaha hdmi receiver, many hdmi cables
20) 11:00AM kook up new receiver and run cable box through it
21) 11:05AM  it is GLORIOUS! the sound the picture
22) 11:30AM stop watching SALT and start hooking up new xbox
23) 12:00PM done configuring and importing gamertag
24) 12:01PM get call to go to lunch with wife and friends after church
25) 12:30PM go to Old Chicago and have lunch and beer
26) 2:00PM maybe too much drink from party night before, lay head down on pillow
27) 6:30PM slip in Skyrim into new black xbox
28) 6:31PM be told I need to download updates to play
29) 6:37PM press start to play
30) 7:30PM wife wants to watch TV, I haven't even made it to the first town, I am exploring ever inch, finding camps, having over 300pounds of gear moving very slowly
31) 7:45PM wife very unhappy, find an inn and save game
32) 10PM fire the game back up, cross bridge head north
33) 10:05PM avoid arrows, find door,  golden claw event started
34) 10:10PM kill 2 fools, steal every thing
35)10:20PM finish exploring first cave room continue on
36) 11:15PM kill spider, get golden claw, fight living dead things, loot urns, explore every inch
37) 11:20PM take dog outside, he really had to pee
38) 11:25PM return to find I am dead
39) 11:30PM start over, find I am spawned way before the spider that I killed first
40) 11:31PM spider kills me in 2 seconds
41) 11:32PM rage quit
42) 11:33PM watch next episode of "Dexter"
43) 12:15AM watch next episode of "Once Upon a Time"
44) 1:00AM go to bed

Things I learned from the movie "50/50"

Went to the movie "50/50" a few weeks back and it was a nice little movie with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen.  Seth Rogen already made an unfunny version of this movie with Adam Sandler called oddly enough "Funny People"

I give the movie a B, and call it not for children under 16.  With that, here is what I learned:

• I learned that at 50/50 if he were Vegas, he would have the best odds.

• I learned that even though you don't drink or smoke and even wait for the crosswalk to say "walk" when you are out jogging, you still might get cancer.

• I learned that you mother might have a hard time coping if you have cancer and you father has Alzheimer's at the same time.

• I learned that you refusing to take your mother's calls during this time, might be a pretty dick move.

• I learned that they tried to make his girlfriend out to be a monster, but I didn't feel she was that mean to him.

• I learned that telling someone they can leave and don't have to be with you, might end up with you getting the opposite of what you wanted.

• I learned that if you get a skinny rescue greyhound and you can see his bones, the only logical name for him is Skeletor.

• I learned that after you get cancer that is the time to start smoking pot.

• I learned that pot won't be yours by prescription, but your buddy's because he has bad night vision, something about the rods in his eyes.

• I learned that telling women you have cancers is a good pick up line that you should get into as quickly as possible in a conversation.

• I learned that is actually wrong and just is creepy.

• I learned if you don't try and pick up chicks because of your cancer, your best friend will.

• I learned that if you are writing a piece on a volcano, bust take a while to get it on the air, that volcano my just erupt.

• I learned that if you seem pathetic enough you brand new shrink might fall for you.

• I learned that your shrink might not like you throwing out her dinner with the rest of the trash from her car as you clean it out.

• I learned what you are going through is probably normal, but that doesn't make it any better.

• I learned if you are an artist and no one comes to your opening to buy anything, that is probably a bad thing.

• I learned that it is probably a worse thing if your art is improved with a knife and fire.

• I learned if you have a really bad cancer and the chemo doesn't help, they can do a surgery and tell you everything is fine a few hours later.

• I learned that if you are putting ointments in to your friend's back wound you probably should not use you pinky finger, but the cotton swabs next to you.

• And lastly I learned that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is looking a whole lot like Heath Ledger.

Next up, things I learned in the movie "Real Steel"


Song of the day, give the video a chance, it starts creepy and gets stranger from there.:

Movie Invite for tonight (10/27)

Real Steel it is, not necessarily because it seems like the best movie ever, but it does seem like the best movie out right now.  Joe's pub after work, Merle Hay Mall Theater at 7PM after that.  Shoot a text or drop a message if you think you are coming.

Song of the day, haha a good one I loved hip hop back then:

Things I learned from the movie "Drive"

Went to the movie "Drive" some weeks back.  I really enjoyed it.  A movie about a man that obviously has been there and done that when it comes to the bad things in life, but just can't seem to ever get out of the game even though he seems to be trying to do the right thing.


YAAAAARRRRRR THERE BE SPOILERS DOWN BELOW, SO PROCEED WITH CAUTION. YE HAVE BEEN WARNED, but as you haven't seen this movie yet, you probably never will so read on!

• I learned I think women like men that talk very little. I think Ryan Gosling said 20 words in the first 4 scenes. In the second scene he might not have said one word.

• I learned that even though I am not shocked easily, I found it a little shocking when a woman's head popped off from a shotgun blast.

• Additionally, I learned her head getting popped off was not nearly as shocking as the man with the shotgun getting a towel rod plunged into his jugular so he could bleed to death.

• I learned that I was happy that I did already know the story of the scorpion and the frog.

• I learned that him wearing a scorpion jacket was a little over the top.

• I learned the mixing of '80s sounds and fonts and '10s cars and places was a strange combination.

• I learned that if you get blood on your favorite scorpion jacket, you don't clean it, you just keep wearing it. No one in LA will care.

• I learned that when Ryan Gosling slowly disappeared behind a door, it made me think of Jon Luvitz, and that made me laugh.

• I learned that breaking into you employers office to steal a mask you used in a movie for a stunt so you can kill a guy in the ocean seems like a lot of work that wasn't needed.

• I learned that a 300 with a Hemi will keep up just fine with a Boss Mustang.

• I learned that if you give the next door kid a bullet and tell him to hold onto it, Ryan Gosling will hold onto it for him.

• I learned after hammering the man's hand that gave the kid the bullet he will then contemplate hammering the bullet through the man's forehead.

• I learned that strippers out in California must have really "seen it all" because as they watch their boss get his hand and face hammered they will just sit there like it is another day in the office.

• I learned that if you just pull into a parking garage near the Staples Center as a game is letting out, you can just walk past cops looking for you.

• I learned that some women are surprisingly understanding when you literally stomp a man's head off that was going to kill her. Probably because you just made out with her.

• I learned it is probably a bad idea to do additional business with they guy that broke your hip the last time you did business with him.

• I learned that a tooth pick is vital to the cool vintage look.

• I learned that you get five minutes, anything happened before or after that, not his problem.

• I learned that if you want to impress you neighbor and her kid, take them for a ride down the storm water runoff in LA, then play in the pond at the end.

• I learned that if you recognise Ryan Gosling from a previous job and ask him to be your wheel man again you should shut your mouth or he will kick your teeth down your throat and shut if for you.

• I learned that the interest fee charged by some guys for protection in jail can get out of hand very quickly.

• And lastly I learned that Ron Pearlman couldn't find pussy in a whorehouse.

Next up, things I learned in the movie "50/50"

A text exchange with my friend Jesse

Jesse: Check ur fucking phone!!! We have a ver y important question for u  

Me: fuck. sorry it was downstairs... What's up?
Me: Bob Costas pees sitting down?

Jesse: Who punched me in the face? We don't remember

Me: Hahahahahahahahahaha it was the fake kick to the balls that made you drop your hands. From............  
Me: Roland spenser

Jesse: Yes!!
Jesse: debate solved  
Jesse: We couln't remember
Jesse: That was anit climactic. We thought it was someone else

Me: Sorry. I may have it wrong..... I think mike tyson punched you

Jesse: I like that story better; it makes me more awesome

Me: What name did you want? Slammer? Ho? Davey crocket? Shelf?

Jesse: Oooooooooo hitler. I took a punch from hitler ...and won

Me: Hahaha or Kim jung Il when he was ronery  

Jesse: Soooo ronrey....

FINI

Coming up soon, what I learned from "Drive" and "50/50", and heck anything else that I find amuses myself I guess.

Song of the day:

Movie tonight! "Drive"

Hitting the "OC" that is Old Chicago to those of you not in the know, at Merle Hay Mall after work.  Then heading to "Drive" at the Merle Hay Theater around 7ish.  There are conflicting internets informations on when the start is 7:00 or 7:15.  so it is sometime around there.  If you are coming give a holler and we will look for you.

here is a trailer, I was going to post the long one but the first comment was "Glad I didn't see this before the movie, it gives too much away", so here is a short one (that's what she said)

Seems appropriate enough song of the day "Drive" from Incubus

Things I Learned from the movie "Moneyball"

Mike, Keith and I went to "Moneyball" last night, and it was a pretty ok movie.  Much better than "Transformers 3", and I actually liked it more than "Warrior".

YAAAAARRRRRR THERE BE SPOILERS DOWN BELOW, SO PROCEED WITH CAUTION. YE HAVE BEEN WARNED, but as this is a movie based loosely on actual events nothing too earth-shattering is contained.

• I learned that people that don't chew tobacco in real life, look very uncomfortable doing in on film.

• I learned that Billy Beane let money make his choice for him, and he would never do it again.

• I learned that he turned down $12,5000,000.00 to be the GM for the BoSox

• I learned that I personally think that Brad Pitt and Robin Wright would make a much better looking kid than Kerris Dorsey.

• I learned that in 2002 the A's paid $240,000.00 in salaries per win. That Same year the Yankees paid $1,4000,000.00 per win for the same number of wins.

• I learned that Art Howe wasn't on board with the whole "moneyball" theory.

• I learned that in order to get Howe to play Hatteberg at first he traded the probable rookie of the the year and all-star Pena.

• I learned being forced to fired people is dumb.

• I learned when your plan works out and your start winning, people will say there is not reason other than luck.

• I learned that Billy Beane was superstitious about attending the games.

• I learned that if your daughter seems smarter than you you should tell her that planes crash all the time as she is about to board a plane(1 year after 9/11), as that'll show her.

• I learned that if you are superstitious you will get much more fit if you just work out for 3 hours during every game.

• I learned that losing isn't fun

• I learned that Billy Beane hates losing more than he likes winning.

• I learned that silence is the sound of losing.

• I learned that 40 games of Pena starting at first will make you flip you desk, litteraly.

• I learned that is movie was filmed when Jonah Hill was still fat Jonah Hill.

• I learned when you lose the last game of the season nothing else matters.

• I learned Billy Beane didn't really care for his ex wife's new husband.

• I learned if your kid is an accomplished guitar player she will pick out new guitars on how they look, not how they sound.

• I learned that good parenting advise is to stay off the internet, and don't read, or talk to people.

• I learned that silence is the sound of losing.

• I learned that the A's blew an 11 run lead to win 20 games in a row, but Hatteberg hit a home run to secure the win and the record for 20 wins in a row.

• I learned that players don't like paying a dollar for soda in the club house, additionally I learned that you can get three years worth of soda when trading a player to another team.

• And Lastly, I learned that when Billy Beane points at you that is when you talk..

Up next Iowa State vs. Texa$ in Ames on Saturday Night, FX game of the week, should be a good one!

Movie Invite for tonight (9-29-2011)

Tonight we are hitting "Moneyball" at Cobblestone Theaters for the 7PM showing.  Will be hitting Joe's Pub prior for fun and games.

Why "Moneyball"? excellent question.

1. Why not?
2.  When I was growing up the bash brothers were winning pennants so they quickly became "my team"
3. I am one of the few people left that seem to like baseball 
4. Brad Pitt is a good looking guy.... 

So if you think you are coming, give a shout