Okay, I gave into the evilness that is known as Friendster. If one more person sent me that damn link to join...! What is it with this intense need to be connected to as many people as possible? It's like a PR person's dream machine having access to that many people at one time. It will be interesting to know how much they will charge for this service once it goes out of beta.
My obsession with Venus Hum continues. I found a CD that was going for $40 on ebay for $2.95 at Amoeba Music. And I also picked up a Cocteau Twins Collector Disk that is on Ebay for $50 for $14.95. But my luck just couldn't last....I got outbid on a Limited Edition Bel Canto CD which sold for around $75. Damn!
I wonder if the person who won is somehow connected to me through Friendster, that way I can beat their ass. I knew this thing would come in handy!
The biggest thanks go out to Troy for telling me about Venus Hum. I haven't been this excited about a new band since Bis or Frou Frou. Annettes vocals are so strong, clear, unique and all get out fun. Troy said they were mix between Bjork and Frou Frou. I'm gonna say her vocals remind me of Bjork with some slight patterns of Anneli Drecker thrown in for fun. Musically, I hear some Bis in there. Matt says it's like if Bjork sang with Erasure. However you want to describe them, the bottom line is they are flipping awesome and this has made my summer...musically. Can she be any cuter?
Now for the best part! In a blog entry a little while back, I told you about AcidPlanet'scontest using Frou Frou loops. Well, they have a contest using Venus Hum's song Soul Sloshing! If you're into this kind of thing, you can download all the loops and vocal tracks to make your own remix. You can then post it and people can listen and download them. Better hurry though; they remove the loops and vocal tracks when the contest is over. The original song is awe-inspiring with all the sounds they use. My friends and I might get together over a couple of cocktails and try our hand at a remix or two.
Now for the new mission impossible. Venus Hum released a Christmas CD called "Switched on Christmas". I must have this for my holiday CD, which I do every year as my holiday card to friends. It was sold as a Limited edition, at Mono-Fi's 2001 Christmas Spectacular. Where the hell am I going to find this??? My always reliable source, Gemm, doesn't even list it. CRAP!
-Mike
P.S. Don't go see The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Horrible, horrible, horrible movie!
After a couple fish tacos and a burrito on Friday…
Matt: "What do you want to do?"
Mike: "I don't know."
Matt: "Is there any thing happening?"
Mike: "Concert?"
Brian: "I'll check….this is playing at GAMH, blah blah blah is playing at Bimbos…"
Mike: "Naw"
Matt: "So then what should we do?"
Mike: "Roadtrip! Let's go to Las Vegas. Get in the car and go now."
Matt: "Ok."
Brian: "I have to work on Sunday."
Mike: "Poop."
Matt: "Where else could we go?"
Mike: "Disneyland! I've never been."
Brian: "You've never been to Disneyland?!"
Mike: "Nope."
Matt: "I'm down."
Mike: "Let's go"
Brian: think, think, think…"Ok, I'm in."
40 minutes later we were in the car driving to Los Angeles. Six hours later we were at the door of Matt's friend, Helen (goddess). Six hours later we were at Disneyland (fast pass is awesome!) Nine hours later we were back and Helen's and driving home. We were back in San Francisco before the sun came up on Sunday! Wheww!!!
Pics can be found here.
*Pic in blog is Brian, Helen and Matt
Last night was my own personal horror movie. Someone or something entered my apartment at 3:30am. I awoke with that "something isn't right" feeling. Within the next minute or two my cats come tearing into my bedroom from the hallway and it wasn't their typical "oh were having a spaz attack" kind of run. They were running from something. Being groggy and kind of out of it, I'm trying to rationalize the situation as best as I could. First of all, it is extremely windy outside, so that might justify any sound I might hear in any of the other rooms. Having a wind storm might freak out the cats…blah, blah, blah. It was the third explanation I was creating when the unmistakable sound that someone/thing was "in" my apartment, and I notice the sounds of dogs barking from the houses in back. I've always told myself that if someone was in my apartment, the motion sensor in the kitchen would turn on the light. (We are too lazy to flip the switch in the kitchen, so we installed a motion sensor and all you have to do is walk in the room to turn on the light….sad, I know.) Anyway, as I'm thinking this, the light in the kitchen goes on. Now I'm freaked. Both cats are with me, so they didn't trip it. Also, the motion sensor is set for about waist high so the cats usually don't set it off since they stay on the ground (unless they are bad kitties and getting into something they shouldn't be…but that is another story).
Now I'm thinking what the hell am I gonna do? Weapon? Need a weapon. About the only thing I got at my disposal are a cordless phone and a shoe. Since the phone is hard plastic, I chose the phone. I get out of bed as quietly as possible and head for my door, which only has a curtain across it. A crash from the kitchen removes any doubt, someone/thing is in my apartment. I moved into the hallway and stood frozen wondering what I'm going to do, until anger took over. Rage in its most pure form took hold and I was going to beat and destroy whatever was in my apartment. I tipped toed up the hallway toward the kitchen, and as I got closer the entryway of the kitchen and living room reveled more and more of the rooms. Whatever was there had gone. Nothing. I went into the living room to check the sliding door and it was unlocked. Could someone have come and gone through the door? I went to investigate the kitchen and laundry room which is the back part of the room and has its own door to the deck outside. That door was locked, but very odd things were moved around. First of all, the litter box which sits under a shelf in the laundry room was in the middle of the room. A bottle of distilled water was upside down in the littler box. Items on the shelf were moved from their normal places. Nothing looked stolen or missing however. There is a small door about the size of an exhaust for a dryer on the wall by the floor and that was completely destroyed and ripped from the wall. It's much too small for a person to fit through or any cat or dog for that matter. I actually have no idea what that little door was used for, but it's destroyed now.
So the question is what happened? Animal? Person? I'm guessing animal, but there is no way an animal could have moved the litter box to the middle of the room and put a galleon bottle of distilled water in it. But if not an animal, why would a person do that? Where is the CSI team when I need them???
I'm sure there is a whole psychological reason/purpose/profile for obsessions. I will get something stuck in my head and I can't get enough of it. It could be anything really....food and music typically. Right now it's The Smiths. You can enjoy them on so many levels. They can be fun and just amusing if you don't think too much about it and enjoy the groove. Feel like getting deep? Listen the the lyrics more closely and you can think about them for decades. Marr and Morrissey's solo work is satisfactory, but as The Smiths...genius.
I finished the new HP book and I want more! It's a guilty, but just plain fun, pleasure. I would have posted the link to the hour long interview and book reading but it's already been removed by MSN.uk.
I'm really excited for CocteauFest outside Boston. It's such a great idea and I'm really glad the Leesa and Michael (webmasters of Cocteautwins.org and Cocteautwins.com) were able to pull this off. Since I went to school in Boston, it would be great to go back for a visit, unfortunately almost everyone I know there has moved or in the process of moving. Boston has the most expensive hotel rooms in the world too, and given my current state of economic hardship, attending may be a little difficult. I'll give it my best shot though.
Anyone notice that this year is already half over? Damn.
Believe
it or not, I have found my weblog from my first year at Graduate
School. Because there were some good stories on it, I have
decided to repost it. Some links may be broken and pages may
not work properly but it's fun to read anyway. Just follow
the links.
I can't take it. I'm in love with Annette. The video for 
The biggest thanks go out to 
Matt: "What do you want to do?"
Last night was my own personal horror movie. Someone or something entered my apartment at 3:30am. I awoke with that "something isn't right" feeling. Within the next minute or two my cats come tearing into my bedroom from the hallway and it wasn't their typical "oh were having a spaz attack" kind of run. They were running from something. Being groggy and kind of out of it, I'm trying to rationalize the situation as best as I could. First of all, it is extremely windy outside, so that might justify any sound I might hear in any of the other rooms. Having a wind storm might freak out the cats…blah, blah, blah. It was the third explanation I was creating when the unmistakable sound that someone/thing was "in" my apartment, and I notice the sounds of dogs barking from the houses in back. I've always told myself that if someone was in my apartment, the motion sensor in the kitchen would turn on the light. (We are too lazy to flip the switch in the kitchen, so we installed a motion sensor and all you have to do is walk in the room to turn on the light….sad, I know.) Anyway, as I'm thinking this, the light in the kitchen goes on. Now I'm freaked. Both cats are with me, so they didn't trip it. Also, the motion sensor is set for about waist high so the cats usually don't set it off since they stay on the ground (unless they are bad kitties and getting into something they shouldn't be…but that is another story). 
I'm sure there is a whole psychological reason/purpose/profile for obsessions. I will get something stuck in my head and I can't get enough of it. It could be anything really....food and music typically. Right now it's 
I'm really excited for 
