New stuff

This weekend was pretty entertaining. Did some exciting things, yada yada yada. Here's an illustrated synopsis.

Chillin' with Blake

I drove down to College Station on Thursday night, and hung out with Blake and his peeps. We played poker two nights in a row, with about seven guys on his hall. It was fly. I came in second place the first night, and I think Blake did alright the next night. We also smoked some cigars ... I realized I'm a lightweight. Blake and his cronies can outsmoke me any day.

Spendin' dough

Blake and I searched pawn shops for random junk. I walked away with - yeah, I'm sick - another record player. It's pretty fly, though ... It's got an antique design, plus it has a CD player and tape deck (so I can listen to my tapes). It looks similar to the one pictured above - but not identical. I'm currently listening to "Carmina Burana."

Ballin'

On Saturday morning, we played Extreme Croquet. Blake's in this club, and they play each week. It's croquet, but you have to drive the ball crazy distances and go over obstacles - like curbs and roads and whatnot. In the picture above, the wicket is in an antpile. That's eXtreme croquet.

NYC style

I had coffee with my friend Sarah yesterday. She wanted to say goodbye before she moved to NYC today. She found an apartment, so she's going to move there and look for a job. Crazy ... I wish I had the guts to do that. Someday...

Storms

I talked to DiscMakers on the phone this morning. They're shipping The Storms Inside today ... The army of boxes should arrive on Wednesday afternoon. That's exciting. This project has been in my head for a long, long time, and it's about to be "realized." Mmmmmm. Also, it's drizzling outside.

Speaking of ...

While I'm on the topic of album releases, I'll make it known that Ryan Adams is coming out with THREE new records in 2005. And one of them is double-length. This excites me very much.

I'm out, kidz. I only have one class today, so I ought to make an appearance. I've got tests and papers consuming the remainder of the week, so I doubt you'll hear much from me. Stay in school.

Red-headed humor

This kid's latest blog entry makes loud, indistinguishable noises come from my voice box. Gotta love those family ties. I think I'll drive to College Station and visit him this evening.

In other news ...

Library Nazi strikes again

Last night, I was studying Hopkins in the Java City part of the library, when I struck up a conversation with Charissa, The Bush and Jamie G. As we discussed the upcoming activities for Bush and Jamie's secret medieval society, the Library Nazi walks in and barks her nightly orders: "QUIET STUDY TIME HAS BEGUN," she exclaimed with fe-mullet contempt. "You get two warnings, and after that, I'll send you home."

We stared in astonishment, our faces blank with confusion. "Don't you know the library policy?" she growled. "When I came here eight years ago, students said they wanted a quiet study area. If they can hear you, you're too loud." She pointed a chubby finger at an unsuspecting table of Asians. "Just keep it down."

Clutching her flip-book of tickets, she and her jerry curl left the cafe. This is her library, darn it. She's in charge.

A new home

The Bush and I signed a lease yesterday on an apartment at Fairmont for next year. It's right next to campus ... like, right behind the Speight parking garage. Two minutes max to anywhere on campus. Pretty cool. I get my own bedroom. The end.

A new friend

Mr. Stephen Wagner adopted a wee Blue Heeler pup on Monday. She was a little drugged up from the spay operation last weekend, but she's made a great recovery. Just as playful and violent as ever. Great dog, I'll have to admit. Stella enjyos chewing on human limbs and jumping on tables.

Frying the brain on literature

It's a good kind of hurt - I can't see straight from all the reading and poetry analysis I've done this week. Keats, Tennyson, Browning, and - of course - Gerard Manley Hopkins. I spent the evening with Mr. Hopkins, and have converted over to the camp of "Hopkins fans." Charissa sings his praises all the time, but I hadn't delved into his stuff until last night. But - he's phenomenal. He's got the perfect mix of Romanticism and common sense. I love it.

Yeah, that's all ... Class starts in 50 minutes. Adios.

Have it your way

For those of you who had your doubts about the last poster ... I made this new, modified version today. I like it better anyway. Here goes.

A Poster

OK. I know I'm throwing a lot of this stuff at you, but I like your opinions. Plus it's crazy fun. But here's a promotional poster I've been working on for the release party. Thoughts? From two of you, I also need permission ...

T-shirt stuff ... yeah it's getting old, I know ...

I'm leaning toward these - I'll print a bunch of 2 different colors. Which two should I go for? Help, please. I'm desperate. I'm a mess without you.

This is the last one, I promise.

Colors...

Which colors do you like best for a t-shirt? Which would look good with perhaps a mustard yellow print? I think I dig the olive... that might be sweet with yellow. Olive or brown. Your thoughts?

John Keats: All that is good ...

"Anon his heart revives: her vespers done,
Of all its wreathed pearls her hair she frees;
Unclasps her warmed jewels one by one;
Loosens her fragrant boddice; by degrees
Her rich attire creeps rustling to her knees:
Half-hidden, like a mermaid in sea-weed,
Pensive awhile she dreams awake, and sees,
In fancy, fair St. Agnes in her bed,
But dares not look behind, or all the charm is fled."

...

"And now, my love, my seraph fair, awake!
Thou art my heaven, and I thine eremite:
Open thine eyes, for sweet St.Agnes' sake,
Or I shall drowse beside thee, so my soul doth ache."

...

"My Madeline! sweet dreamer! lovely bride!
Say, may I be for aye thy vassal blest?
Thy beauty's shield, heart-shap'd and vermeil dyed?
Ah, silver shrine, here will I take my rest
After so many hours of toil and quest,
A famish'd pilgrim, - saved by miracle.
Though I have found, I will not rob thy nest
Saving of thy sweet self; if thou think'st well
To trust, fair Madeline, to no rude infidel."

...

Those delicious lines are from John Keats' The Eve of St. Agnes, which I highly suggest you read. Right now. Go.

Belated, I know. But here goes the mighty Christmoustache.

SCIENCE!

So I woke up this morning and went to Chemistry ... All we did was watch a crappy video about microscopes. Lasted half and hour - I guess that's cool.

I went down to McGregor last night to let Steve Collins (producer) hear the mastered copy of the new record. I took Stephen and Kelly along, and we ended up brainstorming T-shirt ideas. Apparently, I need to sell TheBrianShow T-shirts. We spent hours thinking up random objects that would be cool on a T-shirt ... Any ideas?

Last Thursday, I made a trip to Barkin' Basement. For 25 cents, I found an old-school royal blue Adidas sweatsuit. It was sized for a "tall" person, so I gave it to Blake over the weekend. He put it on and puffed up his red hair ... ooooh, it was snazzy. I wish I had me a photograph.

SMiLE

My week has been filled with Wordsworth poetry and Brian Wilson's SMiLE.

I would certainly suggest a strong dose of both.

Craziness

So after the show on Friday night, I started throwing up and stuff. It was nasty. Currently recovering. That's pretty much the entire story of the past few days.

I had class at 9:30 this morning, but - as you can see - I didn't make it. Too sick? Nope. I dropped that sucka. It was tennis. But I decided to go for Social Dance instead ... they usually always have space for more guys in that class. The Bush told me so.

As it stands right now, I don't start class on Mondays and Wednesdays until noon. I think I can handle that.

I wish there were more exciting things to discuss, but, alas, there aren't. Goodbye.

It's a black and white photo phiesta at ThePhotoHat.blogspot.com.

Music of the night

I saw the new Phantom of the Opera tonight. I'll just say that - A - it renewed my faith in art, and - B - it made all the trash I settle for seem petty. Brilliant, breathtaking. I'd never seen the stage version of Phantom - or any version, for that matter ... But I can't see this working as anything besides a film. It's set a new standard as far as musicals are concerned.

Musically and visually, it's right on. Sparkling and all that. Emmy Rossum plays Christine, the lead. This gal is just 18 years old, but her voice is phenomenal.

Yeah ... I don't think I could say enough about this film. It's grand. Worth every penny. It's like Moulin Rouge with 50 times the passion, intensity, beauty and elegance. Romantics will eat it up ... yeah, that'd be me.

So I told you I read Franny and Zooey last week ... Here's a quote to chew on:

"An artist's only concern is to shoot for some kind of perfection, and on his own terms, not anyone else's."
     - Salinger, Franny and Zooey

Dinner and a Movie

Here's a list of things in my life you might find interesting.

-I finished Franny and Zooey on Saturday. Wonderful book.

-The septic system decided to freak out this weekend. No one at our house has showered or used the bathroom in over two weeks. We can't sleep because of the smell ... kidding. The septic tank pumper guy is coming tomorrow to pump our septic tank. Who wants to be that guy?

-Today, I watched all of Seinfeld: Season 3. Lovely. Just lovely.

-I saw Garden State at a friend's place tonight. I can't really decide how I felt about the movie ... it was great, but it tried to tackle a lot of really big questions in less than two hours. What I did decide, however, is that "Sam," played by Natalie Portman, might be the most appealing character in the history of cinema. She's fantastic.

-My friend and I also watched Punch-Drunk Love - a task I wish upon no well-meaning human. It was interesting, but confusing, slow and extremely unsatisfying. I don't want to sound harsh, but perhaps "sucked" is the right word.

-I've been listening to Ryan Adams' Heartbreaker record a lot this week. It's phenomenal - his best. Please go buy it. Now. Do it. I'm not kidding. Go.

-Also in the CD player ... Tom Waits: Mule Variations. It's growling and ugly, but there are moments of real beauty in it. I'm now a Tom Waits fan.

-I'm right in the middle of The Grand Inquisitor by Dostoevsky ... I guess that's news.

OK. That's it.