... might be the best movie EVER to come up to. If you guys haven't seen it, seriously, you should get stoned and rent it. It's hysterical, and arguably, the most frightening and intense kid's movie I've ever seen in my life. Except maybe the brave little toaster.
An strange thing happened to me while I was tripping on sunday that has NEVER happened to me before in all the times I've been in that midset, but it really interested me:
after we finished Monster House, we listened to psy-trance and watched the itunes visualizer for a few hours, and it was like there was this random endless string of fast nonsense words going through my head that was going almost like it was in time with the music when it happened. But the words were strange in that I don't think that I could create them aloud if I tried. It was almost as if they were a strange combination of letters and numbers and sounds I didn't recognize. And even stranger... it was almost as if the words were a living entity in and of themselves. They took on an almost reptilian nature, or like scorpions. It was so bizarre...
THE DRUGS ARE EATING MY BRAIN!
also... See y'all this weekend or next! you guys got any plans for fourth of july? :)
Monday, June 30, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Wanted Review
A couple of hours ago we went to see the movie Wanted. Even though we had to sit in the front row, it was still pretty damn awesome! The action was intense. All the gun fights are a spectacle and all the driving scenes are insanely fun to watch. There's Angelina Jolie's ass in one shot...can't go wrong with that. The last half hour or so gives you so many unexpected twists that make you go "whaaaaaaaaaa?" but in a good way. It never really got boring and it kept you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what's gonna happen next. Also, the movie was really funny and witty. The scene where he goes off on his boss is priceless.
The action is hot, the visuals are stunning (except for the CG rats), the humor is hilarious and all the while you're wishing you could be like that. I give this movie an 8 out of 10. You'll probably want to see this one.
The action is hot, the visuals are stunning (except for the CG rats), the humor is hilarious and all the while you're wishing you could be like that. I give this movie an 8 out of 10. You'll probably want to see this one.
Gateless Microsoft?
Friday was Bill Gates last day as the top leader at Microsoft. The company he founded. He is leaving to focus on his charitable foundation, which is pretty noble. He is also leaving behind perhaps the creepiest picture of him yet, which can be seen here along with an article.
The future of Microsoft is unknown, but hopefully this will mean that they will try something different and try to show up Apple. That'd be nice.
The future of Microsoft is unknown, but hopefully this will mean that they will try something different and try to show up Apple. That'd be nice.
Friday, June 27, 2008
The NHL Playoffs
I know that it is a bit late for all of this but watching it on YouTube again and again never gets old so I felt the need to post my experience.
Hockey has become much more fun for me over the past year, especially has been helped by the Red Wings winning the Stanley Cup this year. However, the Wings winning the Cup has been just a footnote compared to the experience that was had by all who celebrated throughout the playoffs. Let me tell you the story so that you feel the joy and angst that was these playoffs.
Rick, Justin, Josh, and I (Biz was there for some, not all) enjoyed the entirety of the NHL playoffs together at our local "watering hole." What started with the Nashville Predators and ended with the Pittsburgh Penguins become a great time had by all. We would get together for almost any playoff game throughout the month or two that is the NHL playoffs. We would stay up as long as it took (sometimes very late) to watch the Red Wings move their way through the competition. I was priveliged enough to go to the Red Wings vs. Avalance Game 1 at the Joe and watch that fantastic game in person. I was hooked after that and we watched every game together as though we were the ones out on the ice. Once we got to the Stanley Cup Finals against Pittsburgh is when we really had our fun.
The first two games won easily by Detroit has us betting as to how far the series would actually go, but we found out that Pittsburgh has life after winning Game 3. Detroit took Game 4 and it looked like the Stanley Cup would make an appearance at the Joe on that fateful Monday night...but it was not to be had. 1 am rolled around and the Triple OT goal was scored by Pittsburgh, despite the lingering headache that was the following morning at work, without the Red Wings even having the audacity to win the game, we felt that they had won in Pittsburgh once, they could do it again.
Game 6, Detroit leads 3-1 with 1:30 to go, when Pittsburgh scores to make it 3-2...my heart can't take this shit. As the seconds tick away towards the end of the game Josh, Rick and I are watching on one TV literally one arm around another while the clock brings Stanley closer and closer to home...the clock hits 0.00...joy and ecstacy fills the room...we scream, holler and jump around in a cluster of humanity as we celebrate what has come to be a wonderful time for the city of Detroit, but even more importantly a great time celebrated by the group that has watched them get to this point. Words cannot begin to tell you how great of a feeling it was to be able to celebrate such an accomplishment that, even though we had no physical part in, felt like something we had earned together.
It is a moment that will live in my memory as a time that was celebrated as a group, that was something we could appreciate together (the last time the Wings won the Cup I wasn't all that into hockey) and made all the late nights worth while. The Red Wings won the Stanley Cup but what I will really remember it as the day that we erupted into celebration together.
Hockey has become much more fun for me over the past year, especially has been helped by the Red Wings winning the Stanley Cup this year. However, the Wings winning the Cup has been just a footnote compared to the experience that was had by all who celebrated throughout the playoffs. Let me tell you the story so that you feel the joy and angst that was these playoffs.
Rick, Justin, Josh, and I (Biz was there for some, not all) enjoyed the entirety of the NHL playoffs together at our local "watering hole." What started with the Nashville Predators and ended with the Pittsburgh Penguins become a great time had by all. We would get together for almost any playoff game throughout the month or two that is the NHL playoffs. We would stay up as long as it took (sometimes very late) to watch the Red Wings move their way through the competition. I was priveliged enough to go to the Red Wings vs. Avalance Game 1 at the Joe and watch that fantastic game in person. I was hooked after that and we watched every game together as though we were the ones out on the ice. Once we got to the Stanley Cup Finals against Pittsburgh is when we really had our fun.
The first two games won easily by Detroit has us betting as to how far the series would actually go, but we found out that Pittsburgh has life after winning Game 3. Detroit took Game 4 and it looked like the Stanley Cup would make an appearance at the Joe on that fateful Monday night...but it was not to be had. 1 am rolled around and the Triple OT goal was scored by Pittsburgh, despite the lingering headache that was the following morning at work, without the Red Wings even having the audacity to win the game, we felt that they had won in Pittsburgh once, they could do it again.
Game 6, Detroit leads 3-1 with 1:30 to go, when Pittsburgh scores to make it 3-2...my heart can't take this shit. As the seconds tick away towards the end of the game Josh, Rick and I are watching on one TV literally one arm around another while the clock brings Stanley closer and closer to home...the clock hits 0.00...joy and ecstacy fills the room...we scream, holler and jump around in a cluster of humanity as we celebrate what has come to be a wonderful time for the city of Detroit, but even more importantly a great time celebrated by the group that has watched them get to this point. Words cannot begin to tell you how great of a feeling it was to be able to celebrate such an accomplishment that, even though we had no physical part in, felt like something we had earned together.
It is a moment that will live in my memory as a time that was celebrated as a group, that was something we could appreciate together (the last time the Wings won the Cup I wasn't all that into hockey) and made all the late nights worth while. The Red Wings won the Stanley Cup but what I will really remember it as the day that we erupted into celebration together.
Weekend Update
So we went to Infected Mushroom at some crazy night club in downtown Chicago last weekend. It was at the same time the best night ever, and a total disaster. I ate a mushroom chocolate that was 9 months old and clearly rotten (I almost vomited so many times). So we get to the club and they won't let Doug in because he's wearing sandals, even though I had JUST walked past security wearing sandals (side note - a great thing about being confident is you can basically get away with anything). So long story short, I went inside by myself and D + J went back on the L to eric's apartment to borrow a pair of shoes. In the two hours they were gone, I befriended some randoms and discovered that the mushrooms were not going to kick in, so I started drinking. As soon as Doug and Jess got back, we went out for a cig, and got approached by someone selling cid. So I took a hit just in about enough time to be tripping slightly during Infected Mushroom, and tripping my balls off for the house dj afterwards. Infected Mushroom was awesome, but I do wish they had:
Turned down the voice and drums a LITTLE bit (it was a little excessive for the small space )
Had better visuals
Played more of the stuff that DIDN'T have vocals (i.e. my favorites)
We left around 4:30 and took the long trip home to Eric's apartment where we smoked a bowl before "going to bed". I listened to a few songs by a trippy dj (Eskimo) and about died from the fucked up visuals I was getting and how crazy the music sounded over headphones. I finally got to sleep around 9:30, woke up for brunch at 11, and eventually drove home.
So pretty successful weekend.
So we get back in town, and hang out with this guy that Jess knew through someone from high school who proceeds to get us a bunch of shroomies. And then two days later we're buying bud from another guy who tells us that he can get us cid from this girl that was bringing some in town. so we got a bunch of that too.
It's SO nice to be stocked for a change. I'm trippin this sunday just for the hell of it and I'm so excited.
p.s. Let me be the first to say right now that I absolutely can NOT make a habit of this. My brain is going to start leaking out of my ears. But I can just have another crazy-ass summer.
I will be in lansing on my bday and in the Roch the rest of that weekend (Ken is coming back to Lansing and doing a bar crawl, y'all should come out it's a friday night). I might be up for part of 4th of July weekend too since I'm no longer going to Rothbury.
But basically this was just a post to talk about how great drugs are. SO EXCITED FOR SUNDAY!
love y'all miss y'all
Turned down the voice and drums a LITTLE bit (it was a little excessive for the small space )
Had better visuals
Played more of the stuff that DIDN'T have vocals (i.e. my favorites)
We left around 4:30 and took the long trip home to Eric's apartment where we smoked a bowl before "going to bed". I listened to a few songs by a trippy dj (Eskimo) and about died from the fucked up visuals I was getting and how crazy the music sounded over headphones. I finally got to sleep around 9:30, woke up for brunch at 11, and eventually drove home.
So pretty successful weekend.
So we get back in town, and hang out with this guy that Jess knew through someone from high school who proceeds to get us a bunch of shroomies. And then two days later we're buying bud from another guy who tells us that he can get us cid from this girl that was bringing some in town. so we got a bunch of that too.
It's SO nice to be stocked for a change. I'm trippin this sunday just for the hell of it and I'm so excited.
p.s. Let me be the first to say right now that I absolutely can NOT make a habit of this. My brain is going to start leaking out of my ears. But I can just have another crazy-ass summer.
I will be in lansing on my bday and in the Roch the rest of that weekend (Ken is coming back to Lansing and doing a bar crawl, y'all should come out it's a friday night). I might be up for part of 4th of July weekend too since I'm no longer going to Rothbury.
But basically this was just a post to talk about how great drugs are. SO EXCITED FOR SUNDAY!
love y'all miss y'all
Monday, June 23, 2008
Goodbye George Carlin
At the age of 71, George Carlin died of heart failure sometime yesterday. "Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, went into St. John's Medical Center in Santa Monica on Sunday afternoon complaining of chest pain and died later that evening, said his publicist, Jeff Abraham. He had performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas."
Just had to add this: "While in the Air Force he started working as an off-base disc jockey at a radio station in Shreveport, La., and after receiving a general discharge in 1957, took an announcing job at WEZE in Boston. 'Fired after three months for driving mobile news van to New York to buy pot,' his Web site says."
He was a funny man. I know I will miss him.
Just had to add this: "While in the Air Force he started working as an off-base disc jockey at a radio station in Shreveport, La., and after receiving a general discharge in 1957, took an announcing job at WEZE in Boston. 'Fired after three months for driving mobile news van to New York to buy pot,' his Web site says."
He was a funny man. I know I will miss him.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
I Will Now Predict the Final 3
The 2nd season of America's Best Dance Crew started last Thursday and I'm so excited to see the season unfold. After the premiere, I found the crews that will be in the top 3 at the end of the season. Those crews are:
Super Cr3w
Boogie Bots
SoReal Cru
Some of the videos may be a little blurry, but that just tells you that you should watch the show. Also, the judges are horrible...ESPECIALLY Lil' Mama, she's a fucking idiot and I hate it when she's living. Shane's alright sometimes y'all. JC is the most normal and you can actually understand him.
Anyways, just watch the show because it is wildly entertaining.
Super Cr3w
Boogie Bots
SoReal Cru
Some of the videos may be a little blurry, but that just tells you that you should watch the show. Also, the judges are horrible...ESPECIALLY Lil' Mama, she's a fucking idiot and I hate it when she's living. Shane's alright sometimes y'all. JC is the most normal and you can actually understand him.
Anyways, just watch the show because it is wildly entertaining.
You Know What Rocks? Cedar Point!
Justin, Kiznox and I went down to Ohio on Wednesday night on a spur of the moment trip and it was such a great time. We went down Wednesday so we could get an early start on Thursday morning. They waited up for me to get off of work at 6pm (after I closed and then opened, so I was up for 30 or so hours) and Justin drove so I just passed out to my iPod in the back seat. When we get there we decide to go out to the bar. When we get there, the first thing the bartender says to us was "if I don't get a cigarette soon I'm gonna punch you in the throat. What could I get for you?" It was a fun good time. She was hot though, so it was all good.
We were getting drunk and having fun, then we get the idea that we need pot for the park. So what do we do? We start asking the most shadiest people in the bar if they have weed. One of the guys I asked was super offended, so I walked away from him. Finally, as the bar was closing, I ask this awkward little girl with a broken arm if she knew where we could score some weed. She plops down her backpack, tells Justin to open his hands and proceeds to pour some into his hands. She asks for no money and walks away after Justin gets her number to get more the next day. We never see her again. Also, after I get back and pass out, they smoke the pot. Those bastards.
So I wake up the next morning to a room full of stolen items, including: a cot, a bag full of pens, a fan with no front, and a broken picture frame with a crappy picture in it. We took care of everything before we left.
We get to the park and proceed to have the best time at that park. We went on the Max Air which is a giant pendulum the spins in a circle as it swings. Its awesome, because a couple of times you're actually looking upside down at the park and rotating. Its exhilarating. The Maverick is also worth noting, because its now my favorite ride in the park. Its just that awesome. The first drop is 95 degrees, so you're inverted for a second before returning to "normal" and then it goes crazy. There's also a second launch that is amazing. Also, the look on Kiznox's face before he left the gate was priceless. He was terrified.
Basketballs all day.
I want to go back soon...on something...
We were getting drunk and having fun, then we get the idea that we need pot for the park. So what do we do? We start asking the most shadiest people in the bar if they have weed. One of the guys I asked was super offended, so I walked away from him. Finally, as the bar was closing, I ask this awkward little girl with a broken arm if she knew where we could score some weed. She plops down her backpack, tells Justin to open his hands and proceeds to pour some into his hands. She asks for no money and walks away after Justin gets her number to get more the next day. We never see her again. Also, after I get back and pass out, they smoke the pot. Those bastards.
So I wake up the next morning to a room full of stolen items, including: a cot, a bag full of pens, a fan with no front, and a broken picture frame with a crappy picture in it. We took care of everything before we left.
We get to the park and proceed to have the best time at that park. We went on the Max Air which is a giant pendulum the spins in a circle as it swings. Its awesome, because a couple of times you're actually looking upside down at the park and rotating. Its exhilarating. The Maverick is also worth noting, because its now my favorite ride in the park. Its just that awesome. The first drop is 95 degrees, so you're inverted for a second before returning to "normal" and then it goes crazy. There's also a second launch that is amazing. Also, the look on Kiznox's face before he left the gate was priceless. He was terrified.
Basketballs all day.
I want to go back soon...on something...
Saturday, June 21, 2008
I'm proud of my life and the loner I've become...
I have seen god-knows-how-many movies that I had never seen before (and some I have only seen once a long time ago) in the past few months. They include:
Be Kind Rewind, Bee Movie, SLC Punk, Semi-Pro, Sweeny Todd, National Treasure, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets, Bourne Identity, Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs, August Rush, Clerks 2, Dan in Real Life, Wendell Baker Story, Evan Almighty, Bad Santa, Horton Hears a Who!, Iron Man, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Juno, Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve, Ocean's Thirteen, Outside Providence, Ratatouille, Semi-Pro, Shaolin Soccer, Step Up, Step Up 2: The Streets, Stop Making Sense, Strange Wilderness, The Simpsons Movie, The Brothers Solomon, The Darjeeling Limited, The Ex, The Number 23, Waking Life, A Scanner Darkly, Equilibrium, The Island, Coffee and Cigarettes, Curious George, Stranger Than Fiction, Indiana Jones and the (Temple of Doom, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Last Crusade, Kindom of the Crystal Skull), Forgetting Sarah Marshall, etc.
If anyone has any movies that they have seen lately, by all means, let me know. I usually download the movies so recent movies are iffy (on top of the lack of funds I have). I watch ANY genre of movies: comedy, animated, action, trippy, chick flicks, sappy, foreign, etc. Let me know, fellow Clusterfuckers.
G-O-E-R-G
Be Kind Rewind, Bee Movie, SLC Punk, Semi-Pro, Sweeny Todd, National Treasure, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets, Bourne Identity, Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs, August Rush, Clerks 2, Dan in Real Life, Wendell Baker Story, Evan Almighty, Bad Santa, Horton Hears a Who!, Iron Man, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Juno, Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve, Ocean's Thirteen, Outside Providence, Ratatouille, Semi-Pro, Shaolin Soccer, Step Up, Step Up 2: The Streets, Stop Making Sense, Strange Wilderness, The Simpsons Movie, The Brothers Solomon, The Darjeeling Limited, The Ex, The Number 23, Waking Life, A Scanner Darkly, Equilibrium, The Island, Coffee and Cigarettes, Curious George, Stranger Than Fiction, Indiana Jones and the (Temple of Doom, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Last Crusade, Kindom of the Crystal Skull), Forgetting Sarah Marshall, etc.
If anyone has any movies that they have seen lately, by all means, let me know. I usually download the movies so recent movies are iffy (on top of the lack of funds I have). I watch ANY genre of movies: comedy, animated, action, trippy, chick flicks, sappy, foreign, etc. Let me know, fellow Clusterfuckers.
G-O-E-R-G
Friday, June 20, 2008
The Weekly WYR
Sorry Rambo I was just too excited to wait for you on this one ;)
Age from the neck up, or age from the neck down? From Jan
hmmm... a tough one. I think probably from the neck up, because I think I have a babyish face that will (with any luck) stay attractive for a while.
Look weak and be really strong, or Look strong and be really weak? From Nick
Look strong. I'm vain. And a somewhat submissive gay guy. I'll take the hot bod and no functionality
Live without music, or sports? From Spencer
uhhhh... take a wild guess. What have sports added to my life? A couple good times with friends, and otherwise a pervasive sense of incompetence. What has music given me? Everything. My life, my happiness, my livelihood, my talents. No question
Have to see "The Love Guru", or see "You Don't Mess With The Zohan" From cole
Well... I'd have to say.... uhhh. The Love Guru. Justin Timberlake is hot and pretty funny.
Have X-ray vision but not be able to control it and have to see everyone you know naked all the time, or not see anyone naked? From Joe
Everyone naked, all the time. I regularly go to the gym. Yum. ;)
Age from the neck up, or age from the neck down? From Jan
hmmm... a tough one. I think probably from the neck up, because I think I have a babyish face that will (with any luck) stay attractive for a while.
Look weak and be really strong, or Look strong and be really weak? From Nick
Look strong. I'm vain. And a somewhat submissive gay guy. I'll take the hot bod and no functionality
Live without music, or sports? From Spencer
uhhhh... take a wild guess. What have sports added to my life? A couple good times with friends, and otherwise a pervasive sense of incompetence. What has music given me? Everything. My life, my happiness, my livelihood, my talents. No question
Have to see "The Love Guru", or see "You Don't Mess With The Zohan" From cole
Well... I'd have to say.... uhhh. The Love Guru. Justin Timberlake is hot and pretty funny.
Have X-ray vision but not be able to control it and have to see everyone you know naked all the time, or not see anyone naked? From Joe
Everyone naked, all the time. I regularly go to the gym. Yum. ;)
Thursday, June 19, 2008
INFECTED MUSHROOM
I'm so excited I just want to pee. this weekend is gonna be CRAZY. I don't remember the last time I was this excited for a concert. The goal is to go, trip balls, get fuckin crazy, dance, hopefully get invited to an afterparty (I'm good at that game of meeting new people at concerts).
Life is nuts, but I'll be up 4th of july weekend, and my bday weekend (probably not the next one, I'm sorry guys :( )
I LOVE YOU ALL. can't wait to see you soon
Life is nuts, but I'll be up 4th of july weekend, and my bday weekend (probably not the next one, I'm sorry guys :( )
I LOVE YOU ALL. can't wait to see you soon
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Addendum...
When enjoying mushrooms I like to be as close to INSIDE the bass as I possibly can be. Gregg, on the other hand, causes me to truly enjoy the lawn.
Word to yo mother.
Word to yo mother.
Rothbury and Bisco
It's amazing how quickly plans change. I'm definitely going to bisco now, and I'm debating over rothbury. The roth schedule is just so fucked up and it's so expensive considering the three "headliners" are not really people who interest me. bisco is so much more my scene. and it's guaranteed to have minimal security, so that's fun. I just don't know if I can justify spending 250 dollars to see only ONE band I won't see another time this summer (sts9)
that being said. I'm def not going to UM/sts9 in indy... sorry guys. I've seen umphrey's twice this month, and I'll see sts9 whenever, I just can't turn down seeing all those djs I'm dyin to see.
so yeah. craziness
that being said. I'm def not going to UM/sts9 in indy... sorry guys. I've seen umphrey's twice this month, and I'll see sts9 whenever, I just can't turn down seeing all those djs I'm dyin to see.
so yeah. craziness
I want drums...
like, real bad. Like, so bad that I could just buy them. BUT, I wont. Not yet, anyway.
So these are my thoughts.
I like working. For five days a week I get to work my ass down to the bone and know that everything that I do will either benefit me or not based upon how much effort I put into the shift. Wow. Never thought that I would get to say that. I need to own a business.
New train of thought: But not really: So let me discuss my 10 year plan...First, I bust my fucking ass and make damn sure that I kiss ass and find a way to get myself a position as a GM somewhere. Then, I do the minimal 2 year deal, while saving every penny that I can, and find a way to franchise a store in Seattle. If that goes as well as I am expecting, (having researched the growth in the market enough to give me hope) then I can either: A) Continue to franchise out more locations. Nothing says that I cannot have more than one, and if one does well then why wouldn't I want to add more locations? or B) hold on to the store as long as it makes worthy profits and spend much of my profits creating, building, owning, and running a bar or bar & grille of sorts. I think that these could be the things that I need to be happy.
For real, real. Not for play, play. : I cannot even begin to describe how much I wish that I could go to a concert. I fucking love them. Everything about concerts is awesome. Concerts at bars are phenomenal even with the shitty sound. The thickly-layered-with-smoke-smells-like-beer-and-whiskey vibe is one that I love to be immersed in. Lawn seats, however, are my favorite. I never really understand why people want to be so close at concerts...Dont get me wrong, I love going anywhere, but all the craziness up front and all the standing just are not my thing.
What am I talking about? : I have a cookie that I have been wanting to eat for hours. Or maybe far less than that. I still would like it, though.
So these are my thoughts.
I like working. For five days a week I get to work my ass down to the bone and know that everything that I do will either benefit me or not based upon how much effort I put into the shift. Wow. Never thought that I would get to say that. I need to own a business.
New train of thought: But not really: So let me discuss my 10 year plan...First, I bust my fucking ass and make damn sure that I kiss ass and find a way to get myself a position as a GM somewhere. Then, I do the minimal 2 year deal, while saving every penny that I can, and find a way to franchise a store in Seattle. If that goes as well as I am expecting, (having researched the growth in the market enough to give me hope) then I can either: A) Continue to franchise out more locations. Nothing says that I cannot have more than one, and if one does well then why wouldn't I want to add more locations? or B) hold on to the store as long as it makes worthy profits and spend much of my profits creating, building, owning, and running a bar or bar & grille of sorts. I think that these could be the things that I need to be happy.
For real, real. Not for play, play. : I cannot even begin to describe how much I wish that I could go to a concert. I fucking love them. Everything about concerts is awesome. Concerts at bars are phenomenal even with the shitty sound. The thickly-layered-with-smoke-smells-like-beer-and-whiskey vibe is one that I love to be immersed in. Lawn seats, however, are my favorite. I never really understand why people want to be so close at concerts...Dont get me wrong, I love going anywhere, but all the craziness up front and all the standing just are not my thing.
What am I talking about? : I have a cookie that I have been wanting to eat for hours. Or maybe far less than that. I still would like it, though.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
damn you bisco...
So... I may be doing three festivals this summer now. Because FUCKING BASSNECTAR SHPONGLE AND PROMETHEUS ALL JUST GOT ADDED TO BISCO.
in addition to:
Disco Biscuits
DJ Shadow/Cut Chemist
Younger Brother
Eliot Lipp
Amplive
... I don't have the money for this shit. But seriously. Those are three of my FAVORITE artists added in now. GODDAMMIT. GODFUCKINGDAMMIT.
I need to win the lottery or some shit
in addition to:
Disco Biscuits
DJ Shadow/Cut Chemist
Younger Brother
Eliot Lipp
Amplive
... I don't have the money for this shit. But seriously. Those are three of my FAVORITE artists added in now. GODDAMMIT. GODFUCKINGDAMMIT.
I need to win the lottery or some shit
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Life, as I know it
So yeah, haven't written on here in a while. So for those of you who didn't see me over the weekend, here's a brief update on my life, bullet-style. Well not bullets but dashes. but you get the idea
-I'm doing this kinda hardcore work out program, which is kicking my ass and destroying my joints but I love it. Hopefully by the end of the summer (or even rothbury) I'll be pretty smokin hot in the body area.
-As a result of the aforementioned work out program, I have had a pretty significant boost of confidence. I'm making all sorts of friends, bein a player, doing whatever (whoever) I want. Just generally havin a good time ;) I forgot that people like spending time with me, especially after the Ben and Erek fiascos (Erek just isn't speaking to me for whatever reason (yeah I guess I was pissy the last couple times we hung out, but seriously he's kind of an overconfident prick, so I'm over it), and Ben is still awkward but at least we can hang out again - I still just miss his friends more than anything though. Once he gets over us, I'll enjoy spending time with him again, but for now, I just want to see Kristin and John etc etc)
-Umphrey's fuckin rocked over the weekend. End of story. Well worth the trip there and back. Let concert season continue...
-I'm seeing Infected Mushroom in Chicago next weekend!!! FUCK YEAH!
-Speaking of Infected Mushroom, I've gotta get some fuckin cid. There's no way I'm going to that concert sober.
-I still can't bring myself to give a crap about who's gonna be president.
-Way to go Cali! 2 down, 48 to go!
-I'm pretty much busy every single weekend for the rest of the summer. Except this coming one. The list being - IM concert in chicago, opera scenes performance, rothbury, bday weekend, umphreys/sts9 in Indy, santa fe to visit Siân, lolla. Holy crap
-I'm kinda seeing someone but not really. He's just fun and good in bed. I'm ok with it.
-Still in my "obsessed with psytrance" mode. Hence another reason why I need some hallucinogenics. Ah drugs. Recent artists I've gotten into: Eskimo, Vibe Tribe, Psycraft. All SO fuckin great
-I got an assistantship for next year, so I'll be a T.A. I'm gonna be teaching classes to freshies. Can you even imagine? I'm a little nervous but it's really good money, so no complaints.
-My job at the MAC rocks. I love my crew, and this is where I'm posting from. We have not been doin shit recently haha. it's awesome
-I'm growing increasingly concerned at the effect that facebook and other such sites have had on the natural process of growing up. All these random people who I probably wouldn't have cared to talk to again keep writing me messages. I suppose this is fine but just weird - I'll probably write a whole post about that though at some point.
-Jessy's finally started hanging out at home again, which is always nice.
-Our dishwasher broke again. Fuckin-ay. SO annoying
-I'm probably livin alone again next year, but I'm ok with it. I forgot how used to just dealin with my own crap I got, so living with someone else is just a whole lotta random crap to think about.
-I need to get out more I'm so pasty
-I almost drove into the tornado that touched down near E.L. on sunday. that was some scary shit.
-I might move to California sometime. I want to move to a city, and I feel like the music and cultural scene in San Fran and LA and stuff would be good for me. The midwest suburban life is slowly killing me.
-OMG INFECTED MUSHROOM IN CHICAGO NEXT WEEKEND I'M GONNA CRAP ME PANTS
-I need a haircut like woah.
and the final blanket statement:
-Basically, things are good. I feel good about myself, what I'm doing, how I look, my financial situation (despite it being a little dismal), and just about life in general. I'm being kind of a rockstar, drinkin a ton, smokin a lot, but frankly, that's how I like to live my life, so that's that!
Anyway, I'll be up around my bday certainly (allow me to put in my vote for Larry to use his party room for a joint Cottonmouth-Rambo-Geggs bday extravaganzamabob). Y'all should come visit me though. It'll be good times. Anyway, this is really long, I'm done, much love!
COTTONMOUTH OUT!
-I'm doing this kinda hardcore work out program, which is kicking my ass and destroying my joints but I love it. Hopefully by the end of the summer (or even rothbury) I'll be pretty smokin hot in the body area.
-As a result of the aforementioned work out program, I have had a pretty significant boost of confidence. I'm making all sorts of friends, bein a player, doing whatever (whoever) I want. Just generally havin a good time ;) I forgot that people like spending time with me, especially after the Ben and Erek fiascos (Erek just isn't speaking to me for whatever reason (yeah I guess I was pissy the last couple times we hung out, but seriously he's kind of an overconfident prick, so I'm over it), and Ben is still awkward but at least we can hang out again - I still just miss his friends more than anything though. Once he gets over us, I'll enjoy spending time with him again, but for now, I just want to see Kristin and John etc etc)
-Umphrey's fuckin rocked over the weekend. End of story. Well worth the trip there and back. Let concert season continue...
-I'm seeing Infected Mushroom in Chicago next weekend!!! FUCK YEAH!
-Speaking of Infected Mushroom, I've gotta get some fuckin cid. There's no way I'm going to that concert sober.
-I still can't bring myself to give a crap about who's gonna be president.
-Way to go Cali! 2 down, 48 to go!
-I'm pretty much busy every single weekend for the rest of the summer. Except this coming one. The list being - IM concert in chicago, opera scenes performance, rothbury, bday weekend, umphreys/sts9 in Indy, santa fe to visit Siân, lolla. Holy crap
-I'm kinda seeing someone but not really. He's just fun and good in bed. I'm ok with it.
-Still in my "obsessed with psytrance" mode. Hence another reason why I need some hallucinogenics. Ah drugs. Recent artists I've gotten into: Eskimo, Vibe Tribe, Psycraft. All SO fuckin great
-I got an assistantship for next year, so I'll be a T.A. I'm gonna be teaching classes to freshies. Can you even imagine? I'm a little nervous but it's really good money, so no complaints.
-My job at the MAC rocks. I love my crew, and this is where I'm posting from. We have not been doin shit recently haha. it's awesome
-I'm growing increasingly concerned at the effect that facebook and other such sites have had on the natural process of growing up. All these random people who I probably wouldn't have cared to talk to again keep writing me messages. I suppose this is fine but just weird - I'll probably write a whole post about that though at some point.
-Jessy's finally started hanging out at home again, which is always nice.
-Our dishwasher broke again. Fuckin-ay. SO annoying
-I'm probably livin alone again next year, but I'm ok with it. I forgot how used to just dealin with my own crap I got, so living with someone else is just a whole lotta random crap to think about.
-I need to get out more I'm so pasty
-I almost drove into the tornado that touched down near E.L. on sunday. that was some scary shit.
-I might move to California sometime. I want to move to a city, and I feel like the music and cultural scene in San Fran and LA and stuff would be good for me. The midwest suburban life is slowly killing me.
-OMG INFECTED MUSHROOM IN CHICAGO NEXT WEEKEND I'M GONNA CRAP ME PANTS
-I need a haircut like woah.
and the final blanket statement:
-Basically, things are good. I feel good about myself, what I'm doing, how I look, my financial situation (despite it being a little dismal), and just about life in general. I'm being kind of a rockstar, drinkin a ton, smokin a lot, but frankly, that's how I like to live my life, so that's that!
Anyway, I'll be up around my bday certainly (allow me to put in my vote for Larry to use his party room for a joint Cottonmouth-Rambo-Geggs bday extravaganzamabob). Y'all should come visit me though. It'll be good times. Anyway, this is really long, I'm done, much love!
COTTONMOUTH OUT!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Umphrey's McGee is the Greatest Band of All Time: 3 of 3!
This final night was very important. I really wanted Hock to have a most excellent time at this concert and the songs that would best suit him were: Miss Tinkle's Overture (duh), Eat, and Wizard Burial Ground. Not only did they deliver everyone of those songs, but Umphrey's thought of a could more he would like...
Set I: Eat -> 2nd Self -> Eat, 13 Days, All Things Ninja (an oldie and a goodie, it is basicaly just every soloing in turn, rock!), FF -> jam* -> Alex's House
Rockin' set with a few teases thrown in there to please the crowd.
Set II: Search 4 (new one, rocktastic), The Floor (two in a row that suited Mike's appetite for rock), Miss Tinkle's Overture (!!), That's All (classic Genesis) -> Nemo (with an extended jam where the break in the song should be, nice.), (...and finally to bring down the house) Wizard Burial Ground
Encore: Nopener (Lounge style), Got Your Milk (Right Here) (<---this is awesome-o)
* teases included: Xxplosive, Ain't No Fun, Regulate, Lose Yourself
Best weekend of my life...
G-O-E-R-G
Set I: Eat -> 2nd Self -> Eat, 13 Days, All Things Ninja (an oldie and a goodie, it is basicaly just every soloing in turn, rock!), FF -> jam* -> Alex's House
Rockin' set with a few teases thrown in there to please the crowd.
Set II: Search 4 (new one, rocktastic), The Floor (two in a row that suited Mike's appetite for rock), Miss Tinkle's Overture (!!), That's All (classic Genesis) -> Nemo (with an extended jam where the break in the song should be, nice.), (...and finally to bring down the house) Wizard Burial Ground
Encore: Nopener (Lounge style), Got Your Milk (Right Here) (<---this is awesome-o)
* teases included: Xxplosive, Ain't No Fun, Regulate, Lose Yourself
Best weekend of my life...
G-O-E-R-G
Umphrey's McGee is the Greatest Band of All Time: 2 of 3!
All I wanted to hear this weekend were any of these three songs: Andy's Last Beer, Utopian Fir, or Dump City. With that said here is the show:
Set I: Example 1, The Bottom Half -> Atmosfarag -> The Bottom Half, Pay The Snucka -> Andy's Last Beer (!) -> Pay The Snucka -> Immigrant Song (woot!)
A truly mind-numbingly awesome set.
Set II: #5, Resolution (which went on forever, in a good way...) -> Nothing Too Fancy -> Walletsworth, (drum roll please...) Dump "Motherfuckin'" City
I was seriously in a stupor after I heard the 17 minute long version of one of my favorite songs.
Encore: Hey 19 -> Don't Fear The Reaper (only one verse) -> Nothing Too Fancy
Sha-Boo-Ya! What an exhilarating night, and still one more to go.
G-O-E-R-G
Set I: Example 1, The Bottom Half -> Atmosfarag -> The Bottom Half, Pay The Snucka -> Andy's Last Beer (!) -> Pay The Snucka -> Immigrant Song (woot!)
A truly mind-numbingly awesome set.
Set II: #5, Resolution (which went on forever, in a good way...) -> Nothing Too Fancy -> Walletsworth, (drum roll please...) Dump "Motherfuckin'" City
I was seriously in a stupor after I heard the 17 minute long version of one of my favorite songs.
Encore: Hey 19 -> Don't Fear The Reaper (only one verse) -> Nothing Too Fancy
Sha-Boo-Ya! What an exhilarating night, and still one more to go.
G-O-E-R-G
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Batpod
Thanks to the latest addition of Blender magazine, I am passing along some information about the Batpod that I found interesting...
"The 10-foot-6-inch long frame is all steel; the rest of the parts are carbon fiber. At 650 pounds, it's not a light machine.
The pod's tires measure an impressive 18 inches wide. Chris Nolan (director) wanted something you'd look at and say, "No way it can be ridden."
Because of the way the handlebars are formed, you steer with your forearms and not your wrists.
There's not a lot of room on the frame to hide a battery, so the crew trimmed the pod's power needs to the bare minimum, using smaller batteries wherever there was space.
The top launchers fire grapple hooks reeling high-tensile cord. Underneath are a 40 mm cannon and a .50-caliber machine gun."
Hell yeah!
"The 10-foot-6-inch long frame is all steel; the rest of the parts are carbon fiber. At 650 pounds, it's not a light machine.
The pod's tires measure an impressive 18 inches wide. Chris Nolan (director) wanted something you'd look at and say, "No way it can be ridden."
Because of the way the handlebars are formed, you steer with your forearms and not your wrists.
There's not a lot of room on the frame to hide a battery, so the crew trimmed the pod's power needs to the bare minimum, using smaller batteries wherever there was space.
The top launchers fire grapple hooks reeling high-tensile cord. Underneath are a 40 mm cannon and a .50-caliber machine gun."
Hell yeah!
Friday, June 6, 2008
Eye Candy of the Day
I just found out what the lead singer of Lacuna Coil looks like...
Her name is Cristina Scabbia, she is hot and has a great voice. I kinda want to see one of their shows now, but I doubt anyone would want to go. No matter what, she's hot, so here's another picture...
Oh, and just because, here's another. Enjoy!
Her name is Cristina Scabbia, she is hot and has a great voice. I kinda want to see one of their shows now, but I doubt anyone would want to go. No matter what, she's hot, so here's another picture...
Oh, and just because, here's another. Enjoy!
Umphrey's McGee is the Greatest Band of All Time: 1 of 3!
(I do not want to debate the title)
Set I: Smell The Mitten, Intentions Clear > "Jimmy Stewart"* > Syncopated Strangers, 40's Theme**
Set II: Ringo > Robot World > Thin Air, Waist Down, Padgett's Profile, The Fuzz$ > Ringo
Encore: Mullet (Over)
Notes:
* with Syncopated Strangers teases (which I totally called like 5 minutes before it happened)
** with Meeting in the Aisle (Radiohead) jam
$ with jam similar to 07.26.07 Nemo "Jimmy Stewart" (no vocals)
Set I: Smell The Mitten, Intentions Clear > "Jimmy Stewart"* > Syncopated Strangers, 40's Theme**
Set II: Ringo > Robot World > Thin Air, Waist Down, Padgett's Profile, The Fuzz$ > Ringo
Encore: Mullet (Over)
Notes:
* with Syncopated Strangers teases (which I totally called like 5 minutes before it happened)
** with Meeting in the Aisle (Radiohead) jam
$ with jam similar to 07.26.07 Nemo "Jimmy Stewart" (no vocals)
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Thank you College Humor
This is so funny...and even if you don't think so...there are pics of big boobs on ever word.
Hey Goerg, Guess What!?
Universal Studios in Orlando is opening a new Harry Potter ride/attraction and a Simpsons attraction!
Myrtle Beach has a Led Zeppelin roller coaster!
Cedar Point has a new roller coaster! I need to go to an amusement park, dammit!
Myrtle Beach has a Led Zeppelin roller coaster!
Cedar Point has a new roller coaster! I need to go to an amusement park, dammit!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
A Hard First Step Towards a Better America, a Better You, a Better Me...
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama -- Final Primary Night
Tues., June 3, 2008 19:02:11 ET
Tonight, after fifty-four hard-fought contests, our primary season has finally come to an end.
Sixteen months have passed since we first stood together on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Thousands of miles have been traveled. Millions of voices have been heard. And because of what you said -- because you decided that change must come to Washington; because you believed that this year must be different than all the rest; because you chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears but to your greatest hopes and highest aspirations, tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another -- a journey that will bring a new and better day to America. Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.
I want to thank every American who stood with us over the course of this campaign -- through the good days and the bad; from the snows of Cedar Rapids to the sunshine of Sioux Falls. And tonight I also want to thank the men and woman who took this journey with me as fellow candidates for President.
At this defining moment for our nation, we should be proud that our party put forth one of the most talented, qualified field of individuals ever to run for this office. I have not just competed with them as rivals, I have learned from them as friends, as public servants, and as patriots who love America and are willing to work tirelessly to make this country better. They are leaders of this party, and leaders that America will turn to for years to come.
That is particularly true for the candidate who has traveled further on this journey than anyone else. Senator Hillary Clinton has made history in this campaign not just because she's a woman who has done what no woman has done before, but because she's a leader who inspires millions of Americans with her strength, her courage, and her commitment to the causes that brought us here tonight.
We've certainly had our differences over the last sixteen months. But as someone who's shared a stage with her many times, I can tell you that what gets Hillary Clinton up in the morning -- even in the face of tough odds -- is exactly what sent her and Bill Clinton to sign up for their first campaign in Texas all those years ago; what sent her to work at the Children's Defense Fund and made her fight for health care as First Lady; what led her to the United States Senate and fueled her barrier-breaking campaign for the presidency -- an unyielding desire to improve the lives of ordinary Americans, no matter how difficult the fight may be. And you can rest assured that when we finally win the battle for universal health care in this country, she will be central to that victory. When we transform our energy policy and lift our children out of poverty, it will be because she worked to help make it happen. Our party and our country are better off because of her, and I am a better candidate for having had the honor to compete with Hillary Rodham Clinton.
There are those who say that this primary has somehow left us weaker and more divided. Well I say that because of this primary, there are millions of Americans who have cast their ballot for the very first time. There are Independents and Republicans who understand that this election isn't just about the party in charge of Washington, it's about the need to change Washington.Ê There are young people, and African-Americans, and Latinos, and women of all ages who have voted in numbers that have broken records and inspired a nation.
All of you chose to support a candidate you believe in deeply. But at the end of the day, we aren't the reason you came out and waited in lines that stretched block after block to make your voice heard. You didn't do that because of me or Senator Clinton or anyone else. You did it because you know in your hearts that at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- we cannot afford to keep doing what we've been doing. We owe our children a better future. We owe our country a better future. And for all those who dream of that future tonight, I say -- let us begin the work together. Let us unite in common effort to chart a new course for America.
In just a few short months, the Republican Party will arrive in St. Paul with a very different agenda. They will come here to nominate John McCain, a man who has served this country heroically. I honor that service, and I respect his many accomplishments, even if he chooses to deny mine. My differences with him are not personal; they are with the policies he has proposed in this campaign.
Because while John McCain can legitimately tout moments of independence from his party in the past, such independence has not been the hallmark of his presidential campaign.
It's not change when John McCain decided to stand with George Bush ninety-five percent of the time, as he did in the Senate last year.
It's not change when he offers four more years of Bush economic policies that have failed to create well-paying jobs, or insure our workers, or help Americans afford the skyrocketing cost of college -- policies that have lowered the real incomes of the average American family, widened the gap between Wall Street and Main Street, and left our children with a mountain of debt.ÊÊÊ
And it's not change when he promises to continue a policy in Iraq that asks everything of our brave men and women in uniform and nothing of Iraqi politicians -- a policy where all we look for are reasons to stay in Iraq, while we spend billions of dollars a month on a war that isn't making the American people any safer.
So I'll say this -- there are many words to describe John McCain's attempt to pass off his embrace of George Bush's policies as bipartisan and new. But change is not one of them.
Change is a foreign policy that doesn't begin and end with a war that should've never been authorized and never been waged. I won't stand here and pretend that there are many good options left in Iraq, but what's not an option is leaving our troops in that country for the next hundred years -- especially at a time when our military is overstretched, our nation is isolated, and nearly every other threat to America is being ignored.
We must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in - but start leaving we must. It's time for Iraqis to take responsibility for their future. It's time to rebuild our military and give our veterans the care they need and the benefits they deserve when they come home. It's time to refocus our efforts on al Qaeda's leadership and Afghanistan, and rally the world against the common threats of the 21st century -- terrorism and nuclear weapons; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease. That's what change is.
Change is realizing that meeting today's threats requires not just our firepower, but the power of our diplomacy -- tough, direct diplomacy where the President of the United States isn't afraid to let any petty dictator know where America stands and what we stand for. We must once again have the courage and conviction to lead the free world. That is the legacy of Roosevelt, and Truman, and Kennedy. That's what the American people want. That's what change is.Ê
Change is building an economy that rewards not just wealth, but the work and workers who created it. It's understanding that the struggles facing working families can't be solved by spending billions of dollars on more tax breaks for big corporations and wealthy CEOs, but by giving a the middle-class a tax break, and investing in our crumbling infrastructure, and transforming how we use energy, and improving our schools, and renewing our commitment to science and innovation. It's understanding that fiscal responsibility and shared prosperity can go hand-in-hand, as they did when Bill Clinton was President.
John McCain has spent a lot of time talking about trips to Iraq in the last few weeks, but maybe if he spent some time taking trips to the cities and towns that have been hardest hit by this economy -- cities in Michigan, and Ohio, and right here in Minnesota -- he'd understand the kind of change that people are looking for.
Maybe if he went to Iowa and met the student who works the night shift after a full day of class and still can't pay the medical bills for a sister who's ill, he'd understand that she can't afford four more years of a health care plan that only takes care of the healthy and wealthy. She needs us to pass health care plan that guarantees insurance to every American who wants it and brings down premiums for every family who needs it. That's the change we need.
Maybe if he went to Pennsylvania and met the man who lost his job but can't even afford the gas to drive around and look for a new one, he'd understand that we can't afford four more years of our addiction to oil from dictators. That man needs us to pass an energy policy that works with automakers to raise fuel standards, and makes corporations pay for their pollution, and oil companies invest their record profits in a clean energy future -- an energy policy that will create millions of new jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced. That's the change we need.
And maybe if he spent some time in the schools of South Carolina or St. Paul or where he spoke tonight in New Orleans, he'd understand that we can't afford to leave the money behind for No Child Left Behind; that we owe it to our children to invest in early childhood education; to recruit an army of new teachers and give them better pay and more support; to finally decide that in this global economy, the chance to get a college education should not be a privilege for the wealthy few, but the birthright of every American. That's the change we need in America. That's why I'm running for President.
The other side will come here in September and offer a very different set of policies and positions, and that is a debate I look forward to. It is a debate the American people deserve. But what you don't deserve is another election that's governed by fear, and innuendo, and division. What you won't hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon -- that sees our opponents not as competitors to challenge, but enemies to demonize. Because we may call ourselves Democrats and Republicans, but we are Americans first. We are always Americans first.
Despite what the good Senator from Arizona said tonight, I have seen people of differing views and opinions find common cause many times during my two decades in public life, and I have brought many together myself. I've walked arm-in-arm with community leaders on the South Side of Chicago and watched tensions fade as black, white, and Latino fought together for good jobs and good schools. I've sat across the table from law enforcement and civil rights advocates to reform a criminal justice system that sent thirteen innocent people to death row. And I've worked with friends in the other party to provide more children with health insurance and more working families with a tax break; to curb the spread of nuclear weapons and ensure that the American people know where their tax dollars are being spent; and to reduce the influence of lobbyists who have all too often set the agenda in Washington.
In our country, I have found that this cooperation happens not because we agree on everything, but because behind all the labels and false divisions and categories that define us; beyond all the petty bickering and point-scoring in Washington, Americans are a decent, generous, compassionate people, united by common challenges and common hopes. And every so often, there are moments which call on that fundamental goodness to make this country great again.
So it was for that band of patriots who declared in a Philadelphia hall the formation of a more perfect union; and for all those who gave on the fields of Gettysburg and Antietam their last full measure of devotion to save that same union.
So it was for the Greatest Generation that conquered fear itself, and liberated a continent from tyranny, and made this country home to untold opportunity and prosperity.
So it was for the workers who stood out on the picket lines; the women who shattered glass ceilings; the children who braved a Selma bridge for freedom's cause.
So it has been for every generation that faced down the greatest challenges and the most improbable odds to leave their children a world that's better, and kinder, and more just.
And so it must be for us.
America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past. Our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for the country we love.
The journey will be difficult. The road will be long. I face this challenge with profound humility, and knowledge of my own limitations. But I also face it with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people. Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment -- this was the time -- when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals. Thank you, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.
Get on the bus, guys...the view has been pretty nice.
Tues., June 3, 2008 19:02:11 ET
Tonight, after fifty-four hard-fought contests, our primary season has finally come to an end.
Sixteen months have passed since we first stood together on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Thousands of miles have been traveled. Millions of voices have been heard. And because of what you said -- because you decided that change must come to Washington; because you believed that this year must be different than all the rest; because you chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears but to your greatest hopes and highest aspirations, tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another -- a journey that will bring a new and better day to America. Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.
I want to thank every American who stood with us over the course of this campaign -- through the good days and the bad; from the snows of Cedar Rapids to the sunshine of Sioux Falls. And tonight I also want to thank the men and woman who took this journey with me as fellow candidates for President.
At this defining moment for our nation, we should be proud that our party put forth one of the most talented, qualified field of individuals ever to run for this office. I have not just competed with them as rivals, I have learned from them as friends, as public servants, and as patriots who love America and are willing to work tirelessly to make this country better. They are leaders of this party, and leaders that America will turn to for years to come.
That is particularly true for the candidate who has traveled further on this journey than anyone else. Senator Hillary Clinton has made history in this campaign not just because she's a woman who has done what no woman has done before, but because she's a leader who inspires millions of Americans with her strength, her courage, and her commitment to the causes that brought us here tonight.
We've certainly had our differences over the last sixteen months. But as someone who's shared a stage with her many times, I can tell you that what gets Hillary Clinton up in the morning -- even in the face of tough odds -- is exactly what sent her and Bill Clinton to sign up for their first campaign in Texas all those years ago; what sent her to work at the Children's Defense Fund and made her fight for health care as First Lady; what led her to the United States Senate and fueled her barrier-breaking campaign for the presidency -- an unyielding desire to improve the lives of ordinary Americans, no matter how difficult the fight may be. And you can rest assured that when we finally win the battle for universal health care in this country, she will be central to that victory. When we transform our energy policy and lift our children out of poverty, it will be because she worked to help make it happen. Our party and our country are better off because of her, and I am a better candidate for having had the honor to compete with Hillary Rodham Clinton.
There are those who say that this primary has somehow left us weaker and more divided. Well I say that because of this primary, there are millions of Americans who have cast their ballot for the very first time. There are Independents and Republicans who understand that this election isn't just about the party in charge of Washington, it's about the need to change Washington.Ê There are young people, and African-Americans, and Latinos, and women of all ages who have voted in numbers that have broken records and inspired a nation.
All of you chose to support a candidate you believe in deeply. But at the end of the day, we aren't the reason you came out and waited in lines that stretched block after block to make your voice heard. You didn't do that because of me or Senator Clinton or anyone else. You did it because you know in your hearts that at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- we cannot afford to keep doing what we've been doing. We owe our children a better future. We owe our country a better future. And for all those who dream of that future tonight, I say -- let us begin the work together. Let us unite in common effort to chart a new course for America.
In just a few short months, the Republican Party will arrive in St. Paul with a very different agenda. They will come here to nominate John McCain, a man who has served this country heroically. I honor that service, and I respect his many accomplishments, even if he chooses to deny mine. My differences with him are not personal; they are with the policies he has proposed in this campaign.
Because while John McCain can legitimately tout moments of independence from his party in the past, such independence has not been the hallmark of his presidential campaign.
It's not change when John McCain decided to stand with George Bush ninety-five percent of the time, as he did in the Senate last year.
It's not change when he offers four more years of Bush economic policies that have failed to create well-paying jobs, or insure our workers, or help Americans afford the skyrocketing cost of college -- policies that have lowered the real incomes of the average American family, widened the gap between Wall Street and Main Street, and left our children with a mountain of debt.ÊÊÊ
And it's not change when he promises to continue a policy in Iraq that asks everything of our brave men and women in uniform and nothing of Iraqi politicians -- a policy where all we look for are reasons to stay in Iraq, while we spend billions of dollars a month on a war that isn't making the American people any safer.
So I'll say this -- there are many words to describe John McCain's attempt to pass off his embrace of George Bush's policies as bipartisan and new. But change is not one of them.
Change is a foreign policy that doesn't begin and end with a war that should've never been authorized and never been waged. I won't stand here and pretend that there are many good options left in Iraq, but what's not an option is leaving our troops in that country for the next hundred years -- especially at a time when our military is overstretched, our nation is isolated, and nearly every other threat to America is being ignored.
We must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in - but start leaving we must. It's time for Iraqis to take responsibility for their future. It's time to rebuild our military and give our veterans the care they need and the benefits they deserve when they come home. It's time to refocus our efforts on al Qaeda's leadership and Afghanistan, and rally the world against the common threats of the 21st century -- terrorism and nuclear weapons; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease. That's what change is.
Change is realizing that meeting today's threats requires not just our firepower, but the power of our diplomacy -- tough, direct diplomacy where the President of the United States isn't afraid to let any petty dictator know where America stands and what we stand for. We must once again have the courage and conviction to lead the free world. That is the legacy of Roosevelt, and Truman, and Kennedy. That's what the American people want. That's what change is.Ê
Change is building an economy that rewards not just wealth, but the work and workers who created it. It's understanding that the struggles facing working families can't be solved by spending billions of dollars on more tax breaks for big corporations and wealthy CEOs, but by giving a the middle-class a tax break, and investing in our crumbling infrastructure, and transforming how we use energy, and improving our schools, and renewing our commitment to science and innovation. It's understanding that fiscal responsibility and shared prosperity can go hand-in-hand, as they did when Bill Clinton was President.
John McCain has spent a lot of time talking about trips to Iraq in the last few weeks, but maybe if he spent some time taking trips to the cities and towns that have been hardest hit by this economy -- cities in Michigan, and Ohio, and right here in Minnesota -- he'd understand the kind of change that people are looking for.
Maybe if he went to Iowa and met the student who works the night shift after a full day of class and still can't pay the medical bills for a sister who's ill, he'd understand that she can't afford four more years of a health care plan that only takes care of the healthy and wealthy. She needs us to pass health care plan that guarantees insurance to every American who wants it and brings down premiums for every family who needs it. That's the change we need.
Maybe if he went to Pennsylvania and met the man who lost his job but can't even afford the gas to drive around and look for a new one, he'd understand that we can't afford four more years of our addiction to oil from dictators. That man needs us to pass an energy policy that works with automakers to raise fuel standards, and makes corporations pay for their pollution, and oil companies invest their record profits in a clean energy future -- an energy policy that will create millions of new jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced. That's the change we need.
And maybe if he spent some time in the schools of South Carolina or St. Paul or where he spoke tonight in New Orleans, he'd understand that we can't afford to leave the money behind for No Child Left Behind; that we owe it to our children to invest in early childhood education; to recruit an army of new teachers and give them better pay and more support; to finally decide that in this global economy, the chance to get a college education should not be a privilege for the wealthy few, but the birthright of every American. That's the change we need in America. That's why I'm running for President.
The other side will come here in September and offer a very different set of policies and positions, and that is a debate I look forward to. It is a debate the American people deserve. But what you don't deserve is another election that's governed by fear, and innuendo, and division. What you won't hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon -- that sees our opponents not as competitors to challenge, but enemies to demonize. Because we may call ourselves Democrats and Republicans, but we are Americans first. We are always Americans first.
Despite what the good Senator from Arizona said tonight, I have seen people of differing views and opinions find common cause many times during my two decades in public life, and I have brought many together myself. I've walked arm-in-arm with community leaders on the South Side of Chicago and watched tensions fade as black, white, and Latino fought together for good jobs and good schools. I've sat across the table from law enforcement and civil rights advocates to reform a criminal justice system that sent thirteen innocent people to death row. And I've worked with friends in the other party to provide more children with health insurance and more working families with a tax break; to curb the spread of nuclear weapons and ensure that the American people know where their tax dollars are being spent; and to reduce the influence of lobbyists who have all too often set the agenda in Washington.
In our country, I have found that this cooperation happens not because we agree on everything, but because behind all the labels and false divisions and categories that define us; beyond all the petty bickering and point-scoring in Washington, Americans are a decent, generous, compassionate people, united by common challenges and common hopes. And every so often, there are moments which call on that fundamental goodness to make this country great again.
So it was for that band of patriots who declared in a Philadelphia hall the formation of a more perfect union; and for all those who gave on the fields of Gettysburg and Antietam their last full measure of devotion to save that same union.
So it was for the Greatest Generation that conquered fear itself, and liberated a continent from tyranny, and made this country home to untold opportunity and prosperity.
So it was for the workers who stood out on the picket lines; the women who shattered glass ceilings; the children who braved a Selma bridge for freedom's cause.
So it has been for every generation that faced down the greatest challenges and the most improbable odds to leave their children a world that's better, and kinder, and more just.
And so it must be for us.
America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past. Our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for the country we love.
The journey will be difficult. The road will be long. I face this challenge with profound humility, and knowledge of my own limitations. But I also face it with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people. Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment -- this was the time -- when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals. Thank you, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.
Get on the bus, guys...the view has been pretty nice.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Fire at Universal Studios!
Earlier this morning firefighters had to fight a fire on a 400 acre lot at Universal Studios in California. Among things damaged in the fire are the King Kong exhibit, some Back to the Future sets, and 40,000 to 50,000 videos and reels. Luckily there are backups of the videos and reels in another location.
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