I rarely go to the theaters, but in the past week, I've been three times to see two movies.  One involves giant robots, of course.

But The Hangover really is that funny.  Granted, the first time, my cousins forced vodka shots on me right before we went inside.  I didn't really get to watch the entire film, but I did get to experience the movie.  After watching it again tonight, I'm still laughing 45 minutes later.  Normally, my type of comedy is of the, "Oh, that was witty, tee hee" variety, but I was just dying tonight.  I probably laughed more the first time (and apparently tried touching the screen thinking I was viewing Up 3D), but it was way more funny seeing it sober.

And Ken Jeong is in it.

BET is hosting a music video marathon in honor of Michael Jackson.
Does that mean Michael Jackson passed away in 1991?

Oh wow, how cool and "coggy."  A journal entry from three years ago...

"Oh wow, so much to write about.  Not so much about my 'weak' end.  Well that's not true..."

Every day I love Orlando and its local music scene more and more.

As bad as things are right now... as mad/depressed/bitter/etc. I should be... I feel nothing.  Nothing.  And that... as mad/depressed/bitter/etc. that should make me, it doesn't.  An endless loop of emotions I should be expressing, but somehow forgot how to.

You can't heal what you can't feel.

Last week, I had the most depressing dream...

It was Sunday night, right before 8 o'clock. I was home alone, stinky and nasty from playing basketball ten hours ago. Since there was nothing in the kitchen, I drove around looking for a restaurant where I could zip in and get take out. However, Apopka being the dead town it is, most places were already closed (other than fast food franchises). Normally, I'm an adventurous eater, but the loneliness and despair of empty streets and vacant parking lots got to me... I settled for a Cici's Pizza where the only customers were a young, heavy set family and an elderly couple going through the motions. Thinking food (or whatever passes for food at the pizza buffet) could alleviate my blues, my plate was stacked with six slices. John Mellencamp's "Small Town" was unsettlingly quiet in the background. And as I was eating, I noticed my pizza tasting saltier with each bite... tears were slowly trickling down my face. And I kept eating, because there was nothing else to do.

It was like a scene from an Alexander Payne film. Broken people eating at restaurants alone...

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Four of Swords is a peaceful card.  Calm.  I like it.

Today has been long and crazy-busy.  And I didn't even have time to practice.  But at least for the next ten minutes, I can finally do the one thing I've wanted to do all day.  Play PSP.

Minus the details you don't want to know...
Sunday 4PM to Monday 4PM may rank as one of the most fucked up experiences of my life (can you say "fucked" in PG?). Regardless, after spending a boring weekend in a coastal town that they forgot to close down, I got home, made poor dietary choices, and then proceeded to watch Space Is The Place.  Sun Ra may have the acting skills of Pierre Bernard and his Blaxploitation-on-asteroid-steroids racial ideology throughout the film may turn off just about everybody of every color, but the music... well, most of it is good, but my favorite Ra era was during the Pat Patrick 1950's.
Later that night, bad heartburn attacked me because I was a fuckhead earlier in the day.  It was bad and I threw up.  I had to take a sick day because it was completely debilitating.  Being older now, I can't just work through pain as often anymore.  The only thing I could do to alleviate the situation was to take hourly naps.  Which meant I spent about eight additional hours in bed throughout the day.  But as a sharp headache began to escalate, profound intelligence was developing in my brain.
For four sub/semi-conscious hours, I was the smartest I had ever been.  Complex systems were easily processed within seconds.  Answers to any questions were found with ease.  At the apex of that episode, I believed I was actually Sun Ra... the Egyptian God of Supreme Intelligence.  It's true that I live the same ascetic lifestyle, even giving up alcohol (I'll make an exception for Tony's brew).  But it got to the point where I realized, if I rejected the role I was assuming, the severe headaches would go away.  It was like deciding whether I wanted to sit underneath the Tree of Life or the Tree of Knowledge.  It took a while for me to decide (sickness causes poor decision-making), but then I ended up watching the last thirty minutes of Showtime on TNT.  I'm no god... I watch Eddie Murphy films.

Everybody remembers the day Kennedy was shot. Everybody remembers the (supposed?) moon landing. Everybody remembers when the Challenger blew up. And of course, George Bush's legacy revolves around reminding everyone about the World Trade Center attacks.

But yesterday provided another chapter in the legendary book of "Where Were You On _____?" Tupac Shakur can finally say (either in Heaven or in the recording studio) we are ready to see a black president... and that's just the way it is.

How did the day unfold for me? Well, I woke up to read that our Orlando Magic are officially the #1 ball club in the NBA. Went to Sushi Hatsu for lunch to watch the inauguration. Did kickass work back in the office. Clocked out and drove to the park in Pine Hills. Played one-on-one and actually won against a stranger because I played the best five minutes of basketball in my life (three pointers, 18-foot jumpers, 70% shooting). General Tso's substitute chicken dinner at Garden Cafe with Troy was very impressive. Ran into Luke and then spent too much money at Park Ave CD's. Talked to Chaz on the phone and Steve at the station. Then started talking like Seymour of Cook's Chicken to a girl on the phone who was digging Pylon. As much as I always want to be like Phantom Third Channel, I really wished I was like him then because he's smooth when he talks about Pylon. Ended the night driving home with one glove to channel Michael Jackson.

January 14, 2001
1:15 A.M. Sunday Morning. Spent the last four hours at some party on the other side of the neighborhood. Seg and Cye played there. It has been really misty for the last two hours. Thick, heavy fog. But before the fog came up, I walked alone in the night streets. Turns out, this house is two blocks away from the empty desert fields that I like to hang out by when I bike or rollerblade. You couldn't see much of the field since it was pitch black, but you still know it's there. I laid in the middle of the street and looked up into the sky and the stars shined so bright. It was one of the most beautiful nights of my life.

I hate drugs. I swear I'll never smoke or drink...
- Excerpt from my journal of 2001

Hahaha... young, idealistic youth. Things change and then you grow up a bit and take measures to revert back a little. Backpeddling when you're going downhill. I broke my straight edge code, my religious upbringing, and my overbearing responsibility. And now I've halted my intake simply due to health reasons.

12:42 A.M. Sunday Morning. Spent the last four hours at some party on the other side of the neighborhood. Seg and Ian played Playstation at my house earlier in the day. The weather has been really nice for the last two hours. Crisp, cold air. Fortunately, I was able to bike alone to the party house. Turns out, this house is two buildings away from my dad's co-worker's, who happens to look like Ned Flanders. Cars probably couldn't see me very well (my bicycle has no reflectors or lights), but I made sure oncoming cars would know I was there. After parking my bike in the backyard, I sat on the patio and looked up into the sky and the moon shone so bright. It was one of the most beautiful night rides of my life.

And the voice of Leslie Feist (who's becoming Jenny Lewis to me) soothed my ears in a Sade way. I want to hear your stories about tonight.

( The Short List )

Christmas Wishlist 2008-2009:

A) JJ Redick to become a decent Magic player or get traded to another team (I prefer the latter)
B) To be more Filipino, like Manny Pacquiao, Joey Santiago, Natalie Coughlin, Phoebe Cates, etc.
C) Focus more on the holey instead of the holy; stop trying to be perfect and embrace mistakes
D) Spend more time at the film theaters
E) Satisfaction with guitar tone so I could focus on writing songs instead of collecting pedals
F) Passion for new music again; I used to be first in line for new Pavement and Sebadoh releases
G) To breathe that nostalgic scent of cigarette smoke-infested clothes by going to more concerts
H) Extreme Makeover: Eyebrows Edition
I) My friends to have a really great year, full of success and happiness
J) For Seg to find a nice job he'll like; but to stay in Orlando for the Magic's championship
K) Nintendo DS... what, you don't expect all my wishes to be so abstract, right?
L) If I play live and people take pictures, I want them to shoot me stepping on my pedals
M) A fearless heart: I don't need to fall for "the one" anymore, just someone nice
N) To spend less time on computers because I'm not Kraftwerk
O) More opportunities in life to deservedly make fun of Adam Duritz's Sideshow Bob haircut
P) Drama is unavoidable so asking for less is useless... I only ask to be less sensitive
Q) Conduit for sale: Eliminate clutter and downsize on material possessions
R) A nice future sister-in-law
S) Magazines tell me lomography cameras are pretty cool... and I want to be pretty cool
T) Dwight Howard to showcase another set of ridiculous dunks
U) More storage... maybe a rack for the magazines that tell me how cool lomography cameras are
V) A temporary boost in talent so I can record a Nintendo covers record
W) To be a more interesting blogger. There's been a dramatic drop-off in terms of readability
X) Female singer
Y) I want to be Made into a swimmer, so I can fulfill my Michael Stipe fantasies at night
Z) Fear of success has always hampered my potential... I need to stop being a Hootenanny and start being a Let It Be

Last year's X-Mas list

a) Travel, travel, travel... the Pacific Ocean summons

A) A Caribbean cruise (Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, St. Thomas), a weekend trip to Key West, a business summit in Denver, CO, and a saga spanning the entire North American Pacific Coast.
b) Less stage fright so I don't end up like Cat Power

B) At first, I thought running over my toe with a vacuum cleaner was responsible for alleviating nervousness, but I only did that once.  Ariel’s been the biggest influence in helping me become comfortable performing in front of an audience, whether the venue is Tatame, Stardust, Black Box Collective, or Rollins College.  I owe all my artistic output this year to her.
c) A non-promiscuous computer that doesn't contract AIDS

C) My laptop has managed to stay healthy, not even costing me the loss of valuable last-second Ebay snipes.
d) Orlando Magic to make it to the third round of the playoffs (Grant can have the championship)

D) We got to the second round and I’m happy enough about that.  The way we’re playing now, we have the ability to make the third round in May, but the championship is a few years away.  If we can get Chris Bosh in 2010, boy…
e) When political and social climates are tense, great art emerges... I want four years of lousy art

E) Despite a crumbled economy and a daunting air surrounding the near future, Sam Cooke smiles in his grave as Obama is the fulfilled promise of that change he longed for.  Any “political” artist releasing anti-Bush songs from now on will only be doing a disservice to music, unless of course the “Bush” in question is a Gavin Rossdale joint.
f) Lower blood pressure and body temperature so I don't feel like a microwave all the time

F) A healthier turn toward diet and exercise has caused a drop in both.
g) Marissa Gumball to grow bigger than my palm can grasp

G) The slippery texture prevents me from palming the gumball.  It also disgusts people on a consistent basis.
h) Right after declaring a desire to be a comedy writer, the strike started. Bring back Halpert, Hollywood

H) Though most quality shows start losing relevance around seasons 4-5, it’s just nice to have a reason to stay home on Thursday nights.
i) Pedal board, 12-string guitar, sitar, and as much as I love Lelaina, it's time for a new accordion

I) NYC Pedalboard, Ferrari Accordion, Italia Modena Electric Sitar, and a Hagstrom 12-string.
j) Quality restaurants in downtown Apopka. Captain and the Cowboy is "too far"

J) Chili’s baby back ribs… barbecue sauce.  And it’s only one mile away from my house.
k) To actually meet Jenny Lewis again and not be so star struck that I panic and run away... again

K) Though it didn’t happen, I got to see the second best thing.  Our five year relationship can end now.
l) A year of faster days and slower weeks. Basically, the opposite pace of this year

L) It’s been a long twelve months and not enough hours in each day.
m) Better proficiency at ambidexterity

M) My left-handed writing is far neater than my right.
n) Even more space for CD's... maybe a revolving mini-tower... or two

N) Recently, I installed feet risers for my bed, allowing an entire foot of space underneath.  This creates storage for CD’s, guitars, keyboards, books, bodies, and dust mites.
o) To learn how to be a better partner and team player (but if I had to choose one, it'd be partner)

O) There are some human traits I’m just not meant to have (yet).  But small steps for me is like a fucking moonwalk.  I should be happy with the minor milestones I’ve made, but I’m nowhere near where I would like to be.
p) All my friends to have one of the dopest years of their lives

P) I hope it’s true, but I truly doubt it.  Obama’s victory was a morale booster, though.
q) Good astrology reports for '08. The Yearly horoscope for '07 couldn't hold a candle to '06's.

Q) Much better than last year, and I even fell in love a few times.
r) To write one damn song that makes me break down and cry and send shivers down my spine

R) Turns out, this is impossible.  I can write several songs which make me cry, but that’s because I don’t like them and refuse to admit their existence.
s) Bi-monthly try-a-new-restaurant days. Expand the taste buds, expand the mind

S) There are some blog-worthy restaurants in Scorelando, and while I cannot say I am an expert on local cuisine, text me if you’re ever in a Central FL area you’re unfamiliar with (ie. Ocoee) and I’ll find you a nice restaurant.
t) Artwork for my room

T) Not a big change yet.  Maria, sell me something, I’m rich.  Seriously.
u) The kind of luck that would turn a good man good again

U) A good attitude is as good as good luck when good luck isn’t necessarily showing up.
v) Either a new friend in Apopka or any of my friends to move closer to Apopka

V) Aaron’s friend, Justin, actually lives in the coolest house in the neighborhood, so I get to see him when he’s home from college (ironically, only in Winter Park, though).
w) A day that feels like a musical... like Mama Mia! or Phantom of the Opera

W) Thanks go to Maggie on this one for taking me to Mama Mia.  Never thought they’d release in on the big screen, but it’s a good translation.  Oh, Pierce, you’re so sexy when you’re not singing.
x) More parties. And not political parties, but real parties, with boys, music and potato chips... and drugs!!

X) It ain’t about the quantity of parties but the quality.
y) Any of my favorite awful early 90's movies (ie. Airborne, Sidekicks, etc.) on DVD

Y) Another present that just wasn’t in the cards.  My Airborne packet (courtesy Dan) is the only thing that consoles me.
z) A weight-loss program for Santa. He needs to be healthy to grant wishes, bishes

Z) Started the year off at 175lbs and am currently at 167lbs.  That’s less than a pound a month, but that’s better than the annual 5lb gain.  Positive change is positive change.

Not this year, baby... cartography won't allow it.  Didn't get to see Anne (who's probably actually married anyway and not just a ring wearer) in San Diego.  Not like I got to know her anyway.  Didn't get to see Jenny in Los Angeles.  But really, who would remember some kid who looks like all the other Asians in California (not really) that only met her once after a show.  But then again, I don't expect my delusions to come true.

I went home to Simi Valley on Monday.  While I still have an affection for it, I'm older now and realize that that small city is to Los Angeles as Apopka is to Orlando.  A northwestern suburb of a Disney-inhabited metropolis, filled with white people (and not the type in Stuff White People Like) and devoid of anything to do.  But we drove around old neighborhoods, only residences, old frequents.  Simi Valley is probably best known for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and causing the Rodney King riots.  But I suppose everyone inserts some subjectivity to landmarks that have deeper meaning to them.  I walked in front of the Poltergeist house and stared at it for several minutes.  We ate there after church when I was a kid.  That place is creepy.  But we didn't have time to do much else other than drive around with the windows down and my fingers reprezentin' west side.  Didn't get to watch a movie at the Bachelor Party theater (which we always used to do).  Didn't get to rent bikes and ride on the mountain where my dad rode with Eddie Money back in the 80s.  Didn't get to trash James Iha's convenience store.  But I got to breathe in that fresh air and see those city lights.  It was a nice trip down memory lane.  But I'm always grateful we moved, otherwise I might have ended up a Michael W. Smith fan.

( The food... )

1. "You're grabbing my crotch, Kenley." God, Libra Leanne, you got what I need. If only you were a more suitable sign and didn't live in Portland, because even though the Wipers may be in my top 10 punk bands of all time, I can't be mentioned in the same sentence as that city. 
2. Help a brother with advice to get that thrift store smell out of clothes, because papa wants to patch some crust punk gear on his new denim jacket connection.  Holla!!  And mad props to the awesome, FALL weather today.
3. I'm trying not to dress like a square, anymore.

My dad invited some friends over from Canada.  The four daughters/nieces are currently watching Legally Blonde.  It's a commercial break, so yes, I will be rejoining them shortly, but it's just making me think.  I'm glad my cousin didn't get into law school.  He tried a few times but never passed.  Instead, he took an opportunity to teach in Japan, and he loves it.  It really is a blessing that isn't even in disguise.  Failure can be your friend, remember that forever.

Although it's common knowledge that the one thing the world needs less of is lawyers, I think the one thing the world really needs less of is law school students.  Talk about the worst kinds of people walking the earth.  It was a close call with my cousin, but I knew the world was too good to let that happen to him.  Everything always works out in the end.  However, I do have a soft spot for Selma Blair.  She'll always be Zoe in my heart.

Four more days until I get the fuck out of this town!!  Not quite hitting the west coast yet, but I'm sure going to get some real elevation.

One reason I like the Olympics is the same reason I like going to the Nike Factory at Prime Outlets.  You walk in hoping they have Michael Cooper Air Force One's on the clearance rack (they do) and you get bombarded by all these different looks, dialects, types of currency, etc.  Going to Epcot Center to encounter several differentcultures is nice, but you can get the same experience for free at the Nike Factory!!  I sure do love foreign countries.

Anyway, I don't know if anyone is interested anymore, but it's almost October, which means another Defilers Halloween compilation.  Yes, I scrapped the covers record (sorry Holly, I really like your "Rush Rush" and "Save The Best For Last" covers).  My songwriting pace this year has slowed down to the point where I've only written six songs in eight months, and I'm using the four good ones for a Clique record.  So if you want to be on the next one... let's start making music.

The catch this time: I want SONGS, not just IDEAS.  If you have songs and the means to record them, it'd be more democratic if I didn't have such a fascist's fist in controlling everything.  So if you're able to record a song(s) and then send it/them to me, I can compile a final 13-track disc.  And if I can find a cheap CD making place, I'll press 50 or so copies and we'll all have JEWEL CASED CD's (nuts)!!  It doesn't matter if you use professional studios (ie. WPRK's booth) or cheap tape recorders to make songs, but ideally, it'd be cool if every song on this next record had a different lineup and recording quality.

I can still schedule recording sessions with peeps because I always want as many Defilers on a Defilers record as possible.  But things done changed son and it's a lot harder now with the 40hr thing.  I've truly become a ghost.  But if you're willing to defile, I'm willing to record.

In a concerned effort to combat the effects of being a jock ness monster, I've been taking mensa tests to make sure my algebraic skills are not limited to how many points Hedo Turkoglu scores in a game.  Summer fun brain activities are important during the downtime between school sessions.  I ain't a genius, but satisfactory social skills sure are nice.

Part 1: 18 intelligent
Part 2: 11 intelligent
Part 3: 6 intelligent
Part 4: 8 somewhat intelligent
Part 5: 8 somewhat intelligent
Fun IQ Test: 123 w/ 5:57 left; 116-125, Way Above Average

Beverly Hills Cop may be my favorite film ever.  That should provide proper insight into this list.

1983: Scarface (dir. Brian De Palma); his second best work of this era (see "Dancing In The Dark")
1984: Once Upon A Time In America (dir. Sergio Leone)
1985: Brazil (dir. Terry Gilliam)
1986: Blue Velvet (dir. David Lynch)
1987: Full Metal Jacket (dir. Stanley Kubrick)
1988: Big (dir. Penny Marshall); a happy Robert Loggia can put a smile on the hardest hearts
1989: Mystery Train (dir. Jim Jarmusch); I almost did the right thing and picked Spike Lee
1990: Pump Up The Volume (dir. Allan Moyle)
1991: Point Break (dir. Kathryn Bigelow)
1992: Aladdin (dir. Ron Celements); remember, I was 8 years old in 1992
1993: Groundhog Day (dir. Harold Ramis)
1994: Quiz Show (dir. Robert Redford)
1995: The Usual Suspects (dir. Bryan Singer)
1996: Independence Day (dir. Roland Emmerich); it really is an awful movie
1997: L.A. Confidential (dir. Curtis Hanson); if I were born in '74... well, forget it, Jake
1998: He Got Game (dir. Spike Lee); basketball, Denzel & Aaron Copland... America in a nutshell
1999: Blue Streak (dir. Les Mayfield); Mr. Smith Goes To Washington starring Mel Gibson almost won
2000: Memento (dir. Christopher Nolan)
2001: Ghost World (dir. Terry Zwigof)
2002: Hable Con Ella/Talk To Her (dir. Pedro Almodovar)
2003: Lost In Translation (dir. Sofia Coppola)
2004: Mean Girls (dir. Mark Waters); Lohan's greatest contribution to society
2005: Brokeback Mountain (dir. Ang Lee)
2006: Children Of Men (dir. Alfonso Cuaron)
2007: Juno (dir. Jason Reitman)

The Original Gangsta

1983: Prince, 1999
1984: The Replacements, Let It Be
1985: Husker Du, New Day Rising
1986: Steve Earle, Guitar Town
1987: Sonic Youth, Sister
1988: Public Enemy, It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
1989: Spacemen 3, Playing With Fire
1990: Jane's Addiction, Ritual de lo Habitual
1991: Primal Scream, Screamadelica
1992: Gang Starr, Daily Operation
1993: Slowdive, Souvlaki
1994: Nas, Illmatic
1995: 2Pac, Me Against The World
1996: Belle & Sebastian, If You're Feeling Sinister
1997: Spiritualized, Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
1998: Massive Attack, Mezzanine
1999: Dismemberment Plan, Emergency & I
2000: Ryan Adams, Heartbreaker
2001: Jay-Z, The Blueprint
2002: Broken Social Scene, You Forgot It In People
2003: M. Ward, Transfiguration Of Vincent
2004: Brian Wilson, Smile
2005: Animal Collective, Feels
2006: Clipse, Hell Hath No Fury
2007: Dinosaur Jr., Beyond
2008: Scarlett Johansson, Anywhere I Lay My Head :(

From 2004 to now was difficult.  I don't know if music's just not as good at the moment or if I just need to wait a few years for the objectivity of chronological distance to set everything into perspective.