From The Great Luke Ski, who brought us No Sleep Till Babylon, comes Just Mister Londo. Enjoy.
And since we're on B5, some words of wisdom from G'Kar on the new year.
It was the end of the Earth year 2260, and the war had paused, suddenly and unexpectedly.
All around us, it was as if the universe were holding its breath . . . waiting.
All of life can be broken down into moments of transition or moments of revelation. This had the feeling of both.
G'Quon wrote, There is a greater darkness than the one we fight. It is the darkness of the soul that has lost its way.
The war we fight is not against powers and principalities – it is against chaos and despair. Greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope, the death of dreams. Against this peril we can never surrender.
The future is all around us, waiting in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation.
No one knows the shape of that future, or where it will take us. We know only that it is always born in pain.
I woke up this morning only to drop a grand on a brand new water heater.
I have an ice jam on my house causing water to leak into my dining room.
Fun times.
Is this fucking year ever going to be over?
and while we're at it, here's another fun one from MC Lars:
It really sucks that I'm driving to a higher elevation in the winter. While the roads are finally starting to clear here in Albany I've been watching the traffic cameras on the Interstate and 45 miles north of here it's still totally covered. Bluh.
Of course the traffic cameras only cover from exit 1 to exit 15. I have to go all the way to exit 18...somewhere around the 50 mile marker. It's depressing counting those mile markers day in and day out.
I've calculated that by the time I hit 12/31 I'll have spent over 9 full days driving to and from this job. Sort of defeats the purpose of vacation right? Vacation for a job like this is defeating anyway, my work will still be waiting for me when I return.
I have a holiday reception tonight after work at the bank. Wee fun. If I'm lucky, I'll get home just in time to crawl into bed and start all over again tomorrow.
While I swing my arms like Ralph Macchio.
Back in November, the night before I left for Illinois Mr. Val and I went to the Linda Norris Auditorium for a screening of Nerdcore Rising followed by a Q&A with the director and performances by MC Lars, YTCracker and MC Frontalot.
I went into the auditorium that night familiar only with Frontalot and even then I wouldn't have considered myself a big fan or anything. I'd enjoyed what I'd heard and considered he and his band talented, but not being a big fan of hip hop, it hadn't really spoken to me. However, by the time I'd watched the documentary and the performances I was blown away and won over by these cute, nerdy rapper types.
The documentary was pretty cool. It followed MC Frontalot on his Nerdcore Rising tour and included interviews with other nerdcore rappers and some industry folks like Weird Al. It was hysterical, informational and had heart. :-) I was a little disappointed that Frontalot's keyboard player who was heavily featured in the film doesn't appear to be with the band any longer. The replacement keyboardist was good, but I am curious to know what happened to Gminor7 (Gaby).
The film's director, Negin Farsad was adorable, sweet and funny. She couldn't stay long after the Q&A because she was off to another event.
The performances were stellar. Here's the cool thing about Nerdcore: it's some damn serious shit. When I first heard MC Frontalot I sort of thought of Nerdcore as a novelty and that was a really unfair judgment on my part. The material may at times be intentionally funny, but just because it doesn't fit the traditional hip hop mold doesn't mean it's not to be taken seriously.
Here's a sample from each of the main performers:
MC Lars - I really love Lars' style. He was very giving to the other performers and seemed to have the coolest, most laid back attitude of anyone in the building. It was really hard not to like Lars. It's also really hard to pick a sample song. Every song of his is catchy, amusing and carries a good story. Alright I'm going to narrow it down to two, here's Download This Song and Signing Emo (if you are emo you may wanna leave now).
YTCracker - You may remember YT as Bryce Case, Jr., the kid who hacked NASAs webpage back in the late 90's, making national headlines for himself. YT was the cool guy on the stage, performing really came naturally to him and he was excellent at spitting out his rhymes. While I don't connect as well with his lyrics as I do with Lars' or Frontalot's he has a way of putting a song together that is still highly enjoyable to listen to.
And finally, here's a videoblog, some of which was filmed at our show (not sad) and some of which was filmed a few days later on the side of the road in Nebraska where the tour bus hit a patch of ice and wrecked on the interstate (sad). Everyone is fine, but really you should go out and buy their albums right away to make them feel better.
I'm already pissed that I don't have time to make my awesome homemade pies this year (let alone dinner). I woke before Mr. Val today and decided to at least bake some chocolate chip cookies with my free time, something I never have any more (chocolate chip cookies or free time). I opened the cabinet under the sink to get cleaner for the counters before I started and found water everywhere. Great. So no cookies, just water damage.
Instead I made tea and came upstairs. I wanted to update some of my podcasts in itunes. Unfortunately every other time I browse the itunes store it freezes my whole damn computer. This must have been that other time. Reboot.
I gave up on the podcasts and decided to visit my lovely neighbors (that's you!). I was halfway through composing when the power went out, taking my post with it.
My dearest neighbors, I love and miss you very much. I wish I had time to share some of things going on in my life right now. But instead I am going back to bed.
Love, Val
*name that film!
Kris Straub sums up my feelings on the new trailer nicely.
Here are a couple of fun articles from the North Country. This poor guy has a double shot in the paper in just one weekend. I like the part about the other dude being ticketed for no seatbelt while riding on the hood of the mower.
MORNING UPDATE -- Two charged after theft complaint
Published: Friday, November 14, 2008
GLENS FALLS -- A complaint that a man had stolen a small safe from the garage of a Ridge Street home late Thursday led to the arrest of the man who took it and the man who owned it, police said.
The strange caper began at 11:55 p.m. when Donald L. Johnson, 42, of 171 Ridge Street called police to report that someone had gone in his garage and taken a safe that was hidden in a cabinet, said Glens Falls Police Sgt. Keith Knoop.
As police looked into the complaint, they determined that Johnson had actually invited the man into his garage to smoke marijuana, then left to walk his dogs to return and find the man he had smoked with running away with the safe the marijuana was kept in, Knoop said.
Johnson told police he didn't know the man's name, but Glens Falls Police officers Shawn Lovelace and Dan Habshi determined he was Rodney M. Degnan, 35, of 116.5 Bay Street, Knoop said. The safe was recovered at Degnan's home, with nearly 3 ounces of marijuana inside, according to Knoop.
Johnson told police there was also $900 in the lock box, but no money was recovered, Knoop said.
Degnan was charged with the misdemeanors of petit larceny, fourth-degree criminal possession of marijuana, fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and fourth-degree criminal mischief, police said.
Johnson was charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of marijuana, police said.
Police learned the two had been drinking together at The Daily Double bar on South Street before going to Johnson's home.
Johnson was released pending prosecution in City Court, while Degnan was being held pending arraignment.
http://www.poststar.com/articles/2008/11/14/news/blotter/doc491d62e6abc9c108195748.txt
MORNING UPDATE -- Man driving lawn mower charged with DWAI by drugs
Published: Saturday, November 15, 2008
GLENS FALLS -- A Glens Falls man who was arrested Thursday night in connection with charges that he had a safe full of pot stolen from his home was charged early Saturday when police found him driving downtown on a riding lawnmower while under the influence of marijuana, police said.
Donald L. Johnson, 42, of Ridge Street drew police scrutiny because he had a man riding on the hood of the tractor as he crossed Glen Street near South Street at 12:09 a.m., said Glens Falls Police Sgt. Keith Knoop.
Glens Falls Police Officer Seth French approached the men, and found that Johnson appeared intoxicated and admitted he had smoked marijuana, Knoop said. So he was charged with driving while ability impaired (DWAI) by drugs, a misdemeanor, and issued 10 traffic tickets, Knoop said.
Among them were third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor, which was filed because Johnson's driver's license was suspended for failure to pay child support, police said.
He also was ticketed for driving an unregistered an uninspected motor vehicle, not using headlights and not wearing seatbelts, among other violations, Knoop said.
The man riding on the hood, Carl W. Critelli, 49, was ticketed for not wearing a seat belt, Knoop said.
The tractor is considered a motor vehicle when it is taken on a public highway.
A blood sample was taken to determine whether there were any drugs in his bloodstream, police said.
Johnson told police he was taking the tractor to The Irish Pub on South Street, where he planned to sell it for $200, Knoop said.
Johnson also was arrested on a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge Thursday night after he reported a man had stolen a safe from the garage of his home. Police determined the lock box was taken by a man he had smoked marijuana with earlier in the evening, and it was recovered with nearly 3 ounces of marijuana.
Both Johnson and Critelli were released after Saturday's encounter with police.
http://www.poststar.com/articles/2008/11/15/news/blotter/doc491eb3c0ec32c736227500.txt
Still have no time for anything at the moment. Although I am sneaking away to finally meet my niece Mira tomorrow! It's about damn time! I'm so excited to see my monkey girl. I was up way too late last night. I could've never fallen asleep sooner with all of the excitement about the election. Oh yeah, by the way, BOO TO ALL YOU INTOLERANT MOTHERFUCKERS WHO WANT TO TAKE EQUAL RIGHTS AWAY FROM OUR GAY BROTHERS AND SISTERS. FUCK YOU IN YOUR INTOLERANT, HATEFUL ASSES.
It's Nerdcore tonight followed by a 6AM flight tomorrow - woo. I even get to meet my new stepmom. It's gonna be hectic but hopefully fun.
Sorry for the scattered post. Just thought I'd throw an update out there but I'm also really pissed about Prop 8 and Arizona. People really disappoint me sometimes.
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