One Picutre and One Song

Start a War by The National

Good and Even Better

Good.
Even better.from here

I Should Be...

....working on furthering my understanding of Scott's the Lay of the Last Minstrel for class in 40 minutes. but I'm clearly not.

I have stumbled upon another bit of honey and have to share. Okkervil River landed on a lot of year end lists last years with The Stage Names and last month they released a new album called The Stand Ins. It's an alight album worthy of a listen, but like their last effort I am sure this will grow on me.

But that's not the point. Here is the point: one of the innovative things Okkervil did to garner steam for this release was to solicit other musicians to perform the songs and submit videos of them which can be found here.

But what is truly blessed is that Bon Iver covered one. Like Midas, all he touches turns gold and what went from being an aright song that felt too long has been pared down and with the help of a classical guitar and untouchable falsetto has been made golden. If there is an MP3 version I can't find it so if you care to hear you'll have to watch the video.



yep.

Lucky

I don't have the slightest idea of when the divergence took place. It wasn't shocking enough or, by any means, hallowed enough an event to be entered into the annals of time, so like the mystery of what Dr. Claw actually looks like, we'll never know. However, there are now two distinct (albeit a blurry distinction) types of web logs: updaters and not updaters. There is nothing wrong with either camp, but there used to be but one.

In the halcyon days of yore the only person I knew with a web log was Joe and he wrote once a month, maybe, mostly maybe not even. Those were simpler times. Less informed and far less connected, but simpler. Simpler is not always better. I enjoy this little neighborhood of friends linked from page to page. It has been great to reconnect with Gillilliland and others while staying connected with James, Joe, Grant, my sisters, and all fine common folk over there on the right. Still, I am not an updater. Lindsey's web log will always be the one to check for daily anecdotes of Scot living. She is the uber Updater. Again, I am not. My posts are sporadic in topic and timeliness and will only grow more so as I delve into my schooling.

However, I have been asked to update my web log with an update on life. So, here is you have it, an update on my new life in the old world:

It is entirely satisfying to be back in the classroom. I can't even tell if my teachers are boring because I like listening to their accents so much I can't help but pay attention.

I have three classes this semester. They meet once a week from Tuesday to Thursday. That may seem like a dream for all the free time, but my professors plan to fill it. In my Walter Scott class alone I am assigned a novel of his a week, starting with Waverley. This say nothing for my Literary Studies class or The Theory of the Novel. the next semester I have 4 classes that also meet once a week and then the last semester is dedicated entirely to writing my dissertation.

Though still largely undecided on what to focus on for my dissertation I think that while here I should delve into the culture I am surrounded by and study 19th century Scottish authors, mostly Sir Walter Scott. I haven't really read much of his but my adviser thinks it impossible to study Scottish writers without studying Scott so I'm giving him a go. I can't even tell you the amount of sweat thinking about what I am going to write my dissertation on brings, it is ugly and not the least bit natural and should be the topic of some scientist's dissertation.

Mostly though, I find myself feeling lucky.

I will try to post when I can, but it will rarely be an "update". It will most likely be about movies, music, video games, comic books, Star Wars, and other nerdery.

Some photos I have taken thus far:

Moss and memory on a flat lying tombstone.

Tree -v- Wall. Tree wins.

River Don

View from Bridge of Balgownie. We live under those pipes in the background

Me on a felled tree

This Has Nothing To Do With Scotland, But......

...............I may have found the best music video of all time. It came out two years ago. This is my normal uptake on all-things-cool, about two years and a bit behind the rest of people keeping track of cool things (Joe, Matt). Regardless, I have now seen glory, and being so blessed feel duty bound to share for any even slower than I.

You see, I don't really watch MTV any more (they don't play videos any more so, i guess we're even) but, still the 90's in me misses those days filled with rockin videos that are so rockin' they are spelled rawkkin'. I want to be transported visually as well as aurally. Mitch (RIP) put it best when he was walking with a friend he said he heard music, Mitch said: "You're not special. That's how I receive it too..." I want to see the music.

Firstly, the song must be to my liking. After that, here is a list of criteria necessary for a video to even be considered for Best Video of My Life it is as follows:

at least one shot of a bird of prey
holograms
a ridiculously fast car, tricked out razor scooter, or motorcycle
cameo by Jean Cleaude Van Dame or Steven Segal (preferably the former)
wild west theme
lasers....and robots
a babe
badass kung fu-ness
a Lone Ranger mask
a babe riding a unicorn
hero with equally heroic mustache
a babe shooting lasers
furious karate chops and swooshing fists

Check the box if you see something in the video that is also on the list....let's see if this sweetness really rawkks.

I present "Knights of Cydonia" by Muse....hold the hell on:


yep, rawk.

No Segal or Van Dame but I still counted 12 out of 13, not bad at all. We have a winner. Best Music Video of My Life.

Huzzah! Huzzah!

I posted about my longing for Mitch not to long ago. Today, Matt, the harbinger of Mitch, sent this gloriously lovely bit of honey to me. It was recorded 2 days before he died, which is unsettling, but it has over 40 minutes of unreleased schtick. Excelsior!

As Dan pointed out this release is also extremely saddening as it is a reminder that nothing is coming after this. But let us not have that doldrum taint the bliss of this release. September 9th will now be the new Christmas. Children will have the day off of school. Government agencies will not be open to the public. Mitch will be the real "Wyld Stallions" and the world will change from that day hence. Mark the day and revel in it.

Doveman: Footloose

I will post a meatier post one day I swear. As for now if you haven't heard this remake of the Footloose soundtrack by Doveman you are desperately in need of a repentin' session and a few Hail Marys. This was made as an unauthorized album per a request from Doveman's childhood friend and was downloadable at one point, but to all of our misfortune the record label that owns the rights to the soundtrack put a cease and desist order so now it can only be streamed, but it is still worth your time. I have tried my darndest to find it via all my black market channels and have found nothing, not even cob webs.

The album has been pared down substantially from the original focusing merely on incredible keyboard talents and haunting vocals. Bangarang I say to that.

As I have addressed before, covers are often a spurious endeavour and can leave one feeling assaulted. Just as often, though, a cover is baby bear's porridge and leaves one feeling just right. I assure you Doveman's offering is the latter.

Divulgence IV

Ever since I had it's Micro Machine, this Firebird with T-Top has always been a dream car of mine.

I am swimming in the white trash deep end I know, but come on, imagine with me here: picture me ripping down main street shirt off (or if it's on, it's a tank top), near-beer in hand, "Welcome to the Jungle" or "No More Tears" blaring over the speakers, white high-tops powered by legs donning shorter then acceptable cut off jean shorts putting the pedal straight to the metal, mustache curving upwards as it conforms to the smile that is beaming on my face...GLORIOUS. A pipe dream, I know. Still, a man can dream.

See This

No spoilers here other then my endorsement. See it, see it, see it. It is worthy of a spot in the gilded halls of my top ten favorite films of all time.

Hasty! some of you may say, hasty! Nay I say to those sayers. Rare are the films that combine the right portions of the right elements to concoct a paragon optic elixir, and this one is as fine an elixir as they come.

What a great night at the movies.

Recently

Recently, I have:

• Done a load of laundry...sans soap
  
• Poured way too much cereal in a bowl making it overpopulated and impossible to eat when the milk was added
  
• Chased an absconding dog through a neighborhood
  
• Destroyed a fence as I attempted to jump over it while chasing said dog
  
• Debated the existence of free will
  
• Lost 15 pounds
  
• Seen a large black lady in not but her skivvies
  
• Won not one but TWO games of 21 on the basketball court
  
• Cut holes in 80 walls
  
• Pooped in a field. That was a bad night.
  

Oh yeah, also I have recently:

• Received an acceptance letter from Aberdeen University in Scotland
  
• Jumped for joy and clicked my heals upon receiving aforementioned letter

I received three more rejections before Aberdeen's letter arrived. I had resigned to sit in agony for a year until I attempt the forehead bruising and or application process, again.

Many sighs of relief have been had, as well as many imaginary rounds of frothy ale housed in large mugs being raised overhead and quaffed after chanting 'huzzah' with my friends that have been as tormented as I during this process.

Come visit.