**eastward movement is included

20080330

I want to retroactively smudge my own existential/teenage angst.


recent musical tendencies >  

the dirty projectors > rise above
my bloody valentine > loveless 
elastica > elastica
beach house > devotion
nirvana > unplugged in new york
jens lekman > oh, you're so quiet, jens
vampire weekend > vampire weekend*
the pixies > trompe de monde
atlas sound > let the blind lead those who can see but cannot feel
les savy fav > let's stay friends
beastie boys > hello nasty.

> i came across some choice examples of elitist architectural verbosity that i can't help but admire. examples:

In a total darkness, light is like a shadow to the sun. - MVRDV

Faintly voicing impossible aspirations, with an elegance that can only derive from the art of subtraction, Siza's works seem to observe the world.'' - Álvaro Siza

Without respect to before or after, beginning or end, cause or effect, the not yet meets the already gone. - Stephen Holl

> as i'm writing, kansas is playing davidson in the elite 8. every game i've watched so far** has been entirely out of principle and/or habit. in other words, i have no real interest in college basketball at the moment and my viewing is based entirely upon a perfect storm of mental fatigue as well as a desire to watch something on television that is immediately accessible and requires zero thought or criticism.*** 

> carlos mencia, dane cook and will farrell. three comedians whose collective abundance of success has me concerned about the future of this country. 

> how many handwriting 'styles' does the average person use? i have three. i think. they are as follows: 

1. vertically oriented, narrow 'architectural' uppercase,
2. angled, but wider 'architectural' uppercase, probably the one i use most,
3. angled, more balanced lowercase. i think this style emerged in college when i was trying emulate mick charney's handwriting in arch history.***

> our weather lately has been ... well, odd. the past three days' temperature haven't risen above 40, but it has dipped into the teens. it snowed for an hour on friday, it hailed for a half hour yesterday, and this morning {sunday} it hailed again. now the sun just came out. needless to say, we're a thunderstorm away from me feeling as though i'm back in the midwest. 

> some fairly unfortunate circumstances have forced me to undergo extensive dental surgery, which in turn has forced me to slightly alter my diet. as a result, i'm back on the yogurt train, BABY. the selection at whole foods was, at a minimum, overwhelming. after several minutes of careful deliberation, i selected two flavors of three brands: Nancy's, All Natural Soy, and Cascade Fresh. it should be noted i was reluctant to buy anything Nancy's because her cottage cheese, with its unconventional 'granular' texture and surprisingly sour taste, is simply unbearable. regardless, i was feeling adventurous on this particular afternoon, and bought the maple and vanilla. in the end, the soy yogurt and cascade fresh made a pretty compelling case, but it was Nancy's that made the strongest play. needless to say, this won't be the last time Nancy is at the top of my grocery list.

> credit card users, if you see one documentary this year, watch "MaxedOut."

> a kid with his window open across the alley behind my apartment continues to stare at me. ordinarily, this wouldn't make me uncomfortable, but his apartment appears to be devoid of any decoration, he's got a pretty impressive beard, and i'm pretty sure he owns some sort of large reptile.

*shut up, they're catchy. 
**i've only watched 1.5 games. 
***i can't begin to describe how pathetic that sounds when i read it aloud. 

20080311

A CASE FOR A CASE OF THE MONDAYS.


i loathe the notion of "the mondays." the whole concept, in my eyes, is based upon a rejection of one's job as well as general laziness. obviously, this is a grossly general statement. regardless, i stand by my arrogant, black & white statement.


however, yesterday was a pretty bad day for myself and a significant amount of important people around me. coincidentally, it was a monday. therefore, i feel compelled to at least pause and reflect upon what occurred/did not occur.


1. my office lost a competition that we so passionately poured a remarkable amount of resources {both monetarily and labor-wise} giving me every reason to leave work early and drink all the whiskey in portland.**

2. a client of laura's mother, who may be terminally ill, dropped a traumatic bomb of issues on her lap, leaving her with an overwhelming feeling of helplessness and sympathy for someone who is presumably delusional and cannot take care of himself.
3. laura's migraine, as a result of #2.
4. the rain returned to portland.
5. i had no rain-coat for my humbling walk home.

that being said, there was something so right about all these 'wrong' things happening at once. i stepped outside my office, the sky was gray, i had thom yorke's "the eraser" humming on my headphones, and i no matter what direction i walked, the drizzle was in my face.
in other words, everything seemed appropriately composed.

i realize the photo i included is in no way germane to the topic of this post. i regret including it.

**i worked until 6.15 and had dinner at whole foods. i drank water.

20080307

on this friday evening ...

... i found this video particularly good and fun.


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New York, New York, United States
I take myself too seriously most of the time and I am trying to do that less. I remind some people of Woody Allen. I occationally indulge in the weekend camping trip. I adamantly support the Kansas City Royals baseball club. My identity is wrapped up in a few simple things, most of which are continuously displayed on this here blog.

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