Sentimental Valium

I dream alot about people dying.

Last night's was strange. I realized early on in the dream that it was just a dream--which I have never understood. How can I, in a dream, realize that I'm dreaming? Anyway, in the dream my friend dies and I'm at the funeral the next morning. All I can think about is how this friend always says "I love you tr0y" (which is true) everytime he sees me and that I'm never going to hear it again. I cry a lot in my dream, which has made me realize this morning that I haven't really cried in a long time!

Then the dream turned a corner, sort of like it wasn't a dream anymore. Kind of. I was sitting in my chair at this funeral, thinking about how the entire experience of sitting in the funeral wasn't real because it's just a dream. It feels Matrix-like. So I start wondering, "When I wake up and see this guy, I'm going to be so happy. I wonder if he will be able to tell a difference. I wonder he will tell that I'm thrilled that he is alive and can say 'I love you tr0y.'"

I wonder why it's been so long since I've cried.

Reading a biography on Tim and Jeff Buckley called Dream Brother.

I plan today to eat sushi and go to the resale shops. And yes, the thing about going to see Ms. Lohan in that cursed Disney re-make was a joke.

posted by -tr0y- @ 10:24 AM

We recorded some more of @m's EP last night. I was able to get all the acoustic tracks done for one song and we talked through the vision for bass. He has really good songs--I'm excited for more of the world to hear them.

I've had a big craving for root beer lately.

Been listening nonstop to Clor. They embody so many things about music I love: strange synth sounds, quirky melodies and lyrics, they are British!!! What more can you want? It's along the lines of the dance-rock kind of stuff that's grown popular the past 18 months. It feels more fresh to me than most of the bands trying to do this. I'll also admit: some of the record takes work to listen to. It's unique and will stretch those who want a 3:30 preditable pop song. Check out the video for Outlines for a taste of what I mean. (Amy--you written about Clor on SYF yet?)

For the couple of you (and couple might be an exaggeration...) wondering when you can catch @m and I playing again, I have good news to share. But first, a name.

Those who came to our last show at Jukes got to hear the name we decided on a ton, but hardly anyone else has yet. So, our name is Robert Paulson. Yes, that's right. Robert Paulson.

You can catch Robert Paulson in September at Rocky's. It's a Sunday night show, 9:30 to 1. September 18th. Come out and end the weekend strongly by listening to my pathetic 30-year-old single-person love songs. If that doesn't attract you, come hear @m sing--he's killer.

Everyone--and I do mean EVERYone--should read Shake Your Fist everyday. Amy and the boys (?) post and write about some of the best music. Other blogs rarely deal with songs that I really like--SYF rarely deals with something I don't like. This past Thursday's post was especially good, featuring the Oranges Band, a fave of mine.

All I wanted tonight was to see one of two movies: Broken Flowers or 3-Iron. Of course, neither is around again. One isn't even here, the former, and the latter is only being shown in an art house (UICA). Why is Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo and Dukes of Hazzard showing in every single theater in the country and we can't get one decent artsy film? Why, people, why?!?!

Guess I'll go see Lindsay tomorrow in Herbie: Fully Loaded.

posted by -tr0y- @ 11:30 PM

Re-discovered my most recent favorite "food".

1 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
half a banana
4 strawberries
handful of blueberries (the very accurate measuring unit of "handful")
spoonful of smooth all-natural peanut butter
teaspoon of wheat germ and whey powder
1/4 cup of soy milk
6 ice cubes

Blend that sucker up and think of me because I will probably be consuming that very thing whenever you are.

I love the stupidity of people:

S. Korean man dies after 50 hours of computer games

SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean man who played computer games for 50 hours almost non-stop died of heart failure minutes after finishing his mammoth session in an Internet cafe, authorities said Tuesday.

The 28-year-old man, identified only by his family name Lee, had been playing on-line battle simulation games at the cybercafe in the southeastern city of Taegu, police said.

Lee had planted himself in front of a computer monitor to play on-line games on Aug. 3. He only left the spot over the next three days to go to the toilet and take brief naps on a makeshift bed, they said.

"We presume the cause of death was heart failure stemming from exhaustion," a Taegu provincial police official said by telephone.

Lee had recently quit his job to spend more time playing games, the daily JoongAng Ilbo reported after interviewing former work colleagues and staff at the Internet cafe.

After he failed to return home, Lee's mother asked his former colleagues to find him. When they reached the cafe, Lee said he would finish the game and then go home, the paper reported.

He died a few minutes later, it said.

posted by -tr0y- @ 10:17 AM

I've been feeling really scattered and random lately. Not posted much obviously--thanks to the few of you who have asked where I am. I'm trying to silence the echoes Chris....

I promised b0b that I would get him connected with two new tracks from the upcoming Sigur Ros album. Torr's site is a fantastic one to keep up to date on releases and sales stats more than you would ever want to know. (He's especially interested in British artists.)

The triathalon is in a month--I'm concerned, once again, about the swimming portion....

I'm concerned that I have a less-than-manly handshake. I'm not sure how many "pumps" to use, how hard to grip (not squeeze), I worry about the size of my hand and whether the opposite hand needs to do the "pat". Just one more demonstration of my tendency to over-think.

Amish Aaron and I went and saw Duncan Sheik the other night. We both thought the four-piece was dynamic and tight. It seemed like the perfect backing band for his songs and vocal performances. Touring in support of the upcoming album White Limousine, he played a couple of the new songs, all seemed decent, but might take a while to grow on me. I ended up buying the limited edition EP so I'll have a better idea in the next week or so... One of the things that impressed me so much about the show was how many covers DS played. I've never been to a concert where someone genuinely seemed to love other people's song so much. Besides having his own great songs to choose from, "Barely Breathing" (of course), "Genius," "Wishful Thinking," etc, he also played "Wonderwall," "Reel Around the Fountain" (The Smiths), "Fake Plastic Trees," two other songs I can't remember and even a piece of "Gods Of Thunder" by KISS. (Aaron--if you remember what the other two songs were, leave it in the comments....) Great show and so good to see a pro demonstrate his love for music other than his own.

I leave you with one thought: people can be stupid--very very stupid....

Teacher caught licking students' wounds

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Oregon teachers' board reprimanded a high school football coach for licking the bleeding wounds of student athletes, school officials said on Friday.

The Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission placed Scott Reed, 34, on two years of probation and ordered the coach, who is also a science teacher to attend a class on the risks of blood-borne pathogens.

Last summer, Reed gave students at Central Linn High School near Eugene, Oregon, 100 miles south of Portland, a pep talk about a coach who had licked and healed players' wounds so that they could rejoin the game. After the talk, he bent down and licked a cut on a track athlete's knee, the commission said.

The head of the commission, Vickie Chamberlain, said the board felt a public reprimand was necessary "because we were very concerned about his behavior."

Reed did not return calls seeking comment.

Complaints filed against Reed also cited other risky behavior, such as licking blood from wounds on a football player's arm and a high school student's hand. Parents said if Reed had had an open wound in his mouth, the licking could have spread an infection such as HIV or Hepatitis B and C.

posted by -tr0y- @ 9:59 PM