the Year's end

This is probably my most pretentious blog entry ever. The end of this year signaled the end of the "aughts." Why are they called that? I don't know. Anyway, one of my favorite parts of the end of the year, besides having a few weeks off from school, is the abundance of year end lists by music and movie reviewers. This year was special because we got both the year end lists, as well as the lists at the end of the decade. If there's one thing i enjoy reading, its a year end list. This year, the few that I read were all absolutely ridiculous. Rolling Stone said their number 1 album of the year was U2's new album, which i cannot even remember the name of. Pitchfork, of course, said the number one album of the year was the new Animal Collective album (the same was true for Spin magazine, as well i believe). Finally, Paste magazine had the Avett Brothers, "You and I and Love" as their number 1 album. First of all when it comes to U2's new album it's important to consider the fact U2 doesn't even like their new album. Pitchfork is going to love anything Animal Collective puts out. The Avett Brothers album is good, but I believe that there were a few far better albums that came out this year (the more ridiculous thing Paste did was call the Avett Brothers album the number 8 album of the decade, but that is neither here nor there). With all this in mind i guess i just wanted to make a list of all the things media related that i found interesting and fun this year!

Music (probably going to be different than what i "tweeted"). In terms of music, 2009 was nowhere near as great as 2008.
1) Regina Spektor - Far
2) The Decemberists - the Hazards of Love
3) the Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart/Higher than the Stars EP (Pitchfork put the Fleet Foxes LP and EP on their year end list last year, so i figure if they can do it, so can i.)
4) The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns (this album was something i got way towards the end of the year, and i listened to it a bunch of times, and really started to like them).
5) Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (this is actually isn't a GREAT album, i just think 1901 and Liztomania really make it notable.)

Some other good albums this year were Wilco's Wilco (the Album), Bowerbirds' Upper Air, The Avett Brothers You and I and Love, Real Estate's Real Estate .

Movies!

1) (500) Days of Summer

2) Adventureland

3) Zombieland

4) Up!

I didn't see many movies this year. Knowing was good as well, but not something I think i would put as one of my favourites.

Television

1) Glee

2) Modern Family

3) Community

-These 3 shows have no particular order. All of them are excellent TV shows.

Video games also had a good year. The ones i got were The Beatles: Rock Band, Left 4 Dead 2, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. All very fun.

Overall, 2009 was not that great for music and movies and stuff. Here's hoping 2010 is better.

Have a safe and happy new year.

peace, love, & multimedia,

m.w.w.

well, now what do i do?

Merry Christmas. I hope you had a wonderful day doing whatever it was you were doing. Santa brought me some very nice things, including a few Yankees things i can use to rub in all you Philly people's faces. Let me also say, it's nice to have a Jets jersey that doesn't say Favre on the back. One really great surprise gift was the first season of 8 Simple Rules, that show with John Ritter. I used to watch it when it was on, and its really cool to re-watch these episodes. Its one of the first shows I followed and watched. Its quite hilarious. Also, I have two seasons of Mad Men, as well as two seasons of Lost to get through. Not to mention Firefly when I get back to the bronx! So much TV to watch.

Anyway, Christmas was great. For Christmas Eve I went to two parties at family friends houses. Both were good fun. For Christmas the family and I went to my uncle's house and spent the day reading cards with movie quotes on them, some of which were eerily relevant (quotes from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, as well as the Hoffman favorite, "They call me Mr. Tibbs."), playing Christmas bingo, listening to Christmas music, and watching Elf. But really, i want to take this opportunity to talk about some tasty beers i got to sample! One great thing about being home is the selections of beer that they have around here. I got to try 2 different types of Sam Adams, the Honey Porter, as well as the Pale Ale. Both were really good. The place in town has such a nice selection of Sam Adams, as well as beer in general. I wish I could by single bottles like in the bronx so i could try them all! I also tried Magic Hat's Hefeweizen, which was very tasty as well. I'm not very big on Magic Hat, but this one was very good.

Hope your Christmas was just wonderful. It was for me. This Christmas season was one that i'll remember for a long time. Thanks everybody!

peace, love, and leftovers,

m.w.w.

the sounds of the season

Happy Christmas!

Since some of my blog friends are writing about christmas music and stuff, i think i will do the same. I will have to say that, for me there are three things that make christmas what it is. 1) Lights 2) Music & 3) movies. This year, we got to watch a lot of chirstmas movies, and listen to a lot of christmas music, and hang around under the beautifully hung lights in 2491. After compiling a playlist of 200 very, very hit and miss christmas songs, i decided to cut it down to one CD or so's worth of christmas music here is what i came up with. 25 of my favorite christmas songs.

1) Nat King Cole - Hark the Herald Angel

2) Jackson 5 - Santa Claus is coming to town (Bruce version works too)

3) Vince Guaraldi Trio - Skating

4) Stevie Wonder - What christmas means to me

5) Andy Williams - It's the most wonderful time of the year

6) Sufjan Stevens - I saw three ships

7) David Bowie/Bing Crosby - Peace on earth/little drummer boy

8) Eels - Everythings gonna be cool this christmas

9) Nat King Cole - O Tannenbaum

10) Joe - This Christmas

11) Bing Crosby - I'll be Home for Christmas

12) Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song

13) Julian Casablancas - I wish it was christmas today

14) Bing Crosby - Adeste Fideles

15) Frank Sinatra - Have yourself a merry little christmas

16) Greg Lake - I believe in Father Christmas

17) Zooey Deschanel - Baby it's cold outside (any version of this works, really)

18) John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War is Over)

19) Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime

20) Martina McBride - Do You Hear what i Hear (any version as well, just a good song)

21) Bing Crosby - White Christmas

22) Luther Vandross - O Come all ye faithful

23) Vince Guaraldi Trio - O Tannenbaum

24) The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping

25) Celine Dion - O Holy Night (probably most important track on here.)

hope you check out some of the ones you haven't heard. The greg lake song is amazing.

Have a great christmas, and again, thanks to all who made this xmas season amazing!

peace, love and lights,

m.w.w.

To be young during the holidays

Hello,

1st things 1st. I don't usually like to give dan compliments, but i enjoyed his most recent post. I think being that we're all second semester seniors now, we're all trying to cling onto that little something before it's actually time to grow up. I know I've been trying to hold onto, and consequently replay over and over, this year's christmas party. I know i talked about it last time, but as Warren said in one of the comments on (another dan compliment...man) the great photos from the evening, thank you to everyone who made the party what it was. It was truly, and i think we can all agree, or at least for me, one of the most memorable nights we've had at school as a group. The same is true for the gift exchange the next day. Everyone did a great job with the gifts they made, or in Shauna's case, bought. It was so nice how at the end of the semester everyone really embraced christmas and everything it's about. From Holiday Inn to Jimmy Stewart impressions to decorating the apartment, to the Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown Christmas album (which we all must have listened to 1,000 times), it was such an enjoyable holiday season, even with finals. It's amazing to think that come January 19th, we'll be starting our last semester as undergraduates. Our first (any only) last semester. I know there's plenty of more fun to be had. I think we've started some great new traditions, as well as realized that it's possible for us to make a great "family" dinner, as seen by Thanksgiving and Christmas party. I have a feeling we're going to have to start making up holidays just so we can have more parties, sort of like our own "Holiday Inn." Have a swell break, and a swell holiday, everyone.

"This was a very meaningful Christmas for me. Thanks to all who made it possible."

-Warren Raiti

Happy Christmas, See you soon,

m.w.w.

Hark!

Merry Christmas (Party) Everyone!

this is gonna be a quick one folks.

1) Joe really likes the Celine Dion version of "O Holy Night." So do I. Probably one of my favourite Christmas songs. Glad to see someone else appreciates it.

2) dancing to "Linus and Lucy" like a peanuts character is a lot of fun in a large group. Who knew?!

3) New traditions: christmas party/gift exchange?

peace, love, exams,

Michael W.

It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's...Huey Lewis and the News!!

HI.

1) have you ever seen a female cab driver? I haven't.
2) the Holiday spirit is in full swing at 2491. I decorated a beautiful Christmas tree. it felt weird putting decorations on a fake tree (being as this is my first).
3) so excited for the dinner, i hope all you readers who i want to come, are actually going to come. You may think that's subjective, but, it is not. It is objective.
4) about to be done with REAL REAL work for the semester. just have to put the finishing touches on a paper. boy that feels good.

i love you all, very much.
m.w.w.

p.s. - John Lennon was murdered 29 years ago today. listen to the beatles, or his solo stuff.

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Now playing: Lead Belly - Skip to My Lou
via FoxyTunes

An American Tail: Michael Goes West

**the title isn't entirely true. I did not go west, nor do i have a tail, but i did watch the first 10 or so minutes of that movie today, but more on that after i say hello

Hello,

So, did you guys know that Jimmy Stewart (yeah, that one) provides the voice of Wylie Burp in An American Tail: Fivel Goes West? I was just as shocked as you guys to find that out. Good for him. Its just like one of Orson Welles last movies being The Transformers: The Movie, voicing the all powerful Unicron.

So, some big papers have been finished in the past day or so. My law & psych paper is complete! I get a nice short break before i have to start worrying about my big music paper. Who wants to give me a topic?

Also, sorry to get political but, was i the only one who didn't know about the gay marriage vote in the state of new york? I feel like this was not a publicized thing. the other props seemed like the were in the media much more, like the whole "vote no on prop 8" thing. oh well.

as you were,
m.w.w.
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Now playing: Neil Young - There's A World
via FoxyTunes

That time of year

Hey gang,

So, yesterday, as you may or may not have known, was Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving holiday is a nice time to spend with family and friends, and a great day for football (except yesterday...all the games were bad), but it also signals the opening of Christmas season for most, which is awesome. Christmas time, especially on the island of Manhattan, is just the best. The lights, the tree, the cheer. Maybe we'll even get some snow this year, which would be great. Yesterday I added a mess of christmas music to my computer to start my own festivities. Splendid.

1) sting just put out a holiday type album which is actually really enjoyable.
2) bing crosby - its just not christmas time without him.
3) andy williams - it's the most wonderful time of the year
4) now that's what i call christmas - awesome mix of old and new!

Also, today, being black friday, or whatever, means that there are some really great deals out there. So being the savvy shopper that i am, i grabbed the first two seasons of mad men for $28. not too bad, if you ask me.

happy holidays 2009
-m.w.w.
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Now playing: Bing Crosby & David Bowie - Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy
via FoxyTunes

did you run out of ideas?

yo.

1/4 cup ketchup

a touch less than 1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4++ cup sam adams boston lager

mix! marinade your chicken! cook! enjoy!

this was my dinner tonight, and it was really really tasty.

it was an idea i got from the sam adams website. It was supposed to be for meatloaf, but being the 5 -star master chef that i am, i decided to make a marinade and put it on chicken, and that it would be okay. luckily for my gustatorial response, it was.

got the new john mayer album. i wouldn't say i'm excited to listen to it, but if the rest of it is anything like 'who says' it will definitely be a treat. and even if its not, that song is still really enjoyable.

have a good weekend (let's go jets!),

m.w.w.

always a good decision

hello,

So tonight Warren and I indulged in a Sam Adams 12 pack of Winter Classics. Let me just say that most of them were delicious. Overall, we both had Winter Lager, Holiday Porter, Cranberry Lambic, Old Fezziwig Ale, and Coastal Wheat. The Holiday Porter was a little too dark for my taste, and the Cranberry Lambic was a touch too fruity, but other than that the rest of them were very tasty. The Winter Lager was probably my favorite, and comes highly recommended. Enjoy!

your's truly,

m.w.

handing tickets out for god

Hi everyone,

This post is going to be a short one, probably. This morning i got to wake up at 7 A.M. to register for classes. what makes this registration special is the fact that it is the last time that i will register for classes as an undergrad, which is actually really really really really terrible to think about. In a matter of days, i really have to sit down and start getting my life together. This is really terrible news. I have no idea what i want to do. None. I have to worry about the GREs and grad school applications, sooner, rather than later. When senior year rolls around you have to start looking at lasts rather than firsts. Today was last registration.

have a goodnight,

m.w.

i don't know why i never did this before...

do you ever feel like you know someone you've never met? not in that - oh i just bumped into you - have we met before - cheesy rom/com setup. what i'm talking about is that odd personal connection people sometimes get with someone they dont know personally at all. most of the time it is with a celebrity - someone who you have watched on a show, or in a movie, in interviews - maybe a singer who just seems like you could grab a drink and be around as if you've always been friends?

i just find it so interesting how, sometimes, it becomes to easy to feel connected with someone whether it be in the situation above or in some other way.

*interrupted*

just got distracted by our front door which is rattling. i guess the downstairs door was open from people coming in and the change in pressure or perhaps 17 mph wind was causing it to vibrate but from my bedroom it sounded like someone was trying to break it. minor heart attack. not to mention i did a standard horror movie boneheaded move - instead of avoiding, escaping, etc guess what i did. yep - i went to check on it...'hmm what is that weird sound - i think i will check it out, alone'

3-1

with the other hearts at the bottom of the sea

Hello my loyal reader(s),

I wonder if anyone outside my immediate group of friends actually reads this thing. I'd be really curious to find out if someone cared enough about what Mai and I had to say enough to say, click on the links in our facebook profiles or something. If I'm talking about you, I'm happy you're reading our blog. Please keep coming back.

In other news, I bought a tambourine yesterday! This is very exciting news. On a related note, we're now holding auditions for tambourine players. Inquire Within - no experience necessary! You can slide your resumes under the door.

I've been listening to the Kinks and this band called Love the past two days, and they're really good. I suggest Village Green Preservation Society by the Kinks, and Forever Changes by Love. In other news, Vampire Weekend put a new song up on their website which is really enjoyable. Definitely check that stuff out.

So today, I'm writing a paper for my Rock/Pop class about two Beatles songs, "A Day in the Life," and "I Feel Fine." First paper I've written like this. Pretty excited to get started on that, kind of. Well, as excited as you can be to write a paper I suppose.

thanks for reading,
michael w.
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Now playing: Vampire Weekend - A-Punk
via FoxyTunes

they also said its impossible for a man to live and breathe under water

Hello faithful readers,

Hey, it was a good weekend. Saturday I saw Phoenix and Passion Pit with some peeps, and then went out in the city for a little bit after.

Yesterday I watched the Jets and Yankees dominate.

but i don't feel like writing so enjoy this.

keep ya head up,
m.w.
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Now playing: The Jimi Hendrix Experience - 1983...(A Merman I Should Turn To Be)
via FoxyTunes

the boys and girls watch each other eat

Hey gang,

1) Most importantly, the yankees clinched a playoff spot yesterday. It's nice to be back in the playoffs after a long one year absence. Hopefully in a few days we can wrap up the division, and that will be that.

2) I went to yoga today. It was definitely interesting to say the least. I was bend, and put into positions I never expected to see. It was a lot more work than i actually thought it was going to be, but at the same time it was an incredibly relaxing experience. Definitely something i'll have to keep at, at least for a little while.

3) Just to let everyone know about my laundry dilemma, i ended up doing my wash in Walsh. It's good to know i can pirate laundry services every few weeks. I still have to pay that Fordham Technology Fee, so Fordham, lets now consider laundry to be technology. It does involve using machines.

On a side note, I can't get enough of my 'now playing.' I really suggest everyone listen to it. Its such a marvelous song.

the boys and the girls just want to watch each other sleep,
m. ward
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Now playing: Regina Spektor - Dance Anthem Of The 80's
via FoxyTunes

Not what I expected

Two people whose regular voices sound nothing like their singing voices: Josh Groban and Ray Lamontagne.

Josh Groban:


Ray Lamontagne (just the first minute or so):


-Andrew

it's time for a change

Hi readers,

First off, there is a big internet problem at 2491. For some reason our router is deciding not to give me internet. Again, this is a big issue that must be resolved.

Next, I think i'm going to change my guitar strings today. So that's fun.

Also on the agenda for today is laundry. I'm still deciding what to do about that. I may go to walsh and pirate laundry services. Another option i have is to bring it to the laundromat and have them do it for me, including folding. The last option, which i don't think im going to do, is use the $3.50 per load laundry service in house. I think I'll pass on that one. So many options, and so much time!

Most importantly, new music! I've recently acquired a nice amount of music both new and old. First things first, i purchased two Beatles remasters: Abbey Road, and Past Masters. Both of which sound really nice. Abbey Road sounds incredible though. Another interesting thing is a renewed interest in the Decemberists. Seeing them live, and hearing songs i don't normally hear has opened up a new door for their music. Also, i acquired an album by the lady that opened for the Decemberists, Laura Veirs, which is pretty good. Nothing groundbreaking, but an enjoyable record nonetheless. Same goes for the new A Fine Frenzy album. I have in my possession the new Pearl Jam album, as well as the Monsters of Folk album. I am excited to hear both of those.

that's all for now,
michael
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Now playing: A Fine Frenzy - What I Wouldn't Do
via FoxyTunes

Walk Like an Egyptian

Hello friends,

1) First things first, the Jets defense was lights-out holding the Pats to three field goals in today's game. Marky Mark Sanchez played pretty well, also. I'm glad he's a Jet. Hopefully he has a very bright future ahead of him, and i also hope it brings me a superbowl victory!

2) Yesterday was a very exciting day. I went into the city to check out the activities of German-American Friendship Day, because, hey why not, right? First stop was central park to get into the big german-american oktoberfest party. Unfortunately tickets were sold out. Next move is to a smaller party in the same vein at a church somewhere on the upper east side. Long story short I had delicious german food and even more delicious german beer. Also, we ended up sitting next to a philosophy professor who actually teaches at Fordham (small world).

3) After the fun at the German-American party thing, I had to depart, and head downtown to terminal 5 to see the decemberists. What was really cool about this show was that it was what the kids call a "lottery show." What this means is, the decemberist wrote their song titles (some or all, im not really sure), on tennis ball type things. They then hired a man to stand on stage, and spin like a bingo thing of their songs and pick them out three at a time. They would then play them. Being a casual decemberists fan, this was very risky. All ended up working out because the band was excellent, and i got to hear some tracks off of The Crane Wife that i probably wouldn't have heard if it had just been a regular Hazards of Love tour setlist. One of the highlights of the set was the ball that said, "Colin Writes a Song Right Now." That is about as literal as it gets. The singer of the decemberists wrote a song right there, and it was very entertaining. Also, i ripped a poster off of the wall at terminal 5! Sweet free poster. Setlist here, if you care!

4) After the show, it was kareoke time. The gang conquered such hits as, "Walk Like an Egyptian," "Kiss From a Rose," "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Like a Prayer," and many others. The interesting thing about the kareoke bar was it seemed as if all of the people there were extremely talented singers.

5) Yankees only need one more win to clinch a playoff spot!

relax and float downstream,
Michael W.
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Now playing: The Decemberists - yankee bayonet (i will be home then)
via FoxyTunes

Now and Then

But with less Rosie O'Donnell.

-A.M.

phase one: in which huey lewis and the news get their oats! (the 101st blog entry!)

So apparently the last entry I made was the 100th post on In Search of Lost Time: (we)blog. I'm glad i missed that. Well, regardless, this will be the very special 101st blog entry! Whoa! can you feel it already? I know i can. It's been a long time since that rainy day when we created this blog. I recommend everyone go back and read old entries. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll figure it all out. Our words are transcendental and existential.

In other news:

1) Ingredients for a great time:
a) Friends.
b) iPods with a diverse set of music on them.
c) have your friends each choose a song to put on.
d) repeat until desired effect.

2) Happy First Sunday of the Football Season! Today was a wonderful day for my New York Jets. Marky Mark Sanchez looked like a grizzled veteran, and the Jets' defense was stifling. Let's hope this is a trend, and not a fluke. Bring on the Patriots!

3) I watched the VMAs today. They were not that good. The michael Jackson thing was pretty good. I thought Russel Brand was being inappropriate for inappropriate's sake. Also who knows about that Kanye thing. Real or not, it was kind of rude. I'm sure he'll just blog about it. He's just mad i skipped him at Bonnaroo. Edit: Kanye did blog about it.

Thanks for reading,
michael w.

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Now playing: Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel
via FoxyTunes

when the rain comes, they run and hide their heads

YO!

So, today i woke up at like 7 or so, for like five minutes to look out the window and see that it was absolutely pouring outside. It was in this instance that i thought, "wonderful, today is the day when i test my hypothesis of 'If its raining hard, there is no way i'm going to class.'" Luckily, the rain has subsided. In case you were wondering though, i was going to go. Its my only class today, its in the closest possible building, and its a history of rock music class. All of those factors combined led me to my responsible decision. But it was an existential crisis; of sorts. Regardless of what that means, I'm just glad its not raining anymore.

More importantly, and a big reason I haven't spoken with you in a few days, is The Beatles: Rock Band. Talk about the most wonderful idea of all time for a rock band game. Even the way the game looks is beautiful. It makes other rock bands look like, hah, Guitar Hero I, har har. Then of course there is the fact that you're "playing" Beatles songs. I will say, a game like this can really make you appreciate certain parts of songs. For example, the bass part in Paperback Writer, or the vocal harmonies in, well, every song, but especially And Your Bird Can Sing and Paperback Writer, again. Sometimes it can even make you discover songs you may have missed before (like a bunch of stuff off of Let It Be). I guess I'll just say that The Beatles: Rock Band is more than just a video game. Its an experience, and it will change the world. Beatlemania 2.0, if you will. Out of the speakers of every girl and boy you will hear the songs of John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

all you need is love,
Michael W.
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Now playing: The Beatles - Dig A Pony
via FoxyTunes

everybody's got something to hide (except me and my monkey)

Well, talk about an exciting first offical weekend! Actually, it wasn't that exciting, but it was still fun. Friday was Girl Talk, which was really really cool. I just wish more people would have thrown their glow sticks in the air, and not just at the stage. Thats okay though, maybe next time! After Girl Talk everyone was too pooped from dancing to do anything, so we just sat around after. Saweeet.

Besides that, the rest of the beautiful weekend consisted of some major outside hanging out due to the absolutely wonderful weather. I mean, who doesn't love getting their friz on?

In terms of classes, my schedule looks pretty good. I have Latin american history, law & psych, and biopsych on mondays and thursdays, biopsych being only mondays. On tuesday and friday, i have a class called The History of Rock, which should definitely be interesting. I've had them all but biopsych, and so far, so good. Doesn't even matter though, because add/drop ends today!

I guess in other news, the long anticipation for The Beatles: Rock Band ends tomorrow, which is more exciting than it probably should be. But, i do not care! Time to play Beatles music on plastic instruments with buttons!

to all the naysayers: speak up or forever hold your peace,
michael w.

it's faster to buy cigarettes and some cold beer if you don't rattle the cashier by asking her back to your room.

hello friends,

what an exciting week it has been (kind of). Sunday was freshman move-in day, and yikes was it tiring. All of the orientation leaders must have carried about 1,000 boxes of freshmen crap up a bunch of flights of stairs. A bunch of OLs even got stuck in the elevator in south (shout-out to mai).

The rest of orientation stuff was your standard lectures, and sitting in fordham prep for hours, and hours.

Yesterday, Fordham showed Up on the lawn of the McGinley Center. It was actually really cool. There were a bunch of students there, and even a bunch of my friends! That movie is really good. Also, Fordham should do more stuff like that.

When I got home from the movie, it was medley time; a.k.a. playing G-D-Am-C and singing various songs over it (from the 90's and beyond). Anything you can think of. You should come next time. We'd love to hear a few more ideas.

In other news, Girl Talk is coming to school tonight, which should be really cool. Either I just didn't know Fordham did cool stuff, or maybe it's the fact that i'm actually doing stuff now. I think it's a little of both, I hope.

i'm through being cool,
m.w.w.

the sun isn't yellow, it's huey lewis and the news

hello readers,

1) moved in completely. it's really nice having my own room!
2) orientation training: good stuff, good group, looking forward to doing small group stuff, i think. should definitely be interesting.
3) bob dylan.

sincerely,
m.w.

movin' on up

Hello!

It's my last night in New Jersey, and I'm officially ready to get back to the Bronx. I'm just about finished packing my clothes, and am about to start loading up the car. It was a really, really great summer, but here's to Fall 2009!

xox,
m.w.
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Now playing: Bob Dylan - Baby, Let Me Follow You Down (Live)
via FoxyTunes

the sun never sets on the british empire

Good Morning,

So, camp has ended. It was super hard, and sometimes very stressful, but still one of the best jobs i've ever had. I'm definitely going to miss the kids, and my co-workers. I've seen them basically every day for twelve hours a day, for 3 months. it's such a weird feeling knowing i won't have to wake up at 6 on Monday and get ready for work. I don't know if i like it to be honest. But i will just have to accept.

In other, less depressingly written news, I was in the bronx yesterday to watch dan set up the apartment. The apartment is looking more and more like a home everytime i get out there. Just wait until the posters, etc are set up. It's going to be a swingin' pad. I'm definitely ready to move in.

I guess i'll let you all in on a few little secrets. Wilco is really good, and the Smiths are really good. See the movie (5oo) Days of Summer. That should be good for now.

until next time,
m.w.
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Now playing: Smashing Pumpkins - Snail
via FoxyTunes

c-o-n-s-e-r-v-e conserve

Hello Loyal Reader(s),

Last night i saw a play with James Franco. He was not in the play. He was in the audience. It was pretty cool, to be honest. The play was called Next To Normal. It was really, really good. I highly recommend it.

I don't really have much else to report except for the fact that I am thrilled that the Yankees have taken the first three games from the red sox. I have my broom ready! Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

you can't fight city hall,
m.w.

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Now playing: Ozma - Baseball
via FoxyTunes

r-e-c-y-c-l-e recycle

m-dub's blog posts are so much funnier than mine, it's almost unfair. alas, such is life.

today was the first day in which i had a big social-networking-esque conflict between my phone, twitter, facebook, and blogging. i wanted to commend katie on finally updating the blog, and i wasn't sure whether to text, tweet, write on her wall, or comment on her actual post. i'm not sure what this means, but i don't think i like it. i went with the text; i figured that i wanted her to know asap.

also, i got contact lenses last friday. i've worn glasses every day for 10 years (honestly, there's probably been a total of 2-3 days in which i didn't wear glasses), so seeing myself in the mirror without them on is very, very strange. a pseudo-identity crisis.

finally, my new word of choice is "absurd." i'm a superlatives kind of guy, and that's just the latest word i've latched onto, so just keep an ear out i suppose.

more to come!

- i am mai

truckin'

Hello Friends,

I think I should start this entry by saying how nice it was to hear from my co-blogger this past week. It was a lovely addition to what was becoming "just another blog" (NY Times). We are now back on track.

So! Since we last spoke a lot has happened! I went to boston this past weekend, which was really fun. I got to see the sights, ride the T (which is much less impressive than the NYC subway), and do some other fun stuff. I went to an improv show, which was really funny. Boston is a lovely place, to say the least.

In other news, camp is going well. I've been bitten again, but there have been no pee-pee incidents. A camper did throw up in the pool though. Same kid. Twice. Two days in a row. Riveting.

-m.w.
----------------
Now playing: Wilco - I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
via FoxyTunes

i can dig it

just listened to a miles davis tune for the first time. i mean, i'm sure i've heard some of his stuff before without knowing it, but i've never really consciously listened to anything from beginning to end. Something I Dreamed Last Night. i don't think i've ever wanted to just sit and vibe more so than i did during those 6+ minutes. jazz. what a cool feeling.

-a.m.

I've only been bitten once since the last time we spoke...

Hey!

So the title is true. I have been bitten by a camper since we last spoke. I was doing a restraint on a child who's meds had worn off, or had been given the wrong dose, or something. Needless to say he was not happy, and the restraint didn't make him any happier. As a result I was bitten. Luckily I was wearing a hoodie, and it was not that hard of a bite. No harm, no foul I suppose. Besides being bitten, the worst that has happened to me was a few kicks and punches. Nothing too bad.

In other news, I was supposed to go to the yankee game yesterday, but someone (my father) did not check the date on the tickets! Long story short, we're waiting online to get into the stadium and my dad realizes, "oh, these tickets are for tomorrow's game." So we just left, and moved on. Kind of disappointing, but they lost anyway so I'm okay with keeping my yankee stadium record at 1-2, rather than 1-3. And at least i didn't miss a perfect game or something.

until next time,
Michael W.
---------------
Now playing: Jenny Lewis - Carpetbaggers
via FoxyTunes

The Pee Story

Today at camp was absolutely ridiculous, and i must tell you all about it.

Scene 1: Boys Locker Room after swimming.
Context: Most of the children have already changed. There are three children left in the locker room. One of the children has been given a time out but must change first. the other two are just extremely slow changers.

Time Out Child is taking a very long time to change, and is now nude.
Child: I am going to pee.
Counselor: Please Do not pee.
-Child leans back, then proceeds to urinate on locker room floor.

Thats not even the worst part.
Next, other child who is taking long to change, decides to go jump and play in the pee puddle. He then proceeds to slip and fall into the pee puddle. He is removed from pee and is told to change. He then goes back into the pee puddle and slips again. Is then whisked away to rinse off in the shower. Child who peed then decides to throw the child's clothes and things who was playing in the pee, into the pee. So one child's clothing, and swim goggles ended up in a pile of pee.

Unbelievable. Hope it was funny. When you see me next i can act out the story which makes it much funnier.
enjoy your week.

love,
Michael

Hello

I don't know how to describe my lack of blogging activity without making it sound as though I'm insulting the people who actually do blog/are on Twitter, so I won't. However, I will say that I am not, for the most part, against bloggers and such; I've just found fewer and fewer reasons for me to be writing. That having been said, here we go.

It took a little longer than I would have liked, but I've finally started my first book of the summer: The Stand by Stephen King (recommended by Claire). I will probably be asking for recommendations from everyone because I honestly have no idea where to start when it comes to finding a book to read. Hopefully that will change within the next few months.

I finally made it to the Met today (I'd never been before), but I didn't go in because it was a beautiful day out and Claire and I were entranced by a quintet (4 vocals, 1 upright-bassist) performing out front. In conclusion, I have yet to go inside of a New York museum. However, it did make me wish I were in some sort of an a Capella Motown barbershop quartet.

Finally, to all of the other 5 readers of this blog (that's honestly the number of people I imagine are still reading this), yes, I am legitimately upset about Michael Jackson's death. When I heard the news, it wasn't a matter of whether I cared or not. For me, it was a matter of why I felt as cared as I did; the feeling I got when his death was finally confirmed was something that I couldn't reason out at all. I'm still trying to figure out exactly why I feel so affected by it. I wanted to write about it, but I figure the only thing people want to hear about less than his death is people writing about his death. To be honest though, I think I'm still going to. If anything, it's to make me feel better about it.

-Mai

what a lovely day it is.

hello friends,
it's been a long week since we last spoke. work has been lovely. and kids do say the darndest things. but i really don't feel like getting into that sort of thing.

i really don't feel like giving you a real blog post, because i am outside enjoying the lovely weather.
just saying hi.

michael

if you wanna go where they chain up the sun, see fernando

YO!

Happy 4th of July weekend. Hope yours was enjoyable.
1) Jenny Lewis concert was AwEsOmE. She was absolutely wonderful. Conor even came out for one song. He had the silliest hat on.

2) spent the weekend in the bx. it was a good time.

3) camp has started. its fun so far. stressful and tiring, but fun.

let's build ourselves a fire,
m.w.

---------------
Now playing: Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
via FoxyTunes

in between days, it's just like heaven

Hello all,

First things first, sad news in the world. Michael Jackson passed. I didn't really listen to him that much, but i always liked the Jackson 5 and Thriller. I'll remember the cool 80's Michael Jackson, tiger, white glove, moonwalk, and beat it coat; and not the creepy 90's one.

Also, what's been going on with this weather? It's absolute madness. My only explanation is global warming. That's gotta be it. Not my fault though. I own a Civic.

Camp finally starts monday. Looking forward to that. Not looking forward to waking up at 6:15 everyday.

I've watched the first two seasons of Lost. They're good. I can definitely see why people enjoy the show so much.

enjoy your new twin sized bed,

michael

oh how it's been so long, we're so sorry we've been gone...

...we've been busy writing blogs for...you don't have to worry cuz we're still the same band.

Hello!

Apparently blogging is the cool thing to do again. Two quick entries by Dan, and another by Ian. Wow! First things first, who knows where mai is. Probably drowning in accounting numbers. I don't blame him for not updating.

Work has been pretty good. Tedious and stressful to say the least. I am definitely looking forward to starting camp full time, just so I'm outside and not cooped up inside a small conference room in an office complex. Hopefully this weather picks up. Last time i checked it wasn't October or March!

What else, what else...movies, music, television?

I saw Up, which was excellent, and very sad. I'm finally caught up with Weeds which is really nice. I also watched the first season of Californication, which was also pretty good. Another also, I just started the first season of Lost. Looking forward to see what happens with that. In terms of music i'm afraid i don't have much wisdom to impart. New Pete Yorn album sounds pretty good. New Dave Matthews Band album is probably their best yet. The Decemberists' newest album is also still very very good.

until next time,

Michael

get a job

hi,

work is taking up my time. no time for blogs.

nothing new to report.

michael out

take your time, its only huey lewis and the news (again)

Hello reader(s)

1) New Yankee Stadium = gorgeous. Now we just need to christen it with ring number 27.

2) Summer goals are still at a stand still, and the prognosis gets worse. Work starts Monday.

3) Maybe I should start looking for the really long book I say I'm going to read for next summer now. I'll need the head start, (as of now) no Contreras this spring to make really impossible books seem, in the words of the lovely Katie Schaller, like "a beach read." S0 true, so true.

4) MoViE ReVieWs!
a) Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian - 3.5 out of 5 - very enjoyable
b) What Happens in Vegas - 0.5 out of 5 - biggest meh of all time i did laugh a few times though.

Don't forget the suntan lotion,
Michael

blood, sugar, sex, magik, huey lewis and the news

Hello,

1) Word is Kris won American Idol. Good for him. Danny still deserved to win.

Summer progress update:
1) Pages read: less than 20

2) Days at the gym: zero

3) harmonica playing: not bad actually, i even decided to buy a second harmonica (in a different key)

making a list of goals was really helpful. I see the trend has caught on as well!

from the looking glass,
Michael

Yadayadayada

I've been doing a lot of stuff that I could write about, but I've been too busy actually doing those things to really have time to sit down and write a solid entry. Sorry, I'll work on it. In the meantime, here's something to tide you over.

If he doesn't win Idol, he's always welcome to join Mike and me in Pancake Rebellion.

F is for friends who do stuff together,
Mai

paul revere's midnight ride

Hey dudes,
So the summer starts off with a bang! not though.

Things I've Done List
1) Saw Star Trek. It was a very enjoyable film. I still prefer Star Wars though.

2) Changed the strings on my electric and acoustic guitar. Someone played a practical joke on me at Guitar Center and sold me red strings. So by the transitive property, my electric guitar now has red strings on it. Who knew they even made red strings!

3) Went to the dentist. No cavities!

4) Got the oil changed/tires rotated on the ol' Civic.

5) Played a lot of Left 4 Dead and Rock Band 2. I guess I'm getting prepared for the zombieapocalypse, as well at the release of Beatles Rock Band. One will be more fun than the other, but you can figure that out for yourselves.

6) Watched the finales of The Office and 30 Rock. One was better than the other. I'll also let you guys figure that one out for yourselves.
fin.

More importantly. Danny Gokey was kicked off of American Idol. This is a great tragedy in the world of American Idol. Besides Adam, who must be some sort of gay musical theater vampire with golden vocal chords, Danny was clearly the strongest singer of the bunch. Kris is okay, but I dunno. He just doesn't have the pipes, in my opinion. Finale next week, should be fun.

here's to doing something fun,
Michael

----------------
Now playing: Neutral Milk Hotel - Oh Comely
via FoxyTunes

Aw. Sum.

Courtesy of one Ms. Jillian Smoragiewicz:



You should watch the whole thing, but my favorite move starts right around 2:07.

Ain't nuthin' but a G thang,
Mai

huey lewis and summer goals

Good Evening Readers,

Today marks the first official day or summer vacation, and that means summer goals!
Last summer I accomplished nothing at all (some may remember me saying, "I'm totally going to read Proust!"). Well here we go again!

1) Read Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace (thanks to Contreras for that one)

2) Become a half-decent harmonica player - I figure there will be a lot of music going on at Belmont Ave, so to add some flavor, why not, right? (ps - all collaborators are welcome to join - Contact within).

3) Go to the gym 3-4 times a week. I mean, I am paying $10 a month!

On another note, firefox gives me the option to insert what song i am currently listening to, which i am going to start including to give everyone a look at the contexts of these blog entries. Is what I'm saying important? Or is it the context that I say in what makes it important!

Happy Summer - Be Safe, Be Happy.
Peace,
Michael
----------------
Now playing: Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin'
via FoxyTunes

I want to write something...

...but I want it to be a good post. Soon enough.

I'm still alive,
Mai

generic blog entry #71

Hi,

WOW! talk about a semester's end dragging on!
I sit in an empty room, that has no posters on the wall and no carpet, studying for my forensic psychology exam. How lonely! that's okay though i will be home/done tomorrow by around 1 or so. then i can relax until june.

stick a fork in it,
Michael W.

just checking in

Hello All,

peace and love!
Michael

I have 40 red, white, and blue shoestrings...

Greetings,

Classes are over! Welcome to (almost) summer vacation. All we have left to conquer is finals. Good luck with all of that, readers.

First things first:
It was brought to my attention that on the list in my previous entry i spelled "weary," when in actuality, it is supposed to be wary. My mistake.

In other news, I don't know if finals are in full swing yet...Have people started really stressing out yet? It doesn't seem like it, really. I should probably get started on the work I have to do!

That's all for now,
Michael

Baby steps

Today marked the first time I'd ever "worked out" in a gym for a reason other than a P.E. requirement. Wahoo. Don't believe me? Well then, let me fix that for you.

Upon walking into the gym (which I found only by following Mike), I decided that the first thing I'd try would be the exercise bike. Well, unaware that the machine automatically starts up when you start pedaling, I sat down at one, hit all the buttons, and then moved onto another one because I thought it was broken. Yeah.

After biking for a bit, I got on the treadmill and, using the knowledge I had picked up from the exercise bike "incident," started to run. Turns out that on a treadmill, you do have to hit the buttons before starting. Who knew? I guess the guy who designed the exercise bike and the guy who designed the treadmill must've really liked a good practical joke.

The lesson for today? They should really make that "How to Start" text bigger.

I'll be going back tomorrow to see what else there is to learn about this "gym" place.

I see the crystal raindrops fall,
Mai

Notes to self: Mraz, smiley faces, and more

My farmer's tan is coming along pretty nice.

The more Jason Mraz I hear, the more I become a fan.

On May 15th, if all goes well, my little brother and I will be going to the best possible baseball game I could ask for.

Having balloons around you will amplify the effect of whatever facial expression you have on, good or bad, one-hundred fold.

Pretty soon, I won't have a reason to be on Skype anymore :)

Here's something to keep your heart nice and warm:


Got to you get into my life,
Mai

why, when i can do this instead...

Hello Loyal and First Time Readers,

Classes have almost officially come to an end! Today I would usually have 3 classes, but ended up only having one. How exciting. I have two classes tomorrow, who knows if they'll both run the full time, or even happen! But with the finishing of classes also comes the start of assignments, which brings me to the relevant title. Why write my art history paper, when I can sit here and write this blog entry. It's going to have a lot of important information.

Things to be weary of
1. Impending Swine flu pandemic.
2. Ian Gaylets.

3. How late it gets dark outside.
4. Pirates.
5. St. Barnabas hospital (apparently they use paper clips for other than clipping paper; like fixing eyes...).

Stay safe,
Michael

17 to 5

what kind of bear is best?

Hello,

This is what we should all aspire to do.

bear hugs,

Michael

is it for ice skating?

hello friends,

first things first, the year is almost over! wow! it flew by, then went kinda slow, then flew by again! think, this time next year we'll be off entering the work force! paying bills and having careers. wow wow wow!

Next, its spring weekend! whoaaaa! friday night the 16,403rd best band in the whole world is playing its final show (ever? who's gonna wanna practice next year?). some party with a tent. and if you've rsvp'd on facebook, you got the message; that they got A LOT of ice. For what? I do not know. that's the thing about ice. it always melts.

that's all for now.

let's go rangers!

-Michael

New feature! (name pending)

Often times when I'm stuck at the computer not wanting to do work, I'll search YouTube for videos that make me feel awful about my musical talent. Well, not on purpose, but it seems to happen anyway. In any case, every so often (hopefully) I'll post a video that I think is pretty gosh-darned swell. I know that some people can only watch so many cover videos before getting bored. Not me though.

Oh, and I suppose if you like this, you can click here for their "official" YouTube page and go bananas. Enjoy.



Send this smile over to you,
Mai

nipples

No introduction here. This is going to be brief. Room 427 just watched Batman and Robin because of stubbornness that turned into a dare. Regardless of how it happened, the movie ended up playing via the watch instantly feature on netflix/xbox live. Let me just say that it was AwFuL. It may have been cool when we were like 11, but times have changed, friends. The opening scene was a shot of both Batman and Robin's suits that had nipples. Oh and don't worry, the director threw in a few crotch shots too. And imagine that it got worse from there! In honor of being frank, we can end by saying that if you have a free 124 minutes, definitely check out Batman and Robin again, you will be disappointed.

"Gosh Batman. Who turned on the A/C? It's a bit chilly in here!"

what goes around...ends up belonging to huey lewis and the news

Hello friends,

1) 22-4 is unacceptable. Joe must GO!

"Back to Taiwan!"

2) Slumdog was enjoyable. I'm glad I finally saw it.

3) The weather here has gotten to be really swell. I wore shorts yesterday which was lovely. No longer are my legs confined to pant sleeves.

4) I keep seeing that damned Little Tree Air Fresheners commercial, and I really don't like it. Not one bit. On that same note, I realized that I don't even use them, I use the ones from Yankee Candle. So maybe they do need a commercial...

5) Normally I wouldn't waste my time on this sort of thing, but the New York Rangers are up 2-0 in the first round of the NHL playoffs. Bring back the cup! Now we just need the Knicks to remember they're a respectable NBA franchise. At least Isaiah Thomas is gone.

Its hip to be square,

Michael

No, I will not join Twitter

I'll just post my sporadic thoughts here instead.

Happy Birthday Ian. Hopefully (and most likely), I'll be able to say it to you in person before you read this.

This blog needs more pictures. Maybe some other day.

As much as I love Stevie Wonder, that note he hits at the end of his harmonica solo in "For Once in My Life" waaaaaaaaaaaaay too high. Ear-piercing, in fact.

The weekend weather forecast of 60-70s has yet to disappoint; it has been gorgeous outside. Friday was my first day out on Eddie's and today I spent most of the day in/around Central Park, which is basically Eddie's times a million. So. Many. People. The only logical next step, then, would be to spend Sunday indoors doing work all day. Hooray...

"SNL: Best of Amy Poehler" was just on, and one of the last clips they showed was her part from the Christopher Walken skit. As time goes on, that nostalgia will only grow stronger.

After another flash of faux-brilliance, I have come up with the 2nd quote that Earth will remember me by (here's the 1st one): "Never let someone make you feel embarassed for being honest." A bit serious, yes, but I like it nonetheless.

It took a few days, weeks, and months longer than I would have liked, but I finally watched Slumdog Millionaire tonight. It. Was. Awesome.

Now that it's finally nice outside, Mike and I plan on getting back on track with that "running" thing we wrote about doing oh-so long ago. The past few days have been unsuccessful due to me being sleep-deprived, but I am adamant about doing it. Adamant.

The last few weeks of school are always incredibly stressful.

Next year, when the Abroad Era is finally over, it'll be interesting to see which of the choices I've made this semester will stick and which ones I'll just ascribe to the fact that I didn't have much else going on at the time. You know, friends, activities, habits, and the like. I hope that doesn't make me sound incredibly rude.

Note to self: sarcasm often does not translate well through AIM. The number of times that someone has read something that I said in one way when I really meant it in a completely different way is probably mind-boggling. Does the same rule apply to blogs? Hm.

I think the title "Notes to Self" just emerged as the front-runner to replace "Nuggets."

I can't imagine how many people, besides myself, actually find these fragments of my mind to be remotely interesting, relevant, and/or necessary. Some apply to people in general, some only apply to a few specific people, and some don't even apply to anyone. Perhaps these posts are really just like an online journal available for public viewing, sort of like a modern-day Doug.

The fact that I'm writing so much is a guaranteed sign that 1) I'm really tired and/or 2) something's wrong. I'm still trying to figure out which one it is. *mysterious/dramatic music fade-out*

My yellow in this case is not so mellow,
Mai

The State of the Economy in the United States

Good evening my fellow Americans,

It has come to my attention recently that Little Tree Air Fresheners have begun to air advertisements on television. Last time I checked, they were the only car air freshener company. You know things are bad when Little Tree Air Fresheners has to start making commercials. Are people not buying them anymore? Things are bad, and apparently not getting better. Sorry for the doom and gloom, but now its officially a recession. You heard it first here.

You're all welcome for the topical blog entry,

Michael

My baby

"Plugging (your) headphones in is like putting (your) glasses on."

This may very well be the most profound thing I have ever come up with. It's a work-in-progress, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little proud of it.

It could even be spun into something like, "Headphones are (like) glasses for your ears." Hm. I like that one, too.

I was gonna put this in the last post, but I didn't want it to get lost within the mindless ranting.

Let's get together and feel alright,
Mai

Easter Break!

Just spent my whole day in Long Island. Beautiful weather, my first time at Friendly's, Guitar Heros 1, 2, and 3, Domino's 555 deal, and real guitar? There aren't enough superlatives in the English language. One of the best days I've had in a while. Truly.

The more I try to write a song, the more impossible it becomes. A hackneyed statement from an unoriginal guitar player. Maybe I was just destined to become an accountant. Sigh.

Somuchworktodothisbreakomg.

I haven't spoken to anyone abroad in a while. Sadface.

This post is going downhill in a hurry. I don't know what my intentions this post were, but it's turned into a Nuggets-esque one, which I guess are similar to Twitter posts ("Tweets," ugh), except less dumb. And less ugly.

Oh, also, I'm going to start singing more. Hopefully.

There has to be some sesame seed glue,
Mai

and people say it's not our problem that the birds all have to leave

Hello Again,

To be difficult just for difficult's sake, my titles are going to be as irrelevant as possible just as they have always been. Good luck trying to find that really funny anecdote, because you won't be able to. 

Also, it should be known that Mai's prose writing in these blog entries is just wonderful. Someone should have stayed in fordham college. This In Search of Lost Time is definitely much better than the original by one Marcel Proust. This one, while it may be as long winded on occasion, doesn't make me fall asleep after reading 7 pages. Yeah I said it.

But I digress. I have important news: Adventureland was incredible. It is a movie everyone must see immediately. You've been warned.

Welcome. Come one, come all! A new member joins our "internet website community" - Dan!

A gold star for robot boy,

Michael

cuz that's the power of...huey lewis and the news

Hello! It's been a while. I don't have much to say, but I'll let you all in on a few secrets.

1) I have summer employ :)

2) the Yankees better pick it up or i'm getting brian cashman on the phone. I know it's only been one game, but half a billion dollars in new contracts I want(ed) them to start 10-0. AT LEAST.

3) finally saw both harold and kumar movies. I liked them, they were very enjoyable.

4) the ncaa final blew.

5) also, after last nights episode, i know who's going to win american idol: Adam "vampire" lambert. He did an incredible cover of Mad World. We're all still rooting for Danny though (at least i am).

6) agenda: see adventureland, as well as observe and report.

the heart of rock n' roll is still beating,

Michael

Schizophrenic Weather

During a storm a few days ago, there was the LOUDEST bolt of thunder I'd ever heard in my life. I know I'm from California and may not know what a "real" storm is like, but this was seriously ridiculous. I was in class and it sounded like a car exploded from no less than 20 feet away. Absolutely terrifying.

Two days later, it was one of the most beautiful days of the year. It was one of those days where you just look out at Eddie's and everything bad thought about Fordham just disappears. Unfortunately, I wasn't really able to go out and lounge on the Parade, but I did make it out into the city to run some errands and finally got a haircut while I was out there. The moptop/Bruce Lee/Beatles-esque hair is gone for now, but it's only a matter before it comes back.

In any case, it was pouring rain again today, but I'm sure that the weather will start to pick up eventually. I cannot even express how excited I am for the nice weather. It's just unfortunate that most of the people that I want to enjoy it with are on the other side of the world. In the meantime, I guess I'll just make a bunch of temporary friends to enjoy the weather with; fair-weather friends, if you will.

Puns are terrible.

Sweet like candy to my soul,
Mai

Smergel Snores

I was looking for a blog post from a while back, but had no idea where to even start looking because of their (usually) incredibly irrelevant titles, so now I've decided to use relevant titles more often. Starting...now.

Sometimes, my roommate Jake Smergel snores. The volume of a Smergel Snore ranges from "moderate" to "somewhat loud." A Smergel Snore Session can last anywhere between 5 to 45 minutes. What's so fascinating about an S.S.S. isn't actually the Snore itself, but rather how the Session ends.

Whenever one of Jake's Sessions is near its end, his Snores become louder and louder. As it reaches the pinnacle of its loudness, Jake will make a sudden chomp-like sound, as though he just took a big bite out of something. Because of this, every time I hear him snoring, I imagine a game of Pac-Man, where the Smergel Snore is running around chasing dots and ghosts. When he makes his chomping noise, it means he's gotten the last dot and won the game. So, if Jake ever starts to snore while I'm still awake, I secretly root for him in my mind, waiting anxiously until I hear the sweet sound of victory.

The End.

All my friends are so small town,
Mai

Nuggets (under construction)

I need a new name for this "feature" of the blog. One that's better than Mike's (Huey Lewis and the News). Suggestions?

Have you ever noticed how green the grass on Eddie's actually gets when the sun hits it just right? Oh springtime, you can't come soon enough.

Speaking of which, I've been woken up early in the morning (8am-ish) twice by stupid birds that won't stop tweeting (we're keep our window open because it's not -892305.8 degrees out anymore). They should be restricted to love scenes and Disney movies. Let me sleep damnit.

Baseball season is just around the corner! Yay!

I've played far too much Street Fighter 4 over the past week. Far too much.

I have 4 group projects due over the next few weeks. zomgstress.

I think when most people complain about how late they stayed up studying, they're really indirectly bragging.

I have to update that list of things that I get confused with one another. I've thought of at least 3 or 4 within the past few days (and by thought of I mean I heard one and thought of it's counterpart).

To be perfectly honest, the only thing that keeps me from really respecting the Jo-Bros is the fact that they're used primarily as a marketing scheme by Disney.

30 Rock has become funnier than The Office. There. I said it. It makes me sad.

Can you "catch" a person's yawn if you don't see the person yawn?

Watchin' the tide roll away,
Mai

Happy Earth Hour.

It is dark.

Don't look back in anger,
Mai and Mike

we're still yawning

Good day all,

There's been a fairly large lull around here lately, but today, with the rising sun, came the promise of good weather! It is a gorgeous day outside. Too bad the fields, etc, are all muddy from the massive rains we received yesterday. Oh well. Soon enough, friends, soon enough. That's all for today.

take it easy,

Michael

Guess who was on the NY Times front page?!

I'd like to share something from the front page of Wednesday's NY Times with you that, quite frankly, is too awesome for words (props to Jake for pointing it out):

Is this what the future holds for New Nick?

TTFN,
Mai

Important Things with Room 427

Mike's right. Huey Lewis and the News is infinitely times better than Nuggets. Damnit.

Anyway, I have breaking news(!). Mike and I have decided (some time ago, actually) that our little "Eddie's duo" would now like to be addressed as "Pancake Rebellion."

Now, I know that as fans, you're wondering how this changes anything. For starters, it gives you all the potential for fancy nicknames. You can be "Fancakes," "Rebels," say that you're a fan of "P.R.," "The Rebellion," or "The Pancake Cause." The possibilities are endless.

Of course, it's is not a one-way street (I'm not sure if that's the right phrase, but you'll see what I mean). We are always more than happy to welcome new members to our "project" (it's very important to note that we are not a band), so if bro'ing out on a daily basis during Spring sounds like you're cup of tea, let us know. We'll fax you an application.

Yeah. I definitely used that phrase wrong.

Superstition ain't the way,
Mai

huey lewis and the news

this is somewhat like nuggets, but with a better name (sorry Mai, but it's true)

1) New decemberists album is excellent, check it out.

2) job interview in long island today!

3) american idol was not on last night, it was bumped for the same reason John Cena was bumped from Jay Leno's show - Barack Obama, so you can't be that upset.

4) Ian is beating me on the Facebook march madness bracket thing. In fact, among my friends on facebook, he's in first place...what?

That is all for now.

Lunch has been cancelled due to lack of hustle. Deal with it.

-michael out

I got chills, they're multiplyin'

Okay okay. This is ridiculous. I'm gonna list my #1 favorite album, skip most of the spiel, and finally move on. Since this is actually necessary now, here you go: Honorable Mentions, Album 5, Album 4, Album 3, Album 2, with the explanation of what's going on in the link to Album 5.

#1: Continuum

Short version: Shortly before college, I lost my desire for playing guitar. Early Freshman year, Continuum gave me motivation to play guitar again. No other album has had a more significant impact on my life than Continuum. Until that happens (if it does), it will remain my favorite and most influential album of all-time. If you want to read a more detailed version of how/why, read the "long version". If not, that should be enough for you to understand why it's my favorite album.

Long version: There was a 5-6 month period before Fordham during which I stopped playing guitar. I just got bored on not really progressing, and eventually I didn't feel motivated to play at all. Now, I had always, for whatever reason, been somewhat of a fan of John Mayer's music. A month or so into Freshman year, in the midst of an "illegally-download-as-many-full-albums-as-possible" phase, I downloaded Continuum. Probably one of the first albums in decades that I listened to the whole way through and enjoyed, I went about trying to learn a few songs off of the album. As it turns out, my boy J-May has a somewhat unique way of playing that I'd never seen before. To keep it short, trying to learn the songs got me interested in playing guitar again. For that reason alone, it is favorite album ever. The amount of times I've listened to it is obnoxious (to save what little face I have left, I will not divulge the number).

As for the album itself, it isn't perfect by any means. There are some sappy love songs that aren't my cup of tea, and the last few songs aren't anything spectacular (some songs fit both of these categories). However, I enjoy the album immensely nonetheless. "Gravity" is an incredible song, and the arrangement of "Stop This Train" into "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room"into an awesome cover of Hendrix's "Bold as Love" is my favorite part of any album, for now.

And so it is,
Mai

do you have any more gum? more gum. more gum.

Well hello there. How are you?

I don't really have much to talk about today since nothing has really happened since I've been back all of like 37 hours. So instead of boring you with nothing, i'll leave you with this.

enjoy.

have a wonderful day,

Michael

And in the end the love you take

Look look look!

http://thepism.blogspot.com/2009/03/dedication.html

So proud.

Also, I took a shower earlier but there is still a pair of socks on my bed. I can't tell if I'm wearing the "dirty" socks from before the shower or if the socks on my bed are the dirty ones. Yikes.

With sweet love and devotion,
Mai

it seems i've forgotten my keys

Hola Dudely McDudenstiens,

back back back back in the bx.

spring break is over (sad face).

all in all, i had a wonderful spring break, hope you did too.

i'd like to give a warm welcome to katie and ian to the "blogosphere". lawl. i heard they were dating.

until tomorrow,

Michael

This is what part of the alphabet would like if Q and R were eliminated

Check it.

West Coast: Honey on your nuggets?, Oh, Hello MIGGYSEIZE, GIT NAKD, hoe please

East Coast: Hilliris, The Point is Moot

Traitors: (a)broad abroad, STUD(y) ABROAD, Abroad and Beyond

If you haven't heard of/read from a blog on this list, you probably wouldn't have an appreciation for said blog. Some of them barely have any posts. Some of them haven't been updated in weeks. I figured I'd put them up anyway. The list will be updated as necessary, if necessary.

Young Hov in the house,
Mai

What you want, baby I got it

The only sleep I've gotten in the past 24 hours is the 5 hours of sleep on my flight back to the Boogie Down, so I'll put off writing my #1 album until I stay focused on something for more than 10 seconds. In the meantime, here's some honorable mentions in no particular order (not necessarily favorites, but ones that have had a relatively significant musical impact on my life):

2001 (Dr. Dre)

Backstreet Boys (Backstreet Boys)

XO (Elliott Smith)

Michael Bublé (Michael Bublé)

No Strings Attached (*NSYNC)

Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughan In Session (Albert King & Stevie Ray Vaughan)

Signed, Sealed, and Delivered (Stevie Wonder)

Everything is Alright (Andrew "Funnyman" Shea)

Yep. Boy bands and big band included.

Mahna mahna,
Mai

i love you, man

that movie was really good. i think you all should see it.

also, while i am on the subject of things that are good, i have ch. nugs. for lunch. jeal?

you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here,

michael

B.ay A.rea R.apid T.ransportation

I feel obligated to finish this thing before I can actually post about anything else, so let's do this.
Up until now: Album 5, Album 4, and Album 3. If, for whatever reason, you have no idea what's going on, "Album 5" has the low-down. Down-low. Either/or. Moving along.

#2: Rubber Soul

What is there to say about The Beatles that hasn't been said a thousand times over already? The greatest band to ever bless Mother Earth with music. That's not opinion; it's fact. Look it up. Even a person of my limited musical knowledge knows at least 5-10 Beatles songs. The first Beatles album I ever owned was 1, which was fine, but just went right along with my tendency to listen to an artist/band's singles. Shortly after my Coldplay revelation, I decided that I should use my newly found motivation to develop an actual opinion of The Beatles' work. Not just of how good they were/are, or even of what songs I liked, but of what albums stood out to me the most. After all, anybody who's anybody can tell you what their favorite Beatles album is (kidding). Luckily, I had the resources at hand to take on what would have otherwise been too daunting of a task for me to try. During the 2nd semester of Sophomore year, Mike gave me quite a few albums (Sgt. Pepper's, Revolver, Rubber Soul, Abbey Road, Help!, Magical Mystery Tour, Let It Be, and White Album) and from then on I was on my way.

By Spring Break, I had already given most of them a listen and felt proud, in a way, of the fact that I was actually dedicating myself to something and getting it done. The one album that I had not gotten a chance to listen to yet (if I didn't have the time to listen to an album the whole way through within a few hours, I would put it off until there was time) was Rubber Soul. One day, I needed to walk to the bank to do some stuff, so I decided that it would be a good time to put on the album as I walked over (it's a 10-minute walk or so to the bank from my house). As the opening track played, the first thing that went through my mind was "This is pretty catchy." Track after track went by, and I continued to think the same. While listening to the past albums, there had usually been at least one track a few songs into that album that I didn't care much for at first listen. However, each song on Rubber Soul seemed "catchy" enough for me to actually want to listen to the whole thing. As the album went on, I remember thinking something like, "I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but this could definitely be my best Beatles-listening experience so far" (but less wordy). I liked every single song on the album. Not just "Yeah, I don't mind listening to it," but actually "I have no idea which song to pick because they're all awesome."In fact, I walked slower and even lingered outside the bank (linger might be too creepy of a word to use here) for a while just to listen to more of the album.

Like A Rush of Blood to the Head to Parachutes, many people prefer the subsequent album Revolver to Rubber Soul. But once again, that isn't the case for me. The experience of realizing that I had finally found my "favorite Beatles album" and of being caught off-guard by how quickly every track pulled me into it with it's "catchiness" (no other word comes to mind and it would take too many words to clarify further) is something that will be engrained into my brain for the rest of time. Maybe also that every song but one is under 3 minutes (and the one is only 3:23), so it's just really easy to get into? That makes sense. Sort of. Besides, Revolver has "She Said She Said" on it. Bleh.

Almost done! Finally. Then I can go back to writing posts that don't take up 1/3rd of the front page.

Oh, also, after reading through this, none of it really makes that much sense or gets my point across the way I'd like it to, but it's too late now. I like Rubber Soul. /end

Don't you steal my sunshine,
Mai