Call It a Bucket List

I am becoming more and more convinced that daydreaming is a telling thing in regard to where we are at certain points in our lives. I would go further; on second though, I will- our imagination and this idea of “things hoped for” is hard wired in our DNA. We are hope-based, unrealistic creatures. I am okay with that, and not worried; I like it. The reason I make this incoherent and borderline absurd claim is that today I had a day that most college students have semi-regularly. I was ready to pack it up and take it to the house. I am weary from the semester. It has been an incredible one with a few really fine things happening to this fortunate soul, but school might be the end of me. I sat at a window of the J.D. Williams library (Yes, Doug Williams’ Flash Rave location. I know you all were wondering about that) and stared out the window because Bon Iver and Physics don’t go well together. Bon Iver and daydreaming do. My mind wanders all the time. I have a lot of ridiculous ideas that I will never have the balls to actually pursue. I am scatter brained and discontent; my mind wanders to places to that are far from what my life entails presently in the blessed place of Oxford, MS,- especially today.

If I would just man up and “honor my wild” (Carver Morgan I hope you are reading this. And hell no that is not a John Eldridge reference) these are the places that I would go not just in the future, but right now.

Welcome to my world

1. “Cowboy Up”

If I were half the man Peter Hurt is and had half the girls drooling in a line for me, I would be pretty content, I’d say. I would love to head to Colorado, work on a ranch. Maybe do some farming, maybe hog tie a goat or two (no, not a camper), or maybe just live out there and look like I did all the above. There is something refreshing, manly, and straight up American about working on a dude ranch and appropriately wearing denim and not showering twice a day. Yeah…I would love to be a cowboy/farmer.

2. “I’m on a Boat”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3iFovzaDzg

While the above experience with T-Pain would be comical, I was thinking of a more isolated setting. Virgin Islands, live off the water, have a tan to the point to wear my skin is like leather, do a deck a day, and be by myself. I would take a journal, a record player, some divinely inspired book that fundamentalists read, and probably my chacos. I think it would be awesome to sail solo and enjoy the peace and quiet of that part of the world for several months. I might just disappear.

3. “This is not Outback Steakhouse”

Can we at least all agree on something? I am not clever or witty or indie- all the above I wish I was. Glad we got that straight. I want to have an Australian accent, dreads would be cool for a few months, I would love a pet kangaroo, I would love to be able to throw a boomerang, and the Australian Outback is near the top of my bucket list. Yeah, Australia. I would head over to New Zealand and have my own version of “Where the Wild Things Are” and “Lord of the Rings”. I gave that a trial run this past summer and I think some people referred to it as Sumner Camp? I guess it’s just one of those things.

4. “Sigur Ros”

Top 3 most religious experiences of my life is sitting through and being captivated by Sigur Ros’ documentary “Heima”. It is unreal. I have never seen such, and it is worth every second you put into it. I want to go to Iceland. Maybe I just want to get away into the mountains. That is what it is sounding like. I love everything about every type and kind of transition….

5. “The Mountain”

The ‘Pine is the greatest place on earth. When I think of Heaven, I think of Little River running through a piece of property that has three neighborhoods nestled in it, and is overrun by mini me’s in the summertime. It was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I want to go back. I wanted to go back badly this afternoon. I want to go back right now. I need Old Row. I need the dangle do. I need cross fit. I need porch time. I need community. I need the Alpine political and social gossip. I need a challenge. I need to be humbled. I need Jesus.

Daydreaming is powerful. Hoping for things is refreshing. The imagination is one of the best things that our creator gave to us. Maybe there is a purpose in school- to bring these things to the forefront of our minds. Hebrews 11:1. Frat. Herbody. See you all on the other side.

vinyl tickles my fancy, music tickles my soul

Little ridges are the music. a needle bobs up and down, plodding methodically along the grooves like a desert man riding his camel. camels have humps like a record. they also have ears, like me, the listener.

As I sit here in my burgundy, second-hand armchair I contemplate the invention of this record-playing technology. who was the first to hone in on this method of recording sound? Wikipedia would tell me that Thomas Edison was the first man to develop a sound device that could record and playback the music. it was called the phonograph. he patented the mechanism in 1878.

A lightbulb just popped up above my head. Edison invented the light bulb. the light bulb above the head is also a common illustration of a blooming idea. the idea is this:

Edison may have invented the phonograph, but he did not invent the music.

Why are we as humans (I will speak for myself, why am I) so fascinated, drawn toward, moved by music? sound waves tickle the tiny hairs of our inner ears and we feel an emotion. what a profound experience.

The title of this little rumination addresses my bias: vinyl kicks digital music in the rear end, hard. not only do the notes seem that much crisper, but the music has life to it, as though the Fleet Foxes are actually performing inside my speakers; little people harmonizing inside a wooden box. all of these melodies fill my 8x6 dorm room with the force of a tsunami and a speeding bullet train multiplied together. ok I exaggerated a bit, the room is 8x7.

Regardless, music makes me happy. it makes me sad. the fact that sounds so intricately formed together make me do anything is remarkable. music is the sign of something bigger than man and his fundamental limitations. of this, I am convinced

Uggs, The Rain Boots, Sambas, and the Human Condition

I have two sisters. And a mom. And some goldfish which might be female but could be asexual. What I'm trying to say is, I've had a fair amount of exposure to the fashions and interests of woman-dom.

That being said, there are some aspects that I don't understand, some that I don't ever wish to understand, and some that I need help with.

One that falls under category number three is...well, actually two things: UGGS and neon rain boots. We'll dissect them in order.

1) Uggs-

Uggs are kind of like Barack Obama: one day, no one had ever heard of them, and the next day, they're literally everywhere you look. Let's take the analogy further. Barack Obama's approval ratings have recently fallen, and so have my approval ratings of UGGS. Irrelevant, moving on......

Growing up in greater white Memphis suburbia, Uggs converged on my private school bubble like they were the eleventh plague. "And God decided to punish Egypt (get it? Memphis is a city in Egypt? no? okay just work with me) one more time by sending leather and suede boots that cover half of the leg and can't be THAT comfortable to every trendy online shopping website imaginable."

I feel like the Ugg phenomenon is a deeper issue...It might even be able to explain the human condition. Because here's the thing: You can't tell me that the utility value of Uggs (warmth, durability, etc.) is the reason they're so popular. You also can't tell me they look good. So, why do people wear them? The most common response is "They're SO comfortable, Jordan. I swear." To which I think: It would be really comfortable for me to make my pillows into shoes and walk around all day, but I don't...I have questions and I have hunches but I have no answers.

2) Rain boots

Today, and yesterday, it rained all day at Wake Forest. The umbrellas and North Face jackets were out in number, and so were the rain boots. You might be asking, "Jordan, what rain boots?" To which my response would be "THE rain boots". I don't know who makes these boots; maybe there is cool brand and not-so-cool brand and "Oh my gosh I've never even seen that brand but she's the only girl in class who's not wearing cool brand"-brand. Once again, I plead ignorance here.

But i do know this, the boots as far as I'm concerned come in two colors: loud lime green and not-so-pretty pink. I also believe the boots are a female cultural/fashion phenomenon. They might have more utility than Uggs, but they don't look any better...And they are taking my college by storm (pun intended).

Today, one of my suitmates made the following statement: "The rain boots" are literally the reason I hate it when it rains. I'm not going that far; I'm just raising a question.

I have a hypothesis, and it's probably politically incorrect. But I will state it nonetheless.

One day, some girl, somewhere, just decided that rain boots were cool and in fashion. She's a popular girl; people like her. Girl goes and buys rain boots, wears them to class the next day. The girls in her class see the boots and after thinking initially, "Those are kind of ugly and maybe a little obnox (abbreves)", she realizes it's cool girl that's wearing the boots.

Class ends. "Cool girl WHERE did you get those boots? LOVE them." "I got them at so-and-so store...aren't they uber-cute?" (Question: do they even know what uber means? Category: things I don't wish to understand. Back to the conversation, if you're still out there...)

"Yeah, girl. Totally love them" At this point, second coolest girl's afternoon agenda becomes "Get boots before next rainy day. Check forecast to see when next rainy day is. Next rainy day is tomorrow. Get boots tonight.)

She gets the boots, coolest girl is a little peeved but then kind of likes the fact that she's the trend-setter, trend is set, and the rest is history. Third-coolest girl gets boots, 4th coolest, yada. Off brands come out, off brands of that off brand come out, and they all look the same to casual observers like myself.

That's my hypothesis. I'm not trying to be anti-feminist; this article could have been written on Wallabies, or loud trucks, or Sambas--the Adidas indoor soccer shoes (I didn't play indoor soccer) that I seemingly couldn't live without in the 5th grade because all the cool guys had them.

I said the answers to my question might be able to point towards the human condition. We have an identity crisis, and we all want to fit in. It's that simple.

But there's something else that's pretty simple...Uggs just don't look that good.

Maybe I'll never understand.

Stuff RUF People Like

Inspired by the popular article "Stuff White People Like", as well as the recent Carolina RUF Fall Conference at Camp Greystone, I present to all reformed presbyterians, the stuff that consumes (or is predestined to one day consume) their lives.

We'll start with the basics...

1) Chacos
Somewhere out there, Teva is trying to find a way to sue RUF as payback for running them out of business. Chacos have become such an RUF staple, that they're almost too obvious to put on here. The rainy weather at Greystone this weekend brought the Chacos out in hoards. "When the rains came, God commanded Noah to put two of every kind in the ark, including Chacos."

2) Salomons
Leave it to RUF to wear shoes that sound just like a king from the old testamant. Once it gets cold, the Chacos go to the closet and the Salomons come out. How many times do we actually use the shoes for their intended purposes (i.e. trail running or mountain climbing)? Uhhh....

Which leads to number 3...
3) "Getting as close to nature/ being as outdoorsy as possible without ever really roughing it"
This one's a little vague, but I'll explain...
One word: Greystone. Yeah, it's a camp, and it's in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and it looks kind of rustic from the outside...but let's be honest, the place is a resort. The cabin I stayed in this weekend was more domestic than my bedroom growing up. We had stand-up lamps and air conditioning and waited about 2 seconds for the water to get warm.
So Greystone is the perfect place for an RUF conference. Outdoorsy, rustic, but very convenient and comfortable. We can bring our Chacos and our Patagonia but never get a mosquito bite. Ideal.

4) Banjos/ Bluegrass
Only at an RUF event do you have a bluegrass band play right after small group discussions over the gospel of Luke. What is it about bluegrass that Calvinists love so much? I still haven't figured it out, but I think it's two things:
4a.) Banjos
RUF people LOVE BANJOS. I can't explain this one; they just do.
4b.) Line dancing/ Swing dancing
"Hey baptists, see us over here line dancing?? We're really doing it! You hate dancing, but we love it! Jesus went to weddings, and what do they do at weddings? Dance!"

5) The Avett Brothers
Take me to your RUF large group and show me one person that doesn't have the Avett Brothers on their Ipod, and I will show you five that do. What's so funny is that the Avett's don't even play the banjo (see above) in the traditional manner. But what do we care? It's still the banjo. Ignorance is bliss.

While we're on music...

6) U2
I think I've heard references to U2 in presbyterian sermons more than any other non-biblical entity. Why? They represent everything that reformed theology loves when it comes to the arts. Beautiful music, not sacrificing beauty/ selling out, Christian undertones, etc.

7) Flannery O'Connor
I'm perusing the "book table" at the RUF retreat, which is put on by GoodTheology.com (great website)... I see Calvin, I see Sproul, I see Luther, I see... O'Connor.
O'Connor?? The devout Southern Catholic?? Yes, that's the one.
Oh I just love this one. Leave it to RUF to take a Catholic writer like O'Connor and claim her and her stories of redemption for the reformed kingdom. I've been doing it since 11th grade when I read "A Good Man is Hard to Find".

7a.) Walker Percy
I didn't even know who Walker Percy was before this summer at Alpine, and now I hear his name everywhere. He's similar to O'Connor--southern, Catholic, borderline-existential. I can't get enough of him, and apparently neither can RUF ministers.

8) ESV Study Bibles
I admit, I have one. Admit it, if you go to RUF, you do to. And if you don't have the study Bible, you at least have the ESV pocket Bible. Did you know that John Calvin only preached out of the ESV Bible? No, kidding, that's not true--it wasn't invented until 2001. But you would think that he did.

9) Coffee/Tea
This probably goes under "Stuff White People Like", but I think it can apply here too. It's pretty self-explanatory. RUF intern: "So I'll see you at Local Coffeeshop X in the morning before your 9 AM class?"
RUF student: "See you there."

10) Iphones
And on the third day, God created iPhones. And RUF ministers saw that they were good. Their recording devices, easy internet access, and text messaging capabilities make them a minister's must-have. Mine (Kevin Teasley) will be the first to tell you.

Honorable Mention (or being saved for next time): bonfires, ultimate frisbee, Indelible Grace, going to extreme measures to make sure they get to watch their college football team play during free time at fall conference, letter-writing, Patagonia everything, G.K. Chesterton, djembes, Tim Keller.

Is this just a list of stuff I like? If you feel offended, know that I have only offended myself.

Until next time.

Untitled #1(falling leaves)

The summer days are gone too soon
You shoot the moon
And miss completely
And now you're left to face the gloom
The empty room that once smelled sweetly
Of all the flowers you plucked if only
You knew the reason
Why you had to each be lonely
Was it just the season?

Now the fall is here again
You can't begin to give in
-Norah Jones

What's up blogosphere? Rhetorical question. Don't answer. Just read the blog. Unless you're named Norah Jones. Then you can answer, and I'll ask you for your phone number, and then you may proceed to read the blog...
Did you notice my indie title to this blog post? Numbers, vague parenthetical statement, lowercase letters. I thought I did a pretty good job. I flatter myself.

Inspired by Mr. Abraham, I too decided to make a September playlist. Fall is truly a magical time. I always get pretty reminiscent, nostalgic. It reminds me of my days as a young Volunteer, riding through the Tennessee hills to watch the Vols when they were actually relevant. Now all I hear about are Rebels and the Crimson Tide. Spare me.
I digress (When do i not? Rhetorical). Enjoy.

1. Shoot the Moon-Norah Jones

Ms. Jones,
Or is it "Mrs. Jones"? If it is, than I might as well stop now. But if you're out there, and you're reading this, and you're still single, come to Winston-Salem. Quickly.

2. Murray-Pete Yorn
Fall of my sophomore year of high school, someone burned me Yorn's musicforthemorningafter album, and it didn't leave my cd player for two weeks. That was my first fall as a legal driver, and this song still takes me back.

3. Dogs-Damien Rice
Just a good song. I still don't know why he decided to name it dogs. I mean, I like dogs, and it talks about dogs running, but it's not about dogs. Whatever. I'm over it. At least it's not cats. If you're a cat-lover, we need to talk...and don't bother driving to Winston-Salem.

4. Pretty Girl at the Airport- Avett Brothers
My favorite Avetts' song at the moment. It's just beautiful. "Wish me luck, I know you think I'll need it." They always have a way of mixing sarcasm and irony and longing and regret into this heartbreaking synthesis of song-writing. It's really not even fair how good they are.

5. These Days-Jackson Browne
This is where the nostalgia comes in. Browne is always overshadowed by James Taylor, but he might be as good.

6.Blue Ridge Mountains- Fleet Foxes
Mountains. An excuse to make the long drive to Wake Forest even after realizing it's 10 hours away from most SEC schools. Listen to Fleet Foxes' whole album on the way.

7. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses?- U2
I'm in countdown mode until October 3rd, when my life will change in the hands of Bono and Co. in Raleigh. This is one of my all-time U2 favorites, and one of my favorite descriptions of a girl in all of songwriting. I'd love to meet her-- and her wild horses-- as long as she doesn't break my heart. Even if she does, to say I dated the same girl as Bono...

8. In An Aeroplane Over the Sea- matt pond PA
Somewhere Monty Miller is saying he will "literally kill me" because I didn't put the original Neutral Milk Hotel version of this song. For whatever reason, I like this one more. I think it's the intro, maybe, I don't know. What is certain is that the imagery of the song is just phenomenal.

9.Daylight- Jump, Little Children
This goes out to Matt King. Jump is one of the most underrated bands of the 90s. If you haven't heard them, listen to the "Between the Dim and the Dark" album. They found a sound on that album that is just unbelievable. This is one of the better songs from it.

10. I Got a Name- Jim Croce
Makes me think of driving through the mountains. Fall. That is all.

11. For Emma- Bon Iver
My roommate (Alexander Ivey) and I recently named the Bon Iver album the official sound of our dorm room for this semester. The man-crush continues... and I'm perfectly okay with it. Look up the lyrics for this song. It gives it a whole new meaning, and makes it that much more impressive.

12. Portland is Leaving- Rocky Volotalo
Some would call this "Johnny Smackers" music. Cliche singer-songwriter dude with cult following. I don't care if it is. Count me as a member of rocky's rowdies... Bad joke. Moving on.

13. The Sun Also Sets- Ryan Adams
I second everything Sumner said about Ryan Adams. If I was him, i'm 99.9% sure I could get a date with Norah Jones- Ms. OR Mrs.

14. Murder of One-Counting Crows
Hey Jordan, you just put this song on here because it's from the album "August and Everything After", and it's now September, which is, well, after August. Okay, you caught me. Now if you're a girl, come to Winston-Salem and get here before Norah Jones or Bono's wild horse girl, because you might be as nerdy and lyrical as I am and I think we just might work. Maybe.

15. Why does it Always Rain on Me? (rhetorical)- Travis
"The better 90's British band not named Coldplay or Radiohead", Travis, puts their bitter rival Oasis to shame. In one of their songs, they ask, "And what's a 'wonderwall' anway?" Haha. Funny. Does no one else think that's funny? Okay. Maybe not. ITunes has destroyed all musical rivalry/jabs/humor. Anyways, "Why does it always..." is wonderful songwriting. I'm partial to anything with a violin in the fall.

That's all I've got. Blogging is cool. U2 is in 17 days. Sumner, 2 days until...well, nevermind.

Peace out to all my followers. There are four of you.

Do you remember the 21st night of September?

The title of this post is a loaded statement. In 2009, this happens to be the night before the Avett Brothers roll into Oxford. I haven't been more excited for a musical event in my life. It should be fantastic. Oxford will be graced by THE John Carpenter; we better start resting now.

This title also points to the purpose of this post: my September playlist. Call me crazy (I hope you do), but I make a playlist for every month. Sometimes I make multiple ones, but I always try and set up the month in my life with music that defines it. I am a lyricist. I am done trying to disown it; I am proud to be a lyricist. With that though comes a few exceptions to the rule, but there is one main exception. If the music is just horrible, I could care less with what it is saying. I listen to the music for the lyrical content, but if the music doesn't support the conscious of the lyric, then I toss it. For this simple reason, music is an impressive and necessary art form. I could go on, but for the reader's sake, I digress.

To get to the meat of it all, here my friends is my September 2009 Playlist:

1. I'm the Man Who Loves You- Wilco: this song just seems appropriate for this time of year. I will say this, I am disappointed that Wilco probably will not come to Oxford ever again because of the ignorant and disrespectful people who talked the whole show to the point to where Jeff Tweedy had to tell them to shut up, in a much more profane way, on three occasions. That is flat out embarrassing. This song reminds me of football season, so that is why it is numero uno on the playlist.

2. Swept Away- The Avett Brothers: Where is Hank Currin when you need him? This song takes me back to camp. Pud, Harrison, Kelsey, R. Kelly, Hank, and Monty's version of this might be better than the original. There is a theme so far of these songs, that is implicit in my mind. To some of the co-writers, I am sure it is too. I will leave it at that.

3. Daylight- Matt & Kim: This song reminds me of driving with John Carpenter and Daniel Wynn heading to Chattanooga on a night out. Those were the days. Also, the 405 had a miserably failing attempt at a dance party the other night (I am man enough to say it was a flop; Dent May is right "you can't force a dance party"), and we were listening to this song that whole night. Great song, this album though is not all that great; my advice is to stick with solely this single.

4. Skinny Love- Bon Iver: This song is quickly climbing into the Top 10 of my "Overall Song" Power Rankings (if you don't know, I have a Power Rankings for, well, everything; literally). This blog has a man crush on this album and singer-songwriter; I'm okay with that. I could go on, but for my personal sake, I will stop with simply this: this song reminds me of the cold (and the summer), so will probably find its way on every month's playlist until March. You have been warned.

5. Wake Up- Arcade Fire: Speaking of Hank Currin, there was no better thing that walking out of church at camp with "the band" playing this, and having half the staff singing as they were simultaneously thinking about how glorious softball and fellowship would be that night. I overlooked this song when I first bought the album "Funeral", and Monty Miller is responsible for me falling for it. "Children wake up..."- there is something pretty thought provoking about those lines. Grade A.

6. Heretics- Andrew Bird: This song is simply "the fall". I like it, and it brings back good memories. I associate every song with where I was when I really enjoyed it, or with a particular experience. I categorize music in my mind, for better or for worse, and this song simply places me in a good place.

7. Make Light- Passion Pit: Don't call it a comeback. I am a Passion Pit fan. It is kind of "Houston Calls"-esque. For the co-writers sake, it is kind of like some "Format" stuff. It is a quality CD, and will be a favorite for the fall. Doesn't compliment the Ole Miss Alma Mater very well, but it will do. Who ever said a change of pace wasn't a good thing. Shaggy said it best, "It wasn't me."

8. Come Pick Me Up- Ryan Adams: If I could play/write/sing/be like Ryan Adams, I am 99.9999% certain I would not be single. This song reminds me of a late night and people being a little liquored up. For better or for worse, this song resonates with me the fall.

9. You and I- Ingrid Michaelson: This song is in my Top 5 in the Power Rankings. Unreal. I don't like any of her other stuff, but I love this song. Talk about a song that allows your mind to wonder. I am comfortable enough in my own sexuality to say that. Thank you Jonathan Franklin, Maroda, and Jordan for introducing me to it this summer. This song is Biblical.

10. The Swimming Song- Loudon Wainright III: Reminds me of this summer. Good outro song from summer into fall. The song is much smoother than the physical transition itself.

11. So Far Around the Bend- The National: This "Dark Was the Night" compilation/album is awesome. I categorize The National with the winter, but this song is fall. There is a lot of imagery associated here. If you know me at all, you can imagine. That can go several directions, and directions off those directions. Most people probably don't follow that.

12. Fake Palindromes- Andrew Bird: I wish Andrew Bird was playing this fall. You cannot not like this song. That is sinful if you do.

13. Go To Sleep- The Avett Brothers: I can't wait until next Tuesday. This song has the Fall feel as well. I might as well not write anything out beside these because I keep saying the same thing. This song does have the feel of fall. You can't deny it.

14. Laundry Room- The Avett Brothers: There is only one word to describe this song: beautiful. This is my favorite Avett Bros song at the moment, but that changes almost daily. Their new CD will be almost as good as their show next week. I wish that everyone would come to it and stay at our house. The beginning lyrics of this song are unreal, and the jam session at the end is neat-o.

15. Jesus, etc.- Wilco: "Tall buildings shake

Voices escape singing sad sad songs
Tuned to chords strung down your cheeks
Bitter melodies turning your orbit around". Let us pray.

16. Tomorrow is a Long Time- Nickel Creek: The title says it all. If I can find a girl that can sing like that, well, sign her up for at least a trip to Bottletree.

17. You Belong With Me- Taylor Swift: What was once a guilty pleasure is now simply a pleasure. I have no guilt in saying this- I like Taylor Swift. I think it is catchy, and it is comical at points. I plan on putting both her CDs into my iTunes library. Will I pay for them? No. But I will have them to where I can listen to them on demand.

That is all for September. I will leave you with what Earth Wind and Fire has to say about this lovely month. Goodnight and good luck boys and girls.

"Do you remember the 21st night of september?
Love was changing the minds of pretenders
While chasing the clouds away

Our hearts were ringing
In the key that our souls were singing.
As we danced in the night,
Remember how the stars stole the night away

Ba de ya - say do you remember
Ba de ya - dancing in september
Ba de ya - never was a cloudy day

My thoughts are with you
Holding hands with your heart to see you
Only blue talk and love,
Remember how we knew love was here to stay

Now december found the love that we shared in september.
Only blue talk and love,
Remember the true love we share today

Ba de ya - say do you remember
Ba de ya - dancing in september
Ba de ya - never was a cloudy day

Ba de ya - say do you remember
Ba de ya - dancing in september
Ba de ya - golden dreams were shiny days"

"you gotta look out for love"

it's fitting that my first post be from a coffee shop (not one actually called a "coffeeshop", but a real one, an indie one, called "a market"), a "market" that plays arcade fire's funeral as i sip my drink aptly named a noah's float. i love biblical allusions, especially when they involve ice cream, as this coffee and haagen dazs concoction dazs. i know that was bad but i'm trying

yes i agree. A.I. is the greatest thing to hit memphis since hurricane elvis in '02, maybe that was a bad thing. i guess the answer may be not be a good fit either. let's just hope allen doesn't chop down the trees in my front yard like hurricane elvis did when he was takin' care of business via freakin' fast gusts of wind.

bon iver. good winter. if lollapalooza taught me one thing, it was the correct pronunciation of this band's french name. no, wisconsin was not recently acquired by our liberal, fry-cooking foes from across the atlantic, vernon, as he is commonly known, by us, the only ones who matter, and of course the ones to whom "it" doesn't matter, yeah they matter too, chose the name out of his experience in the cold. the cold winter in a cabin in the woods in wisconsin. rough life. excellent writing material.

i too have been afflicted by this record's indie-ness, an indie-ness that deserves not to be ruined by pop moguls and their money making record labels. if our buddy vern wanted some cashola, i doubt he would've slept in a log cabin for a good chunk of time. rather, he would've been selling himself like a woman of the night to any greasy-haired, pinstriped, suit-wearing pimp of the music industry willing and able to ravage the wisconsonite's musical genius and innocence. i apologize for the vivid imagery. i have a vivid imagination. and for that i will make no apology.

aimless. random. pointless. this post could fall under all of these categories, but i'm a student, not a teacher. i'm learning and will improve. life doesn't always have a thesis. my english paper though will not improve with my insightful rambling on the blog, so as the muses have called me i must bid thee farewell to tend to my own attempt of literary critique. hemingway's "the snows of kilimanjaro"

books, greisy.

i'm not worried about it though.