musical politicking...

Before I get serious, I came across this quote late last nite:

But outside of that, I just made it so it's also good music. It can be your interpretation of what you want it to be, however you want to enjoy it.
- Lupe Fiasco on his upcoming album The Cool

He was referring to how some of the songs on The Cool are about a character from his first album, Food & Liquor. Anyway, I've long felt that way about art in general and it's a sentiment expressed probably a few times on this blog: for me, either in creating something or observing something, interpretation plays a huge role. It's something the artist cannot take into account, aside from having his or her own interpretation, and it is something that is informed by our life experiences (and possibly inexperiences) as individuals.

I'm not trying to toot my own horn by pointing out this quote. Honestly I found it really interesting to hear it coming from someone who actually does create art for a living, as opposed to just a silly thought I had one day. Obviously artists put out something particular for the world to see, something they want everyone to see. But at the end of the day we each take what we want, need, or just do from the things we observe.
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Speaking of which, a friend sent me this article from the New York Times website today [it's actually an article from the AP, another article on the topic can be found here]. [Let me note that I could easily lose myself in that website, I always fund something worth reading after I feel like there can't be anything else worth reading]. As I told my friend, it's a situation I'm rather torn on.

For those not interested in reading the article(s), the backdrop for this personal discussion I'm having with my mind is about the Congressional hearing that took place today (technically yesterday now) regarding the use of degrading language in hip-hop music. It's been much more of a topic of discussion since the Don Imus scandal.

I don't know if I'm capable of giving my thoughts justice in writing here but I find myself confused on where to stand on the issue. Yes, somethings are really offensive, unnecessary, and to be honest somewhat deleterious. At the same time, being of an oftentimes liberal mind and thinking about the First Amendment and law school, I'm a firm believer in free speech rights and strongly disagree with censorship. This is especially true in the artistic realm [although one possible argument is that for many it's not being an artist, it's a way "to make money money money make money money money"]. Stifling the creative process, even when said process runs along [or even passes] the line of decency is something I cannot agree with even if in some cases it makes sense.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying I want to hear degrading lyrics or want to support someone like Don Imus. Far from it. I definitely possess my personal beliefs on many different topics and they are often known to those around me. But just because I disagree with something or don't enjoy it doesn't mean I need to stamp it out. Also, is it possible there is some artistic or cultural merit to at least some of all this language that some want to do away with? [In addition, another article I read on the hearings today included a point made by Universal Music Group chairman and CEO Doug Morris when he noted that no one is pushing to do away with "'The Bitch Is Back' by Elton John even thought it contains one of the words some want to ban.

A ban on a few words is just silly. Words exist for a reason. They are a cultural creation and to a certain extent they possess whatever power you allow them too. Obviously certain words are very charged and just never need to be said, especially in certain contexts or used in certain ways or used at all. But to attempt to ban words makes no sense when some other word will just be used in their place.

Further, there was a time when even jazz music was considered unholy and wrong and inappropriate it. As for rap music, there definitely is some crap out there but an attempt to censor it or to ban certain words or anything along those lines will likely result in a reduction in creativity. The danger is that in doing away with the worst you will do away with things that are of merit, that truly are art, that possess a relevance, importance, lesson, story, or message that needs to be heard.

In the end, you can always choose to not listen to it. For me it kinda boils down to my thoughts on violence in video games and TV. It seems obvious exposure to such things can have an effect on children and people in general. But I feel that we need to take roles in the lives of children and ensure they can tell the difference between reality and fantasy. To be honest, when I was younger my dad wasn't a huge fan of be getting into rap music. But I knew it was just music, it was just words and not more than that. Having parents or other figures around to ensure children understand the difference between the creative world and how life really functions and how life should function when it is falling short of the ideal is more important than just trying to hide some words.

There needs to be some level of individual accountability in society and we should also hold ourselves more accountable for those around us whom we exert some influence over. We can all learn from each other and educate each other. Learning from one another, hearing diverse points of view, opening up to the world can provide a better understanding for the context which things originate from. With this understanding, maybe rap isn't the evil some make it out to be. Of course there are things that just don't need to be there, but isn't that true for every other art form? Extremes exist at both ends of the spectrum.
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I also found this article on the New York Times website today. It's about how exclusive colleges are, in terms of socioeconomic status in particular. The author, an op-ed contributor, basically argues for class-based affirmative action when it comes to college admissions.

It's an interesting theory, as affirmative action based on race is as well. I'm not going to go into thoughts on affirmative action in any great depth [I'm simply too tired to do so and I'd rather have that discussion with anyone interested in person, allowing for more of a open back-and-forth of opinions and ideas]. But I will say this: I always feel the root of the problem is at a much lower level than college admissions. The real problem is the education system in this country, starting well before college. I'm yet to meet someone who really disagrees with this point and it makes me wonder why there isn't more of a focus on lower education. Obviously it would require an enormous effort for the necessary overhaul to occur, but isn't that all the more reason to focus efforts there, as opposed to other areas?

To conclude, I remember learning in a psych class in college that we only remember 5%-10% of anything we're taught in college. That's sad.

another weekend and well, u know..

another weekend is over (and the new work week is already a day over actually), which means i made yet another trip to the Bay area. ha! i've decided Glendale is my home away from home. =p

anyway, it's late, i'm tired, and instead of this i should be sleeping...but oh well. i always like to write after my trips north and sometimes i actually have something interesting to say in this space. while i've got a couple of articles i've read recently i'd like to discuss, now is so not the time for that but i will get to them soon...

a rundown of some weekend highlights...

• um...watching The Last King of Scotland
• kicking it old school at the Bayside with Deefs and a few others
• Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeechigan winning an important game
• a tasty dinner at E & O Trading Company and a not awesome movie after (Good Luck Chuck - it had a few moments and way too many unnecessary boobs)
• discussing Justin Timberlake's growth as an artist/performer while watching an old concert from his Justified days
  
• chocolate chip (or really chunk) pancakes (mmm....yummy) and actually eating some fruit for once (strawberries this time)

not the craziest trip to the Bay i've ever had but that by no means it wasn't as good as all the others. seeing as it's 1:30 something now i should prolly stop and get some rest. but i did manage to do some work in the late nite tonite, reminding me of the glory days of law school when i'd get the most work done during these late hours...but i need sleep b4 going in at a reasonable hour tomorrow to finish things off (hopefully). g'nite!

epic

As I sat at my desk a couple weeks ago Deefs hit me up on the gchat with an awesome random comment. He simply said, "dude, the only thing that allows me to continue feeling epic right now is trance." This was during his first week back after spending a month in Scotland, a place near and dear to his heart. I dunno how many people get what he was talking about, but I did right away.

I probably couldn't describe feeling epic. I kinda did in a post a while back about feeling glorious. It's just feeling exactly what it sounds like: epic - larger than life, amazing, on top of it all. It's a great feeling...and sadly, as Deefs pointed out, hard to maintain [especially after something like a month in Scotland for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival]. As with Deefs, music is something that often provides that feeling. Last nite I went for a run and that definitely made me feel epic [it's nice when working out makes u feel spectacular as opposed to worn out]. But it's definitely something to strive for and more importantly to enjoy when it happens.

Life is full of all kinds of moments. Sometimes it's just really stinking hard. But through the difficult experiences I've faced [which I make no claim have been the most difficult], in the end each one taught me something important and helped me develop into the person I am now. The epic moments allow u to see that, in spite of anything bad that happens, good times will come too. They're both a necessary part of life...I honestly believe one wouldn't be what it is without the other...

and i don't care...

somehow it became 1:30-something and i'm not sure how. sleep is gonna happen soon but i wanted to write like i always do after making a run to the Bay. so yes, i made yet another run to the Bay area. this time the decision was made on saturday around noon or something. i was enticed by the promise of a 5 course meal with lots of bacon as well as good company.

anywho. my name is Louis and i'm addicted to spur of the moment trips from LA to the Bay area. =p the first step is admitting u got a problem, right? haha. there are too many good reasons to get up there and apparently there are reasons i didn't know about until recently. =p

well...as per the usual...highlights from my about 24 hours up in the Bay area:

• getting passed by a bootleg looking ambulance that had to be pushing 110 mph [and was not racing to pcick up/drop off anyone]
  
• mmmm...bacon [and a really good dinner in general]
  
• making fun of Babel [Surprise!]
  
• petrified babies
  
• continuing to get to know ppl better
• getting fished [that's actually more of a lowlight than highlight]
• watching Sam get 'fished' [now that was funny!]
  
• Noodle Theory
• hearing "Every Little Step I Take" as I switched CDs in my car...just the pick up i needed with about 40 minutes left in my drive and weariness setting in
  

not a bad list for such a short period of time. definitely worth the drive up...every trip to the Bay has been worth it. the best part? get to do it again this weekend! woohoo!

ok...now it's time for sleep.
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i still need and want to write about being epic. too tired to be epic right now, haha.

Driving without shoes on is weird.

hmmmm....

I'm noticing a decline in writing as of late. I think it's because I've said all there is to say, dropping all knowledge there is to drop. What can I say, I'm thorough. Ha! Honestly I think it's in part a side-effect of thinking about work a bit more since I'm still not getting through this assignment as fast as I'd like. It's OK and I'm just kicking myself a bit...but I'm also looking forward to getting through a first draft of it [hopefully early next week] and then getting to find some new work and new assignments. Hopefully something fresh will give me the kick I need.

So I'm in a funny mood as I chillax here at home tonite. I passed out for an hour when I got home from work and then went for a run and got in a bit of a workout. After watching a little TV I find myself jonesin' for music. Getting thru the all-time favs mix and then giving it a listen taught me a bit about my musical knowledge, preferences, tastes, and so on. There's definitely a certain sound to me [especially when it comes to hip-hop and r&b]. I think it's a good think but it also makes me want to take in other things and expand my horizons...or not expand them [because I feel they are quite broad already] but rather devote more time to stylings I might neglect.

I kinda want to go on a music binge and buy up a bunch of CDs [like Postal Service's Give Up, Common's latest Finding Forever, possibly the new Talib Kweli album Ear Drum, and other stuff]. But every time I end up getting a bunch of new music at once I tend to neglect at least some of it. Maybe I need to go thru my collection and put more time into exactly those albums I'm yet to fully appreciate. In the end I feel this funny mood of mine is really an urge to find new favorites out of what I already have...reflecting a sense of reinvention while also maintaining a certain identity or sense of myself...which is exactly what the past few months of life in general involved [and continue to involve]. It's a lot of fun, really rewarding, and just healthy.

On a side note, one thing I learned from the lasting favorites compilation is that many of my favorite songs are not favorites due to some sentimental meaning. As much as I lean on music during the hard times and find meaning in songs which act in an almost therapeutic manner, the songs that stay with me tend to be ones that reach me on an aesthetic level and hit my soul in an almost inexplicable manner. But gut feelings like that are pretty much how I roll in life...

Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart.
- Pablo Casals

I just stumbled across that quote on a post-it note saved on my computer [and wish I remembered it yesterday actually]. I have no idea how I came across it in the first place but I think it pretty much sums up exactly what I wrote above. I might replace "heart" with "soul" but in the end they're very much the same. Other great quotes can be found here. Seriously, that link makes me happy. Time to get save some more quotes...I loves me some quotes...

By the way, I absolutely love the pic on this post. Music....
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update: another great quote

Without music life would be a mistake.
- Nietzsche

super lates

i meant to write here earlier (i.e., at a reasonable hour as opposed to starting at 1:50 a.m., but whatevs). it's been a theme of doing things late today: staying at work until around 8 p.m. (no, i am not complaining and i know good friends of mine who hold it down significantly later than that), going for a run and getting in some exercise around 9 p.m., dinner at like 10 p.m., and now getting my blog on in the wee hours of the morning.

i spent the last i dunno how long consuming myself with working out the mixtape i mentioned before. mixtapes are fun! anyway, i accomplished my task altho some left over things need to be done. with the late start to being home, here i am now...

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i actually enjoyed being in the office so late. i wasn't as focused during the day as i could have been [read: severe case of writer's block] but i pushed thru and get into a bit of a groove. it reminded me of law school actually: holding down the gold room til closing time when hardly anyone else was around. oh how i miss thee Goldie. it's oddly my style to work at odd and later hours (maybe it's the added sense of pressure that pushes me). but it was just weird how during the day my office was completely not conducive to accomplishing much but as it grew later (and darker) i was happy i was there and wouldn't get work done anywhere else (heck, part of me wanted to take my laptop into one of the conference rooms and sprawl my stuff out old school style).

it felt good to get some work done and i think taking an approach similar to writing stuff in school helped. i kinda created a mental block for myself and over-thought things a bit, but it happens. the motion i've been working on is also the first significant legal writing i've done in terms of writing something for court [as opposed to a memo where u can get away with being slightly more retarded...something i specialize in...hahahahaha).

well, i really should get to sleep...altho i'm considering going in late manana and just staying later again so i can get a bit more sleep...we'll see how i feel when my alarm goes off tomorrow...hehe...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

damn!

Yes, I've used that image before but it's worthy of duplication [as is the font color...haha].

Query: what other artist [or band] has put out 3 stellar albums in a row, from the jumpoff? I've loved all 3 Ye albums and while I know there are many who may disagree [it's not my fault if you have poor taste in music, I feel sorry for you] he has put out 3 quality albums to start his career. I think most reviews will back up my opinion [while I'd prolly go a step further than most review in my personal enjoyment of his music]. But the simple fact that he keeps coming with it and coming correct...the level of music over time, expanding his sound while also staying true to himself...it amazes me.

ppl usually go wrong and start making wack isht, at least for a bit. this is especially true when they attempt to expand or grow as an artist. but the College Dropout was a real departure from all the "hip-hop" of the time. and with Late Registration anew sound emerged. as for Graduation, it too is it's own entity and a unique sound yet also familiar.

on top of bringing such quality music of his own and being able to create a unique sound each time around [while maintaining traditional and important aspects that make him who he is], think about how much production he does for other artists. if u look at the big picture, all the music he gets his hands on beyond his own personal stuff...i think it's pretty amazing what he's done with these 3 albums.

anyway, i like kanYe's music a lot, in case u couldn't tell.

an explanation...some explication

as for the last post...i own a lot of music. some people own more, others own less. i've been trying to compile a mixtape of sorts. in brief it's just a lasting favorites of sorts. it's a difficult task for someone like me because i loves me way too much music. but it's a fun experience to take some time to musically self-reflect. anyway...that's where the previous post came from...on to more serious matters...
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i grow frustrated with myself, for some things silly and other things somewhat more serious...let me get away from my point to hopefully get back to it [altho being the tangential person i am it may not work as planned]

i watched the VMAs the other nite. personally i enjoyed them. yes, britney sucked and just didn't even do what u could call a performance. but other aspects of the show were a lot of fun. seeing the artist performing these collabos together and just hanging out, basically partying together was a unique experience. in the end, it woulda been more fun to be there and just hang with everyone...but it was something different and something new.

so, i was talking with Peter today [someone who knows me as well as anyone in this world and prolly has a certain faith in me most others don't] and he said how he realized he should have been a DJ, that we both should have. this is definitely true. i started telling him about the VMAs and my thought and how i felt like that's kinda where i'm supposed to be. to get to the point of this paragraph, i wrapped things up by saying i'm gonna be heaven's DJ. i doubt i'll end up making music in this life...but one can hope for big things.

that's what i've been feeling lately. an urge to follow the dreams i had going into law school, throughout law school, and in the end every day of my life. i already wrote a bit about this but seeing the performances the other nite just set the tone even more for myself. i know where i'm at right now is just a step, it'd be a step no matter what i want to do. i'm just a little eager i guess, really wanting to do some of the things i think about, read about, hear about.

it's funny because i already talked to a couple of really good friends about this a while back, but they were (or are still in) the same position i am now, while i was jobless. i remember telling them that, while what they're doing now isn't where they want to be, it's an awesome step towards getting there...the same is true for me. it's just a matter of getting the best out of everything and using each opportunity to the fullest.

from another conversation today, u never know where life is going to take u [which also means that the steps we're all taking right now might be steps in a direction we didn't realize]. if u asked me a year ago where i would be right now, pretty much everything i would have said would turn out wrong. and if u told me the life circumstances of right now, my response would have been: crap, that sucks. but the funny thing is i'm really happy with life right now.

i'm happy with where i'm at, with where i'm heading, with the possibilities and opportunities that exist. in part we adjust to our circumstances. but we also mold those circumstances to who we are...or at the least we are capable of doing so. we can all own our lives, our situations...and i feel like i'm getting back to that quite a bit; i'm seriously happy about it.

it's good to feel more like myself and also just take more and more control of my life. i guess the good thing about the frustration i've recently is that it pushes me to figure myself out more: what i want out of life, the person i want to be in life...

anyway, i'm listening to the new kanYe right now. picked it up tonite after work and am having a personal listening party at home. hehe. i'm feeling it and the artwork of the album is just flat out amazing. bonus: the album came with a poster, which shall go up in the apartment somewhere soon. =] i could write more but i'm distracted by music and chatting...more later, including the topic of feeling epic.

today's grand realization

i own way too much music.

explanation to come later...

[in other news...i plan on buying at least one new CD manana, if not two. hehe]

the disappointment

it wasn't supposed to be like this; it was supposed to go this way. i thought it was better than this. i never imagined this happening; i've never felt this awful feeling before, never felt such disappointment and just plain bewilderment as well as frustration.

ok, it's only college football, some would say. but Michigan getting off to the worst start i've ever seen in my life is honestly heartbreaking. not only that, but losing to a team no one thinks they should have lost to and also losing in the way they did today just hurts. i spend some of my time furious but it's pointless.

maybe a lot of people won't understand any of this and just think i'm a silly fool [which, to be honest, i am]. but growing up in Ann Arbor was an amazing experience [for many reasons aside from the culture of Michigan football] and it ingrained a fierce passion for Michigan football in me, even tho i'm a Bruin. seeing the Maize and Blue, the uniforms, the Big House...knowing fall is coming and with it the beginning of a new football season...these things honestly move my spirit on a certain level. so, to get off to an 0-2 start [losing to the teams they did and in the fashion it went down today] just kills that part of me.

there are just some things in life that really matter to me. often something serious, something anyone would consider important [my family, my friends, the ppl i care about, and so on]. but then there are things like Michigan football, Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeetriot Pistons basketball, awesomely bad breakdancing movies from the 80s, and ridiculous but fierce allegiances and loyalties to other such 'trivialities']. part of me wants to just say: "I get it, it's just football" but then i want to punch myself for even thinking it. haha.

more importantly, i think life is about having things that matter to you. honestly, i can't imagine life without passions [mine including things like music, private dance parties at home, photography, and of course being goofy]. they help define us as people and they also provide outlets for expression or just plain old escapes from reality. i've met a few people in my life who didn't seem to be very passionate about anything and in the end they just kinda seemed to exist; they were just there in a way. it's hard to explain...and i'm not too great with words, haha. but knowing and meeting people who are passionate about things is refreshing and also inspiring.

anyway, Michigan lost again and it blows hard. but i still got love for my team and will rep them always. bring on the hate [which, sadly, there was a lot of after last week's loss - it's amazing when people actually take joy in another program losing...when they're not even affiliated with the school that won the game...but there's always haters]. i'll be on the floor in front of my couch again next Saturday for the next game...

Billboard review...

"(Billboard) - For Kanye West, "Graduation" is the next natural step in a progression that began with his 2004 debut, "The College Dropout." Plucking from influences as disparate as Daft Punk, U2 and the Rolling Stones, West focuses on such inspirational tracks as "I Wonder." Beyond his trademark looped samples, West stretches the production with synthesizers and arena-ready tracks like "Champion." The gritty "Barry Bonds" featuring the ubiquitous Lil' Wayne would've been better saved for a mixtape, but "Big Brother," West's ode to Jay-Z, has lyrics introspective enough to make fans cry. "Flash Lights" does a great job of reintroducing "Miami Vice"-esque keys, while "Good Life" featuring T-Pain is an instant hit. An impressively creative hip-hop album that could inspire West's peers to try new sonic avenues."

and...

Los Angeles-Thursday, September 13th
Meet Kanye West LIVE at Virgin Megastore at Hollywood & Highland on Thursday, September 13th at 9:00 PM. Kanye West will be signing copies of his new CD GRADUATION.
Purchase your copy beginning at 9am on September 11th and receive a wristband for the signing.That's Kanye West, Thursday September 13th @ 9:00 PM at Virgin Megastore at Hollywood & Highland.

Kanye will be signing copies of his new CD GRADUATION following his performance on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show taped at ABC.

Who wants to roll with me?

work

maybe i shouldn't do this but i guess the beauty of working in an environment like this is that in the end i just need to get my work done and bill my hours, how i go about doing so is somewhat irrelevant. i'm still at the office, waiting to leave cuz i'm meeting a friend in the opposite direction of home for dinner.

i'm noticing the sun is going down earlier and earlier each day. it kinda blows, but it's also strangely comforting in a way. i'm definitely more of a nite person than morning one. so maybe that's part of it. yet i know i'm not really going to enjoy waking up to darkness and leaving the office when it's dark as i'm sure i will in a few months. also, it gives me less time to rock my stunner shades! ha.

so, i've been thinking a bit about life situations and what not these days. in getting back to just being "Lou" again i spend time thinking about the things i'm passionate about in life, hoping to better align those things with what i do on a day to day basis. it's only been a couple months of work and i'm obviously not going anywhere anytime soon but i do feel like i'm getting a better picture of what i want to do with myself. it's not only in terms of careers. but importantly i think gaining experience and also learning about the experiences of others is actually beginning [slowly] to help me define myself or who i want to be when the next step does come around. the difficult part is it makes me want to fast forward in a way.

all along i felt this would happen. i never really took any time off from school or experienced the "real" world all that much. i loved school; it was a safe environment. i also feared what my parents would say to me just taking time off. but as i progressed thru school i knew i didn't have a solid idea of what i wanted to do with myself. law school became a possibility because i needed something to tell my parents when, during my second semester of freshman year, i told them i was switching my major from mechanical engineering to philosophy [my mom's response: what are u going to do with that?]

i went into law school hoping to do something in the arts. the arts have always been important to me: living in the darkroom at my high school seriously got me thru some hard times in life back then and since then just roaming around shooting some film continues to be therapeutic, not just enjoyable. my brother is an opera singer and i've always loved music. i never felt confident enough in any of my talents to pursue a career in the arts [and i will always look up to and respect my brother for pursuing his love of singing...not just the fact that he's successful but the fact that he did what i was afraid to]. so the plan became: get a law degree and use it in something involving the arts.

well, so far i'm not really doing that...i'm not complaining or getting down on myself. i'm lucky to be where i am and really am glad i'm here. it's a great opportunity to gain a ton of valuable experience and i try to each day. i guess all i'm saying is that i hope i don't lose my focus. i'm the type of person where being passionate about what i do is important. not only that, there are just things i want to do with my life [beyond the career as well] and i sincerely hope i get to do those things and make them happen.

anyway, just some ramblings as i think about dinner. oh...so hungy...foooooooood.

sleep...exhaustion

i just woke up...on the floor of my apartment [on the area where i have private dance parties actually] after lying down to listen to a couple songs [don't worry, it's clean]. honestly, i've struggled to wake up and get to work lately and also come so close to passing out every afternoon. in part it's just a mental thing [in 2 senses: just mental exhaustion which has honestly passed as i keep getting back to just being more of myself again and also just me saying to myself i'm tired]. but at the same time i tend to stay up too late and the last 2 weekends definitely did not come with lots of sleep...

so for once i'm just gonna call it a nite...line up a few songs to play as i fall back to sleep...

as i fell asleep earlier i thought about how sometimes i just need to shut my brain off or at the least just slow down a bit. i wanted to write here but knew i lacked anything relevant to say, even if my mind wandered and wondered about things any attempt at putting anything in this space would just be forced. just passing out early tonite i think is a way to slow down and take stock of things in a quieter manner.

it feels good to be home...

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lyric of the nite [from Talib's The Nature]:

Take my music like a drug and drop the needle in the same vein
I get a rush like I'm tweeking off blow
Except it ain't via the nose it's from deep in my soul

I need to make my office more conducive to working. =/ But a newer computer would definitely help.

excited

a friend sent me a link to listen to the upcoming KanYe West album in advance. i'm actually almost done giving it a quick run thru [it's too late to actually listen to every song the whole way thru] but i can tell u this: i'm mos def excited about this joint. i'd definitely say it's something different to the whole rap game and what not but i'm geeked. [seriously, who still uses or ever really used that term?]

is it next tuesday yet? things like getting excited about a record dropping make me feel kinda like a foolish little kid. but that's something i hope i never lose...a certain foolishness or maybe innocence or naiveté or something of the like...anyway, i'm giving the last track a listen now [so far i really liked Everything I Am and Homecoming [feat. Chris Martin of Coldplay]].

g'nite!

not the usual

as i drove home from work friday evening i hopped on the 5 as always. i got an urge to just not stop, head north all the way to the City and kick it with my ppls up there for the weekend. Peter got back that evening and the first Michigan football game of the season was on Saturday morning.

i wised up and figured if i tried to pull that move off i'd get there at like 2 am or something...not the most poppin time of day. so, i told myself: if u wake up at 8am without an alarm and there's no heavy traffic, get in your car and roll north. i somehow woke up but then crawled back into bed only to get a text from the Peter reminding me about the kickoff of the Michigan game. I felt that was enough of a reason to get up and drive to the City even if the Bay Bridge was closed.

as always it was a lot of fun. the usual festivities and debauchery and foolishness...and some fun new experiences as well as getting to know some ppl better. compared to some weekends it may not have been as "wild" but it was no less quality. some of the highlights [this has just become tradition now...even if it means me continuing to be lame]:

• finding an awesome parking spot for the weekend for Val
  
• awesome Scottish gifts from Peter and more importantly Peter being back from Scotland
• yet another 'croque monsieur' at Cafe du Soleil
  
• silly bar-hopping Saturday, ending up at Dragon Bar [of course]
• late nite Chinese food
• buying some stunner shades
• Superbad
• a return to Dragon bar the very next nite!
  
• Sam being awesome like only he can
  
• good company while walking around Rockridge [and Berkeley] and not being able to find a restaurant that was open...then going to Crepevine, leaving Crepevine, and then ending up back at Crepevine for lunch
• being told to f@#% my ipod [don't own one] and cell phone
  
• chillin for a minute with Deefs before hitting the road...glad u're back man
  
• making record time on the drive home

in an interesting twist, a couple of not-highlights from the weekend:

• Michigan losing to Appalachian State - this may be one of the most disappointing, heart-breaking things ever...EVER. ugh...it still hurts...=/ seriously, it's depressing me.
  
• dinner at Left at Albuquerque [holy crap i spelled that correctly on the first try!]
• getting the worst brain-freeze ever from drinking my margarita at Left at Albuquerque was too fast
  
• getting "fished" 10 times too many [i don't know if anyone who reads this will know what that means but don't ask...altho maybe it was a highlight]

One thing about San Francisco and the Bay area in general: when the weather is nice it's the greatest place on earth...or as good as any other place imaginable. Days when the fog doesn't roll into the City just blow my mind and bring this sense of joy to my soul. Ahh...

It's way too hot down here in LA. =/

just an fyi: i booked my ticket to fly up on the 21st of this month so be on the look out for me.
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i'm LOVING the first 2 songs listed on the "5 songs..." thing on the right. to be honest, when i heard the timbaland song on the radio i was trying to figure out who it was based on the vocals and i feared it might be an enrique iglesias song [and i thought to myself, "oh no...u like an enrique song [again]." finding out it was a timbaland song was quite the surpise. either way, i won't front...if i like a song, i like a song. u enjoy what u enjoy. as for the talib song...just good to hear his voice again...he's got a sweet cadence and a unique voice that combine for an awesome ability to spit lyrics. throwing JT on the track is nice and he comes off with some good soul. if u know what's good for u, u'll be sure to check both songs out...

music is the best. =]
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sometimes i like to dance on the BART platforms as i wait for the train to come while listening to music on my headphones. =p

and sometimes i just like to lie on my floor and listen to music...

at the pad...

so i made a mad dash to SF on saturday morning and had another great weekend. i just got back and polished off my mcd's that i grabbed once i got back into town. anyway, i'm exhausted from the drive down after hitting the road late so i'll write more in the coming days...time for the rest i planned on getting this weekend but didn't get since i got inspired. awesome weekend tho...everyday was a lot of fun and it was really nice to do something fun the day i left as opposed to just waking up and running to the airport.

anywho, more later...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

This is officially the worst day in the history of time.