Rest In Peace

This is much too long over due.
Thanks for being such a good friend to everyone.
I wish there could be more people like you in the world.

I know everyone misses you.
I know I do.

It really is a shame, the things that happen.

Goodnight, James.
August 24, 2008

what happened?

what happened?

On Vacation

Okay. Just because I'm on vacation doesn't mean I'm not going to blog.
Just a little differently.
I'm sitting on a balcony looking out to the Gulf of Mexico.
It's quite nice.

Especially, after two days in a car to get here.
That was a killer.

Oh, I might as well show you what the view looks like, too.

It is nice, isn't it.
You must be extremely jealous.
Now if there was something we could do about this heat.

Yao Ming and Verne Troyer

I remember seeing the commercial and laughing my ass off.

Darren Robinson greets us from backstage

Right after getting his haircut.

Thanks for being so awesome!

Stop Teasing Me, Won't You Take It Easy

So tonight was AMAZING.

PHANTOM PLANET IS (and if you manage to find/read this blog, YOU ARE) AMAZING!

Me and my friends skipped out on Jack's Mannequin AND Paramore to hang out with them.

And let me tell you, they were all so nice.

I saw/met Darren first.

And there is a difference between seeing and meeting.

First off, he walked down the block.

I noticed him.  I spazzed.  I didn't say anything.

Later, we saw him backstage.

We were by the fence because my friend was feeling light headed.

Alex even walked by, but he seemed a little creeped out when I noticed him and called his name.

But please, I was there to see PHANTOM PLANET!

We started singing bumper to bumper.

He had someone come by and video tape us.

Then, he came by and heard us sing it.

"It's awesome that you guys know that.  I didn't think anyone knew that."

The concert was amazing.

It seemed like we were the only one's who knew who they were.

I'm sure they expected to walk onstage and not here our cheers.

Think again.

Jeff walked onstage to set up the drums.

I didn't notice that it was him at first because HE GOT A HAIRCUT!

But it was an awesome one.

So my friend and I shouted "We love your haircut!"

He heard us and smiled.

Sam walked on stage, too.  Of course we cheered for him.

Alex walked on and work on the mic.  Cheered for him, too.

We jumped and thrashed and sang along to every song we knew,

and even some we didn't.

(but only a few)

Phantom Planet put on a great performance.

No lie.

I liked it better than a couple of months ago,

when I saw them with another band.

The crowd, was worse.

We knew who they were.

No one else did.

We knew the words.

No one else did.

They all hung around during the end of the Jack's Mannequin set and the beginning of the Paramore set.

We stayed, chilled, and talked with them.

We talked about their youtube videos, bubbles, and being short.

(well, that last one was mostly Darren and I)

We talked to Jeff about his haircut.

And then he let us touch his hair.

Sam made me feel short,

and then shrunk down to my shortness to give me a hug.

(I got hugs from everyone, though)

It was amazing.

Darren gave me his guitar pick.

I think I'm gonna put it on a necklace.

Darren is the shit.

Honestly, they all are.

I WANT [MORE EMPIRES] BLOOD

I just got back from the Empires concert.
It was absolutely incredible.
I couldn't stop jumping and tapping to the beat the whole time.
Everything they played off the album sounded exactly like it sounded on the album.

I took some video from what they said was a new song.
It's a lot shaky, because despite the fact I didn't know what it was, it was really good.

I met Sean Van Vleet, Tom Conrad, and Max Steger.
I told Tom that I adore his photography.

They were all amazing.

I hope to catch them next time they go on tour!

I forced my friend to take this photo for me. I saw the drums and spazzed out.

Video will be uploaded at a later time.
I'm feeling kind of lazy, right now.

Concerts(plural noun)

Getting ready for Empires tonight.
It's gonna be bloody mazing.
They're gonna tear the house down.

Getting ready for Paramore/Phantom Planet tomorrow.
I hope Phantom Planet do an acoustic set.
Really badly.

Alex Greenwald is the shit.

gershwin.

I saw this commercial last night during the olympics.
I adore it.
I've always loved Rhapsody in Blue since Fantasia 2000.

which segway's me into this
Fantasia 2000 really opened my eyes to a lot of great music.
Although, enjoying art the way that i do
i quite liked the animation :]

Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin


Pines of Rome by Ottorino Respighi


Firebird Suite- 1919 Version by Igor Stravinsky

the olympics

watching the parade of nations
is really quite eye opening
because you watch all these people
all these nations
and you realize how we're all related
how similar we all are.

every time a country walks in
someone announces their name
not just on television
but in the family room as well

jamaica walks in and i can hear my next door neighbor screaming.
israelwalks in and my grandmother is screaming.
uruguay walks in and i'm thinking of gabe saporta, silly, i know.
i can almost smell how good the indian people probably smell.
i know my cousins are screaming their heads off when the canadians walk by.
i used to go to school with someone from argentina, now i babysit his sister on saturdays.
my dad, when he claps, it's really loud, and that's what we hear when latvia walks in.
my brother is discussing how one of the divers from great britain is his age.
i'm watching france walk in and smirking, because i'd probably understand most of what their saying.
my brother shouts "america!" as the u.s.a. walks on.
my brother is friends with an irish punk band, so when ireland walks in he yells "defiance."
across the street from me, i have neighbors from haiti.
i'm thinking of one of my friends when the philippines walk on, he's from there and he goes there almost every summer.
and my neighbors are probably joyed when they see vietnam walk on.
i have to point out portugal to my grandma but when she notices it's them i can hear the smile on her face.
new zealand walks on and now i'm thinking of stereogram, a band barely anyone remembers, but are/were really good.
those from italy look as if they are all part of one big extended family
my brother mentions a friend of his who moved back to serbia when the serbian team walks on.
a man from germany has the five rings shaved off from his hair, it's that kind of excitement that is fun to watch.
austrailia looks like they are having a blast. i think of michael guy chislett. always with the bands, but when it applies, i like to make mention.

i watch spain walk through
raphael nadal is a tennis player
and he is gorgeous
my grandmother is saying that he is cute too

my family and i were arguing over whether or not the green shirts of the lithuanians were a good choice
i thought they were pretty

antigua is pronounced an-tee-gah
and not an-tee-gWa

a guy from finland looked like he did the shut up and let me go sign
it made me chuckle just a little
at where my mind is, and all

both canada and the u.s.a.
upon noticing cameras
excitedly scream, shout, and cheer towards them

my grandmother keeps asking
"where are the netharlands? where are the netherlands?"

austria are filled with glee and energy as they walk in
starting a group cheer

one guy walked in holding his nations flag in one hand.
perfectly straight.
i think he was from denmark.
and the look on his face was unlike any else.
what a look of pride.

finally, out walks china
with a face that even i recognize holding the flag
a mr. yao ming
next to him is a little kid
lin hao
who saved some of his classmates
because he felt it was his job as the hall monitor
yao keeps putting the edge of the flag in the boys face
just for giggles.

it's beautiful watching all the people walk through
holding their cameras and camcorders
and laughing with their friends

all the smiles are beautiful.
especially on the flag holders.
their smiles are brightest.
i wonder how they must feel at that moment in time.

the guy looks like he is running across the top of the stadium.
AND THE OLYMPIC TORCH IS LIT.
and the city goes up in fireworks.
how amazing.
how beautiful.