------------------ ------------------ *** "Those are your shoes. These are my shoes..." -Slug *** ------------------ ------------------
"'Come to the edge,' he said.
They said, 'We are afraid.'
'Come to the edge,' he said.
They came.
He pushed them...
And they flew." -Guillaume Apollinaire
"Elevator" is one of the only straight-thru-listening albums I've acquired recently. Hot Hot Heat is a throwback in some ways (late 70s, early 80s New Wave-ish), but they've got a 90s Geek Rock sensibility thing going on too (a-la Weezer/Weenus...even, I daresay, Cake). They're so much fun. Reviewers keep comparing them to the Cure. I guess. Vocally, Steven Bays can sound like Robert Smith in places, just w/o the Prozac. If anyone, I'd cite the Cars, specifically frontman Ric Ocasek...who, by the by was named one of Stuff Magazine's Ugliest Men of Rock. Puaaaaaha. Anyways. I've been rocking them loud all afternoon. Exactly what I was looking for right now. Hot Hot Heat & MF Doom are what the Strokes & Atmosphere were to me in 2002. Wow, lightening can strike twice. Check out their latest video on Launch.
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This next piece goes out to Raven Bell. We've been down this road too many times. Just a couple days left. Let's burn this motherfucker down!!
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Jorge:I'm at Daytona Beach right now. 'Bout to head home and study.
Val: Man, it's raining like crap over here.
Jorge: It's completely sunny here. Can you hear the sound of the waves on the beach? I'll hold my phone up to them. Shhhhhhhhhh.... Listen....
Val: ....I'm going now, Jorge.
5.7.05
9:35 am
Aw, snap. :( Looks like I won't be able to see Paolo & Mike's new routine at the Bench tonight. Here's a hint:
Mr. P convinced me to go on a latenight Taco Bell run w/ him last night, and we ended up falling asleep watching TV. Which means an all weekender of cramming.
Those boys will be awesome, I'm sure. Hopefully they get it on tape and can show me & Bell later on tonight at our planned all-nighter at IHOP.
Damn you, Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes & Double Decker Taco!
...mmm, that does sound kinda good right about now.
5.6.05
6:28 pm
[She Got In!]
Wow, the GSPM??? I used to tune into their panels & lectures on C-SPAN & C-SPAN2 fairly regularly. I watched everyone from Tim Russert to James Carville & the Bush/Kerry campaign camps give talks. I'd look into audience and try to picture myself there...among all the older, more distinguished looking cats. The NY Times calls it the "West Point of the Political Wars." MAN, I have goosebumps. Check out the badarseness that is the GSPM program your damnself: GWU's Graduate School of Political Management.
American U's School of Public Affairs??? That's Top 10 in the country, nephew.
I think I'm going to cry.
I wish I had money. I wish I had a slightly less insane mom. Maybe a miracle will happen?
I don't know. Everything happens for a reason, so maybe this is just another one of those effed up blessings in disguise. You know, the kind where you work and work and work and feel cheated at the end of the day. The kind that you don't think will ever make sense, but will in the end have the best net influence on your life's path.
Maybe that's it. Until that day, I should keep my head and my prayers high. It's a shame I'm one impatient sonovabitch.
Forgive me if I sound bitter and ungrateful, Lord. I just needed a moment. At least I know I can get into good schools. One of these days, the timing will be right, and I'll be able to go. I just need to turn my pride, inherent rebeliousness, and -most importantly- my logic off, and let go.
Everything happens for a reason, right?
5.6.05
2:27 am
"I've given up on social niceities. I threw 'em out when I threw out your keys. Along with all your records I can't stand. You never even listened to any one of them..."
Catching Up Yah, I really should be studying. But my ass just had to get on AIM. Good things came of it, though. I recently undid my general block and tonight made strides toward realizing my New Year's Resolution of staying up on peeps. I talked to kids from the Canton Crew, my Berkeley days, my high school days, and old Kingwood peoples. I found out their happs & exchanged numbers.
!A round of applause is in order!
I've also been reading blogs by folks from the past lately. I'm ecstatic to see that yall are doing so well. Marriages. Babies. USC. Columbia. Michigan Law. Nursing school. Teaching careers. I'm sorry I haven't been around to witness preceding events; a good portion of the blame falls on me.
Detachment - that's always been my specialty.
I hope one day we can catch up. I miss you, or at least the memory of you.
I've said it before, but I'll say it again. You think certain people will be in your life always. Then they're not. And you realize you don't want them to be. Change happens for a reason. There is a part of me that wonders how things may have been different. There is a part of me that isn't sorry how things wound up. I don't mean to be callous. It's like that Beatles' song. If I haven't told you yet, thank you. For Everything.
Take care, all of you, and God Bless.
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* Went to Paolo & Claud's tonight briefly to meet their CFC full-time worker peoples. It was cute.
*
Bought a cup of coffee and decided to cruise around w/ Whitey, Mos Def & Ms. Fat Booty before re-entering academicosity. *
Dropped by el chapel to say a few words. Transitions are rarely fully comfortable.
*
Aw, Hot Hot Heat is cute. Even in spite of horrendously bad reviews on their follow-up. Haaah.
*
Random: Jorge can talk *
"...so here it is, your final lullaby."
5.4.05
7:39 pm
I think I'm in love. -------------------
Graduation Guest List Mark it down on your calendars, folks. Val's officially graduating at:
3pm, May 14 - George R. Brown Convention Center.
I'm awesome.
So yah, I just wrote up the preliminary guest list. There are 70ish or so possibles, but it's my thought that one third will show. The celebratory meal will occur at Kim Son. I'm excited. I'm gonna get my nails did, and I'm gonna figure out how to put my gown on. (It's way more complicated than I had anticipated). But it's all good, nephew. Whether I'm wearing that bitch backwards, forwards, or inside-out, I'm walking across that stage. SEE YAAAH! ----------------------------
It's weird. In a little over a week, I will be a non-college student. The realization sank in just a few minutes ago. Raven came by to pick up her keys and said that, after graduation, I could use my college ID for discounts being that I am still young-looking and way hot. (ok, I added that last part in there, but it is true, no? Ahaha).
And this concludes yet another chapter of Val's life. I will continue to mature, but I will never grow up. I'm a giant kid who will always watch cartoons, run through fountains, and play videogames. Whoever said giving those things up is part & partial to growing up is a lamer ;)
As much as I bitch & moan about the stresses of academic life, I love school. I love learning. I love pushing myself and constantly outdoing myself, in spite of myself. I'm glad I stuck it through. I wouldn't have had it any other way. At the end of the day, it does feel good to know that you can do anything you want to do with your life.
The worst of the semester is over, and I finally see the light! Oh, how glorious it is. AHahahaha!
Stay in school, kids.
Here's one for the homies...
Two hot people rocking way hot shoes.
Yah, the only reason I'm WITH Paolo is his argyle socks + New Balances. Waaaaay hot. I kid, I kid.
Me
Now
Then
Rings
Host
Pixes
"My aura's positive, I don't promote no junk. I'm far from a bully & I ain't a punk." -Tribe
