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12:34pm: chicagoing

3rd may 2005.
aragon ballroom
chicago, IL.

guess who just got his tickets?
yes!
i'll fly out to chicago just to see these bastards.
a one-off show.
this could be the last time.

6:32pm: Holy balls of balls! I'm sort of back.

11:43pm: "Birth of A Nation"


Happy 4th of July!

10:05pm: "}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}"
"Automatic Stop" by The Strokes is the BEST SONG ever written!

Don't argue with me.

2:35pm: "So Do 'Yer Wanna Be Le HIPSTER?"


Q Magazine ran this bitty a couple of years ago. Some of it rings true while the others are way off. The Ramones bit is pretty much on point.

Though I'm noticing that their fashion sense have evolved in the past couple of years. I have to admit The Strokes did save America's music scene with the release of Is This It?.

I do think that The Walkmen were overlooked when NYC crowned the boys as the Kings of New York.

Please NOTE: Remember, I always JUDGE people by the music they listen to. They could be the coolest people but if they have shite playlists or a a crap cd collection....I've pretty much written them off as DUMB and USELESS for listening to the kind of cds, records, tapes, they have on their coffee tables or cd changers! It's over. If your musical tastes differ than mine then it's not worth being a friend with someone.

9:21pm: "We Will Become Silhouettes"

"There's something appealing about her hipster feet!"

I took Erica to see The Strokes last Friday and she's still in awe about that gig to this day in the same vain that I am to be honest. I wasn't expecting much but the band proved me wrong. It was just a brilliant rock n' roll show. Though I've never seen so many Chuck Taylor Canvas Allstars worn in tremendous volume! The hipsters were out in full footwear gear but there's something very eyecatching about these shoes for some reason. Also, not to sound so melodramatic but I didn't hesitate to mention to her how Room on Fire saved my life literally in the same way that Interpol's Turn On The Bright Lights and U2's Achtung Baby have done. Oh phooooey!:)

I'm off to California on Thurs. evening for Coachella all this weekend. See some of you there, hopefully! 1st time in Cali in nearly 6 years too.:P Before I head off to the governator's state...Here's some albums for ya to check out!

1. Mono(from Japan) ***One Step More And You Die***--This is still the best hidden underground secret of the past few years. If Ian Curtis were still alive he would've already contributed vocals to a few of the tracks on this album or any of their previous EPs. They currently have a Japanese-only release that was recorded here in Chicago with producer Steve Albini. Unfortunately, the U.S. version won't be released here until September 2004. Click on 'My Website' above for band info.

2. Modest Mouse ***Good News for People Who Love Bad News***--There's something very soulful about this album. They remind me of this band that once existed called !!!(in indie-speak pronounced "chuh, chuh, chuh!"). Lots of brass and funky looping going on.

3.Blonde Redhead ***Misery is a Butterfly***--Japanese meddles with Italian soundscape. I don't know how to describe the sound of this album without publicly condemning it as another Sonic Youth knock-off. The band have been making music for years so there's much credit and praise to be said about this lady + 2 blokes trio.

4.the Beta Band ***Heroes to Zeroes***--not to be thoroughly confused with another band called, VHS or BETA, this quartet have created a gem with this release. It has that Interpol edge to it.

5, Interpol ***Love Will Get You Down***--This isn't an official release but a live bootleg of various songs and outtakes. This is a cd-r copy too that originally appeared online from an Mp3 source. Sound quality varies throughout the compilation. A great disc to have if you can actually find it out there.

Right on....Don't be a hipster!

1:26pm: "All That You Can't Leave Behind"
I'm on a roll mang! This is the most fun I've had in 4 years. Last night, she said.....I decided to throw a partayyyy!!! In this party we laughed and shouted and danced like people were lookin'. We kept the night HOT & SEXY!!! We had the ice chillin', the Cristal poppin', the rims blingin' and the playas hatin'. That's right! I'm finally graduating so y'know....gots to celebrate in style ya heard?

( The Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nobody to Fuck Wit! Click Here Now!Collapse )

10:34am: "She Says I'm a Slave to the Details"

singles remind me of kisses. albums remind me of plans. last night was love by the fire...

Playing with Crayons and doodling our lives away. On the way back we spot an extremely rare "Italian Redhead"(or as the italians in Maranello say, "Testa Rosa Cavillino!") at her parents neck of the woods and took a snapshot inside our state of the art "Riceburner" of an automobil. Stayed a while with her parental units and watched a great '80s classic, Gremlins on bootleg DVD. The original is still nowhere to be found. The Betamax version is still tops though.

Our love's subliminal.

8:28pm: "Bomb. Japan. Now"


Courtesy of:
http://www.U2japan.com

Go visit!

10:12pm: "....You See Your Love Made Complete....."

Alien Jourgensen. Baby holds chopsticks right. Drunken master
I took so long to figure out what this book was about. Now I write, when I'm on here, entries that you'll never get to look at and read. And everybody just lies in bed thinking about all the things they should have said. Does anybody care about us anywhere or here? No looking back cos you know the past will stay. I was pretty wasted last night. But here we are nothing but our beating hearts going far. Drowned in alcohol and migraines on what was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Achtung Baby on repeat last night and you finally listened to it in it's complete form track by track. You don't believe in anything you hear unless you can feel it too, right? Oh baby!:)

Take the map and point to anywhere. Everything is simply delicate. You are sooo loved and my weekend was great......Thanks for the Alien guitar player figurine!! Now, time to line up for your tickets next week..........:P

10:48pm: "10:54"
I'm seriously contemplating on not doing anything this weekend....for the Hallmark Holiday that is. Erica and I have "Valentine's Day" EVERYDAY....so what's new?? Hahaahaa. I may sound like an asshole but I'm just giving you the truth. If you're in love 'everyday' what's the big deal with February 14th? How about February 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th? Does our admiration for the significant other stop then? Bollocks, man!!!!!

Besides I may be at the hospital...and Erica has exams to study for sooooo....this weekend is what you probably will deem typical based on the personal schedules we both have.

On a final note, I'm thinking of growing an afro? Like an 'indie afro'. Look at band members today with their shaggy big afros and curly hair fros!!! It's awesome. If you walk down the street in Shibuya you'll see all sorts of Japanese afros!!!! Awesome!!!! Yeahhhhhh! Give me about 3-6 mos. and this hair will be shaggy!!!!

7:10pm: "Everybody Wants To Get Somewhere But They Don't Know The Way"
I'm back home in sweet ol' Chicago!!!!!!!!! I am freezing my balls off compared to the hot and mild climate of Texas! What a visit it was. Many stories to tell. Possible relocation. Many parties are interested in my services after all. More details to be released in the coming weeks and months leading to May 2004 and beyond. It's all about the element of surprise, folks.

Look who I came home to though:

"And when I see you, I really see you upside-down, but my brain knows better. It picks you up and turns you around..."


Awwwwww sappppy!!!!! My "indie queen"! I missed her like you wouldn't believe. Thousands of miles away and cellphone calls that went beyond my minutes was worth it. I got back to a warm apartment and freshly baked cookies!!!! ACKKKKKK!!!! I'm soooo sappy but it feels great to be Happy and LOVING another SOUL know what I mean? The infamous V-DAY is approaching and already I'm eyeing and planning on some gift ideas. The best one would be a couple of tickets to see those big rockstars,THE STROKES, @ The ARAGON Ballroom in April! Yup. That's what I'll be standing in line for on February 21st when the tix. go onsale to the public. Aura and I went massive record hunting for her on my last day in Dallas and found these that she couldn't find here in Chicago:

The Double--Loose Crochet(Paul Banks of The InternationalPolice Organization recommended this album by the duo from the Bronx, NY)
Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs--Live at Double Door(bootleg)
Coheed And Cambria--In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth. Okay, I admit this cd wasn't intended for her because it's for me! Haha! This is an interesting album.
The Stills--Logic Will Break Your Heart. I think they wanted to call the album "Love Will Tear Us Apart" but some other band already made that phrase famous. Hmmmmm........
The Kim---Kim. Seriously, the band is called "The Kim" and they're from Chicago too. But I had to go all the way out in Texas to find their album. Odd. They're all girls...and Korean.

Alright..time to eat some cookies...and uhm...have mad, passionate, sex</i> I've-missed-you-conversations...no...just listen to cds for now. It's great to be back. Yeah.;)

12:20pm: "Cowgirls and 'INJUNS'!"

"All My Ex's Live in Texas. Fuck-HerPucker-Up!"

Herro from TEXAS! I'm in a state of drunken bliss here in Austin to be precise. The cigarettes and alcohol have been plentiful. My interviews start tomorrow and I spent Saturday and Sunday boozing and galvanting around downtown with some familiar and not-so-familiar folks are proof that life is not so shite after all, know what I mean? The South By Southwest(SXSW) Music Festival takes place here every summer I believe. Downtown Austin is just smothered in great local music. On Sunday, the tatooed vixen=Aura(Look at that stuff on her shoulder!) made way to some of the pubs and clubs that featured live acts. The scene is fascinating because you get see metalheads mixing it up with the indie/emo-sheemo-rockers. You hardly get to see that in local clubs in Chicago or any other place I think. We thoroughly enjoyed The Pelicans perform.

All in all I was a good boy. Aura was a great sightseeing/tourguide for the weekend. We even made out in the car! Haha. Nope. Just kidding! She's HOT, HOT, HEAT regardless. Nevertheless, everyone was out and about yesterday because of the Superbowl in Houston but Austin was still a happenin' place to be all weekend. Now, I have to go purchase a suit for the interviews this week. I didn't even bring a tie! My clothes were all in a duffle bag because I didn't expect to be in a suit and tie apart from the hospital visits and whatnot. I brought tons of shorts and jeans instead and I was off in a jetplane last Friday night. Blehhhhhhhhhhh.

Texas has been cool so far! I still miss my pooh bear back home.;)

Peace out, homies!:P

ps. I still have hopes and aspirations of Pissing on the Alamo! Haha. Viva Le Ozzy!:)

9:21pm: "TEXAS is the Place!"
Land of beers, steers, and bandits and a boring Superbowl matchup! This weekend and much of the following week will involve a series of interviews with Austin State Hospital, HEALTHSOUTH Surgical Hospital of Austin, and Dallas Southwest Medical Center. To be honest, I don't think anybody seemed interested in me and my residency portfolio except for these three hospitals. I was getting a bit worried from not hearing from anybody outside of the state of Texas but these three will suffice considering they all have strong ties to University of Texas' Health System/Network. Fuck it...I'll take anything and anybody right now...any place but Chicago!!! I'll be flying out Friday night and we'll see what these interviews have in store...and have a beer and steak to go along with my cowboy boots and hat...yyeeeeeeraaaaaaayaaaa!!!!!!????(*Howard Dean Scream*)

I'll leave it at that y0!

I'm gonna miss my baby elephant too for the weekend. Poo.(*feeds her with peanuts*)



Am I sick? Yeah, yeah, yeah.:P

ps. I'm starting to get into 50cent music. I feel it. I own it deep in my heart. It's all about 50 these days! Viva le Fittty!!!!!

7:09pm: "SNOW-JOB"

We keep it real in the 'hood.

Erica and I stayed in and baked cookies. Baked cookies you ask? Yes indeed. The snow just kept falling all weekend and the car was buried in a ton of icy, white shite. So, all of a sudden we get this idea of running around in our underwear in the apartment and baking cookies at the same time!!!! I found it very erotic and fascinating to say the least. Can you imagine me in my leopard-skin speedos? I know you can! We also listened to the Outkast album that she bought which is quite a shaker!!! Fallling snow always gives me the creeps for reasons still unknown. I always think of James Joyce's The Snow and how it symbolized male impotence and was a deterrent to growth and maturity in our lives especially that of relationships. Strange, strange, strange thoughts.:) I feel like taking a garden hose and watering all everything down and turn the streets and sidewalks near the apartment into dangerous black ice. That's a plan! Where's my hose?

Yes, we cannot leave this entry without some deep reflections from le girlfriend that she once pontificated in some type of written correspondence......



"I came upon a doctor(*May 21st!), who appeared in quite poor health. I said there's nothing that I can do for you, you can't do for yourself. He said oh yes, yes you can, just hold my hand. I think that would help. So I sat with him awhile, then I asked him how he felt. He said I think I'm cured. No, in fact, I'm sure of it. Thank You stranger, for your therapeutic smile!"---Erica Smell-ica




The stuff she wrote above sounds like a song. "You're soooo cute when you're sedated, dear!" I do graduate on May 21st 2004. I think, I hope I do. Erica still has 2 years left. She's right though, man! If not I'm gonna take up the guitar and form the best band in the world and we're gonna get everyone's knickers in a wad!

5:55pm: "TOP *7* ALBUMS that ALTERED LIFE"
1.Achtung Baby-U2(1991)...Quite possibly the band's BEST album. I just remember listening to the album and repeating "Ultraviolet(Light My Way)" over and over. I also remember setting up the VCR and recording the first single/video off the album, "The Fly" off of cable/local/access/undeground video show, JBTV, and thinking that it was 'weird'. In fact, the host Jerry Bryant thought that U2 had finally gone apeshite with the album and the sound! Then, of course, there was "ONE" which is just a classic track. I also remember that this was the album that would repeat itself because it was the only one on the 1 disc cd player. This album helped me through the start of puberty which I haven't completed just yet.

2.Turn On the Bright Lights-INTERPOL(2002)...What could I possibly say about this album? Another lifesaver. I just remember being drunk and lousy one evening and going to their website per boomtownrat's suggestion and getting a glimpse of what the band was all about. Then, a cousin of mine gave me a CD-R copy of the album and that was it! "NYC" is a stand-out track that harkens back to old U2 along with another track called "The New". The songs, the lyrics, all made sense at the right time at once.

3.Brotherhood-NewOrder(1986)..."Bizzare Love Triangle" and "Every Little Counts". I also remember the Chicago Bears winning the Super Bowl that year or the year before and "Bizarre Love Triangle" was all over the news casts which I find strange now that I look back on it.

4.Substance 1987-NewOrder(1987)...Ok this album is pure grammar school days material!!! Classsic. My older brother had the 2 cassette-set(double vinyl album/now 2CD) back in '87 and I remember the second cassette's audio reels came off because the tape rewinder on the ol' tape deck ate it up. We then attempted to replace the cassette with the 2-CD set when we finally bought a cd player in 1988. Unfortunately, was one of those knock-offs(1 penny club) that Columbia House does and they put their little disclaimer saying it's a Columbia House cd in the back. Pure crap once they do that! All in all, it's a good collection that binds together their catalog of songs from approx. '81-'86 in their post +Joy Division+ days.

5.Unknown Pleasures-Joy Division(1979)...All the songs that Ian Curtis ever wrote and sung are now part of history. I first dabbled into their music via older brother who would constantly mix it up once NewOrder was on the tape decks. It was either or. Tape deck 1 would have NewOrder and Tape Deck 2 would have Joy Division.

6.12-Inch Singles-MINISTRY(1985)...This is probably one of the most pioneering industrial albums of all time. This was when Ministry(Al Jourgensen) was just getting started with the infamous WAX TRAX! record label. That year WAX TRAX! went on to bring bands like KMFDM, FRONT242, MY LIFE WITH THE THRILL KILL CULT, etc. to the fold. Industrial music would never be the same. It was harder-edge than Kraftwerk material and synthesizers and grinding-drilling-noises/samples were on the underground. I do remember getting my first listen/exposure to Ministry's music via "Everyday Is Halloween" from a 12" vinyl that my brother had. I think without Al Jourgensen, without Ministry, without WAX TRAX! there would be NO TRENT REZNOR/NIN or Marilyn 'HANSON' out there.

7.White-Beatles(1968)...I have a bootleg 2CD Mono version boxset copy which was similar to the original double vinyl released in 1968. It's not remastered or digitally 'tweeked' the way the 1988 2CD Stereo version was. The album grew on me when I was an undegrad. I remember living in the dorm and waking up to "Back In the USSR" blasted to maximum levels that I was written up multiple times by the RA's living in the dorms. It was all good fun. Not many like this album except for me. I liked it when the Beatles were on drugs. Drugged-up/strung-out Beatles! They made better music with the use of LSD and heroin too post 1967! Music + DRUGS...they go together. It's all on this album. Don't listen to this when you're drunk.

9:47pm: [It's Hard To Remember That We're Alive for the First Time]

Geisha
The effects of food poisoning is strikingly similar to that of influenza. Your body goes into shock as the toxins spread, and it enters into survival mood. It's funny how people nod knowingly when I say that, hinting that lamb is one of the foods(along with fish and pork) where disaster is just a microbe away if not prepared and cooked properly. Damn! I think I'm suffering right now from Friday's dinner! Shiet...I still have a residual headache, weakness a couple of days later. And my digestive system is still quite picky about what and how much goes in.....fuck.....this has been my weekend...

Moving on.

I've been so used to seeing movies by myself that it often comes as a shock to me that seeing a movie through somebody else's eyes can definitely alter the experience. Big Fish is a 'chick flick'. Seriously, I realized that when Erica started sniffling(no spoilers!). Until then, I was more focused on the story and how it was being told rather than the emotional impact. Never again. Sometimes it helps to be told these things.

Finally, Erica and I went to my dad's house. She's been wanting to know more about my family. Not much to say most of the time other than the fact that dad lives with the fear of Mad Cow disease. She's been to the cemetary with me twice to visit mom's gravesite and it just feels strange at times. Again, Erica started sniffling. I don't even cry anymore. Who cares about crying?

10:33am: [Sick Machine]

Don't say I didn't warn you! THE CHINESE STARS have arrived folks! Their weapons of choice: a box-cutter guitar line that when it get tired of slicing, plays mean craps with your eyeballs for dice; a staccato bass cleaver whose slice is as devastating as its stab; brass knuckles for drum pedals; and a snare played which combined, are the Tyson of heavyweight pound to your Little Mac skull! They even slice up the Mooney Suzuki!!!!! The Mooney who? Nevermind kiddies. THE CHINESE STARS are the real deal!!!! There's no other Chicago band that I'm excited about except these lads. They're gonna be mega! You better check them out before they slice your throat and make you cry!;)

http://www.thechinesestars.com

ps. They also kill Ninjas!

8:48pm: [Hey]
I'm bumming around in my speedos half-buck naked all day. Screw conventional clothing! We're all naked underneath our clothes anyhoo, eh? I was at Borders(bookstore) with the cutie yesterday looking to cash in on gift certificates and see what's interesting on the bookshelves. As usual I have to take a trip to their extensive collection of magazines because what's the use of going to Borders without taking a glance at the zines? That's right...all the magazines I can ogle over! I"m diggin' through piles and piles of stuff until I see the new edition of the UK's NME(New Musical Express) zine with the notorious Gallagher Brothers(Oasis) on the cover. Interesting article there as usual predicting a big comeback for the band in 2004. I mean, you'd hear the usual soundbyte from Noel about how he hates this band and that band and all the rest. Very entertaining schtick, Noel! Unfortunately, there was no bits on the little Gallagher, Liam. Though he was sporting this new haircut on the cover that was not very English moptop-Mod or even Lennon-esque looking. I found that to be quite odd. I too, have been inspired to grow my hair out and have a fuzzy afro a la every "The" band out there these days! I want fuzzy hair! ACK!!!!!!!!

Okay...my cutie ended up buying this cd by the Postal Service. I'm addicted to that one track called "Such Great Heights". Not bad....THE POSTAL SERVICE....that's what they're called. Seriously...I'm addicted to indie now...

11:52am: "On New Year's Day!"
I have headache.:(

Spent New Year's Eve with cutie and stopped over at Dad's since he was spending it alone apparently. Was watching some of the local tv coverage of some of the parties that were going around town. The Metro had the Violent Femmes performing, House of Blues featured Guster, and the major New Year's Eve gig in town had The Flaming Lips with The White Stripes at the Aragon Ballroom and tix. were running at $90 a pop from what I heard. So totally missed out on the festivities but I couldn't complain 'cos Erica was with me and dad was just being his party-pooper self anyway........

Hey check out my new icon!!!! Yeah...cool stuff eh? Designed by the very cool, and quite talented Miss cherry_divinity. I love it!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks again....hahah...they played Las Vegas last night too and you could only imagine how that turned out!

It's 2004.......

2:03pm: "I"m NOT your Friend....I Nevvvvver WAAAASSSSS!"
The BEST SONG of the latter portion of 2003 was:

"AUTOMATIC STOP" -The Strokes

Damn! I wish I had written this song. It's soooooo soulful.

7:49pm: "I'm Dreaming of a WHITE X-MAS!"
This year's X-MAS extravaganza will be spent at my girlfriend's WASPY home!:P Hahaha. They're cool people...really...just a change of pace for me considering it's NOT going to be an Asian X-MAS for once. Seriously, the holidays have been different for the last 4 years or so. Dad always has previous plans, my brother is usually with his in-laws, and last year was spent in Disneyworld with the ex-factor who didn't appreciate all the prizes I won for her at that depressing themepark.

I'm looking forward to X-Mas being with a 'family' this year. This chinky boy is comin' to the caucasian family's dinner table!!!!!!!! And he's taking along some sake to set the night on fire!!!!!!!!!!!

ps. All I've been listening to these days is THE STROKES. I've become this big STROKES head in the past few. Plus, Erica absolutely adores them...so she's got me into their stuff more often than not lately. Good honest tunes, I tell ya!:)

11:08am: "Fuck Goin' To The Party"
"We can go and get 40s...fuck goin' to the party. We can go and get 40s...fuck goin' to the party."

The Strokes Room on Fire album is consuming me.

1:36pm: "Battle Royale Revisited"
Battle Royale Revisited!!!!!!! Battle Royale Revisited tonight!!!!!!!! My brother's in town and we're invited to this Asian Horror Film Festival somewhere in the boonies with other Asian geeks and quite possibly foreigners with Asian fetishes. I always wondered why in the film Shura's dad dies with his pants down. Was that supposed to be an 'auto-erotic asphyxiation' sort of thing? For those of you that haven't seen this film based on the novel by Koushon Takami....YOU MUST!!!!!!! Ultra-violence to the core which is a satire in and of itself in regards to our surival-of-the-fittest modern society. If people were saying Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill was "bloody" then you haven't seen nothin' yet with Battle Royale!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay...okay this is all. Maybe another update to come later or whatever.......

11:07am: "Hot HOT HOT!"
Did I mention that my girlfriend is HOT, HOT, HOT!!!!!!!!??? Halloween was such a blast this year. No fights, none of this "I wanna go home already!" bullshit from people I went with last year either. I also got a big 'treat' after all the tricks back home from the HOT, HOT, HOT girlfriend!!!!!!!

She was Little Red Riding Hood with a gothic flair this year. HOT Damn!!!! I was a plain 'AzN Guy' that listens to shiet music, drives a rice-rocket, and has spikey hair this year. BorrrrrrrringGGGGGGG!!!!

The sex is good. And NO ONE is complaining.:)

Fast and Very Furious,

AL-Qaeda