2 January 2003
This is the end of the wildly text-oriented Winter Blog. It will now be hosted at Tripod's archives.
Check the Carleton site for a new blog.
I wonder how long I will be able to stand this title. I like it two minutes into the blog. I also wonder how long I will be able to stand the decorations around the text. We shall see.
2003 started out with me driving to Carleton with my stuff and my parents and without my winter jacket. Hopefully that will arrive in the next few days c/o my only St. Olaf acquaintance. the trip featured Pink Moon and Five Leaves Left, both by Nick Drake, The Boy with the Arab Strap by Belle and Sebastian, the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack (which was sung along to at the end of 2002) and American Beauty by the Grateful Dead. We stopped at Wal-Mart, where I got a 3-subject notebook and an electric toothbrush, and at Culver's, where I ate a sourdough melt, fries, some onion rings, some custard and drank a root beer. Upon arrival at Carleton I set up my room, ate dinner, checked mail and got my computer up and running. In Max's room I listened to the latest Badly Drawn Boy CD, a sampler from CMJ, his cousin's band (or someone he knows) and Pavement.
By the way, I have just finished the second disc of Pavement's newly released Slanted & Enchanted: Luxe & Reduxe; it is fantastic. The record itself, the first fourteen tracks, was fantastic and the rest of the stuff, 34 tracks both live and in the studio, are all also fantastic. At regular expensive-CD price, I got 48 tracks. Fantastic.
Today I have downloaded music from Max and from Gnucleus (No Use For A Name, The Streets, Stereolab) and some other stuff that I will mention if I ever deem it worthy. I bought my books and used the internet. It has been a good 25 hours. This term has a better outlook than last term except for the weather.
4 January 2003
I capped yesterday off by going to dinner and watching USC destroy Iowa and spending some time in Max's room.
I enjoy the new Badly Drawn Boy, albeit differently than the first.
Math and Computer Science classes went smoothly today; I have almost completed my homework for the weekend.
I listened to the new Sigur Ros (it has yet to impress me as much as Agaetis Byrjun) and something else by Stereolab that I enjoyed. I am nearing the end of A Year at the Movies, and will now proceed with a quotation:
"Men as a gender group love action movies and dopey comedies full of condom and poop jokes, and they want to sit in the 'sweet spot'. They spread out. They slump. They want their eyes filled with sound and motion because it will partially take their mind off sex for a short while."
Ohio State beat Miami 31-24 in double overtime, coming in 13 point underdogs, to win the Fiesta Bowl and, by extension, the national championship. it was indeed fulfilling to witness a team I have followed for many years (as long as I have been watching television) finally reach the highest level. Personally, I am of the opinion that providing an entertaining game, every week or day as the case may be, should be the goal of any sports team. Therefore, I sometimes get upset at good coaches and players being traded or let go simply because they can't "win the big one". It was, however, a very nice feeling as I watched the Buckeyes win their 14th game (the most ever by a division I-A football team). It was an amazing season and an incredible finish with some of the most effective defense I have ever seen, on both sides of the ball. Craig Krenzel, without any big numbers, may have been the most important quarterback in college football this year, and it was nice to see someone trustworthy at the helm.
I worked today for the first time this term. We were short a person and therefore didn't get all the bulk mail delivered. I closed everything up at 2.00pm.
I ate at the snackbar, where the computer was causing some confusion. Apparently Sodexho Marriott doesn't know what meal plan students have so they have to write everything down. At least I didn't have to pay cash for my meal.
After that I scanned pictures at the CMC and created a web page for them. It looks pretty good although there are one or two pictures that I don't have for some reason.
6 January 2003
Last night was mostly boring. I finished the book I was reading and I think I must have done something with the computer. I went to Cristina and Susannah's room for a while.
Today I went to brunch, watched an exciting football game between the Browns and Steelers (I also saw the 49ers beat the Giants before The Simpsons), and I worked with my computer. For some reason it had a disaster and didn't load anything when I started so I spent roughly seven hours today fixing it and getting everything back where it is supposed to go. I suppose everything is in its right place now.
Math and CS classes were fine today, as were work and lunch. Film History and Criticism was interesting but it is too bad that our evening screenings conflict with both Singers and Film Society. I finished my CS after Singers so tomorrow I have only to read two chapters for film class and do problems for Calculus. I also get to pick up my winter coat tomorrow at St. Olaf and, as a result, send a UPC to my parents.
9 January 2003
Tuesday, I got my winter coat, I read the first two chapters of The History of Narrative Film and sang.
Wednesday, I went to class, worked (where I learned that I will be paid to become a student driver), watched Birth of a Nation (which was largely a pain to sit through, although I admit that it was some good filmmaking for 1915).
Thursday, I need to mail a UPC. I also need to watch David Letterman because Interpol will provide the live entertainment at the end of the show.
11 January 2003
I watched David Letterman on Thursday and saw Chuck Barris but Interpol switched to Wednesday and I missed them.
I took a nap yesterday because I didn't feel well. I watched Magnolia and many music videos.
I learned how to drive today. I saw Panic. It was, though not great, very good in some ways.
13 January 2003
I am in Max's room. We are listening to Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips for the second time tonight. Last night we listened to Southern Devils by Pimpadelic two times after watching Election.
Today I had Pancakes. I watched some of both football games and did my calculus homework at that time. I watched The Simpsons and wrote my CS program. I have now programmed in C++.
I went to all of my classes and to work and to Singers and to the library to watch a film on Oscar Micheaux and race movies and to the KRLX All-DJ meeting where I picked up an application:
Something Other Than Else
KRLX 88.1FM Northfield, Minnesota
Saving the world through rock'n'roll. One song at a time. On a toasted bun. With mustard. Honey mustard. And maybe accompanied by an iced tea, but not necessarily. Freshly brewed, in any case. Freshly brewed indeed.
Featuring: The Velvet Underground, Radiohead, Bob Dylan, Wilco
14 January 2003
I stayed up too late last night and as a result today will not be as great a day as previously envisioned.
15 January 2003
Today is the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.
I fell asleep in film class and in our screening today. I need to get enough sleep if I plan to watch a movie. I also attended Film Society's screening of Ratcatcher. It was powerful; I understood what the critics meant by 'lyrical'. At times the dismal environment surrounding the main character and his family is almost too much, but in the end the film, rather than overwhelming the viewer with sadness, it exposes the ability of children to soldier on through hard times.
The United States of America has gone mad.
'I believe there are people out there who buy Baker's books - the nerds of this world buy Baker.' - John Updike in the Guardian's review of A Box of Matches by Nicholson Baker, with whom I have discussed urination strategies for public restrooms.
17 January 2003
I had a difficult time with my alarm clock this morning and woke up later than I'd've liked. There were no serious consequences other than the fact that I finished my homework at 12:26. Indeed, I worked at the Post Office, signed up for the Lakeville Movie Bus (I will see About Schmidt or maybe The 25th Hour), volunteered at The Clothes Closet for the first time (gathering loose hangers from among the clothes in the store), read a mass for a comps project, read at the library, did my calculus and read more film history. I also downloaded a lot of Sleater-Kinney, most of which I have listened to. It is now time to eat pizza.
I soldiered through both classes today. I even made it to Calculus on time, remembering that we start 10 minutes early on Friday. Mary Frances Berry gave a solid convo, our second in two weeks. I had my luncheon at Burton with Maxwell, Cristina and Anna. At the library, I read Film Comment, The Nation and Screen, which included a great analysis, by Jeffrey Sconce, of recent 'ironic' cinema, or 'nihilistic' cinema as its detractors have termed it. His examples included Ghost World, Magnolia and American Beauty. I checked out books by Pauline Kael and Douglas Coupland for enjoyment. I listened to Pinkerton after scanning pictures at the CMC. I went to dinner. I played darts, where I took the tie for high score with Geoff, at 126, two hair's breadths away from 166. I listened to Play by Moby and some of the New Order I downloaded. Now I am going to Lakeville.
18 January 2003
To pass the time before the film, I listened to Weezer's Blue Album, along with Pablo Honey, and read some of Douglas Coupland's Generation X. I sat about halfway back in the theater, a little to the right. Thankfully there were no ads for the theater or their concessions, although the previews and gobbledygook before the feature were plentiful.
About Schmidt
2002
Jack Nicholson
17 January 2003
Lakeville Theater
Jack Nicholson played a sad man, just retired from the Woodmen Insurance Company, recently widowed and preparing for his daughter's wedding, which he wants to stop. Through his travels in his RV (which he bought 50-50 with his wife at her request before she died) we understand more of the type of man he is. Much of the backstory and narration is provided through letters Nicholson writes to a child in Tanzania, named Ndugu, whom he sponsors through a relief agency he saw Angela Lansbury promote on TV. The correspondence provides a good ending as well.
The movie was amazing. Nicholson was incredible as the angry, lonely, afraid father who no longer fits into the world he used to know. He loses his bearings, reexamines his life and grows a little. It sounds almost corny, but it's done so well, with such direct honesty, that it never once even approaches sappy or pathetic. It is amazing in its own plain, realistic and straightforward fashion.
19 January 2003
The third floor behaved itself very nicely tonight.
I completed my list of songs for my radio show tonight. I then utilized it many times over the course of my radio show. It went fairly well, although there were kinks to work out after a two month layoff. I think by next show I should have everything under control. The DJs before and after me all seemed like nice people.
21 January 2003
I turned in some terrible assignments today and worked a lot otherwise. I watched Battleship Potemkin for film class.
Dennis Mahoney is my new hero and he should be yours as well. He has other followers too.
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
22 January 2003
"Wars, conflict, it's all business. One murder makes a villain; millions a hero. Numbers sanctify." - Charlie Chaplin Monsieur Verdoux 1947
23 January 2003
"Kobe cows are massaged daily, causing the fat to mingle with the meat, and resulting in a burger of unsurpassed tenderness. They also drink beer. Beer and massages: it is not clear that any philosopher ever defined the good life more accurately than this. Apart from the getting killed part, obviously."
If you use Mozilla and you enjoy using the keyboard, memorize this page.
I have just implemented an image map.
Today I drove the postal van around for the second day in a row. Right now I think we are just doing it because it is cold but eventually the van will deliver all mail to distant locations. And I get to drive it when I am working. Hooray.
In singers, we spent much time on the soul-sucking french song. I am not kidding. If you could sing it and claim it is not soul-sucking, I simply wouldn't believe you.
24 January 2003
I am listening to Yo La Tengo and going to dinner. I took a nap in the library and it was horrific.
Dinner was less than exciting. Stay warm.
I just realized that it is summer in Australia. And it is Australia in Australia. I want to go to Australia.
25 January 2003
Terry Jones in the Observer.
26 January 2003
It is soon time for the Super Bowl and then time for too much work before Monday. Meanwhile, the Observer, in addition to Terry Jones, has this to enlighten you.
28 January 2003
I would like to thank Douglas Coupland for writing Generation X. It's not probably the best book I have ever read, but it is probably the most vital book I have ever read. It is a good sort of feeling to be able to open a book and see your own thoughts on a page, written by someone you have never met.
Cricket is a lot of geeky fun.
Curse your lack of vigilance; while you weren't watching, the world ended.
Look at big numbers and small websites.
I am now listening to Stereolab and it is time to write my screening report.
Huzzah! I was born on the same day as Buddha (Japanese), Kofi Annan, John Havlicek, Robin Wright Penn, porn stars "Montana" and "Heaven Leigh"; on the day that Pablo Picasso died.
I completed the screening report and sang for an hour and a half. Now I am going to do calculus and listen to even more Sleater-Kinney.
I have done calculus, in which I went the wrong way around a problem, only to find it took about 30% of the time I originally spent on it. Now I am listening to KRLX 88.1FM, a service of Carleton College.
29 January 2003
"War is good for the economy like cannibalism is nutritious." -George Bernard Shaw
31 January 2003
This is what happens when you leave your monitor on while not using the computer.