Conflict of Interest

Please do not ask what's going on in this picture -- I don't think I'd want to explain even if I could.

Okay, so by now, I think it's pretty obvious that I'm a bit of a tomboy. I'll certainly admit it without hesitation.

To the left is a picture of me from this past December, at a party Bob threw for his brother. I am holding the Christmas pig, whose wing was later broken. It was a tragedy.

Anyway, the point of my rambling is to point out how I am dressed here. Jeans and a long-sleeved tee shirt (which was not actually mine, hence why it was a little over-sized for me). You can be sure I was wearing sneakers underneath it all, too.

Skipping along...





Here's a picture of me from two summers ago. Note the Volcom hat, ONeil boardshorts, and Vans sneakers (please do not note the black bra -- I don't know what possessed me to do that). This is the style I ultimately prefer. I know it's not the most figure-flattering, attractive outfit, but I'm not aiming to look good; I just want to wear what I like.




So for my new job, I'm supposed to wear "smart casual." I cringed when I heard the phrase. I like doing cross-sections and comparisons, so here we go:


What I like.........................What they want

One more, just for fun, and because this amuses me, if no one else:

Good.........................................................Bad

You see my conundrum, don't you? Dressing nice is lame. Why go out and spend hundreds of dollars on nice clothes, when you can get something comfortable for like $50? I guess I'll just never understand fashion. Or people.

Oh well. You do what you gotta.

Skateboarding: Rune Glifberg

Ol' Runie Rune is my very favorite pro-skater, and has been for ages, though I will admit I started with Tony Hawk (who is still amazing on a board, but a little too media-centric for me now).

Either way, Rune isn't as well known, but I've seen Tony Hawk fuck up, which is not something I can say of Glifberg. Here's a video of him in Paris way back in 2000:

MotoX: Pastrana and Deegan

So, I was thinking, since I've shared my musical tastes, why not continue the trend and throw up some things pertaining to my other interests?

This post is all about dirt bikes and freestyle motocross. I'm sure everyone's heard of Travis Pastrana -- he was a big name a few years back, and still remains totally awesome -- and Brian Deegan is also a big name in the sport. Anyway, somebody put together a video displaying both of their most impressive tricks (and a few of their hardest falls).





In relation to that (sort of), here's Deegan backflipping over a pool of sharks. I recommend skipping to the last ten seconds of the video, when he actually does the trick; the rest is just MTV bullshit.

A Wilhelm Scream and Comeback Kid

... Are my two favorite bands. If the two went on tour together, I would sell my blood to get tickets, and if that wasn't enough... well, I have other things I can sell.

So, as I was saying, it appears I'm on a bit of a music kick this evening, so after the last post, I decided to search for some videos of AWS and CK to post so you can all see how awesome they both are.

I'll do A Wilhelm Scream first, since they're a bit gentler and more melodic. Plus, they're from New Bedford, MA -- that's only about an hour and a half from here! I couldn't pick just one video, so you get two, you lucky dogs:


A Wilhelm Scream: The Kids Can Eat a Bag of Dick
Yes, that's the actual title of the song. This one was (according the the YouTube description) put together by one of the people who toured with them last February. I bet they put on a kickass show.


A Wilhelm Scream: Famous Friends and Fashion Drunks
This one, from what I can tell, at least, is the official video for the song. It's not live clips like the last one, but it's really the song itself that matters.



Hope you liked them; they're my favorite. On to my other favorite, Comeback Kid. They're a bit heavier and a little screamier (I don't care if that's not a word, Bob), but just as rawkin' as AWS. Plus, they're Canadian, i.e. instant awesome.

These are the two bands I listen to when I go running.


Comeback Kid: Wake the Dead
The first CK song I ever heard -- and I was hooked immediately. Maybe you will be too :)


Comeback Kid: Die Tonight
Quite possibly my very favorite CK song, as hard as it is to choose. I fuckin' love this one, though. I want to run over a mass of people like that! Note the synchronized moshing at 2:22.



I do indeed apologize for the ridiculous amount of media in this post, but really, why the hell not? Makes it easy for you to see it, and my only goal is to expose you to two badass bands you may not have heard of. Win-win thing, really.

I'm kind of on a roll, here.

Finally (I swear this is the last), since I mentioned moshing earlier, I thought I would end with the video made for CK's song Loreli. Think moshing is ridiculous? Try taking it out of context:





P.S. If you learned nothing from the Sick of It All video, that is not the correct way to mosh. Then again, if you're in the middle of the pit, you might as well flail like an idiot -- standing still won't do you much good.

Sick of It All explains NYHC

Per Jarret's request (and because I, once again, can't sleep), I have decided to post the video he introduced me to. I'm a fan of Sick of It All, and of what I know of the New York Hardcore scene, as well. Anyway, the video goes over a few of the more popular types of moshing:





I'm a fan of the Pizzamaker, myself.

Pick your fave:

I love Comeback Kid, but they're a little weird

On Comeback Kid's official website, they posted journal entries while on tour in Europe. I couldn't resist copy+pasting this little blurb.

On November 18th, 2007, Casey wrote:


"Paris 12.11 - Possibly the most fun show of this tour. The backstage room had a large TV that was showing the stage in the next room so we could watch the bands as we all sat around being dorks. While This Is Hell was playing, Johnny made a dramatic gesture while shredding a bass line just as the intense strobe lights came on. It gave the illusion that he had turned on the strobe lights with a magical power, thus making him a Wizard! As the night went on the "Wizard" joke was gaining momentum and by the time Parkway Drive went on, more attention was given to casting spells on the crowd than playing their instruments. When it was our turn to play we had to do our best to top them of course so any chance we had, we pointed wicked fingers at the kids hoping the bands in the other room were watching. I'm sure the crowd thought we were out of our minds. Also to up the ante Kevin gave a heart felt speech to the effect of "Ya know, you guys got a great scene here. Keep supporting the venues and local bands. And always remember, you are all wizards and you all have the power!" Andrew added "I AM a wizard!" and we went into another song. Maybe it wasn't that funny but we all had a good time that night. Kids were stoked went crazy so what else could you ask for?"


So they're a little weird. I would be too if I was young and got to tour the world while kicking ass in the best Canadian hardcore band of all time, too.

Life Misled

For those of you that aren't yet aware, Bob has finally got himself a new site. I updated the RSS feed on my sidebar, so it should updated accordingly. Anyway, the new site is a thousand times better than the blogger one -- separate pages, links, contact forms, no rules? Go check it out.



In other, lesser news: I was just hired for a full-time position with Ideal Wave. I start Wednesday, and I'm very excited.

Weird Video: Wacky Soccer

Most people who know me are aware that I used to play soccer; I stopped when I tore a tendon in my knee. I was reminded of this during my interview today (Matt Corbett is a delightful man), and realized, not for the first time, how much I miss playing. So here's a video in tribute to a sport no one really likes anyway.





Also, I'm aware that I haven't been posting anything of substance for a while, and I apologize. That should change soon. Or not. We'll see.

Weird Video: Some stupid Japanese soap opera

I wouldn't recommend watching this whole thing, because it's ten minutes long and stupid, but at least watch the intro. You may also notice that it's the sixth in the series -- some asshole made seven of these.

Weird Video: 300 (PG version)

This is the stupidest, yet funniest thing, I've seen today.

What the Shit?!

Sometimes, for some reason, a human being is subjected to terrible things that are good cause for a "What the shit?!" exclamation. For example, there exists such thing as the hideous coconut crab. According to that Wiki page, it's the largest land-living (don't crabs normally live in the ocean?) arthropod, and it's related to the hermit crab.

Like Bob, I'm terrified of the ocean and the things in it. That said, I present you with this picture, and my feelings on it:




What the shit?!

The Penny Arcade Remix Project

Now, this is a little old, but I rather feel that it didn't get enoufg attention. See, though the Yukihime.com blog has been shut down, they left the archives up, and that is where you can find the Penny Arcade Remix Project. In short, a guy in Japan gave his high school students blank PA comics and told them to add their own english dialogue. He even took the time to mark the ones he found funniest.

Either way, I stole three of my favorites, and threw them up here, just for you. They are scanned photocopies, so they're a little hard to read. My apologies.


Tycho is confused



The Son of God is a writing utensil



Gabe feels under appreciated