The thruth about love is it's great when you're in it

I understand that it has been quite a few months since I've written anything. I've been extremely busy with work and life in general that I haven't found the time to write. in the last couple of weeks, I've been re-evaluating a lot of different things. I've hooked up with people that I probably shouldn't have, but what I always come back to is the fact that I am completely in love with Brittany. It fucking sucks, because for some unknown reason to me, she seems to hate me. I need to find someone else to love...

Home Is Where The Heart Is

I've been home for about 3 months now, and things are starting to come back to reality. I might not be in a relationship anymore, but I've been picking up the pieces of what I've left behind. Like I mentioned in my post about burning bridges, I've been spending time with Andy. But I've also been visiting my old stomping grounds and seeing some people I haven't talked to in years. And I've realized that the more things change, the more the stay the same.

BC, has been through a lot in her 16 years on this world, and she seems to make wrong decisions. But deep down, she is a good person. She is strong-willed, independent, and really a good person. She, of course, has her growing pains, but I think that in the end, she'll make it out alright. I really enjoy that she is now a major part of my life. I moved away when she was 12, and now that I am starting my life over again, I am glad that I am "home".

My Adventure

I know that it has been quite a few days since I last posted an entry, but that is because I had one hell of an adventure for the last couple of days. On Friday, I did end up accepting an offer, downtown! I later met up with an old college buddy, Frank, to go to an alumni reception for an organization we were in during college. It was a good time, but throughout the day, Abe kept calling me, because he was having a girl come visit him for the weekend. This girl was someone that he met on New Year's, and he wanted me to come for the weekend to help to break the awkwardness. So, Frank and I went to Chicago, got drunk, and went to Second City to get more drunk. Abe, being a high roller, decided to slip the seater some money to get us front stage seats. Well, if you sit up front, you should expect to be heckled, and sure as shit, they ended up doing a 15 minute sketch on Abe and his "date". We later went back to Abe's where Frank was drunk enough to do karaoke to the boy bands of yore.

The next morning, another one of Abe's buddies from Georgia came in and the group became a little to Southern for me. We went to Ed Debevic's for lunch and Frank and I headed back to our alma mater. Out of respect for myself, I will not say what happened down there, but lets just say that I was put in very awkward situations at Frank's which also happens to be Anne's apartment. I decided not to stay the night there and stayed at some old roommates. Both of them have graduated but not accepted jobs, so I showed them how to find some. So after Frank slept off his Superbowl hangover, we headed back to the region.

Radiohead - In Rainbows

Artist:	Radiohead
Album:	In Rainbows
Release Date:	January 1, 2008
Label:	TBD Records
Rating:	3.5/5

---

I've never really been a fan of Radiohead, but I've never really hated them either. To me they were one of the bands from overseas that made it over here with a large fan base. I've noticed that Radiohead fans tend to be diehard ones with Kid A Bear tattoos. I can't say that this album has really changed my mind, but I do like it.

Most of they hype about this album was the "pay what you feel" pricing for it. I did download the album back in October of 2007, but it never really grew on me. Then when it was physically released, I picked it up and put it in my car. The first thing that you notice is how great musicians these guys truly are. Listening to the sounds that their instruments produce through the crisp sounds of cd quality auto and good speakers is much different and superior to 128kbps mp3s through shitty laptop speakers. I've never claimed to be an audiophile, but this album has definitely helped me to notice the difference. Also, I love the packaging on this album. They opted to not go for a jewel case, but rather cardboard and stickers that will allow you to make your own case if need be.

While driving in my car, I noticed that the album made for perfect driving/background music, but none of the songs really engaged me. After a couple of spins, I never found my self singing along. Really, the only song that I tried to learn the lyrics is "House of Cards". I feel that if you are already a fan of the band, you will eat this up. However; if Radiohead has been a band that you never really understood the fascination, you will not change.

Track Listing:
1. 15 Step
2. Bodysnatchers
3. Nude
4. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
5. All I Need
6. Faust Arp
7. Reckoner
8. House Of Cards
9. Jigsaw Falling Into Place
10. Videotape

Burning Bridges

Yesterday, I was watching the Democratic Debate and my friend Andy called me. He let me know that one of the companies that I've applied for contacted him as one of my references. He said that he told them real nice things and that he was able to mention things without me coaching him. The funny thing is that I didn't even tell him that I put him down as a reference.

The reason that I called this entry "Burning Bridges" is because Andy and I have a pass. We met on the bus back in our Kindergarten days. We became friends, but then for whatever reason we became enemies in the schoolyard. Then we became best friends. During High School, I dated a girl for a long time. This relationship really encroached on the friendship I had with Andy. We stopped spending a lot of time together and eventually that girl dumped me. The first person I called was Andy, and he was always there for me. Well eventually, that girl and I got back together only to break up again before I went to college.

When I was gone, I left Andy behind, and then our relationship was once again put aside. Well he ended up becoming really good friends with that girl. I told him at a point that I didn't like the fat that he was spending time with her, but that I wasn't his parents and couldn't tell him what to do. Well a year or so went by and we still hung out and he told me about his crazy adventures and all was well.

I don't remember exactly how it happened, but I started talking to that girl again, and what I learned was that every story that Andy had told me she was involved. And to put the icing on the cake, he told her that he had fallen in lover with her. I felt that I had been lied to for the last couple of years and I stopped talking to Andy for a good two years.

I moved on, burnt my bridges, and started a new relationship with a great girl and spent time with all my new friends. I never went home and never invited anyone to my school. Well in November of 2006, my dad had a stroke. He didn't have any lasting effects, but it was the scariest time of my life. I decided at that point that I should let bygones be gone, and I gave Andy a call. It's been a rough healing process, but now that I have moved back from Jersey, he's been a great friend. We hang out as his work schedule allows, and we may end up living together in the not to distant future.

So the moral of this story is to not burn your bridges. My most current ex started to burn her bridges faster than I would have recommended. She quit a student organization that was her life for 3 years, broke up with me, quit her job, hardly talks to her family, and is only thinking about the future. I think that setting goals and striving towards them is very important. But you need a strong base and foundation. At the end of the day, it is the people that you call friends and family, and the place that you call home that is the most important. Not how much money you have or the car you drive (or in her case the number of shoes you own).

P.S. That image is by Rob Dobi. Go buy one of his T-Shirts!

Dashboard Confessional - The Wire Tapes: Volume 1

Artist:	Dashboard Confessional
Album:	The Wire Tapes: Volume 1
Release Date:	September 2007
Label:	Independent
Rating:	4/5

---

Reviewing a cover album is somewhat of a tricky task. Do you rate how well they compare to the originals, or do you rate how well the artist puts his/her own spin on the song? Also, what if you have never heard to original or you hate the original? These are all questions that I will try to balance in this review.

I fell that as a whole this album has a great sense of flow to it. Starting off with the intro all the way to the end, this album is definitely a good step for Chris and D/C. None of the songs on this album are week, just some are much stronger than ever. I can listen to this version of 'El Scorcho' over and over again. However, Chris is definitely not Robert Smith. And no matter how high he tries to pitch is voice, he is not a female. Listening to him recite "If I kiss you where it's sore, will you feel better, better, better" is a little off putting. However, he did not write these songs, so I can not question the lyrical content.

Really, this is a must have album for any fan of D/C. The only problem that I have from this is the choice of The Movielife song. 'Valens' was released on a compilation album. I wish that they would have covered maybe either 'Hey' or 'Sailor Tatoos'. I also find it very nice of the band to cover a Counting Crows song, because Adam Duritz appeared on "Dusk & Summer". Aside from my nitpicking, I really cannot see any reason not to get a copy of this album. After a few listens, you have to argue on which versions you like better. But what really gets me excited is that this is Volume 1. I hope to see multiple volumes along the way!

Track Listing:
1. Theme From Volume 1 (They Might Be Giants)
2. Valens (The Movielife)
3. El Scorcho (Weezer)
4. A Year In The Past, Forever In The Future (Grade)
5. Overkill (Men At Work)
6. If I Needed You(Townes Van Zandt)
7. Angels Of The Silences (Counting Crows)
8. Catch (The Cure)
9. Pretty Pathetic (Smoking Popes)
10. Crazy (The Afghan Whigs)
11. Better (Regina Spektor)

The Events of Yesterday

Yesterday decided to be a cold and windy day, so I had to spend the morning shoveling. Afterwards, my mom and I decided to go to our new favorite restaurant. However, during my shower, I was contacted by a couple of the companies that I've been interviewing with. I thought that I was going to get another offer, but they wanted to know my interest level in another opportunity. I would actually be very excited about this opportunity, but I do need to make decisions about some of the other offers that are on the table.

Anyway, when a server makes a mistake at a restaurant, how are you supposed to address it? We were delivered something that we had not ordered. This restaurant does give free appetizers, so we just assumed that what we were served was free. That ended up not being the case, because we were charged $5 for it.

I later spent most of the day helping my buddy with his job fair, but afterwards I watched the Republican debates. What really pissed me off is that they spent the whole time letting McCain & Romney have their little pissing contests. While leaving Huckabee and Paul without time to speak. But the one that pissed me off the most was the moderator. He always cutoff Paul when he tried to get a point through. I understand that the other two candidates are in the lead, but if you do no let the other parties speak, no one will become educated on their options.

After the debate, I went over to the Floyd's. I started off with Brugge's Black, a light bodied Belgian Ale. I starts off with barely any taste, but then hits you at the end with notes of chocolate, banana, and citrus. After that I had Brouwerij Van Steenberge's Gulden Drakk. This was a very good strong Belgian ale. Heavy-bodied with strong notes of chocolate and toffee throughout. Now, I am not that big of a fan of belgian ale's, but both of these were pretty damn good. But I had to finish off the night with one of my personal favorites: Black Sun Stout.

Set Your Goals

As you all know, I've been in the process of finding a job. Well, my SoKo buddy has come back from Korea. He recently graduated in December with his Bachelor's in Accounting and a minor in Finance; with a modest GPA. Anyway, he decided to go home for a little bit before attempting to find a job. This week was the job fair that the school puts on every semester. So, beforehand, I coached him on what kind of questions that he was going to be asked and we revamped his resume. When was finished with the fair, he called stating that it did not go to well. And that he will need to look online for a job. I later spoke to his roommate, and we discussed how the problem with our circle of friends is that none of them have goals. They all went to college, because it was the natural progression of things to do post high school.

Por ejemplo, my sister, Niz, for example only really went to Purdue University because I did. She picked the same major as me as well as joined the same student organizations. However; she has never had a job, and lives off of the rations that my father provides for her. We sit and talk about her future and what she wants to do, but she is still "finding herself." She doesn't have any goals besides graduating. She doesn't know what she wants to do or where she wants to work. She's changed her major a couple of times. Now, I understand that that seems to be the trend nowadays, but back in the day, I feel that people older than my demographic knew that college was not something to take lightly. Students who went were privileged. They worked hard and were not comfortable with failing. They spent hours in libraries instead of bars and read books instead of Facebook news feeds.

What this diatribe is about is that people need to set goals and strive towards them. I spoke to my mom about this, and we naturally started talking about my father. We both agree with the fact that he became comfortable hating his job. I really think that he should read a book that I read a couple of months ago: Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr. Spencer Johnson. It really emphasizes how we need to continue to chase our dreams even if our dreams are no longer attainable where we are currently.

On a slightly unrelated note, please watch the Republican presidential debate tonight. It will be interesting, because Rudy Giuliani has dropped out. On the Democratic side of things, John Edwards has dropped out.

Step 1: Denial

Friday night ended up being a good day. I ended up receiving an offer. I'll probably take it. However; Saturday was a little different. It wasn't that it was entirely a bad day, it's just that I started to realize/remember things that I didn't really want to.

Abe ended up having a few people over. We ended up going to the same club as last weekend. It was alright, but I wasn't really in the mood to club (really, when am I?). After returning, I went out for a smoke with one of our friends girlfriends. We just ended up talking about relationships and what not, and it was there that I realized/remembered how truly in love I am with Anne. A little side note: the tense of the verb in the previous sentence is correct. So, I spent the next couple of days thinking...

Before all of this happened, I wrote Anne, an e-mail to let her know of my offer(s). She never responded. After a couple of hours, I called her just to talk a bit. She was actually out to dinner with one of my best friends and his girlfriend. So, I let her go. She said that she would call me later on in the weekend. Needless to say, it is Monday night, and my call history does not have her anywhere on it.

Today, I had another interview up in Skokie, and afterwards I hung out with my little sister. She said that she doesn't think that it is fair that she shares everything with me, and that I don't share anything with her. I explained that it's not that I don't share, it's just that I don't have much to say. So, I then went on to tell here what was really going on in my mind and heart. I explained to her that I was depressed, but that I was absolutely in love with the fact that my family is once again in my life. However, we did talk to Anne, and BC (my sister's nickname), like always, knocked me back into reality. She asked me if I was in Denial.

Probably...

For those of you who do not know what I am speaking of, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross developed a model in her book "On Death And Dying", which had 5 steps:

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

This model has later been called the Five Stages of Grief. And it took a 16 year old to point out to me that I was in number 1...

Motion City Soundtrack - Even If It Kills Me

Artist:	Motion City Soundtrack
Album:	Even If It Kills Me
Release Date:	September 18, 2007
Label:
Rating:	3/5

---

Here's a test to see if you will like the new MCS:

1. Do you like Synth / Pop?
2. Did you like "Commit This To Memory"?

Results:
• If you answered "yes" to either one of those questions, you will like the new MCS.
• If you answered "yes" to both of those questions, you will love the new MCS.
• If you answered "no" to both, you will maybe tolerate the new MCS.

Personally, I have never been that big of a fan of MCS. I have all three of their full lengths, but I have never really enjoyed them as album makers. I like their songs when they come on random, but not as a whole. This album doesn't change my mindset.

This time around, they have recruited some of the big guns to produce their albums:

• Adam Schlesinger of Fountains Of Wanye and Ivy Fame
• Eli Janney of Girls Against Boys fame
• Rick Ocasek of The Cars fame

They've also recruited some of the top talent from the genre as guests:

Rachel Minton of Zolof The Rock And Roll Destroyer

Additional Vocals on "It Had To Be You", "Hello Helicopter", & "Point Of Extinction"

Max Bemis of Say Anything

Additional Vocals on "Hello Helicopter" & "Point Of Extinction"

Shawn Harris of The Matches

Additional Vocals on "Hello Helicopter" & "Point Of Extinction"

However, with this long list of credits, I haven't noticed much of a creative step from MCS. They make very good pop songs, which I find myself humming along to, but I do not see this album changing lives or having much of a lasting effect. Also, the lyrics are a little cheesy at times (Just listen to the first 30 seconds of "Antonia). But at the end of the day, it is a rather enjoyable album.

P.S. I don't know why, but I love the album art on this. There is something innately pleasing with the color scheme...

Track Listing:
1. Feel In Love Without You
2. This Is For Real
3. It Had To Be You
4. Last Night
5. Calling All Cops
6. Can't Finish What You Started
7. The Conversation
8. Broken Heart
9. Hello Helicopter
10. Where I Belong
11. Point Of Extinction
12. Antonia
13. Even If It Kills Me

Maybe?

So, I had a 2nd interview today that went very good. The recruiter said that I had, "star, star, star" right next to my name. The VP at the company wants to extend me an offer, he just needs to get it approved. The funny thing is that it is located on the same exact street that my father works on... Creepy huh? I still have two more interviews next week, but I think that the one from today is going to be the best opportunity for me. So the city better get ready. I think I'm going to chill this weekend, so if you don't hear from me, have a good one!

Georgia

Yo, Yo, Yo:

It's been a couple of relatively productive days, so far. All of the interviews that I had this week have gone very well. The company from Monday has invited me to interview on Friday. And the company from Tuesday has invited me back for lunch next week. Both of these places I am very interested in working for. I also have had a phone interview as well as another interview coming up.

I've been listening to A Lesson In Romantics by Mayday Parade, a pretty alright album that I'll review someday, and they drop a lot of notions about traveling. One line in particular from the song "Jamie All Over" sticks in my head:

I'll never go back to Georgia
Not at least till I have to

I bring this up, because last night Abe and I went to the Floyd's for dinner. He is not used to drinking the holy grail of beers, instead he'd rather drink piss water. He said that they don't do drink that in Georgia. Then I realize that GA has been a pretty prevalent place in my life:

• Abe, went to UGA
• Reef, my last roommate in NJ, was from Atlanta, and he moved back there
• Nick, has dated not 1 but 2 girls from GA. Both of which he met on the internet...
• Andy, my friend since kindergarten, joined the army and was relocated to Fort Benning
• My girlfriend throughout high school had a mom whose name was "Georgia"
• My last girlfriend's best friend currently goes to SCAD

And I realized that, I have never been. It is a place that has had such an impact on the lives of my friends. Maybe someday I'll go, but for now, I'm more than content being in the Midwest.

The last couple of days, I've compiled lists for the rest of the Primaries and Caucuses, and the remaining debates. If the times and dates are wrong, please let me know. Tonight is Florida's Republican Presidential Primary Debate, which will be televised on MSNBC at 9:00P.M. EST.

Primary / Caucus Schedule

State	Date
	Democratic	Republican
Alabama	February 5th
Alaska	February 5th
Arizona	February 5th
Arkansas	February 5th
California	February 5th
Colorado	February 5th
Connecticut	February 5th
Delaware	February 5th
District of Colombia	February 12th
Florida	January 29th
Georgia	February 5th
Hawaii	February 19th	February 7th
Idaho	February 5th	May 27th
Illinois	February 5th
Indiana	May 6th
Iowa	January 3rd
Kansas	February 5th	February 9th
Kentucky	May 20th
Lousiana	February 9th
Maine	February 10th	February 1st
Maryland	February 12th
Massachusetts	February 5th
Michigan	January 15th
Minnesota	February 5th
Mississippi	March 11th
Missouri	February 5th
Montana	June 3rd
Nebraska	May 13th
Nevada	January 19th
New Hampshire	January 8th
New Jersey	February 5th
New Mexico	February 5th	June 3rd
New York	February 5th
North Carolina	May 6th
North Dakota	February 5th
Ohio	March 4th
Oklahoma	February 5th
Oregon	May 20th
Pennsylvania	April 22nd
Rhode Island	March 4th
South Carolina	January 26th	January 19th
South Dakota	June 3rd
Tennesse	February 5th
Texas	March 4th
Utah	February 5th
Vermont	March 4th
Virginia	February 12th
Washington	February 9th	February 19th
West Virginia	May 13th
Wisconsin	February 19th
Wyoming	March 8th	January 5th

2008 Presidential Debates

January 24th

Republican Presidential Candidates Debate
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL
9:00PM to 10:30PM EST
MSNBC

January 30th

Republican Presidential Candidates Debate
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Simi Valley, CA
5:00PM to 7:00PM PST
CNN

January 31st

Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate
Kodak Theatre
Hollywood, CA
5:00PM to 7:00PM PST
CNN

Super Tuesday

Hello Ladies And Gentlemen,

Today, I had an interview with a small company downtown. They were very nice people, and the position is really everything that I want to do. However; I'm not sure if the money is there. I also had a very good interview on Monday, because while at the one this morning, I got a voice mail inviting me to a second interview on Friday. Also, I did get an offer from the company from Monday. Now I am starting to get this ball rolling! Right now, I have a positive outlook on the career aspect of my life.

On the woman aspect, I realize that I am more upset than I thought. A couple of days ago, I boxed away some pictures and got a little teary eyed. But hey, at least I've got my health. While I was riding the South Shore home, I heard one of my all time favorite songs: "Walking On Glass" by The Movielife. Originally appearing on Has A Gambling Problem, I feel that these lyrics summarize how I feel:

Pretending to remember our last December, and everything it was.
Hoping to fix the broken, stood by the fireplace. The flames lit up my face.

And everything I said, (walking on glass)
I practiced in my head.
And all that I could do, (walking on glass)
Was recite my lines to you.

Pretending to recall the way it was last Fall, for lack of better days.
I think this time of year, you see everything too clear, but still can't understand a thing.

And everything I said, (walking on glass)
I practiced in my head.
And all that I could do, (walking on glass)
Was recite my lines to you.

I can't forget a word you said, and everything it meant.
Instead of you, I fear myself. Guess all that I can do,
Is take back everything that I'd given to you.

Pretending to remember our last December, and everything it was.
Hoping to fix the broken, stood by the fireplace. The flames lit up my face.

And everything I said, (walking on glass)
I practiced in my head.
And all that I could do, (walking on glass)
Was recite my lines to you.

I can't forget a word you said, and everything it meant.
Instead of you, I fear myself. It's all that I can do.

'Cause you're uncomfortable with me.
Yeah you're uncomfortable with me. (Just answer the question)
Why can't I just understand what's inside you?
Is it just guts and black stuff? (I'll find out soon)
'Cause anything that you do or say cannot compare to the pain that I felt,
The day that you said that we'd go our separate ways.

Anyway, in keeping with the theme of the title, I want to urge everyone to take the opportunity to educate yourself and vote in your primary/caucus and this year's presidential election. Take the time to watch the debates that are on, and please try to listen to both parties. I pride myself in not being part of any particular party, but instead by backing who I feel will be able to lead this country the best. I ask that you take the time to observe and judge these candidates without bias, because you were born Republican or Democratic. I also, will not mention who I am supporting, because I feel that it is not my job (or anyone's for that matter) to sway opinions. We are of the select countries that allow us to form our own opinions.

Weekend Warrior

Hey Bitches, so I know that I haven't written a post for a while, but I've been pretty busy as of late. When I awoke on Friday, I was invited to a spur of the moment interview downtown. It was a nice place with a perfect location, however, the pay is not that great, but we will see. I've decided to refrain from using the names of real people when posting, so I do not get caught. I'm coming up with nicknames for everyone, I may mention. I spoke briefly with Anne (my most current ex, whom I don't want to be an ex), but she so conveniently had to go shopping. She said that she doesn't have a computer anymore (which means she doesn't have time to respond to e-mails..), but that she was going to Chicago for the weekend. I tried letting her know that I was going to be there, but I didn't want to bother her...

Anyway, Friday, I decided to go home for the night. On Saturday, I headed up to Abe's. We drank some Daniel's Jack (Korenglish for Jack Daniel's), and then headed to Enclave. This is a club that is good for people who don't really like techno music. They don't just play rap, hip-hop, top-40, or techno; they blend also play rock hits as well. Drinks are about $10 a piece, but I did not pay a cover. We ended up meeting up with one of Abe's work buddies. He was there with about 5 Brazilian girls and his girlfriend.

Now here's my thing about Brizilians. Brazil is the home to some of the hottest girls in the world: Alessandra Ambrosio, Izabel Goulart, Gisele Bündchen, and my personal favorite Adriana Lima. Not to mention that Brazil makes some of the most disturbing "films" of all time. Now these girls were not of the super-model caliber, but most of them were pretty hot. They were short, but so were cut of there tops! But they were pretty ho-ish. Just about every time I turned my head, they were making out with someone new. A point of interest is the overwhelming number of people with STDs/AIDS in Brazil. Knowing this, I decided to not partake in the tongue-on-tongue action, and Abe had no intentions either. However, the one unattractive one had her eyes on him. She ended up cornering him and chewing (not nibbling or bitting) his ear and cheek. Needless to say, he felt raped.

Sunday, we headed to O'Donovan's for brunch, and then I headed home. I decided to take it easy and ended the day with watching a lot of football. I had an interview with another company downtown this morning, and I have prep work for another one tomorrow. Maybe I'll get around to another post, but then again, maybe not.

Shock Stars - Feel For A Heartbeat

Artist:	Shock Stars
Album:	Feel For A Heartbeat
Release Date:	October 23, 2007
Label:	None
Rating:	2/5

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After the news of an "indefinite hiatus" from my all time favorite band, Lucky Boys Confusion, two bands were spawned. One being a powerpop band by the name of American Taxi and the other a pop/dance/techno group called Shock Stars. So far, both have released an ep (this is actually the second from SS), but not a full length yet.

Now the question that I have about this EP is why? I don't understand releasing two EPs in one year. Why did they not release a full length??? By the way, this already has 8 tracks, why not throw in 2 more???

The other question that I have is, who is am I gay for liking this? I was driving in my car with my mom, and she made a comment that this is very reminiscent of the Backstreet Boys. After much thinking, I realized that this sound is very much akin to the music all of us made fun of a decade ago. I became no longer comfortable driving my car with my windows down... Not to mention that the band's picture on the back of the album is to say the least, interesting.

Now don't get me wrong. The music here is very catchy, but then again, so were all of Backstreet Boys hits. At first, the album was kind of bland, but ifT you listen to it again and again, you notice your head bobbing and your foot tapping. Next thing you know, you're dancing alone in your room. The main problem that I have with this album (and the band) is that I don't see any real staying power. This album doesn't break any new ground (except for making guys want to dance). Many artists in the scene have tried to dance route before: Glassjaw to Head Automatica and AFI to Blaqk Audio, both of which I feel fared better. This does help to introduce non techno/dance fans to the scene, but this LBC fan wants his pop/ska/reggae/punk/hip-hop back...

Track Listing

1. The Heart Attack (Intro)
2. EMT
3. Butterfly
4. Fast Fast
5. Dancing On Thin Ice
6. I Got A Feeling
7. Biggest Mistake
8. Baby Baby

Job Vs. Career?

So, I got into this debate with my mom over the difference between a job and a career. I have been saying "no" to opportunities that I feel are just jobs. Grunt work. Some don't even pay well. She asked me if I was sure that that was the right thing to do. She thinks that they may be a good opportunity for my future career. I'd rather take a job right now that will help my current career. I want growth within a company. I don't want to be looking for a new job in a couple of months...

The Truth About Love...

The Blackpool Lights said The truth about love it's great when you're in it. Man isn't that true? Love has made the greatest men do the craziest things. For me, it just makes me depressed. I can sit around and think of how great it was... and just not want to care about anything. I get nervous, and start to shake and sweat just thinking about her. Tomorrow's another day... I just have to make it through today...

Life Of A Salesman

This has been a relatively productive week for myself. I went all the way up to Lincolnshire for a Job Fair on Monday, and I have booked three interviews for next week. Two of them are located downtown!!! The other is a second interview with a company in Skokie.

Anyway, on Tuesday I went to the happiest place in the world: Three Floyds Brew Pub with a friend that I've known since Kindergarten. I started off with a Surly Klaus, followed it up with an Alpha Kong, and ended the night with one of my personal favorites: Black Sun Stout. My friend and I got around to talking about another friend of ours, of whom I used to live with. He currently resides in West Lafayette, but is dating a girl from Georgia. This is not the first time that he has done this. Anyway, after leaving, I realized that I have not talked to him in about a month or so, so I gave him a call.

He's been working as a vacuum salesman. Which was probably just as bad if not worse than digital microscopes. However; I did make an hourly rate. They only paid him commission, but he was not there long enough to make anything. What happened to my friend is that he ended up getting into a philosophical debate with his boss about the ethics of sales. Some words were exchanged, and it eventually turned very heated. His boss flicks him in the ear??? My friend responds with, Hey man I know that you're my boss, but don't do that. The boss replied, Well if you weren't such a hard-headed prick. So, my friend jacks him to the face and he falls to the ground. His boss then tackles him, but the fight gets separated. My question to all of this is: who flicks someone in the ear??? Not only that, but if you knew my friend, you wouldn't believe him to be a physically violent person, let alone knock someone down with one blow. Alas, this is the "Life Of A Salesman"

Last Weekend

Hey Bitches, sorry about the lack of posts. I was out of town for the weekend. As I promised, I delivered not 1 but 2 album reviews. I apologize about the formatting, I will try to get a norm eventually.

On Friday, I headed up to Mickey Finn's Brewery up in Libertyville, IL. It was a real nice brew pub. I had both their Black Magic and Hackett Irish Stout both were full of chocolate notes (who knows, I might review them...). After that, the guys and I headed out to John Barleycorn in Wrigleyville. It was fun, but we went upstairs to the "club" area. I'm not much of a clubber, but there was some good people watching.

Saturday, we headed up to Evanston, to watch Green Bay destroy Seattle and New England verse Jacksonville. Before the game, we watched Shameless by Louis C.K. If you are a male and like food and sex and being pissed off, you need to watch this. I started the day by drinking a Goose Island Sampler pack and ended it with a JW Dundee's Sampler pack. After that assortment of beer and finger foods, I found myself passed out on a couch.

Sunday, I just relaxed on the north side by watching the colts lose. Monday, I tried to catch up on everything I neglected to do over the weekend, but I ended up going to Lincolnshire for a job fair. Overall I think things went fairly well. And today, I got a rejection e-mail from the small company I didn't want to work for. However, the one bit of good news that I received this weekend is that I no longer have an apartment in Hoboken! It has been rented out for February and I heard a rumor I will get all of my deposit back! So now I really need to get a job...

Dashboard Confessional - The Shade Of Poison Trees

Artist:	Dashboard Confessional
Album:	The Shade Of Poison Trees
Release Date:	October 2, 2007
Label:	Vagrant Records
Rating:	4/5

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Finally, Chris Carrabba has ditched his electric guitar and opted for an acoustic one again. True DC fans will realize that this endeavor is a return to his old roots by just judging the cover. The art work is very akin to So Impossible and Summers Kiss.

If you ask me, this is the best thing that DC has put out since The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most. The instrumentals are probably the best that we have heard from DC, however, the lyrics don't always add up. This time around, it doesn't feel like Chris was suffering from the demons that he was chasing away half a decade ago. These lyrics are much more mature, but not as poetic. There are no songs like "Screaming Infidelities." Instead of playing to his own insecurities, these are cautionary tales of gold/grave diggers.

Another thing to note is that this album is relatively short. Every track but one clocks in at under the 3 minute mark. For a total of 33:34. This is not a bad thing. If you look at the early works, they all clock in very short as well. It wasn't until DC picked up electric guitars that the albums started getting longer. It seems that they are really trying to return to their roots: Keeping it short and simple.

All in all, a very solid record from DC. I feel that this album was a return home from a very long trip. It might take a while to get used to your home town, but after a couple of days, it will be like he never left. I can't wait until the next one.
Track Listing:

1. Where There's Gold...
2. Thick As Thieves
3. Keep Watch For The Mines
4. These Bones
5. Fever Dreams
6. The Shade Of Poison Trees
7. The Rush
8. Little Bombs
9. I Light My Own Fires Now
10. Matters Of Blood And Connection
11. Clean Breaks
12. The Widows Peak

Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light

Artist:	Jimmy Eat World
Album:	Chase This Light
Release Date:	October 16, 2006
Label:	Interscope Records
Rating:	3/5

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So, what can I say about the new Jimmy Eat World? I have been a huge fan of Jimmy for a long time, and the closest thing that I can compare this record to is like going to one of your favorite restaurants. You show up there, knowing already what to expect, but when the waiter/waitress hands you the menu, you realize that it has changed. You try something new, but you realize it is the same thing just with a little change.

However, you are not disappointed. It's just that this album doesn't break any barriers. All of the darkness that was looming over Futures is gone. Instead, you are left with more pop-rock, radio-friendly songs than were found on Bleed American (Jimmy Eat World). My personal favorites are the first single Big Casino, because of the lyric I'm the one who gets away. I'm a New Jersey success-story, and Gotta Be Somebody's Blues. The latter almost sounds like a b-side from Futures.

The bottom line is that this album is not JEW's Magnum Opus, but if you were a fan of Bleed American and disappointed by Futures, this is the sequel you were looking for. If you were disappointed by both and wanted Clarity Part 2, you might want to look else where (Clarity was recently re-released with two extra tracks).
Track Listing:

1. Big Casino
2. Let It Happen
3. Always Be
4. Carry You
5. Electable (Give It Up)
6. Gotta Be Somebody's Blues
7. Feeling Lucky
8. Here It Goes
9. Chase This Light
10. Firefight
11. Dizzy

Stay Together For The Kids

So, I have always though that much of my family's actions were far from a norm, but then in the last 10 minutes, I started to think that maybe our "norm" is actually problematic. Last week, my parents celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary. I am 22 and a half, so the numbers don't add up all the way. I've never known either of my parents to be real intimate or sensitive, but I felt that their celebration was off-putting. We (not they) celebrated by going out to the most romantic place in the world... Red Lobster. Which is also the most vegetarian friendly place in know. Diner was later followed by a family outing to Sweeney Todd.

Today, however, they were going to spend time alone and go see Jersey Boys. Now I don't remember exactly when my father purchased these tickets, of if they were a Christmas, Anniversary, or Birthday present, but every day until the day of was a fight. But when they got back, they both very much enjoyed the show. My dad went upstairs, my sister and I were using the computer, and my mom was in the kitchen. My mom is usually a very loud, to say the least, person, but she was awfully quiet. So... I asked if she was alright. To which I received no answer. I then found my way to the kitchen, to find her teary eyed. Our conversation went as followed:

"What's Wrong?" "Just right now we're not in sync." "Did you guys talk?" "No, sometimes it's just better to keep my mouth shut."

Now the question that has been running through my head is if this is a loveless marriage? Are they together for the kids? I never really questioned my parents not sharing a bed. And I don't have a clue on how intimate or not they are, but this was the exact opposite reason that I ran home for. I think blink has already written everything I feel:

It's hard to wake up
When the shades have been pulled shut
This house is haunted
It's so pathetic
It makes no sense at all.
I'm ripe with things to say
The words rot and fall away.
If a stupid poem could fix this home
I'd read it every day.

So here's your holiday
Hope you enjoy it this time
You gave it all away
It was mine
So when you're dead and gone
Will you remember this night, twenty years now lost.
It's not right

Their anger hurts my ears
Been running strong for seven years
Rather than fix the problems, they never solve them
It makes no sense at all
I see them every day
We get along so why can't they?
If this is what he wants and this is what
she wants
Then why is there so much pain?

So here's your holiday
Hope you enjoy it this time
You gave it all away
It was mine
So when you're dead and gone
Will you remember this night, twenty years now lost
It's not right

So here's your holiday
Hope you enjoy it this time
You gave it all away
It was mine
So when you're dead and gone
Will you remember this night, twenty years now lost
It's not right

My Thoughts About Reviews

Today was a very uneventful day. I've been playing this card game with my family called My Word!. It's a fast paced spelling game that inevitably causes verbal bashings.

Anyway, back to the original point. I have been thinking a lot of how I want to do the ratings. Do I rate by song or album? Do I do percentages or stars (and if so how man stars)? What categories do I rate? But then, I read a review of Everything Starts Where It Ends by Lovedrug at this link. And here's the artist's response*:

Dear Mr./Miss TrustxDialect,
I thank you dearly for this gem of advice into my now knowingly trite and useless dream of a career waisted for the past 10 years . You obviously put alot of thought into this and must know more about music than most. To think, I waisted all those years of putting my personal thoughts and feelings into these songs that I slaved over writing; and it took you only two easy listens to figure out that it was all just mindless bullshit. Man, I wish I had your insight. Well, thanks again. And if I decide to attempt to make another album I'll try not to let you down again.

Sincerely,
Michael Shepard

So this got me to thinking that bands have real people in them too. If I had someone critique everything that I did, my feelings would get hurt as well. I give Mike kudos for sticking up for his beliefs. So going along with that, I will only give non-hateful reviews. If I write a review it means that I already like the thing that I am reviewing. Any comment should be taken as my own personal feelings and should no way be taken as offensive.

*originally found on AbsolutePunk.net

Casino

So, last night, I got dragged to Resorts Casino just to watch my buddy turn $60 into a couple hundred bucks. In his "streak of luck", he decided to go big or go home. He ended up losing all of his winnings as well as the $200 he came with. I've never been a gambler, but what was sad to me was looking around and seeing the same exact people that I saw the last time I went there. A lot of people look sad and defeated, and they obviously have a problem/addiction. These places aren't like the Vegas commercials make gambling look. It is actually much more depressing. You see people who do not know when to say enough is enough.

I promise I will start reviewing things shortly. I've been busy with job interviews and watching political debates. But going along with the theme, I'll probably review Chase This Light by Jimmy Eat World featuring "Big Casino".

First Interview of '08

Today, I had my first interview of 2008! However, I wasn't really impressed with the company. It was a (very) small company up in Oakbrook Terrace. Real nice people, but not what I want to do with my life... I probably shouldn't be so picky, but after my last mistake, which ruined my life, I need something that I truly believe. I went out of my way to drive through Chicago today. Before, seeing the city skyline used to make me so happy inside, but as of late, seeing the city makes me upset. How can the city that bore me, not let me work inside it??? Am I so unmarketable that I can't find a real career? But alas, when I got home, I got invited to an interview downtown. Coincidentally enough, the building is the same number, but on the east side of the street my father works on. Creepy... Funny story about my dad and I

• He was born in NJ, went to school in IN, and works in Chicago
• I was born in Chicago, went to school in IN, and worked in NJ

By the way, I have intentions of also rating things that I like (or hate). I might rate movies, music, books, beer, wine, food, sex, drugs, rock & roll, etc...

First

On the last day of the first week of '08, I'm going to try to document the attempts and failures of my days. I have things that I want to do in this life, and if I don't write them down, I may forget... I don't want to call these New Years' resolutions, but coincidentally I need some changes at the beginning of this year

• The first is that I need to find a job as soon as fucking possible.
• Second, is that I need to get back into shape. With me constantly traveling with my previous job and spending all of my time on my ass, I gained a lot of weight. Not to mention, the holiday season didn't help.
• The final thing that I need to find out soon is what is going on with Brittany.

Today was the first time in a couple of weeks that we spoke. And needless to say, it was extremely awkward. I miss her, but I don't know what to do about it. Anyway, I need to decide if there is not only a present, but also a future, or I need to move on. I've been reading Wooden On Leadership by John Wooden, a gift from Judge Meade, and one quote in particular has stood out:

"Love is patient: love is kind. It is not jealous; it is not pompous; it is not inflated; it is not rude; it does not seek its own interest; it is not quick-tempered; it does not brood over injury; it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things."

I think this means I am fucked :)