Reading in February

February was a very busy month. OBNOXIOUSLY BUSY! I didn't have a lot of time for reading or for much of anything else. So reading was a bit slim.

The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley*
Candide by Voltaire (school assigned)

None of these books were too outstanding. The Glass Bead Game was interesting and intellectual. I'm beginning to appreciate Hermann Hesse a lot, but his books are not exactly "leisure reads". You have to be focused and put some effort into it. The Jungle Book is obviously a classic and very nostalgic for me, but I don't necessarily recommend it to anyone. Brave New World was a simple read, reminded me of 1984... I guess I can recommend it. And Candide was assigned... end of story.

Francis and I are headed to Bloomington, IN. for a show tomorrow. I'm sick and we haven't played for a while... I think I smell disaster. Should be fun. If you're in the area, stop in at Pourhouse Cafe at 2pm.

And I've been listening to this band out of Oklahoma called Evangelicals. They're really weird and bizarre at times but then there are points where the melodies are absolutely beautiful and somewhat heavenly. Definitely a good listen when you're driving at night.

"Eternity was in our lips and eyes"

Indian food, icy roads, and -ish?

"I wanted to conquer the world, you see, to understand it, to force it to understand me."



Listening to the new U2 record. I'm not wholly disappointed with it like I expected I was going to be after hearing that awful single. Some of the songs I'm thinking "Bono, c'mon, seriously?", but then there are a few that are actually worthwhile. I'll, of course, need to listen to it a couple more times before I can make any concrete decisions.

I had every intention of gang-banging vocal tracks this weekend until I got sick. What was I thinking?

And my friend Jasmine invited me over for some authentic Indian food. It was yummy. Americans are so ignorant, I find.

Soundtrax

This is one of those timeless songs that you never want to end. It will be played at my wedding, funeral, and any other major or minor events in my life.



Also included in that list are any Woo Tang songs... :)

I think I think much too much

Francis and I were silkscreening some posters for an art show last night and had a very productive conversation (Francis makes very cool posters, by the way... magneticFLUX Design). He mentioned that perhaps the most important thing in life is not always what we accomplish, but the purity of our hearts. I've been thinking about that a lot today. Maybe I could be more effective if I first made sure I had pure thoughts, motives, actions. I can't hear God and I don't feel like we're on the same page.

That's been pretty discouraging. Also, recording is not going as well or as quickly as I had hoped. Actually, it's not going at all... school continues to pile more and more work on and I just don't have time to do what I want to do. And seems this writer's block is never going to end. It's been nearly six months since I've written a song I'm actually happy with. Am I washed up already?

Plus, hot girls never seem to make life any easier.

AUTOBAHN09

talk about nostalgia.

autobahnfest.com

Slumdog Millionaire

Broke my heart. What can I do about the immense hurt and poverty that is... everywhere? It's very challenging and very very very overwhelming. Sigh-



I'll let you know once I figure it out.