Stop The Wolves, Especially Their Kin

There are too many of these.

Wolf Parade
Wolf Colonel
Wolf Eyes
Guitar Wolf
Peanut Butter Wolf (kinda doesn't count but I'm entering it anyways)
Wolfie
Wolf
Grey Wolf
Howlin' Wolf
Season of the Wolf
Wolves Hollow
Wolves
Los Lobos

It's gotta stop!

Anthropology

My anthropology teacher has given a series of readings. The first book is psuedo beginners guide to anthropology. The author's goals for his book were to provide an introduction to the basic concepts of anthropology and to chronical the author's very first anthropological study. The author admits in the preface that he himself is far from perfect and that he made many mistakes while on this study. The reason I bring this class and this book up is that in the first classes the teacher has demeaned this book and the author. If she doesn't like the book why did she pick it? My problem is I can't keep my teacher's opinions out of my head. While reading the book, the thought that this author is an idiot is always in the back of my mind. I'm really hoping this goes away and I can take something away from this book.

I discussed this problem with my boss at work and she told me about an exercise she went through while in manager's training. Two groups watched the same taped job interview. One group is told prior to watching the video that the man may seem crude but he has been an effective business man in the shipping industry. While the other group is told that this is a real redneck just bare with it. In the video the man is indeed gruff and is seen spitting tobacco into a cup.(Which is pretty funny that they stoop to that level for characterization.) Both groups are asked if they would hire the man. The group that was given some prior positive info about the man mostly said they would hire him. While none of the group that was given just the bad side said they would hire. The lesson learned I guess that often the learning opinions prior to fact is a heavy decider of one's own opinion.

NOTE on the above photo. The beloved Mel Gibson is not dead. This is some wierd monument to another Mel. It's located at the Crystal Flash on Westnedge.

Overheard (dead friend)

Overheard at WMU issue #1

Blonde Girl "So did you have a good weekend?"
Dude Bro "Umm.. well I had to go to this funeral."
Girl "Who was it for?"
Dude "It was this buddy of mine from high school."
Girl "How did he die?"
Dude "Umm..he was real drunk and he fell asleep. Then I guess he choked on his puke."
Girl "Oh... So how was the rest of your weekend?" (Smiles eerily)


Later on in the conversation...
Girl "How can you grade a philosophy paper. I mean it's an opinion. You can't grade opinions."

Some one should write a philosophy paper on that.

CBGB

Apparently CBGB is on the verge of closing. The story goes that the people who own the building have denied the club renew it's lease.

It's a bit shocking until you look at the list bands who've played there over the last year. It seems like a club with the notority of CBGB's would more than six or so recognizable acts of the span of year. It seems that through the years they've kept the "we discover new acts" attitude.

During the next month there will be benefit shows to save it.

House of J

So the House of J is underway.

Things here are good. I really like my room mates. Our house has more entertainment frills than I've ever had. Premium cable, DVR (similar to Tivo), three couches, and wireless internet.

There a few problems. As you probably know from Josh and Jake.(I think they both wrote about it.) The landlord is loopy and there is a roaming bum population along our street. If you live here in the student ghetto, you've probably had to deal with one if not both of them.

I'm curious if anyone feels that the Oak Street Market has gotten worse since it changed hands.

Spring

My first year of study at a university has finished. I feel relief. Spring is here. We all need to celebrate.
I've been making plans for what to do with the summer. A large list in fact.

I'll be honsest I really don't want to write in this right now. I've spent this whole time looking out the window. But I don't want to leave a stupid post with just a link up forever.

Things I want to play with:
Moped
Digital Camera
35mm Camera
Bicycle
Guitar
Bass Guitar
Gameboy Camera Music Maker
Postcards

A Kick

Drop Kick The Faint

St. Patrick's Day Sux

I've really grown to dislike Saint Patrick's Day. In opposition I want to adopt St. Joseph's Day. Which is celebrated the day after Saint Patty's in the city of Valencia. St. Joseph's day involves creating large displays similar to one would consider a parade float but made out of plaster and paper mache with a wood supports inside. The main point of these displays is to depict satires of social trends, political current events, and moral attitudes. Of course by depicting them satirically the creators wish to initiate change. At midnight on March 18th these are set aflame. From I'm told it's quite a sight to see these 3 story monuments blazing in the streets next buildings of the same height.

These displays are called fallas. It has become a tradition that the fallas be designed vertically. (They burn better that way.) A particular satirical theme is picked for the falla. Typically a mythological character is picked to be on top of the falla. This is an allegorical figure to the theme. The base is filled with scenes depicting off shoots of the main theme. The scene usually contains a caption that has a bit literary wit that would be rather uncommon in anything American these days. Wit that reflects the phraseology based in classic literature or scripture. The fallas look amazing. They look like gorgeous nightmares come to life. Perhaps similar to what you might see at Disneyland but twisted and filled with innuendo.

This is first I've heard of this holiday. It's a rather large holiday so perhaps you've heard of it. There are a lot more types of events surrounding the celebration but the fallas are what I found most interesting. It's comparable of course to the Burning Man festival. The 130 plus tradition makes it much more fascinating though. They both carry the concept of creating an object that personifies frustration and burning it down to release stress. The ideals behind the fallas seem like they were engrained due to necessity where as the Burning Man these ideals were superimposed.

My professor in my Spanish class brought in a slide of his multiple trips to the festival and was gushing with information about it. He had gorgeous photos of it and like most of his classes he was rather animated.

Lately, I've been pondering in minoring in the Spanish language.

Historia De Las Fallas
Fotos De Las Fallas

Rich List

Global Rich List

Dates

This serves as a reminder for me and a proposal for you.*

The kills
04/01 Chicago, IL/ Double Door
04/02 Detroit, MI/ Magic Stick
Melt banana
05/03 / lansing / mac’s
05/04 / bloomington, il / rhino’s
05/05 / chicago / abbey pub
shellac
04/15 / chicago / bottom lounge
gang of four
05/01 Indio, CA / Coachella Music and Arts Festival
05/02 San Francisco, CA / The Fillmore
05/03 San Francisco, CA / The Fillmore
05/05 Portland, OR / Roseland
05/06 Seattle, WA / Showbox
05/07 Vancouver, British Columbia / Commodore
05/10 Minneapolis, MN / Quest
05/11 Chicago, IL / Metro
05/12 Chicago, IL / Metro
05/14 Toronto, Ontario / Phoenix
05/16 Boston, MA / Avalon
05/17 New York City, NY / Irving Plaza
05/18 New York City, NY / Irving Plaza
05/20 Washington, DC / 9:30 Club
05/21 Philadelphia, PA / TBA
deerhoof
05/11 Cleveland, OH / Beachland
05/12 Chicago, IL / Open End Gallery
05/13 Minneapolis, MN / Triple Rock
05/15 Chicago, IL / Empty Bottle
05/17 Ann Arbor, MI / Blind Pig

* you = anyone

P.S. I'm not sure if Gang of Four getting back together is great thing or the worst idea ever. I mean are they going to be all sourpuss about it while stuffing cash into their pockets or do they want to do it.

Advice

Straight A's from now on!

"If you just memorize it, it will be like an open book test on the exam."

Thanks Spanish 101 Professor!

Back to Valentine's

On Valentine's Day I managed to get sick. I stayed out late and after coming home my body completely fell apart. Through the whole night my body couldn't decide if it was blazing hot or freezing cold. I had muscle aches and the worst headache I've experienced. Along with that I had the sore throat that always accompany's any sickness I seem to obtain. I barely slept at all.

Why am I bothering you with these details? I'm curious if anyone experiences the same thing I do in this situation. I'm a very sound sleeper. When ever my body and mind refuses to fall asleep I have the tendency to hallucinate or I guess I can dream while I'm still conscious. I usually interact with some unforgiving object or someone or something is talking to me and won't shut up. While it's occuring it seems very real and reasonable. Only in hindsight does the situation seem unusual.

That night I was apparently working on some large machine while in bed. I was going through some sort of maintenance procedure. Or maybe I was training myself how to do some sort of maintenance procedure. Anyways the whole night through I was opening and closing compartments, pulling at wires, and looking through books that I found really boring.

I wish I could that this dream or hallucination came from no where but I know it was just me reliving my current job. The machine resembled the photo printer at work and lately we've been having train on procedures due to the slow season.

Anyways, I'm curious if anyone has ever had this experience where they awake dream through the night.

What's Entertaining

"Males/females of any shape or size to model for glorious clown figurines. Will be required to ware unflattering clown uniform. Flexible hours, statue will be sluggishly hand crafted and be kept for personal collection. Pays in cash in cash '13/hr', compliments, in actual peanuts '1 once per hour'."

Classified Ad posted in the Western Herald on 2/10/05
*note I left the spelling and typo errors and that no contact info was left

I love the absurd. I've been eager to find anything that seems truely non sequitur or is generally just odd.

I've found a phone number for something called Sonic Supper. It's rather fun to listen to. I like to listen it on speaker phone on my cellphone.

Any interest = 718 303-9553

Robocut

I've recently purchased a Robocut. I'll admit it's pure lunacy but secretly I've always wanted one.

For those who don't what a Robocut is, it's the cheaper cousin to the Flowbee. For those who don't what a Flowbee is, it's a device that when you hook it up to a vacuum it sucks your hair up a tube and then cuts it. It has a guard that is adjustable in length to set what you want to cut your hair to.

I've successfully given myself a horrible haircut and will wearing a hat more often.

Josh Franta

Let's say you're a sentient being. You find a rocket. Inside that rocket you find a list of names. A massive list of names recorded on a tiny piece of metal. What would that information recorded in a manner completely foreign to you provide. I'd say absolutely nothing. All it provides is the person whose name is on the list some sort of strange bragging rights(or rites?). "Hey, they put my name in a time capsule on a rocket they launched into OUTER SPACE!", says chachy guy leaning over to a girl at a bar.

Let me back up a bit. Quite a bit actually. So I Googled my name for the first time in a while. It's lame but we all do it. We've all even been to sites dedicated to it. I'm glad to say I'm number one. This is due to the wonderful and enormous Moped Army site.

Also on the Google list are two people with Franta domains. One being Franta.com and another with Frantastic.com. Unfortunately they're both bum links. I listed them more for affect and I like the look of red text on a post. I have a history with Frantastic.com. The person who owns the domain emailed my AOL account back when I was 17. He sent me an email just saying "Is your name Josh Franta?" Or something similar to that. It surprised me because my screen name didn't indicate my name at all. Apparently he had done some searching and liked finding other people with the same name. The stories really not that interesting but what I did get out of it was the term "Frantastic."

Back to that list I was talking about. Also on the Google list was a website dedicated to the Stardust project. Stardust is a spacecraft that will collect material from the comet Wild 2. The Stardust will then return to Earth. It will be interesting to study pieces of that comet but we all know this microchip is purely for raising money.

It provides the need we all have to say, "Michael John Franta (Sgt./Army) was here!" We all want our names known whether be in the most obscure or bizarre places. It's why we do things like Google our names.

Templates!

After a week of racking my brain I finally figured out my account and password for this blog. Due to all the time between posts I had forgotten them. Now with the account up and running again I can post maybe.

I've been splruging on the internet lately. Filling what time I usually spend taking massive naps. I've done things like join My Space and actually read my emails.

After spending several hours playing with this I now have to be off to work.

end