My life is in storage

[vovat]

I'm going to be making a mix CD for obsessical, and I might as well ask whether anybody else wants one. If so, give me some idea as to what you do and don't want on it. I really prefer making individual mixes to generic ones, although I DO have a few ideas for themed mixes, which I might end up throwing in with the individual mixes. So, yeah, let me know.

While driving today, I saw a car with a "Boycott France" bumper sticker, which was apparently from Bill O'Reilly's Factor Gear line, as it also said, "The spin stops here." The same car had a "Cat: The Other White Meat" bumper sticker. So there you have it. Conclusive proof O'Reilly fans like to eat cats. Really, though, I don't totally understand the whole "Boycott France" thing. They didn't want to go to war in Iraq, but neither did a lot of other countries, so why single out France? Actually, O'Reilly has a new place or company he wants to boycott every other week, but France has been the big one for some time.

I packed up some more stuff (mostly books) from my mom's house, but I still have a long way to know. Probably next time I'll come over, I'll have to do what I've been dreading, and sort through my boxes of papers and such. When my dad lived in an apartment, I had a bunch of stuff that I didn't want then but thought I might later in storage. Then, when he moved, I had to take it all over to my mom's, where there wasn't really room for it. There isn't much room at my current house, either, so I'm probably going to have to get rid of some of it. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the cheap knick-knacks I bought when I was in college. I'll probably put some of them up, and leave others packed away. I really hate to get rid of things, and on the rare occasions where I do, I sometimes wish I hadn't. I don't want to have to do TOO much more moving, though.

Okay, here are the answers to the lyric-guessing game of last week.

1. Some people say that I am out of my tree, or just a strawberry fool.

"Fruit Nut," by XTC. jenhime got it.

2. Men have gargoyles 'round their hearts.

"Church Of Women," also by XTC, and also correctly answered by jenhime.

3. We could eat fish all day, not worry about how we smell.

Okay, I didn't exactly expect anybody to get this one, although it would have been cool if someone had. It's from "I'll Be Your Platypus," by Corn Mo.

4. On the twisting highway, headlamps and moonlight light the way.

"Mystery," by the Apples in Stereo. jenhime got it, which is cool, because I honestly never would have.

5. Thirty miles by hundred miles by stinking island.

"Crackity Jones," by the Pixies. Nobody got the song, but jenhime got the artist right.

6. Prove it to yourself if you've got something to offer.

Another difficult one. It's from "Believe Me Never," by the Fastbacks.

7. For when we smite them with our swords in the name of our just Lord, we do bring glory to His name.

"Hey Brother, We're On Our Way," by Camper Van Beethoven. Nobody got it right.

8. There she told me that she loved me, not with words but with a kiss.

"What Am I Doin' Hangin' 'Round," originally by the Monkees, but I was actually listening to the version by They Might Be Giants. I accepted either band, which means that revme, onib, and bec_87rb all got it. And jenhime knew that it was (at least sometimes) a TMBG song, so she deserves some credit for that.

9. Are you bigger than a breadbox, heavy like a bag of rocks?

Hmm, I expected that somebody would get this, but no one did. It's from "What Up," by Lincoln.

10. They say he sprung from the skull of Athena. Think about your own head and the headache he gave.

"Soap Star Joe," by Liz Phair. Nobody got it. I don't think I would have either.

11. Have you seen her car? Eight-track is the latest!

Yet another XTC song, this one being "She's So Square." Not really a favorite of mine, to say the least. Anyway, revme ISN'T square, as he identified it correctly.

12. While the glory of God is simple to some, the heaven of headlines is better, and much easier to attain.

Why does some really obscure Minus 5 song come up every time I do this? This particular one is "No More Glory," and there's certainly no glory for anyone on my friends page, since none of them could identify this song. I'm not too surprised, though.

13. On request from her dad, she takes a seat centre stage, and starts to play.

This is a Sloan song (notice that I spelled "center" in the Canadian way to reflect that it's by a Canadian band), but I can't even remember which one, so it's no shock to me that no one else could either. Okay, I looked it up, and it's take "Take The Bench."

14. If you hide yourself away, your country will honor you.

This is also Sloan, but it's less obscure, at least in my own mind. It's from "Take Good Care Of The Poor Boy," which bethje tells me is about Rufus Wainwright.

15. Nothing lies like no parade for the highest grade. It's time to call a spade a spade.

I'm not sure how three Sloan lyrics showed up all in a row. I think I actually skipped a few really difficult non-Sloan songs in between the three, but still. I actually used to get mixed up and think this lyric was from "Sinkin' Ships," but it isn't. It's from "Seems So Heavy," another Navy Blues track. Anyway, I know there are a few Sloan fans who read this, so I'm not sure why nobody could guess any of these three, but that's how it went down.

16. It's a thousand pages, give or take a few. I'll be writing more in a week or two.

Okay, pretty much everybody got this one. And by "pretty much everybody," I mean jenhime, obsessical, zimbra1006, , and rockinlibrarian. It is, of course, "Paperback Writer," by a certain four guys from Liverpool.

17. We'll meet beyond the shore. We'll kiss just as before.

From "Somewhere Beyond The Sea." I think the version that came up on my computer was by Harry Connick Jr., but the most famous one was by Bobby Darin. And for what it's worth, a little bit of the tune (sans lyrics) is played at the end of the Minus 5's "Over The Sea."

18. What are we going to do with these bones?

I get the impression that the Austin song is one of TMBG's more obscure Venue Songs, so I'm going to forgive all you TMBG fans for not getting it. Now, if it had been Anaheim or Dallas, it would have been a different story.

19. We chased the tide as the treasures were gathered.

"Seaside," by Tori Amos. This is so obscure that I probably should have just skipped it, but whatevs (as the cool kids say). I think it was one of Scarlet's Hidden Treasures, and it apparently remained hidden from everyone who guessed.

20. Look at them eating. I guess it tastes real good.

As revme knew, it's from "The Big Country," by Talking Heads.

21. Prayers to my chosen deity. Modulation, and I hold a high note.

"Title Of The Song," by Da Vinci's Notebook. onib and an anonymous poster both got it.

22. He was the first boy born in space.

"Billy Radcliffe," by Frank Black (not the guy from Millennium {g}). That's a really cool song, which y'all should listen to, if you haven't already done so and have just forgotten the lyrics. I think it's the best song on Frank's worst album.

23. Am I a fool? I'm not as smart as a rat. I'm much smarter than that.

Come on, people! This one was easy! Well, it would have been easy for ME, anyway, but maybe I'm atypical in that respect. It's "The Marsist," also by Frank Black.

24. I sing myself to sleep at night.

"Another Song About The Rain," by Cracker

25. Everybody's having fun, dancing with the skeleton.

"Nickelskeleton," by James Kochalka

26. I noticed that he had a watch and hat that looked familiar.

Hey, someone actually got this one! It was travspence who knew it was from "All We Have Is Now," by the Flaming Lips.

27. The world is a rock that's spinning so fast, it'll give you jim-jams.

The third Frank song on here, and the only one that someone actually got. As revme said, it's from "Sir Rockaby." Which, as far as I can remember, was the first Frank song I ever heard.

28. You act like you're fourteen years old. Everything you say is so obnoxious, funny, true and mean.

revme got the artist (Liz Phair), but not the song ("Flower"). I think it's the only line in that song that ISN'T dirty. {g}

29. Caviar, radiccio, snow pea, scampi.

I know that somebody knew this was from "Johnny Saucep'n," by Moxy Früvous. What I don't know is who knew this, since they didn't leave their name. Identify yourself, o anonymous poster, so that you may receive accolades!

30. We're the highlights in your hairdo, the extra arms on Vishnu.

"We Put The Spring In Springfield," from the Simpsons episode "Bart After Dark" (the one with the burlesque house). jenhime, obsessical, and jenhime got it; and bec_87rb knew what show it was from, but apparently not the title.


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Who wants a mix CD?
2. What is my major motivation in making mix CD's? Desire to share the music I like, an excuse to listen to a lot of cool music myself, or a simple desire for attention? Explain your answer.
3. How come I've never seen a church that identified itself as "The No Sin Zone"? It's such an obvious joke!
4. If a "boycott" is where you don't buy from someone, is a "girlcott" where you buy extra things from them?
5. Explain photosynthesis in your own words, without using the words "chlorophyll," "plants," or "magic."
6. Explain why Americans hate France in 200 words or less, without using the words "frog," "snob," "coward," "surrender," "body odor," "socialism," "escargot," or "Jerry Lewis."
7. Isn't it irritating when a list of questions contains items that are actually commands, and not questions at all? Or I am the only one who's annoyingly literal-minded enough to care?
8. Since Bill O'Reilly is so intent on introducing vocabulary words ("bloviate," "truculent," "garrulous," "popinjay," etc.), does anyone else think he should just drop the "news analyst" bullshit, and get a new show called "Bill O'Reilly's Vocabulary Builder"?
9. Should I throw out my old school papers?
10. How about those lyric guessing games? Fun? Not fun? Too hard?

Comments

[alex-a-polukhin.livejournal.com]

5. Explain photosynthesis without using the words "chlorophyll," "plants," or "magic."
Oh, that's impossible, without magic!

Light beam energy transformation.

[alex-a-polukhin.livejournal.com]

irritating
7. No, it isn't. Obviously, not irritating.

[alex-a-polukhin.livejournal.com]

9. I guess, no.

[obsessical.livejournal.com]

1. Me, because I'm awesome.
2. To educate people in awesome music, and because it is fun.
3. Maybe you haven't been to enough churches?
4. No, girlcott is when [insert hilarious sex joke here]
5. I can't even explain using those words :/
6. THE ANSWER IS MIMES.
7. No, that is pretty annoying.
8. If we're going to be changing things, why don't we just TAKE AWAY his show?
9. Yeah, you probably don't need them anymore.
10. I personally think they're fun. Except when I don't get Venue Songs and then I feel like a bad little fangirl.

I don't know why America hates France so much, though. I mean, they're like the vanguard of European history stuffs. Or so I've learned.

[revme.livejournal.com]

1. I am totally wantin' one.
2. I would say to share the music, as that's the reason I enjoy making them. In fact, I think I enjoy making them more than any other stage.
3. I think I have seen those, actually.
4. Because girls are icky.
5. It's when green stuff becomes food.
6. Because they hate what they don't understand. Like languages.
7. Yeah, pretty much, to the former.
8. That would actually be pretty cool. Bill O'Reilly's WORD POWER!!
9. I'd say keep anything that's an essay/other long written thing, chuck the rest.
10. Fun and just the right amount of difficulty.

[alex-a-polukhin.livejournal.com]

10. Fun. 'f course fun!

[majellen.livejournal.com]

1. Everyone wants a mix cd!

2. The answer is none of the above. Usually, mix cds are about validation. If you make a mix cd for your friends and they also like it, that makes you feel as if you have awesome taste in music. Of course, we skew the results by only making our friends CDs of music that we know that they would like anyway. But it helps our egos a little bit.

3. I don't know, but I'm sure it'll happen someday. The best church sign I ever saw was at IUP - "With God, you're supposed to be on your knees."

4. A girlcott would be where you buy things FOR them. My gender is much more likely to receive than give, I'm afraid.

5. Those creatures with roots take in sunlight, and then with the help of some green stuff inside their leaves, they convert it into energy much like the human digestive tract converts foods into energy.

6. Tradition. That's why most people do, anyway. Kind of like why you hate your high school's rival high school.

7. This one was actually a question. Actually, a bunch of them were.

8. I think he does it in an attempt to keep people from making fun of him. "Yeah, I might be boring, but you had to look up words that I used."

9. It depends on how many there are, and if you will ever use them again, I guess. YOu could try selling them on eBay.
10. I'm terrible at the games, so I dislike them. I don't listen to the same music as most of my friends, so I don't enjoy them at all. The best lyric game I saw was the one where someone rewrites the lyrics in their own words and you try to guess them.

[revme.livejournal.com]

The best lyric game I saw was the one where someone rewrites the lyrics in their own words and you try to guess them.

Ooh, that'd be fun!

[onib.livejournal.com]

1> I'd enjoy one. I'm almost finished up with the discs I was making for you. Do you want them at your old address or new one? If the new one, then I'll need to get that from you...
2> I don't know if I could speak to your desire to make mix CDs, but personally, mine is sort of a cross between sharing and validation. When I'm really into an artist or group, I want to share that excitement with friends, but it's very depressing to make a CD for someone whose reaction is basically "whatever." Obviously the best response to a CD is "Wow, this is the best music ever!" However, a mere "Those were really interesting" will often suffice.
3> I haven't seen one either, but it strike me as a bit pompous to claim that the entire congregation is without sin rather than merely forgiven.
4> I thought it was just where young women slept on camping trips.
5> How the non-animal things I eat keep themselves alive long enough for me to eat them.
6> At least recently, I think it comes down to France having a veto vote in the UN Security Council, so that if they really don't like what America wants to propose to the world, they can stop us from ever bringing it to the UN proper. The current administration does not take kindly to others telling us what we can't say (i.e. "join us or get out of our way").
7> I just say them in my head with a raised pitch at the end and magically, I turn them into questions.
8> Why stop with just changing our language. I think he should start a show where he talks with people who disagree with him. Then, he sends them to another country where they can be secretly tortured until they change their minds.
9> Xyzzy
10> I enjoy reading through them. Often, the enjoyment comes from recognizing a song you like and realizing that the other person obviously listens to it too.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Hey, good job!

[vovat.livejournal.com]

What am I going to DO with them, then?

[vovat.livejournal.com]

1. I already planned to get you one, actually.
3. Maybe.
4. Does it have anything to do with monocots and dicots?
6. But France hardly has a monopoly on mimes.
8. Because Fox would just replace him with someone equally bad, if not worse.

I don't know why America hates France so much, though. I mean, they're like the vanguard of European history stuffs. Or so I've learned.

And they helped out during the Revolution! I think that was mostly just because they hated the British, though.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

1. Any idea as to what you want on it? You're already familiar with the vast majority of what I like, but I'm sure there's still some stuff I can give you.
9. Probably a good idea.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

1. Even you?
2. I think you hit the nail on the head there. Unfortunately, it rarely seems to work that way. I know I've made a few converts, though.
7. I know, but the two immediately preceding it weren't.
8. Probably. As usual, I think he wants to have it both ways. He claims to represent "the folks," yet he also makes a show of being smarter than everyone else.
9. I doubt there's much of a market for my old homework. I guess it could be worth something if I ever became famous, though. {g} I've actually put a lot of my old textbooks up on half.com, but there haven't been very many takers. Most of them become pretty useless after a year or two. But don't even get me started on the textbook racket.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

1. I'll e-mail it to you.
2. That's one reason why I try to give a reaction to every mix CD someone makes for me. Kind of the Golden Rule in action, I suppose.
3. True, but it's also really pompous for O'Reilly to claim that he doesn't put a spin on anything. (Even if it weren't really obvious that he spins things a lot more than most newscasters, I think it's impossible for a human to be free from bias.) Maybe "the sin stops here" would work better.
7. I've taken some tests where teachers would put inappropriate question marks at the end of commands. You know, like, "List the different classes of vertebrates?" I guess if you wanted to be literal about it, you should answer that with either "okay" or "no." But I don't think that would result in a good grade. {g}
8. So he'd be outsourcing his torture?

[onib.livejournal.com]

1> I just got it. Thanks!
3> Absolutely! Anyone who claims to be totally fair and unbiased sets off all my alarms.
7> *laughs* I so wish I'd had tried something like that. You could make as good argument for it.
8> Of course! It could double as a travel show. "Visit exotic locales, meet interesting people, and stand naked on logs for days while dogs bark at you until you see why I am always right." Bit of an extended tag line, but it could work.

[revme.livejournal.com]

1. Eh, basically anything, really! Perhaps more Rilo Kiley stuff and stuff of that ilk, as I adore the Jenny Lewis record. And perhaps Neko Case, too, as the Fox Confessor album was pretty good, too. Or just other stuff like that that's lyin' around!

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

1. Actually... that might be interesting.
2. I like to make mix CDs so I can have a variety of good music-- kind of like listening to the radio but you're guaranteed to like every song that comes on. Sometimes I also like to make mixes just for the challenge of fitting one to a theme. Mixes I've made for other people tend to be educational, like: "The top 20 psychedelic pop songs everyone should know and now you do, too!"
3. Probably because it would be counterproductive. It would indicate that the church does not want sinners there, which may be true of some of the home-grown cult-like churches, but one of the general premises of Christianity is the FORGIVENESS of sins, so sinners are ALWAYS welcome to come and have a change of heart.
4. No clue, but I have to admit I always did wonder what boys had to do with it.
5. Green makes food for growing things!
6. Because it's fun. Actually, living with a military history buff, it seems to have a little to do with the Americans having had to save France's butt in two world wars. Before that, we were better friends. Statue of Liberty and all that.
7. It's more irritating when people end a command with a question mark just because it happens to be part of a list of questions.
8. That sounds pretty cool actually.
9. You should read them all and just throw out the boring ones. Save ones that are interesting, well-written, or have cool doodles on them.
10. I think they're totally fun, but nobody on my friends list ever wants to play (saving you) (and it's disheartening, because I KNOW some of the songs are actually very well-known and I wish people would actually TRY), and nobody ever posts their own except you and the only ones I can ever get on yours are the Beatles songs. Although if I'd ever managed to actually GET myself some Apples in Stereo maybe I COULD have gotten #4. I also rather LOVE the song "Somewhere Beyond the Sea," but I apparently don't actually know the lyrics. I keep thinking I want to post another list, but this last lack of effort on the part of my friends list (saving you) was really kind of disappointing.

[alex-a-polukhin.livejournal.com]

Don't be in such a hurry.
As for me, I can't raise a hand to eliminate my school papers.
They form altogether such a funny stuff.

[leolapyre.livejournal.com]

I've always been intrigued by your taste in music; it seems like you listen to some really good stuff. I'd be interested in receiving a mix CD of yours. I don't really have any specifics... perhaps a theme mix CD?

In return, I can send you the Really Depressing Songs compilation that I've been working on, if you want.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Well, it's mostly an issue of space, and the fact that I have so many papers that it's really difficult to find anything important. I doubt I'll get rid of ALL of them, but I'm sure I can find plenty that I can get rid of without a qualm.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'll try to work something out when I have the time (which might not be for a little while).

[vovat.livejournal.com]

1. Is there anything I'm always going on about that you'd be interested in hearing?
3. Yeah, that makes sense. I guess you could argue that it simply means there's no sinning INSIDE the church, but...I don't know. I'm just surprised I haven't seen that joke SOMEWHERE, even if not at a church. And I know quite a few church signs have lame jokes on them, so...
10. I actually got more participation this time than usual, although some people who usually DO participate didn't this time, for whatever reason. But yeah, I can see how it's disappointing. More people need to listen to what I listen to, so they can play the game. {g}

[vovat.livejournal.com]

The two themed mixes I've been thinking of recently are one of long songs, and one of summer songs (although I was kind of thinking I should wait until the solstice before doing the latter one). In the past, I made a Best of 2005 (and Before) mix, as well as a religion one. If you'd be interested in any of those, I can certainly send you a copy. Ideally, though, I'd like to make a mix that includes some stuff you're particularly interested in, and leaves off the stuff you already know (or know you won't like).

[alex-a-polukhin.livejournal.com]

As for me, this "stuff" is a kind of a key or, rather, a register for my remembrance, reminiscence etc. To perform "Regedit"? No, thanks! (Cancel !)

(http://photobucket.com)

[alex-a-polukhin.livejournal.com]

..."Boycott France"...
...so why single out France?
Aha. You can also blame ... Canada!

(http://photobucket.com)

[singing]

Blame Canada, blame Canada!

[majellen.livejournal.com]

I worked for the book-buyer-backers one year at CMU. I think the reason they dont' give you much back is that they paid REALLY well. Of course, they also don't do any type of tax stuff, so I had to find all these crazy forms for "income made from private contracts" and stuff like that. What a pain that was for $700. Which also sadly put us up a tax bracket! :(

I think it was Karma coming back to get me after telling people that their $300 book was worthless without the CD it didn't come with.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't think the racket is entirely on the part of the stores. It might be more the fault of the publishers. Regardless, they charge WAY too much for them, probably because they know students are going to have to buy them. And the CD's (even if they DO actually come with the books) are another racket, since I don't think anyone ever actually USES them.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I think blaming Mexico has become a popular pasttime as of late, too.

[alex-a-polukhin.livejournal.com]

...Mexico has become a popular pasttime as of late...
Illegal emigrants? Their latest strike two weeks ago?

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

1. Okay, I've been trying to think of an answer to this for the past--well, since whenever this was posted-- um, two days ago... but I still have no idea. I suppose my taste in music is fairly obvious if complicated. I like "good music that is musically interesting." I suppose I would, like I mentioned once before, like to get my hands on some Apples in Stereo and Ben Folds. Also, a copy of "Shoehorn with Teeth" might be cool to actually have.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that sort of thing.

[slfcllednowhere.livejournal.com]

So there you have it. Conclusive proof O'Reilly fans like to eat cats.

haha! Hey, do you ever watch Keith Olbermann's show? He keeps up with all the O'Reilly idiocy, which is just one of the reasons he's awesome.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I've seen it occasionally. Beth really likes it.

O'Reilly is such an easy target, but usually an amusing one as well. Of course, he'll just shrug it all off and insist that anyone criticizing him has some crazy political agenda. I have to wonder if he's really that full of himself, or if he's just using the same "never admit to a mistake" philosophy that the President favors. Probably a combination of the two.

[slfcllednowhere.livejournal.com]

Of course, he'll just shrug it all off and insist that anyone criticizing him has some crazy political agenda.

When some guy mentioned KO on his call-in show, he cut him off immediately and said all this stuff about how they had his contact information and would be sending the Fox News legal team. (Keith: "Bill thinks he has his own police!")

[vovat.livejournal.com]

O'Reilly has apparently made threats like that on other occasions as well. Like, I think when he told that woman he wanted to rub falafel on her boobs, he also said some stuff about how Fox was going to go after Al Franken. (Apparently he thinks successful phone sex includes irrelevant threats. :P) Usually O'Reilly's craziness seems to be somewhat calculated (e.g., yelling over top of guests so the audience won't get an accurate representation of their actual viewpoints), but the threats make him sound downright delusional. It's like paranoia in reverse--instead of thinking everyone is out to get him, he thinks HE can go out and get everybody else.