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I am unsure as to whether I should buy XTC's Fuzzy Warbles discs. I'm sure they'll be good, but the price the official site is charging seems a bit steep (over $24 each, with shipping). Maybe I should see if I can find them anywhere else, although they probably wouldn't be autographed by Andy Partridge if I do get them elsewhere.
posted by Nathan at 4:24 PM

 
From The Spark's pick-up test:

What's up frigidaire. You are
17%


pickup-able! You're cold and unapproachable, like a big glacier that's unapproachable. And cold. Unlike the Arctic tundra, few even venture to plant their flag in you. You're definitely not a Scorpio, unless you were born between October 23 and November 21. The bad news is that you'll end up miserable and alone, probably knitting doilies out of cat hair. The good news is that this is apparently what you want. Honestly, I don't even feel comfortable talking to you right now, so I'm just gonna go… yeah… wash my friend's hair.
posted by Nathan at 3:16 AM

 

Which Tori Amos Era are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

That's pretty weird.

Anyway, I'd better finish getting ready for my interview.
posted by Nathan at 10:13 AM

 
The lady from Trenton called recently, and cancelled my interview. I didn't really want to drive up there today anyway, but I did kind of want to get it over with. They said they were postponing interviews for a few weeks due to a busy schedule, but I hope I actually get one when they start scheduling them again. I might have an interview at another library tomorrow or Wednesday, though, if they reply to my e-mail. Maybe I should try calling them in a few hours if they don't reply by then.
posted by Nathan at 11:38 AM

 
It's been a while since anyone has commented on my blog. Not that it really matters all that much, and I'm not trying to get people to give pointless token replies to things they don't really care about, but is what I say really that uninteresting?

With that out of the way, here are a few things that almost definitely won't spawn any comments:

1. Yesterday, I took Beth and her Uncle John to the King of Prussia Mall. I think it was the first time they'd ever been there.

2. I occasionally check my recommendations at Amazon, but, as of recently, it's been trying to recommend things I've already rated. Maybe it's some kind of bug or something. I guess it doesn't really matter much, since I don't think I've ever actually bought anything based on an Amazon recommendation.

3. I have an interview tomorrow in Trenton, but they still haven't told me what time. Apparently, they'll be calling tomorrow, and telling me when I should come in. I hope they leave me plenty of time, since I've never driven anywhere near there before, and I'm not even sure of the best way to get there.
posted by Nathan at 3:36 PM

 
I just recently got back from seeing Frank Black (and the Catholics) in Philadelphia. I actually drove out there, and parked in a lot where the attendant was kind of a jerk. These people always seem to assume that I can park in a narrow space, and maneuver really well, but those things just aren't that necessary in the suburbs. I'm sure I'll get better with time, but I don't know why parking attendants aren't a little friendlier to us non-city folk. That's not that important, though. My first stop (after killing some time) was Tower Records, for an in-store. That was just Frank solo, and I don't remember the exact order of the songs, but he started with "Whiskey In Your Shoes" and ended with "Cactus." He also played "Bullet," and told the story behind the song. Apparently, when Frank's father died, his brother called him up to say he had found a secret compartment in the attic filled with unlicensed guns, each loaded with one bullet. Weird stuff. Cool song, though. The other things he played at the in-store, with asterisks to indicate stuff I hadn't heard before, were:

Nadine*
Mr. Grieves
All My Ghosts
Manitoba*
Crackity Jones
Horrible Day*
Cold Heart Of Stone
Shrimp Song*

I had been wanting to bring a CD for Frank to sign, but I forgot. I got a poster there, though, and he signed it. I was too nervous to say much of anything to him, but I shook his hand. Then came the big show at the TLA. It took a while for the crowds to get in (probably largely because there were three openers), so I rested my feet up on the balcony before it started, and then went downstairs to stand near the stage. The first opener was former Pixies (and Cracker) drummer David Lovering, who did a somewhat scientifically-based magic show. Then came the Reid Paley Trio, with a lead singer and guitarist (apparently Reid Paley) who had a devil goatee and spat on the stage several times. I didn't think that much of them, probably mostly because I didn't much care for Reid's voice. The final opener, the Bennies, were pretty good, but not really something I'd want to get into. Their music was loud, fast, punkish stuff. Finally, at around 11:30, Frank and his band took the stage. Here's what they played (with the asterisk system used again):

Gouge Away
Dog In The Sand
I've Seen Your Picture (really cool)
Cactus
I Want Rock 'n' Roll
Crackity Jones
Thalassocracy (I didn't recognize this until a little bit into the song)
Steak And Sabre
Bullet
Dirty Old Town* (I'm not sure if that's the real title)
Nadine
Manitoba
Monkey Gone To Heaven (with steel guitar, and including the line "rock me, Joe," even though no one in the band was named Joe)
Jane The Queen Of Love
Wave Of Mutilation
Six Sixty-Six (something I'd been hoping to hear live)
How You Went So Far
Horrible Day
Solid Gold
Men In Black (another one I was hoping to hear) (no relation to the Will Smith song of the same name)
Southbound Bevy (didn't seem to get much of a reaction from the audience in general, but I liked it a lot)
Whiskey In Your Shoes (the only Devil's Workshop song in the set, oddly enough; I was hoping for "Velvety" or something)
John The Revelator* (I'd heard this title before, but I didn't relate it to the song. I guess it's about John of Patmos, who wrote the Book of Revelation, but I don't know that for sure.)
Cold Heart Of Stone
Shrimp Song
The Farewell Bend
Black Rider
ENCORE: Mr. Grieves (without the band)

I don't know why he only did one encore (maybe because it was getting so late), but there was so much good stuff in the show that I can't really complain. It was a lot of fun. Driving back through Philadelphia in the rain WASN'T that much fun, but I managed, and this was actually the easiest time I had getting somewhere in the city. I guess the trick is to get exact directions, and, if possible, to avoid the Vine Street Expressway. (That road ALWAYS confuses me.)
posted by Nathan at 4:23 AM

 
My MASH results:

You will live in House.
You will drive a purple Ford Focus.
You will marry Connie Chung and have 2 kids.
You will be a cashier in Chicago.

I think it picked my joke answers on purpose. At least I'll live in a house, and won't have fifteen kids (which was one of the options I chose, by the way).
posted by Nathan at 4:02 AM

 
I'm 25 years old now. It isn't that much different from being 24, as far as I can tell. People who see me in real life often seem to think I'm younger than I really am, while I've had people I only talk to on the Internet thinking I'm older. It's weird. I guess I'm more mature online than in real life.

I'm not having much luck with my job search. Since libraries haven't been reacting very favorably to me, I've been looking for more part-time stuff. I applied at Target, which actually has computerized applications. As someone with bad handwriting and a tendency to get nervous when asking about job opportunities, I think this is a good idea. Target apparently has some positions available, so maybe that will pan out. I won't be able to move out on that kind of money, but at least I'll probably make enough to pay my dad back for the car, and stuff like that.
posted by Nathan at 9:57 PM

 
Today, I saw Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets with Beth and her Uncle John. I liked it, but, for some reason, the stuff they cut out of the story bothered me more this time than it did with the first movie. There was no garden de-gnoming or Harry seeing the Malfoys at the shop on Knockturn Alley (Beth's favorite part in the book, from what she told me). Peeves still wasn't there, and neither was Professor Binns. Nearly Headless Nick's party also wasn't shown. It seems kind of like Chris Columbus is anti-ghost, but I guess they're generally not relevant to the plot. The cuts will probably only get worse in the later movies. (I mean, how long would Goblet of Fire be if they kept in everything?) As far as visuals go, I didn't really care for the way they did the howler. Fawkes looked a little sillier than I expected, but this wasn't really a problem. I did like Dobby, and I thought the ink flowing out like blood when Harry stabbed Tom Riddle's diary was a neat effect. (Was it described as being like that in the book? I guess I'll have to go back and check.) I'll probably see the movie again sometime soon (and stay until after the credits, since there is apparently a scene that I missed).
posted by Nathan at 9:47 PM

 
The other day, I saw Weird Al on VH1's "Rock the House." He helped to redecorate a room of some fan's house in a strange manner. The whole redecorating show trend is somewhat lost on me, but it was pretty cool. They also played a bit of my favorite Cracker song during the show. I have no idea WHY they played it, but I was glad to hear it.

Beth and I recently got back from seeing Tori Amos in concert. It was a good show. I had seen her once before, at the auditorium of my old school. I was probably closer to the stage that time, but the venue wasn't as nice, and the sound was worse. Also, at that point, the only one of her albums I had heard was Little Earthquakes, so I wasn't familiar with most of the material. (From the Choirgirl Hotel was the most recent album at the time, in case anyone cares.) This time, I knew most of what she played. It was a good mix of stuff from various albums, although understandably heavy on Scarlet's Walk material. Of the stuff played, my favorites included "Black Dove," "Take To The Sky," "Wednesday," and "Cornflake Girl." She also did an amusing rendition of "The Wheels On The Bus."
posted by Nathan at 2:41 AM

 
Why are the AOL Yellow Pages listings so often outdated? With all the "updating" AOL is constantly doing, doesn't it seem like they could fix their listings every once in a while? (That and fix their e-mail program, but that goes without saying.)
posted by Nathan at 5:08 PM

 
Happy birthday, Beth! I love you!
posted by Nathan at 4:48 PM

 
I almost forgot that I was going to send a book today that some guy had bought from me through half.com. Fortunately, I got to the post office before it closed.

Dave Hardenbrook, who moderates the Nonestica mailing list, has decided to shut it down for two weeks, due to some rudeness on there. I wasn't rude, though, so why should I suffer? I guess I've just been on much ruder mailing lists before, so I'm used to stuff like that. That's my favorite mailing list, and it'll be a shame not to be able to participate in any Oz-related discussion for that long.
posted by Nathan at 6:20 PM

 
I got to my interview all right, and I guess it went pretty well, although I don't know for sure. It's not easy for me to tell. Afterwards, I went to a Radio Shack in a nearby mall to try to buy a car power adapter for my Discman. The first clerk I talked to didn't seem to know what he was talking about, and he sold me an adapter that wouldn't even fit properly. I brought it back, hoping to put the cost of it toward one that would actually work, but the cheapest one was $14 or so, and I thought that was a bit steep, especially when I think I've seen a power adapter PLUS a CD-to-cassette thing (which I already have) for $20.
posted by Nathan at 4:36 PM

 
Ugh, I have an interview today, and I had trouble sleeping last night, so I didn't do much of it. I wish I were better rested. I also hope I can get to the place all right, since I've never driven to the area before.
posted by Nathan at 9:30 AM

 
This weekend, I tried to help Mark with math. I don't think I did a very good job, though, both because I didn't remember it that well myself (I haven't taken a math class since high school), and because I'm just not that good at teaching. When something is obvious to me, it's hard for me to explain it to someone for whom it isn't obvious. I think, if I were ever to teach something, it would have to be something that has more emphasis on facts than on how to do stuff.

Football is stupid. I want a new Futurama episode! (I think football is stupid even when Futurama isn't involved, but I usually don't have any real reason to complain about it.) At least there's a new Simpsons (I hope).
posted by Nathan at 7:08 PM

 

which 'newsradio' cast member are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

posted by Nathan at 3:11 AM

 
I want to take Beth to see a performance of The Nutcracker sometime before Christmas, but I'm having a hard time finding somewhere that's showing it. One place says to call them for information, but no one there ever answers the phone or returns calls.

Pretty much all the e-mail I've gotten all day has consisted of replies to some French guy who just joined the They Might Be Giants mailing list. It seems like I should have at least gotten something from Nonestica, if nothing else. What's up with that?
posted by Nathan at 9:38 PM

 

How can I label you?
brought to you by Quizilla

No, I'm not. I think I'm too old to be emo, anyway.

I assume that quiz was for both guys and girls, due to the last answer for the first question. On the other hand, the FIRST answer for that question includes "a skirt," without specifying the male counterpart. Oh, well. Anything involving labels is pretty dumb anyway.
posted by Nathan at 4:48 AM

 

Which Member of The Pixies Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

posted by Nathan at 8:09 PM

 
Now playing: Camper Van Beethoven, "Une Fois"

I voted today, but the Halloween store was closed, so I didn't get to use my store credit. I really should have gone yesterday, but it might have been closed then, too. I really don't know when it closed. I doubt I'll be able to use it next year (although I guess it's possible, if the same manager is working there). Actually, I don't even know exactly where the little slip of paper he gave me (it wasn't an official gift certificate or anything) is. I guess I just won't worry about it, but it seems like kind of a waste.

I got the CVB box set in the mail today. It's their first three albums, plus Camper Vantiquities. I already had three of the discs in some form, but it's nice to have them all on CD, and I think there was a significant amount of stuff I DIDN'T have. It also comes with a booklet, which seems pretty interesting. I like to read stuff like that, with opinions and explanations on a band's songs.
posted by Nathan at 6:29 PM

 

Which Personality Disorder Do You Have?
brought to you by Quizilla

posted by Nathan at 6:28 PM

 
I got my hair cut today, and mailed an old school book to someone who had bought it from me through half.com. The post office was apparently out of the normal yellow padded envelopes, though, so I used some red Christmas thing. That's not a problem, but it'll probably be weird for the person getting it.

I listened to the Ben Folds Live CD (has anyone else who has it noticed that the L in "Live" looks like an upside-down F?) in the car last night, and it's really good. I need to look into getting some of his earlier (i.e., Ben Folds Five) stuff. Maybe if I ever join a CD club.
posted by Nathan at 6:24 PM

 


I like the Final Fantasy games (the ones I've played, anyway), but this quiz wasn't really that good.
posted by Nathan at 12:32 AM

 
Tonight, Beth and I went out to eat at Denny's, and then we went to Tunes and Wal-Mart. I ended up buying two relatively new CD's, the new Ben Folds (the limited edition, with the DVD and the curse words intact) and Tori Amos (not the limited edition of that one, though). My Tori CD has a cracked case, though, so I'm going to go back tomorrow or the next day and try to exchange it.

My Halloween was pretty good, by the way. I ended up paying too much for a knight costume that didn't even have the gauntlets. I'm supposed to get $10 credit at the Halloween Adventure near home (they refused to just give me $10 back), so I'm hoping it's still open by the time I get back home.
posted by Nathan at 11:35 PM