... what was that?

Ok, go ahead and add Kasabian and Men, Women and Children to the list of fun bands to see live. Never have I seen the people in the Gypsy Tea Room so excited and jumping up and down. Definitely a great time.

However, this is the FIRST time in my life I've ever left a concert with my ears ringing. Literally, I got home where it was quiet, and I sat down and said to myself, "What the hell is that noise?" So yeah, that's a bummer, and surprising, given that I've gone to like, a bajillion concerts in my time. Time to buy a pair of High Fidelity Earplugs if I want to hear later on in life :p

I wonder if those will make me look like and alien with little antennas coming out of my ears... o_O

*makes little alien noises before finishing off the post*

You have GOT to be kidding me

Ok now, what the heck... Sometimes it's truly amazing the people that we come across in our country. I agree entirely with what Paul had to say about this article - "Ignorance, personified." I mean seriously, talk about stereotyping tons of people and an entirey industry without looking at it with an open mind. I think the only part of the article I can agree with is this:

The problem with this stuff is that some people can deal with it constructively… but other people get addicted to it, just like opium, just like drugs and alcohol…

And clearly that means that it is a plague on society that could never provide any benefits at all to society as a whole and needs to be eradicated so America doesn't fall to its knees.

The last quote of the article is indeed the best part, though:

I don’t own an iPod. I would never wear an iPod… If this is your primary focus in life - the machines… it’s going to have a staggeringly negative effect, all of this, for America… did you ever talk to these computer geeks? I mean, can you carry on a conversation with them? …I really fear for the United States because, believe me, the jihadists? They’re not playing the video games. They’re killing real people over there.

Oh, I guess I better go turn my life around because of the horrible things I'm doing by working for an industry that has this staggeringly negative effect for America. Clearly I can't have a conversation held on with me. I guess he's saying we have something to learn from the jihadists (is that even a word?). They're killing real people over there while we're not. That's just brilliant.

Idiot >_<

Wow. Just, Wow.

Got into a photo discussion with Paul here at work, who sent me a link to the photographer Katy and him are using for their wedding next week.

Gary Donihoo - absolutely amazing.

I am absolutely taken aback by some of these images - his ability to capture the emotion of the moment and setup the composition perfectly to highlight that is ASTONISHING. Some of those shots are genuinely awe-inspiring. Simply put, if there was ever a person that could make a wedding truly feel like an event filled with magic and happiness, this is the person. I would very very much encourage you to look through his portfolio. I was practically floored looking through it.

Wii!

Posted up a few shots from the waiting / midnight sale of the Wii - check out the flickr set.

Also fun - nailed an infield home run in the bottom of the last inning at the softball game Sunday! w00t! (Never mind I also got a ground ball to the face in the same game...)

Just cuz

An online conversation between me and a coworker that may be the biggest Nintendo fanboy ever.

winter says: so i picked up like 8 wii games today =)
winter says: no zelda or red steel.. but I think those are the only ones I'm missing
nozomiyume says: dear god man
winter says: it's new!
winter says: it's fun!
winter says: it's wii!!!!
winter says: wiiiiiiiiii
nozomiyume says: but you don't even have the system yet!
winter says: and you'll be the sad one on launch day with no games!
winter says: hah!
nozomiyume says: heh
winter says: i'll be all like swingin my sword, and suturing some wounds, and boosting my excitetruck... and you'll be all like "why won't you play some more wii sports with me!!!"
nozomiyume says: ...
nozomiyume says: you've officially lost it
nozomiyume says: just thought I'd let you know
winter says: WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
nozomiyume says: I'm amazed that the system could drive you to insanity BEFORE it was released
winter says: http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/weeee.php
nozomiyume says: that's gonna be you on Saturday, isn't it?
winter says: WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
nozomiyume says: I'll take that as cofirmation
nozomiyume says: temporal insansity with a system that requires you to jump and swing stuff around
nozomiyume says: this can only lead to great things
winter says: exactly

Venom!

Leaked Spiderman 3 trailer looks AWESOME!

Acheivement!

Been a long time since I've been rock climbing, and especially since I've been at work so much recently, it's been tough. But, we finally went again this last weekend, and I conquered my first black! WOO HOO! The difficulties at this gym are Green (5.6-5.8), Blue (5.9-5.10) and Black (5.11-5.13). The main reason I got up it was because it was a multi-wall climb, where you had to use the other walls as leverage to move, which is something I'm pretty good at. This description of the rankings (the Yosemite Decimal System) is the funniest (and most accurate I've seen so far).

5.0 to 5.4
There are two hand- and two footholds for every move; the holds become progressively smaller as the number increases.
5.5 to 5.6
The two hand- and two footholds are there, obvious to the experienced, but not necessarily so to the beginner.
5.7
The move is missing one hand- or foothold.
5.8
The move is missing two holds of the four, or missing only one but is very strenuous.
5.9
The move has only one reasonable hold which may be for either a foot or a hand.
5.10
No hand- or footholds. The choices are to pretend a hold is there, pray a lot, or go home.
5.11
After thorough inspection you conclude this move is obviously impossible; however, occasionally someone actually accomplishes it. Since there is nothing for a handhold, grab it with both hands.
5.12
The surface is as smooth as glass and vertical. No one has really ever made this move, although a few claim they have.
5.13
This is identical to 5.12 except it is located under overhanging rock.

Anyways - that's totally awesome, because I didn't have any idea when I would ever get up a black. So yay!

Oh dear god

A friend of mine just went down to work at JPMChase and came across this internal video from a BOfA/MBNA. I think I'm with the poster - I'm speechless. O_O

The weirdest part is that I'm not sure the audience gets it. There's not even so much as a snicker through the whole thing o_O.

She was moving around the room like a green silk whirlwind

I've recently been reading a bunch of Neil Gaiman and am constantly impressed by little tidbits of his writing style. There have in fact been multiple times where I've laughed out loud while reading one of his novels in public, much to the entertainment of the people around me. Currently reading Neverwhere, and before that finished Smoke and Mirrors and I think I'm going to go onto Stardust afterwards, since it's currently being made into a movie, although the story seemed simplistic and somewhat short when I glanced at it in the bookstore.

These days that you were waiting for

There are few things that compare to a really fun and energetic concert - and one of the best ways to enjoy that is in the FRONT DAMN ROW :) Thanks to Paul's awesome birthday present of front row tickets to Ben Folds, I was actually able to sit front at center (literally) at one of the best shows I've seen in a long time (thanks Paul!) I would definitely add Ben Folds to one of the "awesome people to see play live" list. It was pretty obvious that the whole band was just enjoying themselves on stage the whole time, as evidenced by this entertaining conversation between songs:

Guy in Audience: "Ben, they won't let me sit close enough to you!"
Ben: "Oh, that sucks!"
Ben: "Hey, can we let him sit up here for a while?"
(Ben proceeds to call the guy and the girl he was with up to sit behind him at the piano for the next 2 songs)

Now what was really funny was that the guy looked like he was going to pass out from excitement while up there as he frantically took pictures with his cell phone:p

Also, Ben had bought a 2k dollar synthesizer before the show and sung about it and used it through the evening :p He was even taking lyrical suggestions from the audience :p At very few shows are you able to laugh your butt and enjoy the actual music with a smile never leaving your face :)