Starting from Scratch

After You...

2009-04-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

Music: The Cure - Pictures of You
Mood: Groggy

I would like to officially coin the phrase 'catching the swine flu' to be used as a way to make fun of a friend for hooking up with an overweight woman. example: "Dave caught the swine flu last night."

I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

Blisters are nature’s way of reminding me about my inconsistent workout schedule.

I’ve begun to see teenagers with cell phones that double as speakers, just walking down the street blasting their music out loud. It’s only a matter of time before the first cell-phone-that-doubles-as-speakers-related homicide.

Since the temperature varies so little in Los Angeles, sometimes I forget that seasons even exist. When one of my buddies on the East Coast complains about being bombarded with snow, I have to look at a calendar and remind myself that just because it’s 75 degrees and sunny in LA, doesn’t mean it’s not still winter. I also have to remind myself not to call my friend and be a dick by rubbing it in. Spring, however, is a different story, because it’s a season noted as much for its weather as for its significance as a time of renewal. Spring is when we begin training in earnest for the rest of the year. The skirts get shorter, the days get longer, and winter is a distant memory to all except those who I remind about it on a weekly basis until December.

Getting the multi-ball capsule on BrickBreaker is both a blessing and a curse. I try to keep all the balls in play but inevitably get distracted and end up with none.

Out of curiosity, I recently turned off Google’s SafeSearch setting. Whatever terms I search for – no matter how innocuous – now result in a journey through the most depraved recesses of the Internet. SafeSearch back on!

It doesn’t get more desperate than joining a dating web site and under religion selecting “willing to convert.”

What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

What is the proper way to greet a small child? I have no idea what to do when I see any of my cousins between the ages of four and ten. Cheek kiss? Handshake? Hug? Fist bump? Ah, yes, the salutation that transcends age: the high five.

Frustration is being the drummer for a soft rock band or a female teen pop star.

If you yawn at the gym, you’re doing it wrong.

Radio DJs always seem a lot more excited that it's Friday than the average person.

Sorry, “the economy” is not a valid excuse for everything.....

......and finally- there's not much time left for me in Los Angeles. Seems as though I've run my course here and am ready to begin the next chapter in my otherwise fleeting life-story. I'll be moving soon enough to a new city, with a new project in mind. For now, I'm soaking it all in. The sights, sounds, scenery et all. It's amazing how much of this city I took for granted after all these years of living around the corner. I'll surely miss LA but it's time for me to move on and get a new adventure going.

Until next time...

Why

2009-03-13T18:40:00.000-07:00

Why do we care so much? What is it within that urges us to love with such conviction. To have everything, and then nothing. Where is the contentment in the idea of losing everything on a teardrop? What makes us drive and push for glory, to sacrifice ourselves for blood, to die in the arms of love. What then, is the point of it all. Where does it begin and end- or is it a seemingly endless stream of experiences juxtaposed against an otherwise boring backdrop circa 1984. There's nothing sweeter than the sound of silence, and nothing more alarming that the isolation it encompasses. There's something to be said for the comfort of being with others, and more to be made of the pride you forsake along the way. We choose to love because we're conditioned to believe its the ideal method of surviving. Darwinism packaged into Hershey Kisses. So we continue to dance, to play, to pretend- if not for the admiration of others, then for the rapturous applause in one's head- the sound of champagne bottles, laughter, praise, and glowing admonitions that everything will be alright in the morning, love. Everything will be alright in the morning, love. Everything.

My Life - The Soundtrack

2009-02-16T20:25:00.000-08:00

Music: Kings of Leon - Use Somebody - Only By The Night
Mood: Flippant

Somebody told me to fill this out, so, against my better judgment, I'm fucking doing this. Enjoy.

The Rules
1. Open your library (iTunes, Win amp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend your cool...

Opening Credits: Muse - Soldier's Poem (makes literal sense i suppose...)

Waking Up: Cornershop - Candyman (ridiculous tempo change but i'll take it)

First day of School: The New Pornographers - The Jessica Numbers

Falling In Love: Elbow - Friend of Ours (lots of slow motion touching going on in this bitch)

First Song: Pink Floyd - Money (no explanation necessary...)

Breaking Up: Broken Social Scene - It's All Gonna Break (awesome how that worked out)

Prom: Jimi Hendrix - House of the Rising Sun (think 1971, afro's, and lots of acid... that's the prom i want)

Life: Social Distortion - Don't Take Me For Granted (wow)

Mental Breakdown: The Microphones - You'll Be In The Air

Driving: Kanye West - Barry Bonds (windows down)

Flashback: Radiohead - Everything In It's Right Place (dum dum dum dum da)

Getting Back Together: Devendra Banhart - Lover (smoother than candle wax)

Wedding: Japanther - Dump The Body in Rikki Lake (this would make my guests cringe)

Birth of a Child: Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill (made a deal with god)

Final Battle: Kevin Drew - Farewell To The Pressure Kids (sonic fury signals the end)

Death Scene: Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna (so doesn't work lol)

Funeral Song: Van Morrison - Caravan (PERFECT)

End Credits: The Arcade Fire - Crown of Love

Viral Campaigns at their Best

2009-01-17T01:50:00.001-08:00

Nike + Lebron James + Chalk = Money

2008-12-29T17:24:00.001-08:00

Fantastic commercial spot.

To A Woman So Heartless

2008-12-01T19:26:00.000-08:00

Music: Kanye - Heartless - 808s
Mood: Hazy

I'm not well. My mind is all over the place. Can't seem to pin my thoughts down for more than a few minutes before they're gone. There's too much expected of me at the moment, and I'm stretched so thin I can't seem to get a minute to reflect for myself. Obligations I should have never absorbed are weighing me down. Time to reevaluate a bunch of projects before I have to make any more sacrifices

I'm disappointed that my writing is slowed down this year. It wasn't a conscious decision, more a matter of practicality. There were few chances where I found myself free to my mind for a ten minute stretch to pour my innermost sentiments into a notepad. But the year is not done yet, perhaps I can ramp it up before the close.

There's a realistic side of me which understands that growth comes at a cost. It's somewhat of a petulant vantage point which lends me to believe that everything that defined me for the first 23 years of my life will continue to personify me for the next 23. Heresy- I know. I've noted, more than ever before, in the last nine months a major paradigm shift in my approach and understanding of myself and subsequent actions.

It wasn't a divine epiphany, nor a seminal moment for the protagonist in a major motion picture. There was nothing particularly sexy about this discovery. Courtesy of several Tall Vanilla Chai's at Starbucks over the course of a year of casual introspection, I've come to grasp the idea that everything we do and will do is designed to test our willingness to sacrifice for the greater god and accept for the sanity of our souls.

More than anything, I understand my place among society and the general hierarchy of social order. I used to get so enraged and frustrated when others disagreed with me. I used to fight with everything I had to assuage the concerns of others, battle for every approving vote. But I seem to have grown numb to the critical acclaim and acceptance of others. Call it age or just plain apathy- but there's something wholly blissful about not giving a fuck what other people think about you.

For me, boredom leads to confusion, whereby paranoia and insecurities come to the forefront. This isn't some radical thesis- it's just how I behave. Its somewhat depressing that I can chart the four major emotions of my 'decline' in such a terse style, but its important. I couldn't for the life of me do this a year ago. Two, three, five years ago. Used to be that I would get angry and act out- but I'm wiser for the wear.

I guess there's nothing mysterious or significant about anything that I wrote. It's not even worth applauding- its just the simple evolution of perception over the course of one's life. Its exciting for me to be able to distance myself, for the first time, from my 'in-the-moment' actions and take a critical deconstructive approach to evaluate my methods and mechanisms. If that's too much of a utilitarian viewpoint for you- then I apologize.

The grand point that I'm trying to make is that I'm aware- closer to true self-actualization than ever before. Though it's taken me quite some time to reach this point, I can say with great assurance that I've grown quite a lot this year- for better or worse. I know more about myself than in January, and I'm one day closer to the perfection and harmony I aspire for.

A Very Important Message

2008-10-15T22:35:00.000-07:00

Music: Coldplay - Gravity
Mood: Relaxed

See more Hayden Panettiere videos at Funny or Die

You Dumbstruck Baby

2008-10-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

Music: Bloc Party - Ares - Intimacy
Mood: Retrograde

I need a win, badly.

Turn Around

2008-09-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

Music: The Doves - There Goes The Fear
Mood: Apathetic

http://kunalanand.com/morethanfine/

Scary good- and I'm not saying this because he's my brother. Do yourself a favor, check out the link above, and if you aren't blown away by what's behind the curtain, please feel free to lambaste me with derogatory comments.

An Oath to New Days

2008-09-07T00:48:00.000-07:00

Music: Adele - Hometown Glory
Mood: Vindicated

I'm writing this to put to bed a lot of things that have transpired over the course of a twenty-two year existence. Friendships, mistakes, romances, regrets. All of it in a nutshell once and for all.

For the better part of the last six years, I've gone out of my way to avoid examining what makes me tick. Seems its been a lot easier than you would imagine to ignore and repress than to explore the reality within. Rather than delve into any outstanding fears, I've preferred the chemical recourse for what seems like an eternity. Instead of dealing with major life issues as they arrive, I've medicated with toxic relationships. All told, I've been doing a fabulous job of living someone else's life.

But I know myself- sort of. I know that I engage in these acts of avoidance not because I fear the outcome. I already know what the results will be/are. No, I keep pushing things into the distance because I've found solace in the distance. Its safe and casual on an island. I'd prefer to keep everything at bay rather than experience anything tangible. There's nothing sexy about what you already have. Life seems more mysterious, and ultimately malleable, when its far off the coast.

So what am I getting at? The masterful web of entangled emotions that punctuate my present dismay. I have been unfortunate to let too many bad friendships fester for too long. I've had my fair share of regrettable trysts. I've been a bad boy several times over. But I've realized, over the course of introspection, that I've been lacking the requisite 'clean-break' that's needed to move forward. Even though I've stopped calling people, stopped returning emails, and avoided any/all social situations, I'm still in limbo. So this is my axe to the arm, per-say.

To everyone that I do not speak to from this day forward, goodbye and good luck. I'm more than willing to marvel at your abilities from afar. But I cannot, and will not, continue doing this dance with any of you. In no way am I going about this in a politically correct fashion. But I don't have the patience to craft multiple emails. So read this, for what its worth- and realize that I just cannot afford to have any of you or your circumstances plaguing my life any further. I've been tortured by memories from my past for too long. Specific relationships have kept me from growing-up, consistently reducing me to the shadow I used to inhabit. I'm done.

So this is my oath, to forge a new path, without the burden of instability or the bitter resentment of jealous 'friends' holding me down. A new approach to life- to live in bliss without remorse. Calling it a rebirth is too dramatic. I'll stick with the moving forward angle. Except I've no intention of checking the rear-view mirror. Adios to a lot of you. See you when I see you.

Quick Hitter

2008-09-06T15:04:00.000-07:00

Music: Metallica - The Unforgiven III - Death Magnetic
Mood: Calm

I'm digging Sons of Anarchy, True Blood, Dexter, and The Shield so far. Entourage starts tomorrow- can't wait for that.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend thus far.

This is How We Roll in the +91

2008-09-04T15:26:00.001-07:00

An Indian Reality Show where the host and participant decided to have a go at one another.

Truth

2008-08-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

Music: Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal
Mood: Sinus-y

"Democracy demands that the religiously-motivated translate their concerns into universal rather than religion-specific values. What do I mean by this? It means that their proposals must be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. Now I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, to take one example, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I can't simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all. Now this is going to be difficult for some who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, as many evangelicals do; but in a pluralistic society we have no choice - politics depends on our ability to persuade each other of commonalities based on a common reality. It involves compromise... The best we can do is act in accordance with those things that we all see, and we all hear."
-Barack Obama

Envy

2008-08-03T00:54:00.000-07:00

Music: Kanye West - Everything I Am
Mood: Reflective

If you sneeze twice in succession around my parents, you'll be interrogated and ultimately diagnosed with either SARS or some strain of the African Flu.

There is an increasingly disturbing amount of underage cleavage roaming the streets of Calabasas. Be warned.

Fanboys should under no circumstance be allowed to vote on IMDB and fuck with the gentle equilibrium that once was Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather.

For the record, Shawshank might be the most overrated movie in the history of movie-dom. There was nothing monumental or spectacular about it- everything was average at best. But people are so afraid to go against the grain and say anything negative about.

I sort of wish John Mayer would shut the fuck up.

Los Angeles needs a subway. I'm frustrated with driving. Even if the commute time is equivalent, I'd much prefer standing next to sweaty people in a tram-car then enjoy the air-conditioned bliss of my vehicle. Fuck.

CNN needs to step their journalism game up. They're slacking.

I literally just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to Geico.

Team USA is going to destroy the competition in Beijing this year. Book it.

Brunettes with long legs make me yearn for afternoons in Boston once more.

Who gives a fuck about an Oxford Comma?

Oceans Can Breathe

2008-07-14T21:38:00.000-07:00

Music: Jens Lekman - The Wrong Hands
Mood: Elitist-ish

Alcohol is a magnificent social lubricant.

We don't own America. We are currently renting it from foreign creditors.

I am an absolute sucker for marketing. At this point, I'll buy just about anything Apple produces, even if it's bad for my health.

I have remarkably bitchy friends. The ones that cause particular grief usually follow a generic template: in a sort-of-but-not-really-sure relationship, struggling with work, broke, living in a major metropolitan area, and bordering on alcoholism. This should worry me, I would assume. Yet for some reason I find these people to be the most normal of the bunch.

My parents are world-class over-analyzers. This might be a by-product of our ethnicity; maybe all Indian parents like to drill-down each bit of minutia that is your day. But mine just love it. LOVE IT.

Most relationships are doomed to fail. I say this, because numbers don't lie. In California alone the divorce rate is somewhere in the ballpark of 50%. So of the ten friends I have that are involved in "serious" relationships, half of them will wind up regretting the whole fucking thing and lamenting Valentines Day for the rest of their lives.

I've become a History Channel fanatic in the last year. Thanks Writers Guild of America!

As a group, we're eagerly looking forward to the day when one of our "bro's" decides to take the leap and get married. We're not sure which one will do it first, but that hasn't stopped us from creating betting scenarios and expectations. It's somewhat akin to sports gambling, except here's a scenario where if you're that desperate, you can actually rig the result in your favor.

Club waitresses should never EVER complain about their work environment. Look bitch, you chose to work in a place that's open from 10 to 2 Tuesday through Saturday. You choose to dress like the catch of the day so you can collect at least a G a night from an oversexed table of Armenians. Nobody put a gun to your head and said 'you must wear fishnets and tons of eye-shadow and grind with the token Guido at each table'. This is your conscious decision. So too bad if I want to make disparaging comments about your ass. Deal.

I really don't like Football. I mean I watch it on weekends out of boredom, but I could do without the whole production.

Cubby Bernstein and Douchebag Beach were very good ideas.

Razorlight are garbage.

Everyone should experience the All Out Show with Rude Jude and Lord Sear at least once in their life.

"Perfecting the art of non-chalance while setting the bar really low" - which I coined back in 2006 has thus far been the most astute description of how I go about living my life. This concerns me.

Most of the people I know are advising me to move to the east coast after Merrill for a few years so that I can live without regrets. They might have a point, but bear in mind that the majority of those egging me on either A.) currently live on the EC and are totally bored out of their fucking minds that their openly lobbying for the rest of us to join them in wallowing sessions, B.) currently live in a warm climate and have no clue what November in Boston is like, or C.) are convinced that Phish concerts and Dave Matthews jam sessions happen in every quad on a daily basis.

Lampard to Inter?

2008-07-13T23:50:00.001-07:00

Pre-Dawn Light

2008-06-28T22:39:00.000-07:00

Music: Prime - Skipped a Generation
Mood: Sleepy

There are a plethora of reasons why I choose to be apathetic in most aspects of my existence, it would just take too long to explain.

2008 was supposed to be the year of growing-up. Instead, its been a daily reminder of just how little I've grown thus far.

I need a better excuse for not shaving than the old adage of lethargy. Are their any religions that practice haircuts and full beards?

Cargo shorts were a very good idea.

I've been told on a number of occasions that I am emotionally crippled. What does that even mean?

Secretly, I pine for a clean escape from my life so I can move to Europe and sell pyramid schemes.

When I'm having a bad day, its best to just leave me alone.

I've never told a girl that I loved her. I just cannot bring myself to use that phrase. This has, surprisingly been the stimulus behind the end of a number of my better relationships.

I hate movie theater gymnastics. You know, having to get up and bend slightly without obstructing the view of the guy behind you so that Person X can get to the aisle. So tiresome and ultimately annoying.

When you go to a restaurant and are the first to order in a group, don't you feel the appetizer pressure? If you choose buffalo wings along with your sandwich, you're setting the standard for all preceding decisions. You are ultimately determining if everyone is getting another drink or ponying up for Caesar salads so they too can fit in.

What happened to the band Len?

Watching degenerate Jersey-shore fuck-ups on MTV is the highlight of my Saturday afternoons.

Where would we be as a nation without VLC and Firefox?

Every time I travel I get this minor anxiety attack before going through security that I might have something inappropriate in my carry-on luggage.

If you were there, beware.

I'll get a ton of hate for saying this, but I really think New York is overrated. Just so we're clear, I think Los Angeles is as well.

The nightlife social stratosphere is played out in LA. We have the same 10 places and the same 2,000 faces every weekend. This is a major factor in why I decided to retire from the scene. That and the overpriced drinks, oversexed patrons, and overall bullshit.

I am clueless without my GPS.

I have not listened to a full album in the last two months. This has been a totally unconscious choice but a terrifying indicator once again of my scatterbrain musical inclinations.

People that plan their gym wardrobe are hopeless.

Matthew Santos is better than Akon.

Justin.tv has been my friend on a number of occasions.

I prefer analog versus digital effects in all aspects of life.

Burn After Reading - September 12.

Conf-estions?

2008-06-26T22:50:00.000-07:00

Music: Editors - Push You Head Towards the Air
Mood: Not Sure

I find Ray Bans offensive.

Also, people that wear sweatbands on their legs: why?

I could listen to Radiohead's Nude for the next 24 hours and not mind one bit.

Secretly, I worry that my hair is becoming the generic corporate side-part I loathe.

I can be incredibly OCD depending on the context.

I fear that losing my mind in a supermarket is an inevitable circumstance given the amount of angst I submerge.

I have an incredibly easy time trusting total strangers, but resist allowing the people I love in.

Why is it called "practicing" medicine, as if its akin to honing the technique on your jump-shot?

I wish I was a better guitar player.

I'd like to think there's a chance I'll be married one day down the road, but would be more than content to live the rest of my life single and free to be where the wind takes me.

As much as I love metropolitan environments, I also crave the solace of suburbia.

The American economy, once mighty, is a shadow of its former self. This is news to nobody except Dubya.

I wish Cramer would get fired. He makes my life hell.

Kanye West's opinion is unnecessary. As is Ron Artest's.

Obama '08.

No joke, Hip-hop literally saved my life on more than one occasion.

Sirius satellite radio has brightened my afternoon commutes with the Tsar.

I use the word aggressive a lot nowadays.

I like to believe that I'm serving a greater good with my life; this has yet to be confirmed or denied.

I'm convinced energy drinks will be involved somehow in the prelude to World War 3.

I love Skittles and Oreo's.

My musical taste depends on too many variables and ultimately scares me.

I've worn the same pair of jeans for three months without washing them before. Nasty.

Several times in College I awoke to find myself staring a Jason Cassis passed-out with his face burrowed in a Donut box.

I remember faces better than names, but have a strange xenophobia about myself.

I want to adopt a child.

A Tarot card reader in Boston told me that I would die at the age of 22.

I hated every minute of high school and its forced/broken social structure.

Los Angeles is a marvelous and yet poorly constructed city.

Devendra Banhart makes me feel like I'm on acid.

What exactly is acid, and why do people refer to it as being dropped?

I have fond memories of Waltham.

Text messages have made flirting more enjoyable and frustrating.

I hate hate hate the phrase "Don't Worry About It".

The Brits are suffering from withdrawal symptoms from the last Oasis album.

I fear the ocean.

I have an unhealthy obsession with Chelsea FC and the Los Angeles Lakers.

I dream of the day when my child graduates from College.

I feel like you need to know that I hate Colgate toothpaste. Mentadent is fine. Crest is the norm.

Quick Hit

2008-06-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

Music: DC4C - Styrofoam Plates - Photo Album
Mood: Good

So I took off the album of the week thing, because I found it to be rather boring. Also, the iPod has been changed from the cumbersome image map into an interactive player. You will need flash to enjoy its glory, but I promise it's worth the download.

I will try and update the songs as frequently as possible.

Morning Bell

2008-06-24T07:40:00.001-07:00

Music: DC4c - Long Division - Narrow Stairs
Mood: Sluggish

Saw Death Cab last night @ the Nokia Center. They were pretty solid overall. But the evening wasn't defined by what happened on stage; rather, the antics of my buddy George. In essence, the man brought his A-game to the table, and it would be impossible to recount all the shenanigans in this space. Suffice it to say that he went above and beyond and brought the best out of the night with his cutting wit and incise one-liners. All told, a successful night by any barometer.

Off to work.

A New Beginning

2008-06-22T22:29:00.000-07:00

Music: Adele - Hometown Glory - 19
Mood: Satisfied

So here's the rub. I got sick of my generic blog template and decided this afternoon that it was time for an overhaul. I previously used a skin that had a panel on the left side where I could put my book of the month and album of week. This current layout is a more progressive version of that, in my opinion.

Let me know what you think, as I'd love to improve where necessary. And oh by the way, I'll be posting a lot more frequently in the coming weeks. I've been hard at work on a number of creative writing projects, and I feel comfortable enough to start sharing bits and pieces of them with the wide world.

Stay tuned.

Congratulations - Boston Celtics

2008-06-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

2008 NBA Champions. You played harder, smarter, and overall better than my Lakers. I tip my hat to your organization and personnel.

Soak it in townies. It's gone next year with the addition of Bynum.

Varied

2008-05-26T04:12:00.000-07:00

Music: U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Mood: Terse

I am currently in London, trying to determine my next move.

I use too many euphemisms when I write. It all lends to a style that's a touch over-dramatic.

The past three weeks have been so unbelievably intense, I've never been through anything more trying.

Looking for salvation amongst blood.

Unquestionably, there is a paradigm shift in the offing.

Here's to making the most of every day as it evolves.

Harvard: A Tax-Free Hedge Fund

2008-05-14T17:17:00.000-07:00

Music: Death Cab - Cath - Narrow Stairs

"Viewed purely in terms of economics, Harvard is really a $40 billion tax-free hedge fund with a very large marketing and PR arm called Harvard University that has the job of raising the investment capital and protecting the fund's preferential tax treatment."

-- one of the best quotes I've come across this year

At Last, It's Arrived

2008-04-24T17:49:00.000-07:00

Music: 10 Years - Beautiful - Division
Mood: Crazy, All Sorts...