I wanted to post this in my last post but I try not to fill each entry with a bunch of songs. I try to keep it at a minimum of 3-6. I have been thinking about slimming it back down to the normal 3 songs per post but I like doing this once a week or so. This song brings me straight into the 80's and reminds me of what was so great about the music of that time. It was cheezy and catchy. This could have been the sister song to Hey Mickey by Toni Basil. Only less annoyingly catchy.
Dragonette - Okay D0lore

I think my neighbor is trying to put the word chronic back into chronic. I constantly smell the aroma of him blazing it up. The dude must live in constant cloud of pot smoke. I don't mind the smell. I remember those days, however I was a little smarter when I smoked. I didn't smoke where someone else could smell it and call the cops if they so desired. Well actually...yeah I did, but I took the proper precautions. Towels, dryer sheets, deodorizing spray. Ahh, to be young and baked. This song goes out to him.
MC Chris - WiiD (Peanut Butter And Jelly Mix) (No Longer Available, But This Is)

The only time I ever saw The Stryder was at a local venue called the Intersection. It has since moved and become a college bar that still hosts good shows but it is not the hole in the wall dive bar that it used to be, and I miss it. there was the regular bar and tables but what made it really great in my opinion was the stage. Picture a cave, now above the entrance of that cave place an enormous big screen TV, and I mean enormous. There was a tiny stage nestled inside cave just big enough for a band to squeeze between the speaker stacks and crowd standing room of about 50 or so. It was loud as hell, hot as hell, and smelled of cigarettes and beer. It was paradise. Every single member of this band was all over that stage, with the exception of the drummer who was stationary for most of the set but, just as active. That show was one of those "I will always love music" moments.
Stryder - Intoxicated

A few weeks ago I decided to take a drive out to where we used to go camping seasonally with the family. I was shocked to find all sorts of new little suburbs and parking lots and gas stations where there used to be nothing or woods. I remember making forts and riding bikes through those trails in the woods. There was a time when they were just building a new housing area and they had a huge dirt hill/ sand pit. A bunch of us kids from the campground would go there and have massive sand fights. I remember this so well because one of the times I had brand new shoes that I wore out to the sand pit and I got them so dirty and muddy. My parents were pissed and made me spend the next day cleaning them with a tooth brush and bleach. It seriously took me 4 hours to get them clean. Now those memories are paved over and lived upon by someone who doesn't know the history. Sad.
Defiance, Ohio - Oh, Susquehanna!

I used to listen to a lot of top 40 pop and dance music back in the day. It wasn't until I started listening to punk music that I started to broaden my musical horizons. Even then I listened to straight punk for about 3 years. Going back to those old mixes before the punk phase sometimes gets a little embarrassing. I had the Quad city DJ's, SWV, Color Me Bad, etc. However one song that I will never deny that I love is The Ghost Town DJs song My Boo. I'm not sure why, it's super girly. I think I liked it most because it was the kind of song that didn't demand you dance to it. It almost said "If you don't dance you can sit and nod your head, it's all good." this isn't the original version and this one is way more danceable but I like it just as much as the original.
The American Dream Team - My Boo(Ghost Town Dj’s Cover)

Where are the wild things? Who's hitting on their boss? Does he really think that will redeem his cool points?

I want to see Where The Wild Things Are so bad! The movie looks great, and is going to have a kick ass soundtrack! In case you did not know or haven't figured it out Wake Up by The Arcade Fire is the music played in the trailer. With it's soaring epic sound it fits well with the movies visuals. Every time I see the trailer on TV or the internet I literally have to resist the urge to break out my Arcade Fire albums and listen to them until my CD player blows up or my ears bleed. Including the amazing trailer music you will also find that the soundtrack is done by composer Carter Burwell(Fargo, Velvet Goldmine, Twilight) and Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs‘. The songs are mostly credited to Karen O and the kids. The "kids" also consist of members of various indie bands including The Dead Weather/The Raconteurs Dean Fertita and Jack Lawrence, Liars Aaron Hemphill, The Bird and The Bee's Greg Kurstin as well as Deerhunters Bradford Cox. The soundtrack is available now and you can get it for pretty cheap on Amazon.
Arcade Fire - Wake Up

Karen O And The Kids - All Is Love

I woke up a few mornings ago feeling chilly as I rolled my bones out of bed. Then it happened again the next morning and the morning after that, In fact it happened every morning since. Fall is here my friends. I have to admit that fall is my favorite time of year. It's not sit-in-a-pool-of-your-sweat-burn-your-flesh-on-leather hot and it's not freeze-your-ass-off-while-chiseling-ice-off-your-windows cold either. I like spring too but most of the time it's allergy season therefore it loses. Fall is the perfect weather though. You got road trips, football games, and Halloween and nothing is better than slipping into a warm hoodie, getting a hot drink, and taking a walk on a fall day. While you are out and about looking at all the changing leaves or jumping in them why not jam out to this chilling little electro number.
Rollercoaster Project - Hoods Up (No Longer Available, But This Is)

Embarrassing fact #223 about Me: I like the TV show Glee. Not the manliest show to watch but seeing as how I am a fan of music I decided to give it a go and now I am addicted. The story seems pretty well grounded, hopefully it won't go all crazy and loose it's luster as we have seen with a lot of fox shows. I love the remakes of the songs and the dance numbers. I'm not a huge fan of dancing but it is entertaining. What grabs me the most is the singing. I don't know if it's the actual actors voices (I doubt it) but whoever is singing these songs they have AMAZING voices. The song selection is great too. Can't go wrong with Don't Stop Believin' or Somebody To Love. Unfortunately I can't find any youtube clips with video for those two songs but I did find this.
...and why don't guys watch this?!

As I always do after uncovering a hidden reputation ruining factoid I will try to redeem myself. How I will do that, is with jetpacks. Since after seeing the Rocketeer as a kid so many years ago I have always wanted a jetpack. As I am sure many of you have. Now that I am a little older I realize that having a jetpack would ultimately lead me to an early demise, or thousands of dollars in construction repair and hospital bills. The dream of having jetpacks was humorously crushed after watching George Michael on Arrested Development. Still I hope someday to see jetpacks used for travel, and so do the band We Were Promised Jetpacks. These Glasgow based guys have been around for a bit but I just recently got around to listening to them. This band exudes energy from every note they play. What I really love about this band is the noticeable accent and the stop on a dime ending. Apparently Glasgow is the city to watch for good music folks. Now if I only had a way that could get me there faster than a car and without having to deal with airport security...

We Were Promised Jetpacks - Ships With Holes Will Sink

I had to stop in the middle of writing this post because I had to go take another test in order to go back to school so I can take more tests. Funny how that all works out, huh? They always want to know what you know! It wasn't a hard test at all. It was more of an "answer these questions about jobs with like or dislike and then we will compile it all and give you an idea of what you might be good at" test. I came out with artistic careers and I.T. careers. I think both fit well. Good job test for telling me what I already know. The test isn't what this is about though. After that test I decided to get some food and pop into this store called Bumblebees near me that was hiring. It's a sort of second hand clothing store mostly catering to kids clothes and some adult clothes as well. I had a job with goodwill so I figured I might as well put my app in and see what happens. Even if it's not really what I am looking for it's a job! So I go to the register and there is a girl behind the counter. When she turns around I see one of the cutest blondes, I have seen in a while. I was, so caught off guard that I started to stutter for a second, probably looking like a complete idiot, until I finally get "Can I have an application?" out of my mouth. She laughs a little and tells me that she doesn't have any available because she forgot to copy the last application they had. I smile and I tell her "I know how that goes", she smiles back and says I should come back in a few days. I say alright and I stupidly stand there for a second. This is what goes through my mind. "Dude, hit on her, ask her out, be funny, but you might want to say something cause right now your just standing there looking at her and she is still looking at you. Oh wait....you just asked her for an application for a job. What if she's the boss? Bad Idea, still you should say something instead of looking like a goober." I looked down for a second and then said "I'll probably "buzz" by in a few days then." Just kidding. I didn't say that. Instead I said "Alright, I'll come back in a few days." I wish I had thought of that though, it would have been classic. I'll have to save that one for next time. On the way home I started thinking about writing a song called Potentially Hittin' On The Boss (Worst First Impression) then I'd remix it and call myself Business or Pleasure. I'm seriously going to think about doing this. It might be lame cause I have no musical ability but it'll be funny. I tried to see if there were any songs remotely similar to that idea, and all I could think of was a song by The Vandals called Cafe 405 which I will post. However while I was looking I came across another song that tickled my fancy. It doesn't have a lot to do with the situation but I think it's a flirtatious and unique song. So...on to the music.

The Vandals - Cafe 405

Kids On TV - We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off (Jermaine Stewart Cover)

A few nights ago I was doing my usual "bowl of cereal as a bed time snack" ritual. I got down to the last of the milk and few tricky unscooped bits and I finished it off. As soon as I did I felt like I had a piece stuck in the back of my throat. It wasn't anything that hurt or made me feel like I was choking, it was more annoying than anything. I tried everything to make it go away for about 2 hours. I drank 3 bottles of water, hot tea, ate chips and granola bars thinking I would be able to catch it and make it dislodge. Nothing worked. After numerous trips to the bathroom (I drank a lot) I was able to make it go away by eating a piece of bread. Or so I thought. The next morning I woke up and felt fine until I ate again. It was still there and stayed throughout the rest of the day. I finally got sick of it and got the idea that maybe if I stood on my head and drank some water it would sort of reverse flush it. Well I don't have great balance so I figured that I better be upside down on my couch. that way I'll have some support and won't fall down and bust myself up. My couch is one of those reclining couches and as I was upside down and about to take a drink the back of my couch reclined and more. The back of the couch became folded back even with the seat, so it was more like a bed than a seat. In other words I broke my couch. Good news was that I was able to fix it. Bad news I still have the thing stuck in my throat. I am starting to think that it's not something stuck, instead I somehow scratched the inside of my throat. It's still there but it's not as strange feeling as it was a few days ago. We'll see what happens. after I fixed me couch I thought about how ridiculous and funny that must have looked and decided to share.
Banjo Or Freakout - Upside Down

A while ago I came across this site called Omegle which is a sort of chat client where you connect with a random stranger and chat. No names, no joining anything, it just connects you to someone and you talk to them. I got bored and decided to try it and see what it was all about. Well the first person I met was a college student from Latvia who turned out to be a lot of fun to talk to. We talked about music and books, she gave me a few links to some Latvian music and I gave her links to some American music. I am pretty sure the person was a she, it didn't really come up. The email address name looked like a girls name, but I could be wrong. Either way they were cool and I am going to keep saying she for now until I know for sure, and if I get it wrong I'll change it and apologize profusely. She is studying something like international cultural relations. Which I said sounded really cool and they said it was really hard. I asked her what she thought about Americans and told her to be brutal if need be and she pretty much said what I would expect. Americans eat a lot of junk food and have obesity issues and seem to rule the world some way or another. She said that our president is cool, but other than that had never had a chance to talk to or meet a real American. I think I did well in representing our country though. We traded e-mail addresses so hopefully I can get a little more insight to the world beyond the USA.
Brainstorm - Years And Seconds

I thought it was pretty cool so I tried it again. After a few failed attempts to get a conversation going I came across some rude little punk form the States. He was being pretty vulgar hurling insults at me. I didn't want to go out like a punk so I decided to join in and fight back. Mostly I would have just disconnected but I was really bored. It went back and fourth for a while until I mentioned music. Then he started to be civil and we actually had a neat chat about music and movies. The kid knew his stuff too. I just thought it was funny how the conversation flipped. Here is a portion of the exchange. Let me set a little background first by letting you know I told him I was a zombie at one point and when the conversation first started he(Stranger) made a comment about my mom having male genitalia.
Stranger: You know what's even more dirtier than my sister? Your toes. they stink!
You: yeah your right, I don't take showers
You: and I am dead
You: ya know cause I'm a zombie and all
Stranger: and on top of all that your not funny
You: neither are immature people who can't even be nice
You: I weep for your generation
You: but I understand
You: you gotta let off steam somehow
You: i guess I'd rather have it be some random person online than a person in real life
Stranger: Dude, you expect to get compassion form a stranger? I weep for your generation.
You: I'm not looking for compassion
You: I'm looking for decency
You: civility
You: but like I said i get it
You: how old are you like 9
Stranger: I'm 18.
You: figures
Stranger: how old are you?
You: 30
You: 1979
Stranger: Ah, I see. what do you hope to accomplish at this site at 30 year old?
You: I'm bored out of my skull and I stumbled upon this site a while ago and thought I'd see what it's all about. Besides I didn't see age restrictions. I talked to people of all ages on here before.
You: I just talked with a pretty rad person from Latvia and they gave me links to some pretty sweet music, I learned a little about Latvia that I had not know before
Stranger: aww. what kind of music do you like?
You: your moms moaning
You: and thriller by Michale Jackson
You: you know because I am a zombie and all
You: we like to dance
Stranger: lmao. is that how a 30 year old acts now and days?
You: can't take your own medicine?
You: I like everything
You: not so much classical
Stranger: okay that's great
Stranger: but seriously, I really think your a pedophile.
You: Well your wrong, not everyone is a pedo. You could be one for all I know.
You: Besides I told you, I'm a zombie. The only think I like is brains and dancing.
Stranger: figures.
You: Jesus, don't you read
You: Are you high?
Stranger: are you gay?
You: no
You: zombies aren't gay
Stranger: I did, but see I also read your 30, so....
You: and what is wrong with being 30?
Stranger: Nothing is wrong, but saying your a zombie is retarded.
You: so is saying "your moms dick"(referring to the comment he made at the start of the conversation that provoked all of this)
Stranger: we passed that stage already but I see someone is really slow.
Stranger: Yeah, but as you can see I stopped
Stranger: and you still haven't so I guess at this stage I am more mature than you.
You: Oh, ok so now you want to be civil?
You: cool
You: I'll be civil
You: I'm not really a zombie
Stranger: Yeah I guessed that.
You: but I do like the song thriller
You: and I don't know your mom or sister but I am sure they are great people
Stranger: And I'm sure you mom is as well
Stranger: and she doesn't have a dick.
From then on it was a pretty cool conversation. I admit I did act immature but, he deserved it. Maybe he'll have a little more respect next time. Probably not though.
HorrorPops - Walk Like A Zombie

Jay Brannan - Zombie (Cranberries Cover)

I posted an entry or two back about how my hit count sky rocketed. It went from something like 300 to 11,900 in less than a week. At first I was all geeked because I read the number wrong and thought it was at 1,000 which is still a pretty drastic spike. However now I am certain that it was all a lie. Like I said I didn't change the counter or mess with the HTML code to make it show that, but I am pretty sure something got screwed up somewhere. Since I posted that I have had maybe 50 hits if that. I'm not one to really care how many people read this blog, I mean I'd like it if they did, but if only a devoted few read it I'm more than happy. At least I know someone is reading it. I just thought I needed to clear that up. I don't want people thinking I'm living in some fantasy world where I have crowned myself with the status of a music blog king. I'm more humble than that. I still do thank each and every one of you for reading though. You rock!
Free Energy - Free Energy

When I discover new music I like I sometimes have the habit of not posting them right away like I should. It's not because I want to keep them a secret or anything, it's mostly because I am lazy or I forget I wanted to post them until I go on one of my "4 hour cleaning/listening" raids. I had these songs laying around in iTunes for a while and I should have posted them a looong time ago. I'm not going into major depth with these because I'm pretty sure they will show their greatness themselves.

I swear I posted this song before, but alas I have not. This is totally not indie sounding. It sounds a lot like a Jason Marz song but it's not even though they have a similar name. I'd say that I have done this a few times back in the day (listen to the song and you'll understand).
Charlie Mars - Darkside Of The Moon(No Longer Available)

This song has got game! Definitely a song for a mixtape to that special someone. How can you go wrong with a great line like "Lets turn my love seat in to a love seat, baby now!" Cracks me up every time.
Jesse Matheson - Make Out (No Longer Available)

I pretty much grew up listening to Rancid I always loved the drunken slur singing of Tim Armstrong. I think that is because if I didn't know thew words I could just make sounds and it would sound exactly like Tim. This song isn't hard to understand like most Rancid songs. Probably because it's not Rancid. Tim knows how to make good solo music with out them though. Catchy and fun.
Tim Armstrong - Hold On

Since that last song was called hold on lets hear a song called "Hang On" by the always amazing Dr.Dog. My favorite part about this song is how the song just sort of crashes down at about a minute 1:30 with that choir in the background and stones- esque R&B sound.
Dr.Dog - Hang On

This little ditty makes me think of working in the garden on a nice summer day. You got your mesh straw green thumb hat, your little spade and white gloves, a cold glass of lemonade by your side and this song comes on. You stop digging for the time being, take a seat in that rocking chair on the porch, and stare at that row of tomato plants almost ready to be picked. It's then that you take a sip of your drink and say "Life is good."
Lay Low - Last Time Around

Our last song is one that I just found tonight. It's a sure bet that you'll want to shake your ass while listening to it. I have no idea what they are saying in the song as it's in Spanish, but I can't deny that beat.
Fort Knox Five - Sao Funky (Parts 1 and 2)

4 months/ three minutes, 9/11, 318to11,000+summer/fall

For the past 4 months, maybe longer, I have lived with shitty internet service. Not so much because of my service provider or because of my computer, but more because of my lack of motivation to go down to my service providers business that is less than 10 minutes away and get a new modem. So I am mostly to blame and I'll man up and take responsibility there. However I do blame previous service providers and customer support calls as well. See up until recently I have always had to struggle to get anything done when it came to computer related issues. Whether it was dealing with dishonest repairmen, scheduling done by morons, or trying to decipher what the person on the other end in India was saying (Note: I'm not trying to be racist in any way, it's just hard to understand people when their accent is as thick as a foggy night in the cornfield). I knew that my modem was FUBAR but I was so worried about the hoops I would have to jump through, I just dealt with it. Everything was operable but the modem would randomly decide it needed reset at least 20 times a day and it was always at the most inopportune times. After one of my many shouting/cursing matches I decided to give in and dance with the devil. I packed up the modem and drove to my ISP. The whole way there I was assured I would have to wrestle some muscular mohawked employee to the death in a pit of fire before I got a new piece of equipment. I could hear it now "Did you make sure you had it plugged in? Did the lights turn on? There must be something wrong with your system." I had a speech all ready to give them as I walked in. I decided I had better try to be nice first, I didn't want to be that guy. I told the rep what was wrong and before I got two sentences out he said "Not a problem, just give me a minute and we'll get you a new one." All was said in a friendly nice tone and I was walking out the door with a new modem in hand in less than 3 minutes. I left amazed at the polite and quick service. I am seriously thinking about sending a letter to my ISP with the reps name telling them that that man needs a raise right now. In fact I am after I get this done. Bar none best service I ever received and I didn't have to bust out the Goodwill Slambassador move! Thanks Freddy for the move name, thanks CHRABEKIUS for the service and thanks Joan Of Arc for the song.
Joan Of Arc - Let's Wrestle

I could not make a post today without mentioning 9/11. I'm not going to get on my soapbox here and pick at it and throw my opinions around. Instead I think it would be better just to remember all those who tragically lost their lives on this day as well as honor all those who gave their lives to help others. I also want to include all those who lost loved ones. May God bless you and keep you always.
Balmorhea - Rememberance

Before I write these entries I always like to check and see if anyone has stopped in by checking out the hit counter. Now it may sound a little self serving but I check it more because I want to know if people are checking out RopBop, rather than boosting my ego. I have said it before and I'll say it again, I do this because I love music and I want to share what I find interesting with others who may not know. I also like to just sit down and write. All I hope is that I can make one person chuckle a little or get them to broaden their musical horizons a little. I don't claim to cover everything or know it all, I just do it for fun. I'm straying off topic a little here so let me get to the point. On my last post I was at a whopping 318 hits with half of those being myself checking to make sure everything is looking good and in order. I log on today and I see that I now have over 1,000 hits. Sure still not an astronomical number but it was enough for little ol' me to be blown away. I don't want to offend those who previously came here when the hits were in the triple digits, I love you guys, but WOW! I don't know if someone out there is "Givin' props to the Rop" or what (I know some of you are) but if you are I EFFIN" LOVE YOU! If you have a blog shoot me a comment or e-mail with the link (or without) and let me know so I can give love back. If you are a new reader thanks for checking out my little place and I hope you visit often. You guys, the readers, are why I do this.

EDIT: I looked at it againg and it's not 1,000. It's 11,000. Hmmm....how can that be? I know I didn't change the counter!

The Flaming Lips - Turn It On

So that ends this entry. I feel like I should leave with one last feel good summer song before it ends. Might as well stretch it out, soon enough there will be snow. Unless you live somewhere without snow, lucky bastards!
Nickodemus - Sun Children

I know as far as posing the latest and greatest in music I tend to be pretty late catching that proverbial wave. With that said let me introduce you to a band everyone in the indie community already knows about, The XX. The youngsters from London know how to make grayish drone-like pop song seem like a beautiful. The music reminds me of looking outside on a rainy day and having that lazy-stay-indoors-and-read-a-book feeling. On top of all of that they add a little R&B tinged flavor just to keep things poppy. It's minimal, laid back and the duel male/female vocals of Romy Madley Croft, and Oliver Sim pull it all together. They have released their LP in the UK already and U.S. Should see a release day on Oct. 6.
The XX - Crystalised

The XX - Heart Skipped A Beat

Another band that I have been into lately is The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. They have a similar sound to The XX but a lot more upbeat yet still produce that dreamy shoe gazer sound. To be perfectly honest I hated this band at first. I don't like the typical indie noise pop sound like this band has however I was converted when I saw them play live (I don't want to admit this cause I hate him) on Carson Daly. I still am adjusting to their sound but I have listened to this song about 500 times. It's funny because I just now realized that if The XX are music for a rainy day then The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart are music for a sunny day.
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Young Adult Friction

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Higher Than The Stars

I have made it a habit to embarrass myself here with some of my musical tastes, but I like to crack on mysely and I'm not about to stop. Why? Well because I have no shame, and also because I don't care. I am sure everyone has heard the song Use Somebody by Kings Of Leon. I would also bet it's safe to say it's over played. Not that Kings Of Leon don't deserve it. They have been making some great music for a long time and it's about time they come up. I don't know where I heard this song, I never listen to the radio anymore (NPR convert). Al I know is that when I did hear it I liked it. Then I got sick of it. Then I liked it. Like a seesaw, I kept going back and forth. After a long bout of hating the song my faith has been restored by Paramore. It's sounds like the original but it's sung by a girl. So why then do I love it? Is it because the lead singer Hayley Williams is cute...and has a great voice? Could be. Is it because the lyrics sit with me just right? Maybe. Is it because I'm a sap? The world may never know.
Paramore - Use Somebody (Kings Of Leon Cover)

Paramore - Misery Bussiness (Acoustic)

On my soapbox making dedications to advancement, pain, and beauty.

So I just noticed it's been about 2 weeks and 3 days since my last post, which is way to long. I do have a good reason for my lack of updates, sort of. I have been busy with meetings, studying, and test taking. I am doing all of this because I am tired of applying for jobs and not getting hired. I'm tired of just sitting around all day doing nothing. Most importantly I'm tired of not making decent money. So I am going to go back to school. I don't think I am going to do the traditional college thing, but I am going to take some classes that will get me certified in I.T. In other words I want to be the "Computer Guy" people go to. It's what I am really good at and I like doing it, and there are tons of jobs out there in the field. I was originally going to go for journalism but I decided that I love music and writing more as a hobby. I don't want to become a jaded rock critic or end up hating having to write everyday. However computers I can handle, besides if I end up not touching a computer for a few days outside of my I.T. job it's not like it's a bad thing. It gives me the chance to get out of the cave and into the world. I'm in the process of getting everything straightened out for it. I have to jump through a lot of hoops in order for the state to help me out financially, but I am on it like flies on shit. I'm really excited. I also have been busy messing around with my dinosaur of a computer trying to get it running like a well oiled machine once again. My dad recently gave me not one but two of his old CPU's to mess around with which means that I have three computers. Well actually it's only two right now because I used one for parts to make the other two super computers. It's been a lot of fun, sometimes frustrating but it's also been VERY educational. I plan on building my own computer soon with the one I used for parts. I just need to save a little before doing that. I'm a nerd, but it rocks!
Plastic Operator - Folder

A few days ago I realized that I have not used my Wii Fit in a long time, 63 days to be exact. I broke out the old balance board and popped in the game and proceeded to get my sweat on, and I did. It felt really good and I felt like I actually did something good for my body for a change. at the end of the day I was surprised at how I didn't ache like I usually do when I haven't "worked out" in a while. Well my surprise turned into pain the next morning. Mainly in the abs region. It hurt so bad that I could not stand up straight without feeling like someone had tied my abs to a car and sped away. It hurt bad and 2 days later I still am feeling the burn. I need to use it more often but I will not be attempting it again until I can stand with out wincing. They say no pain no gain, but damn the pain sucks. This better be worth it because if I get up to heaven and they tell me that I would have lived to the same age if I had worked out or not I'm going to be pissed. Speaking of getting fit, I am making my 1,315,260th attempt to quit smoking. I have a quit date set and I am going to try to stick with it. My sister and brother in law are doing the same so I'll have a little support.
Goldfinger - Question

Summer TV sucks! It's either reality TV or talent shows non stop in the evening. Frankly I am so sick of this trash TV it makes me want to puke. Of course there is one exceptions to the rule, Biggest Loser. The other night I had on Americas Got Talent which I normally try to avoid like the plague, but I wanted something on while I was waiting for my computer to reinstall windows (which takes a while). There was a girl on there who did a really cool piano version of Poker Face by Lady Gaga, which I didn't know was so popular because I never listen to the radio. In fact I just heard the real version a few minutes ago. My verdict is that it's alright but I like Just Dance more. I did however know Lady Gaga sang the song because a few months ago I found this great remix. I just love the beat!
Kid Cudi (feat. Kanye West and Common) - Make Her Say (I Poker Her Face)

I am an avid movie watcher and occasionally I try to catch a few documentaries as well. The other day I picked up An Inconvenient Truth. You know the Al Gore movie where he talks about global warming, and somehow incorporates how he lost the election (yeah it sucks, and I feel bad for him, but come on. Not in a movie about global warming) I saw it at the library and it was free and I remember people telling me that it was pretty interesting so I picked it up. I watched the whole thing even though it was a lot of charts and graphs and his voice makes me want to fall asleep. I thought it was really good, aside from all the feel bad for me propaganda. I posted on my facebook that it was a really good movie and thought other people should see it. Well I got a few responses, one about how he's making big money from the carbon credits, and another flat out questioning why I believe anything he says. I feel I need to "clear the air" here. First of all I am not anywhere near being a fan of politics and I don't pay that much attention to it. Don't misunderstand me, I do keep track of some things but I'm not a junkie. Call me ignorant, I don't care. I have the mind set that I never trusted any politician and I never will. I think they are all crooked and soulless to some point. I am more anti-government than anything, and I can't even say I am that because I think there needs to be some form of authority. I think it comes from the punk/anti-establishment music I listened to growing up, and from the people I hung around with. Again I'm not saying that I hate the Government but I think there is a lot of shit wrong *coughpatriotactcough* but I digress. I liked the movie only for the simple fact that someone realizes that there is a problem going on with pollution that is starting to take it's toll on the earth and is speaking out about it. There is no way it can be denied that nothing is happening. If people in China (or wherever it is) need to wear a mask to filter their air then there is a problem. If we are ripping a hole in our ozone, there is more than likely a problem. I can't stand it when people tell me there is nothing wrong and we don't need the change or that global warming is a myth. I may be ignorant, but that is just plain stupid. Why would you not want to use things like solar and wind created energies, or cleaner and fewer carbon emissions, or even recycling products that will cut back on using natural resources. Like I said I'm not a fan of politics but I do commend Al Gore for at least coming out and saying "Hey, we need to do something here." I have to admit that I never recycled before I lived with a roommate who demanded we start. I know I am part of the problem, but after seeing that movie I want to become a part of the solution. However if it's not making dollars then it isn't making sense, right? I just wish people would put all political bullshit aside and say you know what lets just do it because it's the only planet we have. *steps down from his soapbox*
Sesame Street feat. Ernie - I Don't Want To Live On The Moon

As I am sure anyone who reads this blog knows by now that I am a closet fan of a lot of music that isn't necessarily cool. I know I recently posted a cover of a Taylor Swift song but I am going to do it again. It's sort of funny because my sister introduced me to Taylor and I thought man this is pretty good music. Then I saw her play on a few music award shows and she didn't lip sync and she actually played guitar, and played it quite well. I liked her even more. Then the other day I was at my sisters house and she played some videos of hers and they were clever and now I can say that I am a fan. Would I buy a CD by her just yet....um no. However if she keeps on impressing me and doesn't go all Britney I just might have to drop some cash for her. This is a instrumental mashup/medley cover of Love Story (which is becoming one of my favorite songs. Got to love that melody) and Viva La Vida by Coldplay. What results is a beautiful arrangement. When listening to this I started to sing the lyrics to Private Eye Alkaline Trio. If you have not heard the song Love Story I would recommend giving it a spin.
Jon Schmidt - Taylor Swift Love Story/Coldplay Viva La Vida

The last song today I am going to dedicate to my good friend Jake. I was at his house a while ago and we were sitting around watching football and he asked me if I would like a drink. Of course I said yes and then he asked if I ever had a Bloody Mary. I told him I never had but I didn't like tomato juice at all. He said well I'll make one and let you taste it first. He proceeded to tell me that he has become a big fan of them. I tried the drink and I did not like it at all. If I am going to drink juice it has to be sweet and not taste like a glass full of ketchup. To each his own I guess. I picked this song because I know Jake likes Johnny Cash and I would hope he likes Willie. So Jake this ones for you.
Willie Nelson - Bloody Mary Morning