:: Life on Planet Dan-E ::

:: U2 Still Freakin' ROCKS ::

I haven't blogged much about "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" by U2 since I've been too busy to really immerse myself in it the way I normally do with every new U2 album. But I am going to talk about my favorite song: "City of Blinding Lights." I sing this song in the car when I'm driving every chance I get. It's that good. If you're wondering just how a bunch of guys in their 40s can still be relevant after almost 25 years together. listen to it and you'll understand why.

It starts slowly with a gradual buildup of The Edge's guitar, reminiscent of "Where the Streets have no Name." That driving guitar crescendos into this wide-open sound that evokes visual images of a summer sun rising over a city. Grand, magnificent, and it's going to just ROCK live.

As much as I love the sound, it's the lyrics that get me. Interpret them as you will: is he mourning a loss of innocence? Is it about where he grew up? A song for his wife? That's the cool thing about many U2 songs, everything is open to interpretation. These are the lines that get me every time:

I've seen you walk unafraid
I've seen you in the clothes you made
Can you see the beauty inside of me?
What happened to the beauty I had inside of me

And I miss you when you're not around
I'm getting ready to leave the ground

Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights

Bono, Edge, Adam, Larry; they all still got it.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 10:43 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
.....

To all my loyal readers (all seven of you... and anyone else who might accidentally stumble across my page), Merry Christmas! =)

(And Shaq? Roast in hell you fat turd. No I'm not bitter, why?)

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 4:00 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
.....

Other things I missed about L.A.:
- The sound of waves crashing onto the beach.

- The "local" feel, or rather, the feeling that I'm not living on some island called "Tourist Trap."

- Driving.

- Changes in elevation: just driving around Redondo Beach and having to navigate through hills is kinda cool since most of Florida is flatter than my ex-girlfriend.

- The climate here is almost as dry as my humor.

- The fact that most of the essential stores like Target, Albertson's, and Guitar Center are so close.

- Good friends

- Alcohol is so much cheaper here than South Beach. Four bucks for a Guinness! FOUR!

Things I don't miss:
- The traffic. Freeways aren't as bad as I-95 and Miami drivers are worse than anything here (which is truly frightening) but still.

- The rent. Not that I have to worry at the moment but I did a quick browse through a renter's guide and HOLY CRAP is it high. Not like, New York City high but compared to my $600 for my studio, it's ridiculous.

- Can't find a decent Cuban sandwich anywhere.

- Living with the parents.

- The little twin size bed I'm sleeping on right now. I'm surprised I haven't fallen out yet.

- Using a PC.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 3:49 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
.....

Three days back in LA and in some ways, it's like I never left. I'm sleeping in, my mom is yelling at me to get out of bed, my best friend is calling me a jerk (in return, I call him a dork), and I've had my fill of pretty good local food.

I've already been to In 'n Out. Tuesday night, I went to another well known LA burger joint called Tommy's. All I need to do is go to Pink's Hotdogs, after which my heart is gonna explode out of my chest, grab me by the neck and pummel me into ground while shouting "what the hell are you doing to me?!?!"

I still haven't had fish tacos yet nor have I been to my favorite Mexican place and while there's a lot more to being here than just eating at my favorite places, it is something that I was looking forward to.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 3:28 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
.....

:: Back Home ::

I'm back in LA and I gotta tell ya, it's weird being back in my parent's house. Being away for a year only to come back to my old room... almost feels like a type of regression. It's not like I'm moving back home or anything and I'm only here ten days but...

Still, it was nice to see an old friend again. BN was nice enough to pick me up from the airport and drive us down to In 'n Out right after, mostly because I demanded that he do so. That first bite into my Double Double was a little bite of heaven. Two Double Doubles with grilled onions, and fries well done. It's like I never left.

I don't really have anything planned other than see a few friends. Even if I don't go anywhere, it's nice to be back in LA.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 8:04 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
.....

One of the nice benefits of living in a community that caters to students carrying on a symbiotic relationship with their laptop is the ability to find an Internet wireless zone in unlikely places. Ever since Taste Bakery offered free Wi-Fi to customers, other places have tried to follow suit (though Starbucks still makes you pay for theirs, those greedy fascist bastards) by installing their own Wi-Fi. One of the unintended benefits is that places neighboring these restaurants also receive the signal and anyone with a laptop can browse freely. That's why I used to be seen at Dewey's Tavern all the time at odd hours.

So right now, I'm in a laundromat, which shares a wall with a little empenada joint called Go-Go. As a lure for Miami Ad School students, they installed wireless about two months ago. Nice thing is that I can bring my laptop here and do research - or rather, "research" - while my cleaning my underwear.

There are some odd side effects; people look at me funny. Like they've never seen a guy with a laptop before. Others ask me about computers and stuff, which in itself isn't a bad thing but none of the people that approach me are cute girls. Another thing is the proliferation of computer-geek-speak from people who try way too hard to be cool. One time at Dewey's, one guy asked me "hey is it hot in here?" "Excuse me?" I ask. "Is it hot in here?" (Puzzled look) "No, sitting under the fan helps..." "No I mean is this place a Hot Zone." "No." What I wanted to say was "this isn't Starbucks you pathetic nerd." Which is ironic given that I was the dork with a computer inside a bar. But still.

When the hell did I become such a nerd?

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 1:56 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
.....

:: What's Wrong with Me? ::

It's a quarter after eight in the morning, a day after the official last day of school and three days after when I thought I'd be "done." And here I am, still working on my projects. Not that I missed a deadline or need to finish up any last-minute stuff, but I'm tinkering and nit-picking over stuff that I already turned in. I just dropped off a friend at the airport for his 7:00am flight and I could be sleeping now but NOOOO. I'm acting "responsible" and "ambitious." Seriously, what's wrong with me?

Not that I need to further perpetuate that question but my friend JK and I shared a quintessentially Ad-geek moment yesterday. We were sitting in his truck waiting for another friend outside when a DHL van pulls up, a few parking spots away from a UPS truck. The DHL guy steps out of his van, walks up to the UPS truck and exchanges a few friendly words. We start yelling things like "FIGHT! FIGHT!" and "THROW DOWN!" loud enough that both delivery guys turn to look at us with "what the hell are you two idiots blathering about?" expressions on their faces. We start laughing hysterically. If you saw the commercials, you too would have found that uproariously funny. I know you're wondering and yes, we were both very tired.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 8:13 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
.....

:: Blade gone Sideways ::

Going to school with a bunch of artsy types affords me the luxury of easily finding people willing to see independent films.

I recently saw "Sideways," a little buddy movie about a couple of late-30 guys who drive up to California Wine Country for their bachelor party of sorts. One's a struggling, yet cocksure actor about to get hitched and looking for that "last fling" before giving up his freedom. The other is a morose English teacher who's waiting to hear whether a publisher will take his latest attempt at a novel. Mr. Writer is a devout wine connoisseur whose zeal extends beyond mere affectation and snobbery. Mr. Actor enjoys wine as well but more for its inebriating effects and in truth, prefers putting other things in his mouth; specifically, women. Mr. Writer is getting over a recent (two years ago) divorce and is apprehensive when it comes to dating and unintentionally sabotages any attempts at a relationship. Mr. Actor thinks he has women and life completely figured out when in truth, he's actually about thirteen years old.

Oh by the way, this review isn’t going to contain any faggoty, banal wine cliches like "aged to perfection," "wonderfully flavorful," "full bodied," or "only good for getting hammered."

This is by far my favorite movie of the year. It's a great story about believable characters and it's funny in a way that's intelligent without being smarmy. And in contains one of the more horrifyingly funny, fifteen car pile-up of nude scene ever captured on celluloid. If you're wondering what the hell I'm talking about, just go see it.

Yesterday, I saw "Blade: Trinity." Not exactly an arthouse film. For that matter, it's not much of a film. It's more of a two-hour highlight reel of fight scenes, witty repertoire, and a hot chick in spandex looking, um, hot. Not that there's, given the proper mindset, anything wrong with that. Like most third movies of trilogies, this one blows, but in an immensely enjoyable way.

It's the umpteenth retelling of a vampire slayer revenge story. In this case there's quite a bit of camp thrown in for good measure, perhaps because the filmmakers ran out of ideas. I'm just saying. Quite possibly due to my mental exhaustion from studio week, I found this movie far more entertaining than it has any right to be. Not that I was blind to its flaws - Blade is now a one-dimensional, monosyllabic thug; Jessica Biel kicks some righteous ass and puts her own on fine display but her character just isn't very interesting; the gang of vampires isn't very scary; the lead Dracula "Drake" (see what I mean about running out of ideas?) is the 27,987th variation of a harangue-spouting, barely in-the-closet, blustering pile of Eurotrash; and what the hell is Parker Posey doing in this movie?!? - but the tone of the movie and the funny one-liners by the Hannibal King character - "We call ourselves the Nightstalkers. We were gonna go with the Care Bears but that was already taken," and "I just ate a ton of Garlic and I farted" - pretty much made it for me. That, by the way was one hell of a run-on sentence.

If you're gonna see a movie, go see "Sideways." It's one of the best movies of the year. But if you want some brainless fun, check out "Blade."

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 11:29 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
.....

:: Finished! ::

I'm done! Final projects are finished! I'm gonna go home now and sleep. Maybe till Friday. 2005.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 11:53 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
.....

:: Brrr... ::

It's gotten pretty chilly here. Today's high is only 68 and the low got down to around 54 and before you northeasterners start complaining, that's pretty frickin' cold for Miami. Seriously, last year the temperature was at least 10 degrees higher.

I realize that most of my posts this month must seem inane but it's only because I've been mired in schoolwork for last 12, well, months. That and I've been lazy with just about everything else so they're bound to get better. Eventually.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 1:06 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
.....

:: Whoa ::

I'm not worthy. I'm so not worthy. This is just astounding. Just absolutely astounding. Just read the list of "accomplishments." I'm not worthy.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 1:08 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
.....

:: On Second Thought ::

... then again, there are signs that I've been here a little too long. A couple of weeks ago, I went to Wild Oats (similar to Whole Foods, for you West Coast folks) to get a snack. It wasn't quite dinner time and I was thinking smoothie but they're ridonkulously expensive there. I noticed a sale for cartons of soy milk for $1.25 each. Last time I had soy milk, I was nine and I almost threw up. I don't even care for tofu either. But I figured, what the hell why not.

Not only did I like it, but I've bought it again several times since. Of course the absurdity of a hardcore meat-and-potatoes guy, after shunning healthy crap all my life, drinking and enjoying soy, naturally (pun not intended) didn't occur to me until someone asked "Dan-E what the f*** are you drinking?" At which point I did my standard blank stare, double blink, dorky look at the box, followed by an "oh, umm..."

Seriously, eating healthy is one thing but jeebus cripes I'm drinking soy. I really do need to get off this island.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 9:41 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
.....

:: Home Sweet... Home ::

I got my plane ticket and I'm going home on the 20th. I'm ready for this quarter to be over but at the same time... I'm not that eager to go home just yet. I felt this way last year in December but it's magnified more now since I've spent an entire year in Miami Beach.

I can't explain it... actually I can... it'll just take too long. Part of it is due to my independent nature and having to go back to living at home for at least 11 days, it makes me feel... claustrophobic.

On the other hand, it'd be nice to see Colette again after a year away from her so that'd be cool. Colette is my electric guitar.

Anyway, back to work.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 1:55 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
.....

:: Good Lord ::

It's not that someone would actually sell this thing as much as the fact that there are, at this moment, SEVEN bids on it. Good gawd.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 1:10 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
.....

Unless you've been stoned out of your mind or happen to be an overworked Ad School student, you know about the big fight at the basketball game in Detroit and the following suspension of Ron Artest, arguably the main instigator of the fight. Well, apparently he was back at the arena recently to encourage his teammates to continue playing hard through the rest of the season. However, he left early.

Apparently, he wanted to beat the crowd.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 6:26 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
.....

:: HUH? ::

It's December. It's already f***ing December.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 2:13 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
.....