Why Can't I Be as Smart as You?

McSweeney's Internet Tendency: Why Can't I Be as Smart as You?:

"My brilliance is a tree that grows in the fertile soil of experience, and extends 74 miles into space, where it catches passing satellites, which not only hang from its beautiful branches like multimillion-dollar Christmas ornaments but also impart to my brilliant tree all of their satellite knowledge. This is how I know the license-plate and Social Security numbers of so many young and attractive celebrities, and it's the only reason, despite court orders that may say different. It's also why you get such great cell-phone reception in my presence."

Officially, It's Officially Official

In the eyes of the University, I'm officially a Doctor!

Phase I: Publicly defend my dissertation - DONE (Jan. 19, 2006)
Phase II: File dissertation with university - DONE (March 9, 2006)
Phase III: Leave Campus/Get a Job - ????

Woohoo! As of 4pm today, I'm officially Mr. PhD. It didn't quite hit me until I was called Dr. twice by 2 strangers (the people who helped me file). I've been called Dr. by my friends and family but they always smile or laugh afterwards. This time, two complete strangers said, "Here you go Dr. Walker" with straight faces. Of course, then I started to crack up.

The other interesting thing was seeing all the other dissertations that were being filed. Part of the process is going to the dissertation adviser at the library archives to have her go over the strict details of your dissertation (margins, pagination, etc). The adviser, who has the reputation of being the Dissertation Nazi ("No thesis for you!"), was actually very nice. I can see why she could get all cranky in her little room which was literally filled to the ceiling with vanilla envelopes bursting at the seems with thesis' (Thesi?). Good thing she doesn't have to read them all. But I digress...as I was saying, seeing all these other disseratations was pretty amazing. I mean, here's mine sitting on her desk next to a computer science one on wireless networks in moving vehicles. Or there was the nice girl behind me in line turning in her english thesis on "queer" literature in the 1920's. My point is, isn't it interesting that so many people like myself can waste so much of their lives on such random topics???

Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority

Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority

The Exposition Light Rail line is the newest extension of the 62-station Metro Rail system. The 8.5 mile line runs along the Metro-owned Exposition right-of-way from the existing Metro Rail station at 7th/Metro Center in downtown Los Angeles to Washington/National in Culver City.

Finally! (yeah, I know...totally random things excite me)

Radiohead News | ateaseweb.com

Radiohead News | ateaseweb.com

My Saturday in Watts

Building Houses in Watts with the Koreans

Spent last Saturday doing something I've been wanting to do for ages: Habitat for Humanity. It was a lot of fun even though no cranes or bulldozers were involved. All we got to do was paintingg molding on two neighboring houses...but it was fun and rewarding nonetheless. I was quite proud that while most other people were there with work or church type groups, I was there with 3 of my oldest and bestest friends just for the hell of it. (Although we were outdone by the girl who showed up all by herself). Even better was the fact that I think hanging in Watts helped with my friends insecurities about being in a more 'urban' environment. (The houses had a view of the Watts Towers). I highly recommend everyone chipping in once in awhile.

Rental Property Statistics for the Los Angeles Area

I live in the 4th most expensive market in LA = IDIOT!

Real Life Simpsons Intro

YouTube - Real Life Simpsons Intro

Car Crash Victim's Arm Found, Cellphone Intact - Gizmodo

Car Crash Victim's Arm Found, Cellphone Intact - Gizmodo: "A Lexington, Kentucky woman and her daughter flipped over in their SUV and rolled into the berm. Passers-by stopped to help and found the woman, her arm missing, pinned in the car. A quick-thinking driver placed a tourniquet on the woman’s stump and they later found her arm—still clutching a cellphone. Both victims survived the crash." - from Gizmodo

MyPOD survey

My iPodHow many songs? - 4026 songs

Sort by artist
First artist: 2Pac
Last artist: Zero 7

Sort by song title
First Song: '84 Pontiac Dream (by Boards of Canada)
Last Song: Zombie (by Fela Kuti)

Sort by time
Shortest Song:
Jesus Mix (17 s) by ME! (I sampled from Big Lebowski - "nobody fuck's with the Jesus)

Longest Song:
Eskimo (16 min) by Damien Rice

Sort by album
First Album: ( ) by Sigur Ros
Last Album: Young For Eternity by The Subways

How many songs come up when you search for "sex"?:
only 4

How many songs come up when you search for "death"?:
12 (by title), 69 overall (thanks DeathCab!)

How many songs come up when you search for "love"?:
142 (90 in the title)

Most Frequently Played Song:
Talk by Coldplay (just reformated the iPod so only 10 plays)

-thanks to the lollislut for the idea!

Coldplay and Kylie

I love me the covers...especially when I band I like does some crappy pop song and turns it into mighty fine song:

Coldplay - Can't Get You Out Of My Head (Kylie Minogue Cover)

Thanks:

MyExBestFriend
(**not really my ex-bestfriend...just the name of the blog)

THE TREASURE HUNT

THE TREASURE HUNT

ABOUT

I can sum it up in a few words…
I hate driving,
I’d rather be bike riding.

So, last September I organized the LA Scavenger Hunt. It was an overall success but one of the main complaints was that it involved driving. No one likes to drive, especially in Los Angeles where the streets are congested and the price of gas is back breaking. So in turn I have organized the LA Treasure Hunt, which will be taking place on Sunday, March 12th. This will be an all day event similar to the LA Scavenger Hunt but what differs the Treasure Hunt from the Scavenger Hunt is that this will be taking place on bicycle. NO CARS.

Here is a run down of how the event will work….
*Everyone that participates is on bicycle.
*Teams will be made up of 4 to 5 people.
*At noon everyone who is a part of the LA Treasure Hunt will meet up at the Echo Park Lake. At the lake there will be a BBQ with free ice cream, food(vegan friendly) and some beverages.
*Around that time each team will sign up. There will be a fee of $6 per person to be a part of the event.
*At 1:00pm each team will be given the first clue along with a xeroxed map of Los Angeles and a pamphlet that has some extra information.

Here is an example of how one of the clues will read…..

Clue #2
Collect 25 cans of food. Cannot have meat or diary.
Bring the canned food to this location.
1053 Laguna Ave.
LA, CA (Echo Park)

When the team brings the 25 cans of food to that location they will receive the next clue- there they will leave the 25 cans of food with the person who gives them the next clue. There will also be water and oranges at each stop for everyone involved. To solve each clue the people participating will have to ride all over Echo Park, Silverlake, Downtown LA, Los Feliz, and Koreatown and each clue gets harder and harder- it won’t be easy, honestly, I can not put half of the stuff that will be a part of the clues on this website. Anyway, many of the clues will have canned food, children’s clothes & shoes, and toiletries mixed into them. All of these items will be donated to the *Union Rescue Mission the next day. Like this event the LA Scavenger Hunt was a benefit for the Union Rescue Mission. Over $10,000 in material goods were raised in the scavenger hunt and with this event I am trying to top that.

The treasure hunt is made up 10 clues. The team to solve the ten clues the fastest will be given the grand prize, which is well over $2,500 in swag from dozens of record labels, clothing lines and gift certificates to different restaurants and stores in Los Angeles- the list of sponsors will be announced next week. At 7:00pm the treasure hunt will end and right afterwards an after party will be taking place at the Echo, where a number of bands will be playing(The Joggers, We Are Wolves, plus a few special guest), peeps will be spinning records and everyone that participates in the event will get in for free. The purpose of this event is to bring friends together and have a goodtime. It’s all about the goodtimes. Please go to the “more info” section to find how to sign up and what you need to be a part of this.
Hope all is well,
Sean Carlson
ihatebutlovela@hotmail.com

(don't get any) Big Ideas

Woohoo! Radiohead, who are continuing work on their next album (and blogging about it...sparingly), are looking to finally record one of my all-time favorite songs, 'Nude', aka '(don't get any) Big Ideas'. I've heard so many different live versions, fan covers, and the famous version from the documentary Meeting People is Easy so I'm quite eager to hear what a 2006 official version would sound like.

Here's a version from the amazing show they did in Salamanca Spain (2002)...
(don't get any) Big Ideas

monday morning.

jonny is hastily writing out scores for a string quartet who are comign tommoro.

right now we are working on nude, it sounds beautiful, as far as i can tell.

i hope we dont get i'll. there is a lot of sickness about. especially for the children.

thm

from www.radiohead.com/deadairspace

Nacho Libre

New movie from the director of Napoleon Dynamite and Jack Black...

Jenny Lewis - At the Vista Theater

Well since I'm now all over YouTube/Blogger connection, I'll put up yet another video. This one is from last Thursday's Jenny Lewis (of Rilo Kiley) concert at the old school Vista Theater. Good times. We got programs and party favors (colored rabbit's feet keychains) and everything...the whole school play vibe was very cool.

You can find a bunch more here
(thanks superfan pandafishthing)

What's better than a crappy picture of Chris Martin @ the Forum?

A (less) crappy video of when he sang from the back of the audience...4 rows and 10 seats away from our seats...

coldplay performs "in my place" on february 04, 2006. lead singer chris martin runs all the way to the back of the arena & stands by some of the crowd to sing the rest of the song. again, sorry the view sucks.

Added on February 05, 2006, 06:15 PM by onacruise

Thanks ONACRUISE!

Chris Martin came to our seats!

Turns out $90 seats ARE worth it!
Great show...they know how to entertain...

Juanes - La Camisa Negra

Thought I'd test out adding video to the blog
by sharing a lil' bit o Rock en Espanol...

Memorable Quotes from Groundhog Day (1993)

Memorable Quotes from Groundhog Day (1993):

"When Chekhov saw the long winter, he saw a winter bleak and dark and bereft of hope. Yet we know that winter is just another step in the cycle of life. But standing here among the people of Punxsutawney and basking in the warmth of their hearths and hearts, I couldn't imagine a better fate than a long and lustrous winter. "

Bonnaroo | Music & Arts Festival | 2006

Bonnaroo | Music & Arts Festival | 2006

Radiohead in the house! (Beck too!)

Hmm...now do I go to see RH in Tennessee or go to Coachella or both?

Complacent P: I love me "Rock en Espanol"

All the things I wanted to say...but just couldn't...

Complacent P: I love me "Rock en Espanol"

Ditto.