y’know, i’ve been thinking, being nice isn’t very memorable. i was wasting time watching an interview with shawn yue on cable last night, and he mentioned how people seem to remember you for one bad thing, and forget about the twenty other good things you did (this doesn’t necessary entail virtuous deeds and dastardly doings - how about being candy lo’s ex-boyfriend, and in the eyes of the hong kong public, initial d is probably a good thing). while i don’t take him for an epitome of wisdom, i had to consider it for a moment.

most of the time i just smile and pretend it’s okay, but maybe i would be a more memorable person, for better or worse, if i let ‘em know how pissed i was, really. nice just fades into the background, sometimes. unpleasant things just have more salience.

nothing much doing, except that work has been very busy because of the new interlibrary loans system implemented by the state library (anyone who thinks librarians do shit all gets a headslap); listening to my 45s again since i got a shiny red new adapter (you know the stupidest things you lose somewhere in the abyss that is my room?); thinking up a design for the chimp website; working on a design for my own website and leaving this restrictive free stuff behind; writing for the chimp again (it will revolve around these guys)…

and oh man, this person on youtube has the awesomest videos. there’s too much. thank you!

“hi i’m izzy stradlin”
“don’t sign to a major”
viewmaster
how can i forget that asshole looking presenter, or this band and besides, drew yamada is hot

serious musical influences listed here. and out.

1. my brother got married last wednesday

2. band tryout today

3. the silents ep launch! i finally have a copy of flicker and flames

3. i am so not going to my high school reunion next year. let me disappear off the face of the earth… the high school world anyway.

i reread this (in particular the reply).

so we’re walking back towards the club (where bands play music, not djs) and i’m looking up at a cartoon that’s supposed to represent people like me - dark, black haired, full lips, wearing a blue cheongsam, smile obscuring her eyes from being anything more than two lines. i’m trying to read the name of the bar on the sign alongside, but can’t make it out from that slitty chopsticky font. the doorman at the gate is wearing a red high collared chinese shirt, the kind my uncle wears on special occasions, only that the doorman is white.

“fucking orientalist place,” i mutter as we pass.

i’m finding i’m reading a lot more library blogs since i started working at the library, and occasionally scott douglas’ column (whenever he so chooses to update). and here is a quote for you loopy people, related to recent mishaps!

Does the librarian like me?

Probably not. It’s nothing personal. Librarians aren’t usually into people who spend time going to a library. Besides, are you really attracted to the librarian, or are you just attracted to the fact that they work at a library?

ha ha!

i love you matt dillon, but… no.

i’m so pissed that crash won best picture (even their website is irritating). but i’m not alone: filmbrain was certainly annoyed, giving an ice cube film as a better alternative; while all these wonderful things summarised the feelings of many others.

it’s not that i wanted another film in particular to take out the prize, but not this condescending film about race for whiteys. uh huh, that’s what i mean.

from now on, who cares who wins an oscar if it’s you and your best friends (several hundred of them) voting for your film? (of course i am speculating, but it’s a wild guess just like the chance of this film winning an academy award)

but for all of that, there was jon stewart, the frat pack, stephen colbert narrating the “campaign” ads, phillip seymour hoffman and a glimpse of dan futterman.

my brother and his girlfriend are getting married in a couple of weeks, and they’ve just moved into a new place, so i find myself running around with my mother doing stuff.

firstly, the new issue of the chimpanzee is out! for those of you who aren’t able to get hold of an actual copy, look up the pdf archive for the file name “Chimpanzee_4_lores.pdf”. my article is the four page spread on perth indie music. when i look at it, i think i could’ve changed the odd word, or profiled more bands, but i think it’s pretty representative and well worth the sleep lost.

secondly, i recently subscribed to hyphen magazine, an asian-american pop political magazine of sorts. i think i just wanted some more meat than giant robot could offer, and stuff like audrey magazine is too poxy to consider. the fact that my brother took it off me to read is a pretty good indication as to its interestingness, seeing as the only reading material he usually touches has engines in it. there’s a well written piece about the vietnamese americans in the wake of the katrina disaster. in lieu of a decent australian publication (except for the alien invader zine by jen tsen kwok and amin-reza javanmard), i don’t mind sending a few dollars over there.

thirdly, christopher hitchens. if you read my old blog i think i posted once how i find him weirdly attractive, even when he is displaying one of his vices on the cover (the other is rumoured alcoholism, though i could care less unless he were pissed when writing). this particular book is a series of ‘mentoring’ chapters, kind of like chatty letters on ethics and politics that meander a bit, just like a good letter should. while i get antsy at his constant nitpicking (if you have not read all the classics, oh poor you), there are some hopeful notes at being oppositional when it seems the hardest thing to do, and a bit of wry humour.

lastly, the new album from roger joseph manning jr, or just plain roger manning. the connection is jellyfish and imperial drag, and it’s the kind of pop i would expect from jon brion and jason falkner and more. previously a net only release, now on pony canyon in japan (import on not lame), and later in the year, the us? final verdict on the music is very good.