beauty in a wicked world.

Oh, and enjoy the extra hour of drinking. I know I will.

Unless you have been completely out of touch with society for the past couple weeks, surely you have heard the story about the boy and his weather balloon. The moment that situation was resolved, I had a feeling there was something very tailored about it. What a surprise...the father, Richard Heene, was behind it all. Heene did it for media attention, and even though its mostly negative, he is getting what he desired. The fact that it was done at the expense of his children makes this even worse. Can you believe how much it has blown up in the news? He is now being compared to John Gosselin as the '"Worst Dad Ever". Don't get me started on the hot mess that is "John and Kate + 8".

No matter what way you look at it, negative publicity is still publicity. The parents are being convicted, but I highly doubt they will receive a serious charge. They have officially become celebrities by default. There are so many different avenues in which a normal person can attain fame: youtube, reality television, social media networks, etc. Celebrity status has become almost a necessity for some. Here is in interesting article on CNN.com about how stardom is becoming a basic need in society.

I think I'll keep to myself and pass on the fame and stardom. Props to the people who can make a short-term living out of being a Default Celebrity, but you have to wonder where they will be in five years. Oh wait, they will probably just become the Richard Heenes of the future.

I'd say this is a pretty fucking clever music video. This is what The Cobra Snake would look like if it were a video sharing site. I'd say the track is catchy as well. Is it surprising that I found this on the iheartcomix website? I could see some fist pumping and feet stomping action taking place while the DJ let this one rip. Oh, and probably some girls snorting cocaine in the bathroom.

Yeah, I know....I've been out of touch with this whole "blogging" thing lately. I'm going to do my best to get back into the swing of things. I refuse to fall into the micro-blogging trap that is called Twitter. No offense to those of you who are avid tweeters, but I give a look of disgust when I hear someone say, "I've got to tweet that real fast." If "Miley Cyrus deleting her Twitter" is national news, God help us.

N-E-wayz...Since I kind of like music, here's a little something to wet your whistle.

You can't go wrong with Basement Jaxx, and anything featuring Sam Sparro is worth listening to. I'm not sure how I feel about his bleach blond hair though. This song just makes me grin from ear to ear. I'm quite excited about Basement Jaxx coming out with new material. Yes its very poppy and catchy, but that's okay sometimes.

I'm pretty obsessed with the new Girls album, Album. It just has a certain novelty and carefree attitude about it. This is a perfect album for a roadtrip with friends. I also love the music video for "Lust for Life". Its very nicely shot in a hipster kind of way. Yes, Pitchfork gave it a very high rating, but P4K does not dictate my music taste. They gave Thunderheist a low score, so they can suck it.


The Antlers' Hospice. Hands down, one of my top albums for 2009. There is no doubt about it. I wasn't sure if it would get much better than Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest (I still listen to it often). This man could sing me to sleep ANY night of the week. The whole album is so serene and relaxing, perfect for a rainy day and a cuddle buddy. Each song tells its own story, some of them almost heartbreaking.

The new Muse album, The Resistance, is decent. Well, its still growing on me. Absolution will always be my favorite Muse album, and I will always love Matthew Bellamy. The XX also made a very good impression on me as well. As far as singles go, here is what I've had on repeat: YYYs - "Heads Will Roll (Passion Pit Remix)", Tiesto feat. Cary Brothers - "Here On Earth", Starfucker - "German Love", Cant - "Ghosts" *Chris Taylor from Grizzly Bear)* Wild Beasts - "Hooting and Howling", Burns - "Turbo (Jokers of the Scene Remix), and Squincy Jones - "Pop My Trunk (Nintendub).

What can I say about my "unlimited summer" so far. From one angle, it has been a pleasant reprieve from the roller coaster that was my four years at Texa A&M. At the same time, it has been a very trying summer. Starting things off with Bonnaroo Music Festival could not have been a better choice. Four days of pure bliss, completely detached from my everyday life. I was surrounded by 80,000 concertgoers, and at every turn there was a music stage in sight. Although it was nice to finally take a shower after those four days, Bonnaroo was an absolutely amazing musical experience. Once I returned from the great state of Tennessee, I stuck my feet in cement, sat at my laptop, and applied to an ungodly number of jobs. I spend a good amount of time in Austin as well. As many of you know, I still don't have a job. *womp womp* I know. I'm trying to remain optimistic, but its getting harder and harder to do. It has definitely been a humbling experience. After four years of preparation, hard work, and interning, I thought I was on the right track. All I can do is keep on keepin' on. In addition to the job situation, the family situation has been stressful as well. So what do I decide to do? Take a last minute, somewhat reckless trip to Europe. Why did I do that you may ask? If I knew the exact reason, I would give you a hint. Nonetheless, Europe was absolutely fantastic. Who knows when I'll be able to take a trip like that again. The city of Barcelona has my heart (the above picture is from Barcelona). The people, the vibrant setting, the art, the architecture, the culture....what is not to love about that place? I seriously want to retire there. Germany was almost a blur. Oktoberfest turned out to be one of the most ridiculous events I have ever attended. "Oh, is it 10:00 am now? I'll take a liter of beer. Thanks." I had an amazing day though. 5 or 6 liters later, I was on a train back to Austria. Word of advice: roller coasters are not meant for the faint of heart OR the drunk. I love roller coasters, but I sure as hell was drunk. I can proudly say I did not vomit! Trust me, I have plenty of stories to share...and some of them will be told in detail on here at a later date.

Once I arrived back in the states and slept off the jetlag, I began hitting the job search again. Hard. I wish I had a dollar for every resume I have submitted. Luckily, I'm not alone in this endeavor, and I've made some new friends to keep me motivated/occupied ;)