kevin.

Pronounced: Exactly as it sounds, duh (ses-kwi-pi-dey-lee-uhn)
Definition: Given to using long words (literally: words a foot-and-a-half long); containing many syllables.

Bad Religion's sesquipedalian lyrics belie the simplicity of the message contained within their music.

Also, this video features a truly sesquipedalian speaker:

i hear you don't have a valentine. i also hear that you don't have cable. maybe we can work something out.

i'll be your valentine AND pay for your cable under two conditions:

1) you must religiously watch rock of love and discuss it enthusiastically.
2) stop listening to escape the fate.
3) take your damn scrabulous turn!

love,
kevin.

ps - apologies for not converting this letter into an LOLcats image. please don't hold it against me.

It's definitely a top 10 beast.

Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli

Here are some tastefully bizarre videos from the album. I'm a sucker for anything that's accompanied by the Prague Philharmonic and a massive pipe organ.

The Serpentine Offering

The Sacreligious Scorn

That is all.

(image stolen from the washington post. don't sue me, bro.)

I'm in DC for another few days. Christmas is cool and my family is awesome, but I miss LA a lot (whoever thought I'd say that?). Anyway, I managed to forget my iPod, so I'm having to revert back to *gasp* 2002 methods and burn cds.

1) Lovage - To Catch A Theif
2) The Faint - Glass Danse
3) Chromeo - Rage!
4) Nelly Furtado - Maneater
5) Of Montreal - Gronlandic Edit
6) Tears For Fears - Shout
7) Duran Duran - All She Wants Is
8) LCD Soundsystem - North American Scum
9) Justice - DVNO
10) CSS - Music Is My Hot Hot Sex
11) Holy Ghost! - Hold On
12) Justin Timberlake - LoveStoned
13) Massive Attack - Teardrop
14) Pet Shop Boys - So Hard
15) Blaqk Audio - On A Friday
16) Electric Six - Down At McDonnelzz
17) Zero 7 - This Fine Social Scene

Also, the NPR affiliates in DC are no match for KCRW.

thank god.

knowwhatimsayinimean...

I don't make "best of" lists, only lists of my favorites. As such, here is the most important favorites list of 2007. Stay tuned later for my list of the 50 best best lists of 2007.

Disagreements are welcome. For the record, numbers 15 through 50 are all just about even, I just figure what good is a list if you can't rank things?

-- 41-50 (Download It) --

50) Britney Spears – Blackout
49) New Found Glory – From The Screen To Your Stereo, Part II
48) Kanye West – Graduation
47) Tegan And Sara – The Con
46) Dashboard Confessional – The Shade Of Poison Trees
45) The National – Boxer
44) Every Time I Die – The Big Dirty
43) Single File – No More Sad Face
42) Anberlin – Cities
41) Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger

-- 31-40 (Buy It Eventually) --

40) Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
39) Air – Pocket Symphony
38) Kings Of Leon – Because Of The Times
37) Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
36) Comeback Kid – Broadcasting
35) Moving Mountains – Pneuma
34) Stars – In Our Bedroom After The War
33) New Pornographers – Challengers
32) Rilo Kiley – Under The Blacklight
31) Common – Finding Forever

-- 21-30 (Buy It Now) --

30) The Weakerthans – Reunion Tour
29) Madball – Infiltrate The System
28) As I Lay Dying – An Ocean Between Us
27) Sullivan – Cover Your Eyes
26) Anchors For Arms – Listen/React
25) Paramore – Riot!
24) Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
23) Jimmy Eat World – Chase This Light
22) Soilwork – Sworn To A Great Divide
21) Branvan 3000 – Rose

-- 11-20 (Get the tattoo) --

20) Timbaland – Shock Value
19) John Ralston – Sorry Vampire
18) Darkest Hour – Undoing Ruin
17) 108 – A New Beat From A Dead Heart
16) Feist – The Reminder
15) Rocky Votolato – The Brag And Cuss
14) Blonde Redhead – 23
13) Tiger Army – Music From Regions Beyond
12) John Vanderslice – Emerald City
11) Dillinger Escape Plan – Ire Works

-- Top Ten (Don't ever listen to these bands. I want them to myself) --

10) Strung Out – Blackhawks Over Los Angeles
9) Mae – Singularity
8) Against Me! – New Wave
7) Far-Less – A Toast To Bad Taste
6) LCD Soundsystem – Sound Of Silver
5) Electric Six – I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Prevents Me From Being The Master
4) Minus The Bear – Planet Of Ice
3) Fourth Of July – On The Plains
2) A Wilhelm Scream – Career Suicide
1) Chuck Ragan – Los Feliz



Merry Christmas.

In light of October being informally (maybe it was formally, but I didn't see any paperwork) dubbed "Break Up Month" round these parts, I've elected to give readers a brief reminder on what to do if your ex (or anyone, really) just can't get enough of tormenting your life. As much as these suggestions maybe seem tongue-in-cheek, there's nothing terribly humorous about stalking, and therefore you ought to impeccably follow these directions that have been thoughtfully arranged to prevent you from taking matters any more drastically than they absolutely must be.

1) Look out your window. Is someone really stalking you? Let's not kid ourselves here; you might just be flattering yourself. If your answer to this question is "no," I suggest cutting emo and John Cusack movies out of your diet.

2) Kindly ask your stalker to leave you alone. Not that I have a long history of practice on either end of these situations, but, given the extremely introverted tendencies of many stalkers, simply acknowledging that you're onto them will probably at least move them onto a new target. You may even entice them to leave you alone by helping them select someone new to bother.

3) Call 911 and/or file a restraining order. 911 has a proven track record of success for most. Should this fail, go file a restraining order. Here's a reference for restraining order noobs.

4) The FBI. Clearly your stalker ain't messing around. Time to call the people that are generally cool with bending the law in your favor a bit. There's no need to mess around with hitmen or private eyes when the FBI are basically just the legal version of that. Maybe they'll even give you some juicy details like your stalker's credit card numbers or the key to his time share in Boca until the case is closed.

The FBI isn't always terribly sensitive to our needs, so this is where you start to get into options that involve major life changes.

It should be pointed out, at this point, that anyone who suggests the CIA has not read up on their limitations within the United States. Unless you're an American being stalked overseas, the CIA serves little purpose in your rolodex.

5) Jack Bauer. Pros: solves crimes with unmatched efficiency and thoroughness, puts the lives of those he protects ahead of his own, somehow usually manages to squeeze hundreds of bullets out of his guns without ever having to reload. Cons: Has a tendency to overdo things and may end up accidentally killing one of your pets. Also, he's fictional.

6) Move. Jack Bauer has never failed to solve a crime within 24 hours, so it's not likely to come up, but should your stalker be his kryptonite, you've got real problems. Skipping town isn't likely to deter him, since he can just, like, follow you, so you're going to want to go somewhere especially undesiriable for the duration of your stalker's obsession. I suggest somewhere like Siberia, Mongolia, Central Australia or Cleveland.

Good times. Am I even supposed to be posting this?

Bree made me do it.

Kevin's personal top 10 bands, at least as best I can tell at the moment.

10. Strung Out
9. Killswitch Engage
8. The Talking Heads
7. Soilwork
6. Gang Of Four
5. Good Clean Fun
4. Lagwagon
3. Duran Duran
2. Stone Temple Pilots
1. New Order

No explanations necessary, though if you'd like one, simply ask.

I'm also not tagging anyone else to do this, because I don't know anyone on Buzznet.

From About.com:

News of the death of CTU agent Tony Almeida (played by Carlos Benard) has been greatly exaggerated. When we last saw Almeida, he had apparently been murdered by a terrorist in CTU's infirmary towards the end of season five. However, we never really did see anyone mourn Tony's death, nor did we know that he was unequivocally dead. Bernard returns to 24 for "Day 7" to help Jack Bauer through another hellish day.

The press relase from FOX adds:

Tony’s uncertain fate near the end of "Day 5" left the door open for his return,” said executive producer/show-runner Howard Gordon. “And since there was no silent clock at the conclusion of his last appearance – the 24 tribute to a major character’s demise – we always kept this as a possibility.

Fans of 24 know how monumental this is for the show. After two years of, for lack of a better term, key-character-genocide, it's comforting to see one of the veterans that made the show such a phenomenon return. Plus, I know most 24 fanatics never lost hope, due to the lack of a silent countdown and no mourning from the cast in Day 6. Seeing Tony make his improbable return in Day 4 was one of the five best moments in 24 history (hmmm, I smell a list once the season hits) and probably gave me the same rush I got the first time I saw Bad Religion.

Jack Bauer may be the king, but Tony Almeida was the glue. It's a bit frustrating to have this surprise ruined by the ever-inquisitive internet, but as the season is still four months away from its season premier, it's comforting to know your friend has come home.

And if anyone is thinking of responding to this post with anything related to the serial dramas that burst through the door after 24 opened it (that's right, Heroes and Lost fans), at least take half a second and bow to the grandfather of the format. If it weren't for this show, Hayden Panettiere never would have become the pop culture blog fodder she is today.

You could say this about a zillion bands from Santa Barbara, CA, so it's no surprise that Sicker Than Others remain steadfast holders of this title. They dropped another song on their myspace today which is as good, of not better, than all of their previous efforts. Think Jawbreaker meets Bodyjar, think awesome. GO ON TOUR, DUDES.

My car is dead in the water in Pasadena.

I am in North Hollywood.

I'm supposed to be at work in Hollywood (as well as class at USC).

I need to hire a surrogate to attend class for me.

Piñero, starring Benjamin Bratt. I vaguely recall some press about this movie back when it came out a few years ago, but finally got interested after I read a few of Miguel Piñero's poems. I won't claim to know a ton about the guy, and the movie focuses more on his inner demons than actual biographical fact, but the scene of him reciting the amazing poem "Seeking the Cause" makes the movie worth it.

And, for the record, this movie will really make you want to drop any alcohol habits for a long, long time.

I haven't used livejournal in a couple years, and really don't even jump on to read friends' entries except for maybe once every 6-8 weeks, but it always feels nice to occasionaly go back and read about my exploits in 2004 or something. In my brief spat of nostalgia today, I found a few items that made me smile, even though it may only be because I'd forgotten the context.

5/13/05: my roommate says santa barbara has the worst pollen in the country. then again, he also said that chevy chase played drums for steely dan.

4/27/05: john is sleeping with my PSP. i wish i could say it was the first time.

2/9/05: YEAH SO... THUMBS UP TO THIS MOST RECENT TROUBADOUR SHOW FOR GETTING ME DRUNK.... sorry, i didn't notice caps lock was on

1/31/2005: my hair is red and black again. i think there's some blonde left too. whatever. i was drinking when i did it. it happens.

1/11/2005: i'd been getting these random calls from a 916 area code (sacramento) the past week or so. turns out it was the FBI. so yeah.

11/22/2004: n0carri3r: i'm gonna run to the bathroom
kevwad: mmmk
n0carri3r: hopefully nobody takes computer
kevwad: haha
n0carri3r: if i start talking shit, it's not me
kevwad: haha okay
kevwad: if i start talking shit, it is me
n0carri3r: typical

11/4/2004: my roommate dan is hammered right now - i've never heard him struggle with the english language so much. i drove him to in n out after the show to soak up all the alcohol he consumed and he insisted that he wanted a cheeseburger (he's a vegetarian). he's now giving me some sort of theory on the actor tim allen. i wish i had a tape recorder.

That's enough for now.

Mid-late 30's overweight bald dude sitting in his Honda Accord by the curb on Sunset Blvd. just east of Cahuenga with the windows down and engine off blasting The Talking Heads' "Life During Wartime."

It's like looking into the future.

My iPod is confused. It's summer in LA, and it somehow produced this section of songs today.

Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer
Pet Shop Boys - Suburbia
Eels - Saturday Morning
David Bowie - Young Americans
Leonard Cohen - I'm Your Man
Zombies - This Will Be Our Year
Method Man - Tease
Stephen Brodsky's Octave Museum - Kid Defender
Rocky Votolato - Uppers Aren't Necessary
Depeche Mode - People Are People
Massive Attack - Protection
Otis Redding - Security
Common - The Corner

Go find these songs, burn them to a CD, and save them for the first day of fall.

EARTHQUAKE!



I've been in Southern California three and a half years, and other than one in Goleta that felt like a slight gust of wind, I've never felt an earthquake. It's about time I lost my floor surfing virginity.

KCAL failed to interrupt their normal late night crap with any news coverage, so I can only assume that no buildings were leveled, much to the chagrin of thousands of elementary school students dreading the looming first day of school.

In light of Barry Bonds knocking a couple of the biggest 4-basers of the last several years and my resolve in paying attention to ESPN to make sure I witnessed the historic blast, I'm going to count down the five best home runs that I've personally watched. Bonds ain't coming anywhere near this list of home runs that genuinely made me leap out of my seat. I grew up as a Baltimore Orioles fan, so apologies for the bias.

5. May 17, 1996: Chris Hoiles (Orioles vs. Mariners)

This was one of the coolest baseball games I ever watched. It was during the Orioles' power surge of the late 90s (a year later the team had ten players hit over 20 home runs), and they were facing Ken Griffey Jr. in his prime. The teams combined for 7 homers in a 14-13 contest that ended with Chris Hoiles' walk-off grand slam with the Orioles down 13-10, based juiced, 2 outs, full count: the exact situation every kid dreams of. Even for a game only 6 weeks into the season, it felt like a wild playoff game and the ending was absolutely thrilling.

4. October 3, 1990: Cecil Fielder (Tigers vs. Yankees)

Cecil Fielder ended up getting completely buried in history, but this game featured his 50th and 51st home runs of the season, signaling the end of the modern dead-ball era. I was completely fascinated by this story, as no one had ever hit 50 home runs in my lifetime, and players knocking 30 homers were considered bona fide sluggers (7 years later even the scrawny Brady Anderson would hit 50 homers). The best part about this story was that Cecil Fielder had been exiled to the Japanese leagues the year before this, and struggled to even qualify for Detroit in spring training. The home run to eclipse 50 was nothing epic, but I remember rooting incredibly hard for this dude and was completely blown away that someone could hit 50 home runs. Admittedly, I was 9.

3. October 23, 1993: Joe Carter (Blue Jays vs. Phillies)



If I had to throw in one obvious one, here it is. Joe Carter of Toronto's World Series-clinching home run off the Phillies' Mitch Williams is still recognized as one of the most famous home runs of the modern era. I was watching this game at my grandparents' house rooting passionately against the Blue Jays. They were already defending World Series champions, and had, on an annual basis, been the one road bump keeping the Orioles from a string of playoff appearances. When Joe Carter ended this series, I'm pretty sure I started breaking things.

2. October 15, 2003: Kerry Wood (Cubs vs. Marlins)

This was the series that the Cubs were supposed to win, even after blowing a 3-1 lead in the series over Florida and having to try to save face in game 7. With Kerry Wood on the mound, this seemed like a sure thing, even with Florida jumping out to an early lead. Down 3 in the second inning, Chicago gets two on base, and Kerry Wood steps up and nearly slaps one clear out of the stadium. Pitchers never hit home runs, much less game-tying home runs in game 7 of the NLCS. I honestly thought I'd just watched one of the biggest home runs in playoff history. Unfortunately, Chicago couldn't hold it together and the Marlins managed to win the game (and subsequently went on to beat the Yankees to win the World Series), completely erasing the impact of Wood's home run.

1. September 5, 1995: Cal Ripken Jr. (Orioles vs. Angels)



This was one of the happiest moments of my life. Cal Ripken goes yard in the game where he breaks the unbreakable record, playing in his 2,131st consecutive game. He went on to play 2,632 before taking a seat for a day (the day the streak ended was worse for me than the day my first guinea pig died). One of the most fitting and wonderful moments in sports history, hands down. No home run ever hit by Barry Bonds or Mark McGwire could compare to the gravity of Cal Ripken saving baseball after the 1994 player strike.

Being nowhere near Baltimore, I no longer watch any baseball. The Dodgers don't interest me, and the Angels just annoy me. These five home runs will probably remain my top five for an extremely long time.

No one likes you (other than the occasional sheltered kid from the midwest) and I wish you'd shut up, but guess who you'll never even touch on the "instilling unnecessary rage in others" scale?



Bonds hit a bomb for the record-breaking home run tonight (albeit off the pitching staff of the Washington Nationals, whose combined talent puts them only slightly above the level of batting practice pitchers). I've always quietly been a fan of Barry Bonds (now you all know), which I suppose is ironic since my childhood hero is baseball's good guy, Cal Ripken Jr. (who was inducted into the hall of fame a week ago). Sure, Bonds was on the juice, but, first of all, so were all the pitchers he faced; second, there's no way he's done anything of the such in the last several years as he continued to put up respectable numbers for a guy old enough to be my dad; finally, aren't steroids supposed to make you get injured, like, all the time? Oh wait, Bonds is injured all the time.

Anyway. Not saying the guy's better than Hank Aaron, but he's whacked more baseballs over a fence in our time than anyone else will (A-Rod ain't doing it - you heard it here first), and been the most feared player in the game (on and off the field, incidentally) - possibly in all of professional sports (short of Tiger and Jordan). He also did it without being the soulless money-driven mercernary like guys such as Roger Clemens who constantly team-hop to the highest bidder. If Bonds had gone to the AL last time his contract was up, he'd already be at 800.

No one gives Lance Armstrong a hard time for cheating. No one gives Babe Ruth a hard time for not having to face black pitchers. Give Barry Bonds his due. Guy might be a jackass, but he's fairly good at baseball.

And also, can people stop taking pictures of and interviewing those two idiots? Perez Hilton's probably not even going to mention one of the biggest sports stories of the year, despite it being riddled with drama and controversy, but I'm sure he'll continue to provide exclusive hourly updates of where the famous frauds are hanging out.

Photo: Washington Post. Don't sue me, please