Buzznet: All Media by kevwad

Buzznet Word Of The Day: Sesquipedalian

kevwad — 2008-02-12T12:14:00Z

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:

business proposal for bree.

kevwad — 2008-01-30T22:34:46Z

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.

I Forgot To Mention This Record In My Favorites List Of 2007

kevwad — 2008-01-24T22:19:00Z

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

Caron Fucking Butler

kevwad — 2008-01-14T23:34:00Z

That is all.

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

My "Wasting Time In A Manner That Somewhat Accurately Reflects My Mood" Mix CD

kevwad — 2007-12-24T23:48:00Z

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.

MY SEMESTER IS OVER

kevwad — 2007-12-14T14:35:00Z

thank god.

knowwhatimsayinimean...

Kevin's Favorite 50 Albums From 2007

kevwad — 2007-12-10T01:46:00Z

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.

Buzznet DIY: How To Ward Off A Stalker

kevwad — 2007-10-08T16:38:00Z

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.

i'm cover art

kevwad — 2007-10-02T17:00:07Z

I'm On The Cover Of A Record (That Will Sell Like 40 Copies... In England)

kevwad — 2007-10-02T17:00:00Z

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

new tattoo, 9/29/07

kevwad — 2007-10-01T23:16:19Z

I'm Just Following Instructions

kevwad — 2007-09-22T21:21:00Z

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.

The Most Important TV Story Of, Well, Ever

kevwad — 2007-09-19T20:01:00Z

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.

Best Band That Probably Will Never Do Anything

kevwad — 2007-09-15T19:32:00Z

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.

Rap Battles, 2007 Edition

kevwad — 2007-09-12T15:18:00Z

This title implies that there even was a 2006 (or 2005) edition, of which I'm not sure, but 50 Cent's highly-publicized declaration that he'd "retire" (oh pleeeeease) if Kanye West's new album Graduation outsold 50's Curtis in their simultaneous first week will reportedly backfire, though not for lack of trying. HITS reports that 50 Cent's album will check in at a very impressive 600,000 copies sold, but unfortunately well short of Kanye's massive 800,000.

First of all, the retirement threat is a bit useless after Jay-Z's hollow retirement pledge (hell, Tupac has been dead for a decade and still drops new singles every once in a while). Additionally, 50 Cent, ever the master of lexicon, said he simply won't put out any solo records as 50 Cent, whateverthatmeans.

More notable in this story is after several dreadful weeks in sales, Kanye's 800,000 sales make it the biggest debut since, well, Kanye West. Late Registration snagged nearly 900,000 in its first week two years ago. In fact, 50 Cent's 600,000 sales would drop it right in the same territory as Maroon 5 and Linkin Park in the top 4 debuts of 2007. Poor Curtis just chose the wrong week.

Kenny Chesney will chart third at over 450,000 sales, making this one of the more active weeks in music this year. What I want to know is, did anyone actually go out and buy the Botch reissue of We Are The Romans? No?

So how about it? Will 50 Cent really retire?

First World Problems

kevwad — 2007-09-04T10:23:00Z

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.

Best Movie I've Seen In A While

kevwad — 2007-08-27T21:48:00Z

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.

Olympia - "Olympia Is A..."

kevwad — 2007-08-20T23:46:05Z

It makes me happy anytime I see a band make it out of Blacksburg. These guys are for real. Their new album "Emergencies" is out now on Equalvision.

Livejournal's Greatest Hits

kevwad — 2007-08-19T15:00:00Z

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.

AWESOME DUDE ALERT

kevwad — 2007-08-10T14:03:00Z

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.