Lukewarm on Coldplay

I had no clue that Coldplay had a new single and album out (mid-June) until I read that on Yahoo! That just goes to show how out of the loop I am. Then again, the last Coldplay album left me cold, so to speak. Easily the weakest out of their releases.

"Violet Hill" is lacking. And every time I see Chris Martin, I think of him as the guy who is willing to procreate with Gwyneth Paltrow, and that's just plain ick to the nth degree.

Bands tend to tire me when they get too big, playing arenas, known by every man woman child in the US. I have a case of ADD (self-diagnosed) and want to keep looking to new things. But I still have wonderful memories of seeing Coldplay with Agent99 back in 2003. I chatted with the opening act, and he said Coldplay were such nice lads. Aw.

Here's the "Violet Hill" vid for you to check out. It's nothing mindblowing either. If that's what you want, check out the video for "Talk." Just focus on the eye candy of bassist Guy Berryman though. Forget Chris Martin, he's the hottest in the band.

It's a small world after all

Eons ago when I was in college, I took a Japanese class with a boy who I took notice of because he was in the realm of attractiveness (glasses!) and had an unusual last name. That was it really.

Fast forward to present day. I live in a place seven states away from where I went to college. My coworker's friend is getting married. Through the magic stalking power of Facebook, I deduce that the bride is marrying the boy I took a class with.

Sometimes big cities just aren't big enough.

The Right Stuff Commentary

I must say that I'm rather amused by the return of the New Kids on the Block. I wasn't huge into the New Kids back in the day. I did have one cassette tape though. My favorite song was "The Right Stuff." I didn't have the sheets or the sleeping bag. I remember feeling like I was missing out on something when everyone else had all the gear at a girl scout sleepover one time. It didn't motivate me to go out and get the gear though. So now that I'm older, and they are too (they have new kids themselves), I find myself intrigued and DVRing the concert on the Today Show and watching videos on You Tube. I think I'll stay away from the sheets and sleeping bags on Ebay, and just leave it at You Tube. Thoughts on the NKOTB return??

Our breakup

Gmail told me I could listen to the new Weezer single here: http://weezer.com/discography/default.aspx/pid/2615

and I did, and I wasn't blown away right off the bat. The ditty would probably grow on me, but I am too uninspired to keep at it. It pains me slightly to admit it, but I think Weezer and I are over. We'll always have the blue album and Pinkerton, but we've just grown apart. It's not you, it's me. Uh, I guess it's you too.

Old as the Hills

Check this out...things younger than John McCain....hahahahahaha!

Julie & Julia

Excitement for today consists of me stumbling into craft services on the set of Julie & Julia, a movie starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. Unfortunately I was not able to catch a glimpse of these ladies, but I did watch some extras being filmed outside of a restaurant. "Why are there large trailers in this residential neighborhood? Why is there a table with teabags on it? Oh, it's a movie!" A worker guy mentioned it was set the 50s and there was filming going on inside the restaurant. Someday I'll achieve my dream of being an extra in a film.

Unreal estate

I saw an ad for an apartment for $100,000. Wow, I thought to myself, maybe even I can afford that!

Then I looked closer and realized it was for a PARKING SPACE.

The hell?

Why am I not wealthy?

She made me a muxtape!

Someone encouraged me to make a Muxtape, so here it is!

http://inessa.muxtape.com

Nifty website. You upload your own mp3s of your choice, and your friends can stream them all online. Cool beans.

Poached eggs, poached friends

Having too much time on my hands is not good for me, but it is beneficial for you, dear reader[s].

I'm going to make a confession: I am a friend poacher. Okay, it's not like I'm a serial killer, and it's not even a secret, but I had to let it out. New York Magazine has a nice piece about the issues, but I prefer The Seattle Times's write-up better:

Couples poach other couples at dinner parties. A friend can poach a book club. Adults make friends with people they meet through close friends, neighbors and co-workers. Now, online social networks like MySpace and Facebook make it even easier to circumvent the friend who connected you in the first place and contact someone new on your own.

Poaching can be driven by competitiveness, a need to expand a social network, busy lives that make it hard to meet people and, of course, a real connection with a new person, Smith said.

Good friends already have vetted their network, and it is easy to go through someone you trust. And some people take it too far, relying completely on friends to establish networks. Smith calls them "serial" poachers.

Though it does make sense. You're friends with your friends, and they obviously have quality taste in companions, and you use it to your advantage. What better way to broaden your social circle? Most of the work has been done for you! It's just like that practically-defunct website Friendster; the principle is the same and is way sensible.

The friends aren't really poached honestly. Sharing is caring!

Fruit or flowers. One or the other.

Have you heard of Edible Arrangements? I first found out about them a few years ago when I was living in another state. Since then, I've noticed that they're everywhere. To me, it just seems like such a silly venture. If someone gave me a fruit bouquet, I would distance myself from him/her. The fruity flowers don't even look fancy; they look like something a seven-year-old could put together. And they're not even that inexpensive. So yeah, I don't understand this company.

Jellies rock my socks.

I was trying on garments at Target, and this girl was chatting on her cell phone, in the dressing room stall, on speakerphone. Freak. That's almost as worse as using the bathroom and talking on the phone (a pet peeve of mine).

Bought a pair of jellies today! They are not purple or blue alas (smoke), but I'll cope.

Why is Jenna Bush all over the news? No one gives a damn about her wedding. Anyone with Bush blood needs to move to Antarctica. Doesn't anyone else get the irony of her promoting some literacy book when her dad can barely read?

Do you know any of these people?

No, I don't.

The new Facebook feature doesn't do anything for me. Mostly because I don't know any of those people, or at least not on a level where I would be comfortable shooting a friend request over. But it has boosted my popularity slightly, where I think I got around three friend requests. Well, okay, something that helps boost my ego will have to get a thumbs up. The good outweighs the bad!

Rollin' the Muppets

So I'm sure that we're all familiar with this right? But then I saw this today, and it made me giggle!!! I'm not gonna lie (or give you up) I got up and danced with the muppets!!!

The dangerous world of room finding

I'm not a super expert of roommate finding/apartment finding, but here are some things I've picked up while immersing myself in this crazy business. My co-bloggers might be amused to read these thoughts. I've been using Craigslist which I love and have been told that is the best way to find a housing in my metropolis.

Interpreting lingo
"Up and coming neighborhood" equals ghetto
"Cozy" equals shoebox
"Garden" is first floor

I get irked when people misrepresent the neighborhood the place is in. It's not like we won't notice when we actually visit. Pretending the apartment is in the nicer adjacent neighborhood is trickery. And when commuting times are mentioned, keep in mind that they're probably exaggerated and on a good day.

All folks want a clean person. That would be funny to find an ad that wants a dirty slob roommate who is irresponsible and makes lots of noise and does illegal drugs and has different strangers over every night of the week.

Then there are weirdos who want girlfriends and other icky situations of that nature. One guy wanted a girl to walk around in her underwear. Losers. And I hate ads where the man claims he's "good looking." Can we say, "full of himself?" And ads which request a photo. There's no need and you just prove yourself vapid.

A good chunk of ads are posted by couples looking for a roommate for a spare room. Who wants to live with a couple? They'd just gang up on you with discrepancies, and there are other negatives that come to mind.

The bottom line is that you're going to pay more for good stuff. Make sure you vibe with the other roommate. Ask questions. Take a friend along to provide an honest opinion; he/she is looking out for your best interests. Go at night too to asses the safety situation. Respond to as many ads that catch your eye; a lot of posters won't even respond.

And that's that. Wish me luck.

Hugh and Keanu: together at last!

I can only keep up with the movie scene via Newsweek, public transportation ads, and Yahoo! ads. So when I saw posters for the new Keanu Reeves movie, I was almost actually excited (I don't get stoked about movies much) because it has guns, action, and House himself, Hugh Laurie though it looks like he's playing a Yank again. And the ageless Keanu of course. I'm grappling with myself on whether I should see Street Kings or not. Here's a link to the trailer if you're so inclined. The sound was off since I'm at work, but I do believe I got the gist.

Stuff White People Like

Someone told me about this blog, and it doesn't matter that I'm not white because it transcends race.

Happy April Fool's Day, yo.

I'm standing up

Unlike my co-bloggers, I'm not that into stand-up comedy, or at least less than they like it. But a friend at work told me to check out Russell Peters on YouTube, and I actually did and found myself laughing. Mr. Peters is an Anglo-Indian-Canadian comic and his routines tend to emphasize cultural differences. This bit was particularly gut-busting.

No need for a pole

Tonight while avoiding lesson plans I found stripped. Stripped is simply raw and real music, but in commercial form. You can click on certain artists and hear them sing without backup singers. Just the musician and their instrument of choice. So far I'm a fan...but I feel they will need to add some Ryan Adams before I add it to my favorites. Stripped is not as good as Pandora as far as variety, but then again Stripped is not radio either. Check it out... you might like it!

Mini-complaints, served hot

You know it's a bad day when you forget to reset your alarm and are almost late but aren't and then what you were almost late for began well after the appointed time anyway. Then it goes over and you are tired.

There's a guy who sits in front of me, and he needs to invest in a magical device called a belt. I don't want to see his hirsute lower backside (with crack!) all the time. Ew.

And my roommate, who has been not doing terribly much as of late, needs to take out the garbage. The stuff is 95% hers. I would, but it's the principle, ya know?

Client 9

Coworker 1: Did you hear about Spitzer and the prostitution ring?
Coworker 2: Yeah, is he a Republican?
1: No, he's a Democrat.
2: Darn!