explaining how to throw up

I was talking to my brother Stephen tonight. We ended up talking a bit about what I'm learning in school right now. I'm learning how we vomit.

It's actually a pretty complicated process with a lot of neural control. Just think of process of how we get food down. It's not like food we eat instantly gets to our stomach. Via peristalsis our food is gradually moved down to the stomach by our autonomic nervous system. Now think of throwing up. Our stomach contents travel that distance pretty quickly thanks to powerful abdominal contractions and relaxation of sphincters along our esophagus (among other factors).

Then we started telling throw up stories.

Man, telling throw up stories is so high up on my list of awesome conversation. I won't divulge the details, but my best throw up story revolves around going to Costco, buying a box of Wunderbars, and eating half the box (at least) in a period of a few hours.

I will only divulge the whole story in person... without any recording devices.

//Here are some songs//
The Hidden Cameras "In the NA"
Surfer Blood "Swim"
The Big Pink "Dominos"
My Morning Jacket "One Big Holiday"

it's raining here

I love it. I love the rain. Literally if someone asked, "If you could only have one kind of weather the whole time you were alive, what would it be?" I would say rain.

When I was a teenager, I loved going out in the rain and playing basketball. Actually, my brothers and I all used to love going out in the rain to play basketball. We would all act super dramatic as we did lay ups and shot 3-pointers. I remember during my freshman year I loved doing laps around the Marriot Center when it was raining.

Then I went to England! That was maybe the only time I didn't like it when it rained... because being in a suit getting rained on, and then staying in that suit for 10 hours was not as fun. But still, the rows of brick laden attached housing to the backdrop of grey clouds... I wouldn't change it.

Rain makes everything better. Standing in the middle of the street. Sitting on a bench. Looking up at the sky... with your arms extended... and then yelling out "Noooooooo!"... and then slowly falling you your knees.

Plus it is also good backdrop for yelling "Wait, don't go!" and then to respond, "I have to..."

Ya, the rain is good for a lot of things.

Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer.mp3
Sea Wolf - Wicked Blood.mp3
Sissy Wish - Float.mp3
Xylos - In the Bedroom.mp3

dream world of magic

A few weeks ago, Mo and Josh were out here in Seattle for a family wedding. One night we were hanging out with them and Mo's family. A deep conversation of movies took place. It turned out. I had seen none of them. I chimed in my two cents, "Um, the Godfather was a good movie." That's like saying, "Hamburgers are pretty good."

It was then that I questioned myself... do I really LOVE movies?

For years, I have been putting "Movies" as one of my interests on blog biographies, Facebook profiles, and "About Me" sections at job training sessions.

All lies.

Because I don't think the word "love" should be taken lightly. For example, if you love music... I think it requires some dedication. You just can't wait for people to make you mixes, you have to make them your self. You have to find the music your self. You have to boldly declare "I like this", despite what anyone else says. And I don't mean you have to like some obscure artist. If you truly adore, and anticipate every release from Beyonce: awesome. However, if you like Nickelback... well you just don't deserve to have functioning ears.

But back to my main point. I don't love movies. Proof! If I ranked the Star Wars movies in order of me liking them, it would look like this: V, III, IV, I, VI, then II. That's not the list of somebody who loves movies! It should read: V, IV, VI and then the other ones shouldn't even be mentioned.

So I've downgraded my status. I "like" movies. I still want to hear about all your movie recommendations. But sadly, I don't have anything to offer you... except this: The newest Rambo movie that came out a couple years ago is the best movie of the decade.

Phenomenal Hand Clap Band "5 10 15 20"
Doves "Winter Hill"
Surfers Blood "Take it Easy"
Speech Debelle "Spinnin'"
Visqueen "Ward"
The Lonely Forest "We Sing in Time"
Langhorne Slim "Say Yes"
Grand Hallway "Raindrops"

para ejemplo

I'm testing out this new way of putting music on the blog in an even more non-intrusive way than 8track (because hey, I ditto with Morgan over here when I say it is not fun automatically hearing music when you go to a blog.)

Lake "Breathing"
Yo La Tengo "Avalon or Someone Very Similar
The Jealous Girlfriends "Pink Wig to My Safari"
Fool's Gold "Surprise Hotel"

Enjoy! Is this better than 8tracks?

i could live in seattle

Do you remember when you were in Junior High listening to the radio? Do you remember having a tape deck in your stereo? And now for my final question, do you remember running to the stereo when they were about to play the Spacehog's "In the Meantime"?

Okay, you may not have remembered running to the stereo to record Spacehog per se... but still, right? It might have been Age of Electric, Limblifter, or the Super Friendz... okay it probably wasn't them either (I just wanted to enlighten you with some bands that were way big in Canada but never cracked into the United States).

I was also running to the taper to record Soundgarden, the Offspring, and Bush X. And if I remember correctly, Stephen was running to his tape recorder to get Bon Jovi's "Thank You For Loving Me".

Either way. Remember when radio was something good? Ya, I stopped listening once Napster came out. Listening to the radio for new music became pointless. Well, at least in Winnipeg, Provo, and Mesa it was. Sure, sure. I listened to the college radio stations. But apart from a few shows on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon... they weren't that good (actually, shout out to "Afternoon Delight" on Utah's KCRL).

Okay, long story short: KEXP = public radio that plays great music all the time. It pretty much sums up everything I like about Seattle. There is a real effort to escape commercialism. Seattle's HUGE, and I swear I could count the amount of Walmarts and Targets on one hand... no joke. Yep, Seattle keeps it pretty real... except everyone seems to always trying to "out-hippy" one another. That can get pretty ridiculous.

Anyways, I just wanted to leave a note for all of you. I also want to let you all know know that you are free to check out a side project of mine and Lisha's at http://richpluslisha.tumblr.com.