Category: Entertainment

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Music

NIN: Ghosts I-IV

Today I bought the new NIN album, Ghosts, an instrumental album that was suddenly released last weekend now that Trent Reznor is a free agent, finally out of his contract with Interscope Records. He’s offering the album up in the following kick-ass options:

  1. FREE: The first quarter of the album (Ghosts I) to download
  2. $5: All 36 tracks (Ghosts I-IV) as a high-quality digital download, includes PDF artwork
  3. $10: The above download now and a 2-CD set to be shipped in April
  4. $75: Deluxe set with 2-CD’s, extra discs, fancy book & packaging
  5. $300: Ultra Deluxe set, limited to 2500 signed copies, which includes the above and more such as the album on vinyl

I picked up the $10 version (call me crazy, but I like having CD’s), however with shipping the total was $16.99. While $6.99 is a bit much just to ship a couple CD’s, it’s still less than most double-CD sets would cost on Amazon. And, unlike Amazon, I got to download the album immediately (something I wish they’d start offering if you buy physical CD’s that they also offer on their MP3 service). I chose the high-quality MP3’s as my download (320kbps LAME encoded, fully tagged, each track even has it’s own artwork) though they offer the album in other, all DRM-free, options.

The album is really good… very good background “listen to while working” music. I’m impressed. And happy with the experience. I’m also personally happy to ‘stick it to the man’ again, much like purchasing Radiohead’s In Rainbows a few months back.

Oh, also, the Ultra Deluxe version reportedly sold out in just a couple days earning Trent & Co $750,000. Nice work.

Categories
Beer Entertainment Food Movies Work

Long week, good weekend, Legend

Since last weekend’s adventures, I had another long and fairly stressful work week. The weekend was pretty fun though, despite two things: 1) a possible resurgence of some sort of virus (sinus pressure, a sore throat and a cough, dammit), and 2) a friend coming into town on Friday (I say friend, though he’s a total bastard and I hate him, but not really, I just like to pretend I hate him). Started off by going to Mash Tun for some dinner and drinks Friday night along with Snooks and L. Saturday we all met up at Kennedy School in the early afternoon for some drinks, and then went to Delta Cafe (blogged before here) for dinner. I both love and loathe the Delta… the food is really good, but the greasy smell gets woven into both your clothes and your very being. It can be a bit overpowering. The last time I was there I had made the mistake of bringing my wool coat in, and the next morning on the bus I realized that I was ‘that stinky guy’, all because of the greasy scent. This time I wore clothes I could burn later. 🙂

Intersection near Kennedy SchoolToday the nice weather returned. I spent most of my day relaxing indoors, playing a bit of Call of Duty 4, and watching shows recorded on the DVR. Kelly went to a friends baby shower, and after she got home I drug her to Kennedy School to see I Am Legend at the theater. We’d arrived with just enough time to sit in the Cypress Room for a beer before heading to the theater. The movie was pretty good, and I enjoyed it quite a bit despite the, at times, poor CGI (some of it was pretty bad, though overall I was able to get past a lot of it and it didn’t distract me). The representation of a vacant and dead city (with nature taking back what’s ‘hers’ with grass coming through the streets, deer running free, etc), and the main character’s almost super-human ability to avoid insanity in the face of near total solitude was well done. Overall I though it was pretty good, and well worth seeing on the ‘big screen’ for a few dollars, with some beer and popcorn.

Categories
Entertainment Food Television

Sicky

Still feeing a bit ill, though it’s not as bad as it could be. I think I’m either fighting it off successfully, or I didn’t get the same flu that many of my coworkers had gotten. The symptoms are a dull headache, sore throat and nasal congestion (pretty light on all three), a slight cough, and an occasional fever. There are times when I feel nearly 100%, and others where I feel 60%. If that makes any sense.

Yesterday, during one my my better moments I ran to the store to pick up more cold medicine and something for dinner (fixin’s for a reuben sandwich, which sounded really good in my sick state). Last night Kelly and I watched a lot of stuff off the DVR, including all 3 new episodes of Lost, and the rest of the season of Psych. Lost is good, and I’m really waiting for the next couple to find out… er… nevermind, won’t sway it, I’m sure some of you reading haven’t seen ’em yet. Anyway.

Today’s beautiful out. Kelly said she wanted to go out and spend time in the yard. I do too, so I may bundle up a bit and see if some time outside will do me good. Even if I don’t do much, just being outside in the warm-ish sunny weather will be nice.

Categories
Entertainment General Humor Movies Television

You see it?

So a few weeks ago when the news of Heath Leger’s death hit the interwebs, and the news of whatever oddness between he, the maid, and Mary-Kate Olsen surfaced, ABC News.com posted a photo of Heath and MK side by side. I saw the photo and immediately thought of how creepy MK looked, and how similar to someone else, though I couldn’t place it.

I saved the photo and then waited for my brain to turn over. Finally it hit me… in the photo she looked like Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas.

Sally vs. Mary-Kate

C’mon, you see it right? CRRREEEEEEEPYYYYY

PS: I feel sick right now, might be coming down with a flu, so perhaps the above isn’t as funny as I think. Going to hop my bus home now, and then go to bed…

Categories
Beer General Movies Music

A Good Saturday

Last night Kelly and I had a night in. She made turkey lasagna and garlic bread, and we watched Sunshine, which I liked quite a bit.

Kelly had class today, so I slept in a bit, waking up at around 8:30am (yup, that’s sleeping in for me now, urgh). After spending a little bit of time on the computer nerding out, and discovering the band Born Ruffians (kind of an indie / folk / rock sound) and noticing how perfect their sound was for the weather outside (50 degrees and sunny) I decided to get out of the house. We had to take our car into the dealership for some under-warranty maintenance, so I scheduled a 2pm appointment, and then went down to the Bishops on Alberta for a haircut. I had an hour wait, so I walked around the neighborhood a bit. Loads of people out, which happens every day like this in the winter, people crawl out of their forced hibernation and squint their eyes at that bright orb in the sky, then wander around smiling and happy. I admit I was in good spirits too just to be out it the not freezing, not raining, not dark and cloudy weather with nothing to do for an hour.

After my haircut, I went across the street to Mash Tun for a glass of beer and some soup (the beer was their new Concordia Cream Ale which was really really good) before going out to the dealership. What was supposed to be an hour thing only took about 25 minutes and I was back on the road.

Now I’m sitting on my porch enjoying the not-freezing weather and sipping on a beer. Tonight Kelly and I meet Mr & Mrs Ghost Dog at Concordia Ale House for some food and more beer. Hooray!