Never a dull moment at The Sharp Edge

The Sharp Edge was both a memorable experience and a sociological experiment. Many laughs were shared over good food and choice brews, as well as some intense observation of a couple seated next to us. This couple did not draw our attention because of what they did, but because of what they were not doing. They hardly spoke a word the entire dinner. They were very quiet and cold to one another, an obvious contrast to the table I was sitting at. Despite the often inappropriately loud laughs and many interesting stories being shared at my table, I couldn't help but study the dynamic of the mystery couple. Both people were middle age and I assumed were married. I sought to confirm this assumption by spotting wedding rings. This endeavor took a painfully long time. It took close to five minutes before both rings came into sight, confirming my suspicion. By this time, it was noticeable to all of my friends that I was staring at the couple, who were only four feet away from me. After consulting my colleagues, if you will, the results of my study proved to be inconclusive. We unanimously agreed that each person was indeed married, but disagreed on whether or not the two were married to each other. After conducting our sociological experiment, the crew (Nasty, Meg, and Gina) capped off the night with a viewing of The Phantom Of The Opera, while enjoying some tasty cinnamon rolls. For those of you who are beginning to doubt my "hetero-street credentials," I downloaded the new Sufjan Stevens album,** while sitting in front of a TV playing "The Phantom'... I didn't actually watch it.

**I will later dedicate an entire blog to this masterpiece.


Moving on...
Oh, music... how sweet thou art! To borrow, and slightly change, a quote from a well-known brother: "[Music]: God's love made [audible]." Never have truer words been spoken. God communicates his goodness to us in many ways, and this weekend his used Mariah Carrey and Gwen Steffani as the channels of his love (crazy, maybe not even funny, but stick it out). The songs "We Belong Together" and "Holla Back Girl (radio edit)" have been in heavy rotation in both my CD player and in my head. While everything about these songs, namely their commerciality, would seem to create a great obstacle to me listening them, it is with humility and joy that I can proclaim my great love for these songs. Sometimes catchiness can wear down even the biggest of music snobs and lead to an appreciation of music created for 13 year-old daily viewers of TRL. Enough said.

View my blog soon to read about other guilty and embarrassing pleasures of mine...

We ride tonight!

It is with sincere joy that I proclaim that the Bike Brigade (Steubenville Chapter) was formed on Wednesday, May 25, 2005 with two bikes and a dream. Our vision: that the campus of Franciscan University, and surrounding areas, might be terrorized by men riding bicycles made for women (and outfitted to safely hold a small child in the comfort of a secure children's seat). This dream, though realized yesterday, has yet to reach complete fulfillment. We eagerly await the day when Russell Hoyt, the man who originally conceived of the Bike Brigade, purchases a bike from a thrift shop and joins his brothers in the mission of semi-speedy travel.

For now, the current members of the Bike Brigade are John Stadelman, who is hereafter to be referred to as "Nasty" (Mr. Nasty to anyone not affiliated with our gang) and myself, who is hereafter to be referred to as "Bodie" (pronounced BO-dee, a nickname taken from the word bodacious). As with any newly formed group, this is an exciting time of establishing traditions and enjoying the communal bond experienced in working toward our goals (namely, riding sweet bikes in style).

We love and miss you Russell. Patience, my brother. You will one day own a killer bike and go by the name of Crockett (so given for the coonskin cap made of your hair that your head will soon adorn).

In closing, bicycles are so choice. If you have the means, I suggest picking one up.

Graduate School... a lot like growing a beard.

Time... it takes a good amount of time to be successful in both endeavors. For some reason I thought that I could complete my first graduate assignment the morning it was due. Synthesizing 12 sources into a 7-page opinion paper is a lot like trying to connect your mustache to your goatee... it's not going to happen over night and the task will definitely be a challenge. A valuable lesson was learned this morning: hard work and perseverance will yield posiitive results, even in hopeless situations (it didn't work this morning, but hopefully future hard work will pay off).

Brevity: it's a beutiful thing (so is using an uncommon word when a common one will do, so as to sound like a pompous jackass).

Much love!

Hella plans?

It's been a long time since the last time I blogged, so here's a little list of what I've done since then:

-tossed a computer off a cliff
-bashed a computer monitor with a baseball bat
-climbed on top of a building at school (miss judged how high up I was) and then dangled from the edge, eventually letting go to fall a good distance (it hurt a little bit)
-graduated from college
-ate a grande meal from Taco Bell (10 tacos: 5 crunchy, 5 soft)
-slept on a couch for the past week, falling asleep to Conan O'Brian each night
-discovered the band "The Owls"-- a small band from Minnesota-- listen to them, they'll change your life!
** "I know it's boring, but it's my life."

Moving on... I never thought I'd make this statement, but Star Wars Episode III is dope! If you haven't seen it, git-er-dun!

What I did tonight:
After sipping on a Budweiser Select for what seemed like an hour, I realized that I had only consumed one third of the bad boy. At that point, Miss Gina D'Urso exclaimed at the top of her lungs: "You suck at drinking beer!" Not only was one of my biggest insecurities recognized and confirmed by a female, but it was exclaimed loud enough for all of Pennsylvania Avenue to hear. Now my friends and the local drug dealers are aware of my inability to drink beer comparable to my gender. On a side note, I would like to give Budweiser Select my stamp of approval. Thanks Hannah for your suggestion... I want you to know how much I value a 17 year-old's beer recommendation.

Alrighty, I'm spent. Dominic, I apologize for this disappointing blog (you've already heard about some of this stuff) Sorry man, but I gave you all I've got. Peace.

Not stubble, not yet a mustache...

So much has happened since my last entry. Now, I am almost to the point where I can say I have a mustache. Some would say that having a mustache is nothing to brag about, but for me it’s an accomplishment. Guys, think back to when you were a young boy. For most of us, the person we most wanted to be like was our father. Maybe it was his strength, his confidence, or his athleticism. For me, I wanted my dad’s thick impressive mustache. For my whole life my dad has had a mustache, and for that entire time I coveted it. So now, in imitation of Donald Sr., I’m striving to have a stache as fine as Tom Selleck’s. My day will come.

In other news, Ninjas are totally AWESOME. Don't believe me, see for yourself: http://www.realultimatepower.net/

Since I (presumably) peeked your interest by saying that a lot has happened since my last entry, I will cruelly withhold those details for a later blog. Instead, I will make a few CD recommendations for your consideration.

The HoTTness:

1. The String Quartet – "A Tribute to Dashboard Confessional": This disc is comprised of ten popular Dashboard Confessional songs transcribed and performed by a string quartet. For fans of DC, this CD is truly a gem. Even without lyrics, these catchy tunes will remind you why you fell in love with the songs in the first place.

2. Damien Rice – "O": Gorgeous folk music. Rice, who is well known in the Indie world, is beginning to gain much deserved attention on the mainstream level. I first heard this CD in early April and listened to it nonstop for an entire week, with enumerable listens throughout that month. "O" is simple, beautiful, and moving.

3. Lali Puna – "Faking The Books": This disc has the potential to bring vastly different groups together in a way reminiscent of Outkast. In this case, I’m not talking about black and white people but instead, Indie Hipsters and Mainstreamers. Wielding a scope of influence and sound comparable to The Postal Service, Lali Puna will be enjoyed by many listeners. Not to minimalize Lali Puna’s sound, but to make a general description of it, Faking The Books sounds much like The Postal Service with female vocals resembling and rivaling Frou Frou.

Peace up; A-Town down!