the rock I've been under

I went out Friday night to see my friend J, as he was in town for IG's bachelor party. Yes, I know IG lives in New York - however he decided Chicago is a better party town, so he brought the party to the city. M and B came with me - I'd show you the pictures but ... yeah no. I look horrendous. Previous to our outing, we were on my couch watching the Madonna "I'm going to tell you a secret," or something titled like that, documentary which I decided I liked, mainly because I wanted to cry at the end. Yes, it made me feel something, everything greater than me. But what was the secret?

Other than that I've been underneath a rock. Rock-n-roll that is. I've been hurriedly busy with all the campaignage going on within the Solid PR Chicago branch.

It's raining right now, I can't hear it. I wish I could. But its almost perfect. Travis' "Driftwood" just came on and I can see the rain fall, quite powerfully onto the garage roof behind our building lit by the yellow light of the alley. Just like a scene out of a movie - it's ultimately romantic and makes me nostalgic.

Back to the rock I was under - in addition to campaignage, I've been working with G from URecs in reshaping our website. Should be live any day now. Can't wait! On one of my other 8 arms, I'm gearing up for the parties I'm throwing for Chord Magazine. One at a loft called the Jerkstore, another at Rodan. Franki Chan is spining and so is Parag from Urban Groove. Yes, LA and NYC representing in CHI. Beautiful. I'll be throwing a party in LA in December it looks like, and I'll probably stay there for a few weeks, through the New Year unless I find a dirt cheap flight to Paris. Whenever Winter rolls around, I toy with the possibility of going and moving home. Then I'm home and hate it there and can't wait til I'm back in Chicago. Oh, the green green grass of home - it's always better on the other side.

Rufus is playing on Friday at M's U of C. I'm shooting him again. It's not exciting to read anymore, is it?

Arm number five is also moving our files to a new PR-specified File Maker layout, as made by DL. It makes it easier to track + report - plus uses a lot of the terminology that we use everyday. In addition to the 5 that we already combined, a total of 9 frankenstienish databases. The issue? Whose info is correct. Oh, the double-edged swords. Can't wait til I'm sifting through all this information on some beach in San Felipe, Mexico in December.

I'm also devising a *** for Solid with D. I've implemented [TOP SECRET INFO HERE]. Plus add-on perks! I'm very excited about it. Anyhow, I'm trying to [TOP SECRET INFO HERE] as well as make it more efficient and beneficial for all parties. It's all top-secret for now (I don't want anyone to steal ideas) and I'm working with some heavy-wieghts to try & perfect the system. Today I asked, "Can I put a copyright or patent on that? Is it my intellectual property?" I'm waiting to hear back from an ent. lawyer...

M and I were at Target the other day, for HOURS, but that's not my point. My point is, while we were in the halloween aisle, the childrens aisle, trying on wigs - it dawned on me... me as Jessica Simpson! And M as Ashlee Simpson! And B as Nick Lachey! It's going to be visually hilarious. How will people get that we are who we are? I'm going to be holding a can of tuna, M will prob have to hold a mic and do a jig. B will have to stand around and look annoyed or something.

N's band is playing on Halloween. (Oh, and Travis' "Luv" happens to come on right now - how appropriate... yes, it's a surprise because it's on shuffle!) We're supposed to go see him @ HoB. I'm kind of excited. I always have a fun time hanging out. He does bring me great joy, and is one of my best mates and true confidants. Yeah, I can't wait.

First comes Hallow's Eve, and next is Thanksgiving - in which Lesley is coming! Or is supposed to be! Exciting... Then comes stupid Christmas, the one holiday that propels me straight into suicidal tendencies. No, unfortunately not the band, but the actual doom-and-gloom feeling that is putrid and sick. Happy holidays, bah humbug.

So, needless to say - I've been losing my mind multiple times a day. But I'm happy, and seemingly healthy - I was a little flu-ish last week but kicked it with Emergen-C & Airborne and lots of vitamins and suppliments. I don't think I sleep much anymore. I'm cancelling my Netflix account until my free HBO & Stars is over. I got a landline, one that I share with B, who I'm convinced is the best boy-roommate ever. He cooks and is very understanding when I develop tourettes when speaking to what looks to be my laptop, but most importantly - he leaves the toilet seat down. WTF. Miracle on Wolcott Avenue.

Pick up the Winter issue of Venus magazine. My ugly mug will be "modeling" in the fashion section. This is not a joke.

Toto's "Rosanna"

At first my flatmate Brian thought that I meant another song, "Joanna" by Kool & the Gang, which he had me convinced for a second was also titled "Rosanna." To my delight, he even sang a little snippet of the version in his head: "Ro-saaa-naa / I / love yoooou / You're the one / The one for meee." However much I loved his little rendition (and it reminded me that I should seek out that song too), I needed to get Toto out of my head and into my speakers. After a little bit of digging, I found the song I was chattering about and we listened to it in glee. Toto did a great job in crafting a great track - this song is great, it's got many different movements from opening with a drum roll to when the horns kick in; Even the strange swirly break of cascading keyboards (that implies a scene with outerspace and unicorns) has a purpose into bringing us to the song's end. This song was written for Rosanna Arquette, who was dating Toto's Steve Lukather. I never bothered to listen too closely to what this song is about, but it sounds romantic: "Not quite a year / Since you went away / Rosanna, yeah / Now she's gone and I have to say / Meet you all the way / Meet you all the way / Rosanna, yeah!" Blah blah, something about how he never thought a girl like her could make him feel so sad and the things he wishes and losing her feeling so bad. The lyrical content is unimportant to the sentiment, though the vocals provide an important layer to the songs musicality. The dude could be singing "watermelon cantaloupe" and I would still be endeared.

I saw a glimpse of Rosanna Arquette doing a bad something-European accent in "The Whole Nine Yards" with Matthew Perry and Bruce Willis - a bad movie that triggered memories of this good song. How far we've fallen since "Desperately Seeking Susan!" Speaking of DSS - I finally caught the episode of Will & Grace that Madonna guest starred in. That woman is fabulous. She plays this office manager for those "That's What i Call Music" CDs in "the music industry." Hilarious. Her hair didn't move once.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEREK MEIER!

everyone, please wish Derek a happy birthday!

Pulp's "Mile End"

Probably haven't heard this song since the 90s myself. Okay, maybe since early 2000. (I forgot that I used to DJ at Brit's Pub in Minneapolis for their Britpop night... and I had to have played this at some point during that.) Anyway, I've been fast-forwarding through my ipod during every work day, and here we are - 4p on a Wednesday and this song re-enters my life like a long lost friend or like a 10 year class reunion invitation. I don't even remember uploading this. Oh Jarvis. Jarvis! What has happened?

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MILE END is on the Trainspotting soundtrack. Remember that? I think there was a point where everyone I knew had the movie or the soundtrack or the book or the badge - all donning the same artwork. My favorite line?
"the lift is always full of piss,
the fifth floor landing smells of fish
(not just on friday,
every single other day)"
Who knows why I have an attachment to that specific part in the song, it has no direct relevant meaning to me. However, it does remind me of first apartments, living everyday like you're absolutely fabulous and not having a care in the world. Or perhaps its the placement of those lyrics in the song? Oh, the song, which seems to start and stop, fakes an ending here and there. The type of fakie that if conducted live, an audience would prematurely clap. It's quirky, naively optimistic, and - put awkwardly "lalala"s in any song - and I'll love it.

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Ten years later we've replaced MILE END with 8 MILE.
As Mark Mallman (the other M&M - having the same initials as Marshall Mathers...) once sang, "Nothing changes it just rearranges" - both songs talking about some shitty place you used to live...

Bjørk's "Five Years"

Incredible how she can somehow put a "grr" in the word bored. This song is a great example of a scorned person. Enclosed are lyrics so immature and bitter as "Til after five years / If you live that long" and a musical accompanyment that shadows unforgiving stomping. A march for unrequited love.

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I'm actually excited to see Madonna's documentary on Friday, airing on MTV. I haven't been excited to see something on MTV since there was a promise of seeing A-ha's "Take On Me" every hour.

FILE 13

from FILE 13 RECORDS photo shoot 10/11/05