The Hanger

Its that time again.  You have that feeling and there is nothing you can do about.  I'm talking about The Hanger. It comes around at the least opportune time and doesn't seem to leave until the most opportune time. It makes an appearance usually when you are just getting over a cold or when its dry outside.  Guys usually understand this more.  In case you haven't figured it out, I'm talking about that booger in your nose that swings around your nostril. 

The Hanger's favorite time to come out is when you are having a conversation with someone.  You want to stay in the conversation, but your mind is wandering with thoughts of your new roomate in your nose.  Worst of all, you can't tell if  the person you are talking to can see it or not.  And the last thing you want them to say is, "You've got a little something hanging from your nose." (That's even weirder if its a first date or a new friend.)  So you try sniffing, but it doesn't work!  After about 15 sniffs the person you're talking to begins to think your weird. Not only that, they may to think something is wrong with you and you reply with, "I got a cold."  But you don't really have a cold!  You have The Hanger and it won't go away!  You also don't want to leave the conversation and blow your nose (or start digging for gold).  You may even resort to the "wipe-something-off-my-face-but-stop-by-my-nose-for-a-couple-seconds."

I experienced this problem today at work and I couldn't go blow my nose for about 15 minutes.  It was really annoying just having that thing HANGING around my nose all day.  I don't want that thing coming around again so I wrote a note saying, "Dear The Hanger, go swing around someone else's air passage and leave me alone!"

Hey Mr. DJ, Turn the Music Down

Last night I went out with some friends to The Hub in Tacoma.  This place is usually pretty chill and generally good place to hang out and talk.  However, I was not aware that there was going to be a DJ last night.  When we walked in there were about 20 people and the DJ was in the corner.  I'll also have you know that there was no one sitting within 15 feet of the DJ, no one was dancing, and no one was interested in what he was playing.

Maybe its just me, but if I was a DJ and saw that no one was interested in what I was playing, I would either take requests, turn it down, or end my set.  I'm all for loud music, but not turning it up so everyone in the room has to scream at the top of their lungs to have a conversation.  My friends and I had to resort to watching the sports highlights on the TV (which isn't a bad thing) and screaming out rap lines about muffins. 

So Mr. DJ man, I love that you are spinning and doing what you love, but for future gigs, please pay attention to what is around you.  Play music people like at a volume they can take. 

Is Conan Moving?

NBC has seen better days with their late night shows. Recently, there has been talk to move "The Jay Leno Show" away from the 10 pm slot to 11:35 pm after the news. (New York Times, Jan 12. 2010) Jay Leno's new show isn't doing well in the 10 pm slot, but NBC believes it would do better at Leno's old slot when he was hosting "The Tonight Show."

BUT WHAT ABOUT CONAN? Conan O'Brien has been the new host for "The Tonight Show" and has been doing a great job bringing in the younger viewers. He feels like he is being demoted from his position if NBC pushes him back to 12:05 after "The Jay Leno Show." Not only that, but "The Tonight Show" has followed the nightly news for over 60 years. Why punish "The Tonight Show" because of Jay Leno's poor performance? Let's face it, Jay Leno is getting old and has lost his touch with the younger audience. Jay Leno is a great entertainer and host, but Conan seems to be a better long term investment for late night NBC. Jay had his time and now it's Conan's turn to shine in the late night slot.

Conan continues to bring ratings up in the younger age brackets and is respectful to the history of "The Tonight Show." Whatever NBC decides, Conan will either leave the network or keep the show at its original time. He said that he respected the institution of "The Tonight Show" so much that he would not participate in what "I honestly believe is its destruction." I'm with Conan; don't punish "The Tonight Show" for Jay Leno's poor performance.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/business/media/13conan.html?ref=media

Looking Like A Fool...

I was watching American Idol tonight and came to the realization that some people are just crazy.  More like crazy funny.  If you watched the Atlanta episode and have a new song stuck in your head than you know what I'm talking about.  Just watch this video and tell me you didn't laugh. 

Switchfoot, Seattle, and Dreams

Last night I went to see Switchfoot at The Showbox Market. I hadn't seen them in almost 10 years so I had really high hopes for the concert (especially after paying the high ticket price and ticketmaster fees). After waiting in a line that wrapped around two corners I made it in. The opening band was "Paper Tongues" from North Carolina. They have a similar style to MuteMath with a little more funk to it. I enjoyed them more than I thought I would.

After them, the set change for Switchfoot seemed to take forever. Before I knew it the club lights turned down low and Switchfoot's intro was starting. I was looking on stage for something to happen and before I knew it, Jon Foreman was standing on a ledge above the crowd, 2 FEET AWAY FROM ME!! By this point I was really excited to watch Switchfoot's set.

After they finished their first song "Needle and Haystack Life," Jon Foreman addressed the crowd saying, "Tonight, we will be playing our entire new record from track 1 to track 12." The crowd cheered out of excitement. Then he said, "And for the second half we will be playing songs off our past records." After hearing this I knew my ticket was going to be worth every penny.

Switchfoot contined to play a 2 hour set, captivating fans for every moment. I saw fans jump out of their chairs in excitement when Switchfoot started playing "Dare You to Move," sing out of tune at the top of their longs, and jump along to "Awakening." It was truly amazing watching Switchfoot play the entire "Hello Hurricane" album followed by all their biggest hits.

The show made me realize how 5 guys chasing their dreams can really have an impact on peoples lives. Within the group of 5 guys that makes up Switchfoot, there are probably thousands of different paths they could have taken in life, but they chose to pusue their dreams. Seeing that gave me inspiration to keep following my dreams. Even if it takes a lot of time, effort, and perseverance, the pay off in the end is worth beyond what money can buy.