What is John McCain's stance on the right to bear arms?

John McCain doesn't mind short sleeves.

ha ha ha

House of Torment

Walking through the first rooms, wave after wave of ghouls spring out from each room’s one dark corner. More startling than scary, even when you know it’s coming. After the initial “boo”, some of them think it might be scarier if they get in your face and stay there for a while. Really, this is so you can get a closer look at how much time they spent working on their makeup that afternoon. Of course, you don’t want to hang out and count their nose hairs. You want to push on because the proximity is beginning to highlight the B.O. these guys have understandably developed from such a high energy night job. Their role is to jump out, be loud and quickly get back in their shaded corner. It starts to get old.

The best performances seem to come from the ones walking around outside the haunted house. For them, it’s not about speed and vocal volume, but rather maintaining a creepy demeanor and firmly approaching the people who have opted out of the full experience. Oddly, these scares are free.

Marc Sherman is annoyed.

If your facebook status is going to be something no one cares about, don't update it.  I'm gonna let you in on a secret - I am truly aggravated every time I see:

1. A facebook status thats just an intentionally vague song lyric...  Listen, "Just because no one understands you, doesn't mean you're an artist" - bumper sticker. 

2.  Someone complaining about their love life via facebook status.  "Jane Doe is wishing she had you back."  Keep it to yourself, I don't feel sorry for you.  

3.  A grammatically incorrect status...  "Mike Smith is wants to eat something"  Look Mike, facebook made it so you don't have to use the is anymore because you just couldn't express yourself with that is... Now that the option is there, you are either too lazy or too stupid to produce proper English.  I hate you. 

Bad Spoon Pictures

Spoon @ The Parish 10/13/08

Last night was my first visit to "the Parish" but surely not my last.  This is my new favorite place to see live music in Austin.  Tucked upstairs in this charming bar is a modestly sized ballroom.  The decor is tasteful - 10'x10' wooden paintings fill the wall space.  There is something very comfortable about the place.

Announced only 2 weeks ago, Spoon performed as a "Benefit for Texas Democrats."  Some man with a funny mustache said a few words before they got going about how glad he was to have us all voting Democrat.  Like many there, I came for Spoon.  I just happen to like Obama.  Even though the show was sold out, I was able to make my way to the bar and back... more times than I should probably admit but my spot in the very front was always waiting for me.  None of that pushing and shoving I've grown to expect at shows.

This was probably the 5th time I'd seen Spoon and definitely my favorite set.  A few songs I'd never heard before (band is about to get back in the studio to finish their new album).  The sound was good other than a few microphone glitches, which went away after the sound guy received a couple stink-eyes.  They even brought those trumpets, trombones, and sax that are so popular in "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" out for older songs like "Stay Don't Go."

Thanks to the intimacy of The Parish, Britt Daniel took a few seconds to point at me and mutter something like "alright" when he wasn't busy popping his neck veins at the microphone.  I even got a sweaty hug after the encore and bought him a beer.

Tx OU weekend part 2

After the game, people wearing burnt orange were able to walk around the fair with heads held high unlike last year.  As it was my only day at the fair, I felt it necessary to squeeze as much fair food into my stomach as time would allow.  This ended up being 2 corny dogs, black eyed peas, and fried grilled cheese.  

I think fried grilled cheese is new at the fair.  At least it is to me.  It had a lot of hype from people telling me what I should eat.  Would I suggest it? I'd say you should try one of the 4 corners they serve.  Its exactly what it sounds like.  So much grease.  They serve it with a mini bowl of tomato soup for dipping the sandwich - pretty delicious.  So bad for you but state fair food rocks.

Reckoner Video

As predicted, Radiohead's new remix contest is already turning up some great remixes.  The band has already received over 1000 submissions of remixes for the song.  Apparently this includes entries of music videos.  The band posted this now official music video on their homepage.  

TX OU weekend part 1

This weekend, I went home to Dallas for the Red River Rivalry. (picture left to right: me, cousin, dad, some guy, brother) It's been something of a tradition for my family and friends for as long as I can remember.  This year was in a lot of ways, exactly how I remembered it.  The State Fair was swarmed by so much burnt orange and crimson it started to hurt my eyes.  It's always cool to see the Cotton Bowl split down the center with the two colors.  This year, the stadium was improved to provide additional seating.  It can now hold 92,000 fans.  Standing at the game now feels refreshingly symmetric with its new "bowl" shape.

Even where I sat, in a section populated by a lot of older gentlemen, the fans were rowdy.  This was without the sale of alcohol inside the stadium (NCAA rules), which resulted in way too many people spewing out of the gates at half-time to get to the beer stands.  The game was about as fun to watch as you can hope for in a bowl game, especially because the team we were rooting for won.

Time Warner Sucks

I haven't been able to watch "The Office" for 2 weeks now and I'm starting to lose my patience.  

I don't religiously follow other TV shows and after the first episode of the season, Time Warner Cable decided to take that channel off the air.  Something about NBC not wanting to pay them to broadcast it because Time Warner gets the signal for free or something.  It's not really important.  I don't have time to figure out the specifics so I'm just pointing my finger at Time Warner.  

They've been my cable service provider for over a year now and I can't even count how many times I've had to have a technician come over to spruce up their crappy equipment.  I saw advertisements on TV that said you can watch "The Office" online for free but I can't figure that out... 

I'm pretty upset about it.  

I'm so upset, I've written a blog about how upset I am.

South Park attacks George Lucas and Steven Spielberg

So tonight's episode of South Park was kind of funny...  It was mostly awkward.  The episode features Cartman and Butters holding up a P.F. Chang's restaurant because Cartman is afraid that the Chinese have plans to take over America.

Thennnn there's the other story being told - the rest of the South Park kids are trying to get George Lucas and Steven Spielberg sued for... lets say, "ruining" Indiana Jones (the new installment with Shia Lebouf)  I know South Park has become famous for pushing the limits but usually it's at least funny at the same time.  This was just obscene for the sake of being out of bounds.  I'm sure you'll be hearing about it.

Last day to Register

In case you haven't been down any major street in Austin today, or seen a bunch of facebook status updates saying to go register, perhaps the Shallow Thoughts blog can be your last minute reminder that TODAY is that LAST DAY TO REGISTER to vote for the 2008 Presidential Election.  So go do it..  unless you like McCain.

Vice Presidential Debates

The world of comedy would like to give a shout out to Sarah Palin.

In one of my classes (Humor in Creative Writing) we've been talking a lot about how Saturday Night Live is so great every 4 years because of the elections and then it starts to fade.   Owen (teacher) keeps saying that comedy writers can't even make up funnier material than the real things coming from the current administration and now the election candidates.

I know that everyone predicted that this debate was going to be interesting but now that I'm actually watching it... I just can't stop thinking of how happy writers at the Daily show, Colbert Report, and SNL must be to hear the things coming out of this woman's mouth.