No day, has been like today.

It's been the saddest Monday ever :(

A salute to Stephen Street and Andy Rourke.

"Stephen Street"

"Andy Rourke"

I've been holed up in my room this weekend. I took a bass guitar home from the office and an amp I had in my car. From Saturday till now I've been listening and learning great songs ...particularly two great ones by The Smiths and Morrissey.

These two are Bigmouth Strikes Again and Suedehead. I haven't been playing bass for a while or anything but I do have a strong background on it due to my brother who is an amazing bass player. He's the one who kinda taught me how to really listen to basslines in songs, and I credit my good musical ear to him.

Anyways, Stephen Street is not only a talented producer that with The Smiths back in the day but he also plays the Bass in Morrissey's Suedehead, if you have a chance, crank it up right now and listen to it. This guy has also gone to produce a whole bunch of Blur albums too and he's responsible for crankin' out the hyper-popular tune "Song 2". So a salute to you Mr. Street.

Now what can I say about Mr. Andy Rourke. You can't compare this guy's style with any other bass player. He's the guy behind Bigmouth, which has quickly become my favorite song to play just because it's so not conventional, he just doesn't stick to the main notes...he's all about the little details which I like....I found myself this weekend listening closely and going.....Ahhh! you magnificent bastard! That's what you're doing!!! So for those moments and many others great moments, I'll raise a pint in your honor sometime this coming week sir.

I do solemnly swear...

On Thursday I became an American citizen. I had to wake up at the butt-crack of dawn to get there on time. There were 3002 people, coming from 86 different countries, being naturalized.(By the way, there was a bunch of Cubans there...Why am I not surprised? :D) It was a great ceremony, emotional at times. I'm proud to be a a part of this great country that has given me opportunities beyond my wildest dreams.

Thank you everyone.

Our new Facebook App!

It's pretty different to anything you've seen so far. Install the app, customize your new alter ego and room (if you want to), but MOST IMPORTANTLY tell your alter ego "TO GO OUT". Tomorrow you'll receive a photo of your character and one of your friend's characters embedded in a photo of some crazy antics that your alter ego got into the night before while you were sleeping. Guaranteed smile. :)

Burn Alter Ego

It's out! install it! :)

Flashback of childhood

So today I walk in where Dave Fried sits.
I see something sitting on his desk, and it hits me.
A flood of childhood memories come rolling in, so I decide to kindnap this and lug it around the office for a day.

The perfect companion for your Alter Ego...

Soon!

And the adventures of Chavez continue.

So Colombia just pwnd FARC, right? some days ago they killed one of their top leaders. A Mr. Raul Reyes. This individual happened to be Chavez's boyfriend. Chavez threw a hissy-fit and pulled all Venezuelan diplomats out of Bogotá, and also he decided to play with his new toys (i.e Fighter Jets and Tanks and Soldiers), and sent them towards the Colombian-Venezuelan border, threatening with war. Ecuador did the same. Colombian authorities found a bunch of documents that incriminate Chavez with financing FARC.

Peep this!

Colombia calls for Chavez charges
02/03/08

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe says he will ask the International Criminal Court to bring genocide charges against President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.

He accused Mr Chavez of sponsoring and financing Colombian Farc rebels. Venezuela denies the charge.

Colombian officials say a laptop found during a raid on a Farc camp held files indicating Venezuela gave Farc $300m.

Colombian forces entered Ecuador to raid the camp, provoking furious protests and a diplomatic crisis.

"Colombia proposes to denounce the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, in the International Criminal Court for sponsoring and financing genocide," Mr Uribe said.

Venezuela and Ecuador have broken off ties with Colombia and moved troops to the Colombian border.

Saturday's incursion by Colombian forces into Ecuador saw the killing of senior Farc commander Raul Reyes, and 16 others.

Colombian Vice-President Francisco Santos, speaking earlier at a disarmament conference in Geneva, said evidence of plans to make a dirty bomb - a bomb using radioactive material - was also found on the computer.

For its part, Venezuela has said it is expelling all Colombian diplomats in the wake of the raid.

Ecuador said the raid had scuppered a possible deal to free French-Colombian Farc hostage Ingrid Betancourt.

Latin American powers including Chile, Mexico and Brazil have offered to mediate in the dispute. An emergency meeting of the Organization of American States is being held to discuss the crisis.

Farc - the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - has been fighting for more than four decades with the declared aim of fairer wealth distribution.

However, analysts say it funds itself mainly through the cocaine trade, while holding hundreds of hostages it has kidnapped for ransom and political ends.

President Chavez and Venezuela have been involved in recent talks to free some of them.

There will be greed, There will be ambition, There will be...

...Blood.

It was an unofficial ICG movie night last night. So we decided on "There Will Be Blood" by Paul Thomas Anderson. It's the story of a miner turned oil tycoon, set in turn of the century California, at the height of the petroleum boom. Daniel Day-Lewis delivers a riveting performance as only DDL can. And don't worry, the movie makes good on that promise. Excellent.



I'm finished!