into the fold.

I left my camera in Davis, damnit. Or "dammit?" Which is correct? Dad, do you know? Ask mom.

Today's new thing was a book signing for Neil Strauss. I have never read one of his books. However, he has written such tomes of American literature like How to Make Love like a Pornstar (with Jenna Jameson, of course) and The Dirt with Motley Crue. But perhaps he is best known for The Game, which is about his rise to the top of the pick-up artist secret society. He gives a lot of advice on how to become a pick-up artist yourself.

Anthony and I went because for the book Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life, we heard he was bringing a live wolf to readings. He did not bring a live wolf to this reading. But he should have.

He is not a classically attractive man by any means.

So, that's comforting.

All the questions had little to nothing to do with his new book. Everyone wanted more advice on how to pick up women. There were about two girls in the crowd. He had brought his girlfriend along with him, and would use her an example, as in, "this is the type of girl you could get." She was heavily made up and showed a lot of cleavage.

Overall, I think the reading did its job. I want to read his book now. The first chapter of Emergency is him about to kill a goat. I'm trying to get a copy of the book The Game on bookmooch. He was a really, really nice guy. He gave me advice on how to write for Rolling Stone, which is his day job.

I don't want to be a pick up artist. But I think "running the game" (that's how everyone referred to it) sounds like an interesting new thing. Then again, everyone in line to get their book signed said it mostly boiled down to confidence.

knock three times.

I traveled back from Davis. That was my new thing.

I also started to read my first Sherlock Holmes collection, which is going to be a bit of an uphill climb of a task, although it's already proven to be fantastic. Mr. Holmes, I would accompany you to the ends of the earth, magnifying glass in hands. You solve the mysteries, I'll get the ants.

So. Two new things. Thank you, Jaclyn, for a nice little getaway, complete with soul searching, conversation, new and old types of alcohol, some raucous friends, and some good ol' fashioned television. Relaxation and getaway at its finest, in a v-shaped floorplan of a house.

times before that, I was cruel.

This evening I went and saw Watchmen at the midnight screening, but I'm backdating this blog post because I am... like that. It's my blog, I'll do what I want.

Watchmen was a mess. It was fun, though, and also incredibly violent, and strange to see on screen. I think, now, that it was pretty good in some ways and terrible in others, but ultimately, it's the best that movie could be on a screen. Silk Spectre II looked exactly like she did in the comic, and Nite Owl II's story and portrayal was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

My dad told me he's reading it. We so rarely read the same things that it will be interesting to see what he thinks.

shut your eyes, you and I.

More mail related new-ness!

I joined bookmooch.com. It's this incredible site where you trade books! If you have a book you don't mind getting rid of, you list it on your profile. And then someone can mooch it from you and you send it to them, wherever they are, and you search for stuff you like.... it's socialist book borrowing.

Incredible.

I sent off two books today in my glorious introduction to the bookmooch world, and eagerly await a return of some kind... everyone should join! EVERYONE WHO READS THIS BLOG SHOULD JOIN!

Seriousness means capitals. And vice versa

why'd you say hallelujah?

It was either in a movie or a memory that a character (or me) had trouble saying hallelujah for a while. I think it was pronounced hallelulah instead.

A year ago me would worry that I was mixing my memories with movies. This year me LOVES this fact, and embraces it, hoping that soon, my life will be indescirnable from the movies I watch. This is a strange hope, but I think it's viable. You just have to believe.

Today, my new thing: I went and saw The Wrestler with my friend named after a state, Montana. She loved it, I am not so convinced... it was brutal, violent, and very sad. Torment is a fascinating thing to watch, an even more fascinating thing to read, which I am doing right now. Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections torments me with every word, and I bet upon bet that all of this frustration is going to come to a bad end. I'm going to read something really happy after this. A mystery, where I'm sure they solve it. That will be satisfying.

I'm the man, you're the girl.

Yesterday, my new thing was to go to Jamba Juice in the morning and eat their oatmeal. For 2.95, they give you steal cut, organic oats, topped with blackberries and blueberries, sprinkled with brown sugar. It was absolutely delicious. Then I worked for 8 hours and tried to think about something else I could do instead, because I didn't think Jamba Juice oatmeal was very exciting. It isn't, but it's not uninteresting either - it made my morning a lot better and warmed me through. It was also a perfect companion to reading The Tale of Desperaux, which I finished at lunch yesterday. But I've finished a lot of books at lunch at work. It's a good book. If you have 90 minutes, you should read it, and slowly at that. The last page made me misty-eyed.

Today's new thing: Unknown. Hopefully incredibly exciting.