Here we come to a turning of the season,
witness to the arc towards the sun,
the neighbors blessed burden within reason,
becomes a burden borne of all in one,
but nobody nobody knows,
let the yoke fall from our shoulders,
don’t carry it all don’t carry it all,
we are all our hands in holders,
but meet this bold and brilliant sun,
but this I swear to all

A monument to build beneath the arbors,
upon a cliff the that towers towards the trees,
but every vessel pitching hard to starboard,
lay it’s head on summers freckled knees,
and nobody nobody knows,
let the yoke fall from our shoulders,
don’t carry it all don’t carry it all,
we are all our hands in holders,
beneath this bold and brilliant sun,
this I swear to all, this I swear to all

Buried wreath of trillium and ivy,
laid upon the body of the boy,
lazy will the long come from it’s hiding,
return his quiet certitude to the soil,
so raise a glass to turnings of the season,
and watch it as it arcs towards the sun,
and you must bear your neighbors burden within reason,
and your labors will be borne when all is done, and nobody nobody knows,
let the yoke fall from our shoulders,
don’t carry it all don’t carry it all,
we are all our hands in holders,
beneath this bold and brilliant sun

and this I swear to all
and this I swear to all
and this I swear to all

to all
to all
to all

and this week the trend
was to borrow all the strength that you could lend
to keep my head above the water and not descend
back to where I said I’d never go again

The Juliana Theory – In Conversation

Conversation is amazing when we’re free to say things people often won’t because they hate themselves
These situations almost daily have a way of making people understand that all of us are one
But isolation and division will be our destruction, if we can’t communicate
So as I contradict myself, and forget all I’ve said, I am free

Thrice – Music Box

We are not alone, we feel an unseen love
We are sons and heirs of grace
We are children of a light that never dims
A love that never dies, keep your chin up child
And wipe the tears from your eyes

I was eating nachos, sitting with my mother,talking about nothing, talking about nothing, talking about growing up in NJ, a state without a hero. Who could be our hero? Drive into the city!

The subject of the day is how can we repay this debt of all the money, money we aren’t making. Lately, lately, lately, lately I’ve been on my back. Move up to Seattle, not up to Alaska… my teeth won’t ever chatter, it doesn’t really matter. The subject of the day is how can we repay this debt of all the money, money we aren’t making. I was there, I know (x4).

Well, what do you know, where did you go, and what were you doing? When you got home, you smiled real big, tell me what were you feeling? Send in the troops, everyone hears you, but nobody’s listening! Lately, lately, lately, lately I’ve been on my back!

I just don’t belong in a town,
where no one listens,
even if I’m wrong,
I’ll find a way.

Gotta get away from here,
find a way to disappear,
say goodbye to everything and everyone I know.
Gotta go and leave this town,
all it does is bring me down,
I just wanna tell my friends no matter where I go,
I’ll see them down the road.

Lost myself again,
no one new I was missing,
said goodbye to dad,
and his new wife.

Stuck around this lawn,
now sick and tired of wishing,
even if I’m wrong,
I’ll still be right.

Gotta got away from here,
find a way to disappear,
say goodbye to everything and everyone I know.
Gotta go and leave this town,
all it does is bring me down,
I just wanna tell my friends no matter where I go,
I’ll see them down the road.

I’m sick of dreaming,
I would rather stay up all night,
live my own life.
Don’t worry about me!

Gotta got away from here,
find a way to disappear,
say goodbye to everything and everyone I know.
Gotta go and leave this town,
all it does is bring me down,
I just wanna tell my friends no matter where I go,
I’ll see them down the road
See ‘em down the road,
I’ll see ‘em down the road,
(Lost myself again, didn’t notice I was missin’)
I’ll seem ‘em down the road.

Plain White T’s on Last.fm
(Edited from source: Sing365)

I highly recommend all three. Coldplay is melodic and soothing, Conor Oberst is angsty indie/alt-country passion, and Astronautalis has awesome beats and lyrical flow.

I’ve been practicing my guitar a lot lately. Songs I can (almost) play:
• Brandon Heath – Give Me Your Eyes
• The Proclaimers – 500 Miles
• Wreckless Eric – Whole Wide World

I caught onto Brandon Heath recently via Carolina who showed it to me on YouTube. The Proclaimers is an old favorite of mine I remember hearing and enjoying in sixth grade and subsequently hearing it played (an edited version) during Young Life in high school. “Whole Wide World” I first heard in the movie “Stranger Than Fiction” which is the first song Harold Crick learns to play on his guitar.

The next song I’d like to learn is Flight of the Conchords – The Humans are Dead. Unfortunately, I’m not sure this will be possible, as the humans will all be dead. (Plus, it takes two people to do it any kind of justice.) Watch below via YouTube:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Top 20 Artists 2008

1. Nuuro
2. Radiohead
3. Nightwish
4. Fall Out Boy
5. Coheed & Cambria
6. The Weakerthans
7. Sufjan Stevens
8. Good Charlotte
9. Yellowcard
10. Metric
11. Gnarls Barkley
12. The Juliana Theory
13. Matchbox Twenty
14. Anberlin
15. 宇多田ヒカル
16. Starflyer 59
17. Acid House King
18. Thom Yorke
19. New Found Glory
20. The Rolling Stones

Top 10 9 Songs 2008

1. Nightwish – Amaranth
2. 宇多田ヒカル – Beautiful World
3. 宇多田ヒカル – Kiss & Cry
4. 宇多田ヒカル – HEART STATION
5. 宇多田ヒカル – Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)
6. Driving East – Beat It
7. Nightwish – Cadence of Her Last Breath
8. Nightwish – The Poet And The Pendulum
9. 宇多田ヒカル – Stay Gold

The obvious trend this year is my fascination with foreign artists. The top four artists this year consist of Nuuro (Venezuelan electronica), Radiohead (British alternative-rock), Nightwish (Finnish orchestra-metal), and 宇多田ヒカル/”Utada Hikaru” (Japanese pop).

Towards the end of the year I acquired a lot of music through good deals on Amazon MP3 via a partnership with AbsolutePunk.net to provide “Cheap Music” from recommended bands.

Through the deals, I got good prices and picked up albums from City & Colour, Lydia, The Graduate, Anberlin, and Fall Out Boy.

I started of 2009 by picking up Astronautalis – “Pomegranate,” and albums from Coldplay, Death Cab for Cutie, and Snow Patrol.

My eMusic subscription kicked back in after Christmas and I grabbed albums from Brave Saint Saturn, Nightwish, and Pinback.

What do I expect for 2009?
I’m diving back into the pop-punk/indie scene music through AbsolutePunk’s recommendations and getting exposure to a lot of music I wouldn’t otherwise have time to track down myself. I expect that to continue.

I’m also buying a lot more digital music as stores are realizing they can sell more for cheaper prices. With my 120gb iPod, I can hold A LOT of music without taking up any extra space on my bedroom shelves. I still prefer to have the case, but if the price is $3.99 on sale vs. $9.99 or $14.99, digital will win my heart.

If that doesn’t help, quit.

If that doesn’t help, the problem is you.

Blindside – All of Us Lyrics:

All of us are searching for an open arm.
Well, it’s a shame how I curl up in the dark
When it’s the same old word giving me the spark.

All of us are searching for an open arm.
Well, it’s a shame how I curl up in the dark.

(view full lyrics)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Another popular ukulele tune recently is Israel Kamakawiwo’ole rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

If through the magic of the webs somebody finds this post and knows where I can legally acquire their music, please oh please let me know. (Liam & Me is based on Philadelphia, PA.)

I used to think networking consisted of constant pandering and ingratiating oneself to another. I’ve come to realize much networking can happen by relating with people who have common interests and goals, helping them out, and receiving favors in return. Networking doesn’t have to be shallow — people appreciate it when you ask genuine questions and provide real answers.

Through this communication and interaction, you can develop a bond and both parties benefit through the sharing of life, skills, and knowledge.

Recommendation: Freakonomics Blog (New York Times). If you enjoy reading about economics and sociology, the Freakonomics blog is a good place to find articles of interest. I find at least a few of the articles every week to be compelling and cause me to rethink my position socially, culturally, and economically.

Today’s article, Michael, Meet Curtis: Philanthropy Gets Personal, was one of these. In it, Sudhir Venkatesh, shares the story about his introduction of a multi-millionaire philanthropist to a squatter in Chicago.

Other recent articles of interest include “The Illogic of Farm Subsidies, and Other Agricultural Truths,” “How Cops Really Want to Police, and Oprah’s effect on the presidential vote.

I now own a Paul Reed Smith SE EG electric guitar. And I Rock.

I won the guitar from a contest when I signed up for a subscription to Alternative Press magazine a few months ago. I found out about winning a couple weeks ago, and the guitar arrived unexpectedly on Friday. My roommate texted me at work and I anxiously awaited being able to return home for the remainder of the day.

Yesterday, I bought some gear for it including a strap, picks, electronic tuner, and an intro book to playing guitar.

I’ve managed to learn three chords so far. C, D, and G. As soon as I’m able to transition between them with enough speed to make a cohesive song, I’ll put something on YouTube. For now though, just bask in the photographic glory.