job update

got a job... today first day... not too bad... three word sentences...

Sweet!

I got a job interview scheduled for tomorrow, YES!

Ok Leo, breathe, don't get too excited.

The Plan (pt 2)

This is some more thinking to myself, you might want to avoid it if you're looking for something non-personal

Ok, so the tentative plan is to wait until May 1 here, and if a job doesn’t call, then I’m taking off back to Norman. If a job does call, I’ll do the interview, and see where it goes from there. I’ve decided that I want to be a teacher. Right now, I’m leaning towards teaching mathematics, because I think those are in demand, and because I want to learn more mathematics. I just got as far as the college algebra class, and think it would be useful to get more knowledge, and plus, it would help out if I decided to pursue economics, since a lot of it is mathematical and formulaic.

I could also do English, or Social Studies, but I’m leaning towards mathematics because of the demand. Science is also in demand, but my interest in that isn’t too big. I’m interested in these subjects: government and politics, philosophy, arts and culture, economics, history. Since math teachers are needed, that seems to be the closest thing to one of my subjects. Although in this economic climate, I’m not sure if teachers are needed as much.

Continuing on the plan, I’d like to find a job as soon as possible in OK, and hopefully we can find a place to live. I’d like to go back to school to take those classes I need in order to get certified to teach math. Maybe I can get another degree while getting those classes I need, but if not, I can do a masters later on, while I’m teaching.

I don’t know when I’d be going back to school though. I’d have to figure out when I can enroll, which classes I need to take in order to go through the teaching certification process, and how I’d pay for those classes. FAFSA, as complicated and timely it is, is still an option. I’d also look into scholarships or any other help I can get. The second time around, I would hope I can do things differently, with more knowledge under my belt.

BUT if I get a job offer here, then I think I’m going to take it. This would complicate things though. First of all, I’d have to wait a year (maybe more, maybe less) to be considered a resident of NJ. The reason I’d want to wait is because it would cost thousands of dollars more if I paid as an out of state student (to take those classes I need to get certified). Second of all, and this is a problem I’d face in OK also, working full time and going to school would be difficult, and I’d be afraid it’d lessen my chances at becoming a teacher. While I was working for the philosophy degree, I just worked part time, but the jobs that I have applied to here have been full time jobs. The upside is that NJ is one of the highest paying states for teachers. The downside is that it’s also one of the most expensive states to live in.

One other path I can take is moving to OK, working, and using that to transition to Texas. Actually, that is the current plan. I’d rather teach in Texas than in Oklahoma, because Oklahoma doesn’t pay teachers well from what I’ve heard and read. The other path would be working in OK, not going back to school, and do an alternative certification program in TX where all one needs is a bachelor’s degree. So for that program, I’m all set. I would like to take more classes in mathematics though, for the sake of getting a firmer grasp on the subject, and to be a better math teacher than I would be if I didn’t take the classes.

So that’s the plan. Now I just wait until May 1, and if nothing happens with the jobs I’ve applied to, then I’m taking off to Norman. This is the short(er) term plan.

Maybe sometime in the distant future, while I’m teaching, I can work on a master’s or doctorate in order to teach at the university level. But that’s for another time. For now, I wait.

Regarding the last post

about tea parties:

Albums and Tea Parties

I've been listening to these albums lately

Pink Floyd- Animals

The Beatles- Rubber Soul; Revolver

Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago

Amesoeurs- Amesoeurs

Bjork- Homogenic

Mono- Hymn to the Immortal Wind

Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers- The Confiscation

Ulver- Perdition City

Also, what is up with these "tea parties" that are going on around the country? They're protesting bailouts and all the government spending, but where were they one year ago, when Bush was doing all this? After all, it was him that gave the banks the first half of the bailout money, and without much regulation on what the banks could do with it. And now where has the money gone? We don't know! Where were the protesters for the past, oh I don't know, 50+ years, since the US has been grossly outspending other nations (almost the rest of the world COMBINED!) in military spending? And now they're talking about spending, and even the loss of civil liberties. They should have been talking about this when Bush was in office; he was the one that took the liberties away after all. If I remember correctly, they were supporting the patriot act. They were saying that it would keep America safer.

Well they won't get support from me today. No, I'm afraid these tea parties have a concealed agenda. Fox news has been a major proponent of these parties, while at the same calling them "grass roots." Sorry, but Glenn Beck (and other fox cronies) using his show on faux news to call for tea parties and revolution is not grass roots. These tea parties are partisan. Now they raise their voices, only after a democrat has been elected into office. This is too little, too late, and more importantly, for the wrong reasons.

-Leo

This looks good

Lars von Trier's Antichrist - Official Trailer from Zentropa on Vimeo.

Seriously?

Here's one of today's headlines from DemocracyNow!

"Pro-Pesticide Group Criticizes First Lady’s Organic Garden

And First Lady Michelle Obama is coming under criticism from a pro-pesticide industry group for deciding to plant an organic garden at the White House. The Mid America CropLife Association recently wrote to the First Lady to urge her to consider using pesticides, or what they call "crop protection products.” One official with the pro-pesticide group said, “While a garden is a great idea, the thought of it being organic made [us] shudder.” Mid America CropLife represents agribusinesses like Monsanto, Dow AgroSciences and DuPont."

Pro-pesticide, really? wtf, why would anyone want pesticides over an organic garden? I just don't see the logic in that, ingesting pesticidal food vs ingesting natural fruits and vegetables. Sure, we ingest a lot of unnatural substances already, from processed foods, but if one has the choice of planting a garden, and not all of us do :(, then wouldn't the person want it to be nothing but what he/she is planting? Their statement makes me shudder.

Well, I guess I couldn't expect any different from a group that represents corporations like Monsanto.

Here's a link to the same story.

-Leo

New Yawk

I took a trip to Manhattan yesterday, and now my legs hurt because I walked the whole time and I haven't walked like that in a long time. I really need to get out more. I took the bus from here to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, which was a 45-50 minute ride (I left around 1:55). A round trip cost me 13 dollars. So I started there, which is at 42nd st. From there I walked all the way up 8th Ave, all the way up to central park, and took some pictures there, and crossed central park, which ends at 110th st, I believe. And then I walked a few blocks west to see the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, which I just now read "is claimed to be the largest Cathedral and Anglican church and fourth largest Christian church in the world," from wikipedia. I didn't go inside though, because right as I got there I saw a security guard closing the doors, and a couple walking out, so I figured they were closing to the public. I took some good pictures of it though, and a bird that was hanging out in one of the church's gardens. I figure it was one of the legendary pokemon birds, because it couldn't be anything else, right? By that time I was already tired (actually I was starting to feel tired halfway through Central Park). So I made my way back to Port Authority and rested along the way a couple of times. Before I went back in the terminal, I decided to visit Times Square. I also thought I saw the empire state building some blocks away on the way back, but I passed it because I was too tired. After Times Square, I went back to the terminal and took the bus home, and got home around 9:20ish. So, today, my legs are sore, but I think the experience was worth it.

Here's a slideshow of the pictures I took.

You can see the bigger size by going to this link.

Plan of Action

Before you begin reading, be aware that this is just me thinking about the future. You might find it boring, is what I'm saying.

I was in deep thought in bed, which was preventing me from sleeping. So instead, I decided to get out of bed, and think sitting down, listening to Pink Floyd’s Animals. The topic: My future.

So I thought about being a writer and basically being poor (it seems I’m going to be poor in any of the situations I’ve thought of so far). This route would require a lot of determination to write, and not just my own thoughts, but writing what people want to read. I’d have to read instructional books about how to write scripts, stories, maybe pay for some classes, keep up on politics (that’s what people read about), and maybe write some stuff I don’t want to write (I hear many writers go into pornography).

But then I thought, “But I can write AND have another job.” So then I thought about what the other job would be, and teaching came to mind. For some reason teaching always comes to mind first; I think the reason may be because every time I’ve been asked “what do you want to do with that (philosophy degree)?” the natural answer seems to be teach. After all, isn’t that what philosophers do, teach? I’m sure there are others who specialized in something else; some famous ones come to mind, including Locke (statesman), Leibniz (physicist), and Aristotle (everything else). I on the other hand, didn’t study physics (one class actually, Philosophical issues in Physics and Cosmology!), didn’t study politics (well, maybe a couple of political classes). Ok, so I took a little bit of everything, and didn’t specialize in anything in particular.

Therein lies the problem though; since I only took a little bit of everything, I don’t have the skills required to apply for a job as, well, anything. I didn’t take enough credits in anything to teach it, and since philosophy isn’t taught in elementary school (to my knowledge), let alone high school, I can’t teach right now. I’d have to go back to school and take the classes I need, unless I go to Texas and go through an alternative certification program. I’ve written about why employers won’t hire me these days, so no need to go over that again.

Back to the future. I thought about working in a restaurant also. I know restaurants, and I don’t mind working an easy job like that, as long as I’m working with people I can get along with. The drawback was that it doesn’t seem like it’d be high paying. But then again, like I said before, I don’t think I’ll be getting a high paying job any time soon, maybe not any time ever. I’ve applied at banks, I don’t know why though. Hmm... No, I can’t think of a reason I applied there besides needing a job. In two applications from different banks, I had to fill out an online questionnaire. In both, I got an automatic reply that I wasn’t what they were looking for. Other banks just haven’t replied. So I don’t think I’m qualified to work at a bank for some reason. Or maybe there are better people they can hire, especially these days when they have to be picky.

Another route I can take, that was recommended, was social work. This one seems like it’d be up my ally, except I don’t know areas of social work nor what they do. I know that I’d have to go back to college and get a master’s in social work. I know that one area is health, or something along those lines (public health maybe?), and that social workers help people out. So if I went down that route, I’d have to research what areas there are, and study up on it. Although, I don’t know if I’d be able to get into graduate school since I didn’t major in social work, and don’t know much about it. This path seems less likely; let’s say a 3 or 4 on a scale of 1-10 of likely paths I would take.

I’ve thought about being a paralegal, because law is also another field philosophy majors go into. Another problem here (what’s new?) though. I don’t have any experience in law (except for one class, again with the one class). I applied at some places, because the requirements were general; one just had to have a bachelors. But I didn’t match their “preferred” qualities, I guess, which would be experience, a degree in paralegal studies, etc...

OK, I just realized I haven’t been doing much thinking about the future, just about what I’ve faced until now. So, once again, I’m going to try to go back to the future. So far teaching and restaurant are the two more likely options. I could go back to school for something else, say economics to work in a bank, or paralegal studies (or law would also work) to work as a paralegal. After thinking about it though, I don’t think I’d want to work at a bank. I mean, I could do it, because I’m good at math, I just think that would be further down the list of possible jobs.

I just ran into another question. Should I try to go into a career where I would earn more money, even if it’s not as interesting? Hmm...Well, I have a lot of money in student loans to pay off. At the same time, do I really want to get stuck in a job I don’t care for? I mean, working at a bank doesn’t exactly sound like my bag of chips; counting money all day, balancing numbers, being indoors. Unless it was dynamic and exciting! Maybe I could make it dynamic and exciting! Eh (btw, now I’m listening to the album Wish You Were Here). I looked into financial analysis. They seem to have a dynamic job (especially right now), since the economy seems to change a lot, and they have to deal with different types of customers and businesses, and they have to keep up with current trends in the market. But something about that repels me a little; I guess the idea of being part of “the machine.” Do I want to work for the same people who got us into this economic mess?

That’s another question I have to answer. Would I be willing to conform? I guess I’d have to. It doesn’t seem like I can avoid it. I can be more careful, maybe. Like I could try to stay away from financial institutions, but it doesn’t seem likely that I can avoid them altogether. I guess that’s like with any other corporation though. Take this macbook I’m using, for instance. It’s made by the Apple corporation. I own other things that were probably made by corporations, possibly not all responsible. So I guess the best path would be to do whatever I can do, up to a point, that point being when I need a job, or need a cheap coat, or some other thing.

Ok, so I think that answers that question. If I need to work for a big company, then I might as well take that opportunity. Ooh! I like economics! I could study that if I went back to school. The question is, what would I do with a degree in economics? What exactly does an economist do? This seems like the same “like” that I have for other subjects though; politics, education, government, etc... In other words, things that I like, but don’t have enough experience in, but wouldn’t mind going back to school for. Man, deciding what I want to do for the rest of my life is hard. Writing seems to be the only constant, but it’s not writing that will make any money.

It’s getting late, and I don’t want to wake up late tomorrow. But I have to get this “rest of my life” business over with soon. Time is running out. Well, time isn’t running out. Money is running out, the money I have saved up, that is. I have loan bills to pay. So here’s an idea, a tentative one though, since I’ll continue thinking tomorrow; I should just find any ol’ job, restaurant, department store, whatever, until I decide what I want to do. That is, while I’m working, I’m paying bills, living in an apartment, and deciding what I would like to do after that. I’ll work off this idea when I wake up (I hope I can go to sleep), and decide where would be the best place to work. In order to do that, I’d have to decide where I’d want to work. In order to decide where I want to work, I’d have to decide what career I want. Damn, a vicious cycle. I have to decide on one thing for the rest to fall in place. Never mind that though, I’ll continue on this when I wake up!

-Leo

The Cave

And I wanted to put this video up too. It's a claymation adaptation of Plato's allegory of the cave. It appears in his book The Republic. Most of you know it as one of the most influential books in philosophy, and I'd go as far as to say western culture, unless you've been living in a cave such as this one for the past 2000+ years. It also happens to be the book that introduced me to philosophy (actually it was one of the books, the other was Think, by Simon Blackburn, and both are great introductions).

SPOILER ALERT: the allegory is basically things are not always as they seem.

*sigh* when will I leave my cave?

-Leo

Contemplating

Things don’t always turn out how one hopes they would. In my case, things have not gone so well here in New Jersey. I’m sure much it is due to my own shortcomings. I thought I would come here and find a job that’s not fast food or Walmart, but that has not happened. Who would hire a philosophy graduate in an economy like this anyway? When many are losing their jobs, there is likely to be more competition for what few jobs there are. When many others have technical skills that I lack, employers will most likely hire them first. So this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when moving.

Where do I find myself now? Still without friends here, still without a job, and contemplating my next move. I’m deciding whether to move back to Norman or not. I have a place to stay there with friends until I’d find a job. My mentality is that if I’m going to work in a restaurant or something, why do it where I don’t know anyone? Wouldn’t it be better to work in a low paying job where one has friends at least? So that’s what I’m currently debating.

But I think there is a cloud looming over me that is even more ominous; the metaphorical cloud of uncertainty! Dramatic, right? I don’t know where I see myself in 5 years. Heck, I don’t know where I see myself in 6 months! And I have a plan to find a teaching job (which I’d have to go back to school for, to get credits in whatever subject I’d teach), but even that I’m not sure of. That’s the same way I entered college; uncertain. I went in not knowing what to study, switched majors 3 times, and settled on philosophy on the third time. I don’t know if “settled” is the right word. I was happy studying it, because it’s in my nature to be thoughtful (more thoughtful than I should be). But since I didn’t know what I was doing, I left with no technical skills, a lot of money in loans, and no idea of what to do next. Teaching just seems like the better (not best) thing to do, because education is something I care about. But I’m not sure about teaching either. Just because I care about education, does that mean I should be a teacher? I care about the economy too. I care about government and politics. It just seems like I’m pushing myself along a path because I don’t know what else to do.

My solution to things has always been to think about it. Contemplate until the path seems clear. But in this case, I don’t think I even know where to start thinking! I’m confused, is what I’m saying. My only solution right now is to keep thinking. It is to be hoped that this method will work, as it has in the past.

New look

Well, I added a new widget to the bloggo, as you can see at the top of the page. I also updated the layout a bit, hopefully it looks better. The thing at the top is a list of blog labels I have so far, although I don't see all of them. I looked for the label "music" which is the one I have the most of, and I didn't see it. Oh well, it looks cool, and hopefully it will be useful for some.

And this makes me laugh out loud:

If you haven't seen the original video that she (Miranda is her name) covered, it's here.

-Leo

(and I can't stop listening to that Amesoeurs album, it's great!)

Amesoeurs

I don’t do music reviews as much as I used to, but I’m going to try to start again. Hopefully it will strengthen my writing skills, and show me how to be a better music critic.

So, right now I’m listening to Amesoeurs newest self titled album. I wouldn’t consider myself a fan of new wave, but strangely this album has grown on me. I’m not saying it’s a new wave album, but there are new wave songs on here, mixed with some post rock, extreme metal, and a bit of industrial. Overall, the album gives a sense of melancholy, similar to what is shown on the album cover.

The album starts out with a build up, from a repeating riff, to a post rock barrage of sound, mixed with industrial elements. The second track is what really sets the tone for the rest of the album. Les Ruches Malades is one of the new wave songs I was talking about. While this song isn’t pulled straight out of the 70s or 80s, it will definitely remind some of the same sounds that became so popular during those decades. It’s not a bad track. It’s actually growing on me, and I can see myself giving this repeat listens in the future. The next track, Heurt, is a bit heavier, bringing to mind some of the alternative rock that came out of the early 90s; actually I was reminded of Smashing Pumpkins while listening to this, with its heavy riffs and soft interludes. So this track is one of the better ones, in my opinion.

Recueillement, the fourth song, starts out with a doomy riff. The vocals here, unlike the previous two, are not just female vocals. Instead, they mix more harsh vocals with a little bit of female vocals, which fits perfectly with the doom metal sound of the song. The heavy part then flows into a soft melody, before ending with a variant on the heavy riff. This song is one of my favorites on the album; from the moment the song begins, to when the vocals kick in, you can tell it’s one of the more emotional pieces on here. Track five, Faux Semblants, takes us back into new wave territory. While not being a standout track, its simplicity does not take away from the album, and fits in with the melancholy theme of the album well.

Then we are treated to a piano interlude, that is drowned in reverb. OK, so drowned is probably not the best word, since the music is still important, but here it’s the atmosphere that really stands out, a bleak atmosphere evocative of the album cover. From here, the album takes a complete 180, when the next song begins with an extreme metal sound. Track 7 is definitely the heaviest track on the album, from its harsh vocals to its frantic speed. It doesn’t completely stick out like a sore thumb though. It ends with industrial sounds and scratches.

Video Girl and La Reine Trayeuse take us back once more to the softer sounds similar to Faux Semblants. While these may not appeal to everyone, they are no doubt solid pieces that contribute to the album’s overall sound. Only towards the end of La Reine Trayeuse does the sound change to a frenzy, replete with painful screaming and fast drum beats. The title track of the album, Amesoeurs, is one of the more upbeat ones, with a goth rock/alternative fusion. Like I said, I don’t listen to this music on a regular basis, but I can see myself listening to this in the future. The final track, Au Crepuscule de Nos Reves, doesn’t deviate from the rest of the album, as it mixes post rock and the harsh vocals we’ve heard throughout, with a soft guitar part somewhere in between. The track ends at the 5:33 mark, and then at 9:01 the album is closed with a short industrial loop. This was also one of my favorite ones on the album.

Overall this is a good record. The melancholy theme is expressed very well throughout, at times setting a bleak atmosphere for the listener. The new wave or goth rock sounds may not appeal to everyone (i.e. those expecting more extreme metal), but with an open mind, it might grown on some like it has on me.

-Leo

the joys of video chatting

Lately I have been doing some video chatting, which is quite an evolution from instant messaging or even talking on the phone. I've got to say I like it, especially here in a place where I don't know anyone. It's nice to be able to see a friend's face while I'm talking to him, as it helps to make the discussion more personal. I was thinking that it's like being in a room with the person. And smaller things come across more naturally also; a lol for example can actually be expressed in different levels, if you found something to be really funny then you really would laugh out loud. Or for example, if a friend is feeling happy, or sad, or angry, or whatever emotion, it comes across a lot better if you can actually see them, as opposed to just reading what they are typing. Sarcasm works through video! No need for you to correct a situation because someone read something you typed that was meant to be sarcastic, and then (s)he took it the wrong way.

What I'm saying is that more people should get webcams and video chat. If I'm going to be living far away from friends, and the only form of communication is through the internets, then I'd rather talk to them like they were here in person. Although, if you live in the same town as a person, don't video chat. Get on your bike and ride over to their house, and talk in person. We mustn't lose human contact altogether! Actually, if I had the money, I'd buy all my friends and family a macbook so we could video chat 24/7. It'd be like we live with each other basically. Ok, so maybe I wouldn't go that far.

And currently, I'm listening to Amesoeurs, their self titled album. I must say that I'm strangely captivated by these new wave sounds. It's not all new wave, but there's some songs, and others that are more metal, and others that sound like goth rock, all wrapped in melancholy. I'm digging it, maybe I'll put a review later about it.

-Leo

Why are the Beatles so popular?

I’m currently trying to figure out why the Beatles are so popular. Before I start that, I just realized that they spell beetles wrong, because it was underlined on the spell checker... pow!

Anyways, I’m reading other people’s opinions. Some say that they were just there at the right place at the right time. John Lennon championed peace when people wanted to hear about peace

, during the war in Vietnam, and people found escape in their music from the grim realities of war. Others say it was because they pushed the boundaries of rock music. Starting with Rubber Soul, when they began incorporating more psychedelic elements, and going into their landmark album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band where they incorporated even m

ore instruments and sounds, including the sitar, harpsichord, and going so far as to include a full orchestra, not to mention Revolver or their self titled, cacophonous The Beatles (aka the White Album).

You know, I’m not quite sure yet why they are so popular. There must be something in their music that makes it timeless. Actually, I didn’t “get it” until sometime last year. Ever since then, every time I listen to one of their albums (I haven’t delved deeply into their catalogue before Rubber Soul, btw) I just hear music that will never get old. For example, I was listening to Sgt. Pepper’s while driving in my car today, and during the reprise, I found myself thinking about what I’m writing about now, that this song and others sound like they could have been written in the present time; timelessness. But that doesn’t completely capture it, because there are many timeless pop rock song

s out there, so what makes these stand out? You know, I really don’t kn

ow. Maybe a lot of it does just have to do with the name, and the marketing. At the same time, they did cover so much ground during their career, that it would seem everyone would like at least one Beatles song. So maybe the credit could be due to the wide reach of their music.

Oh well, I won’t bother my mind with pointless que

stions. Does it really matter why they are so popular? Can I not just live and enjoy the timeless music? For now I’ll continue to listen to these songs that still resonate with many, and yet have a special place carved out in my brain; a place where brain cells say, “Wow, another great Beatles song! Can these guys do any wrong?” or “Wow, did they write this song about me?” or “Damn, that song is deep,” or “hey, that’s something I never heard before!”

oh and here's some cool Simpsons pictures I found:

-Leo

alright!

Just discovered a new zombie series, I'll have to check it out sometime. I found out about it while reading about a writer named Charlie Brooker who wrote the show, and found out about him through a good article he wrote on The Guardian. The series is called Dead Set. I wonder if I can find it anywhere here. Here's a preview of it:

ah, zombies, gotta love em.

"'Too Big to Fail' Is Too Big- Period"

"As skiers and backcountry hikers know, a whiteout is a blizzard that's so intense that those caught in it can't even see the blizzard.

That's how I think of the Wall Street bailout now swirling around us. So many trillions of our tax dollars are being blown at the financial giants that we're blinded by the density of it, unable to see where we are or know what direction we're headed.

However, one way to get your bearings in this bailout blizzard is to focus on the central point that both the bailors (Washington) and the bailees (Wall Street) keep pounding as an irrefutable truth that everyone simply has to accept -- namely, the institutions being rescued are too big to fail.

Even sheep know to flee when coyotes howl in unison -- and we commoners need to confront the absurdity of this "too big" claim, which forms the rationale for the entire diversion of regular people's money into rich people's pockets."

-Jim Hightower (click ^ the text to read the rest of the article)

Joan Baez

I had a dream about this the other night. Well, not exactly this song, more like the artist. Strange thing is, I've never heard her until just now, when I decided to look her up. So I guess what I heard and saw in the dream was just something made up, or maybe someone else singing, I'm not sure. But the song in the dream was uncanny; something like a mix between the Incredible String Band, Vashti Bunyan, and this song (Diamonds and Rust) actually. So looking up this song now is wonderful. Makes me feel complete, for lack of a better word. Like I found something from a dream.

I think I know where the dream came from though. Earlier that day (it was March 30th) I was at a record store browsing through vinyl records. There was a folk section, which i thought was really cool, and in the folk section were some Joan Baez records. I picked some of her records out of the folk collection, because I read about her before, and remembered she is Mexican-American, so I was curious and looked at some of her records that day. So that's where I think the dream came from, looking at her records earlier that day.

Today I decided to follow up on that dream, and watched Diamonds and Rust on youtube, and someone mentioned that it was a Judas Priest song, and I thought "Oh yeah, Judas Priest Diamonds and Rust!" but I looked it up and Judas Priest covered her song. I'm listening to some of her other songs on youtube right now, and I'm liking what I hear. I guess I'll have to go back to that store and buy some Joan Baez records!

-Leo

Club Silencio

It's 5:10 am as I'm writing this. For some reason I woke up at 4 am, and haven't been able to go back to sleep. This has happened 2 days in a row now. One night I woke up like at 1 or 3 am, I forget which, and couldn't go back to sleep. I woke up because I was sweating, but that's because I was sick I guess. The other night I woke up at 1 I think, and went back to sleep at 4. This time I woke up at 4, for the same reason, because I was hot. Maybe I should change the temperature in here. But then I'd be cold. I'll stick with the warmth.

So now I'm just bored. But I did watch one of my favorite scenes from a movie, Mulholland Drive. It fits the occasion perfectly. In this scene, Naomi Watts's character (Betty) wakes up at 2 am, and wakes her partner up because she wants to go someplace. The place they end up going to is a theater called Club Silencio. I recommend watching the whole movie for those who haven't seen it. The whole movie is dream-like, just like this scene.

I wonder if I can find a club like this anywhere here. Maybe next time I wake up in the middle of the night I'll go looking for one.

-Leo