I met The Muffs!

Jesse and Mike and I went to see The Muffs at maxwell's in hoboken. I went with every intention of meeting them, because their singer and guitarist Kim Shattuck has been a hero of mine ever since I got into them. In case you aren't familiar with her band at all, you might know her as the girl who guest sang on Lori Meyers on NOFX's Punk in Drublic. Being that they were playing at Maxwell's (a small hole in the wall to say the least), I figured that I had a big chance to make it happen, so I brought my autograph book with me and some of that liquid courage.

They played a great set - way better than what I had heard from their live recordings. They rocked out a lot, they sounded great, and they even played new material, which not only super surprised me, but got me excited for a new album!!

After the show we stood next to the stairs leading down to the basement of the place, which we were assuming was a large area with many rooms and corridors. I stood up at the top of the steps, nervous and giddy as all hell, trying to get up the courage to go downstairs and find them. Thank goodness for Jesse and Mike and their "DO IT" egging me on, because without them I don't think I could have done it. I almost fell down the steps from excitement, and when I got to the bottom of them to find only a single storage room, there they were, just hangin out. I couldn't believe it, it was way easier than I thought. I talked to Ronnie (bass) first, telling him that I have been listening to them since I was 13, that I'm so excited to meet them, to see them, blah blah blah, I was a wreck. I got Ronnie's autograph and then talked to Kim, telling her something like, I sent you a myspace message years ago and she's a hero of mine and I'm sure I didn't make much sense and thinking back to it I must have sounded like the biggest idiot ever ever ever. She gave me a hug, even. I got a hug from Kim Shattuck!! I know, it sounds like no big thing to you, but it was really just plain awesome for me.

Kim and the drummer both signed my book, and Jesse and Mike also came downstairs, so I even got this awesome picture thanks to Jesse's iphone. I could go on about what a complete toolbag I felt like I sounded like after we left, because I am rather embarrassed about the whole thing, but I think I will leave it at that. I mean, a 28 year old girl acting like a 12 year old groupie of the Jonas Brothers for a punk band that's been around for 18 years .. kinda silly.

Thanks to them for understanding how silly I must have felt and being so cool about everything, and playing an awesome set. And on a side note, Jesse Rohland has the coolest bedroom in an apartment I have ever seen in my life. And Hoboken sucks, by the way.

Killer Jellyfish!

Image from: irukandjijellyfish.com/

These things are really tiny, only 2.5cm big. Its one of the most poisonous things on the planet! From wikipedia.com:

Irukandji syndrome is produced by a very small amount of venom and includes severe pains at various parts of the body (typically excruciating muscle cramps in the arms and legs, severe pain in the back and kidneys, and a burning sensation of the skin and face), headaches, nausea, restlessness, sweating, vomiting, high heart rate and blood pressure.

And to top it all off, there is no anti-venom. ANNND that pain lasts anywhere from hours to days. On the TV show on Animal Planet that I heard about this from a girl they interviewed while she was all doped up on morphine from a sting which they said barely masked the top of the pain and she talked about how painful it was ugh and she was in pain for two weeks. TWO WEEKS! That's scary!

I just heard that you can't keep them in a regular fish tank because if it runs into the wall it will die!

Obamamania!
I'm happy about the fact that our new president is just a regular guy who grew up in a regular family and got some pretty damn serious ambition to do some shit. I think that means more to me than anything, because it really does prove that anyone can do what they put their mind to it. All around I feel that we can only wait and see what really goes on for the next four years, but at least people are trying to feel good about something when things are obviously so bad.

The Muffs!
I'm totally going to see them tomorrow. YES!! I'm bringing my autograph book to see if Kim will sign it. I feel kind of embarrassed about it. But she rocks so hard! The Muffs! I wonder if they will have any new material. We're heading to a guy I used to work with's house up there to throw back before the show because I'm broke!! I really want a t-shirt tho. =o(

Punk Rock Flea Market
Lee and Sara and I are selling shit at the punk rock flea market on feb 2nd. Come check it out! I'm getting rid of mad 80's toys and stuffed animals and just some shit I have laying around the house. Should be a good time. At the Electric Factory, btw.

Animal Collective
Merriweather Post Pavillion is so good! They really reached a point where they can say the sound is completely theirs. Not that their other stuff sounded like much else, but this album is much more well fused than their previous material. I still love the Jam, but I can't get enough of songs like My Girls and Summertime Clothes.


I'm sleepy..

Happy New Year

Sorry

So, I made my friends all their holiday presents this year except for Greg who I got a shirt with a screaming cat face on it that says "STRESSED OUT!". Sara and Lee got refurbished action figures made to look like Zed from Zardoz, John and Dan got Katamari Damacy custom cousins. I wanted to put pictures of them up but I completely forgot to take some. They seemed happy. I made Ralph a box with the logo of the French Foreign Legion on it, ha ha ha.

I just got back from Washington D.C. and we were there to a. pick up things from my aunt's house in Annandale VA (totally sweet area) and b. to go to the zoo. I will have to put them on Picasa later. I also have several videos of Tai Shan munching on some 'boo (that's what we pandas call "bamboo" around here) I will have to put up as well.

Pandas are so stinking cute I can't take it.

SO from my aunt's house I got a new sweet couch and furniture for upstairs in the extra room and oh man its just ending up to be sweet around here, but we have a lot of work to do rearranging and cleaning. I also got an asian (I think it is Chinese, but I can't be sure) ink painting my aunt's girlfriend was presented with in Korea. I know I know it might be Korean if she got it from Korea, but the text inked on it looks like kanji, though I've never actually seen any Korean calligraphy so maybe I am just being stupid. Its so beautiful, and its HUGE!

I've been doing nothing else besides playing Persona 4 and I plan on writing my very first full game review upon completion. Its cold, so I'm gonna go make some cocoa or some shit. Later, suckers