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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in the "iheartthelobbyists" journal:[<< Previous 20 entries]
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04:55 pm
[Link] | surprisingly, an old short that i worked on with my usual collaborators has jumped up to the What's Hot section on funnyordie.com. it's called Talk Into the Lobster. We made it years ago, like 4 years ago.
here is a screenshot to commemorate the moment.
the editing isn't really very good and the premise is all based upon items we were required to use for a competition. we posted this with a whole bunch of other videos of ours on the site. this is the one that jumped out. who knew?...
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10:41 pm
[Link] | more than one person has called me a communist for thinking dennis kucinich is the reasonable candidate for president. this country is fucked.
this country was already fucked, actually.
irania's got nucular weapons - intelligence don't know. science don't either. now that is reasonable.
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09:59 pm
[Link] | i watched an old movie i made in college tonight. it is "free iowa now." the title has nothing to do with the actual movie and much of the movie has little to do with the plot, if you consider the moving images to collectively establish some sort of coherent story. anyway, i watched it and i was actually surprised. this movie essentially ended my close friendship with the "co-director" and made the rest of my college career weird. luckily, i have since made up with said friend. watching the movie surprised me. i've considered it a failure since the plot is so tracing-paper thin and the direction is pretty weak overall - or so i thought. it actually is really funny in a few parts and outside the narcissism could have been a good film on robby and i's part had we had more time to write. i need to write more. i'm smarter than i used to be and i have a greater understanding of story, timing, and lighting. it would be good to embrace a project again to fail or succeed. we had an excellent ensemble for that movie. what a creative bunch. i miss working with people like that.
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04:41 pm
[Link] |
people of the world,
i'm so glad that youtube did not exist when i was in high school. i made stupid videos all the time, given the majority were animation, and some of those i still appreciate, but there were some where i just hammed it up for the camera. i remember making them when it was late at night and i was hyper and bored. the things that come out in those creative moments weren't creative and aren't really the kind of thing i would want to share with people. but had youtube been around i would have posted these videos. i know this because i was into video before it was very accessible and now millions of young kids post webcam close-ups of their face speaking with awkward teen "funny" voices expressing their concerns and acting childishly in front of the camera. not that i'm some grown-up past all that, it's just i see this chris crocker creature and other teens acting so embarrassingly, not that that is all that bad, it's good to have these moments, but privately or with your fucked up friends. these moments aren't public matters. since millions of kinds do this now, i know i would have done it and it would have been very unfortunate. those were awkard times and not really times i want documented, replicated infinitely, or even broadcast nationally by major news networks. not only that, but for some reason i find it disturbing that so many young people think it's really important to think that they have an audience. i've thought about this idea that there is always this million person plus audience out there watching, not that it is actually there, but the idea that someone thinks it is always there and i think it would be funny if someone always were to address that audience in everything they do. like saying "america...." to begin a sentence detailing an idea or an action that is forthcoming. i guess i just find the arrogance in that really funny. cause it is, america.
i write this anticipating an audience. i understand my hypocrisy.
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08:28 pm
[Link] | it feels so strange to look over this journal and find that i don't recognize the person who wrote these thoughts. it is really strange to think that this was me. it's so sad. then funny. then sad. the years of this journal were tough years. i mean the years when i was truly writing. i don't know that anymore. but i dream about it sometimes, but it's different in dreams, and i dont know how i feel about that. i really like now, so i guess that's what matters.
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03:28 pm
[Link] | in the past week, in seperate instances, i've been told that i resemble multiple famous faces. not like, my face looks like jenny mccarthy and abe vigoda combined, but like at bruno's the other day the bagger kid told me " you look like that ryan dunn." I was confused, cause at first i thought he was talking about a friend of his, some kid i didnt know, which i figured would be a stupid reference, but then i was informed that ryan dunn is a member of jackass. Then i remembered who he was. I've been told this one before, but another guy stopped me at a strip mall and said "you look like zach galifianakis Are you funny?" Hard to reply to that one. My favorite was yesterday when the spare change collector for AA that sat outside of Walmart asked me if i had anything to donate and then said, " Anybody ever tell you you look like chuck norris?" I, of course, replied no, and he followed that up with a "you look exactly like chuck norris."
i guess the chuck norris at least implies that i look like a kick-ass american karate star. at least, i'm looking more all american.
The last time i shaved my head and had a beard my grandfather seemed wary of me and suggested that i not get on any airplanes with my bushy eyebrows and dark eyes.
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11:15 am
[Link] |
300
let's discuss this "300" movie. seriously? sparta/spartans is said over 71 times. collin and i went to see what this movie was about and judging from the trailer decided that we would tally the amount of times "sparta" or "spartans" was dropped. his pen had some ink trouble and we probably missed a few as the words were uttered so many times they became babel as you watched the film. i remember at one point in the movie leaning over to collin and saying "spartan, sparta, sparta sparta," not as comedy, but in repeating the words spoken in the last 30 seconds of dialogue, making sure he got the tally.
that aside - why is the lead spartan scottish? why does he extend his lower jaw in an obviously awkward way to yell sparta, or spartans? i assume for effect. this "effect" coupled with an attempt to push spartan nationalism on the audience by repeating "sparta" and "spartans" made me really uncomfortable. Uncomfortable like you're one of three people in a small room watching a terrible standup act, or evangelical testify, uncomfortable. Here's my most important question: why is this a thinly veiled 9/11 movie?
So, imagine "sparta" or "spartan" being said repeatedly throughout an address that lasts a little over an hour.... now imagine "sparta" or "spartan" being said repeatedly with a slight southern twang. "Spartuh" "Spartain" reminds me of the rhetoric of another government, a post 9/11 government. "americuh" "merkans" "freedom" You see, Sparta is a free nation. They are one of the only free nations. They pride themselves on military prowess and might. Their freedom is threatened by the Persian enemy. Their king, against spartan law, but through a loophole takes 300 of his best soldiers to battle this enemy despite his nation thinking it's crazy. The idea is that the enemy needs to be destroyed because they are evil and if they go into battle it will convince Sparta to vote to send the rest of the Spartan army to battle. The loophole is that all three hundred men are his personal body guards and must protect him wherever he might go. The congress is against sending more troops. That's the basic setup, and I know the comics and subsequent graphic novel were written pre-9/11 but my argument is that this storyline isn't all that thick and I'm really not reading into anything, but rather giving a light synopsis. Anyway, not that this should spoil the ending because it's a bloodbath movie and a tragic tale, but in the end all 299 die to convince the congress to send the rest of the spartan army. One man heads back to sparta to tell their tale to congress. The movie ends with him saying something to the effect of "sparta sparta sparta sparta spartan sparta spartan, we must always remember the king and these men who fought for our freedom and died for you. we must always remember the 300." something to that effect. This is when I leaned over to collin and said "Never Forget."
it was horrible.
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01:22 pm
[Link] | here's an embarrassment for you: Link
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09:24 pm
[Link] |
Health Care
So, a friend recently asked me what I thought about Bush's new tampering with tax code to help all us uninsured folks out here. She was doing an in class essay on the subject and wanted to know how it benefited myself. I thought about it for a while, did a little reading and made my decision. Besides, knowing that it was a load of shit, i found that I still think it's a load of shit.
well, I have no health care currently, but here's why i don't like what what's his face said:
1. "And so tonight, I propose two new initiatives to help more Americans afford their own insurance. First, I propose a standard tax deduction for health insurance that will be like the standard tax deduction for dependents. Families with health insurance will pay no income on payroll tax -- or payroll taxes on $15,000 of their income. Single Americans with health insurance will pay no income or payroll taxes on $7,500 of their income. With this reform, more than 100 million men, women, and children who are now covered by employer-provided insurance will benefit from lower tax bills. At the same time, this reform will level the playing field for those who do not get health insurance through their job. For Americans who now purchase health insurance on their own, this proposal would mean a substantial tax savings -- $4,500 for a family of four making $60,000 a year."
beginning with he's a fucking idiot, I'd like to say that these things that he suggests are tiny, insignificant tinkerings with current tax code. basically, he's suggesting tax deductions to benefit the poor and uninsured, but everyone knows that tax deductions always help the wealthy and actually put more pressure on the middle classes. the deductions he's suggesting are based upon the individual's tax bracket, so those who make little receive little and those who make a lot receive a lot. This really does very little for those who cannot afford health care currently.
2. "My second proposal is to help the states that are coming up with innovative ways to cover the uninsured. States that make basic private health insurance available to all their citizens should receive federal funds to help them provide this coverage to the poor and the sick. I have asked the Secretary of Health and Human Services to work with Congress to take existing federal funds and use them to create "Affordable Choices" grants. These grants would give our nation's governors more money and more flexibility to get private health insurance to those most in need."
On the second part of his suggestion, besides sounding like a fucking idiot, he says that he would like to help the states create innovative ways to cover the uninsured. what he would be doing is redirecting federal money that goes to hospitals and giving it to the states. hospitals are our current safety net. people who go to hospitals are treated regardless of having health insurance or not. by redirecting this money he would take money away from our current safety net and give it to the states to do whatever with before another safety net was developed. this would absolutely screw the uninsured, as well as provide a large inconvenience to the insured who would then have to deal with hospitals that are understaffed and underfunded.
basically, he's not doing me any favors, nor you, nor most the people you know - but that one guy he saw last year at the skull and bones reunion party that gets wicked drunk and does those funny impressions of al gore - he's saving him a lot of money.
also, he's a fucking idiot. on paper, he has to be the worst president in the history of the united states.
i hope this helps her out with that in class essay.
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08:58 pm
[Link] | Maybe I'm some kind of horribly cynical critic, but.... well actually that is it. Nevermind, a lot of things just made sense.
I was just about to rant about the Natalie Holloway case and the media's handling of the issue, but I began with the above sentence and that was a great explanation.
I just finished a job for Court TV. The company I worked for is Departure Films out of New York. They do "Flip This House" and "Clean This House," as well as the show I worked called "Haunting Evidence." It was the first positive network gig I've had. Sure, the show is about two psychic detectives and a paranormal investigator re-examining and attempting to solve crimes gone cold, but they were the nicest psychics and paranormal investigator I've ever met. In fact, the entire crew was great and really personable. This is unlike every LA crew I've come upon. The LA crews believe that they have some superiority based in their being from los angeles. The large difference I've found in the character of crews from the two different cities can be summed up in their dietary needs. LA people would like to find restaurant chains that began in LA and are now franchised. They eat at the franchise location in whatever city they have traveled to and then enjoy complaining about how it was cooked incorrectly. I quote, " it said 'new' beside the dish on the menu and can you believe that, becuase they've had that dish in LA for three years? What the fuck?" New York crews ask, " where is the most fucked-up-looking place with the best food?" and "do you guys actually have shacks in the woods that serve ribs? cause that's what we want."
We worked on the Natalie Holloway disappearance and the crew is currently in Aruba chasing leads with their psychic energy and their infra-red cameras. Beth Twitty, Natalie's mom is a really nice lady and the pain that she is suffering not only from her missing daughter, her unanswered questions, her obsession with the case, and her lack of closure, but also her recent split and upcoming divorce from her 2nd husband can all be seen in her sad blue eyes. I never felt any sensation about the case, never really cared or paid attention, but when I walked in her house carrying a light kit and met her eyes in the doorway, it became very difficult to comprehend how much pain a person can endure. She has this giant picture of Natalie, the one all over Fox news and the major network news stations, that hangs in the living room of her quaint new home away from her husband, that I just couldn't help but become overwhelmed by. I guess this is where I realized my cynicism based in what I'd observed on Fox and CNN about Natalie and the entire case was so unfair. There is this separate reality that the news describes that is sensational and entertaining, which i judge, and then there is a real perspective that's focus isn't controlled by what the cameraman decides to show me and what the news writers decide to tell me. I was very judgemental when I realized the premise of the show, and that she had agreed to allow these people into her home. I was very judgemental when I saw the way she was on television, on Fox , how Fox made it a headline when much more important things were going on. But to Mrs. Twitty, all of that was air time, all of that was publicity, exposure. I didn't realize she wasn't doing this to get her face on tv, she was on Fox and soon the psychics show because every second her daughter is on television there is a chance one more person who knows anything might see Natalie's face and say something. Even if her daughter's corpse shows up on a beach at least that is closure. I hope it doesn't happen that way, but I hope to god she gets closure. I've never seen eyes like that.
I've become so used to spin and the political motives of network news that I can't even trust an honest story.
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07:20 pm
[Link] |
Proctor for Mayor
I'm obsessing about this Aaron Proctor person, a goth running for mayor in Pasadena. Typically, when you hear about some fantastic character running for office in California it's fun and you have a tiny chuckle, but this is not one of those instances. I've been reading a lot about what the guy has to say and he appears to be a politically savvy, educated professional that wears eyeliner and lots of hooks and spikes. He doesn't own a suit, he's a goth kid, and he appears to be an excellent candidate, not taking a unilateral approach in his campaign, as I would assume a goth person would do. He's no faker if you ask me.
Here's his myspace : www.myspace.com/proctorformayor
Here's his official campaign site: www.proctorformayor.com
Here's a youtube campaign add: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO5vk-0gLwA
I pulled some of his quotes from a blog:
If you were to ask the Mayor, the state of the City is just fine. Sure, according to him, there's a problem here or there - not unlike any that other cities face. According to the Mayor, crime is down. According to the Mayor, rent control is an unnecessary situation to look into. I guess 9800 people would agree or so - I mean, that's how many people voted for the Mayor in the 2003 election.
What about the 140,000 of the rest of us though? How about the 54-some-odd percent of people who rent in this city? How about the near 15 percent of the people in this city below the poverty line? If you asked us what the state of the City is in - it would completely negate everything the Mayor and others on City Council have been chiming in about.
I've heard it all before. "You're just another one of those California liberals, masquerading as a Democrat when you're really another Pinko Commie." OK - well, maybe words not that harsh and Archie Bunker-esque - but you catch my drift. I've even been told that there's a greater disconnection between me and the voters and it doesn't even have to do with the issues I bring to the table. Yeah, I know I wear eyeliner and really don't own a suit. I know I may look like someone who doesn't even belong in politics. Isn't that what this City, this state, and this country need, though? Someone you know you can trust because they don't even look like a politician. When it comes down to it - the eye-makeup wearing 25 year old "Goth" that I am and the 68-year-old (hey, I found out he's NOT 170 years old) avid bicyclist with the staid image that the Mayor is - we're both human beings.
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03:04 pm
[Link] | I've been reading a lot of blogs lately and felt really inspired to begin writing in my own again. I should really change the name of this journal. The whole idea in the beginning was that I hated the french accent and hearing french spoken was equivalent in my mind to listening to people slirp their cereal and chew crunchy foods loudly with their mouth open. Seeing as how my sense of humor is based in contradiction, irony, and the absurd, this title made for an insightful look into my idea of funny, and my prejudice. Now, after spending time in paris and discovering my fascination with 1960's french cinema, a lot has changed for me in my linguistic preferences. I love spoken french and choose to hate the northern yucatan region spoken spanish - it's like mouth farts to me. So, the name iheartthefrench is actually accurate now and that just isn't funny. I think that iheartthemouthfartpeopleofthenorthernyucatanpenninsula would be too much, so I should come up with something else. I suppose iheartamericanpolicymakers is shorter, or, iheartlobbyists would be great. I'll have to keep thinking. I like the lobbyist one though.
If you really enjoy blog reading and have an hour then you should watch this doc made by a man who loves blogs. It's the entire film: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8920472176280937346&hl=en
To keep myself up-to-date, since this is a journal and all, and to catalogue for the first time (so that i can believe that i've actually done something since graduating), i am going to list what i've been working on since last decemeber. i used the word since, threes times in that last run-on.
Dec 2005 Graduated Jan 2006 Began some sketches in my sketchbook (in francy france) Feb 2006 Completely some drawings in my sketchbook (also in francy france) Mar 2006 Worked as a production assistant on the short film "High Expectations" Worked as videographer and field producer for a doc for public television about the UA forensics team going to nationals. Apr 2006 Worked on the reality TV show "Moochers" for CBS, hosted by Brett Butler. Became Brett's assistant May 2006 Worked as editor for a friends videography company and created a video for two girls' batmitzvah (that's why i got in this business) June 2006 Worked as a grip for a short film from LA called "American Identity." It was a 9/11 piece, it was horrible, I walked off set after three days. They were ripping of the entire crew. I did stay in a nice hotel for three days, completely paid for by them. July 2006 I was broke. I took the "American Identity" job over three others and lost - HARD. I could have traveled to Kentucky for free with the catholic priest to some annual event where the priests get together and do ritualistic, secret stuff. But the pay was less than "American Identity" and I felt the filmmakers were going to exploit the priests. Aug 2006 Worked as a production assistant for American Idol, met Ryan Seacrest. He talks like he's always on tv. Sept 2006 Worked as editor for a short doc on the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility's Moral Forum. Got to meet Rep. Artur Davis Oct 2006 Worked as writer, videographer, and editor with Ali on a short informative doc for First Light Inc., a unique women's shelter Nov 2006 Working on First Light piece. Worked as a production assistant for United Health Care "Secure Horizons" commercial (out of LA) and starring Bart Starr Dec 2006 Working on First Light piece Jan 2007 Begin editing a doc for Aaron Greer about the theater experience from the actors' and audience's point of views. I've begun working on a doc I started last year about ADD and a unique story line in my family. It's highly personal but interesting and I am telling it through photo montage, computer animation, cell animation (which i am learning), and maybe some home video and new footage. Feb 2007 Worked for Court TV on a show called Haunting Evidence. It's unfortunately a segment on Natalie Holloway. Met her parents. Also, begin working on a project I'm not going to put my name on. I won't mention it because I don't want to remember it. So, I've at least done something since graduating. In order to work as a freelancer I've had to stay unemployed to take a job on a whim. That has made it difficult at times, but that's how you break into the production scene. I've applied to several jobs in hopes of steady pay. My car has no gas in it, i have $11 in my account, i really need a hair cut for upcoming job interviews, and I really need to pay my phone bill. All that said, and I've got approx. more than $5000 out there in checks that are supposed to be here. That's the trouble with free-lancing - you don't get paid until the jobs done and "it will take two weeks to a few months to process the check since you're listed on our database as a private contractor." I've been broke since December, so, I'm going to guess it's more the "a few months" side of the processing that I am expecting. It can be hard, but this is what i want to do. I'm willing to sacrifice to do it. i've wanted this since i was in fifth grade when my best friend, mike chilson, and i began making stop animation movies with playdough and lots of fireworks. i began creating videos as a way to convey jokes, it's always been about comedy, even in college. I had a public access show that aired two episodes on local cable in high school and we had a comedy segment, well, what we made into a comedy segment on public access tv in college. But in college, I changed of course, and don't get me wrong - to quote coollin britt, "i'm all about the humor," but i've discovered the ultimate strength of my medium and the ultimate energy of my medium is the ability to tell human stories, and in a very web 2.0 way influence change politically, socially, and even in a comedic sense ( i hate to tell you this but most things with comedy in the title, or referred to as comedy these days, are just unfunny). Realizing this, I've done very little to begin working on things i want to accomplish, cause well, i can't eat my own ideas for sustenance and people won't barter ideas for electricity and water. But I hope that changes. The whole bartering thing. I've got a lot of shitty ideas that would sell well to the manager of the water and electric company demographic, mostly involving men not pulling over for directions and falling asleep after sex, cause "men and women are different, aren't they?!" It's funny cause it's true. Right? Or is it cause you've heard it so many times that it's safe you and you know that that is supposed to be funny. I ask for directions all the time.
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11:05 pm
[Link] | it's been a while....
well, i'm currently working for dr. phil's son. yep, jay mcgraw. married to erica dahm of the dahm triplets. she's been around the set as a producer. so has he. \ brett butler is the host of this reality tv show that jay created called " moochers." it's about twenty somethings that still live with their parents and mooch all the money. i live with my parents currently. but they have none of this money - for me.
i have no idea what i'm doing on this set. it's decent money, it's the only reason i can respect myself. i'm thinking about a lot of things right now. a lot of things. this mind has changed a lot, and it wants to complete those long thoughts. we'll see what happens. all i know is that this broken social scene album, you forgot it in people, is the most beautiful album i've heard in three years, and despite all the nonsense that goes down between the bullshitartist LA folks and myself, i really like what i'm about right now - and its not anything cept'in extracting money from these real shady folks so i can get about what i want.
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09:52 pm
[Link] | i dont want to go home - ever again.
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04:58 am
[Link] | so this has been some time running with the not posting and the fuck everyone.
but fuck everyone, i'm out of here.
j/k dawgs.
fuck no one. apparently, not cut out for the fucking.
that's my job!
seriously though, i'm moving to paris. for some time. f some u and some s and a little bit of a. i've only known here and soon i'll know me some there, and its about g darn time. i'll let you know about the cheese. my main concern is if they have dega there or not? also, do i need to purchase the berret before hand or do they sell them there? f it. it will work out.
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02:52 pm
[Link] | it's a new year.
f-wording a.
time to start fresh and do things right. i am finally over all the bourgeois.
this year i'm doing it right for real. way different from last year, where i had the same plan and slowly lost sight, eventually fissling into a vat of self-indulgent, reclusive whiskey speeches to myself.
this year's going to be different, i can tell right now. for one, i am startin off with two less tonsils and way less adenoids! F yeah that's good!
plus, the very first day of the year opened my eyes! laser tag will do that to a person. i was blind and could not see. laser tag showed me the way. after i realized the vest was on wrong, at least. you don't wear it on your face.
you guys get ready. i'm coming out swinging! in fact, i like that. that's my new saying, for the new justin - who will do a lot of swinging, apparently.
hell yeah. it's 2005 baby! where the fuck is my flying car?!? also, it's 2005- there is still racist diction in our state's constitution, war still exists, rampant nationalism is eating us alive, people still believe that their god is the REAL god, corporate interests are infultrating every facet of life despite the evil oppression of the working class that comes as standard american business policy, supply-side economics is still considered legit (no kidding it doesn't work), whitey is still in power (f babylon), one strong young country is still able to terrorize the world community, famine is still around, plagues such as AIDS still happening, paris hilton is famous, the rich are gettin richer and the poor are gettin poorer. just saying - 2005 - i've seen the jetsons - flying cars - 2005. f-ing land of opportunity still disenfranchises it's own citizens.
that's all i'm saying - 2005 - flying cars. make sense of that
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01:21 pm
[Link] | how is it that the crimson and white can piss me off so severely but only do it in two articles? also, what is wrong with people?
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12:22 pm
[Link] | this is mark lee as ashe for halloween. this is amazing.
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12:52 pm
[Link] | un chein andalusia
i saw the pixies play their songs. it was cool.
also, my best friends from middle school were all there. so were my roommates, and the d-hud. also, i was there with my ex-girlfriend.
basically, my entire structure of adolescent campanionship to the present was drawn together in one big auditorium. i had a dream about that once, but the pixies weren't there. i also didn't have a bullhorn this time. too bad. would have been fun.
i hadn't seen those guys in forever. it's bizarre how much hairier and larger we are. except mark lee.
we should all have a reunion. a reunion of oak mountain middle school social inelegance. that would be hilarious.
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05:43 pm
[Link] | if you are in tuscaloosa come peep our ride.
it's in the front yard.
yes, it is the '91 Mercury Topaz painted solid gold with purple trimm.
yes, that is joey lauren adams face on the hood, twice.
yes, those are white walled wheels with purple hubcaps.
yes, you can have a ride.
but don't even think about touch'in the radio.
only the funk is brought in the hans alexander.
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