I've spent my life writing music that no one will hear

For those of you not on the BSB mailing list... ( BSB news ) I have to be honest. I'm excited for the new album, but I'm a bit disappointed at the write-up. I was really hoping the Boys would mix it up a bit, release something a bit different, experiment with the music some. I love their voices, their harmonies are great, but I don't want to hear the same recycled songs over and over again just because some big label says they're "hit material" and worth "big bucks." Every now and again they do something totally different than what they release for the radio, like "Beautiful Woman," or "Siberia," so I know they can stretch their wings and still sound good. But every single album seems to have the same song -- "I Want It That Way," "Shape of my Heart," "Inconsolable," they all sound alike. It aggravates me. WIDEN OUT BOYS, FOR PETE'S SAKE! AND DO A FREAKIN' A CAPELLA SONG PLEASE!! Oi.

Also, I finally got to talk to Bria tonight, and during our conversation she started going through her BSB photos to see if she had a picture of AJ wearing a bandanna (long story there). Anyway, in the middle of a perfectly legitimate conversation she suddenly busted out with this:

Bria: ...why is there a picture of Gollum in my Nick folder?

I don't know, maybe you had to be there, but that cracked me up. I couldn't stop laughing for an honest-to-goodness good 5 minutes or so. It just seemed so terribly appropriate to me that there would be a Gollum picture in her Nick folder, and the absurdity of the statement in the middle of our conversation was just priceless. Even better than one of my more recent quotes that I'm proud of... I have quite a collection of toys on my desk. Just one of those things writers do to enable their procrastination. I have a Darth Sidius toy near my monitor (you know the ones you got at burger king with the force control action squirt gun?), and a couple inches toward the other side of my monitor I have two miniature LotR busts Bria gave me when FotR came out. Well I had a friend here last week who felt the need to touch, pick up, or move every single toy on my desk. I noticed a few days ago that Darth Sidius had been moved considerably closer to my LotR busts so I sighed aloud as I moved him back to the other side, "Please refrain from letting Boromir and Pippin near the Dark Lord!" I said it in all sincerity, and the absurdity and appropriateness of the statement didn't strike me until several seconds later. I laughed unabashedly. I'm funny, yo.

Also, I am ecstatic to announce that a new Wes Anderson movie was released in theaters today: The Darjeeling Limited (trailers available on that site, too). I'm so excited about this movie that I might just pay the outrageous theater ticket price so I can see it as soon as possible. God I love Wes Anderson. The man owns my soul. Now, if only I can find the preceding prequel short Hotel Chevalier on-line somewhere...

Also, for all you hardcore Wes Anderson (or Jason Schwartzman) fans, Borders.com has about 7 hysterical interviews with the duo about the new movie. Can't wait can't wait can't waaaait!