anything can happen on halloween

I can't believe I almost forgot to post one of my favorite links ever in honor of Halloween!

To anyone who ever watched The Worst Witch as a child . . . prepare to never look at that movie the same way again.

supermanchild

Consider this post a diatribe on how Superman's character is fundamentally different now that Pa Kent is dead.<sup>1

1</sup> This post has been inspired by the writings of one Mr. Patrick C, who has such a way with words that it's amazing he hasn't updated his blog in nearly three months. "I think I may save that one for a blog entry. Ooo I think I will. The post will be titled "Supermanchild." I shoudln't have said that. Cause now I probably won't write it and you'll hold this over my head. Damn you Kerri. Damn you straight to hell!!!!!!"

are you friggin kidding me?

Remember that time when 24 killed off Tony Almeida and I didn't let it go for like two years?

Check back with me in 2010 and see if I'm still pissed about this.

The real injustice is that he and Sylar never had a scene together.

feeling ooooooold

I had this conversation with some random kid at a gas station this evening while I was filling my tank. (Getting gas makes me giggle now ever since I first heard "Full Service" by NKOTB, but I digress).

Kid: Hey, could you please give me [something unintelligible]
Me: I don't know what that is
Kid: For rolling weed
Me: Oh . . . I don't have that
Kid: Oh man
Me: I'm sorry
Kid: That's okay, I understand. You're probably a mom, you have to get home.
Me: [silence]
Kid: You're a good looking mom though!

This came about six months after Patrick Tshudy told me "you're 26?! You look good for your age."

I hate being of the age where the phrase "for your age" implies old and where being dressed in a suit after work makes high school kids automatically think I'm a mom.

lyrics quiz answers and final results

1. fine pewter portraits of General Apathy and Major Boredom singing whatever and ever, amen (Craig)
   
2. our hopes and expectations, black holes and revelations
3. everyone's losing their minds, healthy in paranoid times (Scott)
   
4. this is the straw, final straw, in the roof of my mouth as I lie to you (Courtnie)
   
5. these are my hands, these are my faults, these are my plans, and these are my nasty little thoughts
   
6. and will you tell all your friends that you've got your gun to my head? (Courtnie)
   
7. maybe I need to see the daylight, to leave behind this half-life (Michelle)
   
8. the sun and the moon, an ocean of air
9. in one fell swoop it became clear to me that I despise you entirely (Courtnie)
   
10. the moon and stars are ganging up on the sun (Scott)
    
11. i'm never gonna find the perfect rhyme for heavier things
12. all the birds have returned, they've got stickers on their suitcases and pictures from the big vacation
13. all that you measure, all that you feel, all that you can't leave behind
14. flags and mental jewelry are all I know and they keep me happy and warm inside
15. what part of our history's reinvented and under rug swept? (Courtnie)

Final Scoreboard:

Courtnie - 9.5
Scott - 9
Michelle - 7
Bonnie - 2
Craig - 1

Court, I wish I had a prize for you . . . alas, you just get your name in pretty colors on my blog that about five people read ;)

matt nathanson needs to see this

round two answers and final round!

1. louder, louder, and we'll run for our lives (Snow Patrol) (Michelle)
   
2. when I'm with my friends I feel home (O.A.R.)
   
3. why do we all end up alone? (Nine Days)
   
4. sync up the cuts to the bass drum kick (Against Me!)
   
5. you couldn't live with me so you moved to Brooklyn (Jesse Malin)
   
6. no hope, no love, no glory, no happy ending (Mika)
   
7. I am alive and amplified (the Mooney Suzuki)
   
8. go haunt someone else (Kevin Devine)
   
9. I know she may not be miss right but she'll do right now (SR-71)
   
10. it was an honest mistake (The Bravery)
    
11. I think about you in the summertime (New Kids on the Block) (Courtnie)
    
12. from the aeroplane over the sea (Neutral Milk Hotel)
    
13. whoa, living on a prayer (Bon Jovi) (Bonnie)
    
14. how many people wanna kick some ass? (Stroke 9)
    
15. mamma mia, here I go again (ABBA)
    
16. Carry on my wayward son! There'll be peace when you are done! (Kansas) (Scott)
    
17. you, just like heaven (The Cure) (Bonnie)
    
18. as I fall apart, I learn to fly (Carbon Leaf)
    
19. say what you need to say (John Mayer) (Michelle)
    
20. I am a one man wrecking machine (Guster) (Scott)

After two rounds: Scott has 7 points, Michelle has 6, Courtnie has 5.5, and Bonnie has 2.

Last round!! It's anyone's game! Here's how this round works. I give you a band name and a song title. You give me the line in the song that contains the name of the album that the song appears on. I'll try to make sure the references aren't too obscure, but let's face it, it's a lot harder to come up with these than the others! Only 15 this round.

Example: Straylight Run - "Buttoned Down." Answer: the needle, the space, time can't erase

1. Ben Folds Five - "Battle of Who Could Care Less"
2. Muse - "Starlight"
3. Our Lady Peace - "Don't Stop" - everyone's losing their minds, healthy in paranoid times (Scott)
   
4. Snow Patrol - "Chocolate" - this is the straw, final straw, in the roof of my mouth as I lie to you (Courtnie)
   
5. Stroke 9 - "Washin' and Wonderin'"
   
6. Taking Back Sunday - "Cute Without the 'E' (Cut from the Team)" - and will you tell all your friends that you've got your gun to my head? (Courtnie)
   
7. Duncan Sheik - "Half-Life" - maybe I need to see the daylight, to leave behind this half-life (Michelle)
   
8. The Bravery - "The Ocean"
9. The Spill Canvas - "Lust a Prima Vista" - in one fell swoop it became clear to me that I despise you entirely (Courtnie)
   
10. Guster - "Manifest Destiny" - the moon and stars are ganging up on the sun (Scott)
    
11. John Mayer - "New Deep"
12. Mike Errico - "Springtime"
13. U2 - "Walk On"
14. Live - "Mirror Song"
15. Alanis Morissette - "Hands Clean" - what part of our history's reinvented and under rug swept? (Courtnie)
    

the five most perfect songs ever written (as of 9/5/08)

I change this list fairly regularly. But with the realization today that SMOCIOTH is one of my top five favorite songs of all time, it got me thinking about what other tracks make the cut. It would probably be a lot easier to do a top 10 list, but most people reading this probably won't know any of these tracks anyway, so why overwhelm you with even more songs you don't know? =P

5. "Pints of Guinness Make You Strong" by Against Me. This song isn't typical "Kerri music" and this band, as amazing as they are, isn't a typical "Kerri band." But I'm glad I gave them a chance because this band is amazing, and this song even more so. I didn't appreciate it as much as I should have until I heard an acoustic version and was able to listen to the words, and then I found out it was about the lead singer's grandparents, and then the first time (the only time) I saw Against Me! live and I saw them play this song and I saw the names "James" and "Evelyn" tattooed on Tom's chest . . . this song is a beautiful song, and every time I hear it, I wish that some folksy non-punk non-screamer would cover it (i.e. the whole "Ben Lee Covers Against Me!'s New Wave" album) so that more people would give it a chance. Every St. Patrick's Day, I think of Evelyn and James. "In all the years that went by, she said she'd always love him. And from the day that he died, she never loved again . . . she said 'if I would have known just how things would have ended up, I just would have let myself die.'" Heartbreaking. "If we're never together, if I'm never back again, then I swear to God that I'll love you forever . . . " GOD I love this song. Maybe pints of Guinness are the way to go.

4. "A Slow Descent" by Straylight Run. Straylight Run had six demos on their website before the release of their debut album. Of the six, this song was one of two that did not make it onto the album. I'm not sure what the reasoning was; it was eventually on their E.P. that followed the debut, and it's one that they continue playing at all of their shows. I don't know if it was left out in an effort to distance themselves from Taking Back Sunday, as I always assumed (and maybe even read somewhere that planted that seed in my head) that this song was about them. Regardless of what it's about, this is without question my favorite Straylight Run song. I wish I had an mp3 available of it to link here; the video clip that I took from Warped Tour last year is only an excerpt and it doesn't do it justice. I think no matter what the context is, this song rings true. It's obviously about the souring of a relationship -- whether it's a band relationship, a friendship, or more -- that's just not working anymore, "a slow descent from unique to routine." It's sad, and it really gets me every time I hear it, from the opening lines: "I'm tired, cynical, and broken, but wiser, heavy with a sense of resentment, but I used to be so much different, I used to have so much faith" to the closing lines: "We drove for what seemed like days, over roads and four lane highways, we said all we had to say, and I realized in time that it didn't mean anything." It happens to everyone, all too often, and it hurts like hell when you realize you've invested time in something or someone and for whatever reason, it's just not there anymore. And it's not anyone's fault and it's not anything you can help, it's just how it is. And you wonder why you even bother because it's not going to end well. "I knew it but as soon as it began it was ruined." "It's only a matter of time." God, I can't even write about this song without crying.



3. "Sell My Old Clothes, I'm Off To Heaven" by Saves the Day. I found out today that this song's title is a line from John Irving's "The Hotel New Hampshire" - of course one of my favorite songs of all time would be titled by one of my favorite author's books. That makes it even more special. I first heard this song at a horrible time in my life, just about two years ago. I saw Chris Conley of Saves the Day open up for Straylight Run, and I didn't know any song that he played, but I looked this one up as soon as I got home and downloaded it from iTunes because I knew that it was perfect. It fit how I was feeling PERFECTLY - that sense of caring about someone so much that you would do anything for them ("what's he got that I don't have? is it his brown eyes? I know blue eyes get boring but I'll wear dark glasses all the time! or hey, if you want me to, I'd take a knife to my own bright eyes") to struggling with the fact that they basically treat you like shit but you still can't stop caring ("now you put me through hell, you break me up, yeah I should hate you, but I can't replace you in my heart") to being able to say "to hell with you." This is one of those songs that I can forget about and go months without listening to, but as soon as it randomly shows up on my playlist, I can't listen just once. I think I'll always associate this song with the same person, despite how far I've come since that first time I heard it. I could write a whole other blog post about that though -- maybe I will sometime. Anyway. Listen to the lyrics. It's great.

2. "Play Crack the Sky" by Brand New. This song has been my favorite Brand New song for years, but it seems particularly relevant these days. Nothing like a fantastic song about a metaphorical ship wreck to get you all worked up, haha. This song is amazing on like a dozen different levels - I'd love to find an interview with Jesse Lacey explaining it. I've been fortunate enough to hear this song live a bunch of times and it gets better with every listen. Jesse Lacey is truly brilliant and one of the most amazing lyricists ever. "What they call love is a risk 'cause you always get hit out of nowhere by some wave and end up on your own" - could truer words be spoken? I loved Brand New from "Your Favorite Weapon", and when I got "Deja Entendu", I loved every song instantly on first listen. But this album closer is the song that made me realize that Brand New was more than just an awesome band, they were the best around. Another song with a great last line: "I need you like water in my lungs." I know what you mean, Jesse. I hate how much I know what you mean.

1. "Konstantine" by Something Corporate. This song has been my #1 favorite song in the world from the first time I heard it back in 2002, although when I first heard it, I'd only heard the live version, "Constantine". Each has its differences and things about them that make me prefer one version to the other, but regardless of how you spell it, this song is hands down the most amazing piece of music I've ever heard. Ever. There are few songs that could pull off being over nine minutes long without me getting sick of them, but this song fills those nine minutes brilliantly. A haunting piano melody. A reference to the greatest Jimmy Eat World song ever. A "not quite a chorus" chorus that changes each time it's sung. The "did you know I miss you . . . God I miss you" on the live version. The first summer I knew this song, I had a 30 minute commute to my internship, in which I would play this song three times. For a long time, I couldn't hear it without crying. On my worst days, this is the song that I stick on "repeat" on my iTunes. I could easily spend hours playing this song over and over -- and I have. Six years later, it still has the same effect on me that it had the first time I heard it. It's brilliant and it's beautiful and don't just take my word for it, give it a listen.

laugh of the day

from the NC Board of Law Examiners' website:

Essay questions from past North Carolina Bar Examinations, along with examples of answers to those questions, are available for downloading by individuals for their own personal, non-commercial use, for the following purposes only:
(i) as souvenirs of bar examinations that they have taken . . .

lyrics quiz answers and round two

1. "No One" by Cold (Scott)
2. "Another Drinking Song" by Mighty Mighty Bosstones (Scott)
3. "Nice To Meet You, Anyway" by Gavin DeGraw (Courtnie gets half credit)
4. "#41" by Dave Matthews Band (Scott)
5. "Runaway Train" by Soul Asylum (Scott)
6. "Dare You To Move" by Switchfoot (Michelle)
7. "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage" by Panic At the Disco (Michelle)
8. "Health and Happiness" by the Wallflowers
9. "Long Road to Ruin" by the Foo Fighters (Scott)
10. "Vindicated" by Dashboard Confessional (Michelle)
11. "The Sun" by Maroon 5
12. "Shadow of the Day" by Linkin Park (Courtnie)
13. "In a Big Country" by Big Country
14. "All Over You" by the Spill Canvas (Courtnie)
15. "Clarity" by John Mayer
16. "Tremble" by Better Than Ezra
17. "Everybody Hurts" by REM (Michelle)
18. "Change Your Mind" by the Killers (Courtnie)
19. "California" by Phantom Planet (Courtnie)
20. "That Was A Crazy Game of Poker" by OAR

So after Round One, Scott's in the lead with 5 points, Courtnie has 4.5, and Michelle has 4.

Round Two has a twist. I'm going to give a song lyric. Instead of telling me the song title/artist, I want the next line of the song. The lyric will not necessarily be the first line of the song and the next line that I am looking for in each case will contain the title to the song in it (or be the title of the song). Again, no duplicate artists (although there is at least one artist repeat from round one). I think this round is a lot tougher, but maybe you'll prove me wrong. Have fun :)

1. Even if you cannot hear my voice, I'll be right beside you dear, louder, louder, and we'll run for our lives (Snow Patrol) (Michelle)
   
2. I said it's something free that means a lot to me
3. I've got a lot of life to learn and you've got a lot of life to teach
4. Similar trends in camera technique and editing.
5. You started out with nothing but throwaways
6. This is the way you left me, I'm not pretending
7. Turn me on and turn me up and turn me loose
8. Now I see through you, believe what you need to
9. Knock me down 'til we see eye to eye, figured her out
10. Don't look at me that way
11. You know that I did 'cause I couldn't stop thinking 'bout you, I think about you in the summertime (New Kids on the Block) (Courtnie)
    
12. One day we will die and our ashes will fly
13. Whoa we're halfway there whoa, living on a prayer (Bon Jovi) (Bonnie)
    
14. So sing another song about bashing someone's head in
    
15. One more look and I forget everything o-o-o-oh
16. I hear the voices when I'm dreaming, I can hear them say Carry on my wayward son! There'll be peace when you are done! (Kansas) (Scott)
    
17. You, lost and lonely you, just like heaven (The Cure) (Bonnie)
    
18. I can feel your heart and I can hear you cry
19. Better put them in quotations, say what you need to say (John Mayer) (Michelle)
    
20. Inspired by true events on movie screens I am a one man wrecking machine (Guster) (Scott)