I Want to Rap Battle the World

More months have gone by without me tending to the blog that no one reads anymore. It's as if this blog has lost its reason for existence. Kind of like Israel itself. JUST KIDDING GUYS.

Tel Aviv has felt fabulous to me lately, and I even found edible Mexican food here. (This was the biggest revelation of the year.)

The Pixies show was cancelled but at least I saved $100 (that is, if I ever get my ass to go get the money refunded.)

And I'm very proud of myself because I haven't watched the new season of Survivor (Israeli version) at all. This kind of only happened because the cable company blocked our pirated cable connection, but ya know.

Despite all the annoying tourists, summer is magic, as always. Feels strange that I've been living in the TLV for a year and a half now. WTF? I haven't even learned any new army abbreves yet!

I haven't written here in a while because the whole flotilla incident made me full of rage all the time and I couldn't really handle writing anything besides "jakdgjoiu!k3432udsjn,xksdj1". I hadn't been politically involved for a few months before it happened, and I kinda sprung back into action after that. I just so angry and couldn't stop thinking about politics/war/etc. I went to protests for the sole reason that my yelling would be encouraged and accepted. And now I'm worried I'm getting complacent again. It's so hard for me not to feel like everything is completely hopeless and wonder what difference I can even make. Worst of all, I feel like I've been directing the bulk of my anger at American activists and their seeming stupidity, which is really kind of unconnected and is totally just me projecting. They're not the enemy, but sometimes I act like it anyway. I need to work my shit out. And maybe one day, in the near or far future, a coherent post will appear on this here blog and all will be well.

Most Faux-Complimentary Song of All Time

I'm supposed to edit and send out a short story I just wrote. Instead, I'm reading the Internets and repeatedly listening to this gem:


Pinkerton-era Weezer b-sides make me feel feelings. And I have such a soft spot for oddly romantic songs about people not liking each other. Cat Stevens's "Here Comes My Baby"? Check. Wilco's "Just Friends"? Yes, please.

Someone should just write a song called "I Don't Like You That Much." I'd be all over that shit.

P.S. I heard that it was National Grammar Day in the U.S. yesterday. Is this correct? Unfortunately, at my job, every day is National Grammar Day (NGD). Makes me wanna misspell sumthin.

500 Days of Some Ho

Du-ude. I haven't written in this thing in forever! Oopsies.

I've been busy with moving apartments (to an apartment by the beach! I love life!) and some other stuff.

I kept meaning to post my new year's resolutions on here, but it's probably too late in the year to do that. So for now, a few notes:

1. Why is the Pavement Europe tour already sold out? I'm so upset!

2. I wonder if the Pixies show in Israel is also sold out. That would suck. Though seeing the Pixies with an Israeli audience does not sound that appealing. Would Israelis ruin the fun? I wonder.

3. Avatar was hilarious. After seeing it, I decided I should make a habit out of jumping on my friends and trying to attach my hair to their hair just to be annoying! My friend and I watched Avatar at a mall, so naturally, the first step after seeing it was to go up to all the little mechanical animal rides at the mall and do the braid-attaching thing to them. NATURALLY.

4. Avatar was also kinda stupid.

5. But I liked the special Israeli-only joke that was included in it! Comment on this blogpost to learn more.

6. I've been doing a lot (well, a little) more non-blog writing lately. Ain't that excitin'?

7. I really miss Austin today. Want some breakfast tacos. Damn.

8. I'm past page 200 in Infinite Jest. I keep taking long breaks from it, especially when DFW starts talking about tennis. Oh, brother. Don't get that guy started on tennis. He never shuts up about it! Or about drug addiction! Oh. Brother.

I Got Nothing to Say

I've turned into the Hulk for the past week because I'm stressies about moving apartments (and for some other reasons, blergh).

So I don't have much to say other than "Garrrrg."

But I did realize how upsetting it is for NOFX's version of Last Caress to be on my blog, and not the Misfits'.

So, let's take that wrong and make it a right!

I Got Something to Say

Over the past couple of days, I've been on an emo/pop-punk kick and reminiscing to the early '00s when I owned Converse shoes with flames on them and went to Warped Tour and had a boyfriend who wore JNCOs. I didn't actually like this kind of music at the time, but it was all around me. Anyways, I found a bunch of random stuff, and I couldn't not share. It's too good! I found this stuff by memory association, so it's not all the same genre of music, actually.

I spared you Dashboard Confessional, but here's some entertaining stuff I found:

1. I hate NOFX but I used to love the original (non-NOFX) version of this song. My high school boyfriend and I used to sing it in the car all the time.


2. LOL


3. This is the epitome of silly early '00s semi-emo music. Wait, I just read the description of this video. I guess the director uploaded it to YouTube? He says he's obsessed with Requiem for a Dream, and that "the Moms" is in the video. James O. Incandeza, is that you? (Infinite Jest is taking over my life.)


4. I never listened to The Ataris. I think my friends and I made fun of them. But over the past two days I can't stop listening to this horrible mess. It is too good! "I'll treat you like a queen... a queen..."


5. I used to be obsessed with this song: Ozma's "Apple Trees," a collection of bad apple puns. Hey, I like bad puns as much as the next guy, but these guys are getting into Carrie Bradshaw territory. Still, whenever I hear that base in the beginning, I start to feel feelings.


6. And now for some actual good music! (Semi-sarcasm.) When I was 15, I was obsessed with Weezer. They filled the void that the Spice Girls had left behind. That may not make sense to you, but it does to me! Anyways, I spent all my time decoding Pinkerton lyrics and reading Weezer fan boards for new Weezer information. Then this super rare Weezer song from their abandoned rock opera Songs from the Black Hole came out, and I was all over that shit. It's a good song, or at least a cheap ho.


Sidenote: I think I will have to make a "favorite Weezer b-sides" blog post now because I'm finding too much good shit on YouTube.

No further comments.

Beloved

I've been on a Shablool kick today, specifically the song Ma She'Yoter Amok Yoter Kachol (Whatever's Deeper Is More Blue). It's one of those songs you can just dance to in front of your mirror, perhaps with a hair brush in hand. Or while jumping on the bed. Or any other cliche activities that people perform while listening to awesome songs (driving with your hand out the window? standing outside of someone's window with a boombox over your head?).

My favorite video version is this one, because you can see my neighborhood in the distance, and Tel Aviv looked SO SHITTY when this video was made. Cracks me up. Just a bunch o' sand and dilapidated buildings. AMAZING. I think Arik is running around the beach I usually go to, which rules. One day, I will see him in Tel Aviv! He is the ultimate celeb sighting. And one day, Tel Aviv will look like this again, and I won't have to worry about people in huge skyscrapers staring at me while I sit on my balcony.
Here's the vid:

Unfortunately, the audio ain't too good on the Shitty Tel Aviv vid, so here's a better version:


<3

Arik is my favorite!*

*Except for when he sings cheesy, sentimental songs like Oof Gozal.

In His Brain, There Are File Cabinets, and Secretaries Filing Their Nails... Downstairs

The other day, I was sitting around capitalizing words and changing verb tenses (probably) at work, when suddenly, I felt intense pain in my chest and stomach. Ouchies. I decided to take a cab home even though it cost 50 sheks, and the entire traffic-ridden way home I writhed in pain in the back seat. I dunno why my body hurt. It is a mystery. Waaaah.

While in pain in a cab, I heard an Israeli song on the radio that is totes trying to be Of Montreal circa Coquelicot.

This thing:



Is like that thing:



But not as good, obviously.

Anthem Du Jour

This week needs to end now.

I've been listening to this old school song on repeat:



It is a song about how the world stinks, from New York to Rafiach. And that some girl is being mean to the singer--sometimes she understands him, and sometimes she's a bitch. She's not very clear. It is also a song about how we're all racist.

My favorite part of the video is when the band rides around in a garbage truck (sidenote: I was seriously about to type "trash van." I wish I knew how to speak English.). I like their garbage truck shenanigans because I relate to them--being on a bus for 2 hours a day is kinda like being on a garbage truck, but with more gross people shoving their bodies on you. And with more yelling.

I can also relate to this song, because I, like the girl who is taunting the singer, am often a "bat zona." I don't sit around my room in white underwear smoking cigarettes, though.

Last Cigarettes...

I have been in a Wilco phase like whoa. In particular, I've been listening to "We're Just Friends" on repeat, but also just listening to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot constantly. Perhaps it's because Wilco reminds me of Texas, and I'm missing summer days of swimming/eating enchiladas at Trudy's/falling asleep/vintage shopping/beer. Perhaps it's because the song We're Just Friends is so heartbreaking! Call a waaaambulance for me, pls.



It's just so sad! He doesn't want to be just friends, but he's deluding himself! Oh god!

Happy Bday, Future Celeb Sighting

How could I forget? Happy belated 70th, Arik!

The radio stations were playing so many Arik Einstein songs on my rides to the North yesterday. So exquisite.

I wish he was my friend.



Can't. Handle. It.