Amit Schreiber's Blog | ืืืืื ืฉื ืขืืืช ืฉืจืืืืจ
ืฉืืจืื
ืกืืคืืจืื
The Mars Volta published their entire new album, Octahedron, on their MySpace page.
On each of their albums The Mars Volta had a quiet song or two. But this time it’s an entire quiet album except for one song – Cotopaxi (video here.) The Mars Volta claims this to be their version of an acoustic album. But don’t get them wrong – it’s far from being acoustic in the traditional sense. Being quiet, I didn’t have to listen to album 20 times to like it – I liked it immediately.
Those of you who know my music listening habits also know what this means – I’m playing Octahedron in an endless loop :)
I’m trying to be brave again and write about relationships. Thoughts of Girl 1 still haunt me but, following the advice and a match made by a friend, I’ve started dating someone new. And to my surprise… I’m enjoying it. A lot.
It’s refreshing to be in a relationship where you feel like you can say anything on your mind and not be judged. I’m told that it’s actually one of my more endearing qualities… saying what’s on my mind. Luckily, Girl 2 knows to take things I say in a positive way (which is the correct way) without looking into darker meanings, even when I blurt out things that may be interpreted as offensive in some convoluted way my simple mind could have never come up with.
Past relationships have always started with a big crush. This one is different. We simply enjoy one another’s company and there’s definitely attraction. It’s building up slowly and calmly and I like it. I think Girl 2 pretty much feels the same way and that’s why I can write about it freely. It’s great to be in a relationship that allows you to do that.
It’s strange that a person like me, who enjoys music so much, has a very poor way of listening to it at home – I’m ashamed to say that I currently use my computer’s speakers to listen to music.
But that’s all about to change. I’ve started the hunt for a proper stereo system. At first I wanted a receiver that will fit a home theater (for “the future” when I get a TV) but quickly learned that if I care only for music I better get a dedicated stereo amplifier. I also learned that I would have to spend about double the amount I had in mind to get decent sound. It took me a day or so to get used to the thought of spending so much money but now I’m OK with it.
I went to a stereo shop and in a week I’ll go there again to get a tailor-made 2-hour demonstration of different speakers. After listening to what the sales manager at the shop told me I’m actually looking forward to it – I get to bring my own music and listen to it like never before. Should be fun.
It’s pretty hard to find quality recordings of The Prodigy live bt these videos from the Rock Am Ring Festival in Germany are very good. I love seeing the crowd go crazy. Check out everyone jumping when Smack My Bitch Up starts (at the end of the second video.)
Cotopaxi is one of the first singles from Octahedron, the next album from The Mars Volta. The video is very strange – on the forums some of the fans say it’s trying to show how much the band doesn’t care about videos. Some say there’s more to it. I just don’t get it but the music, as always, is great.
To avoid comment spam I’ve previously disallowed anonymous comments on this blog. I would like to see if allowing anonymous comments can work without this blog filling up with huge amounts of spam.
I still prefer that users register and comment, but now you can just blurt out whatever it is on your mind without revealing who you are.
ืกืชื ื ืืกืื ืืงืืืื ืืชืจืื. ืืื ืืชืืืื ืช ืืืืืข ืืคืืืกืืืง.
Yesterday a friend invited me to see a movie after work. The movie’s name in Israel is “The Prophecy.” As we’re waiting for the movie to start he asks me “so when was the last time you went to the movies?” I said it was on the trip, where I saw “Watchmen” and another movie I forgot. When the first frame of the movie showed on screen I said to him “I remember which movie it was. This one.”
Turns out the movie naming gods in Israel decided to translate “Knowing”, which I saw on day 78 of the trip, to “The Prophecy.” And on top of that it’s a mystery movie. So you can imagine my surprise when the kid says “I see dead people” the second time around.
Just kidding. The kid dies about half way through the movie.
I don’t deal well with anger, neither my own nor others’. I think it’s relatively hard to get me upset but it can happen. And I don’t mean work-under-pressure kind of upset because this sometimes happens and it’s OK – it’s just an indication that I care about what I’m doing.
What I do mean is the kind of anger where you are really upset at one person and you’re about to say nasty things to him/her. That’s basically when I shut down. I learned that when I’m saying things out of anger I’m always sorry for it later. So I just shut up and take whatever it is the other person has to say to me. Unfortunately, shutting up isn’t a well-received response by people. It looks very much like indifference. If they only knew what I was about to say, they would probably prefer the silence.
Lately a friend of mine got angry at me. She criticized me for something I did. I think she was partially right but she was also very judgmental and blunt saying what she had to say. Not being the judgmental type myself, I don’t appreciate being judged. I didn’t want to hurt her so I ended the call (luckily, it was on the phone) and haven’t talked to her since. I’m too angry at her for saying the things she said and I have a feeling she won’t accept my criticism well and if she keeps talking the way she did it will just get me even more upset.
I think it’s time to review my relationships with some of my friends. I’m less willing to accept judgement and anger than I used to in the past.