Okay, I’m not usually video game giddy, but Metal Gear Solid 2 : Substance is out for PC now. It wasn’t entirely clear to me before why I went out an bought a new computer last month, but it is obvious now – I was preparing for this day. Or not this day, specifically, but the day about a week and a half ago when the game was released… without my knowledge… and I probably wouldn’t have known if Kyle hadn’t told me… Fine – maybe it’s all a little less divinely-inspired than I’d like. But I still need to get this game. I finished Metal Gear Solid something like five times on two different platforms. I could finish that game in my sleep. It was so good. I hear in this one you don’t get to take the ‘kill em all and let the coroner sort em out’ tactic quite so much, and there’s more stealthiness required. I dunno, I don’t do stealthy so well.

Radiohead are not happy about the fact that their new album is all over the internet. Not so much for the fact that it’s being traded, but because this is still not a final mix and they would prefer that works they regard as being unfinished and not up to their standards be widely available.

It’s been a while since I’ve had a giant squid post, and I know you’re all really disappointed by that, but I make it up to you now with a colossal squid post. Check that mofo out – that is one bad-ass mollusc.

np – Elf Power / A Dream In Sound

I picked up the new Idlewild disc this evening. On first impression, The Remote Part is big, passionate, anthemic and despite being really outwardly pop, it’s leaving me oddly unmoved. I’m not too worried about being disappointed though – I felt the same way with 100 Broken Windows and after a little while that one suddenly smacked me upside the head like the fish-slapping dance.

I feel a little bad that I’ve had to decline invitations to see Flirt play the last two times out. I don’t see Al and Joe enough as is, but I’m just worn out tonight. Not getting enough sleep, and I don’t expect to be able to rectify that anytime soon. Friday night, The Delgados show. Then Saturday night I gotta wake up early to haul my butt out to lord only knows where for Scott’s paintball/bachelor party. Maybe I’ll just find a nice tree hollow somewhere and try to sleep, capping the ass of anyone who dares come near. Then to top it all off, Sunday kicks off this year’s edition of daylight savings time … Or does it wrap it up? Either way, this is the crappy one where we lose an hour of sleep. Damned farmer time.

I’m sitting here looking at my calender, and a couple of things strike me. One, I have a list of things I’d intended to do this week, and it looks an awful lot like last week’s list of things to do. I suspect this goes beyond usual procrastination. Something is up, and I’m not sure entirely what. Two… It’s April 2003. Which is not far off from May 2003. Ten years is a bloody long time, isn’t it? It’s one of those chronological intervals that prompts people to issue stamps, air retrospective television specials or digitally remaster and reissue with bonus tracks. It’s a good round number. A good time to reflect on some things, unload some things, put some things to rest maybe once and for all. It’s been a long time. I hope it’s been long enough.

Yes, I know I’m a cryptic bastard. Deal with it.

np – Idlewild / The Remote Part

In reviewing my referrer logs, it seems that the bulk of my hits these days come from people looking for mp3s of the new Radiohead album. Sorry folks, don’t have none. But here’s a link to a fellow who does have them. I haven’t heard any of it – I’ve got this weird thing about waiting till the day of release to buy and hear an eagerly anticipated album. But you go on ahead and enjoy, I don’t mind. I’ll catch up in June. And don’t say I never do anything for you.

My Morning Jacket are coming to the Horseshoe on May 6. This is a show that would normally appeal to me, but the timing stinks. I’ve got a show on Friday night, then Monday night. Tuesday would be a little too much to handle. To say nothing of the fact that it’s expensive ($15). I had been really keen to see them when they opened for Doves last year, but couldn’t get around to going. And now I will probably miss them again. Which is a shame because I hear terrific things about their live show. Alas.

And speaking of shows, tonight I have the option of seeing either Kathleen Edwards at the Horseshoe or Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at the Rivoli. Sadly, I will probably go to neither cause… well, no one else has expressed an interest and I don’t think I’ll be in ‘standing around in a bar on a Wednesday night alone’ sorta mood today. But I’m not ruling out any 11th hour change of mind. Anyone want to provide me some compelling arguments? Note that you’re up against a new episode of The West Wing tonight – some stiff competition, to be sure.

Brad is getting me a copy of the I Am Trying to Break Your Heart DVD from his work with his employee discount. It’s handy to know people who know people. I’m very excited about it – but I will have to figure out how to capture the audio off the DVD in a way to burn a CD from it.

Go read today’s Get Fuzzy. It’s great.

np – Idlewild / 100 Broken Windows

The Pernice Brothers are putting the new album, Yours, Mine, Ours up for pre-sale off their website here. As incentive, they’re offering a special autographed lyrics booklet with each order. The catch? Only available to Americans. Blah blah blah.

This is interesting – last week’s entry about information overload from the Iraq War has been added to Stop Watching The War, a blog about critical analysis of the media coverage on the war. That’s my entry right above an article from newly-unemployed former NBC correspondent Peter Arnett about his getting turfed for speaking his mind on the state of the US war effort. Apparently even when I comment on not wanting to comment on the war, I’m commenting on the war.

np – Wilco / Live 7.30.02 – Minneapolis, MN

There is a new dispatch from Luna-land over on Fuzzy Wuzzy. Dean offers some thoughts on the war, talks about upcoming touring plans and offers hope for a new Luna album to be recorded this year. He’s also posted a new ‘What Dean Is Listening To’ elsewhere on the site. None of this constitutes news, really. I just wanted an excuse to use “U.S. Out Of My Pants” as an entry title.

You want an interesting POV into the opinions of folks on the war in Iraq? Go surf around Usenet – nothing like an unmoderated, anonymous international forum to bring out the best in people. People apparently believe that only Sadaam is causing Iraqi civilian casualties, that Iraq paid the hijackers who attacked the World Trade Centre, that any Iraqis who would dare be ungrateful to their invaders – excuse me – liberators – probably deserve to die anyway. Gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest… oh wait, that’s bile.

Dig this – a random ICQ chat has resulted in Lake Holiday’s “Awake Too Long” (available in the MP3 section) being played on 2NUR Newcastle University Radio, 103.7 FM, in Newcastle, Australia last night. How cool is that? We got squeezed into an eclectic setlist, rubbing elbows with Cake, The Posies, Zwan and, um, The Vines.

np – Velvet Crush / Teenage Symphonies To God