I Don't Like Radiohead

As the much anticipated Outsidelands Festival, to be held in Golden Gate Park in SF, approaches, it seems as though I can't talk to anyone under the age of 35 without be asked, "you goin' to Outsidelands dude?" The city is a'buzz and the weekend everyone has been waiting for is almost here.
However, the 2-3 questions that will inevitably follow will drastically change the mood of the conversation, the general good feeling and could quite possibly change the once ecstatic festival goers opinion of me, Ryan M. Rowe.
What are those 2-3 questions you ask? Well, here's how the rest of the conversation goes:

Giddy Festival Goer: you goin' to Outsidelands dude?

Ryan: Yeah (very slight hint of exasperation)

GFG: Do you know what days you are going?

Ryan: Yeah, Im going to go Saturday

GFG: Duuuuuuuuuuuuude....Friday...Radiohead!?!?

Ryan: meh, Im not that into Radiohead

GFG: WHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?????????????? OMFG!!!!!@#*&^_($$#$!!!HOW COULD YOU*&%$#@!

Ryan: Im just not that into them

And thats how a Giddy Festival Goer, maybe a close friend(?), loses respect for my musical taste, and quite possibly even loses respect for my once solid(?) character and values.
Clearly everyone is entitled to their own opinions when it comes to likes and dislikes, but there seems to be a pantheon of bands or artists who are untouchable to matters of opinion and under any circumstance MUST be worshiped like gods; and those who do not bow down shall be shamed for all eternity.
Well, I dont care, I dont care if you call me a terrorist, I will never kow-tow to these bands:

Radiohead - I liked "Creep", but thats about it. I dont really like Thom Yorke's voice and the music just doesnt excite me that much. Just not that into it.

Coldplay - award winner for world's most boring band in my opinion. Without even a close competitor, Coldplay was the most requested music to be played in the office of my last company, proving that they are just slightly more interesting to listen to than Muzak.

U2 - Bono, just leave.

Beastie Boys - Ok, they have catchy songs, but seriously, their rhyme schemes are so predictable and boring I dont understand how anyone could possibly listen to an entire album. Their early punkrock album was interesting and fiery, but everything after "Sabotage" has been unlistenable to me.

Vampire Weekend - Im always very disappointed when a band's name rocks way harder than their actual music. I heard them playing in the background at some yuppie-licious organic soup and salad cafe in the financial district in Philadelphia; which much like being played over the office speakers, is industry proof that Vampire Weekend is just slightly more interesting than Muzak.

Weezer - What happened Weezer? The Blue album was and is an instant classic, nothing more to say, its perfect. Pinkerton, while underappreciated, is awesome and a masterpiece from start to finish. At my friend Adam's bachelor party, the group of us guys drunkenly decided we'd collectively fight anyone that night who spoke poorly of Weezer's Pinkerton. Noone did. Since then? The Green Album, had that "Island in the Sun" song which is a guilty pleasure of mine, but a mediocre album, very disappointing compared to the first two. Everything since? So forgettable that my friend Ben got the latest Red Album for free and after giving it a listen decided "it wouldn't make it on the iPod"--sad.

Green Day - Much like Weezer, soooooooo awesome in their formative years, and, well, my formative years as well. Kerplunk and Insomniac were awesome albums, and Dookie essentially raised me from age 13-15. Since Insomniac, however, they just seem so manufactured to me. American Idiot? guh. Wheres the sophistication? Very unfulfilling to me.

Random Things from Philadelphia

People in Philadelphia are nice! Way nicer than I expected. I have to wonder if the stereotype is all hype or if people of Philadelphia all got together and decided to be nice to the tourists.

The bell kinda sux

Despite my lactose intolerance, I had a Philly Cheesesteak or "steak"...2 of them in fact(on seperate occasions...im not trying to prove anything here)

Philly has the best alleys, not only are they all historical and whatnot with the bricks and cobblestones, but they are definitely prime stooping locations as well

I heard Ben Franklin was player

These people really care a lot about the Eagles

Walking around the city of Philadelphia makes me realize how MANY homeless people there are in San Francisco. Its ridiculous! Totally made me think of that South Park episode where all the homeless people are walking around asking for "chaaaaaaange"...and their solution to get rid of the homeless people is to convince them to move to California by setting up a P.A. system on top of a party bus singing the South Park version of California Love..."California...loves the homeless, Californ-yuh-uh...super cool to the homeleh-ess"

Philly has soul, Ive heard it before, but its true, indescribable, but theres soulfulness to this city...maybe it just seems that way because theres a park that has a giant statue that says "LOVE"

Unlike San Francisco, people seem to put effort into their looks/appearance. Even the fuglies look nice...its kind of refreshing. Idk, maybe its just a difference in style and trends. Either way, I like the "I bathe and like a flattering appearance" look, rather than the "I don't wash my hair and buy my clothes from the homeless dude on 16th and Valencia selling VHS tapes and little league trophies - despite having some sort of income and the ability to live in San Francisco" style that SF is rockin right now

Counterpoint to the above statement: The financial district is waaaaay to stuffy

EVERY food establishment in the city sells cheesesteaks, its ridiculous. Pizza places, burger joints, deli's, WaWa's(the philly version of 7/11), even the high-end steak house - Barclay's Prime serves a Kobe beef cheesesteak...for $100!

Smoke. In. Bars...TONS of it. I literally got a buzz in the 3 minutes I stood at the bar waiting for a drink

Despite James and Lauri's gushing over the 7/11-esque "WaWa's" in Philadelphia - id say they are way overrated. Pretty much just your average am/pm or 7/11 with a deli

The Rocky statue isnt at the top of the stairs. Totally didnt know that. Its at the bottom and to the side of the famous Philadelphia Art Museum steps that Rocky Balboa runs up in the "Rocky" movies

Yeah it was hot as balls, but Philadelphia was a good experience. Go there, run up the stairs, eat a cheesesteak and be happy.

In Philly Yallz

**Note from Ryan: Im back in the PST, but wrote this post in Philadelphia and forgot to publish. A work from the past if you will. Heath Ledger style (too soon?) WWHD! we love you Heath

Im in Philly. I need to leave. 17 days is too long.

Dont take it personal Philly, youve been really cool to me. A lot cooler than expected actually, by far. Its just, I'm tired. And I want to sleep in my own bed. And I don't want to eat restaurant food anymore. I want to have a routine again. I wanna kick it w/tha homiez. I wanna hang out with Baldwin finally. I want to eat fruit. I wanna go to the gym...WTF.

I love buying plane tickets 1 day in advance.

Work Trip - Chicago

As anyone who's been on one before can tell you, work trips blow. And in time-tested fashion, my current trip to Chicago, errr...Berwyn, IL, indeed, blows.
Its hot in herre - 90 degrees with 50% humidity - and for some reason, the stench of sweaty, salty balls is making yearn for a public pool (i dont know, dont ask).

The town im staying in, Oak Park, is just a couple miles from the work location in Berwyn, and about 20 miles outside of Chicago. It's not necessarily a terrible place to be, but there really isn't anything to do outside of eating something, having a beer and making small talk with the bartender who's doing a terrible job of feigning interest.

Since the actual work Im doing happens to be a little sparse, I've taken to "surfing the web" - and I think ive gone through the entire internet. Finished it.
1.0 AND 2.0...guess I'll just wait for 3.0 to come out. Whatever that is, im not too sure. Time travel possibly.

Its not all bad though, the hotel im staying in is across the street from the Ernest Hemingway Museum, and less than a block away from his place of birth, and its been told that Hemingway used to kickit and drink in the little cafe inside the hotel. Thats kinda cool. But alas, the museum is only open from 1pm-5pm. Perfect timing for me NOT to be able to check it out as I hold the fort down in Berwyn.
All in all, the best part so far has been watching people go in and out of the planned parenthood/substance abuse clinic across the street. They go in and come out so sketchy lookin, its kinda fun to make up little stories for each person. Not that I'll ever know if any of it's true, its the best I got for entertainment - Im not here to judge, it just works magicly to pass the time.

Dude, British People...SERIOUSLY!

(post based on an IM conversation with the ever-so-lovely Lindsey Baldwin)

me: i had to watch pride and prejudice last night

Lindsey: ooooooooo

me: and im blaming 100% for it

Lindsey: what?! hes never seen it

me: ok, but his people are responsible
Lindsey: ah yes, very true

Lindsey: most long boring grey stuffy movies do come from those people - english patient, atonement, i could go on. they are all so boring

me: if i was british, i would start a revolution, or a club, or a group... to get rid of those movies

cuz everyone thinks theyre all whiny pussies cuz of them

me: or a blog at least

me: its just bad, bad (mis?)representation...cuz i start to think if everyone who is british is like that...all inbred-y and shrill with tights and high pitched voices

Oh well, at least they gave us English Muffins and The Beatles.

Random side thought: do you think John, Paul and George all got stoned back in the day and joked about who of them would be the last to die and have to hang out with Ringo?

Who the F is Tom Sizemore?

I seriously got made fun of for like 15 mins yesterday because I didn't know who Tom Sizemore was. I mean, he sounds like someone I've heard of, or I should have heard of. So I looked him up, checked out his pic and still - no idea. So yeah, who the F is Tom Sizemore?
He sounds like he should have his own talk show or something...Ie. "Today on the Tom Sizemore show; 'My tween is out of control and I don't know what to do! - Help me Tom!...and now your host - TOM SIZEMORE"

Idk, I heard he did hella drugs and had hooker girlfriends or something, oh well.

...or maybe I'm thinking of Tom Arnold(?)

...I Like to Rock the Party!

The party ripped, 'staches were filthy and all was right with the world.
I wish I had more of a picture to paint for those who werent there, but I drank the paint and don't remember many of the details. So all in all, the party was a success!

Here's a list of things that I do remember happening in no particular order:

• I met a lot of neighbors, however, do not even know what they look like and definitely don't remember names
• Heard that M.I.A song with the guns probably a million times...or at least it felt like it
• We should have had an award of series of awards for best mustache(s)
  
• EVERYONE wanted to smoke me out on our "back patio" that isn't a patio at all and is totally enclosed
• Whoa, theres a party going on out front!
• Neighbor in a robe(and nothing else) asked me to close the windows - not that interesting, but I remember it
  
• Someone complimented me on leaving the good toilet paper out for the party - I replied "well, Im a man who appreciates a soft 2-ply"
  
• That dessert wine (or whatever it was)...terrible idea
• Jello shots with Everclear...EXCELLENT idea
• Pigs in a blanket...even BETTER idea
• Mustaches EVERYWHERE...on people, walls, ceiling, pictures, posters, floors, windows, sidewalk, you get the picture
• It felt like every person I saw I had totally forgotten I invited them, leading to that overexaggerated "OMG" moment
• If you're a 3am party straggler, you need to bring beer or pizza or something. Your "im totally friendly and interested in hearing what you have to say" attitude gets you nowhere at this time

I learned a lot that night; about life and myself. Mostly bad things...