.:Gotta Drop a Blog in The Corner:.

i think music has the ability to enhance things, which is why people enjoy it so much. the correct combination of notes can stir up something inside one's soul, which i've always found amazing. i feel like the soundtracks to movies can really push them from a good movie to a great movie. for instance take kill bill vol 1, i've always been a fan of tarantino, but i thought the soundtrack put that movie over the top. the scene with hattori hanzo after the sword is finished, or the entrance of o-ren ishii with her crew into the restaurant, or the o-ren ishii battle with the bride... great music used to complement the scene and/or what's happening on screen. in a similar fashion, i've found that the effective use and placement of soundtracks on tv commercials can also add another layer. off the top of my head i can think of the old ford edge commercial with a snippet of the song 'the funeral' by band of horses, or reaching way back... an old volkswagen commercial with hooverphonic's 'renaissance affair'. a more recent example which i think was a visually interesting ad combined with great music is canon's ad for it's rebel xsi. i really like how they used pictures taken to put together a continuous story. there's something about photos that i love. they're like a summary of a thought, idea, emotion at a certain point in one's life. while films can be powerful and moving... i feel that photographs have the ability to surpass films because the viewer is forced to really focus on the frozen image at hand and interpret it for themselves. anyways... i found the making of the commercial really interesting. the song behind the ad arcs with and complements the action and the announcer in the background effectively.

i was wonding this afternoon while i was listening to some sloan as i was riding the T, "if i were to play all my sloan songs... how many hours would that take?" after starting up my itunes i found that it was a little less than 12 hours. my collection consists of all their full releases, their live albums, "party album", demos, some b-sides, but i don't have all of their "greatest hits" because really... how can you make a "greatest hits" while the band is still going?

anyways... it's just so rare that bands can stay together for so long these days with the same line-up. their first full length release came out in 1993! the peppermint ep came out in 1992, and was recorded in 1991! it's only 2 more years until the 20 year mark. they've been around for almost 2/3rds of my life. so i was thinking about other bands who've also been around awhile and are still going. there are a few that continue to release studio albums fairly consistently, and though some have changed line-ups... some have also been steady. the ones i could think of off the top of my head: 1) rem 2) radiohead 3) the cure 4) u2

this past week i had 3 exams in 24 hours, which was... wonderful. i haven't had such an intense period of exams in awhile. i think the last time was in 2006 when i had 5 finals within 48 hours. however i do notice a difference from now and then... i really feel the effects of being older... i can't stay up and study. back then, i could still force myself to stay up... these days... i NEED to sleep. i can't help it, i just have to shut my eyes and take a nap. too bad for me i still have a lot more semesters to go through before i finish my program here, and it's just gonna get harder. anyways, i think i did pretty well on them which i was happy about. the tox exam was 15 pages of mostly short answers, probably one of the more exhausting exams i've ever taken of mechanisms, and pathognomonic signs and symptoms of toxicity. i've been wondering if companies are coming up with practical applications for drug metabolism so that we can have a better cost benefit ratio for medication use. for example, the cyp3a4 gene is part of the cytochrome p450 system of drug metabolism in humans. many drugs are metabolized by this system to either inactive metabolites, or active metabolites (ie. the parent drug gets modified and "turned-on"). cyp3a4 in the gi tract is affected by grapefruit juice, in that the juice will inhibit cyp3a4 action. many of the currently popular statin medications (generically: lovastatin, atorvastatin, simvastatin or brand: mevacor, zocor, lipitor) are metabolized by the cyp3a4 enzyme. if grapefruit juice inhibits these statin drugs, it leads to increased levels of these medications in the body, increasing the chances of toxicity. however... grapefruit juice can be exponentially cheaper to consume, develop, and manufacture (process) than these medications. my question is, can we develop a test to examine how a patient who's taking these medications processes the drugs under the influence of grapefruit juice? can we then have the patient take tailored doses of these medications with grapefruit juice so that: 1) we can lower drug costs for an individual by deceasing drug consumption with the help of a cyp3a4 inhibitor like grapefruit juice. 2) standardize to an extent the way grapefruit juice acts. this would also help in the reduction of drug metabolites that a processed by the body that are introduced into our environment since drug contamination of the water supply is an increasing concern. recent studies have shown many water supplies have a detectable level of common medications and drug metabolites. how will this all affect our food supply or the animal population isn't known yet, but i suspect it can't be good. is there a correlation between fish deaths in lakes, ponds, and streams and these levels? i would imagine any reduction of these metabolites into the environment would be better in the long run. drug/biotech companies may want to find ways to inhibit some of these enzymes in combination with the drugs they produce that affects these enzymes. that way a smaller dose will bring about the same changes... though this could also decrease the difference between therapeutic dose and toxic dose so there's a drawback to that too. i think we have to recognize though that what we do and consume will at some point affect the environment in some way. we often think that what we consume is just a one shot deal, and our waste gets dragged away (or excreted) and we don't think about where it goes. however it will eventually affect another place, when it ends up wherever it goes.

i was thinking the other day... when people get into long term relationships (this can include friendships or actual relationships)... depending on how established they are, i think it's interesting that certain habits, likes and dislikes are developed or changed which are influenced by the other person. what's more interesting to me is that some of these habits, likes, and dislikes continue to hold in an individual (which i think is more common in long term relationships between couples) even after they break up or end a friendship. what i think is fascinating is that even though the past person who was in the relationship isn't a part of one's daily thought process, they still may do certain things in their daily routine which are somehow connected to the other without thinking about it.

i've seen a two movies recently. up was really good, there were parts of it that really would affect anyone... but i think as a whole i still like nemo and monsters, inc. more. actually i think i'd rate wall-e higher too, though initially after i saw up i think i would've rated it higher than wall-e. the hangover was ridiculous. it's a little raunchy, so if you're not into those kinds of movies it might not be for you... but there are some parts that i thought were hillarious (and parts that i was thinking to myself, "who the hell thinks up these situations to put into movies?") there's also some really funny lines in it, and the baby is really cute.

that is it for now.

i hope i can make it home in time to check this out.

so i'm back in the bean. i'm not sure what's happened... but i'm feeling pretty good these days. maybe it's the weather, or the new apartment (i think this is it). or maybe i just needed that break back home. even in my classes, although i'm busy... i don't feel overwhelmed which is a nice change. i do much better when things are structured appropriately. this isn't to say that i didn't like my field training experience in the buff... but having the opportunity to come up with my own project and executing it was a stressful experience... especially when i knew there was a deadline i had to have something ready and usable by. though i'll still be involved with it for the foreseeable future... i will be making updates to my program over the internet and keeping in touch with the personnel that way. my one hope now though... is i keep up with my classes so i don't get majorly stressed as the semester wears on.

i don't know why i haphazardly agree to do things. i've lined up way too many projects, and i don't see how i'll be able to finish them. i wish i was working in the real world instead of being in school right about now.

instead of looking stuff up for a project i'm working on... i'm gonna do this dealie-o that christielli did on her blog. plus i haven't posted anything in a little bit, so that's another excuse to not do work.

1) What's a piece of music, any genre, any year, and form, (i.e 45, album, MP3, etc), that you often return to. Something that continually resonates throughout your life, and seems to gain greater impact as you grow older. How often do you find yourself seeking this piece?

while there are many that could be considered consistent in my musical bubble... the one constant over the last decade-plus has been sloan's twice removed. i go through phases in listening to the whole album... but there are a select couple of songs that probably get played most often including: penpals, i hate my generation, coax me, snowsuit sound, and i can feel it. although there are probably a lot of things that are different from present me than past me... this album is the one that connects me with my growing sense of independence. at that point, i didn't know how much i really loved buffalo... all i knew was i wanted to get out. it was junior year and the greater buffalo youth orchestra was playing a concert in toronto at u.t. during the few days we were there, we rehearsed, took in a tso performance, and had time to wander. i picked up this album for a cool $9.99 cdn which was like $3.50 usd at the time at an hmv. from that point on, i've been listening ever since. the album itself is a good mix of styles... i think the songwriting process of the band contributes immensely. i think that's a reason i keep going back to it.

2) Is there a specific story that relates to this?

there probably are many stories, but one i will mention. the original twice removed cd i bought at hmv got lost along the way. i think i lent it out to someone... i'm pretty sure it was someone in new york. i'm still kind of pissed about it because that was my original sloan purchase... the first one that started it all. the one i got with canadian money at an awesome exchange rate... at an hmv nonetheless (that we don't have in the states). since i wasn't in buffalo at the time... and sloan wasn't being carried by many of the big box music stores in nyc... i had to look for the album in the smaller stores. i found a copy (it's actually a promotional copy which is kind of cool) at generation records on thompson st. despite my coolio promo disc... which i would probably be ecstatic about in under other circumstances... i'm still pissed about not having my original.

3) Was there a piece of music, despite the fact that you may have "outgrown" it now that at one time changed your life? How about something you feel you'll never outgrow?

i think i have grown out of some artists... one that i can think of would probably be nine inch nails. it's not that i don't enjoy putting on a track once in awhile... i just think i've mellowed out from the angsti-ness that i previously had. i still get pissed off in real life... i just prefer that my music kind of calm me down these days.

4) Could a piece of music that you found in common with a stranger bond you for life? Is there a story behind that?

yes. there are 2 things in my life that really makes me connect to a person. music is one of them, the other is humor. the third thing might be food. i find that the people i'm most receptive to are the ones who can always recommend good new music.

5) Is there a favorite artist that you had that you gave up on only to have him or her redeem themselves?

hmmmm... i don't know if i give up on them... but i think with each album radiohead released, it was really hard for me to plug into their sound at first. i didn't really listen to the bends until months after i bought it... the same went with ok computer. i hated kid a when it came out... i didn't touch it again until amnesiac came out. in rainbows was probably the odd one in that i really latched onto the sound fairly quickly after a couple straight listens compared to the others beforehand. i think with radiohead, they always shift their sound a bit so it's more of a departure from their previous sound than i'm expecting.

6) Has music ever got you through some really tough times? How?

yes. the great thing about music is it can heighten your senses. i love listening to treble charger (w.a.b., detox) and weezer (green, maladroit) when it's sunny out with blue skies and i'm in my car and can roll the windows down. it makes the day 1000 times better. likewise... when i'm down... music can also help me work through trouble. best of all... there are songs that remind me of certain people or situations... and i guess there will always be a connection even if they leave this earth or i get old.

7) Can music change the world or is that naive wishful thinking?

music has changed the world, though maybe not physically... but as long as people can internalize it and find an application to their own lives... it can people, and indirectly change the world.

8) Is Rock and Roll dead?

no. sloan still rocks out. if you've never seen sloan... you NEED to.

9) What's the song you wish played at you wedding? How about your funeral?

wedding... along with my mustache plans for my groomsmen and myself... there are a couple songs... but i guess i'd have to go over that list with my s.o. i think that ac/dc's you shook me all night long should be one of them though. another one that i have in mind might be electic six's gay bar. funny story... so i was in the car with my advisor/mentor for this project that i'm working on. we were visiting the pharmacies that were involved in the project... and she told me to pick a station on her satellite radio... telling me how she liked listening to new music and a lot of her students have led her to discover new music etc. at first i didn't know what genre she liked so i said i'm ok with anything and just kept the station on npr. after she implored me to go ahead and choose something... i did... so i picked the indie station... and this electric six song came on. while the song's playing she asks me, "what are they saying?" and i tell her... and while i think it might not have been what she was expecting to be confirmed... i think she was ok with it and even liked the song generally speaking. i think it's a great song... very different to what you would hear in the mainstream. the video itself is hilarious.

as for the funeral there are a couple of the weakerthans songs i have kicking in my head. for now, i'll have to say psalm for the elks lodge last call.

10) What's the greatest live show you ever saw? In what year? Why? How old were you then? Did you attend with friends? Were you a skeptic going in?
Did you enter a huge fan? How about the most disappointing show? Why?

greatest show? there are a couple i'd say. the first that comes to mind. radiohead radio city music hall spring 1998. blew me away. first time i heard bishop's robes. i can't believe we got tix to this thing... the first show sold out in a minute... the 2nd opened up and sold out in 5 minutes or something like that. i remember standing in line with stocham and there were 4 people in front of us that got tix to the 1st and 2nd shows... then i think only 1 other person after us got tix. crazy. next up... sloan september 1998 in support of navy blues. this was the first time i saw sloan in new york... and first time i went to the bowery ballroom. the venue was just recently renovated and opened... the area was still quite shady. i took stocham to his first sloan show and indoctrinated him into the sloan way (SLO-OAN). christielli had posted previously about the best live mcm she's heard... well... i'd have to say this would be mine best live mcm performance i've seen/heard. LOVE the sirens as intro. lastly... i believe it was a november 1999 show... i do know it was in support of btb. the live version of poor boy was OFF THE HOOK. best live version i've heard of it hands down. all with friends, never skeptical, pretty big fan already.

i don't know if i've seen a disappointing show... but i remember the last buffalo edgefest (not cfny's edgefest up in canada) i went to with my friend jp. we were in buffalo during the summer. we felt really old. lots of young kids... like we used to be running around listening to music getting their first taste of freedom. the shows were ok... i wasn't expecting to be blown away or anything... so i can't say i was disappointed. i've never been back to an anything-fest type show again. i saw weezer at continental airlines arena once. i think the venue sucked... i don't know if i was expecting to be blown away either at this one since i generally don't like arena or stadium shows. the sound either bounces weird or dissipates all stupid. i've never been to another arena or stadium show since. i'm just gonna stick to my bowery ballroom and hope that sloan never gets too big in the states to be able to fill giants stadium.

11) Have your feelings about recorded or live music changed over the years?

recorded music is great... it makes it accessible wherever you go. i do prefer the live music if i find a band i like. i want to know if they're for real or if it's all manufactured sound.

12) Do you listen to radio? How do you listen to music?

sometimes i still tune into the radio... but it's definitely not as often as i used to. depending on my locale the way i listen changes. in boston or nyc where i didn't have a car... ipod when i'm commuting or walking the streets. in buffalo... cd's in the car. when i'm home... itunes on an nfs connection through my xubuntu box when i'm under os x, and on a samba connection through my xubuntu box when i'm under vista. music + computer nerd = happy.

13) Has the amount of time you listen to music changed over the years? To what extent?

i guess over the years it may have increased a little more? the ipod helps when you live in a city where you spend a lot of time walking. cd's were ok... but sometimes they'd skip and you could really only have one disc in the player itself while you were walking. ipods and the like changed the game.

14) In these tough economic stressful times do you gravitate towards a different kind of music, i.e happy, nostalgic, the blues, then you did say, 4 years ago?

nope

15) You're stuck on a desert isle, you've got a mix Cd with 10 songs you're stuck with until your dying day, (or at least until you're rescued) what are those 10 songs and why?

i'm getting tired... so i'm just gonna list 10 songs without explanations.

1) coax me - sloan

2) fallow - the weakerthans

3) karma police - radiohead

4) nostalgia - cracker

5) foo fighters - everlong

6) black - sarah mclachlan

7) never meant any harm - the golden dogs

8) how to say goodby - paul tiernan

9) weezer - island in the sun

10) trip like i do - the crystal method (i was trying to decide between this or a moby or nin song)