rats and visigoths

Monday, July 20, 2009

10:54PM - back

in the states, but you probably knew that.

Friday, July 3, 2009

1:25PM - Now with more internet presence.

You'll be seeing me soon enough anyway, but in case you're wondering what I've been up to, here are a couple videos from my last Crunch. They're a bit dark, but the room was a bit dark.

here's one about Swansea.

the whole night is pretty much up there, but you'll have to click on the username, since the videos are new enough they don't necessarily show up in "related videos." Or if you type in Graham Crunch it should work.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

1:40PM - when the cash cow's actually beef.

I realised I haven't posted here in two weeks.

Lessee: I'm 28 now. Feel simultaneously about 19 and 53. General posts about events, plans or mental states are irrelevant nearly as soon as I put them up here; life is moving at an alarming clip.

Current music: aesop rock

(don't go to Harvard, don't go to Yale)

Friday, June 5, 2009

3:23PM - We were run out on a rail. . .

So I finished reading Infinite Jest, which is very long, very funny, very sad and very good, in my opinion. Notable was its use of made-up slang. So like, if someone was to "de-map" themselves they offed themeself. If someone was feeling "a bit punk" they were, you know, low-ish.

today I'm feeling a bit punk. sometimes I find the cure for feeling a bit punk is, conversely, feeling a bit punk.

wish I couldn't ever, like, relate to that song.

Friday, May 29, 2009

6:13PM - the problem with so much internet

posted a thing on Facebook about leaving Swansea, you can probably read it there, but yes, I am, in about a month and change, going to be back in the States or something.

Current music: Devo-- Gates of Steel

(2 failed | don't go to Harvard, don't go to Yale)

Friday, May 22, 2009

5:03PM - The More Things Change?

so it looks like Black Eyes and Neckties (the ones from bellingham, yeah) are likely playing a gig in Swansea I helped set up in the basement of my friends' practice space. On Sunday. Just about to visit lovely Bridgend (never been, don't smirk, the unwillingness of anyone to go anywhere, ever, is becoming a real pet peeve as the countdown starts) to see them play and confirm everything. Jess just asked if I wanted to write an article about it.

in the next week I'll be getting a visit from Ian P. as well. Go go deja vu.

Current music: nine black alps

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

1:14PM - if money is a problem I'll work for nothing and for days on end

today I drop off my pen drive to get a second printing of the chapbook done by friday, which is the first in a series of Global-Poetry-System related events, that improbably enough, seem to be coming together pretty nicely.

lately, also there've been weekly punk gigs at Bar Sigma and tonight the bands sound more like The Replacements or Lemonheads than Pennywise or The Bronx (who I like but enough is enough already) so I'll probably go after work since I'll have gotten my wages and maybe I'll eat a full, honest-to-God meal instead of like two spar-grade chicken sandwiches or a bowl of porridge and piece of toast, as well.

the guy next to me in the library is asking for help on setting up an e-mail address and all his favourite movie quotes have been taken.

Current music: Dinosaur Jr-- Love Is a Boat and We're Sinking

Saturday, May 2, 2009

11:12AM - Now pull your socks up:

Well, this has certainly been an eventful week.

I'll need to be careful with music selections.

Current music: Future of the Left-- Arming Eritrea

Monday, April 13, 2009

9:30AM - Animals.

"Lately life has just been feeling meaningless. Like I don't see the point."
"You need a new interest, Ceri."
"Graham, you're right. Perhaps I'll embark on some new form of sexual deviancy I haven't yet explored."
conversation from one side of the bar to another. later he asked me if I would ever consider pulling a man off for money. The rest of the conversation is too filthy for the internet.

then later, in the lounge, two very pleasant but a bit dotty old-ish men who sit and drink fosters and john smiths until we close ask me questions about Jazz and whatnot. Fair enough. Answer as best I can.
I'm cleaning up, putting away glasses, crouched behind the bar. Hear one of them call to me--
"'Ey Graham! Graham-- do you remember the Big O?"
The WHATthankyewverymuch?
He was referring to Roy Orbison, who was playing on the jukebox. Obviously.

Work has actually been pretty solid for Banter lately, which is one of the things i appreciate most about it. Co-worker John referred to the jukebox set of Golden Oldies (See: Twist and Shout, Pretty Woman, etc) as The Wedding Playlist.
They just set the controls to 'wedding reception' and that's all you need right there.

Non-work is going well too; a couple of events in place for GPS, almost (as always) done with the new chappy, sorted out my relationship status, things like that that can prey on your mind when you aren't actually doing anything about them.

Current music: TV on the Radio-- Shout Me Out

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

2:11PM - File Under: Never Surprising, Always Annoying

--> how people (even good, creative, well-intentioned people) are prompt and ready to be in touch with you when they want you to do something for them/show up to their events, but suddenly forget how to answer e-mails when, say, due to re-imburse or pay you for aforementioned stuff.

--> how computers (even personal laptops which you have a loving, tender* relationship with) choose not to work when you're trying to complete a chapbook.

--> how this is the same week that the long-coming and inevitable disabling of your student account occurs. I'm not actually That annoyed on this point; I've been using their internet and word processors for about six months post matriculation. And IT Support was very nice and got all my documents and pictures securely** on to my pen drive.
This does mark a genuine transition in terms of daily landscape, even in the faces that I see regularly. Maybe the walks along the beach will be better for me anyway.

--> how even after changing my address and letting them know where I currently live, Swansea Uni still sends my diploma and graduation ceremony information to Stanwood, Wa. Dad suggests I use graduation as a bartering chip to stay through July if necessary. May do, but I've never properly walked in a graduation ceremony before*** and if my folks can't make it out to get all proud and misty-eyed I don't see the point in starting now. Such things are weak sauce.

*more like s/m
**as secure as having all your personal information on a piece of plastic about the size of a large pill ever could be
*** this has been an issue with myself and my mum. but if they don't want to fly out to see me don the monkey suit, I'm not paying £60 or whatever that I don't have to wear it

Current music: Clinic-- Corpus Christi

(2 failed | don't go to Harvard, don't go to Yale)

Thursday, March 26, 2009

2:24PM - there they go, fucking up the ratio.

tommorrow at 555am I take a train to London for the Southbank Centre's workshop/orientation for all the partners in the Global Poetry System. I don't have a place to stay or much money, but hey-- flexibility. go see some art galleries and shit, come back with a GPS Plan of Attack.

Current music: archers of loaf-- lowest part is free

Saturday, March 21, 2009

2:27PM - these kids, I swear, drink nike

for kids back home curious about Welsh vs. English accents, here's a broad stroke. Also a fairly hilarious interview. The band (Future of the Left) is from Cardiff and speaking for camera, so the accent is a bit toned down. But you can still tell the diff between the London interviewer and our Welsh boys here.

. . . this isn't the single they're talking about, nor is it quite representative of Future of the Left's "sound". . . its a bit cleaned up and a bit more march-y than usual. But the video and the song compliment eachother in an odd funny/disturbing way that Falkous just seems to be getting better at. I think 4AD (see also: TV on the Radio, Pixies, Bon Iver, Deerhunter) perhaps wanted something less tweaked to lead off with.
The Pub I work in is not quite as old-fashionedy as this one, but for some reason the one in the video feels very familiar and authentic, for all its weirdness. Perhaps because of all the weirdness, only brought to the surface instead of lingering below candy vodka shots and charted jukebox hits.

If I found any good Gindrinker videos, you'd have those as well. But try Youtubing "gindrinker" and you get a buncha tanned sorority girls falling over.

Current music: Future of the Left/Gindrinker

(3 failed | don't go to Harvard, don't go to Yale)

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

12:57PM - Croeso ir llyn dinas.

Last night I dreamt I was in my growing-up-neighborhood of Lake City,(Caerllyn?) but all the signs were in both English and Welsh. So how do you say "Used Cars" in Welsh? Very odd.

The last week and a half has been busy-nuts and long stretches of nothing all at once. Reconciling stress and boredom is a weird sort of juggling act.

I was going to make some sort of list-like structure about all the various things, but instead there's this:

marriedtothesea.com

Current music: Los Campesinos-- Ways to make it through the wall

(3 failed | don't go to Harvard, don't go to Yale)

Saturday, February 28, 2009

2:25PM - mailmailmailmail

I sent off the visa-app-packet yesterday. I posted a lengthy note re: What That Probably Means on both Myspace and Facebook and I figure that covers pretty much all of you; I'll spare the long post here.

but it does feel better. yesterday when Adam and I got coffee i was actually able to hold up an end of conversation instead of staring off into the distance, shaking my head and saying "yeah, I really need to hear from ____ so I can fill in ____."

and work was the rugby game and I didn't actually want to hurt people. much.

Current music: Fountains of Wayne-- Hackensack

Monday, February 16, 2009

12:12AM - Having nothing to do with borders, plans or whatnot--

-- If you're the praying type, could you send a few up for 1) My 89 year old Grandma, who caught pneumonia? I'm not going to make a long Grandma Post right now, but she's very important to me and lots of people. 2) My Aunt Betty, who just had a kidney removed, and there was cancer in it, so now they're going to see if she has Cancer.

If you're not the praying type, then I guess please just stay safe and well.

Current mood: concerned

Current music: Right Hand/Left Hand-- Stanislov Petrov

(3 failed | don't go to Harvard, don't go to Yale)

Thursday, February 5, 2009

9:51AM - Life just passed and flashed right through me

It's a busy week. a Plan has formed. in an hour I go Talk to People In Person about sponsoring my stay in the UK. sometimes, to get something you want, you have to ask. crazy, I know.

then I will walk home through half-snow and sleep until ~~I wake up three weeks from now and it's all sorted, magically~~ work.

it's kind of like this:

marriedtothesea.com

Current music: Deerhunter-- Nothing Ever Happened

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

7:21PM - The Immigration Enquiry Phoneline

. . . was busy. the website is unhelpful in the way that all well-organised, highly detailed and completely official websites are unhelpful.
tommorrow I get my wages. i'm not sure how much will need to go in the bank, how much I can spend and how much I need to cluster in corners only to be withdrawn for things later in the month like food or escapism. there is a pile of "letters" sitting on top of my empty suitcase. mom sent them with Lailey when she visited. They are all from banks and loans companies. i still haven't looked at them.

these are the things i think about when i'm not doing my damndest not too.

in about a half an hour I will drink champaigne at Ian and Nessa's house and watch an inauguration that many of my friends already have. its important enough to mention worthily, thoughtfully and insightfully, but my days of having Big Important Thoughts have gone the way of so many 18th century foxes, skinned and made into scarves.

Current music: Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive to Death-- Jane

(don't go to Harvard, don't go to Yale)

Friday, January 16, 2009

2:57PM - . . . but who is number 1?

a few days late, but R.I.P. Patrick McGoohan.

Current music: Feral Children-- Zyghost

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

2:51PM - This is the first Livejournal post of 2009 where I'm sitting in the computer lab listening. . .

. . . to the Hold Steady and trying to write a long overdue article for The Antagonist about Dead of Night/Punk Rock Karaoke/Mystery Action while suckin' down a sugary americano and trying my damndest not to swirl my swirly seat around too much for fear of distracting those in the post-grad-study-lab from their actual work.

i wrote a longer thing about 2008 on my myspace blawg. It occurs to me I just mentioned one social-connector site that people are jumping ship like rats on another. I have my preferences, of course, but these are just tools to help people stay inexorably tied to every motherfucker they ever tried to forget.

Current music: the hold steady-- charlemagne in sweatpants