please ignore me and pass by as you were

it is now just over 25 minutes since i witnessed THE MOUNTAIN GOATS perform an impassioned encore rendition of "this year" from their sunset tree release. i am currently sitting in the student computing centre on the 4th floor of union house at the university of melbourne struggling to compose my thoughts. four floors below me in north court for the lunch hour on this tuesday the 11th of april, peter hughes and john darnielle were kind enough to entertain we feeble students in a free concert on the eve of their corner hotel show tomorrow night. the ever-banterful darnielle immediately endeared himself to the "college" audience beckoning us closer and regaling us with anecdotes and insights into his song-stories all the while wringing volume and pathos from his instruments (both voice and guitar). his self-confessed manic energy was contagious, gleefully responsing to requests from the audience (only one honoured, the predictable palmcorder yajna) and consuming beer in the afternoon sun. we heard of his fascination with the villainous ox baker, pro-wrestler, who would teach us "a certain lesson" and scowl thoughtlessly, of the driveway of a typical south claremont home adorned with the cacti and gardenias which didn't quite fit the planting scheme and the four door honda civic with a left hand steering column ("cos that was where i grew up") which featured in a midset song. he told us of his aversion to outdoor gigs, which he avoids like the black plague - the last of which he believed to be in 1997, and his dread at approaching today's event. so apparently overwhelmed was he, he related a conversation he had with his wife this morning and her instructions to "quit whining, you fuck, and go to work" to which he reaponded "be nice to your husband, etcetera.." he confessed the quiet, comtemplative ones were stuck in his brain ("always a risk"), but performed only one reading the mood perfectly. he vigorously strummed, obviously in his element, and proved himself a consumate performer in addition to an incredible songwriter. there were songs about having the sex you shouldn't have whilst residing in dormitories and the one about what to do when you're stepfather starts beating your mother. and surprisingly few from last year's record that no doubt raised the band's profile in this country (absent both were broom people and up the wolves). in their sted the duo drew from an imcomparable catalogue but again refrained from fan-favourite going to georgia. but these hardly amount to gripes on my part; in fact having chatted to peter hughes for some 15 minutes before he went on stage and securing both his and john's autographs subsequent to their performance, as well as engaging john on his interest in the classical languages (relating my current studies of the elegy of tibullus and the historian tacitus) and peter on his opinion of the pitchfork website and my inclusion of both his and bobby wratten's band's on a mixtape for my partner, i have never felt so engaged with an artist subsequent to appreciating their work. while no doubt reading over this later will provoke embarrassment on my part at my obvious sycophancy, right now it occurs to me that i have failed to capture as eloquently, elegantly and precisely what just one of john's songs can convey. but hopefully, amidst this torrent of words, thoughts, ideas and emotions currently coursing through me, and my desperation to record every detail and nuance, the sheer thrill and excitement that was elicited from me is evident to all. and i hope in some small way i have fittingly celebrated the transcedent and tireless nature of music . thankyou, john and peter - it was a most remarkable thing you did today

Please to remember the Fifth of November, Gunpowder Treason and Plot. We know no reason why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot.

A desperate disease requires a dangerous remedy.

Guy Fawkes (1570-1606), conspirator in the Gunpowder Plot

V for Vendetta, based on a graphic novel by Alan Moore (The Watchmen, From Hell, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) adapted for the screen by the Wachowski brothers (pre-Matrix), released march 30.

i, no doubt, didn't tell you first.

fab four vs the flab four

better title for last post...

OR the f(l)ab four

which beatle would be what teletubby? discuss

such was my seeming paucity of ideas, thoughts and experiences i feared i would have to resort to trawling here for content. i even considered googling possible memes which i could undertake despite not having been tagged. thankfully inspiration struck in the form of one of my closest friends whom i duly chose to berate with much gusto and invective. you can view said outburst here but please do return to these kinder, gentler shores despite the fact audible chuckles may emanate from your mouth when you relocate. an experience which may be new to regular readers of this intellectual mecca.

we poke because we love, adrian. because we love.

finally, some words of love from carole king and gerry goffin;

He hit me and it felt like a kiss
He hit me but it didn't hurt me
He couldn't stand to hear me say,
That I'd been with someone new
And when I told him I had been untrue
He hit me and it felt like a kiss
He hit me and I knew he loved me
If he didn't care for me
I could never have made him mad
But he hit me and I was glad

Yes he hit me and it felt like a kiss
He hit me and I knew I loved him
And then he took me in his arms
With all the tenderness there is
And when he kissed me
He made me his.

(the Phil Spector produced He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss) found on Back To MONO
(1958-1969) BOXset by The Crystals)

as time goes by*

resisting the temptation to partake in an online quiz (motivated by genuine interest in its comic potential this time and not by spite), i give you these words penned by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch and Casey Robinson (uncredited) featuring in the incomparable Casablanca (based on the play Everybody comes to Rick's by Murrray Burnett and Joan Alison). you may not be interested to learn that despite the fact i revisited this film at the astor on sunday evening, i was unable to assert that it was directed by michael curtiz as required of me at quizmeisters trivia last night at the royston in richmond. for those of you following our ongoing trivia fortunes, our team was called we're really struggling and we wiped the floor, thumping our opposition and romping home with a comfortable winning margin of 4 points. but back to some of the best dialogue committed to screen;

Play it once, Sam. For old times' sake
Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine
Here's (to) looking at you, kid
I'm not fighting for anything anymore, except myself. I'm the only cause I'm interested in
If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with him, you'll regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon — and for the rest of your life
We'll always have Paris
Major Strausser has been shot. Round up the usual suspects
Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship

*words and music Herman Hupfeld (1931)

my silent* protest (almost) against the widespread abuse of Reply All

an email i didn't send to my lawyer today because i'm, like, considerate. also may accidentally reveal my secret identity. read on...

From : Malcolm T girlversusboy@hotmail.com
Sent : Friday, 13 January 2006 7:07:00 PM
To : (address with-held to rotect the innocent)
Subject : RE: FW: A personalised response just for you

i fucking hate you all. and i know this is only going to you and will probably not make it through your filters. and i don't give a fuck. and then when i call up they can ask who it is and i'll tell them who the fuck it is and to put me throught to my fucking lawyer. it's MALCOLM FUCKING THOMAS OKAY!! fuck why isn't there anything bigger than capitals...i'll be in my fucking room. now die

Do I listen to pop music because I'm miserable?
Or am I miserable because I listen to pop music?

*oh, and its a silent protest because noone involved will or does read this blog unless i directly refer them here irl. plus if you look at the site meter, at least half of those visits are me. ego is not a dirty word

**APPARENTLY THERE IS

"i told you i was sick" - Spike Milligan's epitaph (it's apt, damnit...APT!**)

*** see above **

why don't you just ... die?

Free from addiction!
You are 10% Addicted!

You have either just started playing, or don't really seem to like the game very much yet. Be thankful that you still have a life outside of the game.

My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 0% on addiction level

what's the happs

have a bender at blender at bender this afternoon. witness the debut club performance by bedroom twiddler, all-round nice-guy and electrician to the stars dj bryzamac (and yes, i have already told him he needs to work on his stage name - my suggestion, lord bryon master of the decks). as an added bonus, i may be in attendance so you can see for yourselves (wow, plural, that's optimistic) how closely i do resemble this lot. or perhaps you might think i look more like this. or maybe you could just look for this guy (a loving and excellent hand-drawn reproduction of my likeness recently added to this site). but failing that i am posting this flyer as a show of support. i actually commenced this post with the intention of doing something altruistic but amazingly it turned out that i still managed to make it about me. as certain authors of viral web surveys may command, attend or DIE*!!

*of course if you do actually die this afternoon, this would be in extremely poor taste. we here at girl vs boy take no responsibility for any adverse life outcomes suffered forthwith (disclaimer valid till 12.01am, monday january 9, 2006)

more "people" i look like

Clockwise from top left: dilbert (created byScott Adams), disco stu (created by Matt Groening), a golliwog, herschel schmoikel (a.k.a. Krusty the Clown, also created by Matt Groening)

I seriously doubt the orginality of some of these so-called artists

go figure...

...welcome to the first day of the rest of your life and to get started we'll make a list of all the silly things you did yesterday...

(Michael Leunig, Age cartoonist, 2006 wall calendar "January")