Month: November 2003

I went back to Best Buy at 6 PM, after I got off work.
Lo and behold, four copies of Midway Arcade Treasures were out.
I am so busting that kid with the manager next time I have a free minute.

The sun has been shining, the temperature has been around 60. A beautiful November day. Something had to fuck it up.
I decide to go to Best Buy to try and find Midway Arcade Treasures during lunch. Now, I had been of mixed faith about the Best Buy on 23rd & 6th; for weeks they had been fucking with me by not getting anything in on the release date, or not having what I wanted in. Luckily, the service staff has mostly been nice to me, including going to the back without me asking to check if they have things in stock. This is how I got Manhunt on Friday, so I was certainly on the “pleased” side of things when I went in today.
But when I went to the video game section, my arch-nemesis was working. You know the type – greasy shoulder length black hair, a little pimply, completely unconcerned with anyone in the department, and completely inept.
I walked to the PS2 section. I see that there are no copies located by the sign for MAT. I check the “front display”, there’s nothing there either. I sigh and approach the Greaseball.
Me: Do you have any more copies of Midway Arcade Treasures for the PS2?
Note the key word in this phrase: More. Implying that there aren’t any there. So what does the kid do? HE WALKS PAST ME AND LOOKS TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY ON THE SHELF. Then he turns to me, shakes his head, and gives me a big shiteating grin.
I storm off towards lunch at – you guessed it – Boston Market. It had been almost a week since our fateful play, and I walk in and – like the gods are against me – there’s the same fucking inept girl trying to take my order again. I was ordering for Ian as well:
Me: I need a grilled chicken sandwich and a meatloaf sandwich.
Her: *blank stare* What?
Me: CHICKEN. SANDWICH. AND. MEATLOAF. SANDWICH.
Her: *goes over to the carver, says something quietly*
Carver: WHAT?
Me: I am not having deja vu at all.
Her: *comes back over* One more time?
Me: I need a grilled chicken breast sandwich and a double sauced meatloaf sandwich. Please.
Her: *back over to the carver*
Carver: WHITE OR WHOLE WHEAT?
By this point, I have learned my lesson, and just begin yelling instructions right at the carver. He is much appreciative, as am I to be able to get my food without resorting to homicide.
And as I’m walking back to the office, you can’t help but notice that it’s a little bit darker and that the wind is blowing enough to make you button up your coat.
Yes, the asshats of the world are to blame for it all.

I had almost neglected to do this. My iTunes library hosed itself yesterday morning, and only by a miracle was I able to recover the data for the majority of my library. And then the lovely gentleman Stanley has beaten me to the punch on my own concept.
But lo, we must persevere! And by we I mean I!
Joga by Bjork, off Greatest Hits
Bjork is one of those artists who for years I had a passing appreciation of. I believe the phrase I’ve used before is “wouldn’t go out of my way to buy an album, but wouldn’t turn them off on the radio”. I nabbed Bjork’s greatest hits album a few months back, and while I was on the way to work the other day, this came on and just blew me away. Bjork’s voice has always impressed me as to how well it works with various instrumental backings, and this song uses some very sorrowful strings for great contrast. Quality track, here.
Born Slippy 2003 (12 Inch Version) by Underworld, off Born Slippy 2003 EP
1996 was a fairly good year for techno and trance. Besides the US “explosion” of electronia (read: Prodigy and Chemical Brothers getting high profile releases), things began to filter into the general populace a little more. And this was the year Underworld appeared on most everyone’s radar, as Born Slippy NUXX appeared prominently in Trainspotting.
Come on, you know the song – the “DUNN, Dunnn, dunnn, dunnn….” of the melody, the driving drums, Karl Hyde’s hypnotic vocals. The new EP in question here, the 2003 mix, replaces the melody with some echoing pianos, giving the track an entirely new feel.
Of course, there’s also three other new remixes on the EP, so it’s worth picking up for any Underworld fan.
We Don’t Care by The Audio Bullys, off Ego War
I’m sure you’ve heard this if you’ve played SSX 3. In the game, it’s just a sort of thumpy-thumpy house tune. On the OST, on the other hand – and also on the original CD – it grows some balls. It’s a fun, unapologetic house song that you just can’t help but to like. It’s being labeled as “hooligan house” by some media outlets, and given how much I dug The Streets, it’d be hard not to dig this.
Recommended for anyone who likes The Streets or hard house in general.
6 by Stereoprimer, off SID Tunes
SID Tunes is an album full of low-tech dance music made with Commodore 64s. If I need to explain to you why this is logically a good album, you’ve lost all hope.
Come On, Ghost by The Pillows, off Thank You, My Twilight
I hadn’t even heard of The Pillows until Steve Tze handed me one of their albums after he got back from Japan. They’re a light J-Rock band, and while I haven’t crunched through all of their album, this track has stood out thus far as having a nice hook and good brain-sticking ability. Check it out if you can.