Oh right. I have a blog.

Excuse the absence, folks. Finals are around the corner. November 3, 8, and 11. Here are a few recent shots from the phone-o-bot, bopping around the city. Smooch.

ruining my childhood, one wikipedia entry at a time

Did you guys know that for the first 14 years of Sesame Street, Snuffleupagus was Big Bird's imaginary friend? Big Bird was always talking about Snuffy to his human friends, but they couldn't see Snuffy and dismissed his existence despite Big Bird's protests. The reason to reveal him?

"In an interview on a Canadian telethon that was hosted by Bob McGrath, Snuffy's performer, Martin P. Robinson, revealed that Snuffy was finally introduced to the main human cast mainly due to a string of high profile and sometimes graphic stories of pedophilia and sexual abuse of children that had been aired on shows such as 60 Minutes and 20/20. The writers felt that by having the adults refuse to believe Big Bird despite the fact that he was telling the truth, they were scaring children into thinking that their parents would not believe them if they had been sexually abused and that they would just be better off remaining silent."

On mullet watch

My little studio apartment overlooks a small courtyard, and on the other side of the courtyard is a building that's probably 10 stories of apartments. My building is only 6 stories, and I live on the top floor (holla). Right next to the building across the way is a small hostel/hotel. There are hardly ever any guests, but when there are, there tends to be a whole bunch of them. I live really close to the biggest covered stadium in Auckland, so when big acts come (U2, for instance) (EDIT: blecht. U2. That's for Josh), this little neighboring hotel seems to get a good crowd. Which brings me to last week. Metallica in concert for two nights. People go wild here for big acts because not so many hugely-famous bands come here, let alone the wet dream of every metalhead, Metallica. I think Tool is coming here in February, and people are already acting pumped about it.

So there's a bunch of commotion outside my window, and I peer down at the backyard/patio of the hotel. Mullets. Tons of them. AC/DC, Metallica, and Tool t-shirts are the only acceptable form of clothing. The bladders from boxes o wine are removed from the boxes, and they're being drunk like the olden days when wine actually was kept in some sort of animal's organ and drunk from a spigot. There is some sort of drinking game/ritual which involves one mullet trying to drink from the bag while another mullet slaps it as hard as he can. I do not get this. Good booze is being spilled, you animals! And by good booze, I obviously mean the cheapest wine you can buy.

I get bored watching them just smoke and drink and slap, so I go about my business. Then about 10 minutes later, one of them is screaming at others to GET DOWN FROM THERE YOU ASSHOLES YOU'RE GOING TO GET US KICKED OUT OF HERE WHAT THE FUCK GET DOWN. So I go peek out the window, and two of the mullets have climbed up a fire escape onto the roof of another building. They tucked some beers and liquor into their pants, and apparently planned to just hang out on the steep roof of an adjacent building. The climbing mullets are all, "What's your problem, dude? We're just hanging out. Why are you angry?" Screamy mullet is all I'M NOT ANGRY. I'M JUST SO DISAPPOINTED IN YOU GUYS.

To add to the fun, there's a girl with them outside, and she is gagging. She's standing out there on the porch with them, gagging into the grass, trying not to throw up. She throws up a little. Then she has a good healthy glug of beer, because that'll help you stop gagging! More beer! Then more gagging. Repeat. The guys all make puking noises. You know, just trying to help!

I'm sad I won't be here for a repeat show of stupid antics when Tool gets here! Not.

turtle power

Some days in life seem ordinary, with nothing special to make them stand out. Other days you go out to dinner and get serenaded by a band of attractive tipsy kiwis in suits who just came from wine club. In case you were wondering, wine club is an event that these guys have sporadically and without much notice. Someone (who they claim to not know) sends an email out to the group with the date and location of the next wine club, they don suits, and each member brings a bottle of wine. Oh life. You're so funny.