Also over at the 'fork: a contest. Wow. I wonder what Pitchfork's number one album of the year will be. That's really, uh, difficult to predict. Let me put on my wizard's cap and see if I can puzzle that one out...

I wrapped the few presents I've bought tonight. It was mostly stuff for my family, but I also had some presents for Matty, Brian, and Ray. I can't find Colin's gift. It will turn up in enough time, I'm sure.

I'm home tonight, Mom wants to start the holiday baking. The allure of peanut brittle is enough to keep me at home when I'm totally flat broke.

Matty called a little while ago. He made me turn on MTV so I could see the Backstreet Boys. What's with them, anyway? Two of them look like heshers, and one of them looks like the sort of guy who goes to indie rock shows. He's got the glasses, the ironic t-shirt, the little beer belly, the haircut...maybe he'll drop out of the Backstreet Boys and start touring with one of the Elephant 6 bands. As for the hesher Backstreet Boys, well, I can imagine that every high school burnout is thrilled because now they look like a Backstreet Boy without even trying. I wonder if this means that all the 12-year old BSB fans are going to develop a thing for heshers...I wonder...weird.

And I own the issue of Teen People with the Backstreet Boys on the cover. You know, the one where one of them is wearing a Journey t-shirt. Ray alerted me to this, and I ran out and bought it immediately. I decided that I absolutely could not live without it. Absolute hesher chic.

I got the writing center tutoring job. I'll be making the enormous amount of $400/month. To supplement my income, I've taken to selling shit on eBay. No, it's nothing cool or exciting, mostly just industrial CDs that I had laying around the house from the old days when I used to review industrial CDs. You can go ahead and check out the list of stuff I'm selling if you'd like. It's probably worth a good laugh. I'm consistently amazed at the amount of money people will pay for CDs that are readily available.

I saw a weblog the other day that made me laugh. Not in a "ha-ha funny" way, but in an "oh my god that's so pathetic" way. (No, it wasn't a certain "couple weblog" that we all know and love.) The weblog used the same template as our beloved are you wearing a wire? and the same sidebar format and the same funny aliases. However, this other weblog also relentlessly linked to the Hey Mercedes and Braid websites--I'm talking multiple times in every damn post. It was the most ridiculous exercise in name-dropping that I've ever seen. Hopefully it was just a joke.

Speaking of Bob, he's going to be in the live audience for The Price is Right. Lucky. I love that show. I hope he gets to go on stage because I'd love to see him play a pricing game. The local news had a special report a couple of weeks ago about how to be selected to be a contestant on game shows. Apparently, the key to being a contestant on The Price is Right is personality. When the guy comes around before the show to talk to the people in line, be sure to smile. And have lots of personality. The other thing? Even though he asks for your name and hometown, say something else. Say something that shows your personality. Talk about pumpkin muffins or something cool. Talk about your weblog and how you are a Great Indie Rawk Internet Celebrity.

Speaking of game shows, it's 3:30, time for Jeopardy. Ah, the simple pleasures of unemployed life...

Bob, you said the Flat Top Grill at NORTH and WELLS. We were there, all six of us. I missed your call because my cell phone was in my pocket, but when I got your message saying that you were at the Flat Top Grill at BELMONT and SOUTHPORT, it made me hiss. Boooo. Hisssss. I missed a golden opportunity to hang out with a rawk legend because we went to the wrong Flat Top Grill. (The food was kickass, though. Good suggestion.)

Brian is awesome.

That is all for now.