Interesting little blurb I stole for A-Train....

1. One book that changed your life: As we have previously discussed in several graduate classes I am very skeptical of the "literacy as a means of life saving or life changing event." I think it is a dangerous and problematic message to send to students/people. However, if I had to choose one book that made a difference in my life I would probably choose Beowulf or The Sun Also Rises. The Sun Also Rises just made me love good literature. Beowulf made me realize that I really have a special aptitude for literature. As an undergrad everyone in a British Survey course was struggling with it, and did not understand but I got it, and quickly. It made me realize that I was a much better student than I thought and gave me confidence to stick with the English Major. I would also have to say The Wasteland for many of the same reasons A Train did. Dr. Stayer is amazing and very much missed. When I took his classes (which were typically called "blood courses" because of his penchant for bleeding on student writing, and bringing them to tears) and did well I knew I wanted to become a professor and not settle for coaching football in some small town with no growth for the next 25 years before retiring to a lake house to "run out the clock."

2. One book that you've read more than once: The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway. I have read that book a thousand times but I have to admit it doesn't mean what it used to. As I get older and the 18 year old stilted male identity gets farther and farther away Hemingway loses some of the power he had when I was younger.

3. One book you'd want on a desert island: Sabbath's Theater by Philip Roth. It is funny, sick, and awesome. It is Roth's masterpiece, and one of my favorite novels.

4. One book that made you laugh: Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. This book was simply awesome and one of the few books to make me laugh out loud. I love the scene where the students are protesting below his office window because he has not returned essays, and he berates them unmercifully before dumping the box full of essays on their heads. Classic teacher moment.

5. One book that made you cry: The Road by Cormac McCarthy. This is one of the best books in the American Tradition. I have never read anything that has stuck with me or affected me the way this book did. It is grim, heart wrenching, and redemptive. It is the only book that has made me openly emotional after reading it. This is the only book I think that represents both the humanity and all that is good in Man and total evil and all that base is base and vile in Man. To say it is a good book is an understatement. This will go down as one of the definitive texts in world literature before all is said and done.

6. One book you wish had been written: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Strait A's as an Undergraduate Party Boy. I love my undergraduate experience but things would be a lot easier if I had studied a bit more, and partied it up a bit less. I mean I graduated with a 3.5 in English but a 4.0 would make applying to Graduate Schools a lot easier.

7. One book you wish had never been written: Push by Sapphire. The most worthlessly racist and stereotypical book ever with no story arch or plot.

8. One book you're currently reading: I wish I could say I was reading something interesting as "free reading" but alas I am in graduate student hell and I am reading Far From the Maddening Crowd by Thomas Hardy. Not bad, but not something I would probably choose to read for fun.

9. One book you've been meaning to read: There are several books on this list the tops being Ulysses by James Joyce, and Absalom! Absalom! By William Faulkner. These are two texts at the center of the the canon that I really should have already read. However, I don't really care much for either author.

I Like Surveys...

Okay - here's what you're supposed to do. Cut and paste this little doozy into your own blog and delete the answers and replace them with your own. You have myspace. You know what to do.

1. What is your occupation? Teaching Assistant

2. What color are your socks right now? N/A-I'm wearing flip-flops

3. What are you listening to right now? A Texas Country Mix CD (Hays Carll Chickens is the current song.

4. What was the last thing that you ate? A burger from RA-RAs on the square. It was deliscious.
5. Can you drive a stick shift? I am the best wheel man ever.

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Turd Knuckle Dunn.

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Abby.

8. In love or not in love? Love. Or Something Like It.

9. How old are you today? 27. At least for another month anyway.

10. Favorite drink? Big Red. The old cans were the shit. Why did they change them?

11. What is your favorite sport to watch? College Football.

12. Have you ever dyed your hair? Only once after we won our first playoff game as juniors.

13. What's your original hair color? Strawberry Blonde I guess. It is a crazy mix of red, blonde and brown.

14. Pets? Sadly, no. I want a dog.

15. Favorite foods? Fajitas, and Pizza preferrably together. Why don't we have fajita pizza? We are the most technologically advanced country on Earth yet we cannot make Fajita Pizza?

16.What was the last movie you watched? The Proposition. Great Movie. Especially the scene where aborignal's head gets popped like a melon with a winchester rifle.

17. Favorite holiday of the year? Used to be Fourth of July but I guess it would Thanksgiving.

18. What do you do to vent anger? Curse. A LOT.

19. What was your favorite toy as a child? GI JOE BITCHES.

20. What is your favorite Spring or Fall? Fall. It is football weather.

21. Hugs or kisses? Eh.

22. Cherry or Blueberry? Eh.

23. Do you want your friends to post? What the fuck ever.

24. Who is most likely to post? A-Train. She is a blog whore.

25. Who is least likely to post?Little E. She has given up blogging.

26 Living arrangements? KA House Room 5. Me and the Hippie are roommates. You should stop by and party. Good Times, Good Times.

27. When was the last time you cried?I guess in April of 2005. Hard Times.

28. What is on the floor of your closet? Dirty Clothes, Shoes, and a suitcase.

29. Who is the friend you have had the longest? Rawdy. Although we don't really talk or hang out anymore.

30. What did you do last night? Drink beer at the spot with C Dog and then went to hang out with KP because he hurt his knee.

31. Favorite smells? Good Food cooking on the stove.

32. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Cheesy.

33. Favorite car? I would love to have a 1967 GT 500 Mustang.

34. Favorite dog breed? Red Bone Coon Hound. How could you not love a face like that? Old Dan and Little Anne were the shit.

35. Number of keys on your key ring? Probably about 20.

36. How many years at your current job?Three Years going on Four.

37. How many states have you lived in? Uno...Tejas baby the best place in the world.

The World Is Not Fair...

I was finally able to lay down and get some much needed rest before my class tonight at 4:30. However, I woke up with a migraine headache. Further proof that life simply is not fair.

Stolen things from Other's blogs...

I stole this from A-Train because I am a bonafide survey/list junkie. I love filling these things out. I think this is some sort of Archaeology of Knowledge or something. I think someone said that once.

1) Would you bungee jump? Been there done that. It is a big time rush.

2) If you could do anything in the world for a living what would it be? Drink beer, and hang out with friends. Sadly, there is no market for this right now.

3) Your favorite fictional animal? The Cheat.



Isn't he cute. Go to www.homestarrunner.com immediately if you don't who The Cheat is.

4) One person who never fails to make you laugh? Charles or Jeremy.

5) When you were 12 years old what did you want to be when you grew up? A lawyer. I should have never let a certain professor talk me out of that.

6) What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? Urinate. I know that is not attractive but it is usually priority numero uno because I am too lazy to get up in the middle of the night to do it.

7) Have you ever gone to therapy?Define Therapy. I have went to physical therapy on my shoulder, back, and legs.

8) If you could have one super power what would it be? Eternal Youth. Hands Down. Screw what Charles says about getting tired of life, and missing out on whatever happens next.

9) Your favorite cartoon character? Beavis and Butthead. Still one of the best cartoons ever.

10) Do you go to church? Nope.

11) What is your best childhood memory? Riding bikes around my hometown with my friends and getting into trouble.

12) Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual? Yep.

13) Do you own a gun? Yes I do. Scary thought isn't it.

14) Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex? Not since adulthood but I punched Candace Webster in the stomach in 5th grade for kicking me in the family jewels for calling her bigfoot.

15) Have you ever sung in front of a large number of people? Yeah I had to sing as part of school plays and shit in school. I also sang the Devil Went Down to Georgia as part of KD Sing Song as a Pledge.

16) What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? Boobs, Smile, Eyes in that order.

17) What is your biggest mistake? Not taking getting ready for college more seriously as an 18 year old, and not taking my undergraduate studies more seriously. Life right now would be much more simple if I had tried to live up to my potential a lot earlier in life.

18) Say something totally random about yourself. I don't really like to teach all that much anymore. Sad :(.

19) Has anyone ever said that you looked like a celebrity? Yeah I get confused with Brad Pitt all the time...

20) What is the most romantic thing someone of the opposite sex has done for you? This is quite sad but I can't think of anything romantic anyone had done for me.

21) Do you actually read these when other people fill them out? It is sad but yes I do. It is a weird fascination.

Long Time No Talk...

It has been a while I logged into my less than illustrious blog here at zewellcool.blogspot.com. It is kind of a bummer but I just no longer take time to blog. I think a lot of the problem is I spend the majority of the week in Fort Worth with no internet access. I thought I would log in and talk about my two favorite things: books and music. There is a ton of stuff I have read recently and heard that is really fabolous. As you know I am a bit of a "country cat. " Well that is not entirely accurate. I don't really like what would be considered to be "Nashville Country Music." I am not trying to be a musical snob here and get into a debate about what is or isn't country.

However, let's just say I don't dig the shit that is geared to an 8th grade level divorced housewife. I will never be a fan of a music that is banakrolled by studios who do studies about which chords are more favorable, and will not let artists write any songs that portray America in a negative light. I don't mean like criticizing Bush or some shit. They won't even let you write songs about the working man, or the problems of daily life. All the songs have to be upbeat and sunny. That is not a true representation of daily life, and I think it makes for some really middle of the road music that does not stand and thus Shania Twain, Kenny Chesny, or Tim McGraw will get no love from me not because they are "sell outs" or any of that shit. I just think their music does not have anything to say, and I believe what Brian Burns once said about records, and that is "you don't cut a record if you don't have anything to say." I pine for the days of Dylan when writing and making music was a craft that each artist took great pride in.

So onto the "must have records" of the fall. Most of these artists are alternative or Americana country recording artists and you have probably not heard of many of them.

• Chris Knight Enough Rope - If you don't know Chris Knight you should run out and buy A Pretty Good Guy. Chris Knight is by far the most under rated singer/songwriter in America today. Hands Down. If you love Springsteen I think you will also love Chris Knight. This Kentucky Natives story telling ability is legendary. He writes songs about people who grew on the wrong side of the tracks their struggle to make it through this world. One song called Down the River is a song about killing the guys that killed his brother. It is the single most gritty real song I have ever heard. I strongly suggest you visit www.chrisknight.net and at least listen to his audio player.
• Hank Williams III - Straight To Hell - Hank III is the son of Hank Williams Jr. and the grandson of the original Hank. His new album is fabolous. I must warn you this is not up tempo sunshine country. Some of it is down right white trash depressing but it is fabolous. You will hear an absolute TON of drinking music on this album. Smoke & Wine, Low Down, and Country Heroes are really good. Make sure to listen to the song Not Everyone Likes Us where he rails at the people who watch CMT and who are so fucking dumb they believe Kid Rock is Hank Jr's son. It is pretty funny.
• Todd Snider The Devil You Know - I am a recent fan of Todd Snider. I like some of his earlier stuff but this album is really good. There are several fun songs on here that might actually get some airplay on mainstream country radio like Looking For A Job and You Got Away With It (A Tale Of Two Fraternity Brothers) but his music is always insightful, and real. He is also probably the best "singer" of this bunch, and has the most electic sound.
• Stoney LaRue The Red Dirt Album - I have heard everyone talk about Stoney Larue in the DFW area for a long time but I was never all that impressed. He seemed like a Nashville wannabe and I avoided his music. I put him in the Eli Young Band category: Those who rep Texas and Alternative music because they are not good enough to go to Nash Vegas and make it. They say they hate Nashville but not because they really value creativity, autonomy and originality in the music process but because Nash Vegas won't let them in. However, I will have to admit that his new album is fantastic. It is hard to play with formulas of mainstream or traditional country and develop something really good, and origianl but Larue manages to find that fine line between great and middle of the road. Bluebird Wine, Idabel Blues, and Going Down in Flames are the songs to check out here.
• One last thing. Trent Summar and The New Row Mob has a new album coming out and I don't know the title but I would check it out. The Range (www.khyi.com) has played several cuts off of it in anticipation of the album and it sounds like it is going to be really good. This taken from his myspace page (www.myspace.com/trentsummar ): "Trent Summar is just coming into his own as an artist, entertainer and songwriter. Five years removed from his critically acclaimed debut CD "Trent Summar & The New Row Mob," Summar has spent the intervening years honing his unique sound that includes elements of Southern Rock, Heartland Rock & Roll, Honky Tonk and straight ahead Country Music. Always known as a consistent and exciting touring artist, Summar has garnered notoriety in the Nashville songwriting community with songs recorded by hit makers Gary Allan, Pat Green and Billy Currington. In fact, "Love You" a Summar/Jay Knowles co-write has just entered the Top 25 in both the Billboard and Media Base Country Singles Chart for Jack Ingram. The track also spent two weeks at number 1 on the influential "Texas Music Chart." This is the follow-up to Jack's number 1 smash single "Wherever You Are." I have seen him play and he is really good. I strongly suggest you him out.

That is all for now. Run out and get these records.