sometimes my eyes go out of focus when i am reading or writing, especially when it is this late. as the saying goes, i'm tickling the late night keyboard once again. 

this means that i'm highly likely to avoid doing the homework that I should be doing and instead write a great blog post about the foreign service and the associated studying that 

goes on while preparing to take the foreign service exam. the reading list says this:

"Given this breadth, it is difficult to provide a definitive reading list that will prepare a person for the Foreign Service selection process, and for a Foreign Service career. Nonetheless, the reading list below illustrates the kinds of books and readings that can set you in the right direction. "

One of the books listed: "Atlas of the World." 

That means that I should be much better versed in history and geography if  I am going to have a chance at this thing. There are a lot of awful smart people out there, and they probably aren't blogging at 2:28 in the morning. But I am, and so it goes. 

This post will signify a transition in my blogging, where I use capital letters again. I think they've been gone from my life for long enough, so I am inviting them back in, as well as inviting in touch typing. And more friendships. And more swimming. And hot weather. And Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. And Mitch Hedberg. And summer jams. And more biking. And new bike parts. It's a party in my heart, and everything and everyone fun is invited. We'll try to keep the not fun at bay for as long as possible. You should try it too, it's surprisingly liberating. Here's a picture of me feeling liberated:

B-rad is there too. Everyone is invited, you see. Get happy. Wear some type of clothes that you have never worn before. Try something that you've never tried before. Summer is the time for reinvention and remedial fun. Get outside, ASAP. 

a new look

i thought that my idea about the hipster cookie cutter was pretty funny, hope that you did too. i was tired of the old look, so i've upgraded to something a little simpler, and a little bit more classy. 

in keeping with my ideas from the last post, let me tell you about american apparel and urban outfitters. 

the two stores generally make appearances together. while they are not neighbors, they are most often within a few (maybe ten) blocks of each other. both appeal to the same demographic, though AA tries to be more discreet about it. urban outfitters is the one place that tegan can go and be a celebrity, and aa is the place for cool dads. 95% of shoppers at these two stores are college students, so naturally, they are all within spitting distance of a college. four examples: pearl st. in boulder, the u district in washington, trolley square in salt lake, and on university in tempe. the executives who run these stores know that their shoppers don't like to be marketed to, so they do little overt marketing. they're much more astute than they seem. i love american apparel v necks and urban outfitters $15 goofy sunglasses. 

i'm going to skip lenses for now

light blue and tan is most probably the best color combination since colors were invented. perhaps it is because the sky contrasted with a field at harvest time creates the same combination, but it looks stellar on a human body. more people, including myself, should wear this combination, paint our cars and houses this combination, and visit places that have this combination. it's awesome. 

i've got lots more blogmunition. visit the triplogblog if you want to learn about our trip to washington, from several perspectives. 

big fish, little pond

item one: i'm a buy you some strang is one of the funniest songs i have ever sang

item two: midnight is the best time to blog because you are certain to write something completely silly, and will most likely throw the rules of capitalization right out the window. 

item three: my triplog blog is on lockdown right now, google thinks that i am using it to distribute space age meat. they are wholly incorrect. so excuse me for not having poste about seattle there yet. 

item four: i scanned about fifteen of the seattle pictures before dave came over to play with ableton live. he made some pretty sweet beats, but i fell asleep in the sunday afternoon warmth. my nose is running like a faucet, but the warm weather is so great that i have no allergy complaints yet. in about a month i will be wishing with all my heart that it could be winter again. 

i have some ideas to blog about, here they are so that nobody else blogs about them first

a. urban oufitters/american apparel target demographic and store location

b. 50mm lenses

c. light blue and tan

d. long term storage and its effects on both hearts and ski equipment

e. cha cha (this is a real thing not a space filler)

f. livejournals, and their influence on the current blogging culture

g. sun-bleaching of my hair

h. curb chipping

i. curb painting

j. driving stuff around

k. going to seattle, but this will be on the triplogblog once it is freed from the google brig. 

do u have any ideas of things i should blog abt?