The sparrow has hit the window

Dearest Tilly,

This message must be read by you and only you. It is of utmost importance that its contests not be leaked, and that no one else be able to understand its coding. I repeat now what I once told you, should a situation like this arise: the sparrow has hit the window. May God help us all.

I am unable to give you specific details about my location at this time. Doing so would compromise an entity far greater than anything else in this nation of ours. All I can tell you is the jungle cat has left its perch in the eucalyptus tree. And it is cold on the jungle floor. Very, very cold. This jungle cat might need to buy more lotion because its paws are getting chapped.

What work brings me here? My mother once told me the story of a man named Atlas, a man who carries the Heavens on his back. The greatest minds, the purest truths, concepts we call love and euphoria - all of these things rest on the shoulders of this great man. Well, sometimes Atlas needs a cup of coffee or for papers to be filed and so a noble fledgling must do it for him. A person so pure and humble that they do this work for long periods of time and for no pay. I am that noble fledgling.

The earth is beginning its orbit towards the sun, and with it I look forward to your arrival in this place. We will meet at the third largest rotunda when the sun is at 68 degrees in relation to its crest - then and only then. Come too soon, and I will not be there. Come too late, and the consequences will be so dire I cannot list them here. Well, I don't really like to wait around. That is it.

As always, give your mother my regards; however, please do so through self-destructing stationary.

Sincerely,
-Thomas

"The Bagman's Gambit" - The Decemberists

ACL Day 2: It's on, bitch!

Well, day 1 was excellent. We had eye sex with cute French Phoenix and Mr. Andrew Bird, and then watched Karen O and the other Yeah Yeah Yeahs rock out.

And now, we bring you our picks for Saturday!

GRIZZLY BEAR.
Thom is excited to see them outdoors (unfortunately in the rain), rather than when she saw them at SXSW. Also, they just put out a really good album!




THE DECEMBERISTS/DEVOTCHKA.
So here we have our first example of ACL fucking up artist scheduling. Every single person who likes The Decemberists likes Devotchka and vice versa. This is ridiculous. We have chosen The Decemberists, but we hope you all choose wisely for yourselves!







GHOSTLAND OBSERVATORY.
Do we need to say anything? Seriously. Ghostland. We have seen them twice, and both times they have been awesome. And I (Tilly) have it good authority that a certain group may be making a musical cameo during the show!




Love,
T-T

Sunday, May 31

Dearest Tilly,

As I write this, stationed in The City of The Angels, I can't help but
hope this blog post makes its way eastward to you. Conditions are harsh here, the 70 degree weather and sunny days are unforgiving, but I will do my best to muster up whatever strength I have left and tell you about my travels. My stories must survive if I do not.

My journey here by car was a long one, driving through the tumultuous
territories of New Mexico, Arizona, and California. I will admit that there were
times when I did not think I would make it, especially when I was summoned to steer the Mazda 6 vessel in order to let my comrade nap. However, I have arrived safely in this desolate city, and am beginning to set up camp in the hills of the Oakwood apartments.

In the little time I have spent here I have already learned how to communicate with the natives. Doing this has allowed me to commute by rail and bus to the land of St. Monica and the charming city of Venice. I used my camera to document the strange lifestyles of the inhabitants of these villages and will post the pictures soon.

Besides exploration, I have been working on securing apprenticeships at Panavision and Playtone. My apprenticeship duties at Panavision include cleaning and working with their cameras. As far as Playtone, I am not certain yet if I will be working there, but if I do I will be learning about Music Supervision.

This is all I can write for now as I must ration the last of my strength to forage for food, and also because there is a marathon of America's Next Top Model and I really want to watch it. Please send reply by telegram or other preferred social networking site with a response. I wish to know of your adventures in the Brown village.

Sincerely,
-Thomas
Sunday, May 31 2009

"The Soldiering Life" - The Decemberists

Los Angeles

This is where I'm going this summer.

I am excited about going to LA (or is it L.A.? or is it Los Angeles?) for many reasons. First of all, I will be interning in the entertainment industry. As of now, I have not solidified any internships yet, but have been assured I will get one once I get out there.

Second, I will only have my bike for transportation. From what I have heard, I am the only person in the UTLA program not bringing a car. I can only assume that should I survive navigating the sprawling desert city on my bike, I will return to Austin with leg muscles of steel, golden bronzed skin, and sun-bleached blonde hair. I am also assuming my hair will somehow become straight.

In order to prepare for my trip, I have been collecting a few songs about the city. Below each song is a quote, an inspirational message about the wonder and beauty of the city of Los Angeles.

First, a brief introduction by Death Cab for Cutie.

"Why'd you want to live here?" - Death Cab for Cutie
I'm in Los Angeles today
Asked a gas station employee
If he ever had trouble breathing
And he said, "it varies from season to season"

I'm sure The Decemberists will have a more optimistic outlook about LA.

"Los Angeles, I'm Yours" - The Decemberists
How I abhor this place
It's sweet and bitter taste
Has left me wretched, retching on all fours
Los Angeles, I'm yours

I don't see how this could get any worse...

"Los Angeles is Burning" - Bad Religion
A clock that reads
The end of days
Shotgun roundabouts are bending in the haze
More a question than a curse
How could hell be any worse?

It's too late for me to turn back now.