Actually, Suspenders Might Be An Option...

Best of 120 Minutes: There has been an interesting change in my music consumption habits over the past fifteen years. Right now I’ll buy a CD based on hearing a song once with no real regard as to whether or not I’ll actually like the disc. I can just spur of the moment buy something on a whim. Case in point, I picked up the new Feist CD just because I heard the song 1,2,3,4 and really dug it. Now after hearing the song during every single NFL commercial break (burn in hell, Apple) I’m starting to hate it. But back in college I just didn’t have that type of disposable income and there are bands that I liked that I never owned. Bob Mould falls into that category. Don’t own and Husker Du or Sugar or any of his solo work. But I’ve always dug his music. Anyway, here is See a Little Light, apologies for the twenty seconds of promo footage before the video actually starts. Plus, he went to Macalester so he has to be cool.

I went out shopping this afternoon as I had no desire to watch the Chiefs get pummeled by a glorified arena football team. My big shopping need this time around? Belts. Yeah, even I’m getting sick of wearing the same belts and figured that I needed some more style and flair. However, while belt shopping I saw something that really blew my mind. I came across a $200 belt. And it’s not like it had some incredibly unique pattern, it was basically black leather. Needless to say I am utterly confused by this.

First of all, how the hell do you make a $200 belt? I understand thousand dollar custom made suits. There you are talking about hand tailoring and major labor hours and focus on a one of a kind garment. This is a belt. It’s just a strip of leather with a metal buckle. Unless this thing was threaded with gold I can’t figure out how the material and labor costs could be anywhere near $200. My second thought is would you impress anyone with a $200 belt? People will notice a fancy watch or even an interesting belt buckle but this thing basically just had a Dolce and Gabbana name on it. I’m not even sure if anyone would notice it.

Now I’m not opposed to wearing expensive stuff. I now pay more for pairs of jeans than I used to pay for suits. I’m nearing the point where I will have more shoe trees than shoes. I have dress shirts that are too cool to wear to work and too nice to wear to a bar. Basically I have clothes waiting for a social life that has yet to appear. Still, if you’re dressing to impress I figure you better get your money’s worth and a fancy shirt and a good watch will beat a high quality leather belt any day.

(Oh, and no I didn’t buy the belt. Picked up two from the Gap that will work better with my part casual, part dressy wardrobe. Though I could have done without the massive picture of John Mayer inside the store.)

Sadly that might have been the highlight of my weekend. I spent much of this weekend working as my workload suddenly doubled and I needed to spend a few hours just figuring out what any of the two hundred emails I received actually meant. I’m not quite sure how I ended up with a second job other than this will teach me to never accept meeting makers again. Notre Dame got trounced though Jimmy Claussen looked decent for an eighteen year old kid scared half to death. Bears lost and didn’t seem to have any offense at all. Their running game worries me. I really don’t have much faith in Cedric Benson. And Cobra Kai is poised to lose their opener thanks to Tony Romo just kicking my ass right now. I’ll need a three touchdown game out of Larry Fitzgerald to pull this one out. I might just have to hold out hope until hockey season after all.

The five random CDs for the week:
1) R.E.M. “Reckoning”
2) The Connells “Still Life”
3) Air “Movie Score to The Virgin Suicides”
4) Josh Rouse “Country Mouse City Mouse”
5) Luscious Jackson “Fever In Fever Out”