Mini-boss ditty

Weekend Wrapup

2011-05-23T09:47:00.001-07:00

Saturday:

Hung out w/ EC and SH (and lil man) over in Oaktown. For some reason, internal A's internal gastank ran a little empty, so we went home early.

Sunday:

Mt. Tam hike on Dias Ridge. 3m up, and 3m back - with a beer refresher at the Pelican Inn, and then dinner at Paradise Bay in Sausalito. (With GL, DS, MP.)

I need to start pinning out these places on a map.

Kaiser WTF?

2011-02-28T12:10:00.000-08:00

I suppose I should be directing this at my employer, who changed our Kaiser plan. I just spent last week home, and abed, because of a flu. Monday - Wednesday saw a 100-101 fever that was barely controllable with Tylenol/Advil alternated every four hours, a nasty headache, and a cough.

Enter Kaiser.

I called Kaiser on Monday, and saw my doctor on Thursday. The total: $40 for a small bottle of cough syrup.

Copay for doctor visit: $20.00

Copay for blood test doctor ordered: $10.00

Copay for tiny bottle of cough syrup: $9.00

Total for SINGLE VISIT: $39.00

Un. Believable.

2010-11-15T11:50:00.001-08:00

Trying to pick this back up a little bit.

Recently been on a cookbook buying binge. Purchased Cooks Illustrated New Best Recipe and spent some time trying to look for recipes that weren't too difficult to make. I usually cook a big pot of something on Sundays to help with meals during the week, and also a pot of soup. This Sunday, I made the Corn Chowder, even though it was a little bit late in the season, and the Chicken Provencal.

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to find the salted pork back that the corn chowder called for, but I had bacon in the freezer, so I used that. The grating of the corn was a total pain the butt, but at the end, this soup was totally worth it. I'm hoping that half of it freezes well, because there is WAY too much of it - and it's a fairly rich soup. The prep on this soup took about an hour - but I'm kinda discombobulated when following recipes, but it was ready about 20 minutes after I actually started cooking.

The Chicken Provencal, by contrast, was a much easier recipe to make. It called for a quick fry, skin side down, of skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, and then blasphemously instructed me to throw fried skin part away. My S.O., standing over my shoulder, made sure I put 99.9% of it in the garbage. This dish took about 30-40 minutes of prep, but needed to stay in the oven for 1h 15m, plus an extra 10 on the stove to reduce after it came out.

I'd do both of the recipes again, but probably not on the same day.

Mi niña bonita

2010-05-03T08:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is about this song. It makes me smile. It makes me giggle. It makes me laugh. It brightens my day, especially when I hear it on the radio on my way in to work.

Support UAFA

2009-08-20T11:48:00.000-07:00

More on the gay marriage front. Pro prop-8 people are trying to counter the grass-roots, knock-on-doors program that gay marriage supporters have been running. They could use some extra money to combat haters all over the country. Donate here, if you can.

**An aside: Major prop 8 proponent, Doug Manchester, files for divorce.

Major immigration reform bill getting ready. Please send an email to your Congress-person to allow bi-national same-sex couples the same immigration benefits as straight people.

Shopping

2009-06-22T13:33:00.001-07:00

Wow. Lots of shopping this weekend. Picked up this couch this weekend.

Also bought a mattress, platform bedframe that I am hoping I don't kill my shin on, and a tv stand thingie that weighs a thousand pounds. All these things are getting delivered tomorrow, as well as pilots getting lit for the water heater, which I mistakenly assumed would be easy to light. A burned finger later, screw that, gas people come and do it for me.

Accomplished: cleaned house, turned on water and garbage

Still to do: assemble furniture (tomorrow evening). Find a TV that I like (and buy it). Build extra closet rod. Get rid of more stuff.

All in all, house moving is coming into place, and I should be 95% done by Friday. Yay.

Obama on DOMA

2009-06-12T14:58:00.000-07:00

Obama filed a defense of DOMA brief today (and what a great anniversary present for Loving v. Virginia). I'm no lawyer, so I don't really know what the hell is going on, but the gist I'm getting is this:

Gay people don't have the same rights as straight people because there's no constitutional right to be gay.

What do you do in a two-party system where neither candidate is appealing to you? I suppose you vote for the least noxious of the two. I have to admit being, thus far, pretty disappointed with Obama. Actually, really disappointed. Surprisingly, I have been really stoked about our Secretary of State.

I suppose I will have to vote for Obama again next election cycle, but I won't take any of his platforms seriously - and I'll just hope that he's better than any Republican candidate going up against him. Maybe I'll have to cast my vote Libertarian.

Bad Day at Work: Installment #1

2009-06-09T08:45:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was my first *truly* bad day at work. It started out well enough, was interrupted by an appointment at the doc, and then got *really* bad. One of the teams that I work with frequently has a tendency to ask our group for things on *really* short notice (like, can we have x right now), which disrupts a) our current work in progress and b) our release schedule. They pulled one of these yesterday, but based on feedback from myself and another one of the other teammates in my department, we asked for an executive call from our boss.

Our boss told us to hold off until he could talk to the manager of the group (left him a voicemail on his phone) and then went to a meeting. About 15 minutes later, the manager of the group came into our office and declared something along the lines of: "I don't care what said, I want this out now. I don't want to talk about it anymore with anyone. Just do it." And then he left.

1. This guy has no authority *whatsoever* to issue this type of dictate to the people in our group
2. I've had run-ins with this guy previously, but have *really* been accommodating, polite, and respectful to him
3. Who the fuck does he think he is?

As a compromise between us and the product manager for this group (who I have a good working relationship with), I put the changes up in our staging environment so their QA could start testing while we waited for the big dogs to fight it out. Needless to say, I was pretty pissed.

When my boss got back, I spoke to him (quietly), related what had happened, and told him that if that pompous motherfucker ever talked to me like that again, I would punch him in the fucking mouth. Then I packed up my stuff and went home.

I turned off my phone, killed my email, and had a blissful entire night of non-work. I realized, on the drive home, that I probably should have censored myself a bit before talking to my boss, but I'm pretty sure I hit the point home.

This morning, an apology email was in my inbox. Wonder of wonders. Don't let me wax poetic about *most* graduates of a certain university that seems to pump assholes like this every goddamn day. I swear, they have a required course study for all graduates in Asshole.

Rachel Maddow on Dr. Tiller

2009-06-03T16:46:00.001-07:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Rachel Maddow. You rule.

Uniting American Families Act

2009-06-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee held their first ever hearings on the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) that will amend existing immigration laws to grant same-sex partners of US citizens the same immigration rights as heterosexual couples.

There were two dissenting opinions shared in the hearing. One was just a knee-jerk "America has too many immigrants" response that I *knew* would surface, and the other was actually thought-provoking, arguing instead that this legislation was superfluous, if DOMA is repealed (this is true). That being said, a potential repeal of DOMA must also be coupled with individual states granting same-sex marriages in order for bi-national couples to stay together. It also said that the potential for abuse of the system was much higher, because of the non-standardization of same-sex recognition across the country (also true, but no fault of same-sex couples). I was particularly disturbed that the testimony of this particular person referenced a bi-national marriage gone wrong, as a reason NOT to allow same-sex immigration benefits. I couldn't see the logic in that.

Doubtful that this will be passed this time around, but it's always good to hope.

Musings on the CA Supreme Court Ruling

2009-05-26T12:48:00.000-07:00

So, a setback from the CA Supreme Court. It wasn't ever likely that they would overturn prop 8 - there wasn't a legal precedent to do it, and that's where the crux of the matter was. Am I surprised? No. Disappointed, slightly, but I had always assumed that this matter would be decided at the ballot box, which has a whole other set of issues regarding my freedom (or lack thereof) to decide my marital status with a consenting adult of either sex.

I expect serious movement on the marriage issue - I expect to see it at the ballot box next year during our election cycle. I *hope* public opinion on this issue will shift, given the *remarkably* different strategies the pro-gay marriage teams are utilizing, particularly the geographic shift of campaigning away from major urban areas (LA, SF) and the positive outreach to the faith communities.

That being said, and given my current situation, if the as-of-yet nonexisting ballot pro doesn't materialize, or loses at the ballot box *and* DOMA gets repealed, I have to say that I will HEAVILY consider moving out of state. Probably more than heavily consider. If that is my only option, I will almost certainly move out of CA to another state that allows gay marriage. (This is also assuming that UAFA *doesn't* make it through the legislative gauntlet in that time period, which it almost certainly will not.)

2010. Just a year away.

2009-05-26T10:55:00.001-07:00

Update on Hundred Pushup Challenge

2009-04-29T18:02:00.000-07:00

Firstly, it's a minor miracle that I haven't torn a rotator cuff. If you're planning on doing this, you really, really need to listen to your body while you're doing it, and if your rotator cuff hurts, stop, and give your body a rest.

I had to take a week off because of a bad strep case, and I basically lost two weeks and one column off of my performance. I couldn't make it through today's set list in one go - and split it up by about an hour. Still, I made it through all 9 sets, and got the last set out with hardly any problem at all.

Set 1 AND 2: 20
Set 3 AND 4: 23
Set 5 AND 6: 20
Set 7 AND 8: 18
Set 9: 53

Total: 215

Holy crapwits, Batman!

Hundred Pushup Challenge Update

2009-04-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

2nd day, week 5.

Set 1&2: 19

Set 3&4: 22

Set 5&6: 18

Set 4: 22

Set 5: 45

The last set was hard, and pushed me to the edge of exhaustion. I collapsed on the floor and lay panting for a good minute. It hurts to type.

Edit:

I screwed this up. I was supposed to do two sets each in what was previously set 1, 2, and 3. I went back and re-did them, for a total of 185. There was NO WAY that I was going to be able to do the last set, if I had done this correctly. NO. WAY. Even with the Rocky theme song playing in the background. (Which it does, every day we do this.)

Hundred Pushup Challenge

2009-04-06T16:39:00.001-07:00

Shortly after I started my new job, my boss accepted the hundred pushup challenge against another department. We are currently on Week 3, but my initial test pushed me (for week 1) to the Week 3. So although we are only in our third participating week, I'm on the proscriped Week 5 regimen. Today, the workout consisted of:

Set 1: 36

Set 2: 40

Set 3: 30

Set 4: 24

Set 5: 40

I took another status test on Saturday. The initial test (before Week 1), I maxed out at 21. On Saturday, I maxed at 50. Looks like I'll be on track to 100 consecutive pushups by our sixth participating week, no problem. I need to be on track to increase by 25 pushups by the end of the week, even though there are no status tests until two weeks hence.

My shirts are starting not to fit. It's insane.

Dear Mr. President,

2009-03-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

I know there are a lot of things that Obama has to deal with right now. I know that gay rights issues are probably not the top on his list. But it's bubbled up there because of a recent court ruling regarding insurance benefits for same-sex partners of federal employees.

Sign here and support the rights of same-sex couples.

FU Ken Star

2009-03-05T11:00:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to listen to much of the arguments this morning, but will listen to it sometime this week.

That being said, a big F*** YOU to Ken Starr, you f****** a**wipe.

"The people are sovereign?" If the people were sovereign, anti-miscegenation laws would still be in place.

Let me remind you- when the people were sovereign, Japanese-Americans were imprisoned for simply being Japanese during WWII. When the people were sovereign, slavery was legal in the US. When the people *are* sovereign, the majority very often oppresses the minority.

Why is this such a big deal? How does two gay people getting married jeopardize the marriage or religious freedom of heterosexual couples?

Bleargh. I don't have the emotional capacity to deal with my rage on this issue right now.

Big Changes

2009-02-16T17:04:00.000-08:00

I start a new job tomorrow. Project management position for the operations team, under the purview of the Finance Department. Looks to be challenging, but manageable. Lunch and dinners are catered by two on-staff chefs. There is beer in the fridges, and my new macbook pro will be waiting for me when I get there tomorrow.

I'm also in the process of exiting my relationship with D. I'm moving to my godmom's house, temporarily, for a couple of pragmatic/financial reasons, and dealing with a more permanent move to my own place after I settle into this new job.

Packing is a daunting task, even if I feel like I don't have that much stuff.

Jobby Job

2009-02-03T20:33:00.000-08:00

After four months, and five rounds of interviews, I have secured gainful employment, starting on February 16, 2009. On Thursday, I leave for a last hurrah surf trip to Baja. Unfortunately, I won't be making it as far south as I'd like, but that's okay. There are a lot of places for me to check out. Looks like the weather won't be great, but hopefully, it won't be too bad.

I'm strangely excited to start working again. I think it will be a great job - the environment is great. And catered lunch and dinners. The company is growing at a great clip, and they atmosphere seems great. Updates will follow.

Jobby Job

2009-02-02T11:16:00.001-08:00

Interviewing for the FIFTH time at a company that went on a hiring freeze almost immediately after interviewing me last quarter. I don't even know what job I'm interviewing for (again). I suppose it's the same one. I'm sort of torn. I know I need the job, but I'm kind of not interested in getting back into the workforce. Of course, I will be totally pragmatic and take the job if it's offered to me.

Good luck to me.

Ode to Small Factory

2009-01-22T10:45:00.001-08:00

I've recently resurrected an old iTunes library off of a couple of dead PCs whose hard-drives were still in perfect shape. The result, a heap of old music that I haven't been able to listen to in a long time. I have a bad habit of taking CDs into a car, and then losing them from there. A lot of music that I've collected over the years has been completely lost. My Motown box set among them.

Back to the point.

When I was in college, one of my favorite bands (thanks to Barrelled) was Small Factory, a small Providence trio. Their drummer was a cute, CUTE (rocking) chick named Phoebe Summersquash. Seriously. Dave Auchenbach on bass, and Alex Kemp on guitar. This band convinced me that I liked the mix of male and female vocals that were lacking in so many of this era's indie/twee bands (see Tiger Trap, Tuscadero, etc.). Another major difference was that the kids in Small Factory could actually play. Like, really play. In that era, a lot of indie bands couldn't, and while it lent a lot of credence to the "cuteness" factor of the band, there was a depth of musical integrity that was lacking, for me.

Today, I couldn't tell you which of the albums came out first, but I have three in my collection:

I Do Not Love You (1993)

For If You Cannot Fly (1994)

The Industrial Evolution (1996) - a compilations of singles and b-sides

All three were in extremely heavy rotation. The production values are great, for an three-piece indie band in the early 90s. Hell, the production values are great, no disclaimers. I mean, they aren't Phil Spector levels, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Who can deny the strange pathos in Sensible (For If You Cannot Fly) - /It's getting harder to be sensible/it's getting harder to keep it straight/and all your friend wound up bitter and cynical/and you just say that's great. Phoebe's layered vocal track(s) in the end are fantastic, and her unassuming, yet un-irritating harmonies offset the deep tenor of Alex's voice here, and the outcome is simply spectacular. Even the simple 2-measure guitar solo adds a level of melancholy. Every note, every track, every pause adds to this song. Chalk this up as one of my all-time Small Factory favorites.

How about Bright Side (For If You Cannot Fly) - a love song to that particular kind of friend that everyone has, or wants to have. I'm lucky - I have one (more than one, actually). At the point in my life when I was listening to this, the one in particular helped me home on my 21st birthday, made sure I didn't die, and helped me dial my girlfriend. What more could I ask for? (If you start to cry/I'll be the one who'll wipe those tears from your eyes)

And the cover of Valentine (I Do Not Love You)? You can't *not* fall in love with Phoebe on this one. Period. If you can resist, you probably eat babies.

Let's not forget If You Hurt Me (The Industrial Evolution). Devolves into some awesome noise at the end. /If you hurt me/I'll be angry and I'll grow up way too fast/And if you break my heart/I'll smash up your car/. Miniboss does *not* condone violence, but I'll admit that I've felt like this with one of my breakups. Not particularly because they broke my heart, but because they were assholes.

Small Factory disbanded after the release (or maybe even before) of The Industrial Evolution. Alex and Phoebe started a new band called The Godrays - and while they were great, I missed the third that wasn't replaced. Sadly, The Godrays also broke up a few short years later.

Pass da aloha, bra.

2009-01-20T18:14:00.000-08:00

(Edited again to post a better pic.)

Img from AP, as Obama's high school marching band passed by during the inaugural parade.

I can't tell you how proud I am to be an American today. I think we all felt like patriots on 9/11, and on the days and months immediately thereafter, but we were united in our suffering. Today is different. Today, hope swells in my chest with every breath, and I believe that change is really possible.

I'm realistic - Obama has problems that no president has had to deal with in over half a century, but I believe that he has what it takes to unite us; as a country, as citizens, as neighbors.

Obama, I hope the aloha spirit lives on in you. (Even though you did go to Punahou.)

In Rememberance

2009-01-16T17:02:00.001-08:00

Today, I remember Marie. She died four years ago today, around 10pm, after a nearly two year struggle with leukemia. I can't remember hardly anything about what I was doing, career-wise. I can't remember much of anything, actually, except for Marie. I spent a lot of time at hospitals, and a lot of time vomiting in the bushes outside the hospital. I don't think I ever got over the vomit-first impulse that my body has when it gets near a hospital.

There were good times and bad times. The good times were great. I got a lot of pleasure out of seeing Marie's attachment to a teddy bear (from Godiva) that she hilariously named Hershey (that we gave her). To tell you the truth, I thought her short hair was really punk rock, and I didn't miss her long hair at all! I remember us going to see the baby great white shark at the Monterey aquarium with my brother. The jellyfish tank RULED, and that section of the aquarium got a lot of explanations from Marie, whose primary research was in invertebrates.

I remember a horrifying ICU visit that will probably haunt me until I die. I remember her lamenting that she would never kiss another boy again. And I remember crying myself to sleep on many an occasion, wondering why people so young have to die? It is *never* easy to watch someone die. Even less so, a person in the prime of their lives. I remain forever indebted to the friends who stood by me in my need.

But today, I think of Marie. I miss you. We all do.

Graduating from Linda Mar to Mavericks

2009-01-16T07:40:00.000-08:00

Just kidding. I went surfing yesterday at Pacifica. I admit - it was probably the *flattest* day I've *ever* seen there. I went in dry, and came out with anything above my waist still dry. However, I do not consider it a successful surf session.

The Mavericks contest was hoping that a typhoon swell originating in Japan (and which hit Oahu's North Shore yesterday with 20+ Hawaiian measurement) would form today. It didn't, so the contest is off. Rumor has it that a lot of the pro dudes who have already shown up with surf out there anyway, so it might be worth the drive down to check it out.

I got back into my daily swim when I got back from Mexico, but strangely, I found it to be a LOT less calming than usual. Thank goodness Pacifica looked good - even though the surf was pathetically small, I felt very tranquil, and thought of nothing but the waves, the freezing cold water that made my hands look like lobster claws, the birds, the ocean and the sun. Very meditative.

Since Mavericks is off for today (and the weekend), I think I will make another trip out to Pacifica for surfing. Wish me luck.

Ensenada

2009-01-13T23:52:00.001-08:00

I got back from Ensenada yesterday. I went to visit a friend (and old coworker) of mine and had a wonderful town. Ensenada wasn't the sleepy beach town that I expected, but it will definitely warrant a subsequent visit, even if the visit is just a pit stop on my way to the Surfing spot that will remain nameless.

What did I do?
I ate a lot of raw seafood at a street cart near the fish market.
I ate a lot of fried fish tacos.
I walked on the beach *every* day.
I went for a hike up to a cross on the top of one of the mountains on the right side of the major valley.

Ensenada's beach looks slightly like Santa Monica on a not-so-good day - close shorebreak, closed out. Probably not a good choice for anything but a beginning surfer who just wants to ride a wave into the sand. San Miguel didn't look as good as the internet sites say - and looks like a really fast right. I don't think i could make the section(s) on a longboard, but maybe an egg or fish. I did a little bit of research and am actually *totally* stoked to drive back down there for a weekend trip, maybe in February, and hit one or two surf spots (k38 in particular) on my way down to Ensenada.

It was great to be out of the country, which I haven't been since my last trip to the Philippines in May 2007. It was great to be "on vacation", and hanging out with my friend. I remembered that I love playing music with people who also like to play music.

I had time to reflect on my life while I was there, and am still struggling with a few of the conclusions that I've come to.

I also read an awesome book - easily the best book that I've read in the last 12 months: Playing With the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made A Nation. It was about the 1995 World Cup (Rugby) that was held in South Africa, just shortly after Mandela was elected president. I'm not an overly emotional person (except for my temper), but I found myself either in tears, or near tears, once every chapter. If this was made into the movie, it would probably be better than Rudy, or The Natural, in the genre of *great* sports movies. It was an inspiring read about how peaceful revolution can be achieved if the compassion in the human spirit can triumph over other, more destructive emotions. Definitely recommended.

Teenage Fanclub's Bandwagonesque is in heavy rotation - and I'm unclear how this slipped past my radar all this time. Also, Chris Bell has been on my mind a lot, but I know where that road leads - to excessive drinking and depression. His You and Your Sister, in particular, have played in my head incessantly for the past day or so - and its actually a pretty trivial song to learn, but can anyone really replicate the angst in Chris' voice? Look Up, well - that one nearly killed me 10 years ago. I Am the Cosmos nearly did, too. I actually got a phone call from a friend in Texas then, whose first question to me was, "What are you listening to?" I replied, "Chris Bell." To which he replied, "You gotta stop doing that." It was good advice.

Chris Bell is a nearly Brian Wilson-esque figure to me - except that Chris Bell is dead, and Brian Wilson is not. (For more info, please see my Brian Wilson tribute.) I can't explain why - I don't listen to him *nearly* as often as other bands in regular rotation, but there's just something about his music. There's a reason why Big Star's #1 Record is the first and foremost of the Big Star records.

I'm also currently fixed on Okkervil River, which an old college buddy of mine plays in. I have to admit that I didn't really *get* Black Sheep Boy, which won critical acclaim from nearly every music critic on earth - but I really like their The Stage Names album. Isn't their drummer cute?

That is all.

Why Scotch is great.

2009-01-13T23:48:00.000-08:00

Because it is.

My current (but soon to be not current) bottle is:

This bottle can be had at BevMo for about $50. Highly recommended, and replaces my Macallan 12.

Mele Kalikimama!

2008-12-25T13:16:00.000-08:00

I gots:
A noritake teapot from my gramma's house (from parentals), but it broke in transit.
A woodblock print (from parentals)
4 champignon chocolates from Cocoa Bella (from D)
3 mini moleskin journals (from D)
Tea (from parentals)
Okoshi (from aunty Viv)
Caramel Popcorn and Kaki mochi (from Aunty B)
Very old, VERY COOL harmonica from gramma's house (from parentals)
Charles Chocolates (from D)
Cool ultraman privacy screen for cellphone (from Bro)
Measuring Tape (from D)
Kitty Magnet (from D)
Zojirushi rick cooker (from Syd and Barr)
EDIT: Homemade Panda Bear (from TN)

I gaves:
Cookies to everyone.
Osho Zen Tarot Cards + Book to D
Weleda birch oil stuff to D

My Senator's response to my letter re: Liebermann

2008-12-17T10:22:00.000-08:00

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Dear [MIni-boss]:

Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns regarding Senator Joseph Lieberman's (ID-CT) retention of the chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

The election of Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) to be President has started a new chapter in our history, and the President-elect has said that he wants to heal the divisions in this nation. He also made it clear that he does not want Senate Democrats to isolate Senator Lieberman for his actions during the campaign.

The Senate Democrats voted on November 19, 2008 to bring about reconciliation, not only within our caucus, but between Democrats and Republicans. We are trying to develop a more civil dialogue that will hopefully allow us to get more done on behalf of the American people. I believe we are on the right path to moving away from divisive partisan politics and towards a cooperative legislative body.

The resolution presented in the caucus passed by a vote of 42-13. Although the resolution condemned statements Senator Lieberman made while campaigning for Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and removed him from the Environment and Public Works Committee, he will continue to Chair the Homeland Security Committee and will remain a member of the Democratic caucus.

Once again, thank you for contacting me. Please feel free to contact my Washington, D.C. staff should you have any additional concerns at (202) 224-3841.

Sincerely yours,
Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator
Further information about my position on issues of concern to California and the Nation are available at my website http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/. You can also receive electronic e-mail updates by subscribing to my e-mail list at http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ENewsletterSignup.Signup.

*****************************
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Reconciliation? Whatevs. Secondly, as President-elect, Obama should be the first to realize that his job is now in the executive branch, and while he's entitled to giving his opinion (and advice) to the congressional branch, Congress DOES NOT exist to execute orders from the White House. Have we learned *nothing* from the last 8 years? I realize that it's overly optimistic of me to think that Democrats would vote, at least on this issue, in the best interest of the country (which I firmly believe Liebermann no longer understands) - can anyone really explain how retaining Liebermann as both a) in the Democratic Caucus, and b) as chairman of that committee is anything but a blatant, "Thank you, sir, may I have another?"

I Only Wanna Be With You

2008-12-13T16:43:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, I stumbled on an old TV segment of Dusty Springfield - awesome, awesome, awesome.

Isn't she hot?

A friend of mine is visiting me for the weekend, and we've been spending time playing music. After I showed him the Dusty Springfield clip, he directed me here:

We sign off now to learn how to play this song, in alternating English and Spanish. We are fashioning a shoulder shrug dance routine to go with it, ala Luis Miguel. To make this SUPER hilarious, my friend says that the Spanish version's title translation is "Now You Can Go Away". BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

New Muzak

2008-12-13T13:17:00.001-08:00

Thanks to H&M for the gift certificate to Amoeba Records. I went there and picked up the 2007 Okkervil River album that I've been meaning to get since I saw them last time they were here. The first half of the album is pop-y - the second half, is a little too slow for me right now. In six months, I fully expect to amend my statement and proclaim how brilliant the slower songs are.

I also picked up the new Lucksmiths album, but haven't listened to it yet. I picked up one other album, but that will remain nameless, because it is a guilty pleasure.

When I was at the record store, I forgot that I'd also really wanted to get Bandwagonesque by Teenage Fanclub - but thanks to not having Evernote *readily* available on my phone, that's what happened. Plus, Amoeba is like a memory stealing device. You get in there, and completely forget what time it is, why you're there, and sometimes, who you are!!!! (I often find myself wandering in the hip hop section!!!!!)

Thanks to H&M for the great tunes!!!!

Norad & Santa

2008-12-10T08:40:00.000-08:00

Gizmodo put a post regarding the history of NORAD and Santa Tracking. It leads to www.norad.org, which details exactly how a misprint in a Sears Roebuck ad led to, essentially, a batphone for the commanding officer of NORAD.

Even funnier, the CO talks about getting the first phone call (and subsequent ones) here. Norad continued the tradition by staffing the phones with volunteers during Christmas since then.

Milk - See it

2008-12-05T15:14:00.000-08:00

I went to see Milk at the Castro Theater on Monday (for date night). I regret, now, that I didn't participate in the filming, as an extra, particularly in the night vigil sequence.

I was struck by the similarities of Prop 6 (the Briggs Initiative, that would have fired all gay teachers, and all employees of schools that supported gay rights, or gay individuals) and Prop 8. Notably, the absence of the word "gay" from any and all literature from the No side (pro-gay rights).

I found the action that Milk supported also worthy of introspection. Milk called upon gay people to come out to the people around them, and I find the call no less important today. I realize that this is an intensely personal decision for most gay people, and can come with recriminations, the shame surrounding being gay will continue to exist until enough people come out. I also realize that I'm being more than mildly hypocritical, since I don't lead a particularly OUT lifestyle when I'm around my family, but it is important, to make the attempt.

Anyway, go see the movie. It broke ALL box office records at the Castro theater last weekend. Oh, and DON'T go see it at Cinemark, on account of their CEO donating $9999 to the Yes on 8 campaign. That means no Century Theaters, CineArts, or TinselTown.

Here's the preview, if you haven't already seen it.

Mini-boss re: Lieberman - He sucks.

2008-11-13T16:44:00.001-08:00

Dear Senator Boxer,

I am writing to inform you of my support for the removal of Senator Joe Lieberman as Chair of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs committee. He sucks.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Mini-boss

*************************
*************************

If you want to send your OWN email to Senator Boxer, please feel free.

I heart Olbermann

2008-11-11T10:13:00.001-08:00

Ahoy, Mateys!

2008-11-10T11:42:00.001-08:00

I've (mostly) recovered from stress-induced fatigue caused by the recent election. I'm now back to the dreary task of finding myself a job. I have to admit that I am not immune to the anxiety-ridden "what-the-fuck-is-going-on-with-the-economy-and-job-market" hysteria that seems to be on the front page of every newspaper from Hawaii to Maine, but I think I'm managing fairly well.

My new goal is to get my resume out to three prospective employers every day, Monday-Friday. I sort of wish that I didn't have to do this, and I actually *want* to go home and help my parents at the shop (and surf every morning), but D would prefer that I stay here, even if that means that D has to pay my rent. (I swear this isn't an under-the-table way for me to live, rent-free.)

What with the endless news of layoffs and bailouts, who wouldn't be nervous? I'm actually glad that I left that last company, seeing as they're Sequoia backed, and must be trying to reduce costs by 10%, as has been endlessly blogged about in the last few weeks.

Today, I am thankful that I have a leftover pot of spaghetti.
I am thankful for Vornado heater fans.
I am thankful for wool-lined house slippers.
I am thankful for wifi that lets me sit on my couch and blog (and apply for jobs).
I am thankful for Strauss Family milk that will make wonderful hot chocolate at lunch.

Facebook, why must you mock me?

2008-11-05T16:29:00.001-08:00

Embedded in my "home" page of facebook, is a sponsored link that reads:

"Getting Married?

ShitfuckerCompanyNameThatIWon'tPrintHere.com is the easiest way to plan your perfect wedding..."

WHY MUST YOU MOCK ME?!?!?!

I am slightly amused, mostly annoyed.

From Le Monde's Robert Sole'

2008-11-05T16:26:00.000-08:00

http://www.lemonde.fr/opinions/article/2008/11/05/sorry-we-can-t-par-robert-sole_1115209_3232.html

Sorry. No column today. The keyboard is not responding. History is a page being turned. Three words on the screen: "Yes we can." While it is impossible to joke with genocide or disaster, it is equally impossible to joke with an event that makes you weep for joy. The first worldwide good news since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 needs more than a pirouette or an amused wink. At this moment - but for how long ? - we can say with far more conviction than on 11 September 2001 : we are all Americans.

For D

2008-11-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

My Darling,

I know we both woke up this morning with heavy hearts. (Your head was a little heavier than your heart, though, on account of your extra stop(s) in the Castro last night.) It's been just about 11 years since we started talking to each other. We've spent a lot of that time growing up, and trying to figure out if we could make it. I've determined that "making it" has been more about sticking it out than anything else.

We witnessed history being made yesterday, and I felt a swell of pride that Obama came from my hometown, and that he knows as much about the aloha spirit as I do. I felt thankful that you were there with me.

All in all, I feel thankful for a lot of things.

I am thankful that I love you.
I am thankful that you love me.
I am thankful that SO MANY of our friends supported the No on Prop 8 campaign.
I am thankful that the passage of prop 8 *can't* and *won't* change how much I love you.
I am thankful that I have leftover pot roast to eat in the fridge.
I am thankful for The Beatles.
I am thankful that my cat makes me laugh.
I am thankful for hot water in the shower.
I am thankful that I have forgiveness in my heart.

For when the broken-hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer
Let it be

For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer
Let it be

Yay. and boo.

2008-11-05T11:02:00.001-08:00

I promised no posts on prop 8 after TWO days. This is the last one, from me.

First, a few things. Maxine Hong Kingston wrote a great post about Obama on Open Salon here. My parents' shop, in Hawaii, is very close to Obama's gramma's house, and she says that Obama's picture was taken when he was visiting here, walking around on the street that the shop is on in rubbah slippahs. For some reason, I am totally fucking comforted by this.

On a separate note, I would like to go back to bed. I am pissed and sad and extremely annoyed that I can't be like someone in Oregon, or whatever, and be happy for Obama (and me). I'm more than slightly annoyed that chickens get more leg room and a 16 year old has more rights than me today. I know that sounds terrible - I voted Yes on 2, and No on 4, but hey, give me a little breathing room here.

I find the hypocrisy appalling. I can't say *anything* nice about the people who voted Yes on 8, so I'm just not going to. I will deal with my knee-jerk reactions today by going back to bed.

Ohana means family.

No on 8

2008-11-03T14:05:00.000-08:00

I swear. Two more days, I won't post about Prop 8 for at least a month. I swear.

Samuel Jackson on Prop 8

2008-10-31T10:41:00.001-07:00

Edit: Today is the last day that donations count. Seriously. I have been donating just about once every three days. (insane). Donate Now!!!

Why Mormons, Why?

2008-10-31T10:03:00.000-07:00

What do the Mormons have against gay people?

"According to the ABC affiliate in Salt Lake City, Utah, Mormon donations as of October 27, 2008, were an estimated $19 million. The Ashton contribution therefore brings total Mormon donations to Prop 8 to an astonishing $20 million."

From a press release from the No on Prop 8 campaign.

WTF? The Mormon church was also the single biggest donor to the constitutional amendment that was passed in Hawaii banning same-sex marriages, as well. I will *never* go back to Utah again. (Salt Lake City is just about the creepiest place I've ever been, excepting, perhaps, the Porky's style bar I played a show at near Fond du lac that had the bears in cages in the back.)

Thank GOD there's a separate heaven for you true believers, because when I die, I sure as fuck don't want to go there.

Hockey Mom for Obama!

2008-10-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

No on Prop 8 Update

2008-10-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the Yes on Prop 8 people raised $2.2 million buckaroos. SF Chronicle reported that the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic organization donated $1.4m - the largest sum in both sides of the campaign. Additionally, the US conference of Catholic Bishops has donated $200k.

No on Prop 8 people say that our side needs $3m to match them on the airwaves, or we'll likely lose, and the constitutional amendment will pass. I know I've asked all of you to donate before (I've donated twice so far), but if you can, please donate again. These last days leading up to the election are going to be totally critical, and we need all the help we can get on this issue!

If you can, please, please donate again.

No on Prop 8 - Dollar for dollar Match

2008-10-19T14:17:00.000-07:00

Steve Bing is matching all donations to the No On 8 campaign up to $1,000,000. If you haven't already, please, please, please donate. This matching challenge is only good until midnight Sunday (that's tonight).

The religious right has flooded the Yes on 8 with millions of dollars in the last couple of weeks, and are currently *still* head by millions, which means they can flood the airwaves with more ads than we can.

Do it.

No on 8

2008-10-11T22:18:00.001-07:00

The No on 8 campaign is still losing in the most recent polls. I feel strongly enough about this to volunteer, since I have so much free time on my hands. I'm going to ratchet up my volunteering and get some time in for the Obama campaign, as well.

Even with all the stuff going on in my life, I've a mind to marry her before the election, just because Prop 8 has no provisions in it to deal with what they're calling the "interim" marriages. It's a horrible thing, though, to wonder about your legal status because the mob believes the lie campaigns. Imagine what life would be like now if the laws against interracial marriages hadn't been struck down. Why would we want to repeat this kind of injustice?

I wonder why it is that Republicans, who are so small government, give a shit about who I decide I want to marry. I wonder why more Libertarians are not involved in trying to defeat this proposition. And in California, of all places, why would we want to rewrite the constitution with this kind of hate?

Seriously, it breaks my heart.

I'm fucking $2000 in the hole because of the cat business (this story is too long - the cat is fine), but even I have $20 to donate to this campaign. Scrounge up a $20 to donate, please, so that I can marry the person that I love.

Is Sarah Palin Qualified to be President?

2008-10-09T18:59:00.001-07:00

PBS is running a poll *now*. It's tied 49% yes, 49% no.

GO TAKE THE POLL

As an aside, Camille Paglia is a very interesting supporter of Palin as a feminist. I found it interesting reading, but I really don't know enough about post-modern feminism nor Palin, to really comment on her opinion. You can read it here (from Salon).

EDIT:

You can read the details about this poll here. For the first few days of the poll, you could vote as many times as you wanted. Halfway in, they started cookie-ing voters. Apparently, they change the poll every week.

Bailout == Spa!!!!

2008-10-08T17:08:00.000-07:00

From a newspaper story on the Congressional hearings over Wall Street bailout:

"Lawmakers revealed Tuesday that just days after the Sept. 16 federal bailout of AIG, executives and salespeople at the firm met at the lavish St. Regis Monarch Beach resort in Dana Point (Orange County), where the rooms can cost $1,000 a night. According to the invoices, the company spent $200,000 on rooms, more than $150,000 on meals, $23,000 in spa charges and $7,000 on golf."

WTF? This is what my tax dollars are paying for?

No on 8

2008-10-08T15:43:00.000-07:00

Hey. I'm gay. No new news there. Prop 8 is winning in the most recent polls, due to the massive lie campaign on TV. I'm sending money over to the No on Prop 8 people, even though I'm not working right now.

If you can spare it, please donate at the No on Prop 8 website. Last time Hawaii rewrote its constitution, the Mormon church donated an INSANE amount of money to flood the airwaves with similar lies about what the constitutional amendment was going to do.

I'm also reposting stuff from their FAQ, just to make it clear what the proponents of this horrible constitutional amendment are lying about.

***************************************
***************************************
From http://noonprop8.com
***************************************
***************************************

Proponents of Prop 8 make many misleading assertions in their new television ad. Here’s what’s fiction and what’s fact:

Fiction vs. the Facts

Fiction: People can be sued over personal beliefs.

Fact: California’s laws already prohibit discrimination against anyone based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. This has nothing to do with marriage.

Fiction: Churches could lose their tax-exemption status.

Fact: Nothing in Prop 8 would force churches to do anything. In fact, the court decision regarding marriage specifically says “no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiant will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his or her religious beliefs.”

Fiction: Same-sex marriage would be taught in public schools.

Fact: Not one word in Prop 8 mentions education, and no child can be forced, against the will of their parents, to be taught anything about health and family issues at school. California law prohibits it. A Sacramento Superior Court judge has already ruled that this claim by the proponents of Prop 8 is “false and misleading.” In fact, the “case” that is cited in the ad is from Massachusetts…the proponents knew what California law said, so they used another state, again to mislead voters.

Fiction: Four Activist Judges in San Francisco…

Fact: Prop 8 is not about courts and judges, it's about eliminating a fundamental right. Judges didn't grant the right, the constitution guarantees the right. Proponents of Prop 8 use an outdated and stale argument that judges aren't supposed to protect rights and freedoms. This campaign is about whether Californians, right now, in 2008 are willing to amend the constitution for the sole purpose of eliminating a fundamental right for one group of citizens.

Regardless of how you feel about the issue, we should not eliminate fundamental rights for ANY Californians. Please vote NO on Prop 8.

McCain the Flip Flopper

2008-10-08T15:38:00.000-07:00

Why isn't anyone talking about the MASSIVE flip-flops that McCain's made in the last, say, 10 months or so? Or even, the last few weeks?

He was for Roe v. Wade. Now he's not! (He's for overturning Roe v. Wade in favor or states rights)
He thought the economy was doing great! Then he didn't!
He's super-de-regulartor-man! Now he's not!

How come we don't see more of swift-boating happening in favor of the Democrats? Are the Democrats, as a party, too moral to run that type of campaign? Is Obama too moral? Should Democrats stoop to this kind of politics?

The Debate Rages On

2008-10-07T18:41:00.000-07:00

This will be semi-running commentary on the debate. I am hoping it is not a snoresville. I will also be eating the most delicious chicken soup evar.

John McCain is looking positively geriatric. Where's the puppetmaster?

Barack Obama is much handsomer. He doesn't look like the man who will drop dead in the next four years.

WHO IN THE WORLD IS JOHN MCCAIN'S HAIRDRESSER!?!?!?!? Is he sporting a combover? And for goodness' sake, can someone please take the hanger out of his coat before he puts it on??!?!?!?!

Tina Fey & Sarah Palin!

2008-09-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

You can't find it on YouTube now, but NBC has it. It's hilarious, if you haven't already seen it!

No on 8!!!

2008-09-15T14:11:00.000-07:00

If you live in California, sign the petition to vote no on 8. Unless you're a hater. Then you can just kiss my ass.

Sign Now!

Palin = Pork

2008-09-08T18:28:00.001-07:00

EARTHQUAKE!?!?!

2008-09-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

I think there was just a (small) earthquake in SF. It shook one of my toys off of my TV, and scared the crap out of me.

Judicial Activism? More like sour grapes.

2008-05-22T17:52:00.001-07:00

Judicial Activism? I'm sorry, but the patriotic flag-bearing, bible-thumping chicken-hawks have got to be kidding me. Last year, the California legislature, who are elected to REPRESENT "the people", passed a bill legalizing gay marriage only to have it vetoed by the Guv. Is that supposed to be the will of the people? You can't have it both ways. By the way, if you haven't been keeping track, the NAYs are just about neck and neck with the YAYs. Is it going to galvanize the Republican party base? Probably. Will that keep the Republicans from losing seats in November? Probably not. (See Democrat Don Cazayoux.)

So, what is the purpose of marriage? To procreate? Let's get behind Initiative 957 (a failed ballot initiative in Washington). In any case, remind me again why people are fighting over this?

I'd rather fight over our stupid food prices, rice shortages, Darfur and the Iraq war. Seriously. What's up with stodgy curmodgeons? They are like the people in Pleasantville. What an unpleasant, boring place to be.

Mawwiage is what bwings us togetha...

2008-05-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

I'm really quite confused about the "legislate from the bench" argument that's happening here. The ruling is actually quite clear in what its speaking to. Namely, that CA already has great domestic partnership benefits, which convey *almost* all of the same benefits as marriage. (Did you know that, because same-sex marriages are not federally recognized, if my same-sex spouse dies, I can't receive their Social Security benefits? I fucking HATE paying taxes to this fucktard government.) Back to the issue at hand ... CA Supreme Court has basically ruled that the WORD "marriage" must be bestowed on same-sex couples who enter in a binding agreement to share their lives together, and that domestic partnerships, while conveying the same benefits, amounts to a separate-but-equal system that is not constitutionally sound.

Conservative groups are mad because the ruling reverses a voter-driven ballot initiative that was passed a few years ago that made same-sex marriages illegal. What the Supreme Court ruled on is that this ballot initiative, in and of itself, was illegal TO BEGIN WITH, because it violated the state constitution, and also based on prior rulings of the court. (One of the primary rulings referenced was the one that legalized interracial marriage.)

What's even more interesting is that the dissenting opinions were actually not as bad as I thought. They generally hinged on semantics surrounding the majority opinion, use of the political process, and one of the dissents was from a pro-same-sex marriage justice, who disagreed with the way the majority opinion was phrased, because she thought it was demeaning to same-sex couples (I think).

On another note, it's pretty clear that we need to start making up a new word for church-sanctioned marriages. How about we start calling them mawwiage?

I simply *don't* understand why people get so mad about somebody else's business. I thought conservatives were for small-government, stay-out-of-my-business government - and here the conservative groups are all up in everybody else's fucking business about who they marry.

And for the jink-jankers who think animals are next, the chief justice pointedly said that the laws surrounding polygamy and incest are still in place, and not affected by this ruling.

Woohoo CA GAYS

2008-05-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

You can get married now. Hurry up, before they take it away. Again.

Read more

Edit - From the ruling:
In view of the substance and significance of the fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship, the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples.

... The exclusion of same-sex couples from the designation of marriage works a real and appreciable harm upon same-sex couples and their children... Because of the historic disparagement of gay persons, the retention of a distinction in nomenclature by which the term "marriage" is withheld only from the family relationship of same-sex couples is all the more likely to cause the new parallel institution that has been established for same-sex couples to be considered a mark of second-class citizenship..."

Piss away the ______

2008-05-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

I am at the point where I need to just take a step back and relax. I'm doing some software development consulting in LA, and have been down here, basically, 2 weeks/month since February. Right now, I'm doing phone screens for potential QA candidates, writing test cases, and giving advice on best practices in software development.

To date, I've written 50+ test cases of varying lengths for their regressive test cycles.

A couple of problems (which I've pointed out to my clients):
1) They only have one QA person here
2) he can't run these cases because he's too swamped with testing new features
3) their dev cycles are too long
4) they push too many hotfixes for the qa guy to work on projects other than upcoming releases

I'm writing very, VERY detailed test cases. Detailed enough that they could, theoretically, outsource the execution of these cases, or even offshore them.

I finished about 70% of the cases that are currently available *last* time I was here, almost 4 weeks ago. They haven't run a SINGLE one of them. I would actually bet money on the face that no one in this entire organization has even *read* them. I would further bet that nobody's read more than 5% of what's currently there.

Why do they keep paying me to do this? Does it make them feel better about "beefing up" their QA organization?

Google Email Aliasing

2008-05-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can alias with Google mail? Just add a "+" sign.

For example:
userName@gmail.com = username+bonehead@gmail.com = username+bonehead.whatever@gmail.com

This is actually a great, great testing mechanism, for those of you who may have to do software testing involving outbound email. This, coupled with the filtering mechanisms allow you to apply a label for all incoming messages addressed to username+whatever@gmail.com.

Vandahful, dahling. On the other hand, I'd *really* prefer that they used a "-" instead of a "+" for ergonomic reasons, but I shouldn't complain at all.

Making (money) out of nothing at all

2008-05-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

I love it when I get paid to do nothing. Literally. As I type, I am getting paid to sit here and twiddle my thumbs. Go ahead. Ask me. Because you know I'm waiting for you to ask me.

The company I'm contracting for has taken down *every* environment that I could use to write these test cases that they are paying me to write. Actually, I'm exaggerating. I could, theoretically, use their staging environment, which they've pointed to their live db, but that would be not good. I could also, theoretically, just use their live environment, but that would present the same problems as using their staging environment.

I suppose I should get a real job soon. But how can I justify actually WORKING a 40-50+ work week when I get paid to do nothing now!!!!!?!?!?!

Hiralious

2008-05-06T09:38:00.001-07:00

I love my legs (Unburned)

2008-05-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

Yes. I love my thighs. I prefer them in their natural, unburned state. You'd think that it wasn't hard to keep them that way, right? Well, you'd be wrong. Why, you ask?

I've recently purchased a last-gen macbook pro, which I love. Granted, for two weeks, I felt as if I'd been struck deaf, dumb, and blind - but I'm quickly unlearning my Windows-centric method of using a computer, and getting adjusted to this "easy", "intuitive" way. It's only not-intuitive for me because I grew up using Windows - but it's been an interesting process, and I can see how a non-computer-literate person would use a Mac and be off to the races in no time flat.

That being said, I took my spanky new macbook pro down to LA a few weeks ago and I needed to get a game. So I did. I ordered Civ IV, which is supposed to be totally compatible with my mac. It is. But it makes my mac very hot. Freakishly hot. So hot that it sometimes beeps at me, if I've been playing too long. I really don't know how the WoW people run their shit on their macbooks, either.

Enter: iLap.

I first saw the iLap at the office that I'm consulting at in LA. They have them everywhere. Take off that black round piece at the front and the iLap can be used on a desk. Not as comfortable as a lifted laptop rack + separate keyboard, but still, who's complaining? I bought one two weeks ago. I can't tell you how much my laptop experience has improved since then.

My laptop runs around 5-10° cooler, and it's way, WAY more comfortable to sit with and use on the couch. Seriously. If you a) use your laptop on your lap, on a couch or b) have a macbook that runs a little hot, you should think about the iLap. I've looked at other competing products, and this was the best one. The black round wrist rest thing gets a lot of cat hair and lint on it. And it doesn't collapse. But otherwise, a much better buy than the others.

Here's a referring link to Amazon, although it's fulfilled by a third party:

Or you can do directly to Rain Design's store by clicking here.

A treat for you

2008-03-19T23:09:00.000-07:00

For those of you who read my blog, and like these guys. I saw them play this live about a year and a half ago, and this, coupled with another catchy, poppy ditty "If You Don't Care" - the newest stuff I'd seen from them in oh, 9 years?

If their new album is composed of even 50% of stuff like this, I will be fixated for another 9.

Holy Crap!!! (Nearing the end of unemployment)

2008-01-16T19:07:00.000-08:00

So - I guess the complete dearth of posts belies my state of blissful unemployment that began on October 1st. I've spent my time well - hanging out with Eingy, playing Guitar Hero and doing a lot of "activities".

In late October, I took the Amtrak up to Seattle to visit a good friend of mine, who introduced me to the joy of indoor rock climbing. I had a great time, went as much as my poor muscles would let me, and continued to go until my Thanksgiving Day Cankle accident.

In the interim (between late October and late November), my brother and his wife came to visit me, I started doing yoga, and walked my godmom's dogs at least three times a week. I had a wonderful time doing all of it.

On Thanksgiving Day, I stepped into a teeny, triangular hole in my sidewalk and incurred a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad sprained ankle. After much tearful boo-hooing about my ruined Thanksgiving Day, and most of the afternoon spent with my foot elevated and iced, the sprain had receded to 1/2 tennis ball size.

I spent the next two weeks or so on my couch, driving myself absolutely bat-shit crazy.

I left for Hawaii on December 14th. Two weeks thereafter were spent helping my parents at the family business - mostly computer stuff, and miscellaneous "get ready for the new year" stuff. Lots of cleaning.

D arrived on December 31, and I immediately took her to my aunt's NYE party. Then over to my brother's house for much firecracker popping. His vantage overlooked all of Pauoa, Papakolea, and Kalihi Valley, along with most of lower Alewa Heights. There were HELICOPTERS searching for people shooting off aerial fireworks. Good luck to those guys. They can't possibly have busted more that 0.00005% of the people doing it.

The next days that followed were very vacation oriented. Lots of spending time at Ala Moana beach park, Lanikai Beach, and surfing. We went to Kauai on the 17th.

Here's what I can remember of that trip:
1/17
- arrive Kauai 2:30pm
- pick up rental car
- wait for surfboards to come out of the NEXT scheduled flights baggage
- grocery shopping
- surfboard rental - I got a 9'6" Velzy epoxy board - noserider, soft rails
- YUMMY dinner of bbq scallops, salmon and salad

1/18
- Surfing at Pavillions - no wind, beautiful day, a little closed out, but super fun!!!
- Fishing at a secret place near the hotel.
- I catch a mini-papio (literally - about 6") and throw it back

1/19
- Dawn patrol to Middles (no surfing for me. Surf looked too big, current too strong, and water too sharky looking)
- Fishing for me!!!
- Two VERY SMALL hinalea caught, but thrown back
- Hiked Kalalau trail to Hanakapi'ai Beach

1/20
- High surf advisory for all north facing shores
- Eddie Aikau big-wave invitational is rumored to start
- northerly winds make conditions in Hanalei bay HORRIBLE
- WATER LOOKS VERY, VERY dangerous, even at the pier
- Card playing at the airport
- Return to awesome Sunday Dinner at Aunty B's

Today, great surfing, and lots of computer work at the store. I have a tentative job offer from an old boss.

I am NOT looking forward to rejoining the ranks of the employed. More on my wonderful time off in a bit.

Quitting, Part Duex

2007-09-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

So, this may be premature, but I may not be able to quit on Friday. I had been under the impression that I was quitting on Friday. That may not be the case anymore. I got a semi-cryptic email from my boss to confirm my last day, and he says we need to talk about it. Boo. I'm not staying a lick past next Wednesday, unless they make me master of the universe.

In any case, back to The Lucksmiths show this weekend. I had two positively sublime moments. I detailed the crying moment in a previous post. I had completely forgotten about the other sublime moment, a moment that defines the life I am about to start leading, which came during Midweek Midmorning:

You were never one for sleeping late
But all the working can wait
We ought to spend today together
You might be less than overjoyed
Unimpressed and unemployed
But I refuse to waste this weather

And by the way - Why couldn't I have quit a week earlier? I could have been up in Seattle last night watching The Lucksmiths for the second time in two days (and gee whiz, what's up with the weather????)!!! They were so goddamn cute, I could barely contain myself. Marco Pogo would have been proud of me at that show. I left it sweaty and insanely happy.

Do you get the new common thread in my (new) life? Happiness. Isn't it amazing?

The Lucksmiths - Live

2007-09-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

I saw them on Sunday night. I didn't know if they'd be any good live - three piece bands are sometimes hit and miss, depending on how much "extra" they put in when they record in the studio. Suffice to say, they dispelled all of my fears with the first song, although I can't remember what that was.

I tell you - the West Coast indie crowd needs to ACTUALLY MOVE when they go see shows. I feel like a freak when I actually GET EXCITED about a song.

Ah, also, chalk up cry #2 to this show. It wasn't a *big* cry, but there were two little tears crawling down my face during a song that I didn't recognize, but sounded so wonderful (and I felt so wonderful, being there).

The boys in this band are also HILARIOUSLY funny. ettett, would like them. They all had Mikey qualities about them. I would see them again in a heartbeat. Maybe my next surf-trip should be to Australia!!!!!!

Unemployment is already taking a very, very serious toll on me. I am happy. Imagine that.

Sometimes I feel like it's 1972 ...

2007-09-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

And you all look so happy holding hands
Kissing the sidewalk making plans

Short-timer syndrome has kicked in. I think I have about 2 hours left of work in me for the rest of the week. I'm formally turning down the consulting offer today since the VP of Eng never got back to me on what, exactly, he wanted me to do for the insane price that I was thinking of charging him.

I'm free as of Friday, and I'm totally looking forward to a few months of rest and relaxation. So, it looks like our friends at the social networking place are not going to get back to me, and really un-complicates my life, although the prospect of wealth is always nice to contemplate.

Mexico, here I come. Planning a surf trip to Baja in November - I need to secure an extra surfboard or two - I have three that I can take down, but two of them need fairly substantial repair. I may just end up buying an epoxy board or two, even though I hate them...

YAHOO!!!!!!!!

They can take our lives, but they can never take our ...

2007-09-17T15:13:00.001-07:00

FREEDOM! Tentatively, the 28th is my last day. It may be the 1st (which is done, but it's a Monday).

I have *a* prospect, but I haven't heard back from them since my phone screen on Friday.

I am contemplating changing my last day to the 3rd, just to get the insurance coverage, but I don't think they'll let that one fly, which sort of sucks since I won't be able to get to see my docs before the 28th. I suppose I'll just have to get my visits in between now and then, and screw the work I'm supposed to get done before then.

Wahoo!!!

EDIT:
They indeed won't let me change my date for insurance reasons, so I'm just going to go to the doctor. Thus far, I have three appointments in the next week and a half, so they'll just have to eat shit and die. Also, it doesn't seem like they're going to let me number-port my cell, so they can eat shit and die on that one, too.

I QUIT!

2007-09-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

Well, not yet. And there still is a small, small chance that they could buy my labor for an even more absurd price than they're already paying now. *shrug* Everyone has a price. I'm just a little more honest about mine. I'd say a 30-40% increase in salary, plus a stock package equal to my cumulative packages currently vesting would probably do it, but probably only for another 6 months or so (which would make my stock package worthless, because they're all built with 1-year cliffs).

In any case, I was planning on quitting last Thursday, but I returned from my jaunt in the desert (which I will write about in more detail sometime this week) to find that my boss is OOTO until the 17th. I can wait three more business days, but it sure has been hard.

I leave you with a little bit of Duvall:

The goal you sold yourself out to
Is wasting you
For nothing in return

You speak as though you're rich
You look as though you're tired
What happens when your contract has expired

Will you still cling
To the hollow sound of the empty songs you sing?

When I read between the lines
It don't take long to find a heart that's breaking
And the joy you left behind
Is greater than the one that you've been faking
But I know that there's still time
To turn around the choices you've been making
You just can't close your eyes to what you find
When you read between the lines

The Wayward Bus

2007-08-17T17:44:00.000-07:00

I don't like the Magnetic Fields a lot. But I LOVE their first album - The Wayward Bus. There's a girl singer on it. I'm not a big fan of this kind of girl singer, but for some reason, I really like this album.

I contend that 100,000 Fireflies is probably one of the most beautiful songs ever written. (I swear, I say that a lot about songs, but really, it is)...

I went out to the forest and caught 100,000 fireflies
As they ricochet round my room
They remind me of your starry eyes
Someone else's might not have made me so sad
But this is the worst night I ever had

'Cause I'm afraid of the dark without you close to me
I'm afraid of the dark without you close to me
Always was...

You won't be happy with me
But give me one more chance
You won't be happy anyway

You have to admit that it's a beautiful song. I try not to listen to it that often, as it fell prey to my stupid obsessive listening, was in heavy rotation for about 2 months, and then dropped of. But every time I hear it, I'm blown away. It's one of the simplest songs I've ever heard. Electric piano, very simple electric drumbeat, and girl singing.

Can't you just see her? In my mind, she's beautiful, she has pale skin and red hair - and not prone to emotional outbursts. I can see her unhappiness - she wears it like a shroud, and she's just as confused as you or I. She wants a little bit of rest, and would like, for once, for her life to be simple.

Problem with Poverty

2007-08-17T17:17:00.001-07:00

I came back from the Philippines recently and got totally depressed. I mean, really, unconsolably depressed. The first day back found me on my back, about 1/3 of a bottle of scotch, on my living room floor, sobbing. Why? The poverty.

Believe me, my friends, when I tell you that the poverty in India is just as bad. And I'm sure that the poverty in provincial areas *everywhere* in the world is just as bad. I'm sure some of the places deep in the Appalachian mountains are just as bad.

But there's this thing about the Philippines, in particular, that makes me so sad. America has exported some crazy, fucked up version of consumerist mania to the Republic of the Philippines.

The Philippines' largest export is labor.

People.

The Philippines exports people.

These people contribute remittances along the order of roughly $13bn per year. Granted, this is IMF data, and the actual source of the remittances is not crystal clear, but look - it's the third largest inbound recipient of remittances in the entire world, second only to India ($23.6bn) and China ($23bn).

Chances are, if you've been on vacation anywhere in the world, there's been a Filipina near by, cleaning your room, or pressing your clothes, somewhere in the depths of the plush or not-so-plush hotel you've been staying in. If you've been to the UAE (or any other country in the Gulf area), chances are more likely than not that the building you slept in was built on the labor of a Filipino laborer - and that the people who own that building have their children cared for by a Filipina nanny (who is often abused, in the Gulf).

These OFWs (overseas Filipino workers), as they are called, generally send the bulk of their paychecks home through various different channels. The Filipino banks are really good at following the pool of labor - and they do offer some pretty good ways to get money back to the home country. But I digress. The point is that the OFWs send their money home. They send it back to a husband or wife, or to their children, or their grandpas and grandmas back in the provinces.

Now, I'm about to make a very broad generalization, but ...

Where does this money get spent? To be sure, some of it gets spent for subsistence goods. Some for school supplies, school uniforms, etc. But believe me when I tell you that a LOT of this money gets spent at the mall.

THE MALL.

Most of you will never have seen the kind of malls that I have seen in the Philippines. Inside, they aren't a whole lot different than a suburban shopping mall somewhere in suburban America. But multiply the size by about 100x, and you get a general understanding of how big this mall is. I've been to the Mall of America. It's big. I admit. The Mall of Asia is about twice its size. Located in Manila, about a 5 minute jeepney ride from shantytowns made of recycled corrugated aluminum sheeting.

The Mall of Asia is huge. Mobbed with people. Mobbed with some people shopping. Some people looking. Lots of people eating. There is a verb for this action. "Malling." I've actually heard it being used in sentences. As in, "What are you doing this weekend?" "Malling..."

Why? That is the question that I find the hardest to answer. Branding is huge in the Philippines. Everything has about 18 brands plastered on it. The more "American" the brand, the higher the value. (Of course, you can go to the knockoff mall - but EVERYTHING is branded there.)

Is there a good model of micro-finance or micro-lending? Not really. You can go to a pawnshop, to get a short-term loan. 1-3 days loan, charged roughly 8-10%. More than that, and the rate goes higher, and higher, and higher. Not exactly conducive to "revitalizing" the economy. More like loan sharking, but without the "I'll break yo' two fingahs if you don' have mah money by nex' week".

Where does all this money go? Why is is spent like this? Why does a country with a huge poverty problem promote shopping?!?!

*sigh*

More on this topic later.

A Flurry of Shows

2007-08-13T10:29:00.001-07:00

More shows in the next 60 days than I've been to in the last two years...

8/24 - Wilco. Yes. I know I'm late to the bandwagon on this one, and I should have seen them play at the Barrymore, in Madison, more than 10 years ago. Frankly, the Being There album has yet to be dethroned as my favorite Wilco album, but to be fair, none of the others have had more than 2 listens through. I actually have two extra tickets to this sold-out show, and will have to get rid of them this week or next.

9/5 - Okkervil River. A friend of mine is in this band. I'm not particularly fond of the singer's voice, but I go to see a friend.

9/23 - The Lucksmiths. I am SO SO SO excited to see this show. They have not yet announced a venue, and the first round of tickets that I had were refunded due to cancellation. However, the Lucksmiths *say* that they're playing a show in SF on that day, I believe them. They just aren't playing at the Bottom of the Hill.

10/20 - Big Star. I am torn on this one. ClearChannel bought The Fillmore, and are charging, get this: $35.00/ticket, plus a $8.70 "convenience" fee for the convenience of them not having to staff a ticket booth that I could just as easily go and pick tickets up at. Is the convenience of me ordering tickets from my desk at work worth $17.00 (the cost of BOTH of my initial Lucksmiths tickets) worth seeing Alex Chilton? Probably, but let me get over the fucking gall of the "new" Fillmore (and btw, your new website sucks).

Guiliani - "Democrats, the party of losers"

2007-07-27T13:35:00.001-07:00

"Democrats, Party of Losers," says Guiliani.

Thanks to Salon.

Yes, I refuse to acknowledge that the war in Iraq is doing *anything* to keep us safer. For that matter, I completely acknowledge that the war in Iraq is making us *less* safe, as most experts acknowledge, as well.

Brian Wilson Is A God

2007-07-09T08:46:00.001-07:00

I spent three hours yesterday upstairs in my living room, on the floor, in a meditative cross-legged sitting position, with my head in my hands, eyes mostly closed, listening to:

Don't Let Me Down
Here Comes the Sun
Hello, Goodbye
Let It Be

And...

Pet Sounds (twice, once in mono, and once in stereo)

I realized then that I take it back, what I've said about Ringo Starr. He wasn't just in the right place at the right time, but he is a great drummer, period. Let It Be has the best guitar solo that I've ever heard, and I know I've said it before, but this time, it was an ethereal experience that I can't quite sum up in words. I think there is something so great about all of those instruments together, building into a fantastic finale of crashing awesomeness (and Barrelled, the bass slides are spectacular, aren't they, at the end?).

Don't Let Me Down, I think, really hit me rather hard (although a little less so than Let It Be, for obvious reasons). I know I've said it a million times - a great pop song should never be much longer than 3 minutes, but I really wish this one had gone on forever.

Moving on to Pet Sounds...

I felt such deep pathos for Brian Wilson, and I realize that I've been wrong in my focus on *certain* songs on Pet Sounds, rather than listening to the album in its entirety, which is an opera unto itself, a novel of Brian Wilson, and an autobiography of his brain, or even better, his soul. I realized that most humans communicate through talking, and that Brian's interface with the world was fundamentally broken. I could picture him struggling, all of that time, trying to communicate with the rest of us mere mortals, in a way that was alternately, superbly innocent, yet undeniably complex and mature.

(And recorded on nothing more than 3, 4 and 8-track?!?!?! HOLY CRAP!!@!@#)

I may be wrong in saying that Brian Wilson is a god, but he is certainly a prophet, and I haven't begun to process the post-excursion euphoria into real words, but I feel awash in something so beautiful and wonderful that I can barely contain myself (as I sit at the desk of the job that I despise, which even *that* can't bring me down today). In the liner notes of the re-release of Pet Sounds, Brian Wilson says that he felt like he had a halo over his head while he was recording the album. I believe him.

I had a picture of him, in an alternate universe, picking all of these wondrous sounds off a tree, ripe, and bursting with all this musical goodness. I could see him, contemplating taking that long trip down that ladder, back to earth, to give it to us, not in a condescending way, but in a compassionate gifting.

All I can say to that is (and I'm sure it's been said before, by people way more profound than me):

Thank you, Brian Wilson. God only knows what I'd do without you.

She Sees By Degrees

2007-05-10T08:22:00.000-07:00

I don't know why. I took some old music out last night, had a glass (or two) of not-so-super-fine Macallan, popped in the CoolHand Band compilation that I had lying around, and lay down on the floor for a listen. Since I've got the not-so-new-hand-me-down sound system, listening to music is a whole new experience for me. All of the same songs struck the same heartstrings for me, and took me back to Ella's Deli on State Street, walking past the fountain in Library Mall, and returned me to my present day dilemma that is even more absurd that that one.

I LOVE Misspelling, if that's what it's still called.
Morning meets me on the street
I'll greet her half asleep

I LOVE Acetate, but the vinyl -> CD transfer really degraded the sound quality. I guess that shouldn't matter, because I don't have a record player to listen to the single, even if I owned it.

I LOVE Swansong as much as I did 10 years ago. I love that I know who it was written for. I think of Swanson when I listen to it. I can almost see his hair flopping in his face when I do.

I had forgotten more than half of the songs on this compilation, including the ones on the CD that had the original version of Burst on it (I don't even know the name of the CD anymore!!!). I remember that it was one the highest quality local recordings that you could get, at the time it was released.

Next up on the playlist? The Blow Pops, American Beauties. It's going to be a fine, fine day.

On the flipside of that - I'm looking for work, kinda. I'm thinking of taking the summer off, actually, but I doubt that I'll be able to do it. But it's still fun thinking about it.

The Lunch Dilemma

2007-03-26T12:15:00.000-07:00

I'm a lunch-taker. I take a break between 12 and 1 to eat. I try to eat away from my desk, and in the company of others. Recently, my habitual eating habit has become the fodder for office gossip because I don't want to eat with my co-workers anymore. I find that I've started to eat out a lot more because I don't want to deal with questions about why I'm eating (or not eating) with the old lunch crew. Boo.

Ann Coulter, You Are On Crack?

2007-03-06T20:26:00.000-08:00

Ann, are you on crack? "Faggot" is not a schoolyard taunt. You are on crack. And perhaps you belong in rehab. I'm not sure that rehab will help you find your brain.

Ann Coulter & Rehab?

2007-03-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

If you don't already know, Ann Coulter called John Edwards a faggot last week at the big Republican CPAC convention. I'm actually completely flabbergasted by it. I've no clue how, in this day and age, anyone would think it's actually publicly acceptable to use a slur of any kind in a public forum.

Now, let's not be ostriches, and agree that there are a TON of people in America who hate gay people. But in a public forum? And not behind closed doors? Insane.

And Ann, your retort to the Edwards' campaign is just as insane!
"I"m so ashamed, I can't stop laughing"

Washington Defense of Marriage Alliance

2007-02-28T21:34:00.000-08:00

I love these people. Washington (state) court ruled that the state had a legitimate interest in protecting marriage from the gays. The Washington Defense of Marriage Act points out the hypocrisy of the ruling by proposing a series of laws that will enforce the idiocy.

1) All married people have to have kids within three years of getting married.
2) All unmarried people with kids will have to get married.
3) All people who want to get married but can't have kids can't get married.
4) Strip all marriage benefits (and make it a criminal offense to offer the benefits) to unrecognized married people.
5) Find a way to bureaucratize proving married people are married according to 1), 2) and 3)

If the right-wing really wants to put their money where their mouths are, let them. (Although, this is kind of scary if it passes, and is subsequently enforced.)

Memer, Neener

2007-02-28T13:28:00.000-08:00

RULES: Each player of this game starts off with 10 weird things/habits/little known facts about yourself. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 10 weird habits/things/little known facts as well as state this rule clearly. At the end you need to choose 10 people to be tagged and list their names. No tag backs.

1. I'm an obsessive finger biter. I'm considering medication.

2. I *hate* stepping in puddles of water in the bathroom. If my day starts like this, it is most likely ruined. I should probably meditate or something.

3. Hellogoodbye may be old to you, but it is extremely new to me, and I am currently obsessed with their song Oh It Is Love.

4. Speaking of songs (and this is probably not a weird and little known fact, but an extremely well-known one) - I am the kind of person that will giggle ALL day about a song. In fact, I love to giggle. Especially when I construct elaborate scenes in the movie in my brain that stars (of course) me, and my latest crush, with some kind of song like Oh It Is Love playing in the background. Sometimes, the co-star is the S.O., but usually only when we're old and is usually set on a lanai in Nu'uanu Valley, surrounded by lush, green grass, and the scent of petrichor (this is my word for the week) in the air, holding hands in our rocking chairs.

5. I sometimes feel intense pressure to like a band that I *know* I should like, given the genre of music that I like to listen to, but just can't get into. Most recent bands of this type are Arcade Fire. Among other, older bands, Guided by Voices. Don't get me wrong, I think GBV is a great band, and I'm glad that I got to see them live, but their catalog is just so great, that I'd have to be obsessed and give up all other bands for a good year or two to catch up with all the rest of the GBV fans out there.

6. I love 80's glam-rock. I loved Mr. Big's To Be With You in high school. I loved Bon Jovi in middle school. And c'mon, I know you loved Firehouse and Whitesnake. Admit it. Okay, never mind.

7. I love creme brulee.

8. I have a love of crushes. I love the act of falling in love, with anything. With a new soda, restaurant, TV shows, imaginary people.

9. When I die, the person who goes through my things will find a lot of teeny scraps of paper with starts of cute pop songs that never got finished. Maybe when I die, someone will write a song with all these little scraps of paper.

10. I am a huge fan of bands with a boy and a girl singing. As much as I hate to say it, I can't stand indie bands with *only* girl singers. The sound of their voices grates on my nerves. I need the tenor/bass of a boy voice in the mix to even it out, but when it does, it's so great!

(Bonus - 11. I love the smell of pakalana, pikake and maile - and I hope to have all three on my at my wedding.)

Ehren Watada - Update

2007-02-08T10:51:00.000-08:00

Mistrial declared, new date set for March 19th. Go for broke, Ehren.

Good Luck, Ehren Watada

2007-02-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

Ehren Watada's court-martial started today. He is the first (and only) commissioned officer to refuse to deploy to Iraq because he says that the war in Iraq is illegal. He requested a transfer to Afghanistan, but was denied, and he subsequently requested resignation, which was also denied, and he was charged with failure to deploy, and conduct unbecoming an officer (for going public).

Plus, he's from Hawaii.

Fuck You Dobson. And double fuck you, Times.

2006-12-22T13:44:00.000-08:00

Times Magazine, you should be a-fucking-shamed of your stupid selves, you asswipe fucktards.

Dobson, I hope you and the rest of your inbred ilk breed yourselves into oblivion. Be fruitful, multiply, and keep your gene pool as inbred as your brains.

MythBustere

2006-11-17T08:30:00.000-08:00

On my way in to work today, and lo and behold, who do I see coming towards me in a green Toyota pickup?

Jaime Hyneman:

He turns down the same street I turn on, which eventually splits into two lanes. D and I waved at him, and he smiled and waved back. He was wearing *exactly* what he wears on Mythbusters. Black beret, white button down, black longsleeve shirt underneath. He must have been going to work, too!

Hallelujah I Love Her So

2006-10-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

I spent some time at a record store this weekend, and I bought a couple of soul albums. I got:

Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - The Complete Duets
Archie Bell & the Drells - Tighten Up & I Can't Stop Dancing
Ray Charles - The Definitive Soul Collection

I'm going to listen to them in reverse order, simply because I'm most familiar with Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, and less so about Archie Bell. Ray Charles goes first, because I haven't heard Hallelujah I Love Her So in *years*. It's a Rhino compilation, and in general, I LOVE their compilations. Hallelujah I Love Her So is a spectacular pop song. Two minutes and thirty-five seconds of awesome. The is genius.

Tighten Up, I attribute to EttEtt. He had a vinyl of this, if I recall correctly. Marvin & Tammi were both part of my Motown obsession - I'm not exactly sure where that came from, but it really fomented in college, for me. It led me elsewhere, but I get so damn fixated on other bands (for years) that *finding* new music, even if it's old music is a real challenge for me.

I've also found it difficult to work with music that I really like on. I think I'm going to have to switch to classical or jazz that I'm less familiar with. But it's so damn boring!!! Maybe it'll help me concentrate better.

Smoking Popes

2006-09-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

I love them. But lately, not as much as The Lucksmiths. They've put out two new songs on their myspace page. (Let's not get into myspace right now - it's a totally different blog post.) I like both of the new songs, respectively titled: If You Don't Care, and Stay Down. For now, Stay Down is in heavy rotation, because of this:

Don't wake me now
I need this dream to last forever
We can make it if we just stay down

Great stuff.

In other news, I've been writing a story about a building that I drive by on my way to work. It's shaping up well, and *maybe* I'll grow some guts and post it here later, when I'm finished converting it to all the different person views (grammatically), which D. recommended I do.

Long - Lost, Now - Found

2006-09-13T14:17:00.000-07:00

I've found it. This weekend, I spent some time at the music store. I went down there to find a couple of things - 1) a practice amp for my cute electric Ovation - it's great - black and gold, a little flashy for me, but still, it's great - three pickups, great action, 2) some digital recording equipment, and 3) some drums.

The drums are always hard for me. I've been looking for a *very* specific kit now for about four years. I remember when I used to play out in college that I had a crappy kit that was too big. I hated carrying it. I hated carrying it more at 2:30a, after I'd been drinking for 7 hours. I hated it carrying it even more when I had to lug it up the goddamn steps to the attic *after* I brought it back from the bar.

This new kit is *exactly* what I was looking for. It's funny - I tend to hate going into the following establishments: videogame shops, computer stores, and music stores - all for the same reason. They always try to sell me shit I don't want, and don't need. This trip to the store was no different, except that I cut the guy off at the pass.

I told him that in the 50's and 60's, Gretsch made a vintage jazz kit, very small, that had remarkable sound. They made them in a range of "sparkle" colors, and they had a single rack tom, and a floor, with a matching snare. He gasped, and told me that he could show me *exactly* what I wanted.

And lo and behold, he did.

This kit is everything I've ever wanted. Maple shells - although I'd love for mine to be candy apple red, or some other color that is not white sparkle, or white speckle. I haven't actually *heard* what these sound like, though - so maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself.

I can't decide what to do about it, though. If I buy it, I really have a) nowhere to put it, b) no time to play it, c) nobody to play with. If I don't buy it, I'll just keep thinking about it. But having it, and not being able to play will be absolute torture. TORTURE.

Soda = Pop

2006-09-09T20:09:00.000-07:00

So remember a couple of days ago, I posted about being 21? I had nothing much to do tonight, except nurse my horrible hangover from yesterday. Apparently, I thought I *was* 21 again, as I was doing shots of Jaegermeister with friends. That stuff still tastes like shit.

Anyway, I digress - I was searching for random bands tonight, and I found Soda, strangely. Try here, if you actually want to *hear* Soda's song (named, "Purple Heart", and I would have never guessed, having had a CD with no actual song names on it) that I've referenced in a previous post. I don't know where this site came from, but I pass it along to you, with love in my heart and music in my ears.

This brings me along to the Blow Pops. I can't remember what the hell bar I was at in Milwaukee - I know it wasn't the Globe. I saw them at a reunion show just prior to Tim Buckley moving to Virginia with the Maki guys. I don't generally get goose bumps at rock shows. Symphonies, sometimes, although I haven't been to one in years. Ettett was there? I know T.N. was there. He told me he cried. Thrice. And I discovered that Nick Randazzo was just slightly taller than me.

That night, I learned that I needed to add an additional crash cymbal to my kit. Nick Randazzo introduced me, that night, to the two-crash fill-end. I almost learned how sweet it might have been to fall in love with a girl at a Blow Pops show with "Here Goes My Heart" zinging in perfect harmony through my ears. (This is only a thinly veiled reference to "Zing Went the Strings of My Heart".)

Easy Cheese And Airplanes

2006-09-08T11:44:00.000-07:00

So, one of my best friends is coming from Seattle today on an airplane. She insists that she will be able to hand-carry her bag. I insist she won't. We've both hit the TSA website to figure out what she can and can't bring. I'm here to highlight some of the funnier and/or absurd ones for you.

You *can* bring small amounts of baby formula and/or breast milk. It doesn't say anything about the boobies that carry the breast milk. I assume you can bring those aboard. However, Easy-Cheeze, you're out. Peanut Butter, you're out, too. Both of you have been banished to the dungeon of the cargo hold. I'm not sure how you'll deal the low temperatures, and then subsequent thaw on the tarmac. Sorry, guys. You've lost, in favor of gel-filled bras. Jell-o, pudding, whipped cream, and jelly - banished! I think they're targeting people from the Midwest and Hawaii. No more passion-fruit jelly and guava jam for you (and me). Boo.

Also, people who want to join the mile-high club couldn't possibly be terrorists. Want to know how I know? Because you can take up to 4 oz. of KY Jelly. That's right, folks. Up to four ounces of that wonderful, lubricating stuff. I wonder how much KY had to pay TSA for this. Does this mean that other types of lubricant are not allowed? I wonder if the security people take a literal reading of the TSA guidebook. One would assume they do.

Just to spell it out for you, none of the following are allowed in carry-on, OR checked luggage:
Blasting Caps
Dynamite
Fireworks
Flares
Hand Grenades
Plastic Explosives

Oh, and don't forget to take those comfy gel-inserts out of your shoes and into your luggage. Those are banished, too.

I've Been Niced

2006-09-05T10:34:00.000-07:00

So, in a recent spurt of total geekery:

My new crush has three asynchronous crushes running. I am running with modified priority (nice). Boo. I cry. Both for my psuedonerdery, and my not-so-pseudonerdery.

Edit:
To even further my psuedonerdery, it really breaks down like this:
nice +19 xpython crush.py --crushee 'M' -crusher 'miniboss'

You linux geeks can probably tell me if I'm wrong, or if I could actually decipher the man pages like I thought I could. :D (And the rest of you, don't even ask about crush.py.)

Twenty-one Was A Million Years Ago

2006-09-04T22:55:00.000-07:00

I remember being 20, in college, and singing this song. It started:
Twenty-one was a million years ago
I saw one hundred angels tonight in the snow

I remember turning to Ettett and saying, "Twenty-one *WAS* a million years ago, Ettett, and I'm not even twenty-one!!!" I admit, I was in a terribly bad place. I had endured an non-breakup with a non-girlfriend who had moved away to a non-driving-distance city to live in a nondescript house, for seemingly nonchalant reasons. I didn't understand. And so, as I was wont to do in those days, I wallowed.

And wallowed.
And wallowed.

I got a phone call, one day, from a friend, a personal superhero of mine, who'd moved to Austin the summer (I think) prior. He didn't ask me how I was. He asked me, "What are you listening to?"

I replied, "Chris Bell."

He countered, "You've got to stop that."

I did, after a time. Now, to be fair, I didn't skip from Chris Bell to the Blow Pops, or any of the other sugar-pop twee bands that I've mentioned here. But I did, somehow, work my way out of that self-pitying pool of despair. This isn't to say that a person shouldn't allow themselves to go there. It can be therapeutic sometimes, even creative. That period of my life, my blue period, has a soundtrack of Chris Bell.

To this day, "Look Up" rends my heart. That man walking down the street, with his head down low, is sometimes me. I never quite understood what Chris was trying to say there, but I picture him, off the cover of that album, transported to some unfriendly town, unhappy and utterly forsaken. All he ever had to do was look up, and see the sky. I do.

P.S. I didn't mean for this to end up being an ode to Chris Bell, as there's so much more to write. There is so much more, more *personal* for me to write about you. For me to write to you. I think of you often. And I hope that when you look down, you see me sometimes.

Ettett Says, "You're It."

2006-09-04T21:42:00.000-07:00

My bass player extraordinaire, writer of many luminescent songs of librarians and marking rooms, Ettett, compelled me to answer several questions about myself.

4 jobs I've had in my life:
1. Marking room marker, library person
2. Gas Station Attendent
3. Videogame tester
4. Business systems schmahnalist.

4 movies I would watch over and over:
1. Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
2. Dreams
3. The Golden Breed
4. Empire Strikes Back

4 TV shows I have loved:
1. Star Blazers
2. Robotech
3. Kikaida
4. Transformers

4 TV show theme songs I have loved
1. Star Blazers
2. Robotech
3. Kikaida
4. GI Joe

4 websites I visit daily:
1. Salon
2. Questionable Content
3. Google News (Do aggregators count?)
4. Google Mail

4 of my favorite foods:
1. Sukiyaki
2. Mochiko Chicken
3. Ben & Jerry's "The Gobfather"
4. Pokey Sticks (yes, but only from Gumby's, and only after midnight, because you know, we're not supposed to be fed after midnight, plus, life was always more fun as a gremlin. Who the fuck wants to be a wonky little Mogwai?)

4 places I've lived:
1. Madison
2. San Francisco
3. Hawaii
4. (Gee, I feel sheltered)

4 musicians I worship:
1. The Lucksmiths (lately)
2. Phoebe Summersquash (Phoebe, if you ever read this, I have been in a slumberland state of love for you since 1996, but not in a creepy way, I swear.)
3. Alicia Keys (Fuck off. Yeah, you rolling yer lame-ass eyeballs. FUCK. OFF.)
4. Smoking Popes

4 books that changed the way I view the world:
1. Pictures from Breughel by Willam Carlos Williams (Thanks, A.M.)
2. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (AN EDIBLE GARDEN!?!?!?)
3. Geebus, I need to read more by Mini-boss

4 places I would like to be right now:

1. O'Cayz Corral opening for Coolhand Band and Fez Petting Zoo and Small Factory
2. Canoes
3. With my buddy B.
4. On a sparsely visited beach somewhere with clean, blue water, a clean, semi-challenging right and 75 degree water.

More Terrifying Sounds of the Nothing

2006-08-28T19:59:00.000-07:00

Give yourself ten points if you caught the movie reference right off the bat.

So I'm trying to work through getting used to the sound of nothing, the absence of sound at all. I sat for 15 minutes last night. I can't say that I've progressed to actually *thinking* of nothing. This is actually very, very difficult to do. And every time that I've *ever* gotten to the point of thinking of nothing, I've congratulated myself for thinking of nothing, thereby banishing the moment of thinking of nothing.

To that end, I've ordered a few books to help myself think more on thinking of nothing. That, and I'm going to the Zen Bhuddism center on some undetermined Saturday in the near future to get some help in the art of thinking of nothing.

I'm also contemplating re-starting kendo. I've gone to the dojo here, and I remember being a little unimpressed by their kata practice, and a little put-off by how "traditional" their dojo was. However, I'm reconsidering the very strict adherence to traditional etiquette not because I think this type of dogmatism is unilaterally "good", but because I think I need some reinforcement in humility. Somewhere along the way of becoming exceedingly good at what I do, I've lost a large part of my ability to be humble, and recognize leadership and wisdom when they present themselves to me. I think kendo, in this type of environment, can help me to rediscover humility.

That, plus I plan on just swinging a shinai by myself for a good year. Rote movement will help me with my thinking of nothingness quest, as well as workout my body at the same time. Eventually, the screaming will help with my aggression, and maybe I can become a more peaceful, yet still ecstatically exuberant me.

The Terrifying Sound of Silence

2006-08-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

I've decided that I'm totally terrified of silence. I spent a lot of last night, thinking about the amount of time I spend occupying my brain, to stop it from thinking too much. I spend nearly every waking minute doing something. I'm either listening t music, playing music, reading, watching tv. I don't ever sit. And be still.

So last night, I tried being still. I stayed still for 15 minutes. And it was hard. I was like a kid who couldn't sit still in class. Either that, or I was really afraid of the dark.

EDIT
Yah, so additionally, I'm going to give up music and instant messaging at work next week. We'll see how long it lasts.

Holy Shit - The Lucksmiths - Part III

2006-08-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

Seriously. I have *barely* stopped giggling since I left work. And I'm back to giggling. You know, I've been lying to all of you. I'm really 14 years old.

My favorite word for the month is impugn.

I wish that Labor Day was two months away.
I like Vietnamese food.
The collarbone area on a woman is easily one of the sexiest parts of a body.
The area right near the hipbone on a man or woman nearly rivals the collarbone area that I've mentioned above.

Just about anything made out of lychee tastes good.

I think I want to marry the Lucksmiths. I'm fairly certain that I can't move my feet. They've turned into a single block of sugar. It's remarkably warm.

Holy Shit - The Lucksmiths Part II

2006-08-24T17:42:00.000-07:00

If they get any twee-er, I will probably die of gigglement. They will find my body slumped over in my overly-expensive office chair, totally encased in sugar. BWAHAHAHAHAA!

I’m struck speechless by the nape of your neck
But your requests and suggestions have a similar effect
A litany of prettiness and pettiness too
I reckon every second second we come up with something new

I tried to write an opera for us
But I didn’t get that far
’Cause trying to sum you up in song
Is like catching sunlight in a jar

Sunlight In A Jar - The Lucksmiths - Warmer Corners

Wishes Come True

2006-08-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

Well I had too much to drink
So I headed for the sink
When I saw that you were already there
Seeing double makes me blink
But it gave me time to think
That we sure do make a wonderful pair

'Cause earlier that evening
When I was only seeing
One of everything that came to view
I thought wouldn't it be nice
If I could only see you twice
Now ain't it grand when wishes come true?

One of these days I'll get 'round to re-recording this song with my buddy. I realize now that the original recording that we did had the wrong beat, which is one of the reasons that it never meshed. It really needs a "train" beat, to match its country-ish sound. Still, I think it's one of the better songs that we've ever recorded.

I need:
1) A small jazz-style kit. Well, it doesn't necessarily have to be a jazz-style kit. But I'd prefer the bass drum not to be larger than 18".
2) Mics. For the type of kit that I'm talking about, I need a bass mic, two (or three) mounted mics for the floor tom, the rack tom, and the snare, and an additional "overhead" mic.
3) Some type of mixing board and recording software.

I'm a little mystified on how this should happen. My buddy is trying to convince me to purchase a $20 tascam 4-track. I'm not even sure that I can get the cassette tapes that it needs. I don't know enough about how recording software and hardware have advanced in the 10 years that have passed since we did the original recording in college.

That being said, I'm also working on three or four new foolishly stupid crushed out horrible pop songs. I'm trying not to let my inner editor kill my will to live. I'm noticing a marked difference in my overall guitar ability, as well, in the positive direction, but I really should have paid more attention in my music theory classes. More later....

Ben Kweller

2006-08-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

I really like Ben Kweller. I have his second album, On My Way, and I really like it. I can't say that he's a great singer, but there's something compelling about his voice, as off-key as it may sound. His I Need You Back track is so quintessentially power-pop, it'll make you want to jump around and waggle your head like a maniac.

In other music news, I'll be seeing The Clientele, in their US tour. I haven't given everything of theirs that I own three listens yet, but I'm getting there. They are a lot more stoner-or-shoegazery pop than I'm used to, but they're quickly becoming a favorite for me.

The Lucksmiths

2006-08-17T21:36:00.000-07:00

I might have mentioned once or thrice that my new favorite band is The Lucksmiths. A delightful boy trio from Australia - I've recently gotten their Naturaliste album. It's not new. But then again, I generally don't get albums until years later. It's just because I'm not hip, and I need to be spoon fed music by other people.

My best friend gave me The Lucksmiths when I was visiting him in the Spring. I just never got around to listening to it. Every album I ever buy (or receive) gets three FULL listens. Start to finish, three times, before it either goes into heavy rotation, or dies a melancholy and lonely death on my CD rack.

The Lucksmiths took ONE listen. I listened to the first track of that record 50 times in seven days. At least, that's what my iPod told me. I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but it's a *great* song.

And interestingly, the drummer is the singer. He's got a slightly sad voice, and a teeny lilt of an accent. And he's cute. They are so clever with their songwriting. And while I generally cringe from the "twee" moniker that they've been given in some circles, I can say that the overall feeling is indeed quite twee. They're masterful at all of their instruments, and the production quality is stellar.

I haven't listened to anything as good since The Mayflies, USA. And I have to admit that I like The Lucksmits better. I leave you with a bit of What You'll Miss.

In the morning it felt like the world had stopped
And clenched like a giant fist up tight
But then you noticed the dust still dropped
And danced through the bedroom windowlight

It's the woodsmoke smell of winter
It's the sad things that you'll miss
It's the woodsmoke smell of winter
And the sad things like this
Let it all come down like fog on a cold field
Let it all come down like frost on a lawn
Let it all come down like leaves in a teacup
Let it all come down like trees in a storm

Mini-boss ditty

Weekend Wrapup

Kaiser WTF?

Mi niña bonita

Support UAFA

Shopping

Obama on DOMA

Bad Day at Work: Installment #1

Rachel Maddow on Dr. Tiller

Uniting American Families Act

Musings on the CA Supreme Court Ruling

2010. Just a year away.

Update on Hundred Pushup Challenge

Hundred Pushup Challenge Update

Hundred Pushup Challenge

Dear Mr. President,

FU Ken Star

Big Changes

Jobby Job

Jobby Job

Ode to Small Factory

Pass da aloha, bra.

In Rememberance

Graduating from Linda Mar to Mavericks

Ensenada

Why Scotch is great.

Mele Kalikimama!

My Senator's response to my letter re: Liebermann

I Only Wanna Be With You

New Muzak

Norad & Santa

Milk - See it

Mini-boss re: Lieberman - He sucks.

I *heart* Olbermann

Ahoy, Mateys!

Facebook, why must you mock me?

From Le Monde's Robert Sole'

For D

Yay. and boo.

No on 8

Samuel Jackson on Prop 8

Why Mormons, Why?

Hockey Mom for Obama!

No on Prop 8 Update

No on Prop 8 - Dollar for dollar Match

No on 8

Is Sarah Palin Qualified to be President?

Bailout == Spa!!!!

No on 8

McCain the Flip Flopper

The Debate Rages On

Tina Fey & Sarah Palin!

No on 8!!!

Palin = Pork

EARTHQUAKE!?!?!

Judicial Activism? More like sour grapes.

Mawwiage is what bwings us togetha...

Woohoo CA GAYS

Piss away the ______

Google Email Aliasing

Making (money) out of nothing at all

Hiralious

I love my legs (Unburned)

A treat for you

Holy Crap!!! (Nearing the end of unemployment)

Quitting, Part Duex

The Lucksmiths - Live

Sometimes I feel like it's 1972 ...

They can take our lives, but they can never take our ...

I QUIT!

The Wayward Bus

Problem with Poverty

A Flurry of Shows

Guiliani - "Democrats, the party of losers"

Brian Wilson Is A God

She Sees By Degrees

The Lunch Dilemma

Ann Coulter, You Are On Crack?

Ann Coulter & Rehab?

Washington Defense of Marriage Alliance

I heart Olbermann