April 2008

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Blogroll: Delicious and Nutritious

Wednesday, April 30, 2008 | No comments

It’s really nice to see that my audacious linking isn’t putting anyone off. Despite the fact that it says “friends of,” I don’t actually personally know half of the people there—it just sounded snappy and hip. I have this habit (good or bad) of going out and finding blogs I like and then checking out every blog on their list of links for ones I also like. I suppose I just have this borderline absurd interest in the lives and thoughts of strangers. But technically it’s not creepy because blogs are kinda sorta public domain. And that’s my defense.

I guess what I am trying to say is, thank you Seth and Chelsea for not being nettled at my callous linking of your blogs. I found you through searches when picking a name for my own blog and from a link on Vacant.cc, respectively. So thanks!

In other Internets/blog news, my best friend in the whole wide world (oh, and my girlfriend, too, or whatever) started a blog yesterday with the intent of helping to improve the quality of people’s lives even more than she already does as a student of nursing. It’s called Do-Greater, a resource/community to engage in little things that we can all do to make all our lives better. She’s really great, it’s a really great idea, and you should bookmark it and help contribute and build a community there. End plug. End post.

The Mondays: Another Case

Monday, April 28, 2008 | 2 comments

My dorm room window sill

There are those who believe that spring is here for the Pacific Northwest. I believe that we’ve had a couple of days during which it was above sixty degrees for the duration of a couple of hours. Hardly anything conclusive, but I will take it with open arms and eyes.

I spent most of the sunshine today changing “Moby Dicks”—big white sandwich boards—to advertise for my boss’s upcoming octet concert here at school, which I will not be present for as I have a field trip this weekend for environmental studies.

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Dick-Smellers Anonymous

Sunday, April 27, 2008 | No comments

Via the Slog:

Politico Bullcrap: Sunday Edition

Sunday, April 27, 2008 | No comments

Obama is Dems Only Answer via Huffington Post

Much has been made of whether or not Barack Obama can close the deal against Hilary Clinton, and that his failure to do so raises questions about his viability in the fall assuming he receives the nomination.

Such concerns, though legitimate, miss the more salient point–there is no other alternative for Democrats if they wish to reclaim the White House … Whatever concerns exist surrounding Obama’s viability pale in comparison to those of Clinton; she cannot win. I say this not as an Obama supporter or Clinton detractor but as a political observer. Obama is the Democrats only hope to end eight years of Oval Office exile.

I am in agreement: Hillary is by far the unlikely candidate and she’s only being childish and truculent by refusing to bow out. However, how about “Obama is Only SANE Answer”? Why restrict this to simply Democrats versus Republicans? If we’re going to to that, I’d sooner prefer a vale tudo/lucha libre cage match. I think Hillary would, too.

Just out of curiosity, let’s have a look at how the media portrays McCain’s campaign, courtesy of Jon Stewart:

You may now return to your regularly scheduled not caring about this crap.

A New Face

Saturday, April 26, 2008 | 2 comments

GEORGE: Well, it’s a tough decision. I have to wear these every day. I’m deciding on a new face.
JERRY: Come on, George. Pick a face and go with it.

Read the rest of this entry »

On a Mission Day

Thursday, April 24, 2008 | 1 comment

I went to the studio this morning with the intention of getting something done, but all that happened was I tracked a single acoustic guitar track (that didn’t even come out very well), worked on my homework assignment briefly, and then I got bored with the whole thing.

Right now I’m at work without too much to do because my boss is out of town and I finished all of the duties that he assigned to me before he peaced.

Anyway, here’s a really poorly played cover of what I know of Aphex Twin’s Avril 14th (which isn’t much) that I recorded the last time I was in the studio:

Avril 14th

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Wise Words

Wednesday, April 23, 2008 | No comments

“The now is the so much better.”

— Lee Aulson

Tales of Mediocrity

Wednesday, April 23, 2008 | No comments

If you are reading this right now (and do not already know who I am) and happen to live in the Seattle/Capitol Hill area you should drop by the first floor of the student center of Seattle University at 8:00pm sharp on Wednesday the 30th. I’ll be playing some tunes in the SEAC open mic.

It’s always difficult for me to figure out songs to play at these things. I dislike all of my own work equally so it’s a struggle to pick the ones that best represent me. Therefore, I try to throw in one cover to mix it up, but that’s always difficult too, as my closer friends have heard all of the songs I cover hundreds of times already (literally). Making meaningful set lists that are three or four songs long is difficult when you feel largely mediocre.

The contradiction is that mediocrity does not stop me from going out there and just going for it. Read the rest of this entry »

Old and New

Sunday, April 20, 2008 | 1 comment

Something I didn’t know until this evening was that the film Say Anything is set in Seattle. It’s been out for almost two decades at this point and I hadn’t seen it until tonight; it’s one of those epic love story movies that everyone knows about. It’s memorable and endearing without being reaching or unrealistic about love. I say this under the assumption you have not presently seen it.

Say Anything is everything that Sleepless in Seattle was not—another ubiquitous love story over a decade old that I saw during spring break in March on TBS. I’m pretty sure it’s where every Seattle misconception comes from, and the two people who are supposed to be in love don’t meet until the final five minutes. The notion is preposterous. And besides, you can’t beat a shot of Westlake circa 1989. This is, of course, before Starbucks was on absolutely every corner, including that one.

Today I spent about four and a half hours in the recording studio because I didn’t have that much else to do. Wait, let me start over.

Over the past three and a half years I’ve had this bad habit of writing songs and stuff and just never holding on to any of them. Some I recorded shitty demos of, but a lot I just let go. Last night I was going through my old GarageBand ditties that never came to fruition. Some of them were slightly better than mediocre. Maybe even decent. Unfortunately, I never wrote down tabs or chord progressions so I had to relearn my own songs by ear. Which I did. Then I recorded them on something better than a tinny, built-in laptop microphone. They’re basic, but they’ll do. They might be easier for me to post, too, as I’m so far removed from them I may not be self-conscious about them. I promise nothing.

Sit Down, Stand Up

Friday, April 18, 2008 | No comments

Very early this morning I was going to write out a big bitchy diatribe about my problems with the administration and the student body at this school. Instead of blogging about it, I channeled my energy into an indignant anonymous letter to the editor of the school newspaper. I present it here for your approval or lack thereof. I’ve yet to send it in and there is no guarantee that it will even be printed. Also, I’m aware of the contradiction between me having a blog and blasting blogging as a form of protest. It’s just a lot of frustrations I had to air out. Just go with it, okay?

I went downtown this afternoon in order to get a battery for my camera’s light meter. I bumped into Jenny, one of the sweetest girls I know, and had a long talk about school and life. The sun came out on my way and I was given a free coffee by Starbucks because they’re introducing the Pike Place Roast. That saved me money on the coffee I would have bought at Westlake anyway.

After I left Kits I checked out Nordstrom because I haven’t been in since last year. It was a mistake. Their clothes and shoes (at least in the men’s department) are an awful material that is overpriced and will not keep you warm. On my way out, I checked out the five-or-so-years-my-senior, out-of-my-league cosmetics women, two of whom stared back at me, but probably not for the same reason I was.

Before heading back to school I stopped into Urban Outfitters. I have a love/hate relationship with UO. I love their clothes and shit, but I hate that it’s such a scam. They present thrift-quality clothes and gimmicky trinkets and art projects you could do yourself at home as trendy and hip so that they can charge a 70 dollar mark-up on them. And people will pay it. I noticed, though, that their prices are somewhat lower. Despite the fact that my pockets are slightly deeper than they’ve ever been, I didn’t buy anything. I have a hard time buying things without a second opinion with me.

I got back a few minutes ago and it turns out that the light meter on my sixth camera is not, in fact, functional. Which means I’ve yet to have a camera with a functional light meter. Which means I’m going to Ballard some time soon.

I Like Simple Truths

Wednesday, April 16, 2008 | 1 comment

Sometimes I wonder if I just don’t have any concept of how to really write a song. I never thought it was too hard. You have words. You play music. You make up a fucking melody. Verse chorus verse chorus bridge. It just doesn’t seem like rocket science (although, if you’ve ever learned any theory, you know that it is). What I mean is, I write songs and I go to the studio and put them down, and then I play them back and they sound all right. Then I come home and play someone else’s songs and I just think mine sound like shit. Is mastering really that magical? I’m inclined to say no, but at around $500, maybe it really is.

One of my favorite things in songwriting, though, is the “simple truth.” That line in a song that is so obvious when you just read it, but when a band or singer sings it just right you’re like, “Fuck, you’re so right!” Good example: Someone To Keep Us Warm by The Silent Years.

I received my sixth 35mm film camera in the mail today. God knows if it even fucking works or not. It’s downstairs in the Residence Hall Association office because I left it with Rachel before I hit the studio, but now she’s not responding to her phone. Really, I only want a camera that takes pictures, isn’t made entirely of plastic, doesn’t have a fixed focus, aperture and shutter speed, and has a functioning light meter. I’ve decided if it doesn’t work, I’m just going to take my army of malfunctioning cameras, catch the bus and go to fucking Ballard.

At the Risk of Sounding Like a Fanboy

Sunday, April 13, 2008 | 2 comments

The cover of this month’s Paste displays a photo of Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard surrounded by books and backed by an odd biblical-esque light. He wrote the cover article. It seems weird to me—I don’t altogether like his prose, though for a long time I thought I would as I do like his songwriting, fictional and no, very much. The concrete peculiar feeling I get from this article is how much I feel like my life is following a pattern similar to Gibbard’s. He describes his interest in Kerouac’s works:

I read On The Road in college. I was 18 or 19 … and found myself reading it between classes, and at that time in my life it was exactly what I craved, exactly what I needed to hear. I thought, “That’s the way, that’s the ideal life, that’s great” … The romance of the road, particularly from Kerouac’s work, encapsulated how I wanted to live.

But then in reading Big Sur, it’s the end of the road. You end up with a series of failed relationships and you end up being an alcoholic and in your late 30s, and not having any kind of real grip on the lives of the people around you. That’s the potential other end of the spectrum when you’re never tied to anybody or anything. I run the risk of losing touch with the people in my life that mean the most to me…

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All Apologies

Saturday, April 12, 2008 | No comments

An open letter to the four other people that I went out with last night:

I apologize deeply for making a complete fool of myself. Way too much beer and downing a tall glass of wine will do that to a guy and I’m sorry. My punishment was a mean hangover and the deep regret I woke up with in my belly and head.

Today was positively the most gorgeous day in a long time. Here in Seattle you don’t really notice the monotony of the winter weather until you get completely knocked off of your feet by a day like today. It was sunny, hovered in the seventies, and the breeze was an intermittent refreshment. Even as I type this, it’s evening and warm and there are folks still outside playing. We thought there were creepy people in the bushes on campus, but it turned out they were just playing capture the flag.

I went to see the Dalai Lama at Qwest Field today. It was truly an amazing experience and His Holiness is a gentle, extraordinary man with an absolutely infectious laugh. He’s humble and honest enough to say that he is simply human, but great and wise enough to acknowledge that being human really is a remarkable thing and that we all share and grow in that experience. He should be a role model for us all.

By this time my hangover had subsided, though I was still sore from working out yesterday. We walked through Pioneer Square to Starbucks where I got the most refreshing white mocha. Went window shopping in Westlake and I checked out new frames for my glasses and received a bunch of helpful input from a very friendly Lenscrafters employee with crazy sideburns. After that, to celebrate our semi-anniversary, Rachel and I went to the movies to see Smart People. The acting was good, the story was decent, but the plot just felt strange. I don’t know. I’d give it a B minus.

And I know I broke my pinky promise and I don’t care. I listened to my song again and there were some things I hated too much to bring myself to post it. It’ll be up in time. Until then, please enjoy this because I’ve seen it before but it blows my mind every time.

The Mondays: A Case

Monday, April 7, 2008 | No comments

This morning I got up two hours earlier than I had to and may have inadvertently skipped my class afterwards. I’m not sure. I spent the time I may or may not have had to be in class at Caffé Vita (for the third time this week) reading more of the most convoluted book about Indians I’ve ever encountered. On top of it all, I got my work schedule today. Ouch.

I have this thing I do when I get overwhelmed by situations that I call “running the fuck away from all of my problems”. Every few years it seems I just put as much distance as humanly possible between myself and all of my vexations. It’s getting to be about that point again and I don’t know where I’d go or how and I really can’t right now, rendering the situation useless. I’m thinking my next destination within the next few years will be California. Or Portland. I have no idea; I just have this flight complex and I can’t get comfortable anywhere long enough to keep me there.

Sorry for bitching. Tomorrow I’ll post something special. Pinky-swear.

Plants and Animals

Sunday, April 6, 2008 | No comments

Rachel on my writing style: “It’s very moist.”

One thing I’ve noticed about libraries is that no matter what it is or pertains to, they typically do not have the newest edition of anything unless it’s in the “new” section. Even in a building that looks like this, you’d be hard pressed to find the latest edition of The Collected Works of Emerson or Our Nig by Wilson, as I need to.

Today began fairly unproductively. I woke up around noon and spent about an hour and a half in bed, shirtless, checking the blogs and my email and reading more of Cooper’s Last of the Mohicans for English class. By the way, if you ever get the urge to read that book, don’t. It’s not compelling and I find myself lost after drifting off for half a page at a time. Read the rest of this entry »

Partly Cloudy

Saturday, April 5, 2008 | 3 comments

I woke up this morning in a bed other than my own after having a strange dream about sewer systems and syringe dealers. Sounds awful? It was actually not bad. Later I woke to Rachel crying and I immediately had to help her find her contact lens, which I did, and that made me feel pretty spiffy.

I got up and dressed and went back to my room and when she got back from her meeting Rachel and I went to Caffé Vita for an afternoon coffee. From there we went to Cal Anderson and played catch for a few hours. It wasn’t the sunniest day ever, but just clear enough to keep the park active. A little half-Chinese boy named Andrew who was running around the park even came to join us and we humored him by rolling the ball to him a few times. He was just about the cutest damn thing ever and it was disappointing that I had not brought my camera to take a portrait of him.

Speaking of cameras, my Weston appears to function properly as a camera. However, it has this problem with advancing film that causes for some inadvertent multiple-exposures. Photos after the jump.

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“A Deceptive Work of Art”

Friday, April 4, 2008 | No comments

Sitting here in Vita, I want to get out my headphones and listen to my own music. I want to pull out my mouse and mouse pad and play Quake with the double-digit ping I get on Vita’s free wifi. I want to lean over and pluck them from my backpack, but I don’t because I know they aren’t there. I know they’re sitting blocks away in the desk in my dorm room.

I had my first voice lesson today. It’s very strange for me to take a musical lesson again. I haven’t had to actually read music since I was at Berklee and haven’t taken a lesson since my four years of drum lessons. I am surprised at how well I’m even able to read music still, but I’m not really sure how much of that is simply western musical harmonic intuition. In any case, taking a lesson in singing is altogether strange to me, my voice being the most recent instrument I’ve learned to play. Read the rest of this entry »

“Whatever”

Thursday, April 3, 2008 | No comments

I witnessed the most supreme bro-drama tonight. Matthew and I were playing pool in the basement of the building when five freshman on our soccer team came down to play pool also. Five, being an odd number, left one of the bros out of the fun. After about two minutes he said, “I don’t want to be your cheerleader!” And began to storm off. All four of them began to call after him, “Whatever, dude” “No, whatever” “Whatever” “Okay, whatever.” And he called back, “No, whatever” “Whatever.” Then, dramatically with great discord, he slammed on some of the keys of the piano in the game room. Supreme.

It’s the end of my week today. I’m still on the fence about whether or not rounding out the end of this year will prove to be as busy of a proposition as it seems at this moment. Classes are easy, but will require no less time and effort as any other. Add to that the fact that I will be looking for housing as early as this month as well as working and potentially searching for more gainful employment to finance a move.

To-Do List For Friday, April 4, 2008:

  1. Wake (11:00am?)
  2. Meet with Professor Wopat (noon to noon-thirty)
  3. Bring film to Capitol Hill 60-minute Photo
  4. Hit up the studio (3:00pm until whenever)

#013: Obtain an SPL card

Tuesday, April 1, 2008 | No comments

Classes began today without much fanfare. They should have begun yesterday, but I got an email over spring break informing me that the first class would be tomorrow. Thus, I got my first day off much to the vexation of those who had 7:45’s that day.

I woke up with a lot of time to spare, but drifting in and out of sleep with the worry every time that I had overslept. It’s always the worst on the first day. I had english and audio recording. A pretty light day if you ask me. Also I filled out my timesheet which means I get paid soon, son.

This morning Grist made me very sad with their extremely cruel April Fool’s joke. 

Tonight I went with Rachel to the Jodi Picoult reading at the SPL so that we could get our library cards and she could get her mother a gift for Mothers’ Day. Mind you, I would not have been at that reading if it weren’t for Rachel, but I did get a library card out of it, thus becoming a member of a second library circulation system. Also number thirteen on my list of things to do. None of these things so far is super-challenging, but they get better. Don’t you worry. Also, it’ll be posted soon.

Sorry this isn’t more interesting. Maybe tomorrow.