Happy New Year!!!

Somebodies got a case of the Mondays

As I was getting ready to write this post one of my co-workers quoted the movie "Office Space". I think it is a great quote for today, not just because it is Monday, but because this Monday falls between Christmas and New Year,s Eve as well as following a week of snow mess. My wife was commenting yesterday on how it felt like the last day of vacation before going back to work. I think plenty of folks here in Seattle feel the same way. I need the new year to start so I can get back into the groove.

Seattle, Capitol Hill, 1/7/09 8pm

One of my musical projects impacttestdummy is playing at The Mercury on January 7th. Come check it out.

Paprika

Take that snow!!!

when a breakup isn't such a bad thing

So today I saw a post that Ms. Led are playing their final show Jan 23rd at the High Dive in Fremont. I can remember the band before they were called Ms. Led, the first time I saw them they were called lesliwood. I still have the cd I bought from them that night. they have struggled to play and have developed a good following over the years. I saw them a couple of months back at the Sunset and they sounded great. Today they announced the end.

But the hidden secret of the music industry is time always takes it toll and eventually most bands break up. Either the urge to play gets beaten out by the urge to eat, or personalities clash, or something else. Time always wins, even for bands that are beating the odds and are making a living perfoming music. Most local bands aren't doing that, they are pooling money to make a recording to get shows. Then working shitty jobs to make money to go on tour. Then going on tour and losing money, coming home broke and repeating the process again until one of the members od's on painkillers and puke or finds god, or gets a girlfriend or something. Then they reform into other bands and try again.

Most bands are lucky to last 1 year Ms. Led made it for 9 and put out 4 good cd's during that time. My hat goes off to them for sticking it out. I hope I can make it to see the final performance.

Poker fun this Holiday season

So last Friday after everyone had recovered from the Turkey fest the day before, we settled down with sonme friends to play poker. I have been playing with a slowly changing group of people for many years. The game is never too serious, the most anyone loses is $20 t0 $30 on a really crazy day. Just trying to have a little fun and the winner (s) might go away with a little extra cash. But overall it is just to pass the time and bullshit.

I think poker is a great way to pass the time. And that is what we did on Friday.

Hello Western Gull

Duwamish also

Duwamish

More stickers

Saw these in Fremont this weekend before my acupuncture.

Goodness at the Tractor 11/22

So I went to both the Friday and Saturday night shows of Goodness at the Tractor. I didn't bring my camera, but Sat. night I stood at the side of the stage for part of the show and got a few of photos with the phone.
The sound was unusually quiet both nights, it could be all my years of running sound for the band has left me overly sensitive, but my wife mentioned it as well. I couldn't be the guy who tells the soundman what to do though. It was still fun both nights and I got to hear Jeff Fielder tell a story about playing with Robbie Robertson. Good times.

crossed

Life is like jail, anarchy in Africa, and Pirates

This week hasn't really hit it's stride yet and the news stories I have seen my make it the wackiest week yet. This one about Britney Spears almost knocked me off my office chair. I mean her life feels like a prison, come on. First of all, dosen't everyone feel like that, and my prison isn't that bad, so I know hers must rock. She sounds like the teens that her music is marketed to.

Then the pirates of Somalia take a supertanker full of oil . No it isn't a movie it is real life. Somalia hasn't had a government since 1991, so no laws to stop anyone from becoming pirates and the ocean is big, so they went to town. Combine that with companies willing to pay to keep the problem under wraps until now and bang we have roving bands of pirates sailing the seas.

Who needs movies when you have the news these days. They don't even have to make this stuff up like KOMO's Marlee Ginter suppossedly did according to The Stranger. Boo KOMO Boo on you.

Johnson Pit #30

I heard about the Robert Morris Earthwork from someone's facebook page. I don't remember who it was, but they had taken photos of this intersting public art piece in Kent. It is called untitled Johnson Pit #30. So my wife and I headed out a couple of weeks ago to check it out. Here are some photos I manipulated after our outing.

Here are some in color.

Prop 8 March in Seattle 11/15/08

Last weekend I walked in the protest march against Prop. 8 in California. Here are some photos.

Movies we saw last weekend

So we caught two movies last weekend. Both didn't really hit the mark, one strayed too for from its formula and the other was too long (really it was too long for my wife, but by the end I thought they could have shortened it as well).

The first was "Quantum of Solace" the new James Bond movie. It had quite a few action sequences, but the lack of gadgets let us down. I won't ruin it for those who haven't seen it, but wait for DVD or cable.

The other choice this weekend was an audible called when movies times were interpreted incorrectly. "Body of Lies" looked like it would be good, and it had some compelling moments. Trouble was halfway through my wife was calling too long and by the end, I thought she might have a point. This struggle between a C.I.A. operative in the Middle East and his superior in the US could also wait for DVD or cable.

Now if I could just catch "Appaloosa" the movie I tried to go to yesterday maybe I could be satisfied.

Lyric for the day

"I saw two shooting stars last night
I wished on them but they were only satellites
Is it wrong to wish on space hardware
I wish, I wish, I wish you'd care".

- Billy Bragg

Quote from the office

Kelly - "Dwight get out of my nook".

Pam - "Thats what she said'.

Jim - "Good one".

It takes a village to drive a child home

I saw this article in the Seattle PI. I can't believe it hasn't happened before and I'm sure it will happen again.

lost

30 Rock quote for the day

"I don't believe in hypothetical situations, that's like lying to your brain". - Kenneth

The Thirty-Second Annual Report of Throbbing Gristle

So the other day someone gave me a gift certificate to itunes. I have steered away from itunes most of the time because I try to keep all my music drm free, but I can't look a gift horse in the mouth, so I loaded it up and started to look for new music to download. After looking around a little and realizing that the itunes site is designed to make you want the music they think you like (or are trying to sell the most that day) I started looking at bands I knew had released music recently. At some point I wnet to the Throbbing Gristle website to see if their new record had come out yet. It had and they had it on itunes as a drm free download.

If you have listened to this band before you know what to expect. Its hard to explain to those who haven't heard it, but suffice to say this is a journey. You don't want to listen to only one track, because that would be a loss. Each of the tracks on this report flow together, synth bass lines create a base that, loops and noises jump out of, vocals laden in effects, and sounds of all types blend into a listening experience. You want to listen, so get it.

It's better to regret something you have done...

So, I used to not vote when I was young. I thought that not participating in the process was the only way to fully protest my belief that our government didn't listen to the pleas of the poor, the unorganized workers, the temporary employees, the anarchists, the atheists, and so on. I argued with many individuals over drinks in bars, argued with my wife and other family members, said my voice would never be heard, to try to stop the politicians from either sides didn't make any difference. I kept saying that until I saw a third party try to make a difference and get shot down. By the time that had happened I had decided to vote for the third party, and all the people who wanted me to just vote now wanted me to vote for someone else.

The problem is as I got older, I thought maybe something might change. I saw that my voice still might not be heard, but some of the elections, on a local level were being won by just a few (hundred) votes. So I could affect something. Why should I let those who vote make my decisions?

This could be one of the most important elections of our lifetime, people say this every time another election comes up. Don't listen to them or me, but go out and vote because to quote the Butthole Surfers, "it's better to regret something you have done, than something you haven't done."

Go see these shows

My band phase3 is playing on Dec. 7th in the second of two shows being put on at the Visionary Dance studio in Fremont under the name, "Pillow full of Drone". The first show is on Nov.2 and you should try to hit that one as well.

attack

My wife sent these photos of some sticker grafitti today.

AMA AMA again

So my brother in law and his family gave me a gift certificate to AMA AMA. We were there a few weeks ago for the happy hour menu, but when we arrived today the menu had quite a few changes changed. We stuck to items on the small plate side of the menu so we could try a bunch at one time.

We started out with the Ahi Tuna Tartar and the Dungeness Crab Cocktail. The Ahi was a Mediterranean flavor with eggplant baba and sliced Moroccan olives. It was a party in my mouth. The crab cocktail was served on top of a avocado puree that complimented very well.

Next we had the iron roasted mussels. They were served on a skillet like fajitas, and were covered in a spicy rub. Amazing as well, I thought it was the best mussels I had ever had.

Last came the Crispy Veal Sweetbreads and the Pork Belly slider. It was a heavy duty end to a great meal, both dishes were very good, the Pork Belly was very rich, so I would suggest eating it earlier on, but I still recommend it.

If you haven't been to AMA AMA yet, now is the time to go.

to survive

So I was reading this article on MSNBC about people turning to survivalism because of the economic climate. I have never been one to "be prepared" as the Boy Scouts say, but you never know it might be a good idea pack some beans and rice, a propane stove, pots and pans, some first aid supplies and be ready for the collapse.

Then again it could all turn around. I just can't decide.

Fun photos of economic demise

So I was reading a post at Boing Boing that was talking about a blog that has photos of brokers with hands on their faces. I couldn't help but post my own link. Over the last few weeks I have spent plenty of time reading news articles and laughing at the photos of the brokers looking down. Now I can see them all in one blog. Come on you know you want to look.

Voting and the middle name Hussein

So my ballot arrived last night. I woke up early this morning and I'm thinking of filling it out now. That way I can be relived that its over right. Maybe not, if I send it in now I will still be held in suspense until the election is over. I think I'll do it anyway.

In other election related fare when I went onto Facebook this morning, I saw people are adding the middle name Hussein to their profiles. How it will effect the election I don't know, only time will tell. I just have no patience. I'm gonna go vote now.

This is your brain on TV.

Boris 1991-2008

We love you!!!

Nick and Norah's great adventure

The other night we went to see Nick and Norah's infinite playlist. I thought it was great. I say ignore the reviews, if you want a funny happy movie to relive some of the election/financial woes we are all subjected to this year go see this movie. If you liked "Empire Records" you like Nick and Norah's, if not well you should still go.

Skating on the last sunny day............

Right before the rain started we went to Sam Smith Park and I skated the I-90 bike tunnel.

Showbox sodo sound letdown

So Saturday night I took my wife to see Mates of State and Santogold at the Showbox Sodo . I have seen 3 shows there so far and 2 times the sound was great, but the other night it was not good. I did my best to not let it bother me, but I felt I had to write something after the fact.

We have seen the Mates of State many times. It is one of the bands my wife and I share an appreciation for. I've listened to their songs over and over. So when the sound is bad I know what is missing. The vocal harmonies are very important. For the whole set the other night Jason's mic wasn't loud enough to be heard. It was working, in between songs he could be heard, but the level was too low when they were playing. My experience as a sound engineer wouldn't let me be the guy who goes to the soundboard to tell them, but I also couldn't believe they didn't fix it for the whole show. The band put on a good show none the less. We've suffered through bad sound for them before and I'm sure we will again.

Santogold also had some onstage low end feedback. It was messing with her performance, but she let it go. She had two dancers/ backup singers that my wife thought looked like performance artists. She had a point as I don't think they were really singing. Her set started off good, but she went into a string of slow numbers that spiraled out of control. We left early.

How to stay out of the fetal position

So I remember the first time I heard about Thomas Friedman. My father had just read ,"The Lexus and the Olive Tree', Friedman's book on globalization, which he thought was a very important book to come out that year. He explained Friedman's ideas over thanksgiving day appetizers and I cataloged it in my head with all the other books he told me to read, most of which I haven't. At the time I was working with metal bands and didn't have time to think about the rest of the world. Fast forward to now and I still haven't read any of his books, his views on the world are still important and I do read him sometimes in the New York Times.

Today I did read what Thomas Friedman had to say about the bailout in this op-ed piece . I agree that, "The story cannot end here. If it does, assume the fetal position.".

trying out new ideas

Bailout #2

Here is a link to a op-ed piece in the New York Times yesterday. Mmmm grrr.

Bailout questions?

I was reading a article on MSNBC this morning about the financial crisis after having a conversation with my wife last night about the failure of the government for not being able to come to an agreement on the bailout. After our conversation, I realized I don't really have a good grasp on what the government is trying to do. I did know I felt betrayed by the people who we the people had voted into office to make these hard decision for us. One quote that caught my eye was, “This is really a failure, at a massive level, of the political system,” ( Mark Gertler, an economics professor at New York University). Another professor goes on to say that one of the problems is that no one has really gone out and explained what the bailout is doing and why we need it. I had to agree with much of what was said in the article. I don't know much about my own finances, much less those of the entire country.

So I went to the House Financial Services Committee's page on the "Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008". It helped me understand a little more about the bailout plan. I thought I would post these links so others might be able to read what the government was discussing straight from the horse's mouth.

Fantastic breakfast at the OG Pancake House

So we woke up late this morning and decided to head to Ballard for pancakes at the Original Pancake House. We have been a few times before, but today is the first time I have tried the omelets, which are downright amazing.

I had the plain cheese omelet and my wife had the ham and cheese omelet. Both come with three pancakes and toast or home fires. They make a 5 egg omelet that is fluffy on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. Mine was a perfect mix of aged cheddar and eggs, while my wife's also had an ample helping of ham added to the mix. The omelets were so big I had to get a box, I will eat the other half tomorrow. In the past service was a little slow, but today it was good.

The pancakes are always perfect. I had banana pancakes that were not too full with filling. I still have some left for tomorrow as well.

If you are in the Ballard area I'm sure you already know of this busy breakfast spot. If you haven't and you don't mind a wait(15min for us today at 11:30am) check it out. You can also call ahead to get in line, but your whole party must be present to be seated.

Battle in Seattle seems more like a small skirmish in a soap opera

Last night I went to see the new film Battle in Seattle about the WTO protests of 1999 in Seattle. I didn't have to pay, which was a good thing, because I don't recommend seeing it unless your watching it on cable on a rainy afternoon.

The movie did have its moments and it did use some real footage from during the protests, which I thought was odd because the newer shots of the city didn't exactly match up. I also liked the reactions of some of the WTO characters and police.

My main complaints were the addition of a love story which I felt took away from the facts of the incident. I also thought the portrayal of protesters in general was poor, and that adding written commentary at the end of the film detracted from the film. All in all it was a cheesy slick replacement for an important event in Seattle's history. It makes me sad to think that some people will see this film and it will replace the real facts for them. Movies like this are how history is distorted and watered down.

Definitely wait for cable if you are interested.

ms. led at the sunset

Mates of State

I'm excited. yesterday my wife got us tickets to the Santogold , Mates of State show at the Showbox SODO . The last time the Mates were in town we missed out, so I am looking forward to this show. They just make life a little happier.

I downloaded the Santogold record from Emusic and it sounds good as well.

small guitar

The ferry

Sunday we went to visit some friends in Poulsbo.

I forgot how calming the ferry can be. I know if I took it everyday it might not be the same, but for a lazy Sunday it can help relieve some stress as you look out over the water.

Mos Generator/ Brothers of the Sonic Cloth

Last Friday a friend and I headed down to Jules Maes Saloon in Georgetown to see Mos Generator and Brothers of the Sonic Cloth.

It was kind of nostalgic for us as we used to practice just a few doors down from Jules Maes back in the 90's and we spent many hours drinking at that bar in those days. At the time they weren't having shows in the back room. I remember (sort of) a interview we did with a writer for The Stranger that never made it into print were our singer John Bosch had her meet us at Jules Maes and I was drunk before she arrived. The interview took a terrible turn when after some prodding she got me to talk a little about how much I didn't trust the music media. The bar looks the same yet different now.

Now we practice across the street a few doors down and they are having shows in the back room. I love Mos Generator and had not yet seen Brothers of the Sonic Cloth.

Brothers of the Sonic Cloth are a three piece comprised of Tad Doyle, Peg Tully and Eric Akre. They play heavy music. It was my first time seeing them and I didn't catch the whole set. The songs I did hear were heavy, slow with screamed vocals that made Tad look like his head was going to pop off. I will definitely check them out again.

Mos Generator are great live. A heavy rock band that isn't afraid of the bands that influenced them, but able to still have a sounds of their own. They are super tight and come to rock. That is what they delivered on last Friday night. Do your self a favor and check them out.

Chicken Now

I bought a new camera yesterday. I wanted to get one for under $100 to have for taking to shows, the beach, vacation, and so on. I settled on the Fuji A850, which at Beat Buy came in a box with a bag and a 1g sd card for $99. Then my wife did some shopping and we ate at Chicken Now in the new food court at Southcenter.

I love Chicken!!! Chicken Now!!!

Noise in the Woods

I-90 to exit 38 onto SE Homestead Valley rd, turn left onto NF-9020, go approx 2 miles up the road, there will be a few signs up along the way

I won't be able to make it this weekend, but if you feel like checking out some metal and noise bands in the woods this weekend, head up to North Bend and check it out.