No internet at the house all of a sudden = very minimal bloggage.
I have to go to a coffee shop or a library to do this, and it's been a very busy week. I'll try to catch up, or hopefully the wireless in my hood starts working again. Right now, the lack of internet access + working 7 days a week (2 jobs) in lieu of the upcoming wedding is making this very difficult.
Let's hope I can catch up in the coming days!
-b
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Too many puppies, with guns in their hands. Too many puppies in foreign lands.
Apologies for not posting every day. My life is phenomenally busy this week and I will be catching up. I love these assignments!
As a dog-lover, and having been raised with between 2 and 7 dogs in the house at all time, I will pay tribute to the Bunch Family Dawg Pound.
My mother rescues dogs for "Hope for Animals", a non-profit in Houma, Louisiana. This is her true passion. She often fosters these abused pups, many of which have been beaten by their owners or hit by cars.
The amusing cycle in the Bunch household goes like this. My mom fosters a new dog. My father says, "We can't keep another one, Ellen. We already have too many." This debate will be a point of contention around the house for a while. Two to three weeks will inadvertently pass, and then my father will predictably fall in love with said canine, and then there will be another member of the Bunch clan.
Now, my mom is not just another empty-nester looking to fulfill her nurturing needs by taking care of as many dogs as possible (though that is one motivation) - she is a true dog-lover. My OCD mother, a woman that never lets me eat dinner without using handwipes, a woman that makes sure I open a public bathroom door with a paper towel, will get down and dirty in the nastiest of ditches for a frightened puppy.
Short writeups of the Bunch clan are indeed in order
........from left to right....Ginger, Cocoa, Boy Dog, Sasha, Momma Dog, and Missy. Yoda (RIP) not pictured.
Cocoa Bunch is the true alpha dog of the group. Born in 1991, she is 18 in human years, which would make her 126 in dog years. She is now half-blind and deaf and suffers from a mysterious condition called "Old Dog Vertigo". In her younger days, she would howl on command when you said her name. She would sleep in your bed, curl up next to you, and then once she got into her comfy position, growl if you moved at all. She still believes she runs the house, though she now has no idea what the fuck is going on.
Ginger Bunch is the runt. About 13 in human years, Ginger has always been noticably tiny (never over 10 pounds). Of all the pups, her company is probably the least enjoyable, due to her impressively bad breath (which we call Ginger-vitis) and her penchant for rolling over and urinating on herself whenever a stranger comes into the house. In a pack of possibly the least brave, most spoiled dogs in South Louisiana, she's the doormat of the group.
Missy Bunch is the gregarious over-eating attention-grabbing one. If any of the other six dogs sits on your lap, Missy will jump on your lap as well, often knocking the other dog on the ground. If you pet another dog next to her, she goes completely crazy.
Boy Dog Bunchis very territorial (being the only boy), and extremely playful as well. A ball of energy, yet deathly afraid of some of the kitchen cabinets for some unknown reason.
Sasha Bunch is my sister's little pup. My sister never hesitates to tell me that the word Sasha means "defender of mankind". Sasha can't even defend her dog treats from the other dogs in the family, but she's still super-lovable.
Mamma Dog Bunch, the alpha-dog in waiting, is of an unknown age, and was sadly abused badly by her previous owner. She has a bullet in her paw, and is basically a tripod, as one of her legs is pretty much broken. For about 6 months, she was scared to death of anyone that made quick movements anywhere near her, but now, she's nothing but a cushy ball of love.
As a dog-lover, and having been raised with between 2 and 7 dogs in the house at all time, I will pay tribute to the Bunch Family Dawg Pound.
My mother rescues dogs for "Hope for Animals", a non-profit in Houma, Louisiana. This is her true passion. She often fosters these abused pups, many of which have been beaten by their owners or hit by cars.
The amusing cycle in the Bunch household goes like this. My mom fosters a new dog. My father says, "We can't keep another one, Ellen. We already have too many." This debate will be a point of contention around the house for a while. Two to three weeks will inadvertently pass, and then my father will predictably fall in love with said canine, and then there will be another member of the Bunch clan.
Now, my mom is not just another empty-nester looking to fulfill her nurturing needs by taking care of as many dogs as possible (though that is one motivation) - she is a true dog-lover. My OCD mother, a woman that never lets me eat dinner without using handwipes, a woman that makes sure I open a public bathroom door with a paper towel, will get down and dirty in the nastiest of ditches for a frightened puppy.
Short writeups of the Bunch clan are indeed in order
........from left to right....Ginger, Cocoa, Boy Dog, Sasha, Momma Dog, and Missy. Yoda (RIP) not pictured.
Cocoa Bunch is the true alpha dog of the group. Born in 1991, she is 18 in human years, which would make her 126 in dog years. She is now half-blind and deaf and suffers from a mysterious condition called "Old Dog Vertigo". In her younger days, she would howl on command when you said her name. She would sleep in your bed, curl up next to you, and then once she got into her comfy position, growl if you moved at all. She still believes she runs the house, though she now has no idea what the fuck is going on.
Ginger Bunch is the runt. About 13 in human years, Ginger has always been noticably tiny (never over 10 pounds). Of all the pups, her company is probably the least enjoyable, due to her impressively bad breath (which we call Ginger-vitis) and her penchant for rolling over and urinating on herself whenever a stranger comes into the house. In a pack of possibly the least brave, most spoiled dogs in South Louisiana, she's the doormat of the group.
Missy Bunch is the gregarious over-eating attention-grabbing one. If any of the other six dogs sits on your lap, Missy will jump on your lap as well, often knocking the other dog on the ground. If you pet another dog next to her, she goes completely crazy.
Boy Dog Bunchis very territorial (being the only boy), and extremely playful as well. A ball of energy, yet deathly afraid of some of the kitchen cabinets for some unknown reason.
Sasha Bunch is my sister's little pup. My sister never hesitates to tell me that the word Sasha means "defender of mankind". Sasha can't even defend her dog treats from the other dogs in the family, but she's still super-lovable.
Mamma Dog Bunch, the alpha-dog in waiting, is of an unknown age, and was sadly abused badly by her previous owner. She has a bullet in her paw, and is basically a tripod, as one of her legs is pretty much broken. For about 6 months, she was scared to death of anyone that made quick movements anywhere near her, but now, she's nothing but a cushy ball of love.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Senryu
Blue eight bit robot man
shoots white dots at machines
greatest game ever
By a tender age
Techno villains I did defeat
and garnish their weapons
Quick man, such a bitch
laser beams everywhere
freeze the screen to win
A tear to my eye
evoked from Spark Man's theme
what a dork am I
Nintendo-core
the most socially relevant
musical subgenre
shoots white dots at machines
greatest game ever
By a tender age
Techno villains I did defeat
and garnish their weapons
Quick man, such a bitch
laser beams everywhere
freeze the screen to win
A tear to my eye
evoked from Spark Man's theme
what a dork am I
Nintendo-core
the most socially relevant
musical subgenre
Sunday, April 5, 2009
4-5. How to save the world in 4 minutes.
How would I save the world in 4 minutes. (This is assuming authoritarian executive power)
1. Executive order. Fund the shit out of U.S. public schools. Teachers start at 60k. Allow schools to exist as a place of varied learning, alloting classes for young students in trades and arts. End standardized testing as a sole method of grading a school's success. Allow students to flourish in the various talents that they hold, which are often ignored in the public school system.
2. Make illegal the use of auto-tune in popular radio music.
3. Repeal capital punishment (exceptions can be made for those that still continue to use auto-tune in popular music). In fact, disallow any government from having the right to kill people for any reason.
4. Place a giant invisible comfortable blanket over the circumference of the earth to protect us from the effects of global warming.
5. Somehow convince all religious sects across the world that their "holy land" is somewhere in southeast Louisiana. It would be great for the ailing economy, but maybe not so much for the murder rate.
6. Continue to promote my rock band, "The Distant Seconds", throughout the world. We will bring peace and unity to all societies, communities, and species, especially with the unleashing of our new power ballad, "I'm here for Your Severed Head".
7. Ice cream every day.
8. Somehow end the commodification of art, ideas, and thoughts.
1. Executive order. Fund the shit out of U.S. public schools. Teachers start at 60k. Allow schools to exist as a place of varied learning, alloting classes for young students in trades and arts. End standardized testing as a sole method of grading a school's success. Allow students to flourish in the various talents that they hold, which are often ignored in the public school system.
2. Make illegal the use of auto-tune in popular radio music.
3. Repeal capital punishment (exceptions can be made for those that still continue to use auto-tune in popular music). In fact, disallow any government from having the right to kill people for any reason.
4. Place a giant invisible comfortable blanket over the circumference of the earth to protect us from the effects of global warming.
5. Somehow convince all religious sects across the world that their "holy land" is somewhere in southeast Louisiana. It would be great for the ailing economy, but maybe not so much for the murder rate.
6. Continue to promote my rock band, "The Distant Seconds", throughout the world. We will bring peace and unity to all societies, communities, and species, especially with the unleashing of our new power ballad, "I'm here for Your Severed Head".
7. Ice cream every day.
8. Somehow end the commodification of art, ideas, and thoughts.
A day late on this one, but not a dollar short.
sorry for the late response. I'll catch up. Busy day yesterday.
30 days of write question submitted to me on April 4th. "You wake up today and you are in the late 1800s. Your life is completely devoid of all of the technological comforts that we hold dear. No cell phones, no laptops, no Facebook, no television. What is your day like? Do you actually make it through the day without committing suicide?"
If I was to turn suicidal, it would have nothing to do with the loss of technology, and everything to do with the fact that, shit man, it's 1880, where is my family? Where are my friends? How did I get here?
I understand, however, that this is a hypothetical (albeit a difficult one to comprehend)
Suspending disbelief, if I am in the late 1800s all of a sudden (for one day), I would not just enjoy it, I would relish it. Everyday interpersonal interaction with people would mean so much more. I might not really like living in the reconstruction era, however, and I might be utterly confused.
You see, the real point of this blog has very little to do with my answer to this question, and apparently more to do with my pitiful lack of ability to suspend disbelief.
My answer to this question depends on what I really understand this question to mean. Here are some potential answers (kind of like a choose-your-own-adventure blog)
Potential for spending the day at the racetrack, betting on events in which I know the outcome of, and raking in the dough: 9.5/10
Potential for spending the day at the racetrack, betting on events in which I know the outcome of, raking in the dough, acquiring incredible wealth, and seeing lots of wonderful operas: 8/10
30 days of write question submitted to me on April 4th. "You wake up today and you are in the late 1800s. Your life is completely devoid of all of the technological comforts that we hold dear. No cell phones, no laptops, no Facebook, no television. What is your day like? Do you actually make it through the day without committing suicide?"
If I was to turn suicidal, it would have nothing to do with the loss of technology, and everything to do with the fact that, shit man, it's 1880, where is my family? Where are my friends? How did I get here?
I understand, however, that this is a hypothetical (albeit a difficult one to comprehend)
Suspending disbelief, if I am in the late 1800s all of a sudden (for one day), I would not just enjoy it, I would relish it. Everyday interpersonal interaction with people would mean so much more. I might not really like living in the reconstruction era, however, and I might be utterly confused.
You see, the real point of this blog has very little to do with my answer to this question, and apparently more to do with my pitiful lack of ability to suspend disbelief.
My answer to this question depends on what I really understand this question to mean. Here are some potential answers (kind of like a choose-your-own-adventure blog)
- No technology, no memory of the 21st century, different family and friends in the late 1800s : Fine with me (but would I have ingrained knowledge of the necessary tools needed for daily life in a pre-Industrial Revolution society? I'm not very good with a plow, I presume)
- Magically arriving in the late 1800's for one day, then returning to 2009 in South Austin the next day : I wouldn't handle the no family and friends thing very well. I also think that the experience would be very strongly affected by the part of the world that I would be living in for that one day. Let's just say hanging out in Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1871 would be a bummer.
Potential for spending the day at the racetrack, betting on events in which I know the outcome of, and raking in the dough: 9.5/10
- Magically arriving in the late 1800's, not knowing how you got there, and with no idea if you could ever return to the present: Again, with no concern over missing Facebook or television (maybe the band Television, but not the actual Television), I would freak the shit out. I would not see my fiance, my family, my bands, etc. In addition, I am probably pretty poor at farming, and the plumbing would really piss me off.
Potential for spending the day at the racetrack, betting on events in which I know the outcome of, raking in the dough, acquiring incredible wealth, and seeing lots of wonderful operas: 8/10
Friday, April 3, 2009
My Dream House
It's simple. My dream house would be a cozy log cabin home nestled in the woods, yet close enough to a city for immediate transport. The house would have a room for my music studio and a game room. The back yard would be substantial, with an organic neighborhood garden that friends would feel free to come by and watch their crops grow.
It would be in a place in which I could see a large amount of stars at night.
It would be in a place in which I could see a large amount of stars at night.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Pain
I grind my teeth viciously every single night, gradually assuring myself not only a morning of powerful, thick headaches, but also a full, long life of dental work. I do this because I always internalize my continuous tension, and this internalization allows me to give off a mirage of a calm demeanor. I don't scream, don't explode in anger, don't punch walls, don't smash bottles.......all I do, when tense, is take it out on my poor teeth.
I've tried mouthpieces, to no avail. My mouth just fills up with saliva and I spend my first moment of the next morning just drinking a long night's worth of spit. The headaches are large in scope - a pounding, encompassing, skill splitting, yet dull pain.
I rarely bitch about this. After all, I'm a man, right? I had to think very hard about the answer to this "pain" question, because I tend to ignore my physical pain as much as possible. It's just not manly to talk about how much you hurt. While nobody likes to spend time with those constantly bringing up their injuries in conversation, it's probably nearly as unhealthy to internalize all pain.
I've tried mouthpieces, to no avail. My mouth just fills up with saliva and I spend my first moment of the next morning just drinking a long night's worth of spit. The headaches are large in scope - a pounding, encompassing, skill splitting, yet dull pain.
I rarely bitch about this. After all, I'm a man, right? I had to think very hard about the answer to this "pain" question, because I tend to ignore my physical pain as much as possible. It's just not manly to talk about how much you hurt. While nobody likes to spend time with those constantly bringing up their injuries in conversation, it's probably nearly as unhealthy to internalize all pain.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
My Intention
Starting today, April 1st, I have joined somewhat of a writing cooperative, "30 days of write". The link to this blog is at http://30daysofwrite.blogspot.com/. A group brimming with 20 and 30-somethings that desperately miss their college non-fiction writing courses, "30 Days of Write" is perfect for me for this time in my life.
Some people, while well-intentioned, lack the internal motivation or direction to write, read, pump, and flex those sexy brain muscles. By some people, I probably am referring to myself. If spending my last four-years post-college slaving full-time in the food service industry didn't atrophy those mental muscles, then i'm sure that my zombification was caused by a combination of beer, playing and listening to excruciatingly abrasive music, and lack of "free time" to read and learn due to the challenges of daily life.
My motivation is two-fold
My Brothers and sisters, let's reach out to one another! Comment on each other's writings. Let's keep ourselves active and thinking. Do it!
("Black" from Pearljam is currently coming out of a neighbors jukebox. I can't not love that song. Nostalgia has always had me by the balls, it seems. )
-much love
-B
Some people, while well-intentioned, lack the internal motivation or direction to write, read, pump, and flex those sexy brain muscles. By some people, I probably am referring to myself. If spending my last four-years post-college slaving full-time in the food service industry didn't atrophy those mental muscles, then i'm sure that my zombification was caused by a combination of beer, playing and listening to excruciatingly abrasive music, and lack of "free time" to read and learn due to the challenges of daily life.
My motivation is two-fold
- by finding the time to be creative, this will help me appreciate the importance of taking time out to vent, create, amuse, or ramble. Having a venue for personal expression is enormous.
- I could really use the practice. I used to do some excellent fiction and non-fiction writing in the university setting. I don't know why I dropped it after '04, but it's time to pick it back up. I've picked up a few bad habits, and it's time to pick up a good one.
My Brothers and sisters, let's reach out to one another! Comment on each other's writings. Let's keep ourselves active and thinking. Do it!
("Black" from Pearljam is currently coming out of a neighbors jukebox. I can't not love that song. Nostalgia has always had me by the balls, it seems. )
-much love
-B
Monday, March 30, 2009
Fuck Blogs.
SERIOUSLY.
I'm going to keep doing it, I promise. I don't hate all blogs, nor do I necessarily hate my own blog. I just feel like my blog will be taking the place of real-life social interaction, which I'm not really having anyway.
In such a "happening" city such as Austin, and with the amount of good people that I know and wonderful companionships that I share with others, I would really like to not feel glued to my computer, when I should be out and about.
When there is a big event, show, or party, I have more than enough people to share these things with. However, when I crave a day at a coffee shop or a quick beer somewhere, I find difficulty at finding partnership at these endeavors. It bums me out sometimes.
I really have no problems with blogs, per se'; However, if blogging, e-mail, and texting become my primary means of communication with the outside world, some changes will have to be made.
I'm going to keep doing it, I promise. I don't hate all blogs, nor do I necessarily hate my own blog. I just feel like my blog will be taking the place of real-life social interaction, which I'm not really having anyway.
In such a "happening" city such as Austin, and with the amount of good people that I know and wonderful companionships that I share with others, I would really like to not feel glued to my computer, when I should be out and about.
When there is a big event, show, or party, I have more than enough people to share these things with. However, when I crave a day at a coffee shop or a quick beer somewhere, I find difficulty at finding partnership at these endeavors. It bums me out sometimes.
I really have no problems with blogs, per se'; However, if blogging, e-mail, and texting become my primary means of communication with the outside world, some changes will have to be made.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Oh Laundromat.
I would love to, at this moment, profess my love for Austin, TX's "Spincycle" - the one on S. Congress is my Laundromat of choice. I am currently washing what amounts to about 15 normal loads of clothes in only about 4 mega-loaders, and should be out in about in hour. However, in case I am not out in about an hour, the place is wi-fi friendly, helping to feed my afwul internet addiction.
Even the homeless people that straggle on in here are alarmingly friendly. What a lovely place!
( I know, you're wondering why, in three months, this is all I have to say. Well, it is not all I have to say. I'm just not in the mood for professing my life story right now)
- anyone ever heard of post-SXSW free show depression??? I think I've gone through that this week. After a week of drunken madness and sleeping three hours a night, I've been in a slump this week, possibly due to the fact that my body still craves alcohol, and I'm living off ice water and hot pockets........and partially because there's just been a lot less fun this week. At least the lady friend is back!
Even the homeless people that straggle on in here are alarmingly friendly. What a lovely place!
( I know, you're wondering why, in three months, this is all I have to say. Well, it is not all I have to say. I'm just not in the mood for professing my life story right now)
- anyone ever heard of post-SXSW free show depression??? I think I've gone through that this week. After a week of drunken madness and sleeping three hours a night, I've been in a slump this week, possibly due to the fact that my body still craves alcohol, and I'm living off ice water and hot pockets........and partially because there's just been a lot less fun this week. At least the lady friend is back!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Brilliant
......so brilliant ........a website that uses 500 key musical components such as "minor key tonality" and "discordant harmonies" to create a you-specific genre of music to suit your personal needs.
Pandora is my new love.
www.pandora.com, to be precise.
For those poor souls unfamiliar, what you can do is log on, and then select "start new station". Type in 10 to 15 artists that you find similar from your unique perspective, and then save the station. Pandora is a program masked as a live radio station that will play the artists you list as well as artists that Pandora determines to be similar. If Pandora misses the mark, the song can recieve a thumbs down rating. If Pandora nails it, the song recieves a thumbs up. If Pandora sends you a song better suited to another station that you have created, you can send the song and artist to that station.
Finally, Pandora has a "bookmarking" feature, which saves the titles of the songs and artists that you are unfamiliar with but would like to find out more about. I have discovered artists such as Ratatat, Helium, Black Sheep, and Little Pepper. This has renewed my interest in discovering new artists, which was an interest that has waned in the last year or so.
If you want to tinker with pandora, here is my suggestion.
Start many stations, and just play them while going through day to day activities. The station is constantly defined by the listener giving the song thumbs up or thumbs down ratings, so click it when you have a strong opinion of a tune.
In case you care, my stations are as follows
70's and 80's underground - Gang of Four, Can, Wire, Pere Ubu - the station leans a little more toward the Cure than I would like, but otherwise, it works out great for me
Alt-Country and Alt Folk - My Morning Jacket, Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, Sonvolt -
Angular Rock - Shellac, Jesus Lizard, Helmet, Fugazi - kind of a strange characterization, leans toward the more abrasive, mathy side of rock. Sometimes stumbles into metal, but usually stays on course.
Clever Pop Music - Strokes, White Stripes, Spoon, Belle + Sebastian its hard to keep this one on point, but i'm trying.
Grunge-Punk-Gen X - Mudhoney, Nirvana, Hum, Melvins, Soundgarden - works great, with occasional lapses into seven mary 3 and audioslave.
Indie and Art Rock- Sigur Ros, Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Blonde Redhead - the broadest station i have, kind of larger sounding "indie" bands -
Instrumental Rock - Tristeza, Explosions in the Sky, Tortoise
Music you can dance to - LCD Soundsystem, Justice, Cake, Soul Coughing - was about to say that i was amazed at how well this potentially-too-broad station worked out for me - then they played "float on" - oh well.
New Orleans blues, jazz, and brass - Dirty Dozen, Fats, Rebirth, Soul Rebels, Bonerama - makes me cry. cuz I miss home. Perfect.
Organic Hip Hop - Roots, Guru, Tribe Called Quest - Perfect
Slow Core and Minimalism - Low, American Analog Set, Songs Ohia, Smog - not only perfect, but the only way i can hear this kind of music on a consistent basis. Amazing. Right now I'm listening to Big Sewell Mt. by Songs Ohia. Great song.
Wall of Guitars - My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Kinski - self explanatory, hopefully.
anyway, you can see this is my new obsession.
later
brandon
Pandora is my new love.
www.pandora.com, to be precise.
For those poor souls unfamiliar, what you can do is log on, and then select "start new station". Type in 10 to 15 artists that you find similar from your unique perspective, and then save the station. Pandora is a program masked as a live radio station that will play the artists you list as well as artists that Pandora determines to be similar. If Pandora misses the mark, the song can recieve a thumbs down rating. If Pandora nails it, the song recieves a thumbs up. If Pandora sends you a song better suited to another station that you have created, you can send the song and artist to that station.
Finally, Pandora has a "bookmarking" feature, which saves the titles of the songs and artists that you are unfamiliar with but would like to find out more about. I have discovered artists such as Ratatat, Helium, Black Sheep, and Little Pepper. This has renewed my interest in discovering new artists, which was an interest that has waned in the last year or so.
If you want to tinker with pandora, here is my suggestion.
Start many stations, and just play them while going through day to day activities. The station is constantly defined by the listener giving the song thumbs up or thumbs down ratings, so click it when you have a strong opinion of a tune.
In case you care, my stations are as follows
70's and 80's underground - Gang of Four, Can, Wire, Pere Ubu - the station leans a little more toward the Cure than I would like, but otherwise, it works out great for me
Alt-Country and Alt Folk - My Morning Jacket, Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, Sonvolt -
Angular Rock - Shellac, Jesus Lizard, Helmet, Fugazi - kind of a strange characterization, leans toward the more abrasive, mathy side of rock. Sometimes stumbles into metal, but usually stays on course.
Clever Pop Music - Strokes, White Stripes, Spoon, Belle + Sebastian its hard to keep this one on point, but i'm trying.
Grunge-Punk-Gen X - Mudhoney, Nirvana, Hum, Melvins, Soundgarden - works great, with occasional lapses into seven mary 3 and audioslave.
Indie and Art Rock- Sigur Ros, Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Blonde Redhead - the broadest station i have, kind of larger sounding "indie" bands -
Instrumental Rock - Tristeza, Explosions in the Sky, Tortoise
Music you can dance to - LCD Soundsystem, Justice, Cake, Soul Coughing - was about to say that i was amazed at how well this potentially-too-broad station worked out for me - then they played "float on" - oh well.
New Orleans blues, jazz, and brass - Dirty Dozen, Fats, Rebirth, Soul Rebels, Bonerama - makes me cry. cuz I miss home. Perfect.
Organic Hip Hop - Roots, Guru, Tribe Called Quest - Perfect
Slow Core and Minimalism - Low, American Analog Set, Songs Ohia, Smog - not only perfect, but the only way i can hear this kind of music on a consistent basis. Amazing. Right now I'm listening to Big Sewell Mt. by Songs Ohia. Great song.
Wall of Guitars - My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Kinski - self explanatory, hopefully.
anyway, you can see this is my new obsession.
later
brandon
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Keeping promises
Is it too self-indulgent to blog about not blogging enough? I'm about to do that.....
Ok, here goes.....................
It's been nearly a month. I tried to keep up with this, and then things got a little crazy!
A while back (may or juneish), I had a mid-twenties crisis. I believed that I was not doing enough productive things. It drove me crazy. I came to the realization that I was 27, and had little to show for it, other than a deli job and an interesting band.
I thought that the way to combat the malaise that I was feeling was to keep the promises I had made to myself in regards to never letting the lazy bug hit me. First off, I've started taking teaching courses through Iteachtexas.com. In one year, I should have my own class. I'll tell more about this later.
I have rekindled my interest in Fresh Millions, and am now performing in the Beautiful Supermachines, bring my band total up to 3, which is nearing ridiculousness. I'm writing sports columns for Austin entertainment magazine, and need to get to writing a column for the High hat, as Hayden is patiently awaiting my submission. I spent the last few weeks moving into a beautiful home with my wonderful fiancee. Last week, we also visited new orleans, where I saw friends and family, recorded an album w/ I Octopus, visited 7 reception halls (and found a great one), and visited the church where we plan to wed (Blessed Ceelo's in the bywater)
So I responded to my previous malaise by oversaturating myself with activities. This is really cool, but I hope I don't drive myself crazy.
There are stories to tell. Crazy Whole Foods Guy hit-and-running my car while at work is a good one to tell in the future.
Just not now. Time for bed. Two columns to finish by tomorrow evening.
B
Ok, here goes.....................
It's been nearly a month. I tried to keep up with this, and then things got a little crazy!
A while back (may or juneish), I had a mid-twenties crisis. I believed that I was not doing enough productive things. It drove me crazy. I came to the realization that I was 27, and had little to show for it, other than a deli job and an interesting band.
I thought that the way to combat the malaise that I was feeling was to keep the promises I had made to myself in regards to never letting the lazy bug hit me. First off, I've started taking teaching courses through Iteachtexas.com. In one year, I should have my own class. I'll tell more about this later.
I have rekindled my interest in Fresh Millions, and am now performing in the Beautiful Supermachines, bring my band total up to 3, which is nearing ridiculousness. I'm writing sports columns for Austin entertainment magazine, and need to get to writing a column for the High hat, as Hayden is patiently awaiting my submission. I spent the last few weeks moving into a beautiful home with my wonderful fiancee. Last week, we also visited new orleans, where I saw friends and family, recorded an album w/ I Octopus, visited 7 reception halls (and found a great one), and visited the church where we plan to wed (Blessed Ceelo's in the bywater)
So I responded to my previous malaise by oversaturating myself with activities. This is really cool, but I hope I don't drive myself crazy.
There are stories to tell. Crazy Whole Foods Guy hit-and-running my car while at work is a good one to tell in the future.
Just not now. Time for bed. Two columns to finish by tomorrow evening.
B
Friday, July 18, 2008
Batman Begins the Beguine
Batman II - The Dark Knight
Think about Terminator I vs. Terminator II. Terminator I was a dark, well-written action film allotting significant time to character and plot development through dialogue. There were small doses of stunning (for its time) action, culminating in an epic denouement. You cared about the characters, and the suspense killed you.
Terminator II was, of course, superbly epic and filled with action. It was a stunning bubblegum action flick, and the viewer learned about the characters through their actions more than their conversations. This was completely effective because of the talent of the actors as well as the well-crafted script.
In the same way, I feel that The Dark Knight differed greatly from Batman Begins.
The film was nearly three hours long, and due to the phenomenally fast pace and choppy editing, it felt like Christopher Nolan was trying to fit a good 4 or 5 hours of material into this film. If the performances, script, plot development, and art direction (Seriously, I'd have to say that Nolan's vision of Gotham places 2nd to Blade Runner as the coolest looking futuristic city modern film history) weren't completely amazing, this could have easily been a jumbled mess. However, it seemed that Nolan knew what he had in this film; an amazing cast giving perfect performances, and a brilliantly crafted epic story. Nolan directed this movie with a phenomenal amount of confidence, throwing the audience everything including the kitchen sink, while knowing that we were going to devour and savor all 160 something minutes of the film.
The Barton Creek mall was filled with four full theaters at midnight. Due to the monumental advertising campaign, as well as the positive feedback from Batman Begins (maybe my favorite comic-book movie of all time), The Dark Knight had a lot to live up to. The film quite possibly exceeded my expectations.
Heath Ledger's untimely death directly following his "Joker" performance made me WANT him to have given the performance of a lifetime. I'm very happy to opine that Ledger did, completely stealing the show, completely making Jack Nicholson's goofy "Joker" seem about as emotionally disturbing as a care bear by comparison. (while writing this, I realize that many people might find care bears very emotionally disturbing......but trust me, they're really just cute and cuddly. Go get a new shrink if this is a problem for you).
Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine were as great as expected. Aaron Eckhart and Maggie Gylennhall were also completely amazing in their new roles. There was not one poor performance in this film. The Dark Knight is hollywood bombast at its finest; an action packed, ADD-inducing epic superhero adventure completely eclipsing most of what has been done before it.
I will go again to see this at the IMAX. Later, I will buy this film and it will become a crown jewel of my DVD collection, so that my future kids and I will watch this together and we will love it.
Spiderman is for pussies.
-brandon.
Another friday afternoon in my sexy world.
My cluttered mind is fully functioning, yet phenomenally disorganized.
Therefore, lists are supercool.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, just to let you know, whoever you are, I probably saw Batman: The Dark Knight before you!!
it was great!
nanny nanny naah naa!
Therefore, lists are supercool.
- Get crack in window fixed (appt. made monday)
- Call storage space and cancel account (done!)
- Make all necessary Whole Foods requests off for vacation (done!)
- Convince Whole Foods to give me a Job Dialogue
- Contact San Antonio music venues
- Contact Hole in the Wall, Room 710, and other Austin venues for better shows
- Find writing samples and send off to entertainment magazine that you are applying for so that you can become a sports writer.
- Buy a toolbox and some plastic cups
- Clean your car, Bunch (done!)
- Clean your room, Bunch
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, just to let you know, whoever you are, I probably saw Batman: The Dark Knight before you!!
it was great!
nanny nanny naah naa!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Check out 3 tracks from the new Distant Seconds album
The Distant Seconds
"Spectral Evidence"
1. Disembalmed 1:08
2. Throb in Unison 3:38
3. We're Unstoppable 3:12
4. Spectral Evidence 4:15
5. The Manual 2:08
6. Half a Believer 3:39
7. Blacklight 2:01
8. Your Politics 3:19
9. Even the Help are Dancing Now 2:49
10. Build your own Los Angeles 6:12
11. Bridget Bishop 3:18
Recorded at Echo Lab studios, Denton, TX, with Matt Barnhardt (Shearwater, The New Year)
"Spectral Evidence"
1. Disembalmed 1:08
2. Throb in Unison 3:38
3. We're Unstoppable 3:12
4. Spectral Evidence 4:15
5. The Manual 2:08
6. Half a Believer 3:39
7. Blacklight 2:01
8. Your Politics 3:19
9. Even the Help are Dancing Now 2:49
10. Build your own Los Angeles 6:12
11. Bridget Bishop 3:18
Recorded at Echo Lab studios, Denton, TX, with Matt Barnhardt (Shearwater, The New Year)
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
31 flavors of compromise
I will begin this blog by stating that I've just recieved the new Distant Seconds record entitled "Spectral Evidence". The Distant Seconds are, of course, my band since Nov. 05...and the album is finally a culmination of our best songwriting in our 2 and a half years. This is, of course, meant to be stated with outright fervent humility; How I really feel about it varies day-by-day. Music being such a passion of mine, its very difficult not to feel varied extremes about performing and writing.
My feelings on the band (and any band I have a vested interest and influence in, for that matter) can vary between rich delusions of grandeur and the pits; one day, I feel like screaming "Listen to our fucking music, its fucking great!" off the roof of the Frost tower..., and the next day, I don't have any clue why I am a 27 year old invested in music at all, and would like to pawn my piano for a pair of oven mitts.
So lately, I'm encountering a phase where I've been going through old blogs, live journal entries, and e-mails. By doing this, I've basically been reading old "messages in a bottle" that i guess i've left for myself. With this new blog, I set out to continue this, so at the age of 32, I can look back and recapture the goofy 27-year old emotions that I used to have.
Good Day,
B
My feelings on the band (and any band I have a vested interest and influence in, for that matter) can vary between rich delusions of grandeur and the pits; one day, I feel like screaming "Listen to our fucking music, its fucking great!" off the roof of the Frost tower..., and the next day, I don't have any clue why I am a 27 year old invested in music at all, and would like to pawn my piano for a pair of oven mitts.
So lately, I'm encountering a phase where I've been going through old blogs, live journal entries, and e-mails. By doing this, I've basically been reading old "messages in a bottle" that i guess i've left for myself. With this new blog, I set out to continue this, so at the age of 32, I can look back and recapture the goofy 27-year old emotions that I used to have.
Good Day,
B
Monday, October 2, 2006
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
the life and times
my mind is a jumbled mess.
3 bands in Austin, 1 in New Orleans
relationships with 2 cities
and one girl
infinite job opportunities
double infinite upcoming life decisions
2 potential new living situations in austin, both of which may or may not happen (though the kaydee and dustin house is looking pretty definite)
OK. so one half hearted decision is to finally enroll in school - Why not teach. Hell, I know I have the skill. I'm generally coming to consistent, daily realizations that my life is mundane, droll, and that my brain is slowly atrophying.
Sounds depressing? Well, it's really not all THAT bad for me. It's just average. Totally average. I'm not excited about about anything to jump into it, and not frustrated enough with anything to let it go.
I know to take advantage of these next two days off of work.
One definite area of frustration is my lack of patience with music - I am musically unfulfilled in Austin - I don't have the same passion to promote, and nobody in any of my 3 bands does any promotion either. The only one of my bands that seems to want to book shows/tell people about their shows/promote on a regular basis is Mumpsie - and that's a seemingly pseudo-temporary project because Alex is moving back to Florida to be with his lady friend
There's so much more, trust me - but nothing I can safely post. Never know who reads these things, anyway.
Hey - i did wash 5 loads of clothes today, and paid my credit card bill on time. Trust me, that's a step up for me in the arena of personal discipline and responsibility.
Now I need to start riding my new bike. I got a speeding ticket last night for 58 in a 45. Lame. My van is old and running funny, and i'm real tired of driving.
later
b
3 bands in Austin, 1 in New Orleans
relationships with 2 cities
and one girl
infinite job opportunities
double infinite upcoming life decisions
2 potential new living situations in austin, both of which may or may not happen (though the kaydee and dustin house is looking pretty definite)
OK. so one half hearted decision is to finally enroll in school - Why not teach. Hell, I know I have the skill. I'm generally coming to consistent, daily realizations that my life is mundane, droll, and that my brain is slowly atrophying.
Sounds depressing? Well, it's really not all THAT bad for me. It's just average. Totally average. I'm not excited about about anything to jump into it, and not frustrated enough with anything to let it go.
I know to take advantage of these next two days off of work.
One definite area of frustration is my lack of patience with music - I am musically unfulfilled in Austin - I don't have the same passion to promote, and nobody in any of my 3 bands does any promotion either. The only one of my bands that seems to want to book shows/tell people about their shows/promote on a regular basis is Mumpsie - and that's a seemingly pseudo-temporary project because Alex is moving back to Florida to be with his lady friend
There's so much more, trust me - but nothing I can safely post. Never know who reads these things, anyway.
Hey - i did wash 5 loads of clothes today, and paid my credit card bill on time. Trust me, that's a step up for me in the arena of personal discipline and responsibility.
Now I need to start riding my new bike. I got a speeding ticket last night for 58 in a 45. Lame. My van is old and running funny, and i'm real tired of driving.
later
b
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
I smell like the springs. I feel refreshed.
The greyroad has a show on August 8th, in New Orleans.
Tomorrow I fly to New Orleans to visit my family, only to return on Friday.
I have not been blogging often because I have not been in the mood to write about goings on in my life.
At this moment, I am.
I've fallen in love with a disc entitled "the american song-poem anthology". The anthology is a collection of songs from the 60's and 70's recorded in Nashville by studio musicians.
The scam was in the advertisement..."Are you the next great american songwriter!!??? Send us your poem and if we like it, we'll put out a single for you and git you radio airplay!!!"
Of course, no matter what kind of poem you sent to these people, the response was always.."We love your poem and would be happy to record it. We feel like this has the potential to be a major radio success. Send us $300 dollars and let us know what style you want the song in.....and we will record the single!"
Now, none of these poems were actually put out on the radio stations. That was the scam, of course. However, these Nashville studio musicians would record vocals and music (these songs were always first takes....they would record up to 20 songs in one hour, maximizing studio time and profits.). So everyone who paid the money got a 45'' single sent back to their house.
This led to all of these obscure poems written by nearly illiterate Americans being released on singles, which eventally found their way to pawn shops and bargain bins across the US. Record collector types eventually began to pick up a lot of these singles, and this led to the "American Song-Poem Anthology"
A sample of the lyrics - this was a song entitled "How long are you staying" by Mary Uruttia, a middle aged housewife. The poem was put to an incredibly campy disco beat
"Disco Disco Disco
I am going to Mt. Kisko
I am going to by Crisco
To bake a cake so i can disco disco disco
Disco Disco Disco
How long are you staying
I only eat Marisco
so i can Disco Disco Disco
Disco Disco Disco
I am getting tired
Waiting to be hired
to do Disco disco disco
If I dont get hired
to do disco disco disco
I will take a gun
and become a sisco
disco disco disco
i am going to get fired
disco disco disco
you make me so tired
disco disco disco
if i don't get fired
i am going to j-lisco?
and dance on a wire
disco disco disco
if i don't get crisco
when i get to mt. crisco
i am going to j-lisco
and become a sisco
and then move to frisco
and become a sisco
and move to frisco............"
you get the point
Well, anyway, there was one grocery store clerk that, while aware of the scam involved, decided to write the most ridiculous thing possible just to see if they would publish it, which they did. The poem was written in about 5 minutes, in between checking out customers.
The title of the ensuing song put out is entitled "Blind Man's Penis". The title of the poem was originally "Stevie Wonder's Penis". The record company told John Trubee (the dude we're talking about, of course) that the song had great potential, but they can't use Stevie Wonder's name in regards to his genitalia for fear of litigation.
This song is in the style of "country ballad." Here goes.
I got high last night, on LSD.
My mind was beautiful, and I was free
Warts loved my nipples because they are pink
Vomit on me, babyYeah, yeah, yeah
A blind man's penis is erect because he isblind
It's erect because he's blind
A blind man's penis is erect because he isblind
It's erect because he's blind
Let's make love under the starsWatch for UFOs
If little baby Martians come out of the UFOs
We fuck them yeah yeah yeah
The zebra spilled its plastinia on bemis
And the gelatin oozed electric marbles
Ramona's titties died in Hell
And the Nazis want to kill, kill everyone
A blind man's penis is erect because he isblind
It's erect because he's blind
A blind man's penis is erect because he isblind
It's erect because he's blind
It's erect because he's blind
It's erect because he's blind.
So in other news,
-Whole foods "votes" on me tomorrow, which means they either "accept" me as a permenant team member, or "seperate" me from the company. Youch.
-Melanie works at Hollywood video now, which is good, because she seemed bored sitting at home all the time.
- My room is officially clean, which is an incredibly difficult thing for me to do. I completely wiped out the whole mess Friday night. Next, my car will be completely cleaned out as well.
That's all the typing i'm in the mood for today.
-b
The greyroad has a show on August 8th, in New Orleans.
Tomorrow I fly to New Orleans to visit my family, only to return on Friday.
I have not been blogging often because I have not been in the mood to write about goings on in my life.
At this moment, I am.
I've fallen in love with a disc entitled "the american song-poem anthology". The anthology is a collection of songs from the 60's and 70's recorded in Nashville by studio musicians.
The scam was in the advertisement..."Are you the next great american songwriter!!??? Send us your poem and if we like it, we'll put out a single for you and git you radio airplay!!!"
Of course, no matter what kind of poem you sent to these people, the response was always.."We love your poem and would be happy to record it. We feel like this has the potential to be a major radio success. Send us $300 dollars and let us know what style you want the song in.....and we will record the single!"
Now, none of these poems were actually put out on the radio stations. That was the scam, of course. However, these Nashville studio musicians would record vocals and music (these songs were always first takes....they would record up to 20 songs in one hour, maximizing studio time and profits.). So everyone who paid the money got a 45'' single sent back to their house.
This led to all of these obscure poems written by nearly illiterate Americans being released on singles, which eventally found their way to pawn shops and bargain bins across the US. Record collector types eventually began to pick up a lot of these singles, and this led to the "American Song-Poem Anthology"
A sample of the lyrics - this was a song entitled "How long are you staying" by Mary Uruttia, a middle aged housewife. The poem was put to an incredibly campy disco beat
"Disco Disco Disco
I am going to Mt. Kisko
I am going to by Crisco
To bake a cake so i can disco disco disco
Disco Disco Disco
How long are you staying
I only eat Marisco
so i can Disco Disco Disco
Disco Disco Disco
I am getting tired
Waiting to be hired
to do Disco disco disco
If I dont get hired
to do disco disco disco
I will take a gun
and become a sisco
disco disco disco
i am going to get fired
disco disco disco
you make me so tired
disco disco disco
if i don't get fired
i am going to j-lisco?
and dance on a wire
disco disco disco
if i don't get crisco
when i get to mt. crisco
i am going to j-lisco
and become a sisco
and then move to frisco
and become a sisco
and move to frisco............"
you get the point
Well, anyway, there was one grocery store clerk that, while aware of the scam involved, decided to write the most ridiculous thing possible just to see if they would publish it, which they did. The poem was written in about 5 minutes, in between checking out customers.
The title of the ensuing song put out is entitled "Blind Man's Penis". The title of the poem was originally "Stevie Wonder's Penis". The record company told John Trubee (the dude we're talking about, of course) that the song had great potential, but they can't use Stevie Wonder's name in regards to his genitalia for fear of litigation.
This song is in the style of "country ballad." Here goes.
I got high last night, on LSD.
My mind was beautiful, and I was free
Warts loved my nipples because they are pink
Vomit on me, babyYeah, yeah, yeah
A blind man's penis is erect because he isblind
It's erect because he's blind
A blind man's penis is erect because he isblind
It's erect because he's blind
Let's make love under the starsWatch for UFOs
If little baby Martians come out of the UFOs
We fuck them yeah yeah yeah
The zebra spilled its plastinia on bemis
And the gelatin oozed electric marbles
Ramona's titties died in Hell
And the Nazis want to kill, kill everyone
A blind man's penis is erect because he isblind
It's erect because he's blind
A blind man's penis is erect because he isblind
It's erect because he's blind
It's erect because he's blind
It's erect because he's blind.
So in other news,
-Whole foods "votes" on me tomorrow, which means they either "accept" me as a permenant team member, or "seperate" me from the company. Youch.
-Melanie works at Hollywood video now, which is good, because she seemed bored sitting at home all the time.
- My room is officially clean, which is an incredibly difficult thing for me to do. I completely wiped out the whole mess Friday night. Next, my car will be completely cleaned out as well.
That's all the typing i'm in the mood for today.
-b
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