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The background image didn’t appear on the main page, but appeared when I went to leave a comment. Also, if there’s supposed to be links attached to the coloured boxes at the top of the page, that’s not working. Other than that, everything looks fabulous!!:) *Hugs*,*~ A.
You did all this by hand? In one night? Wow, you’ve been busy. The page looks great to me. Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the blogosphere. Keep doing what you’re doing, you are a great read. :)
very nice! the grass is my favorite background. i’d like to do something different with my blog, but i’ve got to get through a pretty steep learning curve first.
Welcome back from the dark side! I heart wordpress. blogger was getting on my last nerve, so I stayed up one night and moved all my junk over to wordpress. A tutorial for those of us who don’t have an entire evening (or two) to figure this out would be great. I know I could’ve used it.
Your background-selection thingy is awesome…the whole set up is catching without seeming busy at all.
Just as a note to those offering effusive praise, i cannot claim credit for the layout – it’s called Vistered Little by Nik Iliadis, and i found it while browsing through 1000+ layouts at WordPress.
Oh, i was definitely terrified. It was definitely the most terrifying thing i have ever seen, and it still terrifies me every time i watch a movie that has a scene underground, or even in a dark broom-closet. I just didn’t express that terror in primitive, dog-like yelps every time something could be heard moving off frame ;)
Aaaw. So. . . does it make you feel better, at all, that I’m damn near 30 years old, and I have a closet full of stories just like that . . . from the past year? *sigh*
I agree with your argument, too. But it might be because I’ve been to a concert (and The Rolling Stones, no less) much more recently than I’ve had any sex.
Sing a sad song for me.
Thanks for visiting and linking. And uber-thanks for the kind words about parenting, it means more than I can say.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006 at 10:32 pm|Permalink
Katie wrote:
I have fallen in love with NaBloPoMo. There are so many great blogs (including yours) that I doubt I would have found otherwise. You already know that I’m a mommy-blogger. I tend to read other mom’s blogs. I’m having such a great time branching out a bit. I’ll be back after NaBloPoMo to read some of your pre-Crushing Krisis Crisis posts.
Wow, that’s a great question! Hmm… I think I would rather have sex with a great band than see them play, but I would definitely remember that specific show vs that specific sex (act/night) and it would more likely become one of my “oh remember that time” type of stories.
Unless of course I actually had sex with the whole band, which is what I typed. Best orgy ever! Sex wins!
Second what Marit said up there – that’s a mega post if I ever saw one…Enjoying your posts…you’re one of my favorite finds from NaBlo so far. I’m liking the new design as well!
I’m super-happy that you are all enjoying my DXYZ breakdown, and I hope you took the time to check out some of the blogs therein!
It did indeed take a long time, and i’m not even into the lengthier letters yet! However, the real challenge isn’t so much the time spent reading, but balancing this blog-intake with my own-blog output, especially since it takes quite a while to rehearse, record, and upload a new Trio of songs, and i hope to complete eight more by the end of the month.
I’m actually working on the EUV edition right now; i’ve got to keep up a pretty aggressive reading schedule if i hope to finish the alphabet before the end of NaBloPoMo.
It’s been many years, but my most vivid picture of Gina is seeing her sitting in the basement with us wearing her awesome retro Beatles dress and eating lunch while regaling us about Dr. Ranjini’s impromptu sex-ed lecture.
As for my most vivid image of you, Freshman year Health assembly. You stood up in front of the whole school and asked us, “Have you ever had that not-so-fresh feeling?”
Ohhhh, honey, giving birth, it is like lightning hitting your… oh, i cannot say.
Wow, i think i almost forgot the Beatles Dress. I think it eventually became just a shirt. Maybe she can transform it into a bikini for its next stage of life.
I actually did forget about that Health Fair – it was my first time on stage in that capacity, but still pre-theatre. I think my jealousy of the people who had larger roles was probably part of what fueled me to audition the next year.
Awww, I just had to tell you that I love your pretty picture. You are very pretty, indeed. As a compulsive hair cutter-offer, now reformed and growing my locks nice and long (until they tick me off and I end up getting a butch/pixie cut again), I urge you to stick it out. It will get better!
Thank you! That’s one of my all-time favorite pictures of me.
As for the topic of this post, I actually emerged unscathed on the other side of the ugly phase, experienced several adrenaline-filled weeks of great hair, and actually got to a point where it was long enough to get it trimmed into the shape i was aiming for. Unfortunately, i cannot provide photographic evidence of this, as WordPress has yet to acknowledge any phone posts.
*fanning myself* – OMG, MICROWAVING COOKIES!!
I shudder and am not surprised at the results. Great imagery. I am totally laughing, as this brings to mind an incident from my college days. Perhaps that story will be my post for the day.
this has nothing to do with pomo, but I just realized that your new feed hasn’t been showing up on bloglines for me. (I did check to make sure I was subscribed to it.) hopefully you can do something more useful with that info than I have so far.
You know, I really enjoyed the last two Trios you put up. I think it just flows better and is more natural in the “one take” format.
Also, the Angry Song is actually quite beautiful. I ‘d never heard it before, and particularly liked it….(though, “Vortex Of Negative Energy Girl” cracked me up…I had to picture a twisted superhero. ;)
Hey…are you going to do a Trio devoted to covers? I’m ready for some Tori! *laughs*
Actually, i am doing a Trio of Cover Trios, each drawing songs from a different period of my life. I’m sure some Tori will find its way in, but i’m not sure what song yet. As i can play just about anything by her (seriously), i’m open to suggestions.
Hey, thanks for the nice shout-out! I am glad you liked my blog and left a comment. You are absolutely right about leaving comments – I used to never leave them unless I had something novel or profound to say, but now I realize how thrilling it is for the author when someone just says, “Hey, I liked that!”
:) I don’t think mine was up at this point, but neat. I’m trying to read them all too!! I should’ve done something similar with yours.. Roundups. Makes more sense!
Well,it doesn’t seem you should take requests, since you need to find what relates to your own life and you’re inspired to play. ;P
But,since you ask, “Spark” and “Pandora’s Aquarium” are always my fav. Tori requests. :) It would also be interesting to hear you do a cover of a Tori cover…she does so many! *laughs*
Well, Tori was a big enough influence on my teenage and college years that i can probably justify any song of hers as an influence. I mean, i learned how to read sheet music from Choirgirl. That’s pretty major. Ive actually covered about half of that disc at one time or another; “Pandora’s” used to be the top of that list, but lately i’ve been focused on trying to learn it on piano (you know me, never start with the easy stuff).
dude. i don’t know how in the world you reviewed all those blogs. I’m supposed to review only categories “O” and “P” and seriously? I am lame. I haven’t gotten past the first ten “O” blogs.’
Perhaps I should forego sleeping tonight to make some headway on my project?
I love the newest Trio. You have truly excellent musical influences.
Also, your description of what happens when you microwave Heath cookie dough was comic gold. It made me want to go buy some so I could play along at home. :)
I too am impressed that you’re slugging your way through all those blogs. I started from the bottom and just finished the U’s. My eyes start to glaze over after a while.
I feel your pain with the new Firefox tabs. A couple of days ago, I accidentally closed an email response to a friend I hadn’t heard from in a decade. It was quite a few paragraphs long. Sadly, the second version wasn’t nearly as witty and thoughtfully composed as the first.
Actually,as an artist, you should be able to relate to children better than most folks. Children live in a world of imagination, fantasy, and emotion. You may think you’re doing them a favour by not condescending to them, but you’re also depriving them of one of the best parts of childhood…hell,the best parts of any age…that innocent, beautiful belief in AnythingInTheWorldIsPossible. :)
I love children.I don’t have any, but I actually get along with them better than I do most grown-up people. Children are dreamers,romantics,idealists. Children are free-spirits. Children are all artists.
Only a very few of us are allowed to keep that sensitivity and enthusiasm for life as adults…and if we try, it is beaten out of us in the name of “responsibility”,”obligation”,”being realistic”, and so forth. Let them have their moments for as long as they can. :)
Because, you know, the world WOULD be a better place if there was someone flying about in a blue cape able to protect us from evil, all because he ate his fennel on a regular basis. ;)
Hehehehe…yes, learning piano via Tori isn’t necessarily the easiest undertaking. But I *love* playing her stuff on piano, even if it doesn’t sound quite like she plays it. ;P
I think Choirgirl and Earthquakes are her best albums; the first for the musical complexity, the second for the lyrical rawness.
Anyhow, it’s interesting that you learned to read music via that album. :)
I’m glad you like the cake. I cannot take credit for the Ladybug, it was something that my brother found somewhere (about 70% marzipan, I think). I did make the triple-dairy cheesecake, though, and it was YUMMMO.
I wholeheartedly agree about trying other peoples’ weird diets even if you don’t intend to make it your full-time eating philosophy. I’ve had some great raw food that way.
also, I will tell my mom that you said that about the cake and I guarantee it will make her day. ;)
hey thanks for the comment and link – I am tinkled pink, though why this is so when I don’t know you, nor am I sure of the validity of your reviewing, I am still trying to figure. Whatever, I will bask in the glow of fellow bloggers following links around the globe to reach my humble blog.
I don’t do TV either, and I didn’t learn to drive until I was 23. I grew up outside Washington, DC, so I felt like, are you kidding me? Then, in college, I lived in a place where it was feasable not to. I really didn’t think I’d ever learn to drive.
Unfortunately, where I went to grad school there was no choice. Now I do it, but only when I have to.
I was trying to explain this to a potential suitor once and he said, “So you don’t drive and you don’t have a TV. Are you a Mennonite?”
It’s the only explanation!
I have to say the *one* thing that sometimes makes me feel a little funny about not having a license (or any intention of getting one soon) is the knowledge that my baby brother is going to be able to drive me around in the near future.
reading websites (I have ~150 on my feed thingie, plus the lj friends page) feels like a HUGE waste of time compared to watching tv, though. I don’t know why that is. maybe because with TV I always turn it on for something specific … but the internet I turn on whenever I’m not doing something else (or, especially, when there’s something else I want to avoid doing).
:D chiming in to say thanks for the mention and kudos. i tend to babble quite a bit about food, eating, working out etc etc etc; I’m glad to hear that someone found it of interest!
Fitting in sucks. Being mocked for being smart sucks. “Dumbing down” …. don’t do it, you’ll begin to think YOU suck. It’s not like they’re going to appreciate it anyway … (says she who sits with a book at lunch and doesn’t go on the group lunches)
Wednesday, November 22, 2006 at 10:35 pm|Permalink
Thanks so much for mentioning my blog. I appreciate it! I invite you and your readers to check out Grand Rounds on my blog. Grand Rounds is the best that the medical blogosphere has to offer this week.
You know, “Like A Virgin” is the first cassette I can remember buying at the record store. I’m not certain it *was*, but it was the first I remember. I was totally in love with Madonna. (though I sounded alot better singing with Cyndi Lauper that year…*lol*)
Also, your voice and style are admirably suited for Beatles stuff. I’d be curious to hear you do some others, at some point in time. :)
Everyone has their specialty, even dumb people (especially dumb people) and it’s a really smart move to make friends with people across the board at least at work.
I agree that you shouldn’t dumb it down. Shine, baby shine. Maybe you could use fake humility to take the edge off of other social situations but work is not the place, I think you’ll find more respect (and friends) when you start using your talents without shame.
I think television is weird because people seem to care more about what’s going on with celebrities and fictional characters more than they care about their own lives.
When I gave up the television was also when I found the spare time to design, blog, and read books with words.
Yay!! Fabulousness!!:) I am actually quite impressed (and you know how rarely I ever say that *laughs* )…both “Dilate” and “Spark” came off wonderfully!:) Was this Trio worth the 6 hours of effort? *lol*
No comment on your performance at all, but I just didn’t care for the second song much. I actually didn’t know the song, but it reminded me too much of Liz Phair after she toned down the edginess to go all pop-compatible. ;)
Anyhow, kudos!! You’ve been putting out some great stuff this month…it’s like you’re all motivated or something!! ;)
I really liked your rendition of Tori Amo’s “Spark” – A few friends of mine have tried to turn me onto learning some of Tori Amo’s music, and while I’m not too famliar with most of her music, this one I remember hearing on the radio sometime.
Perhaps I ought to go pick up her piano sheetmusic and see if I can arrange it to include Tori’s vocals (I don’t sing). Good job for handling the complicated time signature changes, and for making Alayna’s day!
Me… Sing? Alayna, do you have a deathwish? My voice will put poor little kittens to death. I will arrange a Tori Amos song for you, with the melodic lines included, but I will not *sing.* Unless, you want to find a piano somewhere while you and I are in the same city, and you can be my vocalist. In fact, start practising your “Cornflake Girl” – I have that one already down :P
funnily enough, tom chose a garrison starr cd off the shelf yesterday morning. I don’t think I’d heard one of her songs in at least a year, and now it’s two days in a row.
Online shopping is a lifesaver for those of us who get dizzy and panicked from the sensory overload of shopping in a store and from the throngs of people we have to share space with. I still go out shopping for things like clothing and electronics that I’d like to play with before buying. But I do all my research online first so that my shopping is specific and targeted and I don’t need to navigate through aisles and aisles of shiny packaging to find what I want.
Whatever gene makes people want to shop, I don’t have it. I hate shopping. I’ve always hated shopping. I guess there are some exceptions. But I would never cruise the mall looking for an outfit. I would go into a store and buy a pair of black pants. Now I have 8 pairs of black pants. I have no idea why I’m this way or what it is that I don’t like about it. However, I do get the long tail thing. Stores tend to be filled with lots of the same crappy stuff and it’s more fun and way easier to discover fun different stuff online.
“I don’t like musicals.”: How did I not know this about you? And, how did we manage to become friends? *lol*
I guess my tastes are more to the obscure, because there was some severe eye rolling when I saw the Kelly Clarkson cover, but I listened because you moved on to Radiohead and Hedwig. *laughs*
This was a really solid effort, but what I was really impressed with was your vocals this time around. The last two songs are fairly rangy, and both had spots where they really showed off the higher end of your range to its advantage. Both are great to keep in your performance repertoire. :)
That being said, I heard your voice complaining a bit by the time you got towards the end of the second song (sorry, I’m a former voice major, so I have to notice. *lol*), so you may want to take it easy on yourself before putting the next Trio up. ;) You’ve got to keep up with your vocal exercises to sing “Hedwig”. :P
(I saw Hedwig in NYC three times; once in Atlanta. I didn’t think I’d enjoy it, but Michael Cerveris more than blew me away, and the music is wonderful. )
I’m going to have to sprout some selective memory about you being a vocal major, or else start having anxiety attacks every time i blow a note or use a terrible Philadelphia dipthong :)
I really had to play in mixing to make this Trio come off not-too-screamy; i’m still not comfortable recording my higher range.
The slight irony is thati recorded Hedwig first because i was afraid i wouldn’t have the range after the other two; i would have been warmed-up much better if i really played it last.
Thanks for the link! I went back and read the previous post, and you’re right, by going out on Friday I did get to experience a few moments of human kindness. And I read that the Wal-Mart website crashed Friday morning from all the people trying to shop online.
Well, actually that makes much more sense…because the place the vocal fatigue was most obvious was in the Radiohead song. So, that’s actually a little better. :) However, you should have warmed up before doing either. ;) (The “Hedwig” is the most difficult,though.)
You actually have a lovely range…you should get more comfortable with the upper end of it. :)
Hehehehe….no worries, I’m not nearly so obnoxious as all of that. ;P
I like being able to listen to it straight from the main page.
anyway, this is one of my least favorite kelly clarkson songs (not counting the contractually obligated AI songs… a moment like this?) but it sounds awesome when you do it! I was surprised. (also surprised to hear you say that your songs are getting more pop-like, since listening to the recent recording of ‘under my skin’ gave me the impression that you were allowing yourself to be a little more relaxed with structure, which heightens the thoughtful, reflective qualities of your songs.)
Oof, I just can’t drink the way I used to. That can make me sad on Friday mornings since I both insist on watching Grey’s Anatomy and find that it can only been done with some degree of inebriation.
Good luck with the S’s. I’m looking forward to finding some good new stuff to read out of your reviews. I’ve enjoyed the posts you’ve highlighted so far.
Thank you for your kind mention of my little blog. I’ve pumped it up abit this week and gone back to my first love, smooth jazz. Don’t be surprised if you find me getting into the Christmas mood in the couple of weeks. Never know what you’ll find over here.
Interesting blog you’ve got here. I need to investigate it further. Cheers!
I guess since I still owe you an email, you can still owe me a trio!
I can’t believe it’s been six years though! I mean, I can, but wow. that memory of watching the reflection of me + field + sky in your green guitar is one of the things I can always play back effortlessly in my head (like it wasn’t six years ago).
There is something wonderful about reading a little vignette of someone’s life and just feeling happy… not only happy because they are happy… but because something they shared also made you appreciate the moments when life really isn’t that bad.
Thanks for sharing. I think you’ve done an excellent job on the post. Remove your fingers from the keyboard – no more editing! :)
Wednesday, November 29, 2006 at 12:12 am|Permalink
Thank you for sharing that. This part jump out at me:
“I’ve been raised my whole life to believe that if you leave a car unlocked a bum will pee in it, and if no bum is available someone else might do the deed just to teach you a lesson.”
That’s my experience, too. I was raised to be afraid that my Halloween candy might have razors hidden in it. And that I shouldn’t make eye contact with “strange” people. And that if I answered the door while I was home alone, I’d surely get kidnapped. I try so hard not to raise my daughter with that kind of fear. I hope she has lots of “Bonnaroo nap moments” in her life.
I love the idea of acting out soap operas with pencils. And you could just sharpen away the really annoying characters… and maybe chew on the ones that are too pretty… perhaps add a few crayons in to play the off the wall characters that every family seems to have. I can hardly wait to attend a really boring meeting now.
I don’t know you, and you don’t know me.. But I was googling (that should be a word, “googling”-anyway..) “easy ani difranco guitar tabs”, because I am a big big fan of Ani’s (well, upcoming to be big, let’s say.) and want to learn her songs on guitar.. Though I haven’t really played much, and would think I rather suck at it.
But anyway, I skimmed through your blogs, and to my demise, wasn’t what I was looking for, but read some entries, none the less.. And I guess well, my point for all this being is, you made me Laugh Out Loud (LOL seems too cheesy) at your episode you described: (”drowning in my shower because i couldn’t figure out how to turn off the water. Elise further confirmed that i did invite about a dozen people to our house for martini’s and The Simpsons, even though we neither have ingredients for martinis or reception for the Simpsons”).
…And I just wanted to thank you
for the cheer-up to my day.
Blah! I just finished with W’s and Z’s. I’m done! Course… it’s really late and I didn’t get to your badge of appreciation :( Well, You get one in spirit! :)
Those Ws took forever. Nice highlights of the P’s though. I’m definitely going to come back tomorrow and surf through your suggestions.
I must commend you for taking on this task. I’ve tried reading systematically, because I’m anal that way, but just can’t make i very far. Part of my problem is similar to your Wikipedia post about spending an entire evening and not reading what you originally looked up in Wikipedia. I read a comment or two and next thing you know it’s hours later and I’m not reading NaBloPoMo blogs.
I have to say I appreciate the shout out you gave my blog and I really appreciate the notes on the text size. I recently gave my blog a makeover and didn’t realize only the most recent post had large, readable text. This information is critical and I’ll now look into improving upon the presentation.
Oh well…I apologize for the long comment and again…thanks for the notes. I’ll be back to read more from you soon.
I suppose you could call Moose my “friend.” Even though I am just using her for her Californian climate, her tasty breakfasts that uphold bacon as the central element it was intended to be, and her sweet, sweet cookies. (Essentially, I guess what I’m saying is, the woman keeps me warm and fat. What else could you ask for?)
Thanks for the kind words regarding the Stinky Mouse Blog. My own domain is on my Christmas list, but I’m not too sure about different services. I’m a pretty dyed-in-the-wool Mac user so that’s how I ended up here. I’m using Rapidweaver to write the blog – it’s a really easy GUI editor, and also works seamlessly with .Mac. It would work with any other service too, but I’m interested in learning more about “real” blogging server-based software. Thanks for the offer of help, what do you recommend?
i HAVE some blueberry stoli just waiting for me to try it! the mix was tried in a fit of laziness. (and it’s pretty good!) also new to my liquor cabinet is some pmengranate liqueur i think may pair wonderfully with the stoli–we’ll see…
Congratulations! I’m in awe – and not even halfway through all those blogs. I’ve really enjoyed your posts this month and definitely plan to stick around for more.
I’m impressed that you read from each site! That is still my goal, but I don’t think I will finish any time soonI’m still in the A’s (I had to copy the list to a Word Document because I don’t want to miss anyone)- granted, I was away from a computer for about a week, but Wow…totally impressed. I love the look of your site. Very interesting and fresh. Keep up the good work.
someone told me that you gave my blog a shout out and i just wanted to say thank you. i like the vagina post, too. however, now that i know you read all of the participating nablopomo blogs i feel i should offer you something more than just thanks. you deserve a platinum sceptre topped with the diamond encrusted nablopomo logo of your choice.
but since it may take a while for me to set all those stones, how about an e-hug in the interim? if you piece together the photos for days 8, 11, 16, 18, 19 and 21 you can get a pretty good idea of what a real hug from me may be like. place double emphasis on day 16 though, just for the sake of posterity.
Bravo! This has been our tradition (mine and my husband’s) for a few years now. We sent out a letter the first year describing how thankful we felt for all the people and things we already have in our lives. My husband’s side of the family thought we were crazy and didn’t know quite how to deal with the situation. My side of the family thought it was great, made donations in our names, AND bought us gifts. It’s taken a few years, but everyone’s more or less come to terms with it. It feels great not to shop like crazy for the “perfect gifts,” but it feels even better to help people who really need it.
Thanks for the mention. I thought it was amusing that the authors figured Tolkien would bother copying Wagner when he had so many other sources to copy – as did Wagner.
Hah. Quite the adventure. I figure I’d drop in and read a line or so and check up on the writing of yours.
But that’s very cute. I don’t know what “that” is referring to, exactly.. but everything.. So, I guess what I meant to say was, “everything in this entry was very cute.”
(Elise is beautiful, by-the-by..
and I’m sure you are too!)
p.s. Pittsburgh isn’t as hip on cheesesteak, I don’t think.
But I’ve had some good ones over here, too!
Thanks for the kind words about Heifer International. I joined Heifer as new media director last year and really appreciate it when someone blogs about us.
We have a new BlogRaising program that lets bloggers like you help us get the word out about Heifer and raise the money we need to do our work. To learn more, just go to http://www.heifer.org/onlinecommunityfundraising
I have to say I like the “Idleness is the holiday of fools”. It is thought provoking and it’s a good mantra to have. I’m a little too OCD to have much idle time. If I sit still for longer than 2 minutes and I’m not doing something I go crazy. Of course, sometimes what I’m doing has nothing to do with work… like right now for instance. Here I am, on work time, eating a bowl of cereal and visiting Crushing… :) but in about five minutes I’ll be on the phone with clients, updating help desk tickets, building client platform sites, and training a new employee. I guess I better get busy, eh?
I have a close knit group of friends and we all have young children. We get together for a gift exchange every year and draw names for each child. This year, we are still going to buy gifts for the children but each child will be bringing money from their piggy banks for Heifer International and a gently used toy to donate to the local crisis nursery. I hope to do more of this with our kids in the future.
a few years ago i received “keep on charging the enemy, so long as there is life.” it’s one of only a few fortunes that i’ve saved for any length of time (though i don’t have it anymore i don’t think.) it seemed to fit with the way i often feel like life is an ongoing battle of some sort. there is so much wrong with the world, on both micro and macro levels, and it seems like my way of being is always to fight it, rarely to find peace and go with the flow…
Maybe we should start a club? The “A Personality Type” Work Club, and the “Look! Something shinny! Personality Type” Home Club? Because you’ve just pegged my home desk and dinning room table. *sigh*
I’m the opposite, but not so extreme. At the office I tend to have big stacks of stuff on the desk and floor that I “organize” by moving around or shufflling into new stacks. Anything without a deadline takes forever. At home I like everything put away. Books, papers, mail. Even kitchen and laundry.
Are you secretly working in my home office? -looks around suspiciously-
I have file folders for my clients and my pending projects. I have print out of to-do items (my outlook inbox is organized by sender or client). I have 3 or 4 pens and 2 or 3 pencils… I usually end up with 2 or 3 in my hair, which I forget about and then dig around for the ones I’ve “lost” and then my day ends with not piles… but one large pile from in front of my printer to under my lamp… and it drives me insane until I clean it all up again… but every day it’s the same.
Tipsy holiday lunches with dear friends and Tori Amos are both equally fabulous. Liking them shows that you are indeed a man with very good taste.
Have you considered “Falling is Like This” as a possibility? I’m not sure it fits under the category of “Advice Untaken”, but I’ve been listening to it compulsively lately and I’d love to hear your take on it. :)
Hahaha, I’ve been listening to it compulsively for about 10 years, and I play it pretty darn well. I would have to recruit girlfriend for it so we could do the harmony parts. However, I just did Ani (and Tori), so now I’m trying to branch out a bit ;) – any other suggestions?
The best slip of paper I ever discovered in a fortune cookie said, ‘Many a false step is made by standing still.’
This was years and years ago. I still have it, because it reminds me that some kind of something is better than nothing at all. Just set your mouth right and lift your foot. The rest is all details.
Maxim and I do a couple of little three- or four-day jaunts solo a couple times a year. Feeds the soul, and I wake up missing him and the kids fiercely by about the third day. He went to Suwanee for their biannual music fest in October and even came back a day early because he’d had his fill of Alone.
It’s important to remember who you are as an individual; that individual is what drew your partner in the first place. Spending a bit of time apart sharpens the edges of that back up nicely.
Congrats on learning it early on. Co-worker is indeed brilliant.
I listened to two songs :Couldn’t Keep It and Things Left Unsaid. You are an EXCELLENT guitar player. I could hear your signature in your licks . I’ll be back to hear more. Well done. Lisa
Just wanted to drop by and tell you it was absolutely fabulous to hang out with you and Elise the other evening! It was even more fabulous to finally get to see you perform in person…you’ve got an amazing stage presence that fits your voice so perfectly. :) I was reminded why I’ve been such a big fan for so long.
Give me a buzz before I go back to ATL…that is, unless my shameless distribution of hugs and glitter has resulted in an Alayna-ban. *laughs*
Digital cameras are fantastic. My husband is the “photographer” in our family. It sounds like you are having fun! Can’t wait to see your endless shots while you learn. :D
Wednesday, December 27, 2006 at 10:26 am|Permalink
For a while I was filling in the out-of-print books slowly whenever I could find them on Amazon or Half, but I may have a little project up my sleeve that is fueling the current run on the last few difficult finds (True Blue and Who’s That Girl were a little hard to track down; I’m Breathless is all-but impossible to locate).
Although, in general, when I find a copy of something out-of-print my collectorism forces me to snap it up, even if i don’t need it at that very moment.
Egads! Sorry about your customer disservice. It doesn’t sound like you cried or wanted to smack your forehead into the desk, so at least it ended well.
Does this sheet music binge mean more Madonna songs in future trios? Because that would be awesome. :)
Hi there :) I saw you were linking to my blog, and I was curious to know more. I haven’t updated it in forever, but I just reinstalled Wordpress. Just wondering how you found it, and why you thought it was good enough to link to :)
my boyfriends computer does not easily allow me to listen to any of your stuff, so sorry I can not comment on that. But I am hoping your life is doing good. Shit, I have “known” you for years. I hope you are doing what you have wanted to do for so long now.
That sounds like SOOOO much fun. I’ve never been to Vegas or Atlantic City. I’d love to see either one. I’m not a gambler but the experience of it would just be exciting!
Sounds like you had a blast! I’ve never been to Atlantic City, but Vegas was fun even though I’m not a gambler. The people-watching there is phenomenal. :)
Atlantic City always amazes me. I’ve been to AC and Vegas, and would choose AC over Vegas because of the surrounding environment…Beach vs. Desert. A casino is a casino no matter how you look at it, it’s where it is that counts.
The letdown in terms of Casino ambiance may have had something to do with the fact that we were at the Tropicana. We go there because the quarter has nice restaurants, shops, and, of course, the karaoke bar.
If you happen to go back, you should go to the Borgata. That one should fulfill most of your casino fantasies. At the very least, the waitresses are hot.
It’s a good thing you had an extra suit waiting at the cleaners, or you might have been making a mad dash to Kenneth Cole in nothing but undies and socks!
Seriously, it seems like you should inform someone at SEPTA about the marmalade. They probably won’t reimburse you, but at least they can tell someone on the maintenance crew to be more careful.
If it’s any consolation, when I started riding the bus in my ‘hood, I once sat in something like Hawaiian Punch, while wearing cream colored pants. Thanks to Septa upgrading from plastic seats, the fabric had simply soaked it up, and it was pretty much indiscernable because of the pattern. I had no idea till I felt it soaking through. Not only were the pants brand new and the stain permanent, but I didn’t have anything to change into and was forced to wear them for the rest of the day.
Miranda – What’s funny is that I hadn’t even noticed how cold it was, as my layered ensemble was so warm. Of course, it became readily apparent later in the day when I was walking around in just my suit-jacket.
Elizabeth – The thing is that I’m not entirely sure where in my travels I picked up the marmalade, as I take a subway *and* a trolley, and spend time in both of their respective stations. I’d feel like a dope calling up to say that I encountered a rusty substance *somewhere* in a two mile radius :)
Ayelet – Seriously, now that I have a brand new coat I feel like I need to wear a pair of white linen gloves to spot-check every piece of SEPTA I touch – I trust nothing! I hate that the frabic seats get damp; I never minded the plastic ones. At least you can hose down plastic.
Jen – That is quite possibly the funniest comment CK has ever experienced. (Before I got to the quote marks I was like … huh, does Patti sing the SEPTA jingle? Does SEPTA *have* a jingle?)
I haven’t been by in awhile, and now I know why I need to be more consistent. You make me smile with your musings. . . this entry made me cry, in a great way.
I love people like you. You and I “met” by means of your compliments that brightened my days. Keep it up, you’re changing the world in your own very significant way.
I know this is an old post, but pleeeeeeeeeeeeease get back to me. I am a latecomer to this album. I’ve been listening to this album everyday and am dying to hear what you’re talking about. I wanna hear the Jon Brion versions really really bad. PLEASE WRITE ME BACK. michael.paul.schultz@gmail.com.
As an avid watcher of Bad Girls on Oxygen, I think, or Bravo, I would ask if you have upset a bad girl recently. Revenge on that show is spraying bleach or laundry detergent on the womens’ clothing who irritate the bad girls.
With all the people being glued to department store toilet seats, it might just have been urban guerrilla warfare.
Yes on the nickel and dime v. throwing money at big things. You know what I refuse to pay? A fee to use the ATM. This drives me insane because my husband thinks it’s no problem in exchange for the convenience. I think it’s a big corporation squeezing me. Then there are other things I throw money at without even blinking. I can’t think of a great example right now.
Okay, the image of you muttering “fuck” into a professional recording had me laughing for quite a while. Also, it would seem that when you are sleep deprived you relapse into treating recordings, evening professional ones, like one of our recording sessions.
Impressively, I don’t think any of our tomfoolery between takes has ever been profane…but that will probably accidentally change. Sometimes I’m amazed by how little I can control the bad words that come out of my mouth. For instance, one time I was playing Ultimate frisbee with a bunch of people, many of whom were kids. Everytime I screwed up I would drop the f-bomb or something equally bad. And everytime, I would get glares from the little kids who had been taught that those words were bad and then I would remember how different my childhood was since my parents had absolutely no problem using those words around me…and yet, I will probably always curse less than they will when they grow up.
I remember when I was in college and I was in front of the computer so much that it always seemed worth my time to drop everything and blog as things came into my mind. That allowed me to capture a lot more of my life than I do now, but it also led to a lot more halfassed things being posted. And a lot of my life being spent writing about things instead of doing things.
These days lots and lots of posts end up withering before I get the chance to write them, and I try to tell myself that that’s good — it means I’m not dwelling self-immersed in the internet; it means I’m out doing things and talking to people and hopefully appreciating moments even if I never record them later.
As far as poetry is concerned, I tend to write late at night or on public transportation. It’s a tricky business, though, because I never have a computer on at those moments, and the little notebook I keep handy for this sort of thing is too small for me to be able to break lines where I want to, and it’s hard to get a feel for how a poem is working when you can’t backspace and have cross-outs everywhere, so most of the time I end up with a prosey mess from which I might be able to cull some phrases later. If I just have a line to write down, it keeps me from forgetting it, but it’s hard to really draft anything properly unless I’m at a computer.
While blog posts tend to die on the vine, my poetry usually has the problem of being plucked too early. When I think of something that might be good, I write it down immediately for fear of losing it, but sometimes I haven’t allowed it to move around enough in my head, and pinning it to the page keeps it from growing in the way that it needs to. Once a poem has been written down, I can move lines around, and fuss and poke at it, but ultimately underneath it there is a certain form that can’t be broken, and if it’s come out wrong I just have to start from scratch. Something of the fluidity of thinking about an idea is lost as soon as it hits the page.
I’ve spent most of the summer trying to write poetry for workshop and largely neglecting the blog, but I’ve been meaning to write about writing and I hope to do that in the next week or so.
Mulder pfft. As long as there’s Scully, there’ll always be a place in my heart for seasons 8 and 9.
Have since re-read the entry, and found it to be just as thought-provoking and insightful as I expected it to be. I will now attempt to organise my time as neatly as I do my x-files collection.
So sad to admit, I like doing laundry. It’s like bathing or brushing my teeth and when I’m finished I have nice clean clothes. But my dear husband creates about 90% of the laundry and I sometimes get tired of folding his t-shirts.
Also, totally agree on the XFiles w/o Mulder don’t count. I’ve been thinking about re-watching the first three seasons. Season one is in the Netflix queue but nowhere near the top.
As a former child whose inquisitive was inhibited by adults, it hurts to observe other children getting the inquisitive beaten out of them. As the mother of three inquisitive children, I am happy to report that while they require more parenting than a docile child might, they are incredibly rewarding to be around.
I have a special loathing reserved for Lincoln, Lexus, and Hummer drivers. The drivers of those cars seem to operate under the assumption that traffic laws do not exist for them.
I had never listened to Rilo Kiley before last week (though I’d heard of them, of course) when one of my friends brought in the new album and played it at work. I really enjoyed it on the first listen, which is rare for me. My parents gave me a Newbury Comics gift card the other day, and I think Under the Blacklight is the first thing I’ll buy with it.
Hey Flickr Guy – your out of town fans would appreciate more geographical descriptions where appropriate. Also, your sweetheart is gorgeous. RE: Once – I’m not musical at all. If possible, I’m negatively musical. I took guitar lessons for 3 years and you could tell no difference from when I started. I like the Once singer’s crazy intensity. The the movie is a good story, too and cool the way they use the music.
can you just leave the consonant out, so it’ssssucked up? (sucked up?) then you wouldn’t have that nice labial-dental (heh) fricative to sink your teeth into… but if I’m hearing the song right in my head, it goes by pretty quickly anyway. dunno. I’m surprised they asked you to change it. was it the band or the theater people?
what do you mean by “it shows depth” — clearly not distance, so do you mean the intimation of volume? just curious, from a pck perspective, what factors can make those kinds of representations more effective. I like the way it goes beyond the sun and shows different classes of stars too.
Hey! Thanks for the shout out. I’ve been loving the thu links. We already read a lot of the same things so I trust your judgment. I’ve also been enjoying the trio tracks. I think Relief is my favorite so far.
Thanks, Pam! It’s nice to know that all my crazy George Lucas style digital reconstruction of ancient audio is being heard somewhere outside of my bedroom.
(as long as I don’t try doing any duets with myself)
I thought this article outlined exactly what’s wrong with Heroes, or at least I agree with the author on all the things that bother him about it. Don’t read it unless you’ve already seen the season finale, though.
Though I refuse to entertain Lost, having long-since forsaken anything attached to JJ Abrams, I completely agree with the dissection of Heroes.
Really it’s no different from the most mainstream of comics that just aspire to have any single issue picked up by anyone in a bookstore who finds the cover illustration interesting. It’s not like we’re watching Sandman here.
I liked Heroes a lot in the beginning but as the season went on, my attention wandered. Some characters I loved and others I couldn’t see the point of (Niki). That is a good article. I planned to give up Heroes after the stinko finale but I heard Veronica Mars (Kirsten Bell) is going to be on so I might have to check out a couple episodes.
Of course, you can argue that about almost any concept. Aren’t most of my songs just reconstituted versions of songs by other people? Haven’t I written this post about this feeling before?
That feeling is actually what I named my blog after back in the day. Your point about execution being the difference is a good one. Intimidating, too, because the more people who have come before you, the more difficult it is to do something better or differently than any of them. But perhaps different times call for different ways of communicating the same things, and that’s how innovation can resonate.
The irony I was thinking of was more self-directed. As in, I refer to an excellent essay about how links need context and a personal perspective while leaving out all context and personal perspective. The joke’s on me!
On Friday the Oregonian had an interview with Loudon Wainwright that I think you’d enjoy. See if I can make this work: Try this and if that doesn’t work this.
Gee, I wonder who made us look so hot in that photograph? Could it be…. you?
Seriously, we should make you a photo portfolio on Uprush so we have somewhere to point people towards when we get comments on how awesome the photos are.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 9:56 am|Permalink
lindsay wrote:
which reminds me that there’s a couple more i need to work on (specifically the torn poster wall and the walking one, as well as few more where the two of you are hotter than hot).
hmm… i think that the portfolio thing might be a pretty awesome idea. i have quite a growing number of photographs that should be put somewhere for archive’s sake (if not also for posterity and shameless self-promotion). :)
let me whip something together and i’ll get back w/ you on that offer. thank you.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 10:53 am|Permalink
You were great last night! I am so happy to have witnessed one of your top nights. Maybe we can get a drink later to celebrate? L will be in touch, me thinks.
The great surrealist, Dali, would be proud of this one.
Imagine a room with the exotic name of “No Bra”.
Imagine also a remote, deserted landscape of intense beauty and peace.
The Cozy Hotel at Brassiere Beach is a must for lovers of the eccentric,
high quality and beautiful.
When my sweetheart leaves town, I always enjoy the first 24 hours — all that time to myself. After the 2nd night I’ve had enough and am ready for him to come back. This year after our summer vacation he had to hop right back in the car and do training out of town for 5 days. Neither of us enjoyed that one.
I caught up on my trio tracks this afternon. My favorite is Granted solo. I love it that you put it out there – really honest. Great stuff.
I seem to be recovering a bit from the mopes – it was just hard to have her leave on a Friday and then spend the entire weekend alone.
I’m so happy that you’ve been enjoying the Trio highlights. The solo Granted is very hard for me to hear; I have all of the backing vocals and guitars so ingrained in my head that it seems too stark without them. I guess at the time I was instinctively trying to take the edge off what is really a very sad song.
Yes, you have to be judicious with the “don’t target” and “please do target” tools or else things get wacky. In that one I told it not to touch her head and her torso, so she got a voodoo shrunken arm instead.
Actually, it’s quite good for is making yourself ever-so-slightly thinner and taller in pictures.
I am also amazed at how catastrophically the music industry has failed to evolve. This weekend I was talking to some friends about back catalog stuff. There must be oodles of old stuff that doesn’t make any money now, that people would buy if it was reasonably priced, DRM free, and easy to download. And it would make money because it wouldn’t need packaging and shipping and the only storage space needed would be digital. Record companies should have invented the iTunes store.
2) You reminded me how much I love album covers. thanks.
3) Emily tried at one point to convince us about the LED tealights for the wedding. A bit expensive for 12 tables, 5 high-tops, and a bar though, wouldn’t you say? Still, a very neat idea.
4) Wine wedge = very cool for fridge use. But is that green seriously the only color in stock? Barf (IMHO).
I am glad you liked Matthew’s interview of Maggie. Thanks for the link and your kind words. He’s 10 now, if that makes it any better. Practically an old man…no wonder he’s so talented. :)
I had the same reaction to that Springsteen song! I’ve never been a big fan and the first time I heard it (before I knew who it was) I was thinking: this is great. I need to find out who it is. I actually tracked down an old college buddy who is a Bruce freak to tell her, “Hey, I like a Springsteen song.”
I wish I could help with the guitar or Wordpress thing however, if you ever have questions about growing pumpkins or baking, I am your go-to person.
I have two maxims:
1) Tone is in your fingers.
2) Pickup nerds make me reach for my revolver.
I’m much more familiar with the Fender world, but over there the idea that good pickups will turn a Squire Strat into a Real Strat is pretty much BS, and I suspect the same thing applies to Epi’s. Especially since it’s a hollowbody, build quality makes a huge difference in tone, inasmuch as the casual listener will probably never notice a difference anyway.
Here’s my pet peeve: Tone is such a personal preference, yet you’re expected to purchase based on someone else’s opinion, who hasn’t heard the pickups played through your guitar. There’s no way to find out how they’ll sound until you’ve had them installed, and then how willing will you be to give the guitar up again and have them taken out?
Your bridge and neck positions already sound quite different, and the Dot gives you tone controls for each. You can also use EQ, light OD, and other effects (leaving a wah in a fixed position is popular.) What else are you looking for?
As I said, I don’t know too much about the difference between various electric pickups, or for that matter about how electrics produce tone quality in general.
I was working from the assumptions that the wood was ultimately not making too huge of a difference, since it’s not as resonant as in an acoustic, so I just needed to update the hardware to effectively be playing a much more expensive guitar, which would be nice since I don’t seem to be any closer to buying a higher-end electric.
(That purchase was previously thought to be a blue Les Paul, but no matter how many times I try I really never enjoy playing them. And I don’t like Fenders in general. So, I’m not sure what I’ll buy. It just has to be blue.)
(I used to not care about this sort of thing until I bought my current acoustic, and now I understand why guitarists are so particular, and that I’m allowed to be too.)
I could always convert the gift certificate to something else, but the selector switch has always been a little iffy on mixed, and so I resolved to get that, the nut, and the pickups all swapped out in the same run, as well as a general tune-up, trust-rod adjust, et cetera.
In any event, I also need to buy an amp, which is way more intimidating to me because I don’t have a super idea of what kind of sound I want for Arcati Crisis yet.
If you’ve tried some more expensive Gibsons, and are still happy with the Epi, then by all means go for the upgrades — you could very well have found “your gem”.
Once you have your guitar the way you like it, you can use that to find an amp whose tone you like.
The folky acoustic nature of the Arcati Crisis (great name, by the way!) tracks on your myspace make me think of that light, chimey Fender, or perhaps Rickenbacker sound. Perhaps there’s a pickup that could get you closer to the classic folk-rock tone. But if you like the Gibson sound, run with it, make it your own.
I remember the days of waking up on someone else’s couch after a long night of partying. Fun times. Nowadays after a long night of drinking I’m not cheery and fully functional for at least a week. And “long night” means I made it to midnight.
Vehicles that can be considered motor cars were demonstrated as early as 1769,
and 1885 marked the introduction of gasoline powered internal combustion
engines. Automotive history is generally divided into a number of eras based on
the major design and technology shifts.
This is an awesome story. Wait ’til you’re old, then you have conversations like this all the time. There was a good one in our lunchroom the other day but I’m too braindead at the moment to remember or even make up something funny on the fly.
Oh look, here I am commenting again. I don’t think I mentioned it earlier, but I like the new look. You were *110%* right about NaBlo, I’m having a great time and it’s not even November yet. I’ve never done one of these social networking things before and it cracks me up every time I log on and see: You have 6 friends!
The projects I referred to in my blog 1 is revising my employment which isn’t public knowledge at the moment. (And if they see it here I will be shocked beyond all reality) The other has to do with fiction writing and you make a good point, this would be fun to write about during NaBlo. You have my eternal thanks.
word on the street is that you might be dragging your sorry ass out to east falls every saturday for our favorite open mic sometime in the near future… details forthcoming. could mean better things, exposure-wise (i assume there will be better attendance on a saturday, since weekend open mics are pretty much non-existent in philly). josh is worried that there will be less “regulars” so i’m trying to rally the troops. :)
I’ve had company non-stop since 10/14. The last of them left yesterday. Although it’s nice having people around … boy is it nice to have NO ONE around too … *sigh*
I’m thinking just the ones who care enough to put themselves on the Blogroll, because they’re more likely to be writing the sorts of things I care to read. Or, at least that’s what I’ve convinced myself of. It’s actually going to be way harder to coordinate in general because there’s really not a definitive list (aside from whatever the Randomizer runs off of – that might be a profitable line of inquiry).
Apparently I had a little hiccup last night wherein I thought I was scheduling a post to go up in about an hour (giving me time to think about editing it, although I actually wound up falling asleep on the couch). However, I was really scheduling it to go up tonight. Fixing presently.
I haven’t been here for a long time, but I am glad I took today to catch up with you via your blog. This makes me miss all you so much more than I thought. I am so happy for you and Elise. I don’t mean to get sappy here, but your grand romantic gesture has definitely made me yearn for something I didn’t even think I was aware of until you told me your story. CONGRATULATIONS!
Can’t say I disagree that much. I think with pizza and the pastas, the tomato flavor comes out more lively when the dish is cold. Fish and (non-fried) shrimp especially are just more interesting.
And regardless of flavor, eating straight from the refrigerator brings a mild counter-cultural thrill. It’s like drinking straight from the jug/bottle/carton or wearing pajamas all day. It gives one a certain swagger of nonchalant defiance. Embrace those minor victories.
steinway upright piano
Since 1853, Steinway pianos have set an uncompromising standard for sound,
touch, beauty, and investment value. Handcrafting each Steinway requires up
to one full year – creating an instrument of rare quality and global renown.
Not surprisingly, Steinway remains the choice of 9 out of 10 concert artists,
and countless pianists, composers, and performers around the world. Steinway grand piano
I like hot foods but I’m also the queen of the cold leftovers eaten from the carton with the refrigerator door open. Cold pizza is like the Stairway to Heaven of leftovers. I once ate cold enchiladas at the office mostly because the microwave in the lunchroom smells like satan’s diaper. My co-workers thought it was gross but I thought it went down pretty good.
See, I’m not so much a straight-fridge eater as either of you. I will totally prepare a nice cold plate as if I’m going to warm it up, and then just eat it cold.
Pam, I totally forgot cold Mexican food; that’s a particular favorite I sometimes order extra at our favorite restaurant just so I can eat it cold at home.
I’ve noticed that I’m eating a lot more cold food in general now that I’ve mostly given up cheese, which leads me to believe I was mostly only warming things up to melt cheese in the first place.
I really liked this post, so I decided I’d “de-lurk” myself and say so. I’ve been reading for only a week or so now, but I really like your writing and it’s not often I start becoming addicted to a new blog! (Dial-up has a lot to do with that.)
Anyway, lately I’ve been starting to investigate a longtime casual interest and possible new love (not a person, but a subject) and it excites me! I think you’re spot on in that it’s about enthusiasm for something, so I’m glad for your advice and will attempt to follow your inspiring suggestion.
I love this post. I’ve thought since childhood that I wasn’t artistic or creative, but I am! I’m just learning to let go of that cautious voice and create already. I’ve always been so scared that I wouldn’t do it right… and ended up never doing anything artistic at all.
BTW, I tagged you on my most recent blog post. And I understand if answering those silly questions isn’t your thing. :)
can you think of any examples where filler-movies are good? I can’t. babylon 5’s all sucked except for one, which was interesting only because it filled in a few important holes, not because it was particularly gripping in its own right.
They do that a lot, sometimes directly and sometimes indorectly but it might as well have been ripped off (see “Tears, Can’t Cry These”). cherry lips ripped off some song from the 70s or 80s I heard in a pizzeria uno. I’d tell you what song it was, except that no one who I asked knew. I can at least say that musically it was not-for-note identical.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at 11:31 pm|Permalink
dave wrote:
Not really sure why they felt the need to do the same show and delay the original when its ratings were already begining to tank. They think drumming up interest will happen by delaying a somewhat liked show and making a show to show the human side of essentially Galactica’s enemies when they meet up? Sounds like a winner there. Next they should do a show with only Cylons called “Cylonia”. And they can show clips of quantum leap with dean stockwell and not explain the connection. Everyone would go for that.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at 11:34 pm|Permalink
The thinking between E and I is that they knew the writer’s strike was impending and would interfere with not only the release of S4, but also the DVD release of S3 due to the webisodes. So, they intentionally banked a script that people who were only through S2 on the DVDs would be able to enjoy. Strategically it’s super-interesting, but they could have done a lot more with the opportunity.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at 11:47 pm|Permalink
I’ve found a bunch of good blogs. Here’s one for you: Derfwad Manor. I’m going to do a post today about my shows. What’s your verdict on Heroes so far this season? Have you watched Torchwood? That’s my new fave.
We’re always a season behind on actual watching since we only view from DVDs. However, I keep up with my few shows on TWoP and I have to say that Heroes is continuing its unimpressive trend. Get everyone together for the finale and then split them up again? At least Kristen Bell is rocking it enough to get picked up as a regular cast member.
heroes has gotten a lot better in the last two weeks. (we usually watch it on the nbc website rather than on tv.) but I always thought it was pretty sloppy in a number of ways so I haven’t been too upset at this season, honestly.
I am not the right person to comment on the success of nablopomo, since it annoyed me last year and it still annoys me now (as manifested on the internet at large, not at ck). but you seem more premeditated this year, and maybe that’s making it less interesting & fun for you?
are you seriously asking which song you are neglecting after just the first trio of the season? ;) … I would be interested in hearing you do a trio organized around an artistic construct, rather than a conceptual theme. like talk about your lyrical decisions or something.
Last year was way, way, way more premeditated. Like, I hardly deviated from the schedule at all, other than to do stuff a day or two early. This has been completely flying blind, despite very well-laid plans.
I figured you might have a nomination based on stuff I did last year and songs of the day (Colorblind will be here when it’s good and ready, so don’t bother. I’ve tried it twice already). Some of the themes are about shared lyrics or devices, I’ll see if one of them can be coaxed into existence on Sunday.
No, we’re way pre-engagement. The engagement itself will be the last chapter, which – if I continue at this pace – I might have done by the time we through the engagement party.
I think there’s just too much on NaBloPoMo. I usually will go on there to look for blogs and end up reading through discussions and stuff like that. But, I did find you. So, there you go. As far as blogs you should be reading…well…
Great post – I enjoy reading about your relationship with Elise. I think because it somewhat reminds me of my earlier relationship with my now husband. After we’d been dating just a few months (and I was still a little nervous around his parents), we attended his sister’s school performance of Little Women. It was a version adapted by the students, with no full-length rehearsal prior to the very full-length performance. I guess the students and the drama teacher didn’t realize that the entire play would finish at just over 4 hours! Utter hell, it was. (But my dear sis-in-law went on to do some fabulous work in community theater.)
Well, I think it was clear as we neared Year 5 that we were going to end up married eventually, and we had never once even casually looked at rings together, so it was a fun thing to do. Elise just wasn’t aware that I had a relatively specific timeframe of eventually in mind.
Good god! You’re still going Krisis? I remember reading your weblog… what 5 years ago or so now? Time flies. I stumbled back here by sheer chance. Not even sure if you remember me or not, but either way, keep up the good work!
I just had a visit from the Jehovah’s Witnesses today, for the first time in years. What a strange coincidence. Yes, I realize the JW are not Born-Again Christians, but they have some similar beliefs, one being a kingdom that will appear at the end of the world for the righteous. (Typing that made me feel slightly icky.) I smiled and nodded and spoke to them kindly — after all, they’re my neighbours and this is a small town — but in reality, I share your views. I don’t know what comes next, but it puzzles me so much that some people are so CERTAIN. And that they’re willing to deny simple and un-harmful things to get there.
Have you read “A Complicated Kindness”?
Also, I’m slightly pleased that a fellow Leah was your crush. I don’t know why. I just am. : )
The more I go through life, the more I’m glad I had a Catholic upbringing, not because I still adhere to the whole thing, but more because out of all the sects that make up Christianity as a whole, Catholicism is actually fairly lenient in its approach to people and their relationship/nature to “sin” (the only folks seemingly more lenient in their approach are the Anglicans, who’ve been described to me by an Anglican priest as “Catholic Lite”).
As something in between an Agnostic Lapsed Catholic and a non-practicing Buddhist, by way of Deism and secular humanism, I’ve been more and more concerned as the years go by at just why people of different religious feel the need to separate themselves so vigorously from each other, and to disseminate doctrine that seemingly seeks to divide, rather than to join together. I guess it’s our human fault of wanting to have a club to belong to, alongside our need to be exclusive and different.
One more thing: my younger sister has been involved with a former Jehovah’s Witness for years, and it’s fascinating to talk to him about it. He grew up with it, turned his back on it, but for a long time, he was out there, doing the door to door thing, and still has one brother who lives on a JW compound in upstate NY. The one thing I’ll say is that, just like any other religious sect that throws the idea of sin and punishment at you along with the promise of limited room in heaven, the JWs don’t really get into the details of their acceptance of 144,000 marked, vs the reality of upwards of 7 million JWs here in the US alone.
Thank God for music, Peter, which, as you and I both know, is one of the most unifying factors of the universe. If there is a God, I’m sure God was involved in the creation of music.
I felt like it went in a couple remarkable directions – the hallucinated sidekick, the feminist-leaning chef, the whole self v. family v. outside world – but it wrapped up much too tidily in classic Disney fashion. So, it wasn’t BAD, it was just disappointing – I really thought Brad Bird would make it a little more subversive.
I never really thought about how the site is a lot more passive from the artist side, but I guess I’m not really surprised. You have hit upon the strategy needed to do decently as an artist on the site, though.
I really have fun exploring the music on the site; there’s such a large back catalog that even though I’ve been there since December, I still consistently find interesting songs that I’ve never heard before and it can be fun bringing them to other people’s attention.
That’s a very perceptive take on t61. It’s been great to gradually discover which listeners are also artists. Looking forward to checking out your stuff.
I can attest to the fact that Jennifer’s exhibit is truly amazing. Anyone in the Philly area should definitely try to make it out to see her work, which will be displayed through the month of April.
My sister and I joke that it all starts from the dinner table — Competitive Eating. One big bowl or plate of food in the center, and it’s everyone out for themselves. You snooze, you lose. You’re slow with the 筷子, you lose. Social Darwinism from the day you’re born, baby!
Which is why I can snarf down just about anything is nanoseconds.
Really, though, I love it. I’d hate to be that overacheiving prick-in-law in any other family. In this group everyone always has big news every time you see them. It’s like the family I’ve always aspired to have ;)
Hey! You somehow were mistakenly deleted from my reader. I thought you’d stopped posting. Yesterday I was looking through my bookmark file and thought, “what happened to this guy?” and there you were. You’re back in the reader. I remember the clove smoking days. Both icky yet strangely addictive.
Sounds like you have the perfect attitude. My husband’s best man was a woman. My best person was my sister. We told them they could wear whatever they wanted. We ignored a lot of “traditional” wedding conventions and focused on having fun with our friends. For years people told us it was the best wedding they’d been to.
I just wrote this whole long response, but I kept getting lost in my thoughts and was rambling… so let me just say that I love you and your passion and can only hope that there are enough people like you to continue this movement that will someday result in the woman I love and I being entitled to the rights we deserve.
Wow, that totally blows. I’m so sorry to hear that you had to go through that crap (no pun intended). I can imagine how upsetting this has been, and how unsafe it feels, but you’re right — whoever did this is a coward. Which means they’re also too feeble to pose any serious threat to you.
Take care, be gentle with yourselves, and give yourself time to let things heal.
Ohhh, hahaha: I’ve had at least five different e-mail accounts in the last eight years, but only one weblog that I’ve maintained (pretty) constantly and consistently. My ‘bloggiversary’ was 14 July.
I too have wondered if I still have anything relevant to say. Every time –and I mean EVERY time– I’m close to deciding to pull the plug, some voice swoops in out of the ether to tell me I’ve affected them in some way. So I keep going. Ultimately, really, it’s all about keeping an ongoing chronicle of my life for *me* to look back on. Some of my older posts feel a million miles away, because I’ve grown and changed and expanded my base of reference.
So yeah, I’ll keep on for another year. Someday I’ll get paid for my words, but until then they are intimately and wholly mine. I’m entirely okay with that.
You were just a BABY when I started following you, old-timer! >:o)
Hi there!
Just wanted to thank you for the article you wrote.
We (Juna) are new over at t61 and are totally amazed with the good music we find!!!
Thanks and best regards,
Dennis (Juna)
Philly is such a great blogger town – I wish more of my IRL friends were online (more), and that I could make time to meet my online ‘acquaintances’ in real life so we could truly become friends. It’s tough balancing your investment of attention in someone you’ve never met, even if you feel that you know them online.
My mother keeps telling our relatives about my blog. Kind of redefines “deeply uncomfortable” at family gatherings. I didn’t think her 75-year-old cousin even knew what a computer was.
Good for you. Stepping out of the comfort zone is a splendid thing to do.
Hi! Nice to hear from you. Yikes, I’m behind on your page as well. I have a great wedding tip for you if I can just take 5 minutes to type it out. To come.
I’ve had my panties in a twist about Palin all weekend. oof!
Moving on. Here’s the wedding tip:
You and your bride should each find a person who can be your assistant for the day. Ideally this person will have zero other responsibilities and also have transportation and know the local area well.
This is the person who can run Grandma back to the house to find her glasses, make a quick trip to the drug store for emery boards, aspirin and band aids or can stand at the back door and make sure the cake is delivered to the right room.
We only had one such person but he really came in handy.
Happy Pre-Birthday, Music Man!
Our lives do have such wonderful criss-crossings. Your Gina plays an old 70s Yamaha and that’s what I’ve played ever since my buddy, Steve, handed it down to me…(the story of which is way too sad for a birthday…) Anyway, just popped in to catch up!
I also went in with higher expectations for Obama lower expectations for McCain. Just prior to the debate, I’d heard about Obama’s relentless preparation, mock debates, coaches, and refreshers, and McCain’s lack thereof. I think that showed, in that McCain really only had 2 or 3 points he wanted to make all night (spending bad! victory good!) whereas Obama seemed more ready to address the question that was asked, but McCain did a lot better than I thought he would.
I think you’re wrong about Obama’s debate skills. Everyone I read seemed to agree that Obama is not a great debater. His oratory skills lie in prepared speeches. If you remember the primary debates, he really didn’t do that well.
I don’t know why I’m inspired to keep so much of it as various flotsam in my room; I’m much more likely to be able to relocate something if I just blog it.
BitPim is for people who don’t have fancy “smartphones” but still want to make their own ringtones or transfer pictures to and from a PC. It doesn’t support every phone (my motorola V551 is sadly not supported), but if it does support your phone, it’s a free alternative to potentially expensive proprietary software (like “motorola phone tools”).
“How to convert a DVD for an iPod” – I haven’t looked at that particular link, but there are a dizzying number of free software apps to do this – any combination of “DVD Rip” and “Video Convert” software would do the trick. It’s convenient even if you don’t have an iPod: you can get a feature-length movie down to 500mb and keep your DVD collection on a portable hard drive (if you don’t mind watching on a laptop).
I’ve actually supported Biden for president since 2004. Mostly for your “Straight Talk Express” point. Every time I see the guy he’s giving honest answers. I was sad that he was out of the race by the time PA voted, but such is life with the strange primary schedule.
I just want to thank you for going in chronological order. Everyone else I read does it in reverse order because they’re publishing live. It’s really annoying.
When you are hitting the publish button every other sentence the reverse order thing is distinctly unhelpful – I tried it on the first debate and it confused the hell out of me.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 10:35 am|Permalink
Kate wrote:
Matt Murphy (acoustic guitar, backup vocals for Ellipsis) is my cousin’s cousin. Not sure what that makes him to me. Do you think they’d be good for LP?
Hey P – thanks for the shout out. I had a grumpy reaction to NaBlo last year — too much to sum up in a comment. But a big part was feeling like it was so much work to find new blogs I enjoyed reading. Thanks for doing the work for me.
SHB – As soon as I unearth my office from about four inches of discarded clothing from this weekend’s frantic packing spree I will be breaking ground on a new Trio :)
P – Sounds like we’re of like mind (shocker, I know). I’m hoping to do a smaller-scale version of my alphabet-attack over T-Give weekend, so look my way then for more worthy reads.
aw, shucks. thanks so much for the linky love. i’m enjoying your blog as well and am glad to find a kindred spirit and a cool place for more reading :-)
oh, and i forgot to mention: i grew up on the NJ shore, so i grew up with philly radio stations (when MMR played interesting, local acts, for example.) so delighted to hear more on the philly realm.
I don’t think this story warrants a “Bridezilla” label in and of itself. A wee moment of rudeness on the phone, most definitely.
But, really… a logo? On a ring? A wedding ring?? They actually sell those? And people wear them? I’ve never seen logos on rings outside of high school or the Super Bowl. Astounding.
Yes, I definitely need to get out of the habit of dropping the F-bomb as punctuation when I’ve reach a point of maximum wedding flusteredness – as with our David’s Bridal adventure.
But, seriously, a logo RIGHT ON THE RING. Like, directly opposed to the stone. I’ve seen a lot of specialty rings with a small company logo on the interior, but I can’t think of any piece of jewelry that visibly branded in a visible spot (unless it’s meant to be, like something from Tiffany’s). Yes, that spot will be on the inside of my hand, but it alters the aesthetics of the ring. It’s just not as clean with it there.
I’m just boggled by it.
The epilogue is that we can apparently get it without the mark as a special order, but I’m sortof sour on the shop now (they did, after all, mess up the stone after about an hour of specific conversation on said topic).
I think that if you’d gotten that upset about something that would only be a memory after the wedding day, then it would possibly be Bridezilla-y. (Still worth trying to change, if it’s important to you, but not worth getting too upset about.)
But presumably you intend to wear the ring a lot even after the wedding is over. So it should look exactly how you want. And I think that principle can fairly be gender-neutral.
I think I can say pretty confidently that, while your request and subsequent frustration was entirely reasonable, swearing at the jeweler’s wife puts you solidly in “Bridezilla” territory. I certainly don’t think any rational person would approvingly refer to that as “being in control.” Clearly, there are double standards for men & women saturating the wedding industry, but I don’t think this is really a good example.
It should be pointed out that the cursing on the phone may actually be a blog reality edit; I honestly have no recollection of if I cursed at her or not. I know I subsequently used that phrase for the remainder of the day, and it made for a funnier punchline.
This is precisely how I would have handled it, starting with the outrage at the logo, the f-bomb on the phone and then later questioning whether I was being a jerk. On this matter, no, not a bridezilla. I *hate* the whole notion of branding or even that it has a name “branding” and I don’t think a logo belongs on something as personal as a wedding ring.
There are times in life when “fuck” is the only appropriate emphasis, and this was one of these times.
It was my father (RIP) who taught me to swear effectively, and I thank him for that almost daily.
Words are just words, and limiting oneself is just that … limiting.
If you really need to edit yourself in certain company, you can always do it in franglais, and use “seal”. That animal in French is a fuque. So, for seal’s sake, P, go for it.
They are not easy to snag, as the production is extremely limited, but if you seriously want one you should chat with Dante, as he tends to keep tabs on them across the nation.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 10:04 am|Permalink
Elise wrote:
I’m pretty sure you didn’t actually curse at her.
That sound you hear? I think that’s the blog-reality-edit alert going off.
I think my bro is producing this. I know he bought the rights to the book a few years back and assume he’s hung on to that. Look for Playtone in the credits.
Scott – Thank you for dropping by! Any competitiveness is almost entirely in jest – I’m alwayS thrilled to find any blogger with archives as deep as mine, no matter what their location.
Fosters is fiancée’s favorite store in at least a mile radius, so perhaps we’ll meet you in person on the 6th!
Hey, thanks for the comment on my old blog (gingerbreadandlatte.blogspot.com) I’ve actually recently made the switch to wordpress as well. I’m not writing there on a daily basis, but it’s basically a continuation of my old blog but w/ new digs. I’m mostly kicking around on tumblr now (http://nicoelisnotatypo.com)- it’s more addictive than twitter.
…or you could take this as an opportunity to pick a better musical with which to sing along. Since it’s Christmas, I propose JC Superstar. Or you could always do Bat Boy.
How many musicals are Christmas-centric and start with the lyrics, “December 24th, 9 p.m., Eastern Standard Time”? Because, I believe that’s how the tradition got started.
Also, my one-man performance of Hedwig doesn’t go down so well in a room full of in-laws.
I very much love summer :)
Someone very much loves winter :(
I Wish to know whom more :)
For what you love winter?
For what you love summer? Let’s argue :)
i have to protest for the dolphin on the harmless mascot category. Though not often thought of as fear provoking think of the dolphin in this sense 300lbs of solid muscle…that can effectively kill a shark.
might want to rethink that one because your average wild dolphin is pretty vicious….though i do understand the average person equates a dolphin with the loveable trained one we grew up with on flipper, the truth is nothing like that.
I’m trying to think of a good ocd example from personal life and failing. Here’s a lame and not terrible one: if I do laundry, I like to do every single piece in the laundry baskets. Start with the darks, then go to lights. As many loads as it takes. It’s all folded and put away. That first dirty sock in the empty basket is always so painful.
Rabi – I head east down my small street. I cross fourth street. I come to third street. I would only turn south onto third from my street. If I wanted to go north I would have turned north at fourth. I’m sure I’ve unintentionally done the reverse a few times, but if I’m thinking about it I follow the rule.
Pam – Wow, I wish I could learn that skill. I think you need to come up with a more embarrassing one :)
cold cereal … +/- $4.00 per box and 1 gallon of liquid = $4.00. $8.00 per week breakfast expense.
But I understand your real goal was to add more fruit – so quit making smoothies out of it. Eat one banana – or apple – or a handful of berries – and save on the other ingredients.
But DON’T stop eating! (says she who could stand to eat less)
maybe this is really stupid, but do your smoothies really need to include so many ingredients? I get that it is more satisfying to have a smoothie than to eat a banana, but is there something bad about a frozen banana blended with some orange juice? then you could have smoothies for six dollars a week…. I mean, I assume you have already considered this, I’m just wondering what your objection to the simpler smoothie is.
Both – I’m certainly making it much more complicated than it needs to be. The number one goal is find a way to eat fruit, which I don’t do at home, and which super-energizes me.
(The number two goal is to find a way for it to be somewhat portable, so I will actually finish it even if I have meetings. This is where a banana + yogurt or granola + fruit plan has failed miserably in the past. Fruit salad has worked, but I certainly don’t have enough time to do that on my own.)
Mit – Between the bagel, lunch, and an after dinner snack I have *way* too many grains already. Plus, portability.
Rabi – I could probably cut down on the amount of OJ I need and/or make them with less strawberries. However, a sub-goal of the fruit goal is to eat a few different fruits so I get different nutritional benefits. Also, I tend to let bananas pile up at work.
All that said, I might be ignoring something that’s way cheaper than strawberries – apples or pears, maybe? – which is what’s killing the cost.
I do, but at work that leads to sticky fingers, which does not lend itself to blueline reviews or handshaking. Also, if I put it down and it begins to be covered by papers I might not see it again until the next day.
I am really looking for a fruit that can be supplied solely via straw. I am always thirsty.
I think my meaning is pretty clear in the post – I’m talking about the temptation to walk out of my workplace and spend my earnings mid-day in the various department stores, boutiques, and 4- and 5-star restaurants within blocks of my building. If you live and work in the middle of nowhere the effect probably isn’t the same.
If you’d like some tips on saving money (and the earth) this holiday season, please scroll down two posts.
Hi Peter,
I am a big fan of BG. I keep thinking that the final Cylon is Madame President, but then I’m not sure that a Cylon could get breast cancer as she has had.
B – It is by bar our favorite show! We just bought the DVD of 4.0, and I’m re-watching every scene with the potential final cylon(s) as if the actors are playing it as cylons. I have to say, though I share your doubts about Roslin, her scenes ring the truest.
Perhaps we should pay a visit to catch one of the final episodes :)
That made me teary, just a little bit…and, I, cynic that I am, do *not* cry at weddings. ;P
You guys are both amazing people who are fortunate to share love, talent, intellect, artistic pursuits, and a vision for the future. If anyone can make that complex thing called marriage work out, I have faith that you guys can. :)
At the moment I’m using E’s old point-and-shoot, which is actually slightly nicer than my old one because it’s not so compact.
I almost had this camera shipped to us overnight, but it was $125 to get it from NYC. We couldn’t find it anywhere in Philly on Monday. I’ll just buy it when I get back.
I definitely laughed outloud at you breaking the awed silence with a Lord of the Rings reference. I do love you two. The pictures are great and I can’t wait to see more!
OMG, so did I. The only thing more awesome than being a giant single nerd is being married to one equally as nerdy. Because the couple that is nerdy together stays together. :)
I didn’t like the feel of the selector dial on the new (blue) one, so I went online to see if anyone had problems with it and discovered that it’s actually worse at the things I like to do than my old camera (manual aperture, low-light motion shots, et cetera). I don’t know that you’ve ever noticed, but I was constantly frustrated by the old one’s failure to shoot anything worthwhile without a flash, to the point that I largely stopped bringing it with me to places I might want photos.
Elise redirected me to start reading up on prosumer cameras, and within a few hours it was clear that I should (a) return the Canon, and (b) buy something that’s better for the things I’ve actually been using a camera for over the past two years.
I’m still pissed about losing the card of images inside the old one, and I hold out a hope that it will turn up.
Oh the animal sounds! I don’t believe I mentioned it on my blog, but one of my favorite lessons with my students in Taiwan was about animals. Namely, a rousing game of “guess what animal sound the crazy foreign teacher is making!” The rooster totally blew their mind. And, a favorite Web site: http://www.flat33.com/bzzzpeek/index1.html
I’m sorry for your museum-bummer! Some are bound to happen, I suppose. If I were you, I think I would have given up after the vagina incident and gone to eat chocolate crepes instead. I give you the award for “museum tenacity” and suggest you not visit a new museum tomorrow. (PS– Sorry, hadn’t ever been to d’Orsay.)
So, did they not have any surrealist exhibits??? Generally, modern art museums are completely disappointing to me, except for the fact that they usually have some Magrittes, Dalis and Van Goghs, which, as you know, make me very happy. The rest of it usually just feels like thing I have to endure to get to the good stuff. MoMA has, like, 3 floors of crap and 2 floors of awesome. The awesome, though, is worth the pice of admission.
Of course, I would think that most museums would be a let down after Le Louvre, non?
I hear what you say, and I have heard it before. It is true that people are sometimes ignorant and cruel. Even Christians. I encourage you to look past people and don’t give up on God.
Try to read the bible, study it for yourself.
Ask God to give you faith. He is not what you think he is.
God bless you. You are a special person,
You get the BEST treatment and all kinds of perks by mentioning you’re on your honeymoon. I often consider telling people that even when I’m not on my honeymoon… maybe this is best saved for anniversaries after the actual honeymoon. :) Enjoy your new accommodations! Miss you both.
I believe you should also add to your hit list “Best Groom-and-Mom dance ever” with special points for enthusiasm, style, and obvious artistic similarities.
And, at least in my book, “best party ever.” All the thought you guys put into it really paid off and I think every guest had a BLAST!
I totally second the groom-and-mom-dance. It was possibly the awesomest thing that happened to me all month. (Well, aside from the wedding altogether.)
I went to Time last night after hitting up Irish Times at 2nd and Bainbridge. Irish Times was very well attended but I have to say the sound system was horrible. Time was a little slow this week, but I think might be my new favorite open mic venue… caught a little Ally Cat and drank some very good beer.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 11:32 am|Permalink
(As an aside: your link to the price doubling bit has some extra punctuation. And I was disappointed to click through and find that the other article was about the wisdom of crowds, not crows. I’m really curious now about the wisdom of crows.)
I was wondering if you could tell me how to hide the about title in my bio section on my music account. I want to replace it with an image that says “Band Bio”. ?
Wow, that is awful. The soundtrack sounds so thin. And so much slo-mo makes for an almost non-action sequence. The first couple trailers definitely caught my interest, but this… hmm…
I thank you for the kind words, Peter! At long last, I did finally agree that I’d been wasting my efforts in livejournal. It seemed so insular, so closed off, and now, I guess, the training wheels are off, eh?
Thanks again, and see you soon (in cyberspace and otherwise)!
I am so excited I could die. In fact, I probably will die.
I am praying to any god who will listen that she finally, after nearly a decade of waiting, ‘To the Fair Motormaids of Japan’ as a B-side. I know that ‘Snow Cherries’ wasn’t what anyone expected, but I loved it!
Maybe, if this is a return to the fundamentals, the basics, if you will, going back to the place she was visiting when she released ‘Pele’, perhaps this time around ‘TTFMoJ’ will finally speak up and say ‘HEY GIRL!! WHAT ABOUT ME?? I’ve got something to say here.’
We can only hope.
Incidentally, I will be in Germany the day this album is released. Oh, Joy! I get to drive my DH with new Tori for a whole week!!
Ha! I kept thinking of RotK, too. I’d think, “Well, I’d be okay if it ended here.” And then another scene would come along. And I’d think, “Well, okay.” And then there would be another scene. The 150K years later bit with the robots was ridiculous. I didn’t have unreasonable expectations, but wow, that last hour was a disappointment.
Having some discomfort with adjusting to the “mainstream”, then? Welcome to the universal family that still somehow includes the rest of us artists working in obscurity, for however long that will last.
It’s like the punk rockers who chafe at the idea of “selling out” (and I mean real punk rockers, not dreck like FOB). Why punks would rather their heroes NOT succeed materially is beyond me. Wouldn’t you want your heroes to get paid for what they do, so they can KEEP doing it, instead of going back to work jobs in their communities and fade into memory? I never got that.
But to you, my friend, I’d just be careful of how long you burn up, because all that burning can, at some point, lead to burn OUT. You’ve done a helluva lot thus far with the way you operate, so maybe that won’t happen to you. It’s happened to me, though, and I haven’t accomplished nearly the body of work you have.
I’m done… in more ways than one. Have a great day.
I’ll never mind being mainstream, but I do have to be mindful of intentially being mainstream.
It’s the difference between Incubus crossing over for doing essentially what they had been doing all along, versus Liz Phair completely inverting her sound for the sake of getting popular.
In my own way I’ve been one of those dilettante punks, eschewing the success of my idols. I like to think I got over that. The only thing I ever want now is for every band I like to get as big as U2 – so long as they keep making music their way.
Only fair to hold myself to the same standard.
I have to find the right balance between burning up and out. I think it has a lot to do with return on investment – it’s hard to put consistent high effort into things that consistently have no reward (although, in some cases you have to trudge through the non-rewarding parts to get rewarded, and I have to learn that patience.)
Both Berkshares and NC Plenty work this way. Berkshares 12 banking locations, NC Plenty just one.
Very good questions: Who manages the cash? A) In the case of Berkshares they have 12 local credit unions and banks that act as exchange agents. Walk into the bank and buy the local currency at a discount $9.50 gets you 10 Berkshares.
Are banks holding it in escrow until the money is spent at stories, and then reimbursing store owners who submit used bucks? A) Yes, the USD stays in a Berkshares local bank account. The store owners have a choice of providing change to customers and including some Berkshares (some ask for them) or if the store takes in too many and needs to restock their shelves, the merchant simply goes to the local bank and exchanges Berkshares into USD. On that outexchange, the Merchant will take a 5% haircut, he gives 10 Berkshares and receives $9.50 USD
In this situation, it is advantageous for the consumer to use them (5% discount on purchases) and disadvantageous for merchants to ‘cash-out’ thus both ends of the equation encourage re-circulation of the notes.
And, what happens if a resident buys in and then wants to buy back out – do the local dollars exchange back to cash at the same rate they were bought? A) Yes
Also, I’m interested in the counterfeit angle. Real money is one thing, but what could these local currencies possibly be printed on that’s safe from duplication? A) Again. good question. This can be a problem. However with local business most merchants will watch things very closely. Also Berkshares are printed by AB Craine on their paper stock. They supply the US Mint and are pretty good at what they do:-) Other communities also take similar measures, watermarks, special paper, special ink, coding, foil stamps etc. The crime of counterfeiting local currency is also very serious, it’s no joke.
Mit – Well, it’s equally surprising to find out you are a secret acappella addict!
When I first learned how to write music in standard notation I was obsessed with the concept of having a group of singers sing a guitar arrangement. I didn’t really understand that was how choral music worked, and I certainly didn’t know about acappella groups at the time.
It was sort of a dream come true to stumble in on the founding of one and become closely associated with them for so many years.
PS: The best acappella disc I have ever heard is probably Burn Like a Roman Candle by Off the Beat.
Sorry to leave a comment not related to the thread. I’ve been trying to leave a message via the “contact” point but it doesn’t like me. I ran across your wedding photo stream and Flickr. Fabulous photos and love how happy everyone looks!
Suddenly a fan? :) I referred you (and other LP directors) to this blog in December…have you been reading it since then or did you rediscover? I thought you might like it.
Wow, that’s a pretty simplistic view of the world. Binary choice? Really? I think any honest discussion requires the admission that every encounter brings light and darkness, and often it’s hard to tell which decision will cause more of which. Attitudes like the one you seem to be advancing here generally end up causing more pain, because they encourage people to value short-term harmony over long-term happiness. You can’t really believe that, can you?
I think there’s plenty of room for gray in our opinions, Wes. The difference between light and dark here is whether you’re consciously trying to add to someone or subtract from them – not whether you might upset or cause pain. Pain isn’t the same as causing someone to emotionally defecate on themselves.
I’ve had a few subtractors in my life recently, and some of them even framed it positively. The difference is pretty plain.
I do follow you, as you know … and would appreciate a few tips. I’ve not taken the time to get the twist of the tweets, so spill, Pete. I’ll be reading.
M – I’m glad the notes were useful! I don’t know if I was intro’d to you directly. Were you the guy hanging out w/Seth @ the beginning, and later sitting with Cupcakie towards the middle of the room?
Happy I could help! I find myself referring back to this post all of the time. It’s hard to believe MySpace doesn’t have an (even easier) easy reference guide.
My grudges aren’t going to win any fans, and I don’t say this to rile you up, Peter, but I can NOT stand to hear this triumvirate of artists: Dave Matthews Band, Ani DiFranco or Tori Amos. Allow me to quickly explain.
In Mr. Matthews’ case, it was the fans that turned me off forever, and though I’ve read him in interviews, and find him funny, and engaging, and even musically adventurous when solo, I can not cotton to any of the DMB output.
Can’t stand Ani DiFranco’s voice. Not years ago, not now. Unless that fundamental part of her changes, there will be no listens from me. Also, I feel like her music is ALOT about message message message, which is why I stopped listening to RUSH years ago. Come on, Neil Peart, just drum, or lighten up.
And Tori Amos… that’s a bit more complicated. Part of it is related to a long-ago friend who tried to convert me to listening to Tori Amos’ music against my will (though I did, and still do, honestly like the songs “Cornflake Girl” and “God”. “Past the Mission” wasn’t bad, either). The other part of it was my uneasy relationship with Trent Reznor’s music in high school. I felt like she was his female musical counterpart (and I know they had some sort of musical/personal friendship or partnership of some kind), and I was never that comfortable getting into HIS music, even at the time I felt the way albums like Pretty Hate Machine and Downward Spiral catalouged. For me, she symbolized more of that same emotional dredging, with cleaner pianos and a nicer (yet still incredibly overwrought) voice.
As for lifetime subscriptions, there are three, which do have conditions:
Clutch, the Melvins, and Billy Joel.
I love Clutch and the Melvins, and have seen both of these bands live more than 14 times each. I have almost everything they’ve ever put out, except the live records in both cases, and 3 albums in the Melvins case. The Prick album almost ended my love for the Melvins. I hated it so much, I took it back, and it remains the ONLY album I’ve taken back and not allowed to grow on me. I also never got Electro-retard, because it was remixes or stuff I already had on other releases. I haven’t gotten their last one, Nude With Boots, due to laziness.
And Billy Joel? Well… he’s the Piano Man and it was sort of a birthright in my family, after my mom became a fan. My sisters and I are all fans, and growing up with the man’s music, I had to get everything.
Generally, though, I won’t buy box sets and usually, I don’t buy live albums. What’s the point, if you have all the studio albums already? Just give me the b-sides or rarities in a separate disc, and I’ll have everything. And live albums? Pshaw, just go see `em.
And yes… I realize that’s impossible for broken-up bands or dead artists, but oftentimes, live album sound BLOWS.
DMB I share with you nearly verbatim. His music isn’t so exciting, and his fans are frequently insufferable. I tend to like him solo, because then it’s just about melody and guitar.
Ani I got into before my obsession with good vocals, so she was grandfathered out of that rule. The thing is, at early stages she had a beautiful voice – especially on her first album. It started getting barkier and talkier around 4-5 before it became what it is today.
I shared your Tori grudge for a long time. Tori fans are notoriously bad at choosing songs for non-fans. Recently a Tori board had a thread on that topic, and the fans were choosing the most screechy, boring, or off-putting songs as what they’d play for a potential fan. My favorite example is “Blood Roses,” her most harrowing and screechy song. I love it, but why would you subject someone to that first?
The Trent/Tori connection is interesting and, in my opinion, apt. I think Boys for Pele is certainly a NIN analog. I’d be interested in floating one or two Tori songs your way sometime to see if I can circumvent the grudge :)
I wonder if I could have sympathized with you two or three years ago, before those two women began to disappoint me? Or, can I see the obvious flaw with everything I love so unconditionally, as part of my unconditional love?
(I think I’m more defensive of the next tier of artists on my “must buy” pyramic. Tori, Ani, Garbage – I can see why someone wouldn’t like them. Say something nasty about PJ Harvey, then we have an argument on our hands.)
Yes, box sets, reissues, and live albums are also generally exempt from my “buy all” plans. Most live albums, in the words of Ani, “make my teeth itch.”
I’m honestly dumbfounded why this post hasn’t generated more of a response. Do your readers not care enough about music to voice their opinions?
But to answer a question you posed in your response, I would certainly not be averse to auditioning a few songs per your suggestion, although I do have to say, once I’ve been turned AGAINST, it’s extremely difficult to turn me FOR a band/artist. Case in point: Metallica
Years before Metallica took on Napster and wrote a never-ending series of horrible albums, they put out the self-titled “Black” album. I’d been a fan in the late 80s, with … And Justice for All back through their first full length, Kill Em All. Something about that first single, “Enter Sandman”, rubbed me the wrong way, and though I was but a freshman in high school, I said NOPE that’s it for me. This band is musica non grata on my walkman, hereforward. I never got that album, and all subsequent material I felt was garbage. Their covers of “Turn the Page” and “Whiskey in the Jar” weren’t TOO AWFUL, and there was one particular standout track on their bloated S&M record (Symphony and Metallica, I suppose; I never bothered to find out). What that track was, I can not now recall. It wasn’t enough to make me plunk down my hard-earned money to investigate one song (and this was the days before iTunes and the .99 song ).
Josh Browns has said I was wrong about their new album, Death Magnetic, and that it’s a return to 80s speed metal form. Yeah? Not from what I heard, and I’ve been forced to hear more than half the record (my wife still hangs tight with Metallica on occasion).
No more. Not for me, and the continued crap material they keep releasing is further proof that I was right in my decision years ago to affix the CRAP label to them. I think they should just throw in the towel and go on American Idol like KISS did.
Besides, aren’t all the kids androgynous and wearing skulls and studded belts anymore?
Sorry… I guess I’m boo-hooing for the loss of truly good, truly offensive, unapologetic rock and roll. I need a AC/DC welded to a Bloodhound Gang taking graduate economics and literature classes with Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine.
First thought: Just support interoperable networks. Then join a network that you trust will be around for awhile, or run your own, or whatever. It doesn’t matter.
Second thought: Support open file standards. I still get all my music via MP3 (or MP3s I create myself from CDs). Therefore I don’t have to care if the latest DRM tech company decides to shut down, or if Microsoft decides to stop supporting whatever their DRM is. This plus local backups means I won’t lose content. I can put my pictures on Flickr, but there’s no sense in which I’m locked in.
Definitely on both! Of the many possible follow-ups to this post I definitely want to do one about open file standards and keeping things at a high quality. An example that springs to mind is the relation between mix-tapes and uploading photos to FaceBook.
The local backups post is another topic entirely. I didn’t want to make this too much about being a Type A freak (i.e., me), but I certainly have some thoughts on that as well.
I have been of this mind for some time. I will also say that many people are writing what I like to call disposable content for these platforms. While some great insights are gained on Twitter, there isn’t really a whole lot of ways to mine the conversations you had there in context.
Media on Facebook is another story. Photographs and videos need to be archived and backed up elsewhere.
One of the things I really like here is the concept of having a social media footprint of sorts. I have been talking about this footprint for awhile but I think that this post does a good job of adding the “why” to the equation. It is not a matter of shiny new toy syndrome, but more a necessity to follow your community to whatever platform they choose next. FriendFeed perhaps?
Kami – “Disposable Content” is so true. People are eager to have conversations, but the danger is that you spend so much time talking that you aren’t creating anything of lasting value. Your brand is confined to your freshest 15 updates.
I think this post was missing the “footprint” concept, just as your footprint may have been missing the agnosticism.
Following the community to new platforms is the component I feel that many SM strategies skip. That’s why the people and strategy ought to come first.
Esteban – Wow, if ever there was a communicator’s epitaph…
“if no one cares that the content is lost (author or user), then it does not matter.”
I absolutely buy into the responsibility for content. Especially for a professional or a business – you have to have faith-in and ownership-of your content to confer confidence in your readers/customers.
it’s possible that I’m doing this math totally wrong in my head, but doesn’t that imply that it takes only five years of working full time at the same job/career before you have gained expertise? that strikes me as being… overly optimistic.
Well, I’m generalizing Gladwell’s rule, and his point.
The 10k hr rule is just one facet of becoming an “outlier,” and he’s applying it to pretty specific things – like composing music or writing machine code. Few people are quite so specified over the course of their work day, and most of the truly remarkable talents have other factors contributing to their success.
The unspoken assumption I got was that, yes, later in life many people eventually achieve a mastery of the thing in which they specialize. College gives us a head start on it; it’s why med school and law school are so laborious. But, these are general things that many people specialize in – so no one is becoming an outlier by serving their time.
Gina’s ability to sing harmony to anything by age 16 is a little more outlying than me being good at communication.
I’ve contemplated the 10K hours rule for a bit now, seeing as I’m out a job and all. In a weird way it puts your life in perspective, and in many instances it focuses your interests.
Did you really know how dedicated you were to your music until you started adding up the hours? Did I really know I loved writing all that much until I added up the hours?
It’s amazing the time you can spend doing the things you love without realizing how much time you’ve spent doing them, or how much of an expert you might actually be. Maybe with what I know about how I spend my time I should consider writing a novel. :)
BTW, your “Like a Virgin” rendition is priceless. Thanks for sharing it with me!
is there anyway i can add personal page info to my music page… for example.. i’d like to add my schools to my music page and make it more of a personal / band page hybrid
Norby – I’m not sure if you can add additional boxes to the layout, which sounds like it would be the most literal way to solve your problem.
Even if you can add boxes, you’d be adding the information manually – which means it wouldn’t dictate your network when it comes to MySpace search. In effect, MySpace isn’t looking for that info from a band.
Dang. I haven’t listened to all the songs posted so far but I listened to most of them and I like them all. If I had to choose, so far I’d pick Gone Baby Gone, Spin and Real You.
Gone Baby Gone started out really low on the “possible album songs” list, but after hearing it I’m somewhat in love. It’s in a great, unusual place in my range.
The fact that we both like it even though I wasn’t originally considering is sorta the whole point of this exercise :)
After random googling your blog caught my attention and has stuck in my head because I too am on the same page being an independent artist and all (and I literally meaning DOING it ALL!) Anywhoo I found a forum thread on being an independent artist… I haven’t tried the concept yet but I thought it might be a tool that you could use if you haven’t found it out already.
apparently I can’t decide where to leave my comments… stupid facebook
anyway, I think let it be is a PERFECT b-side. like the way “how can you be sure” is a perfect b-side. see, now I want to go listen to the fake plastic trees single right now.
“Let It Be” gets a bum rap because (a) it doesn’t have chorus, and (b) E and I are in a never-ending debate about the merit/appropriateness of making guitar references in my songs. She especially doesn’t like it when they are in her songs.
I rebut that the guitar is a fundamental part of our relationship. After E it’s next closest thing to me (other than my blog, and we certainly don’t need songs about that), and sometimes I have to reference it to exemplify the dissonance.
Point being, she vociferously dislikes this one, which is why it’s so rare.
PS: I think the only other song to emerge completed from the scuttled “Real You” songwriting project was the one about you that I played last time I was in NYC.
This post is not about wanting to be a musician. It’s about primacy of experience.
The Beatles version is so detailed and so analogous to the cost/experience of actually playing Beatles music that I feel as though it has officially crossed over from being an amusing video game to being a true simulacrum of an actual life experience – analogous to people who attend concerts only to watch them through a cell phone camera, or who make themselves in the Sims and sit all day trying to achieve their ideal career.
Thus, the argument that not all people want to be musicians approaches moot. If a reason to play is “because it’s fun,” then so would be playing the actual music. That is something I can’t necessarily posit about previous Rock Band editions. For example, I don’t think playing the Aerosmith edition is the same as playing Aerosmith music.
I got started on an Infinite Spring before this got going. Such a great idea. If the library hadn’t wanted their book back, I would have sailed past the 80 or so pages I got done. I was getting sucked in, and will be once again now that I’ve got my own copy.
All good points. There’s that tension between the mediated/imagined experience. Insert paranoia about a dystopian Wall-E/Surrogates/etc. future where we’re all living at a remove from the Real Thing.
I’m curious how many people who get good at Rock Band actually try to move on to music? I also think it’s interesting/odd that I’ve seen some of my friends get “stage fright” about the videogame, preferring to just watch.
Another argument in favor of learning a real instrument: it can help you pick up chicks/dudes, or at least meet new ones. Which can be a good thing.
Would you believe that was sitting around in a starred post in Google Reader from last fall? Goes to show you how much smart stuff escapes attention on the web just by virtue of our bandwidth being only oh-so-wide.
I missed the crying?! What the crap? I can’t believe I had to leave right as the good stuff started. I did hear Like a Virgin, though, so that’s something, right?
I misinformed you: FSOR gives me Middlebury as Vermont’s thirteenth biggest town. But it’s the biggest one in our county, so that should count for something.
Krisis, you rock. Thanks for mentioning my interview with Dan at Geekadelphia, and my novel, “Personal Effects: Dark Art.” I hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much for the exposure to your readers!
I am floored and humbled by your blog post – actually sort of speechless which is MOST unlike me. :-) You are incredibly kind and generous with your words and I will do my best to continue to live up to them!
I read Sarah’s post and loved it. It actually reminded me a little bit of a post by Gretchen Rubin over at The Happiness Project about drifting. Take a look: http://tinyurl.com/rcmaxn
Anyway, I think Sarah makes a fantastic point, and her escape plan is a great place to get started shedding that mediocrity we might’ve just drifted right into.
Gini. Thank you for stopping by to comment! I’m a regular reader of your tweets, and now of your blog as well.
Sarah. Your post struck such a chord with me – I immediately shared the story with my wife after I was done reading it. I can’t wait to read and respond to more posts chronicling your adventures. I think “escape from mediocrity” might be my theme of the summer!
Teresa. I am a rabidly dedicated reader and evangelizer of Happiness Project (did I get the link from you?).
Now that I am subscribed to a wide array of betterment blogs I’m starting to see the rise and fall of some common themes. In all the noise of supposed-expert bloggers it’s a good way to get a temperature of what’s really working for people in their real lives – as opposed to something catchy they just thought up.
I understand with itms you’re paying for exposure and convenience and apple-flavored goodwill, but what is CDBaby offering, other than serving up preview listens, handling the transaction, and providing a one-use-only download link to each paying customer?
I wonder if there are free, drop-in “music store” applications for artists who run their own websites. The tech side shouldn’t be that hard a problem, and if you’re working in small volumes (as a local indie artist) your bandwidth cost + Paypal fees would be far less than $.25 for every song purchased.
M. Hutchins. Thank you for stopping by. I am so fascinated by the way you’ve updated the status quo of fiction for an online world, and I can’t wait to read your book. You’re much more the future than a silly Kindle is.
Eric. I love Geekadelphia. I have no idea why I haven’t linked to it before, as I have literally dozens of posts bookmarked on my feed reader. I’d love to meet you sometime – do you ever come out to Tweetups or BlameDrewsCancer events?
We always appreciate the passion in which artist weigh in on topics when we make changes. That means we’re doing something right if people care. However, I do want to point out a pretty big omission in your article above. The fee change DOES NOT effect the digital distribution we already do to iTunes where we are the “middle man.” This only effect downloads through our store, where we are not the middle man, we are developing our retail side to give artist more control than ever in how their music is merchandised. A couple things to highlight:
1. Artists can set the price for their single song downloads as high as they like. What to charge $2, $10, $20 for a song, go ahead. In general, being consistent with other retailers like iTunes is best, but we have far more types of products than just 3 minute pop songs(Anywhere from classical and world music to meditation CDs to audio books). For artists with longer content this will be a big feature.
2. Since the beginning we have been the only place that will give you(the artist) all the contact info to everyone that buys your music. With the new site, we’re taking that a step further and allowing you to give away a tracks for promo in exchange for contact info. There’s no cost to the artist for that. I expect that this feature will be a quick favorite.
Those are just a couple of the benefits in the new site. We’re asking for a little more on downloads through our site, but artists are getting a huge amount in tools and service in return. This new launch is just the beginning, as it’s really only the foundation that we’re building on. There is a lot more launching through the Fall. Let me know if you have any questions!
I’m actually excited about the new features that CDBaby is bringing to the table – namely the download cards. They’ll be huge for promo.
Sure, the bigger cut of single-downloads is a bit tough to handle – but I’m not sure if that bigger cut is for the individual sales only (a previously unavailable service) or for the full-album digital sales as well.
To answer your question about possible solutions – have you heard of QuidPlayer? Carsie Blanton uses it. It’s basically a widget you control and allow people to pay-what-they-want. She’s had a lot of success with it.
Tim. Per usual, we are of a similar mind. We have to consider that not all artists are as willing or able to grow-their-own as we are – nor do they necessarily take a similar view to commerce v. art.
Kevin. I truly appreciate your thoughtful response to my post. I don’t mean to unfairly beat up on CD Baby; I went back to make the distinction between your own DLs and iTunes DLs more clear. However, I think your company’s move is a significant signpost of the direction that online distribution is heading in, so I can’t help but react (somewhat negatively).
That said, I know that CD Baby has done wonderful things for a lot of artists very dear to me, and I appreciate the “We’re not evil, and we love music!” position you have always assumed.
Dante. Agreed, regarding the new features. If anything, I think the changes will make CD Baby a bigger player on the digital scene. I’d like to see them cut in on iLike in the apps/integration front, as I find that service to be relatively hapless.
QuidPlayer sounds very much to be in the direction I’m thinking in. As always, I have a lot more to say on the topic than time to say it at the moment. Soon, though.
Also, your fear of that first step reminds me of something I told my boss yesterday. In high school, I worked for a man who was fond of telling us that the hardest part of any project is the beginning 5% and the concluding 5%, and that the middle 90% was easy. In other words, getting started and finishing up anything were the most difficult parts of anything.
It’ll be simple to remember in this case that your beginning 5% is stepping out into free fall and your ending 5% will be that knowing where/when to pull that cord and sticking that landing.
Matt – Of course, you entirely understood the point of my obliquely written post. I feel like this is a metaphor – both for all the first steps I’ve made over the last few years, and for the big ones I’ve yet to take.
Most of them are pretty simple, but not many are easy.
It’s good that we never know what we are in for when we embark on a new journey. Or we might get scared and not proceed. I had no idea Twitter was going to open my world up to hundreds of new people and adventures. But I’m glad I’m here and getting involved with Blame Drews Cancer. And I’m glad I also got to meet you.
It’s quite a journey and in such a short period of time, but we have a true team in place and its inspiring. You guys get me through some crappy days. And you are making a difference. One character at a time. Thank you.
That Applebees night was something special. It’s the grander vision that people will start to get soon and they’ll say “Ohhhh, wait…WHOAHHHH” – and that grander vision is all of ours and will evolve. It’s not just me and Hodgkins. I’m .5% of the equation.
If I didn’t think misogyny was so dangerous, I’d be less easily offended. As it stands, this country is getting to be extremely misogynist and anything that represents a dangerous attitudinal shift bothers me on a fundamental level. There are so many people who actively hate women – the Christian Right is a great example – and to encourage that in any way just makes me bristle. I don’t think your friend is self hating so much as accepting the old “you should learn to take a joke” and “stop being a man hating feminazi” tripe we’ve had shoved down our throats. I see where she’s coming from – it is far easier to laugh with them than to be offended – but no, long story short, I don’t find that sort of thing funny.
Kari – You just described my opinion almost 100%. Even when misogynist things are relatively innocuous they’re still supporting a disturbing spin on a patriarchal take on the world.
I feel the same way about humor/insults at the expense of the GBLT community, which Elise and I both respond to rather viciously.
I was joking about Elise being self-hating, though ;)
I don’t know as I’d find “show me your tweets” offensive. That could be meant as ironically empowering? Maybe not.
Of course, the question always really comes down to the intent of the wearer. Misogyny is the problem, not misogynist speech. However, the other two t-shirts seem pretty clearly meant to objectify & offend women. They might be worn just for humor’s sake, but then they just betray a terrible sense of humor, which is really just as bad.
I don’t really understand the usefulness of your hypothetical. Is the “Asians” context really that different from the “women” context? Is it really possible to see a problem with one and not the other?
Wes, you may be right, there may be no difference. My understanding was that it was basically a thought experiment to see whether there is any distinction between our reactions to ostensibly racist behavior and ostensibly misogynist. I’m sure there are people out there that think one is more or less acceptable than the other, and maybe having it put in parallel like this will be enlightening.
And while I found one or two of the t-shirts amusing, I can see why some might find them upsetting and would certainly not try to talk anyone out of being offended by them.
To continue the thought experiment, what if a woman were wearing the supposedly misogynist shirts?
Wes. Partially disagree re: source of problem. Tacit acceptance of speech is tacit endorsement of behavior. Speech isn’t the problem, but it’s a treatable symptom.
I do not accept any forms of ethnic or GBLT hate speech for that reason, and Elise’s practice is similar. I have seen Elise hit a room like a tornado when she heard one of her brother’s friends say, “that’s so gay.” It was probably the first time he ever heard someone tell him not to say it.
Wes/Elise. Yes to Elise, it was a thought experiment. Also, I was more comfortable trying to make a parallel example with Asian because I could get Elise’s feedback on both examples.
Elise. Kari and I actually took our conversation to email and touched on your last point. We seem to agree humor from within a marginalized group often is a good way to defuse/depower that marginalization.
I think the @s shirt on a woman would have that effect. Not the latter two shirts though.
By “intent of the wearer” I meant only that. Saying “that’s so gay” might not be conscious gay-bashing, but the intent is still to equate “bad” with “gay,” and should not be accepted. However, when Dan Savage says “that’s so gay,” he’s clearly poking fun at the ridiculousness of calling an inanimate object or concept homosexual. It’s the intent that matters.
The same goes for a woman wearing an offensive shirt. While I don’t think that necessarily makes it ok, I think one can fairly make the presumption (not assumption!) that she isn’t being misogynistic about it.
The problem with a t-shirt (or bumper sticker, or other static display) is that it’s impossible to tell the intent from only the wearer, which is why I tend to shy away from such displays. Any statement can be acceptable if it has an innocuous or empowering meaning. Of course, it’s the speaker’s job to portray that meaning, and tweeting about one’s intent to offend does a pretty good job of it. I also think it’s safe to presume a person wearing a t-shirt that says “mommy bloggers put out” isn’t trying to empower anyone. Unless it’s a pregnant woman. Or an activist attempting to change our ideas about sex. Or just some misguided soul with poor social skills.
The point is that it isn’t the t-shirt that’s the problem. It’s the misogynist wearer. Of course the male bloggers claimed they weren’t being misogynist, but prejudice is so dangerous because it’s an unconscious thing. The act of thinking “mommy bloggers put out” or “I have spiritual thoughts about your breasts” is funny implies certain ideas about women, sex, and values that I don’t agree with. That’s the problem, in my mind.
you should save your bookmarks to the cloud! I used to use Google Notebook coupled with a handy firefox extention, but G-notebook is no longer supported, so I started using Google Reader with the help of a bookmarklet. They save to the “notes” section (it’s optional to add to shared items, too) and I tag them appropriately.
[ed. note: I updated my post to reflect my response to this comment]
Matt. There were a few in the free apps that were a surprise to me. I have some luddite tendencies in that I tend to hang on to older tech long after better options come along (see also: Blogger, WordPress 2.3, my 2004 cell phone). I’ll be interested to hear about your experience with Digsby. I have those functions covered at the moment, I think, but possibly not to the level of awesomeness that Digsby provides?
Dante I am hopeless when it comes to bookmarking/favoriting things for use at an undetermined point in the future – it breaks the way that I use/organize bookmarks, and I don’t tend to rememember to look for things in that context. It just results in 1000s of bookmarks I have to clean up at some point. However, CK is the ultimate memory pit ;)
dude, i’m a part of this story and i can’t wait to hear what happens next.
honestly, sharing that experience with you…and putting together our organization, is almost as close as you can get to someone, really. you see me panic mode and pissyjusthadchemo mode and all, but we all know what we have to do.
we’re on a path. i’m glad we’re on the same one, at least for this.
Yes, I’m the same way. I end up bookmarking things and forgetting about them or never following up… but when I get that random flash of memory of the time I saw that thing and maybe bookmarked it, a google-powered search in G-reader always pulls through.
I had an interesting reaction that I only just unpacked enough to realize where it came from: I had a strongly negative reaction to the anti-women comments, and pretty neutral, or even slight amusement, at the anti-Asian comments.
I think it’s because I more strongly association anti-women sentiments with physical overpowerment and potential physical harm (such as violence or rape). Furthermore, it seems to me that female Americans as a whole are (insert a great many caveats here, including “from my experience”, “at this point in history,” “in my corner of the world”) more disenfranchised than Asian-Americans as a whole.
Not that I would expect anyone else to have the same reactions, or that I think my reactions are “wrong” or “right.”
An interesting point… is humor about or targeted at one demographic more or less acceptable depending on how much that group is currently marginalized? If the shirts were remarking about caucasians, how potentially offensive would they be?
“Show me your tweets” is in poor taste, but probably not misogynistic — it’s replacing the misogyny of objectification with some sort of joke about exposing our writing to the anonymous masses.
Is “put out” some kind of a pun? Perhaps as in putting out content? Otherwise it’s incredibly misogynistic.
The breasts one is boorish frat boy humor — all the more offensive because it’s not even attempting to be clever.
My take on it is the men felt somewhat uncomfortable at being the outsider at a female conference, and tried to cover their insecurity with humor — never a good move. Being a “misguided soul with poor social skills” isn’t an excuse.
I definitely think there’s a correlation between how marginalized a group is and the offensiveness of the jokes. Caucasians, as a racial group, are not particularly marginalized. They may be in predominantly African American areas of the country, for example, but as a whole are the dominant and for the most part least marginalized group in America. However, when you start to break it down, there are caucasian gay men and lesbians, who are pretty marginalized. Then you have caucasian heterosexual women, who are also marginalized. So it’s tricky. Broad jokes about white people are usually not met with much offense, probably in part due to the fact that white people have it pretty good and therefore will take a joke at their expense.
I actually think in some cases the reverse is true of what you are saying. Everyone loves to make jokes about transgendered people (”hot tranny mess” being one of the memes that flew around for a while), and they are by far THE most marginalized group. So it’s interesting.
So I went and read Grace’s post, and found the blogs in question. and came to a few conclusions:
1) Neither dude is particularly interesting or clever, so there are no unforeseen revelations regarding deeper intent.
2) Both used the “fuck em if they can’t take a joke” defense, which is intellectually lazy and dodges the question entirely.
3) Twitter guy’s shtick is shock humor, and that’s a different can of worms.
4) MommyBreasts admits he did it out of social anxiety. Nice of him to be so candid, but, as I said, not an excuse.
5) He also made an entire post of cleavage shots as his “favorite ladies at BlogHer this year.” Does he understand the concept of taking the joke too far?
6) Both also use the “there are more important issues to worry about” excuse, but MommyBoobs goes on to list for an example… SEXISM. Which *is* pretty hilarious, but probably not intentional.
I’m normally much nicer than I was then. Hopefully at some other time you can meet my less-ill representative, and I can meet your less-trying-not-to-catch-said-illness representative.
Thanks for including my compilation of “45 most creative blog designs” in your list. Hope to see more of you, as I have just added another awesome post ;)
Ah, that’s too bad. I still haven’t seen any trailers for it, so I don’t have even a partial opinion, but I’d heard good things.
Also, love that line from the VV review: “like most so-called science fiction these days, it is really a war story in scientific drag.” So true, so disappointing!!
The best way to go in is completely unspoiled, as even the mild spoilers I encountered were misleading. I tried to stay as bland on that account as I could.
I concur! I can’t figure out why it got such incredible reviews. I felt it ripped off too many previous films to be engaging, such as “The Fly” and “Iron Man”. Throughout the whole film I kept getting the feeling that I’d seen it before.
It’s good to think outside the box, as even that, too may burn to the ground. I just wonder where your musical taste would be if there never was American Idol. Hahaha!! Get well soon, buddy. Blog ON!
Glad you reposted this blog post on Twitter. Congrats on your blog’s 9 year anniversary. The 10,000 rule can be discouraging sometimes b/c I know I’ve cultivated some bad habits through practice. As they say, “if it takes 10 years to get in the woods, it takes 10 years to get out. That’s why it has been so hard to quit smoking.
so good to see that I’m not alone. We went this weekend and walked out after 30 min. and at least 8 others walked out before us. I haven’t walked out of a movie since I was a teenager (that was a long time ago!) Maybe I didn’t stay long enough but I felt much like all the opinions above and just found no redeeming qualities to keep my attention.
whenever i click on edit profile page it takes me to bandprofile.shows page! as a result i cannot even get to the myspace 2.0 editor.
im going mad. please help.
It could be a leprechaun. My of-Irish-descent grandfather told me that they lived in the woods of montgo county and they were actually dastardly little goblins that caused much trouble. They weren’t the cute little creatures at the end of rainbows. My grandfather said that if leprechauns had any gold at all, they most likely stole it! So, I’d check to make sure you don’t have one of those, because that would be a royal pain in the arse. Apparently they are very hard to evict…
Kokot, we are in complete agreement. However, MySpace is used very regularly by people who book local concerts and festivals, so it is a necessary evil.
That is hilarious, because I TOTALLY PRACTICED IN THE MIRROR. I could not get his little lips-pursed scowl/smirk down right, but I worked on his brow furrowing all day before we went out.
Im new to the forum and just wanted to introduce myself, my name is Robert and I’m form Australia. I’ve been a long time lurker who has finally decided to make an account and contribute.
I have just about every Madonna lp, cd and 45 up till 1991. The one thing about Crazy for You was that I believe it was released on Geffen Records. I wrestled in high school so I’ve seen Vision Quest many times and never thought that Crazy for You would become somewhat obscure. I’ll download when I get home.
I don’t think it’s obscure any longer – it was on Immaculate and the subsequent Something to Remember ballads disc, and I’m sure the new box as well. It was just relatively obscure for the general consumer pre-Immaculate – and certainly in comparison to a hit song from a movie soundtrack now.
Depends on the dream! I find the biggest obstacle to accomplishment is simply not knowing how to go about something. For instance, if I wanted to start a business, I’d be stalled simply by the enormity of a task that I can’t figure out the steps of. However, that isn’t a goal of mine — not even close. But things that used to seem that level of impossible — publishing poetry, for instance — have gradually started to seem feasible, and I realize that I have slowly been arming myself with the information that I need to do what I want to do. So for me, planning is invaluable in making me feel able, and feeling able is the only way to overcome the panic of trying (where the very premise of trying includes the possibility of failure, never mind Yoda and his cliches.)
There are other dreams that I’m living right now (making my own clothing! cooking new things all the time!) and yet others that I take little steps towards every day and I can see them waiting for me in the near future. Some of them (family-related) are accomplishments for which I’ll never receive any recognition, but they are all the more important for that — for being so personal that I accomplish them not for anyone else, but just for me and those most important to me.
I actually struggle with both. As you know, I’m pretty good with dreaming, and creativity, and living spontaneously. I’m NOT very good with productivity, self-discipline, and making long-term plans that I actually follow through on. I am the queen of half-finished projects and bright ideas that never happened or plans that were much better in dream-form than in reality.
There are instances in which I need to plan things, and then, I plan those things in detail…and inevitably become frustrated if every single detail does not go according to plan. It’s a struggle to let go and just live life and enjoy things as they happen when I planned them a different way.
Planning seems to be equivalent to adding anxiety to life, and I kind of would like to go back to a “do more, think less” strategy. But it seems a lot harder, the older I get! :)
I’ve been trying to set up my music myspace page and want to advertise my new single at the top of the page(before the streaming music box) Alot of musicians do this. For example look at florence and the machines page. I really can’t out how to do it at all. you could help me by any chance please?
Thank you, Pamela! It’s so flattering to hear people enjoying it even after ten years – lets me know I’ve been doing something consistently right all of this time.
I’m an artist myself and im basically researching all of this in,and i gotta say the politics are wonderful! im happy that this discussion of indie artist having options in this soon to be digital music revolution is even existing,were at the peek of it now and CDbaby,itunes,ilike,amazon and who ever is helping the indie’s out.but in my opinion Cdbaby is for the underdog to really prove to the world!!! the success stories alone i read had passion writen all over them,itunes is great brand wise but it’s oversaturated with all of the mainstream top 100.i would love to be there one day but at that point you loose touch.i say go cdbaby! and im gonna look into that quidplayer,it sounds more controlable,
Long ago, I came to the conclusion that if I stopped doing what I was doing every time someone hated me, misunderstood me, or just didn’t get what I was doing..well, I’d never do anything. I’d never allow myself to be me, because I’d be too concerned with being approved of or liked. And the periods in my life when I’ve taken the criticisms to heart have been the least productive, and the most inhibiting.
Studies show that 8 out of 10 people lack self-confidence, in some way, shape, or form…including many performers, innovative thinkers, leaders, and truly unique people. To be in the last four categories, you can’t let it all get to you, and you don’t, and I think that’s awesome. :)
You are one of the people I thought of when I got that blogger email. (Almost typed blooger. Guess it’s the same thing.) Advice? Should I try to move? My tech skill is pretty limited.
avatar should def win. it is epic and should be. it’s the most beautiful cinematography and best told story. hurt locker is adequate. it better not win though. it’s no saving private ryan. and i’m with you on juno, another masterpiece in my eyes.
When I was home sick as a child, we didn’t have videos yet. I remember loving game shows and talk shows like Dinah Shore. I have zero nostalgia for those.
When I’m home sick my favoritea are Wes Anderson movies, Firefly/Serenity and Almost Famous.
I’m actually not a big fan of most of the Best Picture nominees, and the ones I’m likely to enjoy are the ones others aren’t going to like as much. District 9 and The Hurt Locker can’t inspire me to go see them (if I’m bored by 30 second previews, what am I going to do with two hours?), I’ve not seen Avatar, but already in my mind it’s overhyped. Of all the nominees, I’d like to see Precious, The Blindside, and Up In The Air. Strong acting and writing is always what makes a “Best Picture” for me.
Juno was fabulous. I love witty writing, and Ellen Page is one of my favourite young actresses.
Skip “The Reader”, and read the book instead. It’s a beautiful and disturbing story, but Hollywood didn’t do it justice. I got the sense they were too afraid of the disturbing, and downplayed it.
Loved MILK. Though now Netflix is convinced the only movies I will enjoy include prominent gay characters and very liberal storylines. I would like to tell Netflix that I am actually much more open minded than that.
[...] I might not be able to plot a book liked I used to, but surely I can supply meaningless blather as good as I ever did? I mean, lest we forget, I was the #1 Power Blogger on the entire freaking internet on several occasions, and I Blogathoned 48 posts in 24 hours every summmer for three years running. (not to mention I remain the longest running Philly Blogger, and the originator of a singer/songwriter “podcast,” but I digress). [...]
[...] The ache persisted for a few days, and by last night it was on the move – the pain slithered in to my mouth, up to my temple, and down the side of my neck. The ache became the headache, which in turn became one of the top three worst headaches of my life. (Another is here). [...]
[...] Last trip to the hairdresser – just for a trim – my shampooer warned me. “You’re going to go through an ugly phase,” she matter-of-facted at me, before admonishing, “and don’t go cutting it off just because you’re in the ugly phase.” [...]
[...] Posted on January 23rd, 2003 by krisis. Categories: uncategorized. Watch as six pounds of Roma Plastilina clay (hopefully) becomes a 1/2″ scale set for Prometheus Bound, neatly bound up in the form of an irregular polyhedron. [...]
[...] The week that i moved into my first apartment was also the only week i’ve ever owned a cell phone. Actually, it was on loan from Drexel as part of my employment as a peer leader. Only two and a half years later and all that i can remember is working long days in our tiny cloistered room in The Armory, after which i would take a short but exhilarating walk back to my new home. Short to the tune of seven blocks, but exhilarating because it carried me off of the Drexel campus map and onto poorly lit residential streets that were known to host such threats as maliciously drunk frat-boys and the very occasional mugger. [...]
[...] What i would do, though, is have an embarrassingly loud one-sided conversation about themes of materialism and submissiveness in Moulin Rouge as they relate to modern feminism. Not exactly guaranteed to scare away muggers, but i suppose i was hoping to portray that any startled girly screams in the middle of such a heated debate would be construed as distress calls rather than me conceding that Nicole’s tuberculosis had nothing to do with damning her character as soon as she became more than a high class hussy. [...]
[...] For those of you who are slightly new to this whole shebang, you should know that Trio has effectively become my get-out-of-blog free card. How it works is, basically, I lay my artistic soul bare for you in a 10-12 minute concert that, despite its sound of carefree ease, involves hours of sweat, profanity, and occasional blood to produce. Flush from my artistic efforts an enamored with my new tuneage, I typically let Trio sit at the top of the page for a week (or more) so that my barely-existant fanbase has no trouble locating and clicking upon the special feature repeatedly to satiate their listening desires. [...]
[...] Who are we kidding, I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear about that in the first place. Somewhere Avril is giggling. Also, netted from that MeFi thread, Kaki King’s new video. Watching her play melts my music synapses.Take a look. [...]
[...] So, cast-iron stomach aside, i got sick. Sick to the tune of using a SEL day and lying on the tiled bathroom floor at 4am vaguely twitching as to try to distract myself from being sick. It was not a good scene. Luckily, mom is just a numeric page away, and she generally arrives bearing legal narcotics. I swear, it’s worth sending a member of your family to nursing school just so you know you won’t kill yourself over a stomach flu. [...]
[...] In closing, just remember: say no to your bourough as a mispelled designer name, say probably not to pink, and don’t wear your first initial as a monogram unless you are Madonna or have a name starting with E. [...]
[...] Opening the door to our stairwell i discovered that Zoe, our downstairs neighbor, was playing my traditional airplane-landing accompaniment, PJ Harvey’s “Kamikaze.” This from the same neighbor who was blasting Madonna the day we moved in, and whose best friend is an abnormally pretty drag-queen named Dave, who occasionally chats with me in the hall. [...]
[...] some comments on that last bit: My favourite songs tend to reflect my favourite albums of the moment, but as you can see there are a few departures from that list. The new Elastica album is wonderful, but it has only made me lust after the 1:33 of perfection that is “All-Nighter” even more. The split entries represent songs that i usually listen to in pairs on the albums they come from. On Nina Gordon’s album, the two are really the only ones i like, but on Tracy Bonham’s and Weezer’s they’re barely better than the rest. The Pretenders are on the list just because “Back on the Chain Gang” melts my whole world. As for Ani, “Swing” is from her new EP and her last LP, “Itch” is from Not So Soft (which i recently gushed about), and the live “Firedoor” (featuring an awesome segue into “Rapper’s Delight”) is from a 1999 radio show from Stockholm. [...]
[...] I’m exceptionally disappointed that the link to this particular entry isn’t working at present (but, believe me, I’ll link your asses to it just as soon as it starts working again), but. . . BUT! This Crushing Krisis character. . . *swoon*. . . look at the press I’m getting: [...]
[...] Half a decade of intervening years has erased my memory of all but the “greatest hits” of those early songs. In some cases I can still recall a melody, or a few chords, but in others I’m surprised that I even wrote a song by that name. My longtime undercounting of my catalog at 140 songs was a result of this – fully sixty songs has been discarded or forgotten. [...]
[...] I have yet to reattain the epitome of my prettiness, but I have escaped the seductive “cut it off” allure of the uglies to inch ever closer to unspeakably desirable rock star look i’m cultivating. [...]
[...] (I would compare this to stepping onto the stage, but that analogy has the negative connotation attached to it from the time I tried to sublimate my 103 fever for a dress rehearsal but wound up with Bronchitis and Pneumonia. Because, you see, a fever is not just a symptom, it’s a condition, and you are your conditions.) [...]
[...] Despite previous independence highlights, today’s pre-fourth could have been my best. How many other days can you succeed at work, see one of your favorite people engaged, and get rip-roaring drunk with the best of your bestest of friends (actually, family). I love it. [...]
[...] I’m not really sure how it happened. I definitely hated them actively in 2000, and was rather bored with them in 2001. I think the love was the combination of buying OK Computer and The Bends, and then really liking a lot of Hail to the Thief, and then finally being amazed by what they can do in concert. Bonnaroo only served to prove the point. [...]
[...] When i worked as an intern at Record Kingdom the big man named Train once gave a little speech about pheromones. Because, you know, before he was a DJ he was a biology major. [...]
[...] It was early in the day today that i decided that i must be putting off pheromones. I’m not sure exactly when it occurred to me. It was after the first girl, in the subway. She was plain, not anyone i’d be caught flirting with. But, she had Anastasia’s jeans. [...]
[...] I don’t know. I guess it find those jeans sexy in the same way i always think girls who wear Happy are attractive. Anastasia is the first person i hung out with for that amount of time prior to college – she was bound to have an impact on me. This isn’t a story about her, though. [...]
[...] I won’t record Anastasia’s chapter of my pheromone-soaked day, because it really had nothing to do with it. Just two formerly close friends catching up for the first time as adults. I was stymied after a day of being beset by women who look great and mean nothing to be met by one who means an awful lot. An awful lot of memories and songs and hung-low jeans and perfumes that invoke her to this day. [...]
[...] I’m in much more of an output phase than an intake one right now, but sometimes output involves manic consumption of a lot of things in a brief period of time to keep me fueled. [...]
[...] Vegan Lunch Box is up for Best Food Blog at the 6th Annual Bloggies. Way back when i had a discussion about the nomination process of the 1st Annual Bloggies with founder Nikolai Nolan. In retrospect, i was mostly pissed off that Trio wasn’t (and was never) nominated for “best non-weblog feature” in the days when podcasting meant nothing, let alone had it’s own freaking award category. But, i digress. I stopped being upset when Rabi (another vegan!) won the “best kept secret” award. [...]
[...] My recently social outings have been split evenly between the aforementioned best friend Gina and boyfriend Wes, and Elise’s best friend Amanda, because it stands to reason that anyone who could tolerate hanging out with Elise 40hrs a week of work plus however many hours of rehearsal will probably be able to tolerate me for the length of a concert or two. [...]
[...] Having introduced the trinity of my love, my mother, and my best friend, my cast of characters now widens considerably (though it stays predominantly female). [...]
[...] Having introduced the trinity of my love, my mother, and my best friend, my cast of characters now widens considerably (though it stays predominantly female). [...]
[...] Having introduced the trinity of my love, my mother, and my best friend, my cast of characters now widens considerably (though it stays predominantly female). [...]
[...] Having no child-skills to speak of, in my limited interactions with wee ones i just do what my mother did – treat them like fully functional small adults who are slightly hard of hearing. I don’t engage in baby-talk, and i don’t engage in little white lies about coal in stockings and Easter Bunnies. [...]
[...] I will not spoil the irony of Healing Magic Hands‘ post Unintended Messages by trying to describe it. Honest Planet allows me to rest easy in knowing i wasn’t the only romantic four-year old; her anecdote leaves me with a new level of horror over my mother’s grade-school hookup machinations – what if it was all a conspiracy with the other parents?!? [...]
[...] Vegan Lunch Box is up for Best Food Blog at the 6th Annual Bloggies. Way back when i had a discussion about the nomination process of the 1st Annual Bloggies with founder Nikolai Nolan. In retrospect, i was mostly pissed off that Trio wasn’t (and was never) nominated for “best non-weblog feature” in the days when podcasting meant nothing, let alone had it’s own freaking award category. But, i digress. I stopped being upset when Rabi (another vegan!) won the “best kept secret” award. [...]
[...] Of the first we dare not speak (not anymore, anyway). At the second, someone told me she loved me, and someone passed out in my stall shower (different someones; obviously a success). And, at the third I holed up in my room, jamming loudly with a rotating slate of collaborators, oblivious to the rest of the party (my ideal evening). [...]
[...] Of the first we dare not speak (not anymore, anyway). At the second, someone told me she loved me, and someone passed out in my stall shower (different someones; obviously a success). And, at the third I holed up in my room, jamming loudly with a rotating slate of collaborators, oblivious to the rest of the party (my ideal evening). [...]
[...] Moving from Reed Street to college was a move of efficiency – the dorm room was only oh-so-big, and the hurricane was oh-so-bad. Two carloads would certainly be all that we could manage. I reminisced at length about it previously. [...]
[...] Next comes the move of legend: me from Spring Garden Street, and Lindsay and Erika from Race Street. This recap makes it sound rather pedestrian, but it still inspires only-slightly-hyperbolic stories from the five of us whenever anyone moves. [...]
[...] My CD intake has become truly ludicrous over the course of the last month; since my latest acquisitions post i’ve purchased another 20+ discs, hardly any of which are bad. Yet, i hardly listen to 200 songs in my own collection a week – i average about 700 a month with iPod, and without (as i am, currently) i hover around 300. That means i’m not even listening to all of my new purchases once through iTunes. [...]
[...] I consider myself to be a fairly open-minded music fan, but the Boy’s taste definitely veers lo-fi and out of tune. I can manage to forgive both of these traits individually, but in tandem i can’t stomach them at all. Speaking of which, witness two posts about my arch-nemesis Bright Eyes over the course of a single month. Someone really needs to teach that boy how to sing. [...]
[...] Lowest ranked is the Yeah Yeah Yeahs disc Fever To Tell, which was subtly disappointing … everything i had heard about them made them out to be “The Next Big Thing, but it’s mostly just girl-lead punk with fairly uncatchy screaming (i prefer The Distillers). Still, i can at least comprehend making this pick. [...]
[...] File under “Coolness” – A daily reading of the superb semi-fictional (i hope) Acerbia lead me to the witty Stiletto Philosphy, whose top link is none other than The Go Fish, who i suspect could be the most read Philly blogger (she was mentioned in the Inquirer article i kvetched about on CK’s birthday). It makes me happy that TGF’s blogger has become known enough that i find my way back to her from blogs in completely other circles, which i suppose isn’t surprising given her mammoth reading list. [...]
[...] File under “Coolness” – A daily reading of the superb semi-fictional (i hope) Acerbia lead me to the witty Stiletto Philosphy, whose top link is none other than The Go Fish, who i suspect could be the most read Philly blogger (she was mentioned in the Inquirer article i kvetched about on CK’s birthday). It makes me happy that TGF’s blogger has become known enough that i find my way back to her from blogs in completely other circles, which i suppose isn’t surprising given her mammoth reading list. [...]
[...] Well, okay, not randomly; i had just spent thirty minutes fixing that Largehearted post, and i randomly checked to see if i was coming up on the recently updated list. However, the clicking was not random, and i won’t have you think i clicked through just because i saw a C. It was more like: Cock Under Lock? I wonder if it’s a blog about a pet rooster or a chastity belt? [...]
[...] Elise is a Photography major, with all sorts of practical and historical knowledge to bring to bear, whereas i have never used a manual camera and still describe pictures as pretty and nice. To rectify the gap in our knowledge, i occasionally endeavor to make myself learnèd about photographers and their craft. To that end, i think i stole this fashion photography slide-show from Kottke; i liked it, and subsequently narrated it to Elise, who proclaimed something about Nan Goldin ruining everything and how gorgeous Lisa Fonssagrives looked. The second slide in the show is by David LaChapelle who does some wonderful things with light and motion in his pictures though, we both decided after looking through his portrait collection, they are mostly souless (though i have a few favorites). And, to round out the trio of links, i love this portfolio of digital retouching, complete with before and after pictures and photoshop layers (cribbed from Metafilter, but again originally from Kottke). [...]
[...] In closing, i feel that you should know that i am eating raw cookie-dough for dinner, and that after a content-lite day for T-Give i’ll be closing out NaBloPoMo with several more Trios and more NaBloPoMo site reviews. [...]
[...] You were supposed to receive the second Influences Trio tonight, but it took six hours last night to get one song right, and we are leaving on our T-Day expedition to NJ in a few hours. [...]
[...] We break the radio-silence of Term-Paper-Hell-Week to bring you this important bulletin: Record Kingdom, my oft-lamented but still-beloved co-op employer from 2002, is apparently going out of business! Lindsay and I haven’t spoken to any of our former co-workers yet, but we were both sad to hear about it; though we didn’t exactly pledge our undying allegiance to RK, we spent a lot of long hours trying to make them a more organized, more profitable company. [...]
[...] We break the radio-silence of Term-Paper-Hell-Week to bring you this important bulletin: Record Kingdom, my oft-lamented but still-beloved co-op employer from 2002, is apparently going out of business! Lindsay and I haven’t spoken to any of our former co-workers yet, but we were both sad to hear about it; though we didn’t exactly pledge our undying allegiance to RK, we spent a lot of long hours trying to make them a more organized, more profitable company. [...]
[...] I won’t record Anastasia’s chapter of my pheromone-soaked day, because it really had nothing to do with it. Just two formerly close friends catching up for the first time as adults. I was stymied after a day of being beset by women who look great and mean nothing to be met by one who means an awful lot. An awful lot of memories and songs and hung-low jeans and perfumes that invoke her to this day. [...]
[...] Well, my Sunday estimate of 17/30 pages done wound up being a bit of an understatement, as a week of all-nighters (and, shockingly, more than a couple wake-uppers) just concluded with the completion of an unintentionally lengthy PR paper about Dracula and his effect on Romanian tourism, which clocked in at sixteen double-spaced pages. Not monstrous, but still the third longest paper i’ve written at Drexel, and long enough to meet the class’s Grad-student length requirement even though I took it as an undergrad. [...]
[...] We break the radio-silence of Term-Paper-Hell-Week to bring you this important bulletin: Record Kingdom, my oft-lamented but still-beloved co-op employer from 2002, is apparently going out of business! Lindsay and I haven’t spoken to any of our former co-workers yet, but we were both sad to hear about it; though we didn’t exactly pledge our undying allegiance to RK, we spent a lot of long hours trying to make them a more organized, more profitable company. [...]
[...] Rather than touch any of that, i co-opted it for my own, never doing the same thing twice. Once i carried a balloon in the parade. Another year i dined with Gina and her family and friends. Two years ago i spent Thanksgiving alone, drinking martinis and watching old movies. Each iteration was superior to the alternative of a dead bird and getting stuffed just to get stuffed. [...]
[...] Indeed, it was a rat. A rat that had grown so large that even seeing it full on i was tempted to believe it was a mutated house cat. Let me put that into perspective for you: big enough that it cannot be obscured by a single car tire; too menacing to beat to death with a flip-flop; large enough that it immediately evoked a fire-swamp joke after i was done screaming like a little girl at the top of my lungs at one thirty in the morning in the middle of a deserted West Philadelphia street. [...]
[...] That thought sustained my negligence of our heater through the evening, but it hasn’t carried me through to fitful sleep. Our bedroom, an addition to the house, hangs precipitously over our back door, my side of the bed exposed to the bitter elements on five sides. Even at my most endurant iron-man moment my resolve to avoid using our heat evaporates upon entry into the bedroom – especially without Elise and her heating pad to huddle up against to osmose some warmth. [...]
[...] What better activity to kick off a week of being cold and alone than working on my NaBloPoMo reviews? Grab your leftover sandwich, kids, (or, if you’re me, your favorite bottomless pail of cookie dough) cause it’s time for I, J, and K. [...]
[...] That’s the short of this story. The details are almost immaterial. I left a whiny grump and returned not. Sure, i’ve whined and grumped a little since then, but i can’t summon up the same intensity of either, or of meanness, as i’ve already mentioned. [...]
[...] “Don’t Bother Me.” Syndicate Product follows up on the Philly Paper Strike story i touched last week to let us know that if the strike occurs Philly news-people have established a website for on-strike reporting: PhilaPapers. [...]
[...] “In My Life.” My favorite song, as sung earlier this month. Somewhat Refined stops to teach a brat who’s boss. Hell yeah. She also posts some classic adverts. Two topics i don’t specialize in but am very fond of. Another Top 10 S from Writing Aspirations. [...]
[...] I began this month by comparing my entry into National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) to a DC comics-style Crisis – a reboot of me and my entire multi-verse of blogging, all for the benefit of any new readers that might stop by. Everything familiar would be eliminated, or re-imagined from scratch. [...]
[...] I once theorized that the commonality of an experience makes it seem less real, as if the more people we’re aware of sharing it with the less intense it becomes. [...]
[...] Since I had Bonnaroo in June and we had St. Louis together in July, Elise was suffering from a one-vacation handicap. She needed time away from me to have an adventure, and I needed time to shuffle around the house and pretend to be a bachelor. With her returned from San Francisco it feels as though our balance has been reset. [...]
[...] Since I had Bonnaroo in June and we had St. Louis together in July, Elise was suffering from a one-vacation handicap. She needed time away from me to have an adventure, and I needed time to shuffle around the house and pretend to be a bachelor. With her returned from San Francisco it feels as though our balance has been reset. [...]
[...] I spent all day worried about the notes that i fucked up on Mother Mother. Peter, i kept thinking, how could you post a Trio with notes that fucked up?. Well, i knew how; “Mother Mother” had been holding me up for over a week, and finally this morning i just woke up, tuned my guitar, screamed intermittently for about three minutes, and then wiped my hands of the Trio just in time for my directing class. [...]
[...] Last week my obligations, as if in cahoots with each other, all cancelled each other out. Between last Tuesday and this Monday i had a single class and worked for three hours, but for all intents and purposes i was off — with no responsibilities other than to myself. I hardly knew what to do with myself at the time, but i fell into a sort of rhythm: waking up a little late, doing something i had been meaning to do for months, playing guitar, running an errand, et cetera. Nothing of substance, just the things i would find the time to fit in if time were more hours in a day. [...]
[...] Coffee does not make me sharper. Not in the least. Coffee fuzzes my edges, as if my body is a camera trying unsuccessfully to capture a subject in motion. An afternoon trip to Starbucks leaves me feeling drugged, unable to control myself or stop talking or just think clearly for a single second. Is this what it’s like, i think, to be on speed? Moving without even having to think about it. [...]
[...] I’ve seen a lot of random opening bands, many of whom i’ve derisively blogged about the next day, but Kaki King is the first artist since Peter Mulvey (and, to a slightly lesser extent, Erin McKeown) to ever leave me with my eyes unblinking, my jaw hanging loose, and my fingers twitching just in contemplation of my inevitable attempt to replicate the performance before me. [...]
[...] I’ve seen a lot of random opening bands, many of whom i’ve derisively blogged about the next day, but Kaki King is the first artist since Peter Mulvey (and, to a slightly lesser extent, Erin McKeown) to ever leave me with my eyes unblinking, my jaw hanging loose, and my fingers twitching just in contemplation of my inevitable attempt to replicate the performance before me. [...]
[...] And, by the way, i wore cargo pants to Kaki King. And, and, rather than doing it myself i made Ross order my cosmopolitan. I have to say, there’s nothing quite like making your muscle-y blond football-player sized male friend walk up to a female bartender to order a cosmo (especially when they come in dainty little glasses). I don’t know what was better… the look on her face when she heard his order, or the look on his when he saw the look on hers. [...]
[...] While the OE inclusion is surprising, the Inquirer article left a bigger impact on me — if only because it neglected to mention this site. I have a sneaking suspicion that Crushing Krisis could be the longest running Philadelphia blog (now that Rabi is conveniently out of the way in new york); I have to slog through all of the links here and here to make absolutely sure. [...]
[...] Long gone are those days, though, when i represented all that is common and exciting about blogging. I am not an active linker, and i do not engage in many of the trends and memes that are so often definitive of the blogging community. I am more interesting in reporting, either on my daily life, or on the people and communications i observe, and in singing and playing both my own songs and others’ through Trio and Blogathon. [...]
[...] Long gone are those days, though, when i represented all that is common and exciting about blogging. I am not an active linker, and i do not engage in many of the trends and memes that are so often definitive of the blogging community. I am more interesting in reporting, either on my daily life, or on the people and communications i observe, and in singing and playing both my own songs and others’ through Trio and Blogathon. [...]
[...] Long gone are those days, though, when i represented all that is common and exciting about blogging. I am not an active linker, and i do not engage in many of the trends and memes that are so often definitive of the blogging community. I am more interesting in reporting, either on my daily life, or on the people and communications i observe, and in singing and playing both my own songs and others’ through Trio and Blogathon. [...]
[...] That’s what i love — how this has been woven together with my “real life;” not so much that you cannot see the seams, but well enough that it never quite unravels. I love that people i haven’t talked to, people i have forgotten, people i have never met can see a sketch or snapshot of my life at any given moment. Sometimes writing for it can seem boring, or tedious, or invasive, but if i were to stop, to actually give up for a single minute in the days or weeks that separate my posts, then suddenly this mirror of my identity would just turn into a photograph, taken from far away. [...]
[...] Long gone are those days, though, when i represented all that is common and exciting about blogging. I am not an active linker, and i do not engage in many of the trends and memes that are so often definitive of the blogging community. I am more interesting in reporting, either on my daily life, or on the people and communications i observe, and in singing and playing both my own songs and others’ through Trio and Blogathon. [...]
[...] Long gone are those days, though, when i represented all that is common and exciting about blogging. I am not an active linker, and i do not engage in many of the trends and memes that are so often definitive of the blogging community. I am more interesting in reporting, either on my daily life, or on the people and communications i observe, and in singing and playing both my own songs and others’ through Trio and Blogathon. [...]
[...] Long gone are those days, though, when i represented all that is common and exciting about blogging. I am not an active linker, and i do not engage in many of the trends and memes that are so often definitive of the blogging community. I am more interesting in reporting, either on my daily life, or on the people and communications i observe, and in singing and playing both my own songs and others’ through Trio and Blogathon. [...]
[...] That’s what i love — how this has been woven together with my “real life;” not so much that you cannot see the seams, but well enough that it never quite unravels. I love that people i haven’t talked to, people i have forgotten, people i have never met can see a sketch or snapshot of my life at any given moment. Sometimes writing for it can seem boring, or tedious, or invasive, but if i were to stop, to actually give up for a single minute in the days or weeks that separate my posts, then suddenly this mirror of my identity would just turn into a photograph, taken from far away. [...]
[...] For me Blogathon is a study in controlling chaos. Last year when i agreed to make twenty-five recordings to post over a twenty-four hour span the task seemed impossibly daunting, and it got even more daunting when i got locked out of my school’s recording studio with only six songs recorded. But, it was never really the songs i was worried about, evidenced by the fact that in the end i exceeded my original estimate by twenty-nine. I don’t remember what i ate, or how i got to sleep the day before, or how i kept all 54 of the songs organized on my hard drive. What i do remember is that finishing was never a question: i had the songs, i had the drive, i had a cause, i had friends to keep me awake, and i had a final song to debut. [...]
[...] A wonderfully tipsy holiday lunch with my co-workers. Unearthing ancient audio and importing Blogathon posts into WP. Watching Superman Returns and crying every time Brandon Routh looked a lot like Christopher Reeve. How finding a great gift for Gina drove home why my holiday gifts are going to be donation-based, and my subsequent call to my mother to tell her not to buy me any presents. Rehearsing with Gina, and how it feels to finally be able to sing harmony. Playing in a new music showcase, where I was invited to be in a Space-Rock-Opera (and, how Tori Amos is the great uniter of people). The cab-driver I think I may have just imagined. Buying used DVDs from Netflix. The new No-Cast, and how I have a perfect example. [...]
[...] In the midst of all of my NaBloPoMoing in November I was reminded of how fun it can be to turn on my mixer and record a song – especially something I’ve never played before. In fact, my favorite results of the month were all songs I barely rehearsed and slammed through in a single take (Other Plans, Under My Skin, & Dilate). [...]
[...] Or, at least, I used to be average. In 2004 I graduated to “decent” when I made three very broad resolutions – to be aware of my money, my diet, and my time. They didn’t mean I had to pinch pennies every day, avoid eating junk, and be productive 24/7 – they just meant I had to be conscious about when I wasn’t doing those things. [...]
[...] So, yeah, if you had been wondering why i’ve suddenly gotten all sullen and quiet, it’s because i’m working a full-time communications job from nine to five and a half time communications job every night as soon as i get home. Oh, and i’m recording 25 new songs for Blogathon. Oh, and i’m visiting Martha for the holiday weekend. Oh, and there’s that having a girlfriend thing, that takes some time to. And i vaguely recall something about a kiddie pool and plastic Solo cups filled with grilled chicken, but that was quite a few Coronas ago. [...]
[...] Which is funny, in an ironic way, because this weekend i was telling someone about Crushing Krisis, and i had this overwhelmingly clear moment where i remembered my original conception of it, how everything in the world is pressing against me and that i am in the middle slowly asphyxiating but at the same time slowly pushing back against it all with all the pressure i can bring to bear, and how it is all just crushing in both directions, and whatever is still breathing in the end wins. [...]
[...] In other cock-related news (ha! a pun!), i went rooster hunting when i returned from work this evening, after an unbelievable alarm-clock-like round of crowing this morning that ran on regular half hour intervals starting at five. I was unable to locate the foul fowl, despite some leads indicating that what i previously thought to be an errant chicken walking around behind CVS was actually said rooster, a pet of the man who lives on the corner. A thorough stalking of his premises revealed no such terror of a bird. I have resolved that if i am woken up at any point before 7am tomorrow by its crowing that i will go outside, find it, and shove it through its owner’s mail slot. [...]
[...] I think that sometimes Elise feels bad that i don’t write so many songs anymore, as if it’s her fault. It guess it is a little bit, because i am happy and not creating stupid scenarios in my head to connect me to every person that i pass by on the street out of utter desperation to be a part of someone else’s day. It’s confusing to look at the entries in my little grey book from a year ago, while Elise was still new and confusing enough to evoke my typical lyrical ramblings. At a point not too far after that there is a disconnect, and suddenly i am not writing out of my gut anymore, from where my songs used to spring covered in bile and blood. Every time Elise gets used to me not having anything new to sing at all i surprise her, the other night with four new songs that she had never even heard a hint of before. They make me uneasy — i have trouble feeling them and so they are hard to sing. [...]
[...] A year ago this week I had just finished my yearly engagement at Lyndzapalooza, and otherwise hadn’t played anywhere other than the Shubin X-Mas Revue since… well, since the last Lyndzapalooza. However, I had also just written and demoed two new songs that seemed not to suck, and I was arranging for and singing in an a cappella group (the latter for the first time ever). [...]
[...] Much like “Standing,” it woke me up from sleep to jot it down. Only this one was much more stubborn – the lyrics didn’t have a consistent meter, and I could hear only a few pieces of the music. It seemed unremarkable, especially for something thar had dragged me out of bed. [...]
[...] (Also w/r/t my sleeplessness, I experienced a highly unexpected psychotic break into hysterical tears at of the intersection of Broad and South while singing along to “Morse Code Love.” [...]
[...] None other than Peter Mulvey, my personal favorite folk-rock hero and my mainstay musical influence — not to mention being one of the few people on earth who owns both of my demo cds as well as occasionally talking to me from on-stage about his bottom-end. So to speak. [...]
[...] None other than Peter Mulvey, my personal favorite folk-rock hero and my mainstay musical influence — not to mention being one of the few people on earth who owns both of my demo cds as well as occasionally talking to me from on-stage about his bottom-end. So to speak. [...]
[...] I might not be able to plot a book liked I used to, but surely I can supply meaningless blather as good as I ever did? I mean, lest we forget, I was the #1 Power Blogger on the entire freaking internet on several occasions, and I Blogathoned 48 posts in 24 hours every summer for three years running. (not to mention I remain the longest running Philly Blogger, and the originator of a singer/songwriter “podcast,” but I digress). [...]
[...] The concept is staggering; it doesn’t mean that i set a trend, but at least that i tapped into it first and have (so far) held onto it the longest. Through this passive act of ignorance i suddenly realized both how important this has become to me, what it really is, and how often i do not come through for it. [...]
[...] Long gone are those days, though, when i represented all that is common and exciting about blogging. I am not an active linker, and i do not engage in many of the trends and memes that are so often definitive of the blogging community. I am more interesting in reporting, either on my daily life, or on the people and communications i observe, and in singing and playing both my own songs and others’ through Trio and Blogathon. [...]
[...] Long gone are those days, though, when i represented all that is common and exciting about blogging. I am not an active linker, and i do not engage in many of the trends and memes that are so often definitive of the blogging community. I am more interesting in reporting, either on my daily life, or on the people and communications i observe, and in singing and playing both my own songs and others’ through Trio and Blogathon. [...]
[...] Whether or not i’m putting in my best effort on a daily basis, new people continue to happen onto this page for the first time, some of them familiar and some entirely strange. All of my roommates (current and former) read it regularly, as do most of my close friends. Some of my professors have been known to stop by. This weekend, Rabi and I had just sat down to a refreshing Bubble Tea when my cell phone was rung by my god-brother, who i haven’t seen or spoken to in almost four years, but who had found this through Google. He told me that “Hide Your Love Away” was his favorite song so far, and said we should hang out sometime soon. [...]
[...] Whether or not i’m putting in my best effort on a daily basis, new people continue to happen onto this page for the first time, some of them familiar and some entirely strange. All of my roommates (current and former) read it regularly, as do most of my close friends. Some of my professors have been known to stop by. This weekend, Rabi and I had just sat down to a refreshing Bubble Tea when my cell phone was rung by my god-brother, who i haven’t seen or spoken to in almost four years, but who had found this through Google. He told me that “Hide Your Love Away” was his favorite song so far, and said we should hang out sometime soon. [...]
[...] That’s what i love — how this has been woven together with my “real life;” not so much that you cannot see the seams, but well enough that it never quite unravels. I love that people i haven’t talked to, people i have forgotten, people i have never met can see a sketch or snapshot of my life at any given moment. Sometimes writing for it can seem boring, or tedious, or invasive, but if i were to stop, to actually give up for a single minute in the days or weeks that separate my posts, then suddenly this mirror of my identity would just turn into a photograph, taken from far away. [...]
[...] By the way, 5am has been designated as Request Hour. Now, it’s not going to be anything as thrilling as the request hour from last year, but that’s because each song required a lot more planning this year. Essentially, last year i could just sortof stand in front of my monitor and belt stuff out. This year i have to decide how to amplify everything into the mixer, and then EQ it all, and then set levels, and then mix into the computer, and then i have to go stand in some awkward position somewhere to sing into a precariously placed microphone. Sound fun? So, there were a couple suggested covers that were sadly vetoed because i simply couldn’t learn them cold quickly enough. But, rest assured it’s still going to be fun, and they’re honest to goodness requests. In thirty minutes. Be there. [...]
[...] I ostensibly bought his new disc Lifted to review it, but i know that i am really casing up the competition. In the past i have wondered at the success of others who are only slightly older than me, and whose work i adore. Now, i am wondering about the success of someone who i could very plausibly be; who shares the exact years of pop culture inundation with me, if not some of the same influences. I happen to think that i sing better than him; i also think i write more accessible songs. But, i am in college, and he is on the road. I am on the dean’s list, and he is in Rolling Stone. [...]
[...] As of two years ago today i had only completed three music courses on a collegiate level. None of them went towards improving my vocal skills. I was fully aware of that fact, and though i strove to improve both my volume and pitch on my own i had already begun to do the same through coursework. In 2001 i earned the ability to record in Drexel’s digital studio, and it was during the mixing of Relief that i became enamored with the idea of joining 8 To The Bar. [...]
[...] In the weeks to come i found myself watching in jealously and awe as 8 To The Bar added new members — almost all of them in my singing range. It had never occurred to me to audition. The grace saving me from actual disappointment about this were The Treblemakers — 8ttB’s just-formed female counterparts. The Treblemakers were composed almost exclusively of my close friends (save for Selina), and as they began rehearsing i quickly became their groupie-at-large … locating errant members after practice began, fetching extra photocopies, and reserving seats for them at the 8ttB concert. By the following fall i was an actual member of the TM’s, albeit an honorary one, and i still gave no though to auditioning for 8ttB despite them adding two more people who sing the same voice part as me in addition to our collective friend Dante, to whom i cannot claim any semblance of vocal comparison. [...]
[...] Six months ago today was the third night Elise and i slept beside each other in the same bed. Six months before that i was packing up what there was of my life and wondering if it meant anything at all. Six months before that i was already saying what i refused to let myself figure out. And i don’t remember what happened six months before that, other than that it was a week before i started using blogger. [...]
[...] After Ross left, Kate wanted a shower, Lindsay wanted me to sweep up the hair in the bathroom, and Erika wanted to go to sleep. I just wanted my curls back, to save them for winter when i can be pretty again, and now i am just teary and wide awake waiting for the train to take me away from here in the morning. I will not forget this feeling. [...]
[...] I’ve followed Kate’s lead and delved into some CK written from the old apartment, and it’s downright odd. I don’t remember writing like i did then – in constant fits and starts, or even thinking like that. Now every single post either sends me into a fit of laughter or a state of quiet contemplation, and sometimes both consecutively. And, though i’m sure it’s very amusing and thought-provoking on its own (heh), the highlights for me definitely connect to having been there when they were written… remembering how many times i fell to the ground in a fit of hysterical laughter on this night of drinking with Aim, laughing out loud at the nearly psychic advice doled out in this post, and remembering to read the commented out dream in this one, which i easily recollected almost blow for blow. As much as i love making other people think, or laugh, or sing along, i think the best part of this is often just looking back and seeing exactly what i was like on a certain day nearly two years ago. It’s truly worth the effort. [...]
[...] I’ve followed Kate’s lead and delved into some CK written from the old apartment, and it’s downright odd. I don’t remember writing like i did then – in constant fits and starts, or even thinking like that. Now every single post either sends me into a fit of laughter or a state of quiet contemplation, and sometimes both consecutively. And, though i’m sure it’s very amusing and thought-provoking on its own (heh), the highlights for me definitely connect to having been there when they were written… remembering how many times i fell to the ground in a fit of hysterical laughter on this night of drinking with Aim, laughing out loud at the nearly psychic advice doled out in this post, and remembering to read the commented out dream in this one, which i easily recollected almost blow for blow. As much as i love making other people think, or laugh, or sing along, i think the best part of this is often just looking back and seeing exactly what i was like on a certain day nearly two years ago. It’s truly worth the effort. [...]
[...] My grandfather was never much of a driver that i remember – between his failing vision and his advancing bipolar disorder he wasn’t quite cut out for traffic. But, that day i somehow convinced him to start up the car and drive to my house. Children have short sight like that: one day my grandfather was lucid, happy, and amenable enough to drive me somewhere and i just wanted some toys to play with. Every time my mother mentions that he was overseas in the war or reminds me of how he lost half of his finger while doing janitorial work so that she could go to Catholic school my memory of him flickers off of the cartoonish and frightening man he was half the time, and off of the feeble thing he was in the nursing home. The image i see, ever so shortly, is the one that is framed on top of my grandmother’s television in Florida. Their wedding picture. Sometimes looking at it makes me very afraid, because they could look so absolutely happy together over fifty years ago without suspecting that any of this would happen … a war, a daughter, a sickness, and a grandson who just wanted his action figures so that he wouldn’t have to hear about any of it. [...]
[...] It took me a minute of thinking, but the last time i saw my father was while i was in the hospital last year. I’m not even sure he knows that i had surgery last month. The last time i saw my mother was a few weeks ago, i suppose. And i haven’t seen this little white box for eight days now. [...]
[...] My mother apparently took my accompaniment by a blessed Beatle to mean that i was moving towards the light, and thus became even more upset. Of course, being a mother whose sensitivity to art was washed away by the brutal reign of the television and trickle-through exposure to N’Sync singles, she had already forgotten that my secondary reason for being so upset the last time i was in the hospital for a procedure was that George had just died. [...]
[...] When we last left our hero, he was awaiting a response to his record reviews with bated breath. Would he finally get to write for an honest to goodness newspaper? We pick up shortly after Peter receives the paper’s reply as we fade up from black. Though he was initially joyous at their friendly invitation of “Welcome Aboard,” over the course of the day he realizes that the congratulatory email has delivered him the worst possible news – his new editor is more interested in what he feels about records than what he thinks, and is hopeful that he will revise his reviews to this effect. [...]
[...] The apathy involved in this redesign amazed me. It basically got to a point where i knew there was a redesign coming, and i didn’t really want to blog until it happened, but i didn’t really want to work on it. Which, equated to not wanting to blog at all. [...]
[...] The latter quote has relevance to yesterday’s first post because it implies exactly the opposite opinion of blogging while winding up with the same end result; blogs will be overabundant rather than just being over, and their proliferation will render having your own blog to be a non-event. The idea that personal pages once rife with badly justified text and awkwardly placed image files are soon to be transformed into a neverending stream of well-intentioned but poorly maintained weblogs is somewhat disappointing – even if my blog started out that way, i’ve always hoped the medium wouldn’t be relegated to such “ubiquitous” and “transparent” ends. If that happens, maintaining a domain name blog won’t be any different than having some shitty page on Geocities; not that it was any different in the first place. [...]
[...] Sometimes it seems as though everyone i know reads Henry’s Diary on a semi-regular basis, and today Aim beat me to the punch and had to break the news to me. Far be it from me to insert myself into other people’s personal lives that i know nothing about via the internet, but i would trade in a whole heap of my personal good karma if it could help the situation between Mike & Tracey. I was just a little younger than Henry when my parents separated, and my only memory of my father living with me is him standing on our steps screaming something. I think it might have been the day he left. I’ve already made my feelings pretty clear on how amazing i think Mike is for creating the Diary, and i just don’t want to believe that the idyllic little Californian world i had conjured in my head for Henry is now going to be irrevocably changed with only a website to act in the place of memories that will slowly trickle away from Henry as the years go on. Right. So much for not inserting myself. [...]
[...] Funny that i wrote that last post when i did and forgot to publish it; last night after i got home i collapsed onto my bed into a sleep deep enough that it might as well been medical in nature. It was, really; my body hasn’t taken longer than eight hours to regenerate itself in longer than i can remember. Sometimes you just need more than half of a day to put everything inside back into its proper order. [...]
[...] The whole think stank of their horrible tech set-up from last year, which nearly turned me off to performing in front of people altogether. But, i persevered – twisting my body halfway around so that i could aim my guitar into one microphone and sing into another. It was hellish, i was uncomfortable, and i was too distracted to hit the high notes. I was not the happiest camper in the room. [...]
[...] Even though my taste in music runs pretty slim these days, i’m not ignorant; i know my Evelyn Champagne King, my DJ Shadow, my No Limits crew, and my Jets singles with blue rainbowed MCA labels on them. Still, i find myself going through boxes of LPs and singles, primarily Hip Hop, and not recognizing a single name. At first i was prone to write this off to ignorance, but after a week i’m sure that isn’t the case. The records i’m pawing through aren’t all big name acts … instead, they are debut singles, self-owned labels, and one hit wonders looking for a rebound. I don’t know them because they aren’t known. The thing that gets me about these records, though, is the effort they took. It takes a couple of hours for me to get ready for a Trio, not counting the time i spent writing, arranging, and practicing. It took me an on&off month in the studio to record my demo cd, which is nearly all solo. How long do you think it takes to record a solid hip hop track? Brainstorming and refining the rhymes, finding a hook or a sample to build on, getting into the studio to lay it down, adding other instruments, remixing and editing …it’s a long labor. And, a labor of love. Singer-songwriter snob that i am, i tend to marginalize a lot of urban artists because they don’t write their own music and play their own instruments. But, they’re not Celine Dion, that’s for sure. They own the words, they built the beat, and they might have produced on it as well. Forgetting for a moment about their ridik-u-lezlee mizspellled namz and overblown posturing, they took the time to create something, and they were hoping to get noticed because of it And they’re in my $6 bargain bin. [...]
[...] Via Ernie, Via 37signals: Celine Dion’s new disc will not play in computer CD drives. I’ve been harping about this a lot recently, and there has been a similar amount of speculation in independent internet press on which overblown major-label artist would first allow themselves to play guinea pig to this particular corporate experiment. Ironically, Dion is one of the least relevant: music piracy is obviously most common on college campuses, but Celine is much more of an Adult Contemporary artist. It remains to be seen if labels are brave enough to similarly cripple a disc by Ms. Spears or even Metallica, as the ramifications on record sales alone are potentially horrifying — not to mention the nearly assured backlash by college-aged record buyers (and their potential to find an easy way around the protection). Not to prematurely give birth to my aforementioned massive media essay, but record labels just don’t get the damned point. Students burns and rip discs because they aren’t realistically affordably. Record companies continue to raise prices to help maintain their profit margins, while they slash artist rosters at the same time. Maybe if brand new pop discs didn’t have an unbelievable list price of nineteen dollars they wouldn’t be so readily copied for under fifty cents. But, rather than assess their own corruption of the artistic process and of the artists’ own rights, the recording industry would rather point the finger at technology and punish buyers who listen to music at their computers. It isn’t the right way to solve things. [...]
[...] Garrison Starr just released From Takeoff to Landing, a second full-length LP to accompany her three EPs. This is not only cool because Garrison Starr rocks my world, or because i wore her t-shirt today and then magically found a press copy of her record for sale, but because now you can witness the incredible transformation of one of my favourite songs. For a taste, take a listen to the solo Five Minutes from her EP and then take a listen to the band version at Amazon or on her label’s site. To me it sounds as though the band version uses the same two-track guitar/vocal recording from the solo version — very cool, plus it’s a neat tag onto the “Who would Peter sound like if he had a band” comment chain from last week. Why don’t you listen to a trio or two and then register your opinion? [...]
[...] At some point during which i was surely raving about my website and how much fun i have writing for it and meeting people through it, Elise decided to set up house on BlogSpot, though she didn’t tell me about it until i mentioned something to the effect of that she could only get sexier if she — in addition to being incredibly intelligent, acting as an op on a MUDD via telnet, and playing a bit of guitar — had a blog. Of course she did, because her sexiness rates off the scale, and she’s actually had some really sparkling moments of blogging in the month she’s been writing so far. Funny anecdotal entries from math class, reminiscences reminiscent of the stylings of Martha & Rabi, and entirely flattering opposite-view accounts of things i’ve mentioned us doing here. Without much discussion we decided that my linking to her, via sidebar or upon any mention of her name, would result in too much strangeness to be worthwhile. As such, our two respective blogs exist in entirely separate universes… while hers is anonymous in name and design, mine is here for all to see along with over a year of context, songs, and occasional photographs. Somewhere in that distinction, i have found that i rely on her accounts of our collective life to remind me of what has gone by rather than my own. My reluctance to air actual personal details aside, i am simply uncomfortable with making more than an obscure mention of a day spent in New Hope, marathon sessions of Secret of Mana, and her having fallen asleep in my bed. [...]
[...] At some point during which i was surely raving about my website and how much fun i have writing for it and meeting people through it, Elise decided to set up house on BlogSpot, though she didn’t tell me about it until i mentioned something to the effect of that she could only get sexier if she — in addition to being incredibly intelligent, acting as an op on a MUDD via telnet, and playing a bit of guitar — had a blog. Of course she did, because her sexiness rates off the scale, and she’s actually had some really sparkling moments of blogging in the month she’s been writing so far. Funny anecdotal entries from math class, reminiscences reminiscent of the stylings of Martha & Rabi, and entirely flattering opposite-view accounts of things i’ve mentioned us doing here. Without much discussion we decided that my linking to her, via sidebar or upon any mention of her name, would result in too much strangeness to be worthwhile. As such, our two respective blogs exist in entirely separate universes… while hers is anonymous in name and design, mine is here for all to see along with over a year of context, songs, and occasional photographs. Somewhere in that distinction, i have found that i rely on her accounts of our collective life to remind me of what has gone by rather than my own. My reluctance to air actual personal details aside, i am simply uncomfortable with making more than an obscure mention of a day spent in New Hope, marathon sessions of Secret of Mana, and her having fallen asleep in my bed. [...]
[...] Speaking of not being interesting at all, i can’t believe you just read all of that :p . Or, am i all wrong; is it not the obscured mentions or the explicit ones that interest you, but instead my inner-turmoil on the matter? I suppose i’m just stuck on how to best portray this particular crushing aspect of my life to you. Dare i ask… any thoughts? [...]
[...] Speaking of not being interesting at all, i can’t believe you just read all of that :p . Or, am i all wrong; is it not the obscured mentions or the explicit ones that interest you, but instead my inner-turmoil on the matter? I suppose i’m just stuck on how to best portray this particular crushing aspect of my life to you. Dare i ask… any thoughts? [...]
[...] “Colorful?” I pondered it more than i asked it. I suppose even the most routine of comfortable things are still thrilling in the right light. A half hour later Kat was framing up a picture of the shadows that our blinds cast against the curtains, with Elise coaching on what to leave out of the edge, and inside it felt like we had rewound back past spring to last summer, and the wonder i had in my eyes at this place when it was empty and unfinished. I am enjoying all of the seasons i have collected, as much as i am enjoying the spring that has now officially arrived. [...]
[...] It’s funny how spring doesn’t always manage to play the part, even after i get so exciting about its approach. It’s a good thing that i feel like spring, anyhow… [...]
[...] No one ever took me up on the offer of the view, but it might have been because i never really offered it seriously; always packaging it with the joke that it was, in fact, my surefire means of seduction — which tends to diffuse the seductive power of the plan. Right now it is raining. My neighbor has his blinds closed, so all there is to see is the oblong diamond overlay of his mottled brown siding, and the strange rust-orange of the next house with cabinets backed up against its windows so that all i can see is what’s on top of them. Stricly speaking, it’s the most restricted view i’ve ever had … even last year’s view of rowhomes sometimes came through with something a little more noteworthy. So, my window isn’t much to be proud of . . . except, between here and those houses on the other side, there is a tiny backyard world that is separate from the people in the houses that surround it. Staring out into it is like watching the interior of a snow-globe, only it is the outside and we are the in, and we are staring out at it through the protection of my tiny back window. [...]
[...] Um, guys? I implicitly trust your opinion when it comes to links of the day, and this seems really fascinating, … … but i can’t figure out quite what the fuck it’s about. Any ideas? And, while i’m in a link frenzy…) I can’t decide if milk came out of my nose after reading this excursion in creative parenting because it a) Reminds me of the sortof wacky reasoning my mother might have employed b) Seems like something Melly would say four years from now c) Sounds like it could be the cousin of something found on Henry’s Diary d) Makes me miss the wonder of being four, and look forward to seeing it through a different set of eyes eventually. Actually, all four. Although, i definitely imagined the phrase “Millennium Falcon” spoken by my mother at some point in the middle of the entry, which was definitely creepy. Link stolen from the newly over-the-hill JillMatrix, who’s hotter at 40 than Sheryl Crow is. And, she easily rocks just as much. Oh, and, hey, i know why he has his windows open! Right now he has a ton of friends over and they’re all smoking dope and re-graffiti-ing his room. So, i suppose that mystery has been solved… excuse me while i rock on with my bad self for spying them in the act! [...]
[...] Um, guys? I implicitly trust your opinion when it comes to links of the day, and this seems really fascinating, … … but i can’t figure out quite what the fuck it’s about. Any ideas? And, while i’m in a link frenzy…) I can’t decide if milk came out of my nose after reading this excursion in creative parenting because it a) Reminds me of the sortof wacky reasoning my mother might have employed b) Seems like something Melly would say four years from now c) Sounds like it could be the cousin of something found on Henry’s Diary d) Makes me miss the wonder of being four, and look forward to seeing it through a different set of eyes eventually. Actually, all four. Although, i definitely imagined the phrase “Millennium Falcon” spoken by my mother at some point in the middle of the entry, which was definitely creepy. Link stolen from the newly over-the-hill JillMatrix, who’s hotter at 40 than Sheryl Crow is. And, she easily rocks just as much. Oh, and, hey, i know why he has his windows open! Right now he has a ton of friends over and they’re all smoking dope and re-graffiti-ing his room. So, i suppose that mystery has been solved… excuse me while i rock on with my bad self for spying them in the act! [...]
[...] So, i try not to be too judgmental in my voyeuristic exploits; after all, it isn’t really my place to have an opinion about what my neighbor does in his own bedroom — seeing as it’s not my place to be staring at him to begin with. Honestly, i feel a little lax in my creepy-neighbor duties, since he’s taken to leaving his blinds open for me to easily stare into lately. Who knows; maybe he finally started being interested in what was happening in my room? Anyhow, never was there a better reason to listen to obscure cds and stare out of my back window than procrastinating on doing my Public Relations final project, and so here i am wide-eyed and dumbfounded, blasting Save Ferris and wondering why my neighbor decided to open all of his windows and put fans in them on one of the coldest nights so far this year. I mean, if it smells in there or something, he could leave the room while he aerated it. But, anyway, no judgments … god knows i don’t want to know what he thinks about what goes on in here. [...]
[...] I’ve never thrown a party before; the small gathering i arranged last month paled in comparison to this one. This, though, was a party … furniture rearranging, obsessive vacuuming, nearly eighty assorted jello shots, fifty dollars just in soda and chips, and two refrigerators full of assorted beer-like substances. I have yet to figure out how many people were here… twenty just from assorted a cappella groups, another ten certified friends of the house, and lots of random non-house friends. A large group of people, to be sure. And, funny things, too. For one, our extra room got turned into a concert hall when i brought all but two of my guitars out to play, and sudden i was being treated to a whole spectrum of songs — from a multiple-MC version of “That Thing” to what amounted to a full-band treatment of “The Only Gay Eskimo.” Recitals of Weezer songs upstairs. Me parading around nearly naked with a pair of underwear on my head. [...]
[...] A few days after Christmas Amy and i went to IKEA to buy various pieces of furniture, and while we were there i bought a set of four 12oz rose-colored glasses. For the entire next week, they were all i drank from. [...]
[...] Ack, no time to talk right now, but i wanted to bring this article to your attention … it was mentioned in the comment chain below. I’ll have commentary later (on the article as well as other comments), so be prepared with some of your own :p [...]
[...] And, honestly, the comments on most of the sites i read absolutely suck. For the most part they consist of a few quality bloggers leaving thoughtful messages that would probably be more useful as a cross-link from their own blog, and then a seemingly endless stream of facebiting first-posting people who don’t have a clue. Every so often i have a post i really want a response to, and so i use my comments script for those posts. The extremely underwhelming response to them has confirmed my initial opinion just as much as commentary on other sites does: it’s not meant to be a daily part of Crushing Krisis. [...]
[...] And, honestly, the comments on most of the sites i read absolutely suck. For the most part they consist of a few quality bloggers leaving thoughtful messages that would probably be more useful as a cross-link from their own blog, and then a seemingly endless stream of facebiting first-posting people who don’t have a clue. Every so often i have a post i really want a response to, and so i use my comments script for those posts. The extremely underwhelming response to them has confirmed my initial opinion just as much as commentary on other sites does: it’s not meant to be a daily part of Crushing Krisis. [...]
[...] And, honestly, the comments on most of the sites i read absolutely suck. For the most part they consist of a few quality bloggers leaving thoughtful messages that would probably be more useful as a cross-link from their own blog, and then a seemingly endless stream of facebiting first-posting people who don’t have a clue. Every so often i have a post i really want a response to, and so i use my comments script for those posts. The extremely underwhelming response to them has confirmed my initial opinion just as much as commentary on other sites does: it’s not meant to be a daily part of Crushing Krisis. [...]
[...] You know, as much as i love getting cards from my mother, i’m honestly not too upset about having other plans for V-day. Not too upset at all… [...]
[...] I haven’t done a Trio for quite a while, and apparently there was a reason … the one i did tonight sucks. Well, actually, it doesn’t suck, but it does show how out of practice i am and how my newly loosened vocal chords have a hard time fitting within the bounds i’ve set for them. Opening tune “You Have No Proof I Said I Love You” is the one i was working on with Andy a two weeks ago. Second is Lisa Loeb’s “Stay,” which i used to play all of the time when i bought my first guitar. And, well, if you make it past the second appearance of “Excuse,” just take what you hear with a grain of salt :p … it was practically improv. Meanwhile, while here i’m in my room sounding like a steaming pile of sonic crap, boys only 6 months older than me are starring in my new favourite movie. Damned wasted time… [...]
[...] I wear my headphones for the entire walk from here to the theatre, and from there back to the apartment. This week i’ve been singing the whole way there: Pinkerton, Garbage, Return of Saturn, Jagged Little Pill. I investigate each record in thirty minute intervals, picking apart the melodies in high-definition sound and finding their places in my own range. Rivers comes out strained in chest voice, i solidly match Shirley’s alto, Gwen brings me up to falsetto or down to my lower register, and Alanis tends to hover over my break point. I cannot keep my voice inside my chest. [...]
[...] Just so you don’t get the idea that this whole blogging thing is an exercise in spontaneity: i scrapped three different posts before deciding on that one, and i had to consult a dictionary five times for spelling and meaning while writing it. I don’t know if that makes me more or less of a geek, though… [...]
[...] Does everyone remember my essay? You know, the painfully embarrassing one that i seem to find entirely more hilarious than i should find it? Well, my Journalism instructor just emailed me some copious commentary on it, which was headed off with the following glowing review: Assuming you’re not gay (not that there’s anything wrong with that!), I’m left with the feeling that your approach to romance is more like sabotage than flirtation. Like Lenny in Of Mice and Men, you crush rather than stroke. Unlike Lenny, you know exactly what you’re doing. My advice: STOP doing that. I heard a great line from a forgettable movie once. The Matthew Modine character turns to his mouthy cohort and says, “Never miss a good opportunity to shut up.” Those awkward silences you mentioned may have existed more in your mind than the moment. Either way, you’ve acknowledged your inability to trust silence. I’ll bill you later for the romantic counselling. [...]
[...] Last night i was miserable and so i went out. It was a good idea; sitting around and moping wasn’t going to fix anything. Tonight i had the same impulse, but although it was well-intentioned of me i think that i realistically should have realized that it was time for a recharge Because, if i don’t take time to recenter every so often i manage to let people see through to what’s underneath. And, that never works out too well. [...]
[...] I don’t really have a defined audience for this little escapade, you know? It’s just intended for anyone who wanders in off of the proverbial virtual street. I don’t say much about myself on my About page, i don’t have any “definitive” posts (though i do have a multi-thousand word “Best Of” section), and i don’t tend to give much background other than a backlink here or there — so it’s really up to the reader to define me through my words. I never really think about the introduction of a new reader to my page… how they define their context of me, or what they like about what i’m saying. They’re reading, so they must like something, right? What i do have, though, is a little mental check-list of people who aren’t reading. My mother. My associates in the Admissions Office. My roommates. It’s not as though i’m saying things that i wouldn’t ever let them hear, but i would probably be a little bit more tight-lipped with them around. Less about depression. Less about drinking. Less about house-issues. Of course, not everyone has such a tidy little category of subjects that i would edit out for them and every once in a while someone surprises me — either with their investigative ability or their interest in my life. On those occasions i have to mentally remove them from the list and say “Well, now i know they’re reading.” What the hell am i trying to say? Well, let’s just say this: my telepathy might not be quite up to snuff, but my ability to have people i’m trying to communicate telepathically with read my posts about failed telepathy without actually thinking about the ramifications of them reading not only those posts but also all other past and future posts about them … that ability seems to be working just fine. [...]
[...] When i worked as an intern at Record Kingdom the big man named Train once gave a little speech about pheromones. Because, you know, before he was a DJ he was a biology major. [...]
[...] It was moot, that point, as the young lady chose (quite improbably, based on other available seats, which supports pheromones theory) to sit directly next to me, pinning me between a sideways-facing seat and the window with her porcelain Dunstness. She was fiddling with her Nano, unable to drag it out of the silken purse that was acting as its case. [...]
[...] Um… thank you? I mean… hell, anyone who calls me sassy and then in the same breath acknowledges my “bunch of girlfriends” has definitely improved my day. (”bunch”? Like, a bunch of grapes. Doesn’t that imply more than one? Maybe this connects back to the part about me being “Lesbian Boy“) [...]
[...] Speaking of which, try to follow this one: At the start of Fall Semester i was in a student written/directed play. After our second performance, we had a reception, during which i was introduced to a pair of incredibly attractive roommates and a boy whose cuteness i considered a personal affront and challenge. I saw the three of them again at auditions for Lysistrata, where i pointed out the roommates to my own roomies, remarking upon which one i found especially distracting (despite their separate but equally stunning attractiveness). The other one of them was cast in the play, and shortly thereafter i was informed that she “wanted to marry me,” which struck me as strange since we hadn’t ever really spoken at length. I proceeded to make a sloppy drunken mess of hitting on her at a party, while i had the majority of my conversation with her uninterested roommate. A month later i asked said uninterested roommate out on a date based on her interest in paying attention to me upon further meetings. It was the perfect date, but did not seem to result in anything romantic, which i lamented at length. Lest i have the chance to put this crush behind me, she wound up being on the Stage Management staff with me for Formicans. Rest assured, it’s been all business. I was encouraged to ask her to our winter Ball, but balked, and when i finally got up the never i found out that she was attending with the cute freshmen guy (obviously my uncharacteristic distraction due to his cuteness was prophetic more than homosexual… who woulda thunk it?). I immediately swore off attending the Ball, only to have my mind changed by (drumroll, anyone?) her roommate, who asked me to go the next day. So, i’m going to my winter formal with a girl who had a crush on me even though i sortof went on a date with her roommate and only didn’t ask said roommate to the formal because she was already planning to attend with the cute boy i met only seconds after meeting the both of them. Hors d’oeuvres at eight, dancing until one. Drama served throughout. [...]
[...] I was happy to have the warning this morning, since the day seemed especially dreary. I didn’t even need to look out of my tiny back window to know; i could feel the chill sliding in through the cracks and twisting up to raise goose-bumps on my legs. Deciding to sleep through my first two classes was not the most wrenching decision i’ve ever had to make. The other thing Lindsay can’t seem to understand is why my alarm rings over and over again. I tell her it’s a warning… life ahead in four hours… three hours… until finally it’s just “Time to wake up. Fucking Blastoff.” Apparently, one ring is enough to convey the message to her. Today the blastoff ring was #6, and the reason i got me out of bed was because the sun had decided to accompany it. I was up and navigating the mess of my floor to turn down the alarm before Courtney could start screaming, and i could feel the diffuse runny-egg yellow of a damp sun on my back. The day had made an ugly duckling transformation for me, and i felt as though i was headed for something not entirely dissimilar. It’s strange to go from kneading a palmful of shampoo past damp curls down to the suffocated scalp beneath to sliding a dime sized drop down the middle of centimeter long strands on the top of my head. It’s the shortest my hair has ever been. Stepping out past my fish-curtain i caught my nude reflection in the mirror, and something seemed different other than my hair. No new pimples, no unexpected muscles. It was something about how the slope of my shoulders changes, the line of my neck becomes smoother. And, something else as well — as if my haircut was emblematic of some greater change that was working its way out from my heart and up through the skin. [...]
[...] A year ago today was the first night of that fateful week where i saw her every night, and we counted it as the start of our relationship. I didn’t even hint at it on here until a few days later, and uncharacteristically didn’t mention it outrightly for over a week. Tonight i’m in a similar place… i spent my allotted AM blog-time last night just staring into a white box, and then grudgingly heading off to sleep. I had something to say, but no way to say it. This morning evoked a similar reaction. [...]
[...] I don’t know that it’s an idea, so much as simply how my body tends to balance itself out. Left to my own devices during the summer of 2000 i actually split each day in half, sleeping from five to nine in both the morning and evening. This sounds ridiculous, but given a healthy and active list daily schedule it actually suited my needs perfectly and kept me highly energized through my grueling turn as an Orientation Leader. [...]
[...] Nine hours later, lying huddled underneath two blankets trying my best to keep my eyes shut against the incessant glow of my monitor, it suddenly occurred to me: why bother? I’ve become a stickler for sleep recently, trying to get back onto the steady schedule i had last semester, but no amount of benadryll and warm milk is going to change the fact that i like to stay up very late and wake up early — which typically involves a nap somewhere in the middle. A quick foray into the kitchen for left-over pizza suddenly turned into an hour-long cruise of my favourite weblogs, and now i’m up and wired for a day free of academic offerings; all i have to do is look handsome around six to attract the attention of certain people at rehearsal. So, i should just Let It Be because i can … because i don’t have anything to do today until past sunset, and i can nap plenty of times between now and then. [...]
[...] Yes, that’s right, the girl from the date. Could life get any more like a WB drama? By the way, if you want the previous four posts to make the proper amount of sense (or, at least the amount of sense i intended them to make, which may or may not add up to a proper amount of sense), read them bottom to top. [...]
[...] The weekend of my dress rehearsals for Good Woman of Setzuan i am diagnosed with Pneumonia and Bronchitis. I have to argue not to be admitted to the hospital so i can start going to rehearsals again. Upon my return I forget an entire verse of my big song on opening night (at this point being generally attributed to my medication, which i will neither confirm nor deny). (!) [...]
[...] I step in to give the counselor-of-the-day presentation one Tuesday in September, because the counselor in question was to horror-stricken to speak. (!) [...]
[...] I endlessly deliberate over a first date with someone who lives across the country from me and who i like very much — only to be romantically rebuffed. (!) [...]
[...] I enter a rather depressive haze and let details about it slip to my mother, who becomes physically ill at the thought of my mental instability. (!) [...]
[...] There’s a unnatural desert wind through the chill of my room every twelve minutes or so as the heater in Lindsay’s closet warms the house with its breath, and in the breeze that just passed a picture came fluttering down from my wall. I picked it up to affix it back to the wall by my door and saw that it was a picture Ross had just given me a few weeks ago – one of Laurel and I at my first Drexel party. [...]
[...] I finished Infinite Jest this morning on the floor of my grandmother’s bedroom in Florida. It’s over. Done. Completed. 1088 pages in a cover with the exact same colors as my second demo cd, starting while marooned in a hospital bed and finished while marooned in an retirement condo. [...]
[...] I just (for the first time ever) caught wind of someone plagiarizing my content for their own nefarious uses. The site itself seems to have disappeared, but Google has faithfully cached the one offending page here. Strangely enough, i located it via a referral from a the search “that the only way to convince me of its worth is to do amazing,” which sounded oddly familiar because i wrote it here. Further perusal reveals that this post was also partially lifted. The only other pages from “Bellylicious” that Google seems to have cached are all just index files or in other languages, and i can’t seem to locate an active email link on any of them, so i’ve hit a dead-end in locating the perpetrator. [...]
[...] What’s so different about Trio, really? I know for sure that i listen to Trio more than anyone else does, mostly because for me it’s a practice take that i can actually learn and grow from. But, why do i do it, and do it so regularly and fanatically? Why do i post my portfolio-mp3s to the page and leave a mostly-empty comment box up for them? Why do i bother to extensively provide an online discography in the song archive? Why do i talk about it all over and over again as if i have some large and attentive audience who follows all of my comments about the evolution of songs and how Weezer’s artistic development makes me cry? [...]
[...] My one and only final begins in three and a half hours; it is for my Philosophy class — a subject i have a rocky history with. I don’t seem to be especially concerned about it, as i have already secured my required B and would need to get a perfect score to wind up with my beloved 4.0. [...]
[...] But, the most shocking of all of the intercourse i’ve witnessed in the past two days was Dawson’s. Dawson, one of the few remaining Virgins out of the long-running formerly-teeny-bopper shows. Dawson was my hero because, in the 90210 of my life, i am Dawson … i have plenty of potential romantic entanglements, but they’re all fizzle. Yet, in this inescapably well-scripted episode he goes from joking about dating Jen, to sortof dating Jen, to kissing Jen. And then… well, we know what comes then. [...]
[...] AKA Music also has something blaring very loudly when i am shopping there. The first time i ever walked in they had Keep It Like a Secret playing much louder than i had ever heard it, and i took it as a good omen and proceeded to spend $100 dollars there. Subsequent trips have produced equally loud music and large expenditures. [...]
[...] The trees were lit up with colored balls that we spotted from blocks away, and as we spoke my gaze kept wandering away from our wooden bench and out into the forest of glowing spheres. I can’t believe i’ve only met her four times. I can’t believe it’s been an entire year. [...]
[...] You know, i’ve gotten really far away from posting about the simple nuances of my daily life. For example, my room is an utter mess. By now i think you should’ve figured out that everything in my life is always a mess, so it’s not as though this is a huge surprise. However, for once i’ve managed to contain my mess to my room and areas directly adjacent to it, so i can escape my room and pretend that my life is in any kind of order. But, really, it’s not. It’s a wonder i pay my bills and pass my classes. Hmm… what else about me is boring that i used to talk about… time to hit the archives… [...]
[...] Please also rest assured that i’m not pulling a Selina on you and that i am, in fact, not currently at this girl’s place blogging around the issue. Here i am, blogging in the issue, tracking it all over my easily locatable page for all to see. Blog blog blog. [...]
[...] Other days the world is so vibrant with narrative color that I can hardly take it all in. Not if I had a tape recorder for my thoughts, or a camera for the view. And so I marvel at the human mind, and how in a life full of gadgets it is still the best recording device I’ve got so long as I make sure each aspect of the world is remarkable in its own way. [...]
[...] The litany was in full-effect last week, and it became clear I would have to beat my hair into submission before it would end. So, I did something unprecedented (which cutting it off wouldn’t be, if we recall the Mohawk and other such endeavors). I walked into the bathroom, lined up my styling products, and took out Elise’s curling iron, hairdryer, and an array of brushes. An hour later, I emerged with feathered hair. [...]
[...] Last night just before waking up i dreamt of Tori Amos fronting Ani DiFranco’s band, and at the end of the chorus of “Strange Little Girl” she suddenly broke into “Father Lucifer.” At first glance this just seems like a silly dream incoherency, but a cursory glance to my guitar after i woke up revealed that both choruses are in the same key and share two of the same chords. I didn’t quite remember how to play “SLG,” but i’m sure that when i get home i’ll be able to easily reproduce the transition from “you really should, really should be going” to “nothing’s gonna stop me from floating.” [...]
[...] Would you believe i’ve avoided picking up my dry-cleaning for a week because i missed the pickup day and was afraid of being reprimanded by the dry cleaner? Seriously. I have to walk by it every day to get on and off my block, but i was too afraid of what excuse i’d need for not having picked up my favourite slacks and dress shirt. It’s funny which sorts of social interactions can really stop me in my tracks. Anyhow, once i managed to get in and out of there (without any commentary on my lateness and neglect) i cleaned my room, did laundry, and paid bills. So, yeah, maybe it stinks, but at least i’m not wasting it. [...]
[...] I was idly cleaning my room this morning in what was a vain attempt to finally distribute the last of my packed belongings from moving in last month when i ran across my notorious stash of condoms. To refresh the memory of those of you who didn’t read me way back when i had a whopping three visitors a day, i have a giant ziplock back of q-tips which conceals a sizable handful of condoms that i never spent money on and have never used. They don’t seem like the sort of thing i should throw away, so they’ve continued to live a blissfully undisturbed existence nestled in the depths of a multitude of cotton swabs. [...]
[...] Meanwhile: Aim continues to be incredibly fucking hilarious for another consecutive post. If i went to the RenFair and that happened i would laugh for the entire ride back home. The familiar blogger behind GirlMecha graces me with a link. Unknown blogger Katrina has me labelled under the essential ingredient “Grain” As in grain alcohol? I hope so… and, speaking of random links, apparently even bloggers from Malaysia find me midly amusing (and share my feelings for the color purple). Next, read in horror as Benjy relates tales of overheard sex and… well, that’s about it. If i started talking about all the sex i’ve overheard i would find myself with a much better Google Rank than i ever intended to have. And, finally, the impeccably designed Entropy seems to have picked me up from Rabi’s linklist much in the same way i found fidelity while i was on an adventure similar to his last week. [...]
[...] If i seem a little out of touch, it’s because all of my free time has been taken up with reading multi-hundred page assignments for class and listening to the new Garbage album. And, man, if you think i got distracted when Tori’s disc came out you ain’t seen nothing yet. Also, i’ve apparently become a popular mecca for Ashleigh Banfield after praising her reporting in the WTC ordeal; i’ll have to find a nice head-shot to display on the sidebar or something; who knew that the random news reporter i was listening to happens to be one of the premier “news babes” of the ‘net? Go figure… [...]
[...] I haven’t been saying much about my songwriting lately other than my notoriously weepy comments of last week, and i’m not sure if it’s because i haven’t had anything to say or if it’s because i have too many things. While i am still in an intake phase, it is slowly giving way to some tiny forms of output … guitar riffs and quickly scribbled verses that are slowly coming together as my new songs. One thing that is entirely clear is that i am once again lacking in an emotional center to orbit around in my writing (which is almost amusing, since between that post and now i had a long period of only having a center and not too much else). I think the new songs are frightening me a little bit because they are actually doing things i’ve been wanting songs to do for a while… using different types of chords and strumming, narrating differently, being about the same feelings but from different angles. The reason i mention this at all is because i was bored on Saturday and decided to make a list of songs that either just missed being on Relief or were written since then. The list quickly grew to over 30 songs, and as of this morning the current final tally seems to be 44. I’d point out (as always) that easily half of those songs are only half-decent and that i might never take the time to make them decent (or better). But, anyway, click if you’re interested in titles: [Album Songs][All Songs] [...]
[...] And, oh, hi, i also have a life. I think this week was one that was ripe for all sorts of essay-length posts from me regarding what i mentioned in Monday’s mammoth post, but then Tuesday happened. [...]
[...] Everything i write nowadays is toolong and verywordy. I can’t seem to help myself; i’m just not as omnipresently connected as i used to be and the things i have been wanting to say just build and build until they are no longer simple phrases or paragraphs. Do you remember when this used to be snap reactions to hardwood floors, or fuzzy butterflies swirling in my stomach and the awkwardness that always ensues as a result? Hardwood floors have turned into brick walls and sloped ceilings, but that special breed of butterfly does emerge from a cocoon every so often to do a loop-to-loop just beneath my esophagus. I’m just left wondering if it’s my intent, my writing, or my editing that changed along the way. Obviously it would have to be a little bit of all three… but, what don’t i talk about now that you used to expect to hear from me? I’d really like to know. [...]
[...] Although i’ve always liked Weezer i was never really a “fan” due to that fact that the band is all boys, and i was only into girls. However, last year Gina and I inexplicably were able to obtain tickets to their sold out warmup show in Philly, and to honor the occasion i bought their eponymous album so i could refresh my memory of their most famous songs. For the vast majority of the intervening year i was happy to sit and listen to the familiar blue album, and to sing it at parties and appreciate it as classic modern alternative rock, if there is such a thing. [...]
[...] My bitter pairing of “Splinter” & “Hold On Me” is just a weary attempt to escape from someone else’s bed, while “Tired of Sex” laments that being stuck there doesn’t do one much good in the end. “Unstrung” shares its broken heart and strings with “Falling For You.” “Over You” plays with the pushing/pulling gravity of an imploding relationship, but it cannot admit to enjoying the pull the way “Getchoo” does. “Up & Down” is the culmination of the emotions… the breaking point that nothing on Weezer’s album ever gets to but everything seems to inexorably lean towards. My songs aren’t as mature as Rivers’, and it shows in that i am so focused on the breaking while he is focused on the emotions on either side of it. “No Second Chance” laments a relationship that fell apart without ever directly identifying the person its addressing; its mirror is the tangled web between “Across the Sea,” “El Scorcho,” and the mournful “Butterfly” – songs that are more concerned with lusting, liking, and losing rather than just with the snap of a heart torn in two. Each song in that trio is tied into someone and their life more than i’ve allowed any of my songs to be with the possible exception of “Up & Down.” [...]
[...] #1 problem with my at-home lack of internet access? Being unable to chip a couple dozen more points of my JunkBot score so i can rank in the international top100 (right now i’m 175 145 133 125 109)! Aside from the obvious connection to my intense need to dominate simple contests where i have an unfair advantage of time, age, or resources, my non-stop marathon of junking actually gave my spacial geometry skills a much-needed boost just in time for my moving process. So, any effective interior design i’ve done this week directly results from Lego.Com. And, that you just have to love. [...]
[...] So, time has everything that’s tailgating me held off for the time being (at least to my perception), and i am left suspended in cruise control. Work, Friends, Sleep, Work, Rehearse, Sleep,… capitol lettered events leading me from one day to the next without a question. My bed has had a giant green Rubbermaid bin at the bottom of it for an entire week, and now fully half of its width is taken up with clothes and books i am sorting through, which leaves me a significantly less-than-human-size space in which to curl up at night. But, i don’t protest, because moving the bin or finishing my sort are things i haven’t scheduled any time for. And, so, i will arrive home tonight at 8pm (after another rotation of Work / Rehearsal) and i will leave for work half a day later and in the between bits my apartment will transform itself from scattered to neatly piled, and hopefully my thoughts will follow suit. Half a day to scrunch the remaining half of my worldly possessions into truck-sized bundles while managing to leave out the things i need to live: already packed are all of my belts, brushes, kitchen utensils, and ties vs. inexplicably unpacked snowboots, economics textbooks, and condoms, none of which i’ll be using in the next day. Or in the next semester, for that matter, unless some highly unpredictable/improbable things occur (like snow in October, me inexplicably switching back into the BS program i scratched and clawed to escape, or me having a romantic life that *gasp* includes sex)(see, i told you they were improbable). Somewhere at the bottom of a sorting pile of snowboots and textbooks (the condoms are segregated) lies an entire box of caffeine pills that i never opened. You do the math. [...]
[...] For two hours i waged a focused assault against my possessions, sorting, boxing, and tossing aside. As a result, all of the things i need to get onto the truck have been freed up (even if there’s no clear path from any of them to the door) save for one: my desk. Historically my computer is the last thing to be unplugged and the first thing to be set up (enabling me to narrate my way through any ordeal), but this is the first time the desk will have gone out significantly ahead of the stuff that it holds and i can’t possibly wait until tomorrow to disassemble this mess of wires because i suspect my new roommates might kill me if i keep them waiting so i can fire off one last blog (just wait until i start asking them about DSL). So, here we’ve got a showdown … messy apartment with no place for a computer to live comfortably for another 36hours versus my intense internet addiction and the fact that i won’t have a connection from 1:15pm on Friday until 8am on Tuesday. Yes, that’s as long as i was offline while in Florida. No, i’m not quite sure what i’m going to do with myself either. Yes, i could go outside to do something other than shop for cds. Maybe i’ll… um, … climb a tree? Jesus, i have no idea… [...]
[...] Gina and I have now known each other for over half of our lives – through middle school, high school, college, post-college, and now whatever this is. It was amazing thing to be a part of her big move yesterday, just it continues to be amazing to be able to see so far into the past of someone, someone with whom silliness comes so easily, and with whom I am the epitome of comfortable, willing to speak my mind even when I know we disagree. [...]
[...] As I wrote last year’s birthday post I felt as if I had finally reached a stable place in life, and if Year 6 of Crushing Krisis was about finding stability, then this past year has been converting stability into happiness. [...]
[...] Some of that conversion was literal. I went from writing and editing letters to managing publications and ad campaigns. I went from being a house-bound recluse of a songwriter to a semi-regular at area bars. and [...]
[...] To the best that I can discern, Crushing Krisis is the longest continuously running blog in Philadelphia, and has been since 2003. It’s an amazing thing to contemplate, especially considering that Philly was recently measured to be the second most bloggingest city in the United States. It also means that CK is increasingly one of the most established blogs on the face of the internet. [...]
[...] Some of that conversion was literal. I went from writing and editing letters to managing publications and ad campaigns. I went from being a house-bound recluse of a songwriter to a semi-regular at area bars. and open mics. I transferred Crushing Krisis from Blogger to Wordpress on November 12, in the midst of participating in the amazing National Blog Posting Month. I vowed to have a consumerless Christmas (and succeeded). And, Gina and I finally became the band we’ve always teased at being. [...]
[...] Some of that conversion was literal. I went from writing and editing letters to managing publications and ad campaigns. I went from being a house-bound recluse of a songwriter to a semi-regular at area bars. and open mics. I transferred Crushing Krisis from Blogger to Wordpress on November 12, in the midst of participating in the amazing National Blog Posting Month. I vowed to have a consumerless Christmas (and succeeded). And, Gina and I finally became the band we’ve always teased at being. [...]
[...] Year 7 of Crushing Krisis includes a slew of favorite posts. I cursed at the television. I had a headache so profound that I gave it a name. I reinvented myself for NaBloPoMo. recounted my first heartbreak. In one trio I redefined one of my favorite songs, and debuted one that had been incubating for half a decade. I almost burned down the house baking cookies in the microwave. My life-altering nap at Bonnaroo. [...]
[...] Year 7 of Crushing Krisis includes a slew of favorite posts. I cursed at the television. I had a headache so profound that I gave it a name. I reinvented myself for NaBloPoMo. recounted my first heartbreak. In one trio I redefined one of my favorite songs, and debuted one that had been incubating for half a decade. I almost burned down the house baking cookies in the microwave. My life-altering nap at Bonnaroo. [...]
[...] I recorded a perfect version of one of my favorite songs. I took my first trip to a casino. Septa carried out an act of terrorism against my favorite garment. And, I finally celebrated the 4th of July the way I’ve always meant to. [...]
[...] I recorded a perfect version of one of my favorite songs. I took my first trip to a casino. Septa carried out an act of terrorism against my favorite garment. And, I finally celebrated the 4th of July the way I’ve always meant to. [...]
[...] But, for every favorite post there’s another that’s just as essential. I offered the most succinct description of myself ever made. I retold the story of the Queen of Darkness, complete with soundtrack. I mercilessly deceived a toddler to get him to eat his vegetables. I contemplated six years of knowing (and reading) Rabi. I listened to the Beatles entire catalog while racing through my last letter of NaBloPoMo reading. I examined my role as a narrator in my own songs, comparing it to that of an inanimate object. [...]
[...] But, for every favorite post there’s another that’s just as essential. I offered the most succinct description of myself ever made. I retold the story of the Queen of Darkness, complete with soundtrack. I mercilessly deceived a toddler to get him to eat his vegetables. I contemplated six years of knowing (and reading) Rabi. I listened to the Beatles entire catalog while racing through my last letter of NaBloPoMo reading. I examined my role as a narrator in my own songs, comparing it to that of an inanimate object. [...]
[...] But, for every favorite post there’s another that’s just as essential. I offered the most succinct description of myself ever made. I retold the story of the Queen of Darkness, complete with soundtrack. I mercilessly deceived a toddler to get him to eat his vegetables. I contemplated six years of knowing (and reading) Rabi. I listened to the Beatles entire catalog while racing through my last letter of NaBloPoMo reading. I examined my role as a narrator in my own songs, comparing it to that of an inanimate object. [...]
[...] Elise and I found a new favorite restaurant. My seemingly endless struggle with organizing my home office. I started documenting my visual life. [...]
[...] Elise and I found a new favorite restaurant. My seemingly endless struggle with organizing my home office. I started documenting my visual life. [...]
[...] I reflected on how far my 2004 resolutions have got me. I recorded my favorite Garbage song, as well as one of Madonna’s most obscure. I reflected on how feminism sometimes makes me cry. I drank a lot of limoncello. I helped present the fifth annual Lyndzapalooza with hardly a hitch. I recorded my catchiest song, ever. I nearly lost my mind in the middle of Broad Street. [...]
[...] I recorded my favorite Garbage song, as well as one of Madonna’s most obscure. I reflected on how feminism sometimes makes me cry. I drank a lot of limoncello. I helped present the fifth annual Lyndzapalooza with hardly a hitch. I recorded my catchiest song, ever. I nearly lost my mind in the middle of Broad Street. [...]
[...] I recorded my favorite Garbage song, as well as one of Madonna’s most obscure. I reflected on how feminism sometimes makes me cry. I drank a lot of limoncello. I helped present the fifth annual Lyndzapalooza with hardly a hitch. I recorded my catchiest song, ever. I nearly lost my mind in the middle of Broad Street. [...]
[...] I recorded my favorite Garbage song, as well as one of Madonna’s most obscure. I reflected on how feminism sometimes makes me cry. I drank a lot of limoncello. I helped present the fifth annual Lyndzapalooza with hardly a hitch. I recorded my catchiest song, ever. I nearly lost my mind in the middle of Broad Street. [...]
[...] Year 7 of Crushing Krisis includes a slew of favorite posts. I cursed at the television. I had a headache so profound that I gave it a name. I reinvented myself for NaBloPoMo. I recounted my first heartbreak. During a single Trio I redefined one of my favorite songs, and debuted one that had been incubating for half a decade. [...]
[...] Year 7 of Crushing Krisis includes a slew of favorite posts. I cursed at the television. I had a headache so profound that I gave it a name. I reinvented myself for NaBloPoMo. I recounted my first heartbreak. During a single Trio I redefined one of my favorite songs, and debuted one that had been incubating for half a decade. [...]
[...] I almost burned down the house baking cookies in the microwave. I finally told the story of my life-altering nap at Bonnaroo. I recorded a perfect version of one of my favorite songs. I took my first trip to a casino. Septa carried out an act of terrorism against my favorite garment. And, I finally celebrated the 4th of July the way I’ve always meant to. [...]
[...] But, for every favorite post there’s another that’s just as essential. I offered the most succinct description of myself ever made. I retold the story of the Queen of Darkness, complete with soundtrack. I mercilessly deceived a toddler to get him to eat his vegetables. I contemplated six years of knowing (and reading) Rabi. I listened to the Beatles entire catalog while racing through my last letter of NaBloPoMo reading. [...]
[...] I examined my role as a narrator in my own songs, comparing it to that of an inanimate object. Elise and I found a new favorite restaurant, where we’ve since become regulars. My seemingly endless struggle with organizing my home office. I started documenting my visual life. I reflected on how far my 2004 resolutions have got me. [...]
[...] I examined my role as a narrator in my own songs, comparing it to that of an inanimate object. Elise and I found a new favorite restaurant, where we’ve since become regulars. My seemingly endless struggle with organizing my home office. I started documenting my visual life. I reflected on how far my 2004 resolutions have got me. [...]
[...] I recorded my favorite Garbage song, as well as one of Madonna’s most obscure. I reflected on how feminism sometimes makes me cry. I drank a lot of limoncello. I helped present the fifth annual Lyndzapalooza with hardly a hitch. I recorded my catchiest song, ever. I nearly lost my mind in the middle of Broad Street. [...]
[...] After recapping my year in words or links I usually spend the penultimate paragraphs of these August 26th posts talking about what Crushing Krisis is to me and what I hope to make it in the future, but I don’t know if this iteration warrants the introspection. [...]
[...] What you might not know (because I haven’t mentioned it in about seven years) is that I had a childhood obsession with the Price Is Right. I loved the One Bid, I loved the Showcase Showdown. [...]
[...] Specifically, there was the two of us sitting on the floor in front of our stereo singing the harmony to “Band on the Run” (even though she’s been a snob about Wings for as long as i can remember) (and, also, us doing the flip-out vocals to “Oh, Darling” later in the car because, yes, we are Paul McCartney addicts), my showing her how to operate the self-checkout lane in Superfresh (and saying “Okay, rolls, *dramatic pause* this is where it gets a little complicated”), watching her trying to coax my cat out from under my bed because he forgets who i am (”It’s Peter, the one who used to squeeze you and chase you and torment you a lot. You remember him, don’t you?” “We’re trying to get him to come out, mom.”), her shocked (and amusing) exclamation of “And exactly how am i supposed to make breaded eggplant parmigiana without eggs?” when i asked if we could have Rabi over to eat something credibly Italian, and especially this introductory exchange: Peter – [incredulously] When did you get so… blonde? [...]
[...] Isn’t it sort of funny that after all that talk about net identity on Sunday i’ve had mine irrevocably altered? If i thought that anyone at America Online gave two cents or ten seconds of a care towards my screenname being hacked i wouldn’t have learned anything during my time on the internet, and since i have i know that the likelihood of seeing me on aolim as KrisisPM ever again is about as much as my suddenly resubscribing to the dreaded AOL service and blogging that my new email is krisispm@aol.com. [...]
[...] I was rereading the archives of the entire year i’m really glad that i have this, and you. My quality of life has improved, as ridiculous as that sounds, and i think this way i might be able to actually learn from my mistakes. And, to think, this all started just as a place to jot things down. [...]
[...] (History being that we were deadlocked as #1 & #2 on PowerBloggers for almost all of our second week of existence, which was totally ridiculous, because i was trying to outblog 10 people all by myself. And, even more ludicrous i mostly won. Ha! Now, back to our story.) [...]
[...] I woke up in the middle of the night last night for absolutely no reason, and so i logged on and caught up on some blog reading and chatting with various PuppetMaster players and then went back to sleep. In said sleep i had some very odd dreams, including one where i was walking around a series of tunnels that all lead to different restaurants while holding hands with a girl. While i was dreaming i didn’t really realize who she was, but in that slippery way that dreams can be i somehow knew as soon as i woke up. Five minutes later i checked my email and found out that she’s back. I’m only ever psychic about these little things, but sometimes it’s a real thrill. [...]
[...] When we last left our hero, he was awaiting a response to his record reviews with bated breath. Would he finally get to write for an honest to goodness newspaper? We pick up shortly after Peter receives the paper’s reply as we fade up from black. Though he was initially joyous at their friendly invitation of “Welcome Aboard,” over the course of the day he realizes that the congratulatory email has delivered him the worst possible news – his new editor is more interested in what he feels about records than what he thinks, and is hopeful that he will revise his reviews to this effect. [...]
[...] The 24 hours that we’ve got make me conscious of what i’m doing. Contemplating a re-read of all of this year’s lamentably edited Rolling Stone, i instead rerouted my attention to cracking open Atlas Shrugged for the first time; rather than sit down for a second daily helping of The Sims i tidied up my room and rehearsed for the impending fourth season of Trio. How else can i do all that i keep resolving to do, other than cutting out the things that i don’t? [...]
[...] Just read: Ani DiFranco breaks out her pen and comes off as not only a credible artist but an apt critic of corporate bred media. I’ve been feeling a media-criticism essay welling in my boots for a few weeks now, but until that pans out try Ani’s opinion on for size. Also, while you’re reading media-critique, check out John Hiler’s witty article on how blogs both augment and interfere with more traditional means of journalism. And, while i’m linking to things, the musician i met on the street last week was just profiled by Rolling Stone. For the third time. RS doesn’t seem to be featuring the new mention online right now, but you can catch the other two on his site. So, um… i’m a little bit excited — hopefully he emails me back sometime. [...]
[...] I’ve been very good this year about buying new records – for the most part, i haven’t. Sure, there was a purchase or two a few months ago, but when my music allowance for the first four months of a year is under $100 you know i’m acting with some amount of restraint. Part of what kept my wallet firmly in my pocket is the knowledge that the past two weeks would see the release of over a dozen records that i was definitely eying up for purchase, and on Monday i picked up a few between AKA and South Street. Here are first impressions, in ascending order of quality: [...]
[...] ps: I had hoped to record a Fiona Apple song for my last influences Trio, but i didn’t have a guitar arrangement locked down. Though it isn’t necessarily what i would have played, here’s a highly superior “Oh Well” from the unreleased Jon Brion version of Extraordinary Machine. [...]
[...] Some of that conversion was literal. I went from writing and editing letters to managing publications and ad campaigns. I went from being a house-bound recluse of a songwriter to a semi-regular at area bars. and open mics. I transferred Crushing Krisis from Blogger to Wordpress on November 12, in the midst of participating in the amazing National Blog Posting Month. I vowed to have a consumerless Christmas (and succeeded). And, Gina and I finally became the band we’ve always teased at being. [...]
[...] Year 7 of Crushing Krisis includes a slew of favorite posts. I cursed at the television. I had a headache so profound that I gave it a name. I reinvented myself for NaBloPoMo. I recounted my first heartbreak. During a single Trio I redefined one of my favorite songs, and debuted one that had been incubating for half a decade. [...]
[...] I almost burned down the house baking cookies in the microwave. I finally told the story of my life-altering nap at Bonnaroo. I recorded a perfect version of one of my favorite songs. I took my first trip to a casino. Septa carried out an act of terrorism against my favorite garment. And, I finally celebrated the 4th of July the way I’ve always meant to. [...]
[...] But, for every favorite post there’s another that’s just as essential. I offered the most succinct description of myself ever made. I retold the story of the Queen of Darkness, complete with soundtrack. I mercilessly deceived a toddler to get him to eat his vegetables. I contemplated six years of knowing (and reading) Rabi. I listened to the Beatles entire catalog while racing through my last letter of NaBloPoMo reading. [...]
[...] I examined my role as a narrator in my own songs, comparing it to that of an inanimate object. Elise and I found a new favorite restaurant, where we’ve since become regulars. I documented my seemingly endless struggle with organizing my home office. I started documenting my visual life. I reflected on how far my 2004 resolutions have got me. [...]
[...] I examined my role as a narrator in my own songs, comparing it to that of an inanimate object. Elise and I found a new favorite restaurant, where we’ve since become regulars. I documented my seemingly endless struggle with organizing my home office. I started documenting my visual life. I reflected on how far my 2004 resolutions have got me. [...]
[...] I recorded my favorite Garbage song, as well as one of Madonna’s most obscure. I reflected on how feminism sometimes makes me cry. I drank a lot of limoncello. I helped present the fifth annual Lyndzapalooza with hardly a hitch. I recorded my catchiest song, ever. I nearly lost my mind in the middle of Broad Street. [...]
[...] I am not a habitual taxi-taker. In fact, I’m the opposite – usually walking home with my guitar at 1 a.m. after playing at Lindsay’s bar of choice. [...]
[...] This Thursday night on the way home from our band rehearsal my driver was Russian, and not sure how to get to my house from the Kimmel Center. Another recent transplant, perhaps? [...]
[...] Such was the case with “Colorblind,” which was one of the many songs I quickly tossed off in my post- Queen of Darkness period. I had so many songs to pay attention to at the time that quite a few of them slipped away (infamously, “This Long” wasn’t recovered until last November). [...]
[...] I repaid the favor by playing “Colorblind” of my own accord in Season 2, Trio #7 to mark the first anniversary of us reading each other’s pages. Knowing that Rabi was on the other end of the speakers made me appreciate the song much more as I recorded it, and makes it one of my favorite Trio recordings. [...]
[...] Such was the case with “Colorblind,” which was one of the many songs I quickly tossed off in my post- Queen of Darkness period. I had so many songs to pay attention to at the time that quite a few of them slipped away (infamously, “This Long” wasn’t recovered until last November). [...]
[...] And, while we’re on the topic of music, I must reiterate my addiction to my two recent mp3blog finds The Yellow Stereo and Philly-based Some Velvet Blog. Why? Because they like indie music, but they still have good taste – a trait critically missing from those who wet themselves over every yowling tuneless indie band that galumphs down the pitchfork pike. [...]
[...] Georgie-James is one of the rare bands that shares genre-space with our Arcati Crisis duo. Listen to “Cake Parade,” which is especially Gina-ish. I hope we get that catchy when we fill out to band size. The Magic Numbers seem to be in that category as well, except Gina can sing circles around their chick(s). [...]
mark larson |on Friday, September 7, 2007 at 1:09 am
[...] <irony>Links aren’t life.</irony> Posted on Friday, September 7, 2007, at 12:09am. Filed under Life. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback. [...]
[...] I know some of you are more interested in my recent Trio highlights than others, and that those others have been counting down the days until I do a proper blog post where I amusingly contemplate my navel and/or contemplate the amusing navels of other blogs through extensive linking. [...]
[...] I know some of you are more interested in my recent Trio highlights than others, and that those others have been counting down the days until I do a proper blog post where I amusingly contemplate my navel and/or contemplate the amusing navels of other blogs through extensive linking. [...]
[...] I know some of you are more interested in my recent Trio highlights than others, and that those others have been counting down the days until I do a proper blog post where I amusingly contemplate my navel and/or contemplate the amusing navels of other blogs through extensive linking. [...]
[...] Ernie, AKA LittleYellowDifferent, was (is?) a major-league A-list blogger who celebrated his seventh-year anniversary of blogging a scant month before my own. As a birthday gift to his readers, he reinstated hundreds of old posts that had been long-since gone from his page. [...]
[...] I know some of you are more interested in my recent Trio highlights than others, and that those others have been counting down the days until I do a proper blog post where I amusingly contemplate my navel and/or contemplate the amusing navels of other blogs through extensive linking. [...]
[...] Trio has featured it’s fair share of covers, but I don’t think I’ve ever played one with so little preparation as “Enjoy the Silence,” which appeared in the “Boston” secret track attached to Season 2, Trio #7. [...]
[...] This version of “Relief,” from Trio Season 1, #8, was recorded just seven days later. You can clearly heard that in those seven days the song resolved very clearly into the form it’s stayed in for the past seven years. Listen Now: [...]
[...] Trio can act as a snapshot, catching songs as they transform from one form to another. That’s certainly the case with this recording of “Typical,” from Trio Season 2, #13. [...]
[...] And more: food from afar may be more energy efficient than locally grown – which totally countermands that annoying geological footprint thing that has been a link of the week somewhere on the internet every damn week since I posted it in 2000. And: A cat that infallibly senses death. Don’t cats lead souls to the afterlife. [...]
[...] Instead, you can read the article that Alison posted in a comment to my last entry, which illustrates some more of Heroes‘ obvious faults (mostly in comparison to Lost, but also to Buffy and Battlestar). [...]
[...] I usually have an intense fight or flight reaction to opening acts that i have never heard before, which is increased exponentially when i am in a room small enough that any under-breath comments could be overheard between songs. I can rarely find anything to appreciate about these seemingly random (occasionally local) artists as i innerly triangulate between critique, ambition, and jealousy. Too self-absorbed. I could hit that note. Why can’t i be up there? [...]
[...] The last time i posted something like that was in the same archive week during which i met Selina. Moral? Possibly that i should buy a lot of fortune cookies tomorrow and amend “in bed” to them all to make sure they’re giving me an accurate reading. [...]
[...] Finally, now that my beloved and sarcastic co-communication fiend Amy has promised to blog with some regularity, i’m contemplating getting a Philly webloggers ring together – not just bloggers, but webloggers. Phloggers? Dunno… if you’re from the Philly area or go to school here drop me a note about your interest. Just think!, we could have a bi-monthly pub-crawl just like meg, tom, and the rest of the UK crew. And, i’m personally hoping to have CKfieldtrip ‘02 be to South by Southwest – which reminds me: field-trip #1 is this Sunday. More excitement about that when i allow myself to contemplate it being only five short days away; if i start thinking about it now all you’ll hear out of me for the remainder of the week is incoherent babbling and squeaks of boundless joy. Not that that’s entirely different from the current content, i suppose. [...]
[...] That’s how I arrived at this fantastic version of “Icy Cold,” from Trio Season 2, #15. The fingerstyle arrangement at the beginning and end was played exactly as arranged – I didn’t ad-lib at all (highly unusual for me when I comes to intricate guitar pieces). [...]
[...] No matter how premeditated or rehearsed Trio has become over the years, it often yields surprising results – even in the control-freakish Season 5 I nailed a reinvention of “Other Plans” in single take. [...]
[...] Pioneer Woman posts my favorite chapter yet of her serialized “How I Met Marlboro Man.” Life suddenly becomes a music for EJ. This has happened to me before, but with squirrels instead of people. [...]
[...] For the first couple of meetings we just played around, trying to figure out what we sounded like after a year-and-a-half apart. By our third rehearsal we realized that two of our biggest past challenges had transformed into major opportunities. [...]
[...] A flipped pronoun on “Standing” pales against the best bridge vocal I’ve ever done. Skipping a progression on “What’ll I Say” to untangle my quarter inch tiny in the face of belting out my harmony at the close. And, starting “Wait” with a too hard pick hardly mattering when compared to our hilarious ad-libbed inflections and gestures on the final verse, tossing our lines back and forth to each other while the rhythm section carried the song. [...]
[...] I needed something a little more artist-oriented – where I wouldn’t be fiercely battling for attention over and over again with the same damn Madonna cover. [...]
[...] Even more significant, my acappella experience had taught me how to hold my own against other vocals, and as a result I no longer had to struggle to sing harmony with Gina. Not only could Gina sing more harmony with me, but for the first time I could sing harmony on her songs as well! [...]
[...] Tonight’s selection is the first song of Season 3, and thus the first ever “hi-fi” Trio recorded (and preserved) as a high quality wav rather than a crummy real audio file. [...]
[...] It’s the presence of all of those elements that make my relatively off-the-cuff cover of Hedwig and the Angry Inch’s “Wicked Little Town” in Trio Season 4, #5 one of my favorite Trio performances, despite some quibbles re: flatness. [...]
[...] I had forgotten the smell that you smell when a piece of your tooth starts getting grinded down into obscurity, and the gentle numb pressure as you click your hollow teeth against one another, and how the drill sings flight of the bumblebee to you if you close your eyes, and how when you open them that light overexposed everything entirely. I haven’t had a cavity filled for nearly a decade, and that dusty gritty smell sent me back to third grade when everything was disconnected and my dentist was a cabin in the middle of the woods when compared the vast city when compared to my unassuming house on 64th street. Really it was just out in the suburbs and it had a small driveway and back then dense shrubbery constituted a forest of redwoods. My tongue is the most active part of my body and it always swirls and peeks around my mouth when i have something done to it. It swiped a tiny spy at the filling as my dentist turned away, and now i’m afraid i created some tiny pocket of insecurity and that everything will be able to infiltrate up to my brain if it can make it past my lips (which makes kissing scenes all the more dangerous). But, anyhow, i woke up at 6:30 and i’m playing the dreaded acoustic night with the same amount of cheery unpreparedness with with i approached it last time. Off i go. [...]
[...] I had forgotten the smell that you smell when a piece of your tooth starts getting grinded down into obscurity, and the gentle numb pressure as you click your hollow teeth against one another, and how the drill sings flight of the bumblebee to you if you close your eyes, and how when you open them that light overexposed everything entirely. I haven’t had a cavity filled for nearly a decade, and that dusty gritty smell sent me back to third grade when everything was disconnected and my dentist was a cabin in the middle of the woods when compared the vast city when compared to my unassuming house on 64th street. Really it was just out in the suburbs and it had a small driveway and back then dense shrubbery constituted a forest of redwoods. My tongue is the most active part of my body and it always swirls and peeks around my mouth when i have something done to it. It swiped a tiny spy at the filling as my dentist turned away, and now i’m afraid i created some tiny pocket of insecurity and that everything will be able to infiltrate up to my brain if it can make it past my lips (which makes kissing scenes all the more dangerous). But, anyhow, i woke up at 6:30 and i’m playing the dreaded acoustic night with the same amount of cheery unpreparedness with with i approached it last time. Off i go. [...]
[...] We are producing two student written plays that are very witty and funny and i got cast as the male lover in both of them against the same female lover. I didn’t really think about the reality of kissing someone night after night on stage when i was auditioning, but now it looks like i am adding one more person to my impeccably neat little list of lips i have locked with, and my irrational fear of herpes alarm bell is ringing like mad. And, chat logs are lame. [...]
[...] We are producing two student written plays that are very witty and funny and i got cast as the male lover in both of them against the same female lover. I didn’t really think about the reality of kissing someone night after night on stage when i was auditioning, but now it looks like i am adding one more person to my impeccably neat little list of lips i have locked with, and my irrational fear of herpes alarm bell is ringing like mad. And, chat logs are lame. [...]
[...] We are producing two student written plays that are very witty and funny and i got cast as the male lover in both of them against the same female lover. I didn’t really think about the reality of kissing someone night after night on stage when i was auditioning, but now it looks like i am adding one more person to my impeccably neat little list of lips i have locked with, and my irrational fear of herpes alarm bell is ringing like mad. And, chat logs are lame. [...]
[...] We are producing two student written plays that are very witty and funny and i got cast as the male lover in both of them against the same female lover. I didn’t really think about the reality of kissing someone night after night on stage when i was auditioning, but now it looks like i am adding one more person to my impeccably neat little list of lips i have locked with, and my irrational fear of herpes alarm bell is ringing like mad. And, chat logs are lame. [...]
[...] Songs are continuing to ambush me. Two weeks ago “Necessary Evil” came to me in the guise of a riff consisting of a single half-step and a bluesy first line that i won’t ever do justice. Before that were two other ambushes… “Up & Down” with it’s rough and tumble sexual upfrontness and “This Tiny Trouble” pretending to be a song about vintage sitcoms. Somewhere inbetween exists the still-forming “Destination,” which portrays something near the opposite emotion from REM’s “Stand.” All four for unintended, unexpected, and anything but premeditated. [...]
[...] My wrist hurts so bad that i’m physically sick, and of course i decided that i ought to type about it; ironically, my mother just had surgery for her rapid onset Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ten days ago. I definitely have CTS, without a doubt in anyone’s mind, but so far it’s been a particularly ineffectual case of it. But, this morning i actually enjoyed my job for three whole hours, so now i’ve got to pay for it somehow, right? My task for this morning was to make individual mounts for photos of everyone in our department (22 people) so that we can have a new staff board outside of the office. This involved heading across the street to the ECM Creative Group, whose office is totally surreal compared to mine. They have seven people crammed into one medium office space, and each one of them have an iMac or a G4 plus one hi-tech tool (scanner, digital camera, digital film scanner, digital scripting board…), and all of them are delightfully tech-headed in amusing and awing ways (as opposed to those other tech people i met last week). They all go out together in the morning for coffee (small black with shots of vanilla), they listen to 88.5xpn (”Hey, turn that up, that’s George Harrison!”), and they talk about fun things like digitally inserting a prettier color of sky into pictures of our lab building or about who gets to take home their extra registered copy of photoshop. Their leader is Carole, who seems almost quiet and mousey when you first meet her, but who is really whacky and carries twizzlers on Fridays to get her through the day and rows crew in her spare time. Ally, one of the other office people, is a nationally ranked female rower. They also have a myriad of toys, both technological and for children. They do the university web page, our yearly viewbook (now on cdrom), and a myriad of other visible campus design work. Carole thought i was only an “arty kind of guy” and was surprised when i told her i might be interested in working for her part time and that my goal for the summer is learning PHP/mysql. She asked to look at my cross-curricular project once it’s done. I blushed a little and studiously ate my twizzler. So, yes, today they gave me a job with a goal and a timeframe and nice company and i loved it. Use Quark to make the picture mounts, slice them into reality with a huge metal rule and an exacto blade, then mount the mounts onto heavy cardboard, and finally deftly place the picture into the mount using a mere two pieces of double-sided tape that do not let go of what they’re holding onto even if you only want to move it half a millimeter. The only problem was that to use the exacto blade, or to edge pieces of double-sided tape into the right place, my right hand kept being twisted every which possible way until finally it felt like the insides of my wrist ached and my fingers didn’t quite want to be cooperative. One of the other women in the office with CTS had a beautiful wrist-splint on to get used to her new keyboard, and i was biting my lip to keep myself from asking her if i could borrow it. We just talked a bit about her condition instead. At first it’s a lot like trying to move your arm when it’s totally numb from sleeping on it, and you know you can move it but it will feel strange and you’d really rather not. (And, i just wrote that without thinking about it, but that’s exactly how my mother described her CTS to me three months ago when it first started really getting to her. And, i’m in two high risk categories because i’ve typed regularly since age 7, and i play guitar every day. Fuck.) [...]
[...] It took the better part of the year for me to suss out the secrets of my guitar part, and as soon as I did I recorded a quiet-but-determined take of “Lost” – exactly the way it had been playing in my head for half a year – in Trio Season 1, #11. [...]
[...] Over the years “Lost” has stuck with me through ups and downs. Playing with cellos, in different keys, segueing into “Lucky Star,” and changing from 3/4 to 4/4. Recently I feel like maybe we’ve parted ways … at least for a little while. Somewhere in the middle of that journey was another take as quintessential as its first Trio appearance – a recording that remains one of my all-time favorites over four years after the fact. It originally appeared on January 13, 2003, in Trio Season 3, #6. Listen Now: [...]
[...] Now just a month ago, Gina and I are in a third floor apartment across from the Kimmel Center playing with a drummer and a bassist for the first time. Beforehand we absconded into the stairwell, working hushedly on our harmonies and debating on what we should tell the drummer to do. [...]
[...] XPN programmer at Some Velvet Blog highlights the best in Philly Indie Rock. No Polymer there, though they’re surely one of the area’s best (and, I say that having once written a really nasty song about their lead singer that I featured yesterday). [...]
[...] Wired’s Listening Post blog highlights the fantastic (and friendly) Daytrotter, a Rock Island, Illinois studio podcasting all manner of free music from major indie artists. (Previously blogged here.) [...]
[...] Originally you were meant to get “Are You” from Trio Season 4, #4. However, listening to it tonight I was compelled to alter a flubbed change – editing it out in favor of a seamless transition. [...]
[...] The endeavor of bringing mixing to Trio began 53 weeks earlier with Trio Season 4, #1. Actually, you’ve heard an earlier recording of the song in question – “Relief” – already during this series. I recorded this particular “Relief” in a single take, but then decided to add just a touch of harmony. And then just a touch more. [...]
[...] The endeavor of bringing mixing to Trio began 53 weeks earlier with Trio Season 4, #1. Actually, you’ve heard an earlier recording of the song in question – “Relief” – already during this series. I recorded this particular “Relief” in a single take, but then decided to add just a touch of harmony. And then just a touch more. [...]
[...] Peter Mulvey’s “Wings of the Ragman” is a different creature, maybe because of its aerobic, alternately tuned guitar or it’s rapid, flowing melody. Or, maybe it’s something else. No matter what, my version of it from Trio Season 3, #6 is very nearly my favorite Trio recording of all time. Listen Now: [...]
[...] I don’t usually mope when Elise is on vacation. Not right away, at least. Typically I spend a day or two delighting in my pseudo-bachelorhood, and by the end of day three I get bored and start to tidy things in anticipation of Elise’s eventual return. So, I was entirely surprised yesterday when the delight never began. [...]
[...] After hearing the guitar/vocal I realized that a lot more had come to me than just the basic structure of the song. Without even thinking about it I added a lattice of background vocals and guitars around the original demo, replacing some of them in the coming days with more polished versions. The end result was one of my most professional-sounding tracks of all time, which wound up as the opening track of Trio Season 4, #2. [...]
[...] I remember very specifically burning them to CD and listening to them on the train ride to Elise’s house, and as soon as I arrived pushing the disc into her stereo, ignoring that one of the tunes was a touch explicit and Elise’s 10 year old brother was sitting on the floor playing video games. Not to mention that the cover in the middle of the two songs was “Untouchable Face.” [...]
[...] flashback only accounted for half of my posts, so what else did I spend every day blogging about? Eloquent cab drivers. Why a link is often not enough. Imagining myself as Britney’s image consultant. An epiphany. [...]
[...] a link is often not enough. Imagining myself as Britney’s image consultant. An epiphany. Why I don’t like Heroes. A brand new version of “Standing“. My birthday, and the path to Arcati Crisis’s [...]
[...] for half of my posts, so what else did I spend every day blogging about? Eloquent cab drivers. Why a link is often not enough. Imagining myself as Britney’s image consultant. An epiphany. Why I don’t like Heroes. [...]
[...] An epiphany. Why I don’t like Heroes. A brand new version of “Standing“. My birthday, and the path to Arcati Crisis’s debut at the Tin Angel. Six consecutive happy hours. Other [...]
[...] every day blogging about? Eloquent cab drivers. Why a link is often not enough. Imagining myself as Britney’s image consultant. An epiphany. Why I don’t like Heroes. A brand new version of “Standing“. My [...]
[...] cab drivers. Why a link is often not enough. Imagining myself as Britney’s image consultant. An epiphany. Why I don’t like Heroes. A brand new version of “Standing“. My birthday, and the [...]
[...] image consultant. An epiphany. Why I don’t like Heroes. A brand new version of “Standing“. My birthday, and the path to Arcati Crisis’s debut at the Tin Angel. Six consecutive [...]
[...] Why I don’t like Heroes. A brand new version of “Standing“. My birthday, and the path to Arcati Crisis’s debut at the Tin Angel. Six consecutive happy hours. Other stuff, [...]
mark larson |on Wednesday, October 3, 2007 at 1:20 am
[...] has written a lovely little piece about Radiohead’s new album, In Rainbows. Everybody and their mom has touched on the overthrow of the big labels and the [...]
[...] having disposed of a few of those systematically programmed prejudices (e.g., I do not ridiculously eschew middle Beatles) I can’t seem to succumb to the Magic of Asbury Park’s favorite son. I even tried [...]
[...] Torrez was very nearly my first favorite blogger (and, not only because he ran Power Bloggers). He’s back, and recently posted some advice on increasing blog traffic. A month later and [...]
[...] Random Madness in Torrance wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt lack of attention to cutting edge music or film, often in favor of a retrospective cover article…, but with even more music. In the 90s The Last Drop was full to the brim with pseudo-artistic posers and the trash (and high school students) who were desperately in love with them. As actual music fans we [...]
[...] her to buy me anything (including a t-shirt, at which point I calmly explained that HMV was not an Amoeba-like rarity, and that we used to have an HMV in Philadelphia that’s now either the Gap or [...]
[...] year my adventures in National Blog Posting Month were bookended by a comic book analogy, which provided a frame for a complete reboot of Crushing [...]
[...] Also, since I am cultivating a second career as a a singer-songwriter, I performed and uploaded nine Trio podcasts of original music ranging in topic from my identity to things left unsaid to my modern pop influences. [...]
[...] take an extended vacation. Having used my vacation days and accompanying budget earlier in the year to attend Bonnaroo, she opted for a solo excursion to [...]
[...] (Continued from Planning To Be Surprised) [...]
mark larson |on Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 7:34 pm
[...] Advice to keep in mind while ring-shopping: Just be aware that – much like kisses and “I love yous” – you can’t take ring shopping back. It can mean as little or as much as either of those things can, but it can’t ever be meaningless. Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007, at 8:34pm. Filed under Life. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback. [...]
Age-Old Songson Monday, November 19, 2007 at 8:27 pm
the opposite of writer’s block…
Back in October, Peter wrote about artists tapping the same idea over and over again, trying to approach a perfect portrayal of that story. The idea stuck with me because I do that all the time.
With poetry I think it’s a little different, because…
[...] I have been following the primary elections on various news sites, but really it’s just an input/output thing. I’m outputting riffs, harmonies, new songs, project plans, site maps, engagement party thank [...]
[...] Like a square to a rectangle but not visa versa, SongFight is to Arcati Crisis. SongFight was perhaps the first time Gina and I masqueraded under our proper name, though we had certainly recorded together before as an entity. And, from our fours-years-ago SongFighting emerged “Moscow, Idaho,” which we played an utterly stunning version of on Saturday ever-so-shortly before my voice-losing escapade. [...]
[...] Chrissy wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptHowever, there isn’t much joy to the 61 with that approach – you quickly lose sight of discovering amazing new music … really listening to it, and loving it, feeling that you have to proselytize to all your friends about it, … [...]
[...] DDR in front of him over Christmas I felt like a cow skipping rope. Oh, and did I mention that their father runs marathons, and that when he deigned to run my company’s ten mile race last year he [...]
[...] I’ll be a legally bound part of this family in a scant nine months, and the peer pressure is starting to mount. To date I’ve skated by on the account of being an academic-wunderkind and a singer-songwriter. Then I had a few months of grace on the “wow, that’s a nice hunk of diamonds you bought for my sister/daughter.” [...]
[...] safe from competition in Elise’s family, her sister Jenny left an encouraging comment about how she respects my bloggingness – leaving unspoken the inference that the respect is intact despite my hopeless fat, lazy, dumb, [...]
[...] the course of the evening I played two sets, rocking my now-standard opening duo of “Icy Cold” and “Like a Virgin,” and debuting my new tentatively-titled “Not David [...]
[...] myself in such a fashion is that you’re blind to me; when i talk about fabulous hair cuts or early morning beauty, you have to just take my word for it. Aside from the scattered and few pictures of me i [...]
[...] but, anyway i just realized today that i haven’t played “under my skin” since i played it for rabi or at the bar and i think i somehow got past it or something and that scares me, because that song [...]
[...] #1 is true. I have had exactly one serious scrape or cut, ever, and it wasn’t even that serious. This wasn’t a trick, folks, because a broken collarbone is neither a scrape nor a cut. Once i cut open my finger on a catfood lid and it bled for about an hour, but i didn’t even need a stitch. I must’ve been fifteen or sixteen and i remember being amused when my neighbor put on latex gloves to help me bandage up my finger because it meant he assumed i actually had the chance to catch any bloodborne diseases, which was a little flattering. Later that summer he gave offered me a bass guitar and some cocaine, of which i took one. [...]
[...] #6 is true. I haven’t shared a residence with more than one person at a time since i was 4. My parents separated when i was four, and since i’ve gotten to college i’ve only had one roommate at a time. This streak looks as though it will be broken next year, since we’re looking at 4-bedroom houses. [...]
[...] #18 is true. The first time i was ever on stage i didn’t want to be there, and i forgot all of the words. Okay… this one is a little fudgy, but it holds up. I had obviously been on stage before this experience, whether it be to accept my treasured Christian leauge math awards (i obviously intend to bring that Christmas shows. However, that’s not where it gets fudgy; the first two times i was a featured performer on a stage was playing my recorder in fifth grade, and narrating a part of a play in fifth grade. Both events had to have happened in fifth grade because i associate them with the same teacher, and they both had to have happened at the Christmas show because the only other show was the Sping show and that was done by the middle school that year. So, i’m going on the basic assumption that the narration occurred before the recorder playing, but either way this works out because i definitely remember not wanting to play the recorder and not knowing what i was playing while i was onstage.up once a day now), or to stand way in the background of the chorus in silly school [...]
[...] #3 is true. In my life i have consumed under 1 gallon combined of beer and/or cola. I can tell you nearly exactly how much beer i’ve ever had… 20oz. of Old English, 16oz of Corona, 8oz at the PNE convention, and various other tiny amounts of beer that total well under an additional 20oz. That’s half a gallon. As for cola, i’m only referring to Pepsi/Coke, and not gingerale, seltzer, ect. I had a glass of coca cola once on a very hot day when it was the only thing available, and otherwise i’ve never had more than a mistaken sip through a straw once or twice a year. I’ve always hated soda, because it tastes horrible, it’s carbonated, and it has absolutely zero redeeming healthy qualities. In my mind, it should be restricted to consenting adults as much as cigarettes and beer, because as long as the government sees fit to tell people what they can and cannot do we really ought to try to make our nation’s children a little healther in the process. [...]
[...] #13 is false. After my 5th birthday I have not had a birthday party every even-numbered year of my life, until this year broke the streak. Actually, after my fifth birthday i have not ever had a birthday party until this year broke the streak. Corroborating evidence can be found here, and congrats to Benjy for figuring this one out. I went to the birthday party of a girl i really liked in first grade. It was at St. Monica’s bowling alley, and i think nearly our entire class wound up attending. I remember coming home from there and telling my mother that i didn’t like birthday parties, because they were just excuses to have people bring you gifts or for them to look bad if they didn’t. And, from that point forward, i neither had nor attended another birthday party (or any other party, for that matter) until i became less anti-social in middle school. However, i still never had a party because my birthday is so very early in the school year, and because i tend to be uncomfortable as the deliberate focus of attention of a group of people unless i’m actually doing something more noteworthy then getting slowly and inexorably older. This past year’s parties weren’t so bad, since the focus of the first one was mostly playing frisbee and the focus of the second one was margaritas. This year there’s talk of kegs of Raspberry CiderJack and relentless live music. Be afraid (or, just get invited ;) [...]
[...] #15 is true. Up until i stopped knowing what i wanted to be, i wanted to be a veterinarian. I knew it, and my whole family knew it, and it was a fact. Then, high school came along. Biology… not a problem. Math… not my favourite, but doable. However, definitely the class that put me off to any career in the sciences was the dreaded Chemistry. Granted, i actually enjoy Chemistry a good deal more than it’s ugly sidekick Physics, but our school’s Chemistry teacher was nearly certifiably insane and all i ever learned from her is how to make sourpatch kids burst into coloured flames and launch across the room. From the first quarter of Sophomore year onwards, i knew that my being a puppy-doctor was out of the question (also, my dear mother had the presence of mind to point out that i am deathly afraid of dogs over a third of my body weight or with teeth significantly larger than mine). I slowly edged away from it… first saying i would be a psychiatrist (could you picture me in med school? what a train wreck that would’ve been), then downgrading to a psychologist (i was pretty serious about that until i found out that psychology majors don’t usually wind up as psychologists), and then just winding up undecided in my Senior year of highschool (which definitely hurt my college application process, but oh well). [...]
[...] and less vivid like a patch of wallpaper that sees too much sun, but the prospect that i’m slowly changing all of my memories to the best representation of how i got how i am rather than what actually made [...]
[...] #7 is true. Just because i haven’t taken math for two years now and probably won’t ever again doesn’t mean i wasn’t good at it at some point. Up until the dreaded geometry i could do no wrong mathematically, but when we had competitions in math i liked the word problems because they were logic and math. Anyone could brute force their way through a computations exam, but the logic exam required a more expert touch. Or, at least i had convinced my tiny third grader brain of that. The third year we had a huge blizzard the day of the competition and wound up taking our tests via mail, and i placed fourth. I think that’s when i stopped liking math. This was written by krisis. Posted on Friday, June 1, 2001, at 10:11 am. Filed under memories, stories. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback. [...]
[...] #17 is true. A girl kissed me aproximately 3 years, 2 months, and 2 hours after when i originally asked a girl if she’d kiss me. Of course, i always remember wanting to kiss girls, from when i was very little. When i was five we went to Disney World, and there was one rather boring ride on a boat and i just remember that the most adorable girl was sitting across from me but i was afraid to look right at her because i felt like she would immediately know i was staring at her and i’d look like some dorky little five year old just smiling dumbly at the cutest six year old ever. So, yeah, i was setting up for romantic disaster very early on in life. Anyhow, the girl who never kissed me was Juliana, and while i didn’t ask her to kiss me outright i would like to point out that our faces were very near to each other and it had never crossed my mind to kiss anyone ever before then in such an immediate fashion. So, while the actual question posed was whether or not she’d ever consider going on a date with me, it was only asked because the question we’re focusing on had been asked and answered in that are faces were still just near to each other. But, anyhow, we just wound up sharing lip gloss, and the rest is history. As for my first kiss, it’s a topic i dance around constantly on this log without ever actually talking about it, because i talked about it entirely too much when it first happened. As you can easily see, i have no concept of secrets when it comes to myself so i didn’t think to keep my mouth shut about kissing someone – never thinking about if the someone would prefer me to keep my mouth just slightly less ajar than it was. I suppose it would have been better if i just continued to watch the replay of it in my head and not replay it for everyone else, but decisions are decisions and no one was hurt by any of it and life goes on (without us ever ever kissing again). So… no links to point you towards for this one, but if you’re a regular reader i’ll tie it all together for you; these three events coincide: first kiss, new years 2000, & “under my skin.” Happy now? This was written by krisis. Posted on Friday, June 1, 2001, at 12:09 am. Filed under Year 1, flirt, memories, stories, under my skin. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback. [...]
[...] yeah. What made me think of that is that i haven’t uploaded lyrics for the oft-played “Up&Down” yet, and i was just reading a recent interview with Melissa Etheridge where she talks about [...]
[...] #20 is true. I was never very sick as a child, and by the time i got into middle school the only kind of illness i ever had was the flu or issues with my tonsils – never a stomach bug. I very clearly remember the last time i threw up in my own home, which had to be at age ten or eleven sitting on my mother’s hope chest with our big manila-colored basin sitting next to me. But, anyway, save for my first experience with how not to get drunk, i haven’t thrown up ever since, and i can hardly even remember what it’s like. Unpleasant, i’m sure. This was written by krisis. Posted on Thursday, May 31, 2001, at 10:41 pm. Filed under memories. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback. [...]
[...] #14 is true. Come on, people, i’m a record addict. After reading the War Against Silence entries concerning the ordering of records and reading Hi Fidelity cover to cover in a matter of hours, i decided i needed an eclectic but fun way to organize my albums so that i always had a decent selection to pick from on any shelf. So, i took all the discs down from the shelf and started messing around with ten random discs that i had been listening to a lot recently. After a little idle experimentation (well, this whole ordeal is rather idle, isn’t it?) i decided ordering albums by the predominant color of their spines would be fun. However, once i had my 50 most played discs on the shelf i realized that Tori Amos was going to occupy the first, last, and middle spots of my collection, and that the plan was entirely unfeasible because if just three of her discs were already spread out that far then the addition of her twenty-some singles would cause me to have a heart attack trying to find all the beesides to make mix tapes with. The plan was thusly abandoned. This was written by krisis. Posted on Thursday, May 31, 2001, at 7:18 pm. Filed under stories, tori. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback. [...]
[...] rest assured that it’s more punk than anything else i’ve ever written. Except “Punk.” That’s definitely punker. I was a little concerned when i first started playing this [...]
[...] a Trio into the public record, but i will disclose two new untitled songs: 1’s lyrics were blogged and 2’s weren’t. Enjoy. This was written by krisis. Posted on Monday, May 28, 2001, [...]
[...] fixes to what seems to you a large overall problem. Pulling the plug on a site, whether it be a treasured monument to e/n or the best Ani DiFranco site on the internet, seems like a hopelessly selfish choice. However, i [...]
[...] intense rehearsals to losing my voice to drums and drawing blood to chairing my own mixing committee to penning artist interviews while working to re-debut Arcati [...]
[...] intense rehearsals to losing my voice to drums and drawing blood to chairing my own mixing committee to penning artist interviews while working to re-debut Arcati [...]
[...] rehearsals to losing my voice to drums and drawing blood to chairing my own mixing committee to penning artist interviews while working to re-debut Arcati [...]
[...] back in the day i had a favourite website, and that website was IllegalOp. Before this blog was even a glint in my mind’s eye, i was a regular poster over the summer [...]
[...] get more interesting. Or maybe just louder. We shall see. But, speaking of vertical neighbors, my downstairs neighbor randomly showed up at my door last night while my mother was fussing over my newly installed air [...]
[...] of her poems from following her log. After a few requests, the set wound up as: Punk, Because, Unstrung, Colorblind, Under My Skin, Lost, All That’s True, Give, Never Say Goodbye. Trio has an [...]
[...] following her log. After a few requests, the set wound up as: Punk, Because, Unstrung, Colorblind, Under My Skin, Lost, All That’s True, Give, Never Say Goodbye. Trio has an interesting effect on how i make [...]
[...] set wound up as: Punk, Because, Unstrung, Colorblind, Under My Skin, Lost, All That’s True, Give, Never Say Goodbye. Trio has an interesting effect on how i make up a setlist when i’m [...]
[...] so, okay, you know how i mention from time to time how i need to be more of a bitch? It’s sorta a running theme with me that i love to please everyone; this tends to be [...]
[...] hard to inflate it. Is it possible that any of you have been around long enough to remember Viktor? Well… the other day he walked by me and said hello and i told him quite succinctly to [...]
[...] and Facebook keeping in touch with people and Gmail haggling with various wedding musicians, and The 61 hearing awesome new music and, oh, my job that involves keeping tabs on people in email all day [...]
[...] I literally rolled around on the floor in convulsions of laughter the first time I saw Weekend At Bernie’s, but the morbid schtick didn’t hold up as well to repeat views as, say, Clue. [...]
[...] that’s a week i won’t soon forget. New romantic interests, bitter ex-girlfriends, new Ani DiFranco albums, stress at work, and slowly but surely becoming famous. This was written by krisis. Posted on [...]
[...] i won’t soon forget. New romantic interests, bitter ex-girlfriends, new Ani DiFranco albums, stress at work, and slowly but surely becoming famous. This was written by krisis. Posted on Saturday, April [...]
[...] forget. New romantic interests, bitter ex-girlfriends, new Ani DiFranco albums, stress at work, and slowly but surely becoming famous. This was written by krisis. Posted on Saturday, April 14, 2001, at [...]
[...] romantic interests, bitter ex-girlfriends, new Ani DiFranco albums, stress at work, and slowly but surely becoming famous. This was written by krisis. Posted on Saturday, April 14, 2001, at 11:21 pm. [...]
[...] they existed. What was their life like before the invasion, and what was it like now? While I am advocating for the rights of my lesbian friends to marry are their Iraqi counterparts struggling for the simplest of rights – for the ability to exist as [...]
[...] whatsoever: “Out of Words” (which, I suspect, eventually turned into the song “Nothing to Say.”) I knew that eventually i would run out of words I did not expect to like it I did not [...]
[...] This is actually my favorite, because I plucked it out of the high school era to recraft it in college (and, firmly in the blog-era, as this was the same class that produced “Atlas“) [...]
[...] 7 of Crushing Krisis includes a slew of favorite posts. I cursed at the television. I had a headache so profound that I gave it a name. I reinvented myself for NaBloPoMo. I recounted [...]
[...] lot of limoncello. I helped present the fifth annual Lyndzapalooza with hardly a hitch. I recorded my catchiest song, ever. I nearly lost my mind in the middle of Broad [...]
[...] to stop by. This weekend, Rabi and I had just sat down to a refreshing Bubble Tea when my cell phone was rung by my god-brother, who i haven’t seen or spoken to in almost four years, but who had [...]
[...] write on my door and shove crap through my mail slot for the rest of my life as long as they left Lindsay and Kate and our gay neighbors (yes, the irony) alone and in [...]
[...] would never compare this experience to the discrimination that other people endure every day. It was passive – intimidation from a coward. t’s not even really about me. [...]
[...] amazing thing about the last twelve months is how many successes they encompassed. I played a show at the Tin Angel with my band (two, actually). I got engaged to the love of my life. I completed six months of [...]
[...] vocals. Lyndzapalooza threw not only a hugely successful music festival, but two modestly awesome off-season events. I finally became the senior member of my team at work. I’m planning the most kick-ass party [...]
[...] the first time. I had two of my most memorable taxi-driver conversations. I played a game of “what if I managed Britney?” I conquered my quarter-life crisis. I co-invented (and later conducted) an Upscale Bar [...]
[...] the “blogosphere.” I became fascinated for an entire night by a trick of photography. I learned valuable lessons from my longest period of bachelorhood in the past half [...]
[...] post of all time, I began telling the story of our engagement, further chronicled here and here. I disclosed my previously deeply personal delight in hot food eaten cold. I saw Elise’s brother make his theatrical debut. I posted a rare Trio [...]
[...] contemplated being a real band. I reflected on my childhood masquerade as a born-again Christian. I posted yet another awesome-right-out-of-the-box Trio. I celebrated Gina’s birthday by recounting our first time [...]
[...] solo gig, and made friends with 13-year-olds. I spoke at my mother’s wedding, and reflected on how just a few decades ago mine would be illegal in some states. I became a big brother, and [...]
[...] Last year I said: If Year 6 of Crushing Krisis was about finding stability, then this past year has been converting stability into happiness. [...]
[...] many successes they encompassed. I played a show at the Tin Angel with my band (two, actually). I got engaged to the love of my life. I completed six months of voice-lessons, emerging with newly revitalized [...]
[...] band got censored for the first time. I had two of my most memorable taxi-driver conversations. I played a game of “what if I managed Britney?” I conquered my quarter-life crisis. I [...]
[...] dissected Radiohead’s record release, along with the entirety of the “blogosphere.” I became fascinated for an entire night by a trick of photography. I learned valuable [...]
[...] personal delight in hot food eaten cold. I saw Elise’s brother make his theatrical debut. I posted a rare Trio that I liked as soon as it was [...]
[...] on how just a few decades ago mine would be illegal in some states. I became a big brother, and started becoming my mother, all in the span of a week. I reflected on GBLT rights in Iraq by way of Ani DiFranco and teenage [...]
[...] at the Tin Angel with my band (two, actually). I got engaged to the love of my life. I completed six months of voice-lessons, emerging with newly revitalized vocals. Lyndzapalooza threw not only a hugely successful music [...]
[...] taxi-driver conversations. I played a game of “what if I managed Britney?” I conquered my quarter-life crisis. I co-invented (and later conducted) an Upscale Bar Crawl. I blogged daily for an entire month for [...]
[...] contemplated being a real band. I reflected on my childhood masquerade as a born-again Christian. I posted yet another awesome-right-out-of-the-box Trio. I celebrated [...]
[...] MySpace Music profiles (seriously, you should see the referrals I get on that one damn post). I nearly got laughed out of a coffee-shop due to my savant-like knowledge of [...]
[...] I played my band’s first honest-to-goodness solo gig, and made friends with 13-year-olds. I spoke at my mother’s wedding, and reflected on how just a few decades ago mine would be illegal in some states. I became a big brother, and started becoming my mother, all in the span of a week. I reflected on GBLT rights in Iraq by way of Ani DiFranco and teenage theatre. I posted the best and worst of my teenage poetry. [...]
[...] six months of voice-lessons, emerging with newly revitalized vocals. Lyndzapalooza threw not only a hugely successful music festival, but two modestly awesome off-season events. I finally became the senior member of my team at work. [...]
[...] I conquered my quarter-life crisis. I co-invented (and later conducted) an Upscale Bar Crawl. I blogged daily for an entire month for no reason at all, highlighting my favorite (remastered) Trio Tracks along the [...]
[...] record release, along with the entirety of the “blogosphere.” I became fascinated for an entire night by a trick of photography. I learned valuable lessons from my longest period of bachelorhood in the [...]
[...] masquerade as a born-again Christian. I posted yet another awesome-right-out-of-the-box Trio. I celebrated Gina’s birthday by recounting our first time singing together. I cultivated an ulcer. I learned about sibling [...]
[...] wedding, and reflected on how just a few decades ago mine would be illegal in some states. I became a big brother, and started becoming my mother, all in the span of a week. I reflected on GBLT rights in Iraq by [...]
[...] The amazing thing about the last twelve months is how many successes they encompassed. I played a show at the Tin Angel with my band (two, actually). I got engaged to the love of my life. I completed six months of voice-lessons, emerging with newly revitalized vocals. Lyndzapalooza threw not only a hugely successful music festival, but two modestly awesome off-season events. I finally became the senior member of my team at work. I’m planning the most kick-ass party I’ve ever thrown, which coincidentally happens to be my wedding. [...]
[...] if I managed Britney?” I conquered my quarter-life crisis. I co-invented (and later conducted) an Upscale Bar Crawl. I blogged daily for an entire month for no reason at all, highlighting my [...]
[...] began telling the story of our engagement, further chronicled here and here. I disclosed my previously deeply personal delight in hot food eaten cold. I saw Elise’s [...]
[...] Trio. I celebrated Gina’s birthday by recounting our first time singing together. I cultivated an ulcer. I learned about sibling rivalry by way of working out regularly for the first time in my life, and [...]
[...] played my band’s first honest-to-goodness solo gig, and made friends with 13-year-olds. I spoke at my mother’s wedding, and reflected on how just a few decades ago mine would be illegal in some states. I became a big [...]
[...] I played a game of “what if I managed Britney?” I conquered my quarter-life crisis. I co-invented (and later conducted) an Upscale Bar Crawl. I blogged daily for an entire month for no reason at [...]
[...] played my band’s first honest-to-goodness solo gig, and made friends with 13-year-olds. I spoke at my mother’s wedding, and reflected on how [...]
[...] began telling the story of our engagement, further chronicled here and here. I disclosed my previously deeply personal delight in hot food eaten cold. I saw [...]
[...] that in Sarah Palin’s opinion the message written on my door last month – the cat shit shoved into my home – was motivated by normal hate. And so was the deaths of Matthew [...]
[...] Krisis is a Philadelphia blog thar recently celebrated its eighth birthday. It’s been the home of my original music since 2000, and features the internet’s [...]
[...] Krisis Crushing Krisis is the longest running blog in Philadelphia. Skip to content HomeAll About Crushing KrisisAll About My MusicAll About This BlogAll About WordPressAll About Your AuthorContact [...]
[...] with. Plus our core Saxbys crowd of three young girls who keep coming back, mostly because at our first outing we promised to learn a Jonas Brothers song for them and delivered mightily upon our [...]
[...] you mistakenly think that was a Palin joke, I’m actually refering to her sometimes-mentor Oblermann. As Palin jokes go it was way too easy.) This was written by krisis. Posted on Monday, September [...]
[...] I’ll be liveblogging this debate to capture some of the highlights and to discuss my immediate reaction, just as I did last week for the first Presidential debate. [...]
[...] there is my heavily documented debate coverage, followed by a frantic 24-hours of strategic planning between E & I that has not yet yielded [...]
[...] A year ago I said I love all the dire wedding warnings that come from every quarter when you first get engaged. I suppose it’s a cultural hazing thing? I just don’t get it. Each of our favorite weddings were relatively lacking in insanity and drama according to the various brides. Also, we’re both OCD project managers with the same taste in everything. [...]
[...] on each occasion. I played the same songs over and over, heavily relying on the crutches of “Icy Cold” and my cover of “Like a Virgin.” Any other song would leave my wide open for [...]
[...] over and over, heavily relying on the crutches of “Icy Cold” and my cover of “Like a Virgin.” Any other song would leave me wide open for rookie mistakes like forgotten [...]
[...] has been through months of development. In the case of a newer song like “Not Tonight (from Monday’s Trio), I start with a core of words or melody that have been stuck in my head. I sketch the basics of [...]
[...] it was herpes, mostly because now that I only make out with Elise I precious few reasons to invoke my irrational fear of herpes.) Yet, I put off visiting the dermatologist, thinking I could make the patches disappear with [...]
[...] only do I have to finish telling the story of how Elise and I got engaged last year, but aside from touching on our invites a few weeks ago I [...]
[...] only do I have to finish telling the story of how Elise and I got engaged last year, but aside from touching on our invites a few weeks ago I haven’t really spoken at all about our planning [...]
[...] unique element of our wedding that I’ve previously touched upon is the composition of our parties – my side consists of three women and two men, and Elise’s [...]
[...] It’s funny that you can apply any kind of science to songwriting. You spend a lot of years as a songwriter thinking it’s just lightning that strikes you, but there are things you can do to make yourself more of a lightning rod. All This Time When the chorus came in my head I literally walked to the piano and played the entire song in one go and wrote the lyrics. It all happened in 30 minutes. … Effectively the whole song came at once. I was because I was primed. That’s the challenge, you know? You have to be working on songs to have other songs that work. Will It Ever Come? Much like “All This Time,” it came at this point that I was very primed, in the summer of 2000. I wrote a lot of what are still my favorite songs at that time … songs that I really still play very frequently. And this one was kindof in the middle, and it just got ignored. It was at the very beginning of Crushing Krisis and I blogged the lyrics. [Ed note: Literally; I wrote them out in nine minutes in the Blogger window. They were my 81st post.] [...]
[...] songs. However, we then played “Under My Skin” again and i performed the “i don’t miss you anymore” extended mix (much to Gina’s confusion and delight). The first time i ever sang the [...]
[...] the way, it would seem that i come down against the idea of drunken flings afterall. I did get one comment about them that made me really think for a minute … one of my [...]
[...] to reflect her mood. I thought about it, and then I responded that i wore white and blue today. Clouds. I was feeling like clouds. This was written by krisis. Posted on Monday, April 9, 2001, at [...]
[...] person). Girl reads boy’s website and then asks him if he wants to do something over break. Boy leaves the state, and doesn’t get to see girl at all when he returns (not realizing she lives a stone-throw [...]
[...] the weekend. Blogs made this weekend should be … interesting. These are the same people from this post. Yep. Fun. Love y’all. This was written by krisis. Posted on Thursday, April 5, 2001, at [...]
[...] less (or, alternately, his .02pounds, which is worth more). Personally, myself, I wouldn’t fling. I mean, for one, it wouldn’t mean a thing. Also, for another, kissing and sex is supposed to [...]
[...] the fray: I’m against alcohol-induced hookups, for most of the same reasons you mentioned in your post. but completely sober one night stands can be very meaningful, in their own way. I think. not every [...]
[...] Opinions on getting flung? Says J.Miller: Personally, I probably wouldn’t fling…not that the opportunity would arise, anyway. For argument’s sake, however, if I were to fling, I’d want to do it sober so that I could be assured of remembering it. =) [...]
[...] of RiotHero is not only jarring (after all, he is a blogging icon) (he’s mentioned in the instructions on how to set up blogger, for godsakes), but it’s also sort of sad. I honestly haven’t [...]
[...] even involve me, and how everyone was scratching and clawing at each other to get ahold of the one Pre-Mix demo i brought for Laurel, who left today. Lowlights included dropping a bottle of hard lemonade [...]
[...] I like to claim that I haven’t changed materially, but clearly I have. Not just the superficial ways – the lack of curl in my hair, or the newfound power in my voice. Not just my newfound ability to be in a steady state. I express my opinions differently. My confidence is more tempered, and my fear of failure more subtle. I play my worries much closer to my chest, and they’re a lot more complex than wondering who I’ll kiss next. [...]
[...] my steadiness I don’t see as many colors in the world. I used to delight in church bells and saxophones, and all the colors they brought out in the world. When is the last time I saw that color in [...]
[...] video tape from last semester to use for her class. She’s in the same class that lead me to ponder how a close-up view of someones face is totally different from watching them from afar. Yeah. [...]
[...] come a long way in a year. Last year was his first time acting on stage; this year he had the final bow in a challenging, thought-provoking play, The Rimers of [...]
[...] With the aid of the intrepid Bill Hull today in the recording studio, i complete not one, not two, but half the vocal/guitar tracks for my newest demo cd. Towards the end of the session we recording “Angel,” “Lost,” and special guest-star “Bridge” all in a row with a single retake on the former two just to be safe. However, the highlight (as well as the major time-consuming task) of the day was “Under My Skin.” [...]
[...] for a day or too is just too intimidating, methinks. I promise to have a fun guest-logger if i ever leave you for an intentional period of time again. I would ask Spoon, but he never even writes for his own [...]
[...] Much like last year, running the event through a Ning network feels a little impersonal – no one seems to be making a point of reading everyone else (as I legendarily accomplished in 2006). [...]
[...] The store didn’t have it in stock, but it wasn’t a custom design – just a more obscure band/jewel combination. They told us they’d order it from the company headquarters in Europe, and that it would be in shortly. Sure enough, they rang us barely a week later to let us know that the ring was in, which is what brought us back to New Hope on Saturday. [...]
[...] love to go back and reread my first kiss with Selina. But, it’s not there. Not a single word. This is as close as it gets. Damned friends,… and so much for not jinxing it. This was written [...]
[...] (the Senior who i recorded with tonight, who happens to be the head of the aforementioned 8 to the Bar) seems to be convinced of my vocal talents despite the fact that i haven’t yet manifested any [...]
[...] G’morning. She seems to be reading this now, which is amusing because we had just both agreed not to read each other’s webpages a few days ago. To be fair, she probably caught wind of it [...]
[...] i’m a broken fucking record, eh? “And the emotions spun out of control and the bodies fit like a needle in the groove and after it was all over we [...]
[...] It’s funny, because the only time i drank this whole term was with her, but stories of my various semi-nude escapades and strip-tease lap-dancing get around, and make a girl jealous. But, what’s funny is that [...]
[...] bigger compliment came from Bill Hull, who’s currently in charge of the aforementioned Eight to the Bar. I mentioned off-handedly to him that i was finally starting voice training and he replied that i [...]
[...] caught up. For a while i was keeping up just fine, but somewhere around my massively ill-advised thanksgiving shopping spree i managed to load up on more things than i had the ears for, and Christmas just put me further [...]
[...] thanksgiving shopping spree i managed to load up on more things than i had the ears for, and Christmas just put me further under. Albums by Portishead, Velvet Underground, Built to Spill, Ben Folds [...]
[...] my precious precious B’s, i don’t have any class nearly as challenging or stressful as Philosophy was last term … in other words, i at least feel as though i have a basic understanding of all [...]
[...] then it wasn’t because i felt like listening to Tori but because i needed a specific song to comfort me. But, then a month went by without listening to her at all. I have months like that [...]
[...] wish i could write songs about stuff consistently. For every “Hold on Me” that talks about physical things like sheets and walking down the street, there’s a [...]
[...] 26th one; i’ve been doing this for half a year now. Time fools me the same way that physical scale does. This school year seems to be dragging on forever, but it’s a whole month shy of how [...]
[...] half-week stopover back at Reed Street) was pure misery – i was sick, my future roommate was being less than helpful, and at one point i didn’t even have a lease to prove the apartment was mine. It was also the [...]
[...] from The Grotto to here was disproportionately easy, considering it involved more possessions and stress than ever. How i managed to get all the stuff [...]
[...] since I I first transferred from Blogger to WordPress in the midst of the first NaBloPoMo (a feat I still can’t believe I engineered), I’ve also been [...]
[...] become firmly entrenched in the “Behind the Music” portion of my life – recording a seminal album while going through a horrific breakup and a nearly deadly illness. Flirting with potential [...]
[...] a seminal album while going through a horrific breakup and a nearly deadly illness. Flirting with potential entanglements Oh, and drinking a [...]
[...] I feel like those old posts have been slowly transforming my present day life. I Trio “Will It Ever Come,” telling the story of how it was written, and then find myself re-reading the post about [...]
[...] “Behind the Music” portion of my life – recording a seminal album while going through a horrific breakup and a nearly deadly illness. Flirting with potential entanglements Oh, and drinking a [...]
[...] portion of my life – recording a seminal album while going through a horrific breakup and a nearly deadly illness. Flirting with potential entanglements Oh, and drinking a [...]
[...] telling the story of how it was written, and then find myself re-reading the post about recording it in the studio. Yesterday I re-read one lamenting that it was hard to tell if you have a fever when you’re [...]
[...] re-reading the post about recording it in the studio. Yesterday I re-read one lamenting that it was hard to tell if you have a fever when you’re under a spotlight, and last night I replayed the experience at our benefit show – half sick and half [...]
[...] yeah, theatre. First i bitched about it, and then i got sucked into it, and here i am bitching about it again. I don’t like to act. Maybe i’m good at it, [...]
[...] story picks up mere seconds after my Friday post, which was interrupted by Dante’s appearance to ferry me and my various PA equipment to The [...]
[...] I can say with some amount of certainty based on years of life experience that I am a sound sleeper. When I’m ready for sleep, I sleep well, with the exception of ticking watches, rogue hamsters, and urban roosters. [...]
[...] minx over there). For those of you who haven’t keeping up, let me present the evidence: OhMy!, a spectacle, close-up, sleeping-where?, and the self-referential allusions to things people know [...]
[...] of you who haven’t keeping up, let me present the evidence: OhMy!, a spectacle, close-up, sleeping-where?, and the self-referential allusions to things people know nothing about. So… do you know [...]
[...] up last night, having to do with a mouse. I seem to have a mouse, you see. As we’ve been over previously, i am not especially fond of rodents when they’re running rampantly around my apartment. Yes, [...]
[...] absolutely spectacle of themselves and don’t ever live it down. I always make sure to make a spectacle of myself so that i’ll always live in infamy,… at least until the next party. Last [...]
[...] when i crystallize a moment in time so perfectly into words and notes that sound good, so that i replay the moment every time i sing the song. Over time i’ve come to accept my slightly idealized [...]
mark larson |on Monday, November 24, 2008 at 9:47 pm
[...] for a number of years, I’d never heard of a hang drum until I got clued in at Crushing Krisis last week. Hang is like a hybrid of a steel drum, gamelan, and an udu. Here’s a video of some [...]
[...] the class happened to be Advanced Recording Techniques, with the same instructor i had for Basic last semester. If only every class were to start with something as positive…. This was written by [...]
[...] majority of that prolonged absence was taken up by a lot of traipsing around with Amy & Liz that involved one snowed in basketball court, two trips to 7-11, three slip and fall accidents, and [...]
[...] week but as i drifted off last night i hardly even remembered it. I’ve been sleeping on the floor since i got back because my bed still has the results of my cleaning spree all over it. This [...]
[...] I’ve been sleeping on the floor since i got back because my bed still has the results of my cleaning spree all over it. This morning my eyes were pried open by the scrape of a metal shovel against cold hard [...]
[...] hand on it on my way in. Fingerprints. Something permanent, until washed away. yeah. So, anyway, my collarbone hurts like hell from carrying my bookbag through the airport. I just underlined [...]
[...] was an in-joke name for our studio recordings. Four years ago Dante Bucci didn’t know what a hang drum was, and Andra Taylor had no idea she’d be living in [...]
[...] to actually give up for a single minute in the days or weeks that separate my posts, then suddenly this mirror of my identity would just turn into a photograph, taken from far [...]
[...] the whole of my bed, which i’ll obviously have to displace in order to sleep tonght. I have repeatedly bemoaned my unescapable bulk of possessions, but i haven’t ever addressed why i own what i [...]
[...] Smith has been an indy acoustic introvert darling for years, so i’m surprised i managed to ignore him for as long as i did. Built to Spill is yet another import from Anastasia’s record [...]
[...] milk or butter); my crappy stereo (and its five disc changer); my (unexpected) $50 bonus (for multiple record sales days at the shop); not living in a dormitory (and not worrying about getting kicked out for break); my [...]
[...] collection – over a hundred books. A significant portion of it is comprise of out-of-print books I hunted down two Christmases ago, including sheet music for every Madonna album and imported, out-of-print David [...]
[...] which I posted a healthy 37 posts in 30 days, including 10 songs in the first ten in three Trios (Good Bones, Morning Light, and Instants) and a bonus tune. I also blogged on my typical wide range of topics: [...]
[...] including 10 songs in the first ten in three Trios (Good Bones, Morning Light, and Instants) and a bonus tune. I also blogged on my typical wide range of topics: a celebration of our President-Elect, a two [...]
[...] I also blogged on my typical wide range of topics: a celebration of our President-Elect, a two part recap of my wedding style, thoughts on Joni Mitchell’s Blue, a list of newly discovered blogs [...]
[...] a healthy 37 posts in 30 days, including 10 songs in the first ten in three Trios (Good Bones, Morning Light, and Instants) and a bonus tune. I also blogged on my typical wide range of topics: a celebration [...]
[...] tune. I also blogged on my typical wide range of topics: a celebration of our President-Elect, a two part recap of my wedding style, thoughts on Joni Mitchell’s Blue, a list of newly discovered [...]
[...] in 30 days, including 10 songs in the first 10 days in three Trios (Good Bones, Morning Light, and Instants) and a bonus tune. I also blogged on my typical wide range of topics: a celebration of our [...]
[...] of topics: a celebration of our President-Elect, a two part recap of my wedding style, thoughts on Joni Mitchell’s Blue, a list of newly discovered blogs This was written by krisis. Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008, [...]
[...] Morning Light, and Instants) and a bonus tune. I also blogged on my typical wide range of topics: a celebration of our President-Elect, a two part recap of my wedding style, thoughts on Joni Mitchell’s Blue, a list of newly [...]
[...] a two part recap of my wedding style, thoughts on Joni Mitchell’s Blue, a list of newly discovered blogs, my experience playing a terrific benefit show, and a few random inane [...]
[...] of my wedding style, thoughts on Joni Mitchell’s Blue, a list of newly discovered blogs, my experience playing a terrific benefit show, and a few random inane [...]
[...] This evening marks the end of the third annual National Blog Posting Month, during which I posted a healthy 37 posts in 30 days, including 10 songs in the first 10 days in three Trios (Good Bones, Morning Light, and Instants) and a bonus tune. I also blogged on my typical wide range of topics including a celebration of our President-Elect, a two part recap of my wedding style, thoughts on Joni Mitchell’s Blue, a list of newly discovered blogs, my experience playing a terrific benefit show, and a few random inane thoughts. [...]
[...] him – I had met him at the holiday revue we’ll be playing tonight for the sixth year, and when we moved Gina and Wes into their house in 2007, plus a few other occasions. But, I very much liked him, and I expected he and his wife Joan would [...]
[...] Late in the proceedings Gina and I took the stage for an impromptu performance, offering our cover of Neil Young’s “Pocahantas.” Afterward Gina and Wes covered Neil’s “Helpless,” which I heard for the first time right hear on CK in 2003. [...]
[...] materials assigned to us. However, i was left with this aching lack of knowledge that would surely come back to bite me in the ass during the final. Surprisingly, my ass is fine. The final was a comprehensive series of [...]
[...] I mean, what would life be without a crush or two to make it interesting? Whether anything will come from them… well, that’s the question i’ve been asking for years :) This was [...]
[...] to small changes articles about budgets, or goal setting. It all dovetails with my concept of living marginally, which I suppose it my personal version of being green – why waste money and time on frivolous [...]
[...] i’ve only ever mentioned these delectable treats twice in my blogging history: on two pages seperated by at least a month. Despite this, i’m ranked in the top ten on this yahoo/google search. [...]
[...] quality where i hold sway over sleepy people who should be hard at work. And my pen has been burning to write lately as well. Oh well, i’m verging on late for the shop. I shouldn’t [...]
[...] love the rain. Living in dorms and apartments doesn’t really give me the chance to enjoy it like i wish i could, but i love it all the same. This summer while we were training for [...]
[...] were in a mad panic yesterday while i was taking my typical monday off from blogger because my last sunday post sounded like some sort of farewell. Of course, it was a farewell: it was a farewell to a [...]
[...] help but feel a little sad, since that means New Years won’t be a tradition like i was hoping it would be. This was written by krisis. Posted on Tuesday, November 28, 2000, at 10:32 am. [...]
[...] already wrote about my sympathetic response in the current day, about how getting into the headspace of those old posts alters the current me. I’m past that [...]
[...] long time CK connoisseurs may recall, I met Ken in the middle of the street in University City while changing my guitar string in 2002. He was super-nice to me at the time, and I was surprised to later discover he is an [...]
[...] from the coffee shop and started to wash my hands when the drippy pipe (yes, still from when the sink fell) finally just got too much on my nerves. I grabbed a tube of caulk (don’t ask where i found [...]
[...] affirming to read that the me of eight years ago was worried that in half that time I’d give up playing guitar and turn into some vacant, corporate, [...]
[...] we get too optimistic, please recall that I was requesting an airlift home after about 36 hours of Bonnaroo, which cost about a sixth as much as this international nonsense, and at least there I was [...]
[...] Connie’s Ric Rac is my neighborhood open mic, as well as being the room that spawned my recent asphyxiation and the subsequent interstate love song that Gina is currently endeavoring to [...]
[...] such a subtle flaw. We’ve been over how as a child I felt compelled to read cereal boxes as I ate breakfast, but it’s a lot more than that. It’s my voracious reading – how on [...]
[...] debunking employs my favorite example from Tipping Point (”Broken Windows“) versus Freakonomics (crime v. abortion) – a book I panned as being [...]
[...] The debunking employs my favorite example from Tipping Point (”Broken Windows“) versus Freakonomics (crime v. abortion) – a book I panned as being superfluous. [...]
[...] The debunking employs my favorite example from Tipping Point (”Broken Windows“) versus Freakonomics (crime v. abortion) – a book I panned as being superfluous. [...]
[...] weekend was consumed by more arranging and kitten-mania. Yes, the kittens from earlier this summer are back in our yard, and have been for at least a week – sleeping in flower pots and causing all [...]
[...] to join me? Find out from Money Makers Elite Club™ There is nothing new to make money at home; My Life Is a Joke – crushingkrisis.com 02/18/2009 Lindsay and I have an ongoing joke about my life. Lindsay, being my [...]
[...] yet to abandon it. Which, (a) hilarious that my senior project adviser still asks me about my blog five years after the fact, but (b) way to stick the personal “blogger / songwriter” branding so that it’s [...]
[...] We briefly caught up (me, married! him, reconstructing his house! my band, awesome!), and the conversation then turned to my blogging proclivity and how I have yet to abandon it. Which, (a) hilarious that my senior project adviser still asks me about my blog five years after the fact, but (b) way to stick the personal “blogger / songwriter” branding so that it’s the first thing he thinks of, even five years after the fact. [...]
[...] Radiohead’s little experiment aside, Trent is at the very forefront of interacting with fans in the digital domain – plugging in to their opinions and offering a variety of models to obtain his music. It shows through in the interview – right down to letting fans remix his songs and edit his concert videos to the development of NIN’s own somewhat ground-breaking iPhone app. [...]
[...] Now i’m not so sure. The focus of my next demo keeps shifting as i add both old and new songs to its potential tracklisting, and it is now taking a slight turn away from the cut-away model of an imagined relationship that it once was. And, in that turn, “under my skin” is becomes less and less the obvious title track and more and more the catchy first single. Of course, those two intersect, but not by rule. All of those flailing tendrils taking root are what can shift this disc; it’s at least two months away from being recorded, which was the amount of time between “crashing” and “under my skin.” But, enough of that, go listen to a Trio. This was written by krisis. Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2000, at 11:26 pm. Filed under songwriting, under my skin. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback. [...]
[...] this and not liking her video because she looked “fat” RoadRunner records are looking like total asses. No wonder she wrote this charming song about them, [...]
[...] this week with as nasty a set as I could summon. After some consulting with Elise, I came up with: Splinter (legendarily nasty break-up tune), Bridge (unapologetically fierce alt-tuning rocker from high [...]
[...] After some consulting with Elise, I came up with: Splinter (legendarily nasty break-up tune), Bridge (unapologetically fierce alt-tuning rocker from high school), Real You (utter dissection of a false [...]
[...] more that I comment on myself more now – even in songs about other people – starting around “So Hard.” I think it’s important to root your song’s accusation in something comment, but [...]
[...] two weeks of daily tweeting Twitter still wasn’t quite a habit. I understood why I was tweeting, what to tweet, but I didn’t feel like I was tweeting [...]
[...] (lyrics)(chords & my cover)(references) This was written by krisis. Posted on Tuesday, May 5, 2009, at 10:00 am. Filed under tori. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback. [...]
[...] from a decade of hiatus on Tori’s 2007 tour. This is one of the best performances.) (lyrics)(my love for syc)(cocaine & me)(references) This was written by krisis. Posted on Tuesday, May 5, 2009, at [...]
[...] guitar. I have been playing for hours, drilling songs against a metronome. The bridge of “Unengaged” for twenty minutes straight. I’ve worn through a callous for the first time in [...]
[...] Blogathon as a platform for my music to raise money and awareness for my favorite charities. I have cancelled Christmas in favor of giving charitable gifts. I volunteer with – a musical non-profit dedicated to [...]
[...] here and here. I disclosed my previously deeply personal delight in hot food eaten cold. I saw Elise’s brother make his theatrical debut. I posted a rare Trio that I liked as soon as it was [...]
[...] almost shattered the fragile, bird-like skeleton of one of my SVPs. I taught the entire internet how to edit their MySpace Music profiles (seriously, you should see the referrals I get on that one damn post). I nearly got laughed out of [...]
[...] almost burned down the house baking cookies in the microwave. I finally told the story of my life-altering nap at Bonnaroo. I recorded a perfect version of one of my favorite songs. I took my first trip to a [...]
[...] with soundtrack. I mercilessly deceived a toddler to get him to eat his vegetables. I contemplated six years of knowing (and reading) Rabi. I listened to the Beatles entire catalog while racing through my last letter of [...]
[...] wanted to skydive for a long time. Forever? Since before I started having the flying dreams, I think, so frequent and tangible that the power of personal flight started to feel [...]
[...] I’ve wanted to skydive for a long time. Forever? Since before I started having the flying dreams, I think, so frequent and tangible that the power of personal flight started to feel familiar. [...]
[...] already unfolded the story of my Twitter addiction, as well as my visit to a meeting of the Social Media Club of Philadelphia. However, neither could prepare me for my next [...]
[...] already unfolded the story of my Twitter addiction, as well as my visit to a meeting of the Social Media Club of Philadelphia. However, neither could [...]
[...] laptop on my chest, firing out #blamedrewscancer emails. (Yes, I know I owe you the last chapter in the skydiving story. All in good time.) Around the time I planned to go to sleep National Mechanics emailed me and [...]
[...] “I’m not old,” and other stories from my actual life, wherein I meet @brimil, watch a house burn down, and have way-out dreams about the impending [...]
[...] Nothing But Rock & Why I Blame Drew’s Cancer, pt. 1, my skydive photo and the start of the story behind it. It’s impossible to exaggerate the [...]
[...] I first floated the assumption that I was the longest running blog in Philadelphia six years ago today, and I verified it last November (with a footnote). [...]
[...] and a honeymoon, an all-encompassing circus that stayed relatively fun right through the end, just as I predicted and insisted it would. I recapped dress shopping with my groom’s party in two parts, the first of which hilariously [...]
[...] dress shopping with my groom’s party in two parts, the first of which hilariously features my near-ejection from David’s Bridal. I recorded a song that would become so synonymous with our wedding that its lyrics wound up in the [...]
[...] made music both solo and as Arcati Crisis. As AC, Gina and I headlined a show and then co-hosted an open mic for over half a year, in the midst of which we recorded a Live @ [...]
[...] A year ago today I wrote that I felt “as though the vast majority of my personal greatest hits record is contained in the last year of my life.” [...]
[...] just as I predicted and insisted it would. I recapped dress shopping with my groom’s party in two parts, the first of which hilariously features my near-ejection from David’s Bridal. I recorded a [...]
[...] in two parts, the first of which hilariously features my near-ejection from David’s Bridal. I recorded a song that would become so synonymous with our wedding that its lyrics wound up in the fortune cookies at [...]
[...] At some prior point in this site’s storied history I would write a song, literally record my first run-through, and post that as a demo – sometimes all in a single day. “Granted” is an example. [...]
[...] the window open, wearing layers. It’s my season, I’m doing things I love, and I have my beautiful curly hair back. I even like how I look in full human motion on tonight’s [...]
[...] planning insanity is in overdrive heading into Wednesday’s 9/9/09 Blame-a-Thon benefit concert (right now working to curate our overnight film festival). At work I’m on a few unusual [...]
[...] Krisis Crushing Krisis is the longest running blog in Philadelphia. Skip to content HomeAll About Crushing KrisisAll About Your AuthorAll About This BlogAll About WordPressAll About My MusicAll About My [...]
[...] being me (and having just played a bit of “Last Christmas” last night), I was immediately dancing in my chair to the syrupy 80s Christmas ballad being unfurled on the [...]
[...] was a long day in the studio. (Ha!, does that sound familiar? Sooner or later i’ll just buy the equivalent equipment so going into the studio won’t [...]
[...] I considered. Why was I even at the Philebrity awards? Because of Drew, and blaming cancer. And, hadn’t the experience taught me to be the best possible me at all times? Hadn’t I jumped out of a plane with these people, still relative strangers at the time? [...]
[...] singing and guitar-playing issues, and I’ve played in a lot of amazing Philly venues – including the Tin Angel, as part of a showcase with Arcati Crisis. Yet, I’ve never fulfilled that original goal of [...]
614 Comments
actually I just want to see if th ecomment thinger works. (that’s one hell of a background image behind my comment box… what is it?)
The background image didn’t appear on the main page, but appeared when I went to leave a comment. Also, if there’s supposed to be links attached to the coloured boxes at the top of the page, that’s not working. Other than that, everything looks fabulous!!:) *Hugs*,*~ A.
what they said. and the Oscar picture appears to be missing, but the Amanda picture is showing up, weird.
nice work! quite a task for one night.
Neat! I like how I can choose what background I want. :) Quite a busy bee you’ve been, eh??
ahhh, so that’s what those buttons do! sweet. *is slow*
You did all this by hand? In one night? Wow, you’ve been busy. The page looks great to me. Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the blogosphere. Keep doing what you’re doing, you are a great read. :)
very nice! the grass is my favorite background. i’d like to do something different with my blog, but i’ve got to get through a pretty steep learning curve first.
Welcome back from the dark side! I heart wordpress. blogger was getting on my last nerve, so I stayed up one night and moved all my junk over to wordpress. A tutorial for those of us who don’t have an entire evening (or two) to figure this out would be great. I know I could’ve used it.
Your background-selection thingy is awesome…the whole set up is catching without seeming busy at all.
Just as a note to those offering effusive praise, i cannot claim credit for the layout – it’s called Vistered Little by Nik Iliadis, and i found it while browsing through 1000+ layouts at WordPress.
digging the new layout
*gulp* *gulp*, *eye-blink, eye-blink* You mean you didn’t UNDERSTAND the terror?
Well, I hope you NEVER sit next to me again in anther movie. *Huff*
(although – I do live 500 miles away, so maybe it wasn’t you … You big bully!) *wink*
Oh, i was definitely terrified. It was definitely the most terrifying thing i have ever seen, and it still terrifies me every time i watch a movie that has a scene underground, or even in a dark broom-closet. I just didn’t express that terror in primitive, dog-like yelps every time something could be heard moving off frame ;)
Well thought out points! I think your argument wins too.
Also …. L-O-V-E the new background.
Aaaw. So. . . does it make you feel better, at all, that I’m damn near 30 years old, and I have a closet full of stories just like that . . . from the past year? *sigh*
I agree with your argument, too. But it might be because I’ve been to a concert (and The Rolling Stones, no less) much more recently than I’ve had any sex.
Sing a sad song for me.
Holy links Batman! That must have taken you forever. Anyhoo…thanks for the “shoot oot” as they say in Canada.
Thanks for visiting and linking. And uber-thanks for the kind words about parenting, it means more than I can say.
I have fallen in love with NaBloPoMo. There are so many great blogs (including yours) that I doubt I would have found otherwise. You already know that I’m a mommy-blogger. I tend to read other mom’s blogs. I’m having such a great time branching out a bit. I’ll be back after NaBloPoMo to read some of your pre-Crushing Krisis Crisis posts.
Thanks for stopping by. Those of us in the Inferno enjoy visitors. I really like the layout of your site. Especially the background.
Wow, that’s a great question! Hmm… I think I would rather have sex with a great band than see them play, but I would definitely remember that specific show vs that specific sex (act/night) and it would more likely become one of my “oh remember that time” type of stories.
Unless of course I actually had sex with the whole band, which is what I typed. Best orgy ever! Sex wins!
thank you!
Second what Marit said up there – that’s a mega post if I ever saw one…Enjoying your posts…you’re one of my favorite finds from NaBlo so far. I’m liking the new design as well!
Excellent Links!
That must have taken a very long time! Great blog!
I’m super-happy that you are all enjoying my DXYZ breakdown, and I hope you took the time to check out some of the blogs therein!
It did indeed take a long time, and i’m not even into the lengthier letters yet! However, the real challenge isn’t so much the time spent reading, but balancing this blog-intake with my own-blog output, especially since it takes quite a while to rehearse, record, and upload a new Trio of songs, and i hope to complete eight more by the end of the month.
I’m actually working on the EUV edition right now; i’ve got to keep up a pretty aggressive reading schedule if i hope to finish the alphabet before the end of NaBloPoMo.
It’s been many years, but my most vivid picture of Gina is seeing her sitting in the basement with us wearing her awesome retro Beatles dress and eating lunch while regaling us about Dr. Ranjini’s impromptu sex-ed lecture.
As for my most vivid image of you, Freshman year Health assembly. You stood up in front of the whole school and asked us, “Have you ever had that not-so-fresh feeling?”
Pure Perfection….
Ohhhh, honey, giving birth, it is like lightning hitting your… oh, i cannot say.
Wow, i think i almost forgot the Beatles Dress. I think it eventually became just a shirt. Maybe she can transform it into a bikini for its next stage of life.
I actually did forget about that Health Fair – it was my first time on stage in that capacity, but still pre-theatre. I think my jealousy of the people who had larger roles was probably part of what fueled me to audition the next year.
Awww, I just had to tell you that I love your pretty picture. You are very pretty, indeed. As a compulsive hair cutter-offer, now reformed and growing my locks nice and long (until they tick me off and I end up getting a butch/pixie cut again), I urge you to stick it out. It will get better!
Thank you! That’s one of my all-time favorite pictures of me.
As for the topic of this post, I actually emerged unscathed on the other side of the ugly phase, experienced several adrenaline-filled weeks of great hair, and actually got to a point where it was long enough to get it trimmed into the shape i was aiming for. Unfortunately, i cannot provide photographic evidence of this, as WordPress has yet to acknowledge any phone posts.
*fanning myself* – OMG, MICROWAVING COOKIES!!
I shudder and am not surprised at the results. Great imagery. I am totally laughing, as this brings to mind an incident from my college days. Perhaps that story will be my post for the day.
What a great layout! I like your website design, but I must say, I have NEVER seen a comment box like the one that I’m typing in right now. Awesome!
I have really enjoyed meeting the NaBloPoMo bloggers, it’s been an interesting experience, that’s for sure. ;)
I love this, and it TOTALLY sounds like something I would do.
this has nothing to do with pomo, but I just realized that your new feed hasn’t been showing up on bloglines for me. (I did check to make sure I was subscribed to it.) hopefully you can do something more useful with that info than I have so far.
They don’t really explain how feeds get changed over, and it isn’t obvious in the claiming process, so i sent them an email.
I assume that most RSS aggregators do some kind of crawling, because how else would they find all the feeds?
You know, I really enjoyed the last two Trios you put up. I think it just flows better and is more natural in the “one take” format.
Also, the Angry Song is actually quite beautiful. I ‘d never heard it before, and particularly liked it….(though, “Vortex Of Negative Energy Girl” cracked me up…I had to picture a twisted superhero. ;)
Hey…are you going to do a Trio devoted to covers? I’m ready for some Tori! *laughs*
*Hugs*,
*~ A.
Actually, i am doing a Trio of Cover Trios, each drawing songs from a different period of my life. I’m sure some Tori will find its way in, but i’m not sure what song yet. As i can play just about anything by her (seriously), i’m open to suggestions.
Hey, thanks for the nice shout-out! I am glad you liked my blog and left a comment. You are absolutely right about leaving comments – I used to never leave them unless I had something novel or profound to say, but now I realize how thrilling it is for the author when someone just says, “Hey, I liked that!”
:) I don’t think mine was up at this point, but neat. I’m trying to read them all too!! I should’ve done something similar with yours.. Roundups. Makes more sense!
HILARIOUS. You should win something for this post alone.
Man, I miss QoD. I mean, not so much the way she treated you, but it made for some damn good blogging.
yay! something I might actually be eligible for!
Your site does weird things to my eyes when I’m trying to read the posts, yet it’s very attractive and new looking. I think I like it.
What a great roundup! And you’re systematically going through the whole roll? Impressive!
Glad you liked my blog. :)
Well,it doesn’t seem you should take requests, since you need to find what relates to your own life and you’re inspired to play. ;P
But,since you ask, “Spark” and “Pandora’s Aquarium” are always my fav. Tori requests. :) It would also be interesting to hear you do a cover of a Tori cover…she does so many! *laughs*
*Hugs*,
*~ A.
Well, Tori was a big enough influence on my teenage and college years that i can probably justify any song of hers as an influence. I mean, i learned how to read sheet music from Choirgirl. That’s pretty major. Ive actually covered about half of that disc at one time or another; “Pandora’s” used to be the top of that list, but lately i’ve been focused on trying to learn it on piano (you know me, never start with the easy stuff).
dude. i don’t know how in the world you reviewed all those blogs. I’m supposed to review only categories “O” and “P” and seriously? I am lame. I haven’t gotten past the first ten “O” blogs.’
Perhaps I should forego sleeping tonight to make some headway on my project?
Hey, do I get a NaBloPloMo prize for blogging about brains in my hands? I want a prize! ;) Thanks for the trackback, I’m excited!
I love the newest Trio. You have truly excellent musical influences.
Also, your description of what happens when you microwave Heath cookie dough was comic gold. It made me want to go buy some so I could play along at home. :)
I’m impressed that you’re making your way through the alphabet and I hope that your martini supplies hold out ’til the end.
Thanks for the trackback (but I think the link to my post may be screwy up above).
I too am impressed that you’re slugging your way through all those blogs. I started from the bottom and just finished the U’s. My eyes start to glaze over after a while.
I feel your pain with the new Firefox tabs. A couple of days ago, I accidentally closed an email response to a friend I hadn’t heard from in a decade. It was quite a few paragraphs long. Sadly, the second version wasn’t nearly as witty and thoughtfully composed as the first.
Thanks for the shout out! If you have any gags, send ‘em my way!
Awwww….*laughs*
Actually,as an artist, you should be able to relate to children better than most folks. Children live in a world of imagination, fantasy, and emotion. You may think you’re doing them a favour by not condescending to them, but you’re also depriving them of one of the best parts of childhood…hell,the best parts of any age…that innocent, beautiful belief in AnythingInTheWorldIsPossible. :)
I love children.I don’t have any, but I actually get along with them better than I do most grown-up people. Children are dreamers,romantics,idealists. Children are free-spirits. Children are all artists.
Only a very few of us are allowed to keep that sensitivity and enthusiasm for life as adults…and if we try, it is beaten out of us in the name of “responsibility”,”obligation”,”being realistic”, and so forth. Let them have their moments for as long as they can. :)
Because, you know, the world WOULD be a better place if there was someone flying about in a blue cape able to protect us from evil, all because he ate his fennel on a regular basis. ;)
Hehehehe…yes, learning piano via Tori isn’t necessarily the easiest undertaking. But I *love* playing her stuff on piano, even if it doesn’t sound quite like she plays it. ;P
I think Choirgirl and Earthquakes are her best albums; the first for the musical complexity, the second for the lyrical rawness.
Anyhow, it’s interesting that you learned to read music via that album. :)
*Hugs*,
*~ A.
Thanks for the link! Very sweet of you. I’m not sure I’d have the energy or patience to go through so many blogs. :)
I’m glad you like the cake. I cannot take credit for the Ladybug, it was something that my brother found somewhere (about 70% marzipan, I think). I did make the triple-dairy cheesecake, though, and it was YUMMMO.
Haaa! I bet Superman DID eat his fennel. And just because I’m morbidly curious-how many bites did your toddler guest end up eating?
I wholeheartedly agree about trying other peoples’ weird diets even if you don’t intend to make it your full-time eating philosophy. I’ve had some great raw food that way.
also, I will tell my mom that you said that about the cake and I guarantee it will make her day. ;)
This is absolutely fantastic. I think there are prizes involved, no? You should definitely get something nice for this ;)
hey thanks for the comment and link – I am tinkled pink, though why this is so when I don’t know you, nor am I sure of the validity of your reviewing, I am still trying to figure. Whatever, I will bask in the glow of fellow bloggers following links around the globe to reach my humble blog.
I don’t do TV either, and I didn’t learn to drive until I was 23. I grew up outside Washington, DC, so I felt like, are you kidding me? Then, in college, I lived in a place where it was feasable not to. I really didn’t think I’d ever learn to drive.
Unfortunately, where I went to grad school there was no choice. Now I do it, but only when I have to.
I was trying to explain this to a potential suitor once and he said, “So you don’t drive and you don’t have a TV. Are you a Mennonite?”
It’s the only explanation!
I have to say the *one* thing that sometimes makes me feel a little funny about not having a license (or any intention of getting one soon) is the knowledge that my baby brother is going to be able to drive me around in the near future.
reading websites (I have ~150 on my feed thingie, plus the lj friends page) feels like a HUGE waste of time compared to watching tv, though. I don’t know why that is. maybe because with TV I always turn it on for something specific … but the internet I turn on whenever I’m not doing something else (or, especially, when there’s something else I want to avoid doing).
I credit my slippery grasp on sanity to wine and copious amounts of vodka. Thanks for asking.
Thanks for the shout out. As for my regular posting schedule once NaBloPoMo is up, it should remain fairly constant.
I usually try to post once a day, although on days when I’m really hungover, I might skip it
she “may be pregnant”…
appears she was telling the truth this time:
[ed. note: photos redacted]
Wow, right?
xo
:D chiming in to say thanks for the mention and kudos. i tend to babble quite a bit about food, eating, working out etc etc etc; I’m glad to hear that someone found it of interest!
Fitting in sucks. Being mocked for being smart sucks. “Dumbing down” …. don’t do it, you’ll begin to think YOU suck. It’s not like they’re going to appreciate it anyway … (says she who sits with a book at lunch and doesn’t go on the group lunches)
That was beautiful, Crisis. I think it takes special people to be able to live life on their own terms.
Found you through various NaBloPoMo links. You have a great blog here.
Thanks so much for mentioning my blog. I appreciate it! I invite you and your readers to check out Grand Rounds on my blog. Grand Rounds is the best that the medical blogosphere has to offer this week.
Sorry, I posted too early. I also wanted to say that I’ve been enjoying your blog and I’ll be adding you to my blogroll. Thanks!
You know, “Like A Virgin” is the first cassette I can remember buying at the record store. I’m not certain it *was*, but it was the first I remember. I was totally in love with Madonna. (though I sounded alot better singing with Cyndi Lauper that year…*lol*)
Also, your voice and style are admirably suited for Beatles stuff. I’d be curious to hear you do some others, at some point in time. :)
Everyone has their specialty, even dumb people (especially dumb people) and it’s a really smart move to make friends with people across the board at least at work.
I agree that you shouldn’t dumb it down. Shine, baby shine. Maybe you could use fake humility to take the edge off of other social situations but work is not the place, I think you’ll find more respect (and friends) when you start using your talents without shame.
I think television is weird because people seem to care more about what’s going on with celebrities and fictional characters more than they care about their own lives.
When I gave up the television was also when I found the spare time to design, blog, and read books with words.
It wasn’t obscure for me. Yet another great trio. Well done!
Yay!! Fabulousness!!:) I am actually quite impressed (and you know how rarely I ever say that *laughs* )…both “Dilate” and “Spark” came off wonderfully!:) Was this Trio worth the 6 hours of effort? *lol*
No comment on your performance at all, but I just didn’t care for the second song much. I actually didn’t know the song, but it reminded me too much of Liz Phair after she toned down the edginess to go all pop-compatible. ;)
Anyhow, kudos!! You’ve been putting out some great stuff this month…it’s like you’re all motivated or something!! ;)
*Hugs*,
*~ A.
I really liked your rendition of Tori Amo’s “Spark” – A few friends of mine have tried to turn me onto learning some of Tori Amo’s music, and while I’m not too famliar with most of her music, this one I remember hearing on the radio sometime.
Perhaps I ought to go pick up her piano sheetmusic and see if I can arrange it to include Tori’s vocals (I don’t sing). Good job for handling the complicated time signature changes, and for making Alayna’s day!
Hehehehe…you know it *always* makes my day when people do what I ask them to. ;)
After all, nobody ever listens to me…;P
Hey, I’ve also asked YOU to sing some Tori for me, if I recall. ;) *laughs*
Me… Sing? Alayna, do you have a deathwish? My voice will put poor little kittens to death. I will arrange a Tori Amos song for you, with the melodic lines included, but I will not *sing.* Unless, you want to find a piano somewhere while you and I are in the same city, and you can be my vocalist. In fact, start practising your “Cornflake Girl” – I have that one already down :P
I could totally get in on that, Cornflake Girl has an awesome guitar part (plus the call-and-response vocals).
funnily enough, tom chose a garrison starr cd off the shelf yesterday morning. I don’t think I’d heard one of her songs in at least a year, and now it’s two days in a row.
Hahahaha….well, I am fairly masochistic, most of the time..so it might be worth it. ;P
It sounds like we’ve got ourselves a band! *laughs*
Online shopping is a lifesaver for those of us who get dizzy and panicked from the sensory overload of shopping in a store and from the throngs of people we have to share space with. I still go out shopping for things like clothing and electronics that I’d like to play with before buying. But I do all my research online first so that my shopping is specific and targeted and I don’t need to navigate through aisles and aisles of shiny packaging to find what I want.
Whatever gene makes people want to shop, I don’t have it. I hate shopping. I’ve always hated shopping. I guess there are some exceptions. But I would never cruise the mall looking for an outfit. I would go into a store and buy a pair of black pants. Now I have 8 pairs of black pants. I have no idea why I’m this way or what it is that I don’t like about it. However, I do get the long tail thing. Stores tend to be filled with lots of the same crappy stuff and it’s more fun and way easier to discover fun different stuff online.
thanx for hitting the last letters before the end of nablopomo, X Facta appreciates your thoughtfulness :)
“I don’t like musicals.”: How did I not know this about you? And, how did we manage to become friends? *lol*
I guess my tastes are more to the obscure, because there was some severe eye rolling when I saw the Kelly Clarkson cover, but I listened because you moved on to Radiohead and Hedwig. *laughs*
This was a really solid effort, but what I was really impressed with was your vocals this time around. The last two songs are fairly rangy, and both had spots where they really showed off the higher end of your range to its advantage. Both are great to keep in your performance repertoire. :)
That being said, I heard your voice complaining a bit by the time you got towards the end of the second song (sorry, I’m a former voice major, so I have to notice. *lol*), so you may want to take it easy on yourself before putting the next Trio up. ;) You’ve got to keep up with your vocal exercises to sing “Hedwig”. :P
(I saw Hedwig in NYC three times; once in Atlanta. I didn’t think I’d enjoy it, but Michael Cerveris more than blew me away, and the music is wonderful. )
As always, a most enjoyable listen!:)
I’m going to have to sprout some selective memory about you being a vocal major, or else start having anxiety attacks every time i blow a note or use a terrible Philadelphia dipthong :)
I really had to play in mixing to make this Trio come off not-too-screamy; i’m still not comfortable recording my higher range.
The slight irony is thati recorded Hedwig first because i was afraid i wouldn’t have the range after the other two; i would have been warmed-up much better if i really played it last.
Thanks for the link! I went back and read the previous post, and you’re right, by going out on Friday I did get to experience a few moments of human kindness. And I read that the Wal-Mart website crashed Friday morning from all the people trying to shop online.
Good luck with the rest of the reviews!
Well, actually that makes much more sense…because the place the vocal fatigue was most obvious was in the Radiohead song. So, that’s actually a little better. :) However, you should have warmed up before doing either. ;) (The “Hedwig” is the most difficult,though.)
You actually have a lovely range…you should get more comfortable with the upper end of it. :)
Hehehehe….no worries, I’m not nearly so obnoxious as all of that. ;P
No,really. :)
Thanks for the link. I like the nablopomo roundup idea – this should keep me reading well into the night.
Hang in there for the rest of the reviews. I am one of the monstrous S blogs. I feel your pain. Thanks for all of your hard work.
Just thought I’d say hi as I’m trying to visit and comment on as many of the NaBloPoMo blogs as I can. :)
This is a really cool layout; great work on it :)
I like being able to listen to it straight from the main page.
anyway, this is one of my least favorite kelly clarkson songs (not counting the contractually obligated AI songs… a moment like this?) but it sounds awesome when you do it! I was surprised. (also surprised to hear you say that your songs are getting more pop-like, since listening to the recent recording of ‘under my skin’ gave me the impression that you were allowing yourself to be a little more relaxed with structure, which heightens the thoughtful, reflective qualities of your songs.)
and I thought you rocked the hedwig!
Oof, I just can’t drink the way I used to. That can make me sad on Friday mornings since I both insist on watching Grey’s Anatomy and find that it can only been done with some degree of inebriation.
Good luck with the S’s. I’m looking forward to finding some good new stuff to read out of your reviews. I’ve enjoyed the posts you’ve highlighted so far.
Thank you for your kind mention of my little blog. I’ve pumped it up abit this week and gone back to my first love, smooth jazz. Don’t be surprised if you find me getting into the Christmas mood in the couple of weeks. Never know what you’ll find over here.
Interesting blog you’ve got here. I need to investigate it further. Cheers!
I guess since I still owe you an email, you can still owe me a trio!
I can’t believe it’s been six years though! I mean, I can, but wow. that memory of watching the reflection of me + field + sky in your green guitar is one of the things I can always play back effortlessly in my head (like it wasn’t six years ago).
Thanks again for mentioning my blog and including me in your Trio of links. I really appreciate it. Hope everyone enjoys Grand Rounds!
Thanks for the mention!
If anyone is looking for a web/blog designer, she can be found at the link in my sidebar for Seaglass. That’s her blog…She was great.
So why have you hidden your email from those neurotic bloggers who like to randomly email other bloggers? :)
I was going to send you an email, do you mind shooting me your email?
There is something wonderful about reading a little vignette of someone’s life and just feeling happy… not only happy because they are happy… but because something they shared also made you appreciate the moments when life really isn’t that bad.
Thanks for sharing. I think you’ve done an excellent job on the post. Remove your fingers from the keyboard – no more editing! :)
Thank you for sharing that. This part jump out at me:
“I’ve been raised my whole life to believe that if you leave a car unlocked a bum will pee in it, and if no bum is available someone else might do the deed just to teach you a lesson.”
That’s my experience, too. I was raised to be afraid that my Halloween candy might have razors hidden in it. And that I shouldn’t make eye contact with “strange” people. And that if I answered the door while I was home alone, I’d surely get kidnapped. I try so hard not to raise my daughter with that kind of fear. I hope she has lots of “Bonnaroo nap moments” in her life.
Haha–thanks for the linkylove!
I love the idea of acting out soap operas with pencils. And you could just sharpen away the really annoying characters… and maybe chew on the ones that are too pretty… perhaps add a few crayons in to play the off the wall characters that every family seems to have. I can hardly wait to attend a really boring meeting now.
I don’t know you, and you don’t know me.. But I was googling (that should be a word, “googling”-anyway..) “easy ani difranco guitar tabs”, because I am a big big fan of Ani’s (well, upcoming to be big, let’s say.) and want to learn her songs on guitar.. Though I haven’t really played much, and would think I rather suck at it.
But anyway, I skimmed through your blogs, and to my demise, wasn’t what I was looking for, but read some entries, none the less.. And I guess well, my point for all this being is, you made me Laugh Out Loud (LOL seems too cheesy) at your episode you described: (”drowning in my shower because i couldn’t figure out how to turn off the water. Elise further confirmed that i did invite about a dozen people to our house for martini’s and The Simpsons, even though we neither have ingredients for martinis or reception for the Simpsons”).
…And I just wanted to thank you
for the cheer-up to my day.
Blah! I just finished with W’s and Z’s. I’m done! Course… it’s really late and I didn’t get to your badge of appreciation :( Well, You get one in spirit! :)
Those Ws took forever. Nice highlights of the P’s though. I’m definitely going to come back tomorrow and surf through your suggestions.
Cheers.
Dude. If there’s ever a NaBloPoMo convention and you and I both attend, I’m going to make out with you.
I must commend you for taking on this task. I’ve tried reading systematically, because I’m anal that way, but just can’t make i very far. Part of my problem is similar to your Wikipedia post about spending an entire evening and not reading what you originally looked up in Wikipedia. I read a comment or two and next thing you know it’s hours later and I’m not reading NaBloPoMo blogs.
I have to say I appreciate the shout out you gave my blog and I really appreciate the notes on the text size. I recently gave my blog a makeover and didn’t realize only the most recent post had large, readable text. This information is critical and I’ll now look into improving upon the presentation.
Oh well…I apologize for the long comment and again…thanks for the notes. I’ll be back to read more from you soon.
I suppose you could call Moose my “friend.” Even though I am just using her for her Californian climate, her tasty breakfasts that uphold bacon as the central element it was intended to be, and her sweet, sweet cookies. (Essentially, I guess what I’m saying is, the woman keeps me warm and fat. What else could you ask for?)
Seems like an amazing accomplishment to me. Congratulations on completing the visits *and* the daily posting.
Also – fine looking place you have here. Very slick!
You ROCK! I think we need an I
You have no idea how amused I am that strangers on the Internet are pimping for me to get me a man. Thank you for the inclusion in your summary.
I am ridiculously impressed by your stamina in this “reading-every-NaBloPoMo-blog” thing. Wow. Just… wow.
You insanity keeps me sane. Love it. Thanks for the reminder of “Things We Said Today” one of the best Fab Four underrated songs ever.
Thanks for the kind words regarding the Stinky Mouse Blog. My own domain is on my Christmas list, but I’m not too sure about different services. I’m a pretty dyed-in-the-wool Mac user so that’s how I ended up here. I’m using Rapidweaver to write the blog – it’s a really easy GUI editor, and also works seamlessly with .Mac. It would work with any other service too, but I’m interested in learning more about “real” blogging server-based software. Thanks for the offer of help, what do you recommend?
i HAVE some blueberry stoli just waiting for me to try it! the mix was tried in a fit of laziness. (and it’s pretty good!) also new to my liquor cabinet is some pmengranate liqueur i think may pair wonderfully with the stoli–we’ll see…
Thanks for the link! It’s awesome to know that there’s a self-important Beatle-loving Philadelphia out there. Rock on with your bad self.
Life’s a trip! Thnaks for stopping by.
:)
Krisis – “She’s got a ticket to ride!”
this whole thing has really brought out the lunatic in you, huh? :)
Congratulations! I’m in awe – and not even halfway through all those blogs. I’ve really enjoyed your posts this month and definitely plan to stick around for more.
I’m impressed that you read from each site! That is still my goal, but I don’t think I will finish any time soonI’m still in the A’s (I had to copy the list to a Word Document because I don’t want to miss anyone)- granted, I was away from a computer for about a week, but Wow…totally impressed. I love the look of your site. Very interesting and fresh. Keep up the good work.
krisis- I feel honored that you “touched religion with a ten-foot pole” in my case. I’m glad you liked those posts.
someone told me that you gave my blog a shout out and i just wanted to say thank you. i like the vagina post, too. however, now that i know you read all of the participating nablopomo blogs i feel i should offer you something more than just thanks. you deserve a platinum sceptre topped with the diamond encrusted nablopomo logo of your choice.
but since it may take a while for me to set all those stones, how about an e-hug in the interim? if you piece together the photos for days 8, 11, 16, 18, 19 and 21 you can get a pretty good idea of what a real hug from me may be like. place double emphasis on day 16 though, just for the sake of posterity.
your blog is great! thanks again!
hi peter–thanks for your comments on my blog! it means a lot to me.
Bravo! This has been our tradition (mine and my husband’s) for a few years now. We sent out a letter the first year describing how thankful we felt for all the people and things we already have in our lives. My husband’s side of the family thought we were crazy and didn’t know quite how to deal with the situation. My side of the family thought it was great, made donations in our names, AND bought us gifts. It’s taken a few years, but everyone’s more or less come to terms with it. It feels great not to shop like crazy for the “perfect gifts,” but it feels even better to help people who really need it.
Thanks for the mention. I thought it was amusing that the authors figured Tolkien would bother copying Wagner when he had so many other sources to copy – as did Wagner.
Hah. Quite the adventure. I figure I’d drop in and read a line or so and check up on the writing of yours.
But that’s very cute. I don’t know what “that” is referring to, exactly.. but everything.. So, I guess what I meant to say was, “everything in this entry was very cute.”
(Elise is beautiful, by-the-by..
and I’m sure you are too!)
p.s. Pittsburgh isn’t as hip on cheesesteak, I don’t think.
But I’ve had some good ones over here, too!
And there you go.
-Sara
Thanks for the kind words about Heifer International. I joined Heifer as new media director last year and really appreciate it when someone blogs about us.
We have a new BlogRaising program that lets bloggers like you help us get the word out about Heifer and raise the money we need to do our work. To learn more, just go to http://www.heifer.org/onlinecommunityfundraising
I hope you are able to take part.
Again thanks for the good words.
Congrats on your NaBloPoMo win, dahling! :)
xoxo
Hey! Woo! You won something for NaBloPoMo! Congrats!
*tries really hard not to be a sore loser*
Hey Philly Boy!
Damn you make me homesick! You know you can’t even get a decent cheesesteak or hoagie in Greensboro, NC?! Isn’t that criminal?!
And, BTW, you’ve been tagged! Go see today’s entry on my blog for details!
Ooooo….you need to refer me here, so I can visit when I’m in Philly this month!! :) $2 margaritas are worth celebrating! *laughs*
*Hugs*,
*~ A.
Awwww. I love the linkylove, too! Thanks for that. I had no idea you were doing this and going all the way through everything. Wow. You rock.
I’m loving what I see here so far. Good stuff.
I wanna go! :) After my term is over, and the holidays, we should make merry over these $2 margaritas you speak of…
xo
Yup can’t go wrong with tasty $2 drinks can we?
mmm, $2 ritas. Soooo thirsty…..
(tom) “to be a man is doing constant revision, like when writing a paper.”
(me) “your dearest dream is coming true.”
I have to say I like the “Idleness is the holiday of fools”. It is thought provoking and it’s a good mantra to have. I’m a little too OCD to have much idle time. If I sit still for longer than 2 minutes and I’m not doing something I go crazy. Of course, sometimes what I’m doing has nothing to do with work… like right now for instance. Here I am, on work time, eating a bowl of cereal and visiting Crushing… :) but in about five minutes I’ll be on the phone with clients, updating help desk tickets, building client platform sites, and training a new employee. I guess I better get busy, eh?
I saw that you linked to my site in reviewing the U’s and just wanted to say thanks for reading.
I’m still looking around here but you have a great site…
I have a close knit group of friends and we all have young children. We get together for a gift exchange every year and draw names for each child. This year, we are still going to buy gifts for the children but each child will be bringing money from their piggy banks for Heifer International and a gently used toy to donate to the local crisis nursery. I hope to do more of this with our kids in the future.
Hi! Thanks for the shout out to me and my romantic 4-year-old son, too! He is quite the ladykiller, let me tell you.
a few years ago i received “keep on charging the enemy, so long as there is life.” it’s one of only a few fortunes that i’ve saved for any length of time (though i don’t have it anymore i don’t think.) it seemed to fit with the way i often feel like life is an ongoing battle of some sort. there is so much wrong with the world, on both micro and macro levels, and it seems like my way of being is always to fight it, rarely to find peace and go with the flow…
The best fortune cookie I ever got said “You will receive a cake.” Sadly, I did not.
Congratulations on winning a prize!
Maybe we should start a club? The “A Personality Type” Work Club, and the “Look! Something shinny! Personality Type” Home Club? Because you’ve just pegged my home desk and dinning room table. *sigh*
I’m the opposite, but not so extreme. At the office I tend to have big stacks of stuff on the desk and floor that I “organize” by moving around or shufflling into new stacks. Anything without a deadline takes forever. At home I like everything put away. Books, papers, mail. Even kitchen and laundry.
Are you secretly working in my home office? -looks around suspiciously-
I have file folders for my clients and my pending projects. I have print out of to-do items (my outlook inbox is organized by sender or client). I have 3 or 4 pens and 2 or 3 pencils… I usually end up with 2 or 3 in my hair, which I forget about and then dig around for the ones I’ve “lost” and then my day ends with not piles… but one large pile from in front of my printer to under my lamp… and it drives me insane until I clean it all up again… but every day it’s the same.
Lovely song. I am not much of a music critic so I can’t give much more feedback other than I really like your music.
Tipsy holiday lunches with dear friends and Tori Amos are both equally fabulous. Liking them shows that you are indeed a man with very good taste.
Have you considered “Falling is Like This” as a possibility? I’m not sure it fits under the category of “Advice Untaken”, but I’ve been listening to it compulsively lately and I’d love to hear your take on it. :)
Hahaha, I’ve been listening to it compulsively for about 10 years, and I play it pretty darn well. I would have to recruit girlfriend for it so we could do the harmony parts. However, I just did Ani (and Tori), so now I’m trying to branch out a bit ;) – any other suggestions?
The best slip of paper I ever discovered in a fortune cookie said, ‘Many a false step is made by standing still.’
This was years and years ago. I still have it, because it reminds me that some kind of something is better than nothing at all. Just set your mouth right and lift your foot. The rest is all details.
Maxim and I do a couple of little three- or four-day jaunts solo a couple times a year. Feeds the soul, and I wake up missing him and the kids fiercely by about the third day. He went to Suwanee for their biannual music fest in October and even came back a day early because he’d had his fill of Alone.
It’s important to remember who you are as an individual; that individual is what drew your partner in the first place. Spending a bit of time apart sharpens the edges of that back up nicely.
Congrats on learning it early on. Co-worker is indeed brilliant.
I listened to two songs :Couldn’t Keep It and Things Left Unsaid. You are an EXCELLENT guitar player. I could hear your signature in your licks . I’ll be back to hear more. Well done. Lisa
Hey there!!:)
Just wanted to drop by and tell you it was absolutely fabulous to hang out with you and Elise the other evening! It was even more fabulous to finally get to see you perform in person…you’ve got an amazing stage presence that fits your voice so perfectly. :) I was reminded why I’ve been such a big fan for so long.
Give me a buzz before I go back to ATL…that is, unless my shameless distribution of hugs and glitter has resulted in an Alayna-ban. *laughs*
Digital cameras are fantastic. My husband is the “photographer” in our family. It sounds like you are having fun! Can’t wait to see your endless shots while you learn. :D
I like.
Dieing of curiosity … why the run on Madonna? Are you putting together a musical retrospective with some clever twist? Or just a huge fan?
Inquiring minds want (need) to know! (or maybe just busy-bodies need to know!)
For a while I was filling in the out-of-print books slowly whenever I could find them on Amazon or Half, but I may have a little project up my sleeve that is fueling the current run on the last few difficult finds (True Blue and Who’s That Girl were a little hard to track down; I’m Breathless is all-but impossible to locate).
Although, in general, when I find a copy of something out-of-print my collectorism forces me to snap it up, even if i don’t need it at that very moment.
Egads! Sorry about your customer disservice. It doesn’t sound like you cried or wanted to smack your forehead into the desk, so at least it ended well.
Does this sheet music binge mean more Madonna songs in future trios? Because that would be awesome. :)
Hooray for Madonna and hooray for you for doing such a great cover! I can’t wait to hear the next one. :)
Hi there :) I saw you were linking to my blog, and I was curious to know more. I haven’t updated it in forever, but I just reinstalled Wordpress. Just wondering how you found it, and why you thought it was good enough to link to :)
Thanks,
Jesirose
my boyfriends computer does not easily allow me to listen to any of your stuff, so sorry I can not comment on that. But I am hoping your life is doing good. Shit, I have “known” you for years. I hope you are doing what you have wanted to do for so long now.
You’re doing a FINE job of blogging there, buddy.
I’m really likein’ your music.
Really, keep up the good work.
That sounds like SOOOO much fun. I’ve never been to Vegas or Atlantic City. I’d love to see either one. I’m not a gambler but the experience of it would just be exciting!
Sounds like you had a blast! I’ve never been to Atlantic City, but Vegas was fun even though I’m not a gambler. The people-watching there is phenomenal. :)
Atlantic City always amazes me. I’ve been to AC and Vegas, and would choose AC over Vegas because of the surrounding environment…Beach vs. Desert. A casino is a casino no matter how you look at it, it’s where it is that counts.
The letdown in terms of Casino ambiance may have had something to do with the fact that we were at the Tropicana. We go there because the quarter has nice restaurants, shops, and, of course, the karaoke bar.
If you happen to go back, you should go to the Borgata. That one should fulfill most of your casino fantasies. At the very least, the waitresses are hot.
Sorry, I know it’s rude to laugh but I think I laughed my way through this entire post. This weather is the worst !
It’s a good thing you had an extra suit waiting at the cleaners, or you might have been making a mad dash to Kenneth Cole in nothing but undies and socks!
Seriously, it seems like you should inform someone at SEPTA about the marmalade. They probably won’t reimburse you, but at least they can tell someone on the maintenance crew to be more careful.
If it’s any consolation, when I started riding the bus in my ‘hood, I once sat in something like Hawaiian Punch, while wearing cream colored pants. Thanks to Septa upgrading from plastic seats, the fabric had simply soaked it up, and it was pretty much indiscernable because of the pattern. I had no idea till I felt it soaking through. Not only were the pants brand new and the stain permanent, but I didn’t have anything to change into and was forced to wear them for the rest of the day.
OMG, that is soooooooooooooo SEPTA. I can just hear Patti LaBelle right now, “Free your SEPTA marmalade…Voulez-vous brulez avec moi ce soir?”
Miranda – What’s funny is that I hadn’t even noticed how cold it was, as my layered ensemble was so warm. Of course, it became readily apparent later in the day when I was walking around in just my suit-jacket.
Elizabeth – The thing is that I’m not entirely sure where in my travels I picked up the marmalade, as I take a subway *and* a trolley, and spend time in both of their respective stations. I’d feel like a dope calling up to say that I encountered a rusty substance *somewhere* in a two mile radius :)
Ayelet – Seriously, now that I have a brand new coat I feel like I need to wear a pair of white linen gloves to spot-check every piece of SEPTA I touch – I trust nothing! I hate that the frabic seats get damp; I never minded the plastic ones. At least you can hose down plastic.
Jen – That is quite possibly the funniest comment CK has ever experienced. (Before I got to the quote marks I was like … huh, does Patti sing the SEPTA jingle? Does SEPTA *have* a jingle?)
I haven’t been by in awhile, and now I know why I need to be more consistent. You make me smile with your musings. . . this entry made me cry, in a great way.
I love people like you. You and I “met” by means of your compliments that brightened my days. Keep it up, you’re changing the world in your own very significant way.
Hey, where’ve you been?
I loved your songs – your music is fab. Thanks for sharing.
I know this is an old post, but pleeeeeeeeeeeeease get back to me. I am a latecomer to this album. I’ve been listening to this album everyday and am dying to hear what you’re talking about. I wanna hear the Jon Brion versions really really bad. PLEASE WRITE ME BACK.
michael.paul.schultz@gmail.com.
As an avid watcher of Bad Girls on Oxygen, I think, or Bravo, I would ask if you have upset a bad girl recently. Revenge on that show is spraying bleach or laundry detergent on the womens’ clothing who irritate the bad girls.
With all the people being glued to department store toilet seats, it might just have been urban guerrilla warfare.
Hi,
I was wondering if you mind sharing how you create the MYSQL tables to store the lyrics and chords and display them in the proper format together.
Thanks for your time.
Take care
Ooooo….this sounds good!! I love strawberry martinis, so I’ll add it to the “to-try” list!
I’m back, after being MIA for a few months…I miss my computer when I don’t have it!! :)
Yes on the nickel and dime v. throwing money at big things. You know what I refuse to pay? A fee to use the ATM. This drives me insane because my husband thinks it’s no problem in exchange for the convenience. I think it’s a big corporation squeezing me. Then there are other things I throw money at without even blinking. I can’t think of a great example right now.
Okay, the image of you muttering “fuck” into a professional recording had me laughing for quite a while. Also, it would seem that when you are sleep deprived you relapse into treating recordings, evening professional ones, like one of our recording sessions.
Impressively, I don’t think any of our tomfoolery between takes has ever been profane…but that will probably accidentally change. Sometimes I’m amazed by how little I can control the bad words that come out of my mouth. For instance, one time I was playing Ultimate frisbee with a bunch of people, many of whom were kids. Everytime I screwed up I would drop the f-bomb or something equally bad. And everytime, I would get glares from the little kids who had been taught that those words were bad and then I would remember how different my childhood was since my parents had absolutely no problem using those words around me…and yet, I will probably always curse less than they will when they grow up.
Little Earthquakes indeed!
Congratulations on the song writing gig (FOR $$).
And all the other good progress too!
I love your version! I’m glad you finally got around to recording it.
2 things:
1. I tagged you in a Meme on my blog. Please don’t hate me! It’s easy, 8 habits/facts about you your readers may not know.
2. This is a friend of mine from the UK. I thought you might appreciate it.
I don’t know if this horrid URL will get you there or not! I will also send you the MP3.
http://www.okcupid.com/journal?pid
=3263393578434669605&tuid=
10117376025175597341
I broke it into 3 parts – it needs to be one line. :(
Yay! I love it.
I hate the phone, too. But I’m mature to the point of decrepitude and I’m still pretty self-involved.
Perhaps you discovered that it’s not quantity but quality that really counts.
;)
I remember when I was in college and I was in front of the computer so much that it always seemed worth my time to drop everything and blog as things came into my mind. That allowed me to capture a lot more of my life than I do now, but it also led to a lot more halfassed things being posted. And a lot of my life being spent writing about things instead of doing things.
These days lots and lots of posts end up withering before I get the chance to write them, and I try to tell myself that that’s good — it means I’m not dwelling self-immersed in the internet; it means I’m out doing things and talking to people and hopefully appreciating moments even if I never record them later.
As far as poetry is concerned, I tend to write late at night or on public transportation. It’s a tricky business, though, because I never have a computer on at those moments, and the little notebook I keep handy for this sort of thing is too small for me to be able to break lines where I want to, and it’s hard to get a feel for how a poem is working when you can’t backspace and have cross-outs everywhere, so most of the time I end up with a prosey mess from which I might be able to cull some phrases later. If I just have a line to write down, it keeps me from forgetting it, but it’s hard to really draft anything properly unless I’m at a computer.
While blog posts tend to die on the vine, my poetry usually has the problem of being plucked too early. When I think of something that might be good, I write it down immediately for fear of losing it, but sometimes I haven’t allowed it to move around enough in my head, and pinning it to the page keeps it from growing in the way that it needs to. Once a poem has been written down, I can move lines around, and fuss and poke at it, but ultimately underneath it there is a certain form that can’t be broken, and if it’s come out wrong I just have to start from scratch. Something of the fluidity of thinking about an idea is lost as soon as it hits the page.
I’ve spent most of the summer trying to write poetry for workshop and largely neglecting the blog, but I’ve been meaning to write about writing and I hope to do that in the next week or so.
It’s nice to see you posting again.
I would have found this thought-provoking an insightful, had I not found myself hung up on one tiny little question…
Why only seven seasons?
Because seasons without Mulder don’t count.
Mulder pfft. As long as there’s Scully, there’ll always be a place in my heart for seasons 8 and 9.
Have since re-read the entry, and found it to be just as thought-provoking and insightful as I expected it to be. I will now attempt to organise my time as neatly as I do my x-files collection.
That’s the way my time management works too. Too much time, no management. Too little time, crisis.
Enough time for everything to get done, but no room for procrastination? A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
So sad to admit, I like doing laundry. It’s like bathing or brushing my teeth and when I’m finished I have nice clean clothes. But my dear husband creates about 90% of the laundry and I sometimes get tired of folding his t-shirts.
Also, totally agree on the XFiles w/o Mulder don’t count. I’ve been thinking about re-watching the first three seasons. Season one is in the Netflix queue but nowhere near the top.
As a former child whose inquisitive was inhibited by adults, it hurts to observe other children getting the inquisitive beaten out of them. As the mother of three inquisitive children, I am happy to report that while they require more parenting than a docile child might, they are incredibly rewarding to be around.
I have a special loathing reserved for Lincoln, Lexus, and Hummer drivers. The drivers of those cars seem to operate under the assumption that traffic laws do not exist for them.
I had never listened to Rilo Kiley before last week (though I’d heard of them, of course) when one of my friends brought in the new album and played it at work. I really enjoyed it on the first listen, which is rare for me. My parents gave me a Newbury Comics gift card the other day, and I think Under the Blacklight is the first thing I’ll buy with it.
Plinkopalooza!!!!!
Totally OT, but have you seen or heard of a movie called Once? I think you’d like it, esp. since you’re a musical type.
Hey Flickr Guy – your out of town fans would appreciate more geographical descriptions where appropriate. Also, your sweetheart is gorgeous. RE: Once – I’m not musical at all. If possible, I’m negatively musical. I took guitar lessons for 3 years and you could tell no difference from when I started. I like the Once singer’s crazy intensity. The the movie is a good story, too and cool the way they use the music.
can you just leave the consonant out, so it’ssssucked up? (sucked up?) then you wouldn’t have that nice labial-dental (heh) fricative to sink your teeth into… but if I’m hearing the song right in my head, it goes by pretty quickly anyway. dunno. I’m surprised they asked you to change it. was it the band or the theater people?
“I feel roughed up and I can’t deny…”?
what do you mean by “it shows depth” — clearly not distance, so do you mean the intimation of volume? just curious, from a pck perspective, what factors can make those kinds of representations more effective. I like the way it goes beyond the sun and shows different classes of stars too.
It’s “just nuts”
haha. hm.
Yes, volume. I don’t think I’ve ever seen as good of display of volume before.
Also, that it does it in steps, so you can appreciate the volume differences at several different scales.
who would have guessed that if I saved a song from oblivion, it would be a ballad? :)
Hey! Thanks for the shout out. I’ve been loving the thu links. We already read a lot of the same things so I trust your judgment. I’ve also been enjoying the trio tracks. I think Relief is my favorite so far.
Thanks, Pam! It’s nice to know that all my crazy George Lucas style digital reconstruction of ancient audio is being heard somewhere outside of my bedroom.
(as long as I don’t try doing any duets with myself)
The color in that photo is amazing.
Thanks for the NFL link. That’s amazing. (The local food one is pretty cool too.)
I thought this article outlined exactly what’s wrong with Heroes, or at least I agree with the author on all the things that bother him about it. Don’t read it unless you’ve already seen the season finale, though.
Though I refuse to entertain Lost, having long-since forsaken anything attached to JJ Abrams, I completely agree with the dissection of Heroes.
Really it’s no different from the most mainstream of comics that just aspire to have any single issue picked up by anyone in a bookstore who finds the cover illustration interesting. It’s not like we’re watching Sandman here.
I liked Heroes a lot in the beginning but as the season went on, my attention wandered. Some characters I loved and others I couldn’t see the point of (Niki). That is a good article. I planned to give up Heroes after the stinko finale but I heard Veronica Mars (Kirsten Bell) is going to be on so I might have to check out a couple episodes.
Did anyone like Niki?
The temptation of Kristen Bell (and, particularly, potentially evil Kristen Bell) might be too much for me to resist.
Of course, you can argue that about almost any concept. Aren’t most of my songs just reconstituted versions of songs by other people? Haven’t I written this post about this feeling before?
That feeling is actually what I named my blog after back in the day. Your point about execution being the difference is a good one. Intimidating, too, because the more people who have come before you, the more difficult it is to do something better or differently than any of them. But perhaps different times call for different ways of communicating the same things, and that’s how innovation can resonate.
Indeed.
I’ve never read that particular post of yours before; it’s an excellent explanation of your title (and, somewhat of my beef with Heroes).
The irony I was thinking of was more self-directed. As in, I refer to an excellent essay about how links need context and a personal perspective while leaving out all context and personal perspective. The joke’s on me!
I was hoping that was the case, but it was so deadpan that I was afraid to email you about it ;)
On Friday the Oregonian had an interview with Loudon Wainwright that I think you’d enjoy. See if I can make this work: Try this and if that doesn’t work this.
i can’t wait. you two are going to be absolutely fabulous.
so proud. likely even more so tomorrow. :)
Gee, I wonder who made us look so hot in that photograph? Could it be…. you?
Seriously, we should make you a photo portfolio on Uprush so we have somewhere to point people towards when we get comments on how awesome the photos are.
which reminds me that there’s a couple more i need to work on (specifically the torn poster wall and the walking one, as well as few more where the two of you are hotter than hot).
hmm… i think that the portfolio thing might be a pretty awesome idea. i have quite a growing number of photographs that should be put somewhere for archive’s sake (if not also for posterity and shameless self-promotion). :)
let me whip something together and i’ll get back w/ you on that offer. thank you.
Man trio rocks, thanks a lot for this
You were great last night! I am so happy to have witnessed one of your top nights. Maybe we can get a drink later to celebrate? L will be in touch, me thinks.
I hope it was a happy one, my dear. SOOO glad K and I were able to celebrate with you a bit on Friday! :)
What a great story, I love it. Many congrats and belated happy birthday.
that sounds fantastic, Peter. congrats. =)
i i’m completely and totally impressed at the amount of work you’ve done, and how far you’ve come in the past year. okay, and also in the past 26… :)
in short, you rock, and i hope you’re still on a teensy bit of a birthday high.
Precisely sesso con animali immagini at you re all the same state. I.
Hi
The great surrealist, Dali, would be proud of this one.
Imagine a room with the exotic name of “No Bra”.
Imagine also a remote, deserted landscape of intense beauty and peace.
The Cozy Hotel at Brassiere Beach is a must for lovers of the eccentric,
high quality and beautiful.
G’night
When my sweetheart leaves town, I always enjoy the first 24 hours — all that time to myself. After the 2nd night I’ve had enough and am ready for him to come back. This year after our summer vacation he had to hop right back in the car and do training out of town for 5 days. Neither of us enjoyed that one.
I caught up on my trio tracks this afternon. My favorite is Granted solo. I love it that you put it out there – really honest. Great stuff.
The snow angels. I hadn t have you re always really bouncy boobs considered what you re.
I seem to be recovering a bit from the mopes – it was just hard to have her leave on a Friday and then spend the entire weekend alone.
I’m so happy that you’ve been enjoying the Trio highlights. The solo Granted is very hard for me to hear; I have all of the backing vocals and guitars so ingrained in my head that it seems too stark without them. I guess at the time I was instinctively trying to take the edge off what is really a very sad song.
whoa, something freaky has happened to melon’s arm in that first photo. it looks like it would be a good tool for turning people into bobbleheads.
Yes, you have to be judicious with the “don’t target” and “please do target” tools or else things get wacky. In that one I told it not to touch her head and her torso, so she got a voodoo shrunken arm instead.
Actually, it’s quite good for is making yourself ever-so-slightly thinner and taller in pictures.
The real question is whether others are welcome to crawl along w/ you. :) Either way, I may have some suggestions for bars…
xo
Excellent post.
I am also amazed at how catastrophically the music industry has failed to evolve. This weekend I was talking to some friends about back catalog stuff. There must be oodles of old stuff that doesn’t make any money now, that people would buy if it was reasonably priced, DRM free, and easy to download. And it would make money because it wouldn’t need packaging and shipping and the only storage space needed would be digital. Record companies should have invented the iTunes store.
1) Way to use the scanner! Yay!
2) You reminded me how much I love album covers. thanks.
3) Emily tried at one point to convince us about the LED tealights for the wedding. A bit expensive for 12 tables, 5 high-tops, and a bar though, wouldn’t you say? Still, a very neat idea.
4) Wine wedge = very cool for fridge use. But is that green seriously the only color in stock? Barf (IMHO).
5) Amadeus at the Wilma, eh? Hmm…
Agree, and I liked xkcd’s attempt at mapping the blogosphere better… http://xkcd.com/256/
I am glad you liked Matthew’s interview of Maggie. Thanks for the link and your kind words. He’s 10 now, if that makes it any better. Practically an old man…no wonder he’s so talented. :)
Mel, Matthew’s mom
I had the same reaction to that Springsteen song! I’ve never been a big fan and the first time I heard it (before I knew who it was) I was thinking: this is great. I need to find out who it is. I actually tracked down an old college buddy who is a Bruce freak to tell her, “Hey, I like a Springsteen song.”
I wish I could help with the guitar or Wordpress thing however, if you ever have questions about growing pumpkins or baking, I am your go-to person.
I have two maxims:
1) Tone is in your fingers.
2) Pickup nerds make me reach for my revolver.
I’m much more familiar with the Fender world, but over there the idea that good pickups will turn a Squire Strat into a Real Strat is pretty much BS, and I suspect the same thing applies to Epi’s. Especially since it’s a hollowbody, build quality makes a huge difference in tone, inasmuch as the casual listener will probably never notice a difference anyway.
Here’s my pet peeve: Tone is such a personal preference, yet you’re expected to purchase based on someone else’s opinion, who hasn’t heard the pickups played through your guitar. There’s no way to find out how they’ll sound until you’ve had them installed, and then how willing will you be to give the guitar up again and have them taken out?
Your bridge and neck positions already sound quite different, and the Dot gives you tone controls for each. You can also use EQ, light OD, and other effects (leaving a wah in a fixed position is popular.) What else are you looking for?
As I said, I don’t know too much about the difference between various electric pickups, or for that matter about how electrics produce tone quality in general.
I was working from the assumptions that the wood was ultimately not making too huge of a difference, since it’s not as resonant as in an acoustic, so I just needed to update the hardware to effectively be playing a much more expensive guitar, which would be nice since I don’t seem to be any closer to buying a higher-end electric.
(That purchase was previously thought to be a blue Les Paul, but no matter how many times I try I really never enjoy playing them. And I don’t like Fenders in general. So, I’m not sure what I’ll buy. It just has to be blue.)
(I used to not care about this sort of thing until I bought my current acoustic, and now I understand why guitarists are so particular, and that I’m allowed to be too.)
I could always convert the gift certificate to something else, but the selector switch has always been a little iffy on mixed, and so I resolved to get that, the nut, and the pickups all swapped out in the same run, as well as a general tune-up, trust-rod adjust, et cetera.
In any event, I also need to buy an amp, which is way more intimidating to me because I don’t have a super idea of what kind of sound I want for Arcati Crisis yet.
If you’ve tried some more expensive Gibsons, and are still happy with the Epi, then by all means go for the upgrades — you could very well have found “your gem”.
Once you have your guitar the way you like it, you can use that to find an amp whose tone you like.
The folky acoustic nature of the Arcati Crisis (great name, by the way!) tracks on your myspace make me think of that light, chimey Fender, or perhaps Rickenbacker sound. Perhaps there’s a pickup that could get you closer to the classic folk-rock tone. But if you like the Gibson sound, run with it, make it your own.
Yeah, we both gravitate to that very clean Byrds/mid-Beatles guitar tone; that would probably be a useful channel of investigation for me.
(Actually, the other big influence on my hollow-body purchase was mid/late-Beatles John Lennon, who I believe mostly played Gibson Sheratons (?))
I remember the days of waking up on someone else’s couch after a long night of partying. Fun times. Nowadays after a long night of drinking I’m not cheery and fully functional for at least a week. And “long night” means I made it to midnight.
Vehicles that can be considered motor cars were demonstrated as early as 1769,
and 1885 marked the introduction of gasoline powered internal combustion
engines. Automotive history is generally divided into a number of eras based on
the major design and technology shifts.
are abridged writings real?
if you plagiarize an abridgment
is it as bad as plagiarizing a
translation?
This is an awesome story. Wait ’til you’re old, then you have conversations like this all the time. There was a good one in our lunchroom the other day but I’m too braindead at the moment to remember or even make up something funny on the fly.
Oh look, here I am commenting again. I don’t think I mentioned it earlier, but I like the new look. You were *110%* right about NaBlo, I’m having a great time and it’s not even November yet. I’ve never done one of these social networking things before and it cracks me up every time I log on and see: You have 6 friends!
The projects I referred to in my blog 1 is revising my employment which isn’t public knowledge at the moment. (And if they see it here I will be shocked beyond all reality) The other has to do with fiction writing and you make a good point, this would be fun to write about during NaBlo. You have my eternal thanks.
hey i used to know the drummer from Presidents of the United States of America. He was in Love battery when i knew him.
I like your blog. great sense of humor. i’m looking forward to reading more.
forum de cul
Congratulations, you crazy kids!
Congratulations! and how wonderful, and she is beautiful – and so is the ring.
Wishing you all the best!
-Mit
Yay! Many congrats. I love the photos. Can’t wait for the awesome schmaltz.
What wonderful news. You’ve got all my congratulations and wishings-well!
word on the street is that you might be dragging your sorry ass out to east falls every saturday for our favorite open mic sometime in the near future… details forthcoming. could mean better things, exposure-wise (i assume there will be better attendance on a saturday, since weekend open mics are pretty much non-existent in philly). josh is worried that there will be less “regulars” so i’m trying to rally the troops. :)
I’ve had company non-stop since 10/14. The last of them left yesterday. Although it’s nice having people around … boy is it nice to have NO ONE around too … *sigh*
There are 4800+ people signed up as of this moment. You gonna read them all this year?
I’m thinking just the ones who care enough to put themselves on the Blogroll, because they’re more likely to be writing the sorts of things I care to read. Or, at least that’s what I’ve convinced myself of. It’s actually going to be way harder to coordinate in general because there’s really not a definitive list (aside from whatever the Randomizer runs off of – that might be a profitable line of inquiry).
I haven’t kept up with your blog since last year’s NaBloPoMo (I didn’t keep up with my own blog either), but I’m happy to have found it again.
where’d you go? I worry when you disappear in the middle of a project that you are pouring all your OCD into…
also, I love your use of “holy ghost” as stage fright.
i was wondering the same thing…
?
Apparently I had a little hiccup last night wherein I thought I was scheduling a post to go up in about an hour (giving me time to think about editing it, although I actually wound up falling asleep on the couch). However, I was really scheduling it to go up tonight. Fixing presently.
“Holy Ghost” totally stolen from “Hallelujah.”
okay. i can wait a LITTLE bit longer. ;)
I haven’t been here for a long time, but I am glad I took today to catch up with you via your blog. This makes me miss all you so much more than I thought. I am so happy for you and Elise. I don’t mean to get sappy here, but your grand romantic gesture has definitely made me yearn for something I didn’t even think I was aware of until you told me your story. CONGRATULATIONS!
Bar crawls are so highly underrated. Awesome.
Can’t say I disagree that much. I think with pizza and the pastas, the tomato flavor comes out more lively when the dish is cold. Fish and (non-fried) shrimp especially are just more interesting.
And regardless of flavor, eating straight from the refrigerator brings a mild counter-cultural thrill. It’s like drinking straight from the jug/bottle/carton or wearing pajamas all day. It gives one a certain swagger of nonchalant defiance. Embrace those minor victories.
steinway upright piano
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Steinway grand piano
I like hot foods but I’m also the queen of the cold leftovers eaten from the carton with the refrigerator door open. Cold pizza is like the Stairway to Heaven of leftovers. I once ate cold enchiladas at the office mostly because the microwave in the lunchroom smells like satan’s diaper. My co-workers thought it was gross but I thought it went down pretty good.
See, I’m not so much a straight-fridge eater as either of you. I will totally prepare a nice cold plate as if I’m going to warm it up, and then just eat it cold.
Pam, I totally forgot cold Mexican food; that’s a particular favorite I sometimes order extra at our favorite restaurant just so I can eat it cold at home.
I’ve noticed that I’m eating a lot more cold food in general now that I’ve mostly given up cheese, which leads me to believe I was mostly only warming things up to melt cheese in the first place.
I really liked this post, so I decided I’d “de-lurk” myself and say so. I’ve been reading for only a week or so now, but I really like your writing and it’s not often I start becoming addicted to a new blog! (Dial-up has a lot to do with that.)
Anyway, lately I’ve been starting to investigate a longtime casual interest and possible new love (not a person, but a subject) and it excites me! I think you’re spot on in that it’s about enthusiasm for something, so I’m glad for your advice and will attempt to follow your inspiring suggestion.
Cheers!
I love this post. I’ve thought since childhood that I wasn’t artistic or creative, but I am! I’m just learning to let go of that cautious voice and create already. I’ve always been so scared that I wouldn’t do it right… and ended up never doing anything artistic at all.
BTW, I tagged you on my most recent blog post. And I understand if answering those silly questions isn’t your thing. :)
Beautiful. Bold yet playful.
can you think of any examples where filler-movies are good? I can’t. babylon 5’s all sucked except for one, which was interesting only because it filled in a few important holes, not because it was particularly gripping in its own right.
aw man! I was so looking forward to this. I’m still going to watch it.
They do that a lot, sometimes directly and sometimes indorectly but it might as well have been ripped off (see “Tears, Can’t Cry These”). cherry lips ripped off some song from the 70s or 80s I heard in a pizzeria uno. I’d tell you what song it was, except that no one who I asked knew. I can at least say that musically it was not-for-note identical.
Not really sure why they felt the need to do the same show and delay the original when its ratings were already begining to tank. They think drumming up interest will happen by delaying a somewhat liked show and making a show to show the human side of essentially Galactica’s enemies when they meet up? Sounds like a winner there. Next they should do a show with only Cylons called “Cylonia”. And they can show clips of quantum leap with dean stockwell and not explain the connection. Everyone would go for that.
The thinking between E and I is that they knew the writer’s strike was impending and would interfere with not only the release of S4, but also the DVD release of S3 due to the webisodes. So, they intentionally banked a script that people who were only through S2 on the DVDs would be able to enjoy. Strategically it’s super-interesting, but they could have done a lot more with the opportunity.
I’ve found a bunch of good blogs. Here’s one for you: Derfwad Manor. I’m going to do a post today about my shows. What’s your verdict on Heroes so far this season? Have you watched Torchwood? That’s my new fave.
We’re always a season behind on actual watching since we only view from DVDs. However, I keep up with my few shows on TWoP and I have to say that Heroes is continuing its unimpressive trend. Get everyone together for the finale and then split them up again? At least Kristen Bell is rocking it enough to get picked up as a regular cast member.
heroes has gotten a lot better in the last two weeks. (we usually watch it on the nbc website rather than on tv.) but I always thought it was pretty sloppy in a number of ways so I haven’t been too upset at this season, honestly.
I am not the right person to comment on the success of nablopomo, since it annoyed me last year and it still annoys me now (as manifested on the internet at large, not at ck). but you seem more premeditated this year, and maybe that’s making it less interesting & fun for you?
are you seriously asking which song you are neglecting after just the first trio of the season? ;) … I would be interested in hearing you do a trio organized around an artistic construct, rather than a conceptual theme. like talk about your lyrical decisions or something.
Wait.. this might be a dumb question, but… at this point in the story, had you already asked Elise to marry you?
Last year was way, way, way more premeditated. Like, I hardly deviated from the schedule at all, other than to do stuff a day or two early. This has been completely flying blind, despite very well-laid plans.
I figured you might have a nomination based on stuff I did last year and songs of the day (Colorblind will be here when it’s good and ready, so don’t bother. I’ve tried it twice already). Some of the themes are about shared lyrics or devices, I’ll see if one of them can be coaxed into existence on Sunday.
No, we’re way pre-engagement. The engagement itself will be the last chapter, which – if I continue at this pace – I might have done by the time we through the engagement party.
I think there’s just too much on NaBloPoMo. I usually will go on there to look for blogs and end up reading through discussions and stuff like that. But, I did find you. So, there you go. As far as blogs you should be reading…well…
Great post – I enjoy reading about your relationship with Elise. I think because it somewhat reminds me of my earlier relationship with my now husband. After we’d been dating just a few months (and I was still a little nervous around his parents), we attended his sister’s school performance of Little Women. It was a version adapted by the students, with no full-length rehearsal prior to the very full-length performance. I guess the students and the drama teacher didn’t realize that the entire play would finish at just over 4 hours! Utter hell, it was. (But my dear sis-in-law went on to do some fabulous work in community theater.)
OK, so you guys were just ring-shopping, but you hadn’t yet asked her to marry her. I just wanted to clear that up for my little fuzzy brain here. : )
Was she at all curious as to why?
Well, I think it was clear as we neared Year 5 that we were going to end up married eventually, and we had never once even casually looked at rings together, so it was a fun thing to do. Elise just wasn’t aware that I had a relatively specific timeframe of eventually in mind.
Ah, cool. Thanks for ’splainin. : )
THANK YOU SO MUCH for you help by the way, at the party
this thank you is waaay over due, but better late than never ;) you were an AMAZING help and a great friend
I truly appreciate your support, your kindness, and your blog! haha i had no idea it was so extensive… this has been very enlightening :)
thanks for the commments and I”m sorry i can’t make it to philly this month but we DEF need to meet up again soon! tell elise i say hi!
Happy New Year! Love the song. Can’t wait to see how things evolve in 08.
Good god! You’re still going Krisis? I remember reading your weblog… what 5 years ago or so now? Time flies. I stumbled back here by sheer chance. Not even sure if you remember me or not, but either way, keep up the good work!
I like the song, btw. :)
Matt Pollard.
WOW, blast from the past! Of course I remember you. I’m glad to see you are still around – hopefully safe and sound. Drop me a line sometime. -k
I cannot tell you how sad this sort of story makes me.
Stupid people …
ps: I mean “them” not you.
I just had a visit from the Jehovah’s Witnesses today, for the first time in years. What a strange coincidence. Yes, I realize the JW are not Born-Again Christians, but they have some similar beliefs, one being a kingdom that will appear at the end of the world for the righteous. (Typing that made me feel slightly icky.) I smiled and nodded and spoke to them kindly — after all, they’re my neighbours and this is a small town — but in reality, I share your views. I don’t know what comes next, but it puzzles me so much that some people are so CERTAIN. And that they’re willing to deny simple and un-harmful things to get there.
Have you read “A Complicated Kindness”?
Also, I’m slightly pleased that a fellow Leah was your crush. I don’t know why. I just am. : )
The more I go through life, the more I’m glad I had a Catholic upbringing, not because I still adhere to the whole thing, but more because out of all the sects that make up Christianity as a whole, Catholicism is actually fairly lenient in its approach to people and their relationship/nature to “sin” (the only folks seemingly more lenient in their approach are the Anglicans, who’ve been described to me by an Anglican priest as “Catholic Lite”).
As something in between an Agnostic Lapsed Catholic and a non-practicing Buddhist, by way of Deism and secular humanism, I’ve been more and more concerned as the years go by at just why people of different religious feel the need to separate themselves so vigorously from each other, and to disseminate doctrine that seemingly seeks to divide, rather than to join together. I guess it’s our human fault of wanting to have a club to belong to, alongside our need to be exclusive and different.
One more thing: my younger sister has been involved with a former Jehovah’s Witness for years, and it’s fascinating to talk to him about it. He grew up with it, turned his back on it, but for a long time, he was out there, doing the door to door thing, and still has one brother who lives on a JW compound in upstate NY. The one thing I’ll say is that, just like any other religious sect that throws the idea of sin and punishment at you along with the promise of limited room in heaven, the JWs don’t really get into the details of their acceptance of 144,000 marked, vs the reality of upwards of 7 million JWs here in the US alone.
Thank God for music, Peter, which, as you and I both know, is one of the most unifying factors of the universe. If there is a God, I’m sure God was involved in the creation of music.
How come you didn’t like Ratatouille? I thought it was pretty good, even though The Incredibles is still my favorite.
I felt like it went in a couple remarkable directions – the hallucinated sidekick, the feminist-leaning chef, the whole self v. family v. outside world – but it wrapped up much too tidily in classic Disney fashion. So, it wasn’t BAD, it was just disappointing – I really thought Brad Bird would make it a little more subversive.
You’re a top rookie!
I never really thought about how the site is a lot more passive from the artist side, but I guess I’m not really surprised. You have hit upon the strategy needed to do decently as an artist on the site, though.
I really have fun exploring the music on the site; there’s such a large back catalog that even though I’ve been there since December, I still consistently find interesting songs that I’ve never heard before and it can be fun bringing them to other people’s attention.
Pretty interesting website, I think I’ll check it out..
Wow I can’t believe how long you’ve been blogging.. Keep it up =)
That’s a very perceptive take on t61. It’s been great to gradually discover which listeners are also artists. Looking forward to checking out your stuff.
I can attest to the fact that Jennifer’s exhibit is truly amazing. Anyone in the Philly area should definitely try to make it out to see her work, which will be displayed through the month of April.
That is not a Dooce-worthy blog. At least I don’t think it is.
Come on now. I give you a lot of respect for having the longest running blog in Philly:)
(Oh… and, um, I’m part of a dragon boat racing team. So, I’m dragging down the sibling physique-average a little less these days)
Ah, *Chinese* family.
My sister and I joke that it all starts from the dinner table — Competitive Eating. One big bowl or plate of food in the center, and it’s everyone out for themselves. You snooze, you lose. You’re slow with the 筷子, you lose. Social Darwinism from the day you’re born, baby!
Which is why I can snarf down just about anything is nanoseconds.
Really, though, I love it. I’d hate to be that overacheiving prick-in-law in any other family. In this group everyone always has big news every time you see them. It’s like the family I’ve always aspired to have ;)
Hey! You somehow were mistakenly deleted from my reader. I thought you’d stopped posting. Yesterday I was looking through my bookmark file and thought, “what happened to this guy?” and there you were. You’re back in the reader. I remember the clove smoking days. Both icky yet strangely addictive.
Heehee… you said “key importance.” Heehee…. P.S. I love these posts. Obv. :)
How did it go? Any photo evidence?
This toast is perfect. Absolutely perfect. :)
Your wedding is going to be basically the best wedding ever. I’m going to be telling my grandkids about it.
Sounds like you have the perfect attitude. My husband’s best man was a woman. My best person was my sister. We told them they could wear whatever they wanted. We ignored a lot of “traditional” wedding conventions and focused on having fun with our friends. For years people told us it was the best wedding they’d been to.
Thanks for the kudos, Krisis…glad to hear you’re enjoying the blog; more artist-focused posts in the next few weeks, I promise!
thank you so much for this post!
I just wrote this whole long response, but I kept getting lost in my thoughts and was rambling… so let me just say that I love you and your passion and can only hope that there are enough people like you to continue this movement that will someday result in the woman I love and I being entitled to the rights we deserve.
Wish I read this earlier, but I just got to relive it! We HAVE to do it again!
I guess I would rate myself like this:
1. Public Speaking – 6
2. Writing – 8
3. Self-Management – 6
4. Networking – 2
5. Critical Thinking – 9
6. Decision-Making – 6
7. Math – 8
8. Research – 9
9. Relaxation – 4
10. Basic Accounting – 8
Which gives me a 66, also right around the 2/3 mark.
Sometimes my brain and the internet do a peculiar zeitgeist tango…
Same.
first of all, I don’t see what is debatable about the badness of my poems. I mean, “bleeding mindbeat” ??
second, that burlington coat factory poem is a masterpiece.
Wow, that totally blows. I’m so sorry to hear that you had to go through that crap (no pun intended). I can imagine how upsetting this has been, and how unsafe it feels, but you’re right — whoever did this is a coward. Which means they’re also too feeble to pose any serious threat to you.
Take care, be gentle with yourselves, and give yourself time to let things heal.
I’m so sorry to read this. Just crazy.
Beware the humorous verse. It will teach you some lessons.
Ohhh, hahaha: I’ve had at least five different e-mail accounts in the last eight years, but only one weblog that I’ve maintained (pretty) constantly and consistently. My ‘bloggiversary’ was 14 July.
I too have wondered if I still have anything relevant to say. Every time –and I mean EVERY time– I’m close to deciding to pull the plug, some voice swoops in out of the ether to tell me I’ve affected them in some way. So I keep going. Ultimately, really, it’s all about keeping an ongoing chronicle of my life for *me* to look back on. Some of my older posts feel a million miles away, because I’ve grown and changed and expanded my base of reference.
So yeah, I’ll keep on for another year. Someday I’ll get paid for my words, but until then they are intimately and wholly mine. I’m entirely okay with that.
You were just a BABY when I started following you, old-timer! >:o)
I still have so much to say about this, yet remain (amazingly) unable to find the vocabulary to articulate my feelings.
Mostly, I’m just very sad about it all.
And, I love you.
Hi there!
Just wanted to thank you for the article you wrote.
We (Juna) are new over at t61 and are totally amazed with the good music we find!!!
Thanks and best regards,
Dennis (Juna)
Philly is such a great blogger town – I wish more of my IRL friends were online (more), and that I could make time to meet my online ‘acquaintances’ in real life so we could truly become friends. It’s tough balancing your investment of attention in someone you’ve never met, even if you feel that you know them online.
My mother keeps telling our relatives about my blog. Kind of redefines “deeply uncomfortable” at family gatherings. I didn’t think her 75-year-old cousin even knew what a computer was.
Good for you. Stepping out of the comfort zone is a splendid thing to do.
Hi! Nice to hear from you. Yikes, I’m behind on your page as well. I have a great wedding tip for you if I can just take 5 minutes to type it out. To come.
I need a list of bar crawls in US
Drinking Liberally center city.
I’ve had my panties in a twist about Palin all weekend. oof!
Moving on. Here’s the wedding tip:
You and your bride should each find a person who can be your assistant for the day. Ideally this person will have zero other responsibilities and also have transportation and know the local area well.
This is the person who can run Grandma back to the house to find her glasses, make a quick trip to the drug store for emery boards, aspirin and band aids or can stand at the back door and make sure the cake is delivered to the right room.
We only had one such person but he really came in handy.
you said it sister! wonderfully written peter!! :)
don’t forget lindsay was also on the bill!
It seems that in my rush to get this posted and climb into my cab to the airport Lindsay’s name got eaten by her MySpace link HTML :)
Happy Pre-Birthday, Music Man!
Our lives do have such wonderful criss-crossings. Your Gina plays an old 70s Yamaha and that’s what I’ve played ever since my buddy, Steve, handed it down to me…(the story of which is way too sad for a birthday…) Anyway, just popped in to catch up!
Have a good one!
I agree. McCain is crushing Obama. Obama appears to be clueless on the basic principles of economics and foreign policy. How did he get so popular?
I also went in with higher expectations for Obama lower expectations for McCain. Just prior to the debate, I’d heard about Obama’s relentless preparation, mock debates, coaches, and refreshers, and McCain’s lack thereof. I think that showed, in that McCain really only had 2 or 3 points he wanted to make all night (spending bad! victory good!) whereas Obama seemed more ready to address the question that was asked, but McCain did a lot better than I thought he would.
I think you’re wrong about Obama’s debate skills. Everyone I read seemed to agree that Obama is not a great debater. His oratory skills lie in prepared speeches. If you remember the primary debates, he really didn’t do that well.
“obsessive need to collect tiny flecks of information”. Me too. A blessing and a curse. *sigh*
This inspires me to throw out all my tiny flecks of information, too.
I don’t know why I’m inspired to keep so much of it as various flotsam in my room; I’m much more likely to be able to relocate something if I just blog it.
BitPim is for people who don’t have fancy “smartphones” but still want to make their own ringtones or transfer pictures to and from a PC. It doesn’t support every phone (my motorola V551 is sadly not supported), but if it does support your phone, it’s a free alternative to potentially expensive proprietary software (like “motorola phone tools”).
“How to convert a DVD for an iPod” – I haven’t looked at that particular link, but there are a dizzying number of free software apps to do this – any combination of “DVD Rip” and “Video Convert” software would do the trick. It’s convenient even if you don’t have an iPod: you can get a feature-length movie down to 500mb and keep your DVD collection on a portable hard drive (if you don’t mind watching on a laptop).
Man, you are a font of knowledge this morning.
I heart Elaine
I also hope Biden doesn’t put his foot in his mouth.
On the other hand, that would instantly make him a podiatrist.
Lovely real-time journal of this… I really enjoyed watching it, too (much more than last week’s). Let’s hope that Tuesday is just as riveting.
I’ve actually supported Biden for president since 2004. Mostly for your “Straight Talk Express” point. Every time I see the guy he’s giving honest answers. I was sad that he was out of the race by the time PA voted, but such is life with the strange primary schedule.
OK…seriously…why didn’t you call me about the kittens? The kennel I worked at dealt with ferals all the time.
- The self-proclaimed queen of the kittens
Loving the recap, as usual.
P.S. The LindsEy from the health care question spelled it with an E. Leave it to me to notice such a thing. ;)
I just want to thank you for going in chronological order. Everyone else I read does it in reverse order because they’re publishing live. It’s really annoying.
When you are hitting the publish button every other sentence the reverse order thing is distinctly unhelpful – I tried it on the first debate and it confused the hell out of me.
!!!! if i ever get married, you’re going to be on speed dial.
Tell me you solved it. :)
Is it wrong I kind of want to visit bakeries and say I’m getting married now so that I too can have that for breakfast? :)
Firstly, I’m so happy you found your way over to my new home.
Secondly, I am doing the “cry when I talk” thing too, so you are in good company. :)
Now, that’s an interesting mix :D
Hope you found the right pants ;)
And this is why I’ve stayed single. Well, and a few other obvious reasons.
Anyway – thanks for noting the insanity.
Oh lord! David’s Bridal IS awful, isn’t it? Like “Wal-Mart goes to the prom with it’s cousin” awful.”
Ah! Great cover of a lovely song. This day is off to a fine start.
How beautifully said. Your mama raised you well.
Awesome cover! I love me some old-school Madonna. :)
<>
haha! I like “Jobbies”
Matt Murphy (acoustic guitar, backup vocals for Ellipsis) is my cousin’s cousin. Not sure what that makes him to me. Do you think they’d be good for LP?
Wondering who you’ll kiss next should continue to be important. I’m an old broad and still love contemplating that one!
Love your writing, Peter. And your music. You’re brilliant … and I’m so happy to know you.
Love,
S
What a voice!!!!
“Bucket Seat” has me all melty and smiley.
So impressed,
S
Thanks for the links, P! And for reading me. You’re my daily intake, as well. Plus, I listen to you while I work.
Hey P – thanks for the shout out. I had a grumpy reaction to NaBlo last year — too much to sum up in a comment. But a big part was feeling like it was so much work to find new blogs I enjoyed reading. Thanks for doing the work for me.
SHB – As soon as I unearth my office from about four inches of discarded clothing from this weekend’s frantic packing spree I will be breaking ground on a new Trio :)
P – Sounds like we’re of like mind (shocker, I know). I’m hoping to do a smaller-scale version of my alphabet-attack over T-Give weekend, so look my way then for more worthy reads.
Yes, making out with you is still on my list of things to do. I’m just glad you haven’t forgotten. ;)
aw, shucks. thanks so much for the linky love. i’m enjoying your blog as well and am glad to find a kindred spirit and a cool place for more reading :-)
oh, and i forgot to mention: i grew up on the NJ shore, so i grew up with philly radio stations (when MMR played interesting, local acts, for example.) so delighted to hear more on the philly realm.
I don’t think this story warrants a “Bridezilla” label in and of itself. A wee moment of rudeness on the phone, most definitely.
But, really… a logo? On a ring? A wedding ring?? They actually sell those? And people wear them? I’ve never seen logos on rings outside of high school or the Super Bowl. Astounding.
Yes, I definitely need to get out of the habit of dropping the F-bomb as punctuation when I’ve reach a point of maximum wedding flusteredness – as with our David’s Bridal adventure.
But, seriously, a logo RIGHT ON THE RING. Like, directly opposed to the stone. I’ve seen a lot of specialty rings with a small company logo on the interior, but I can’t think of any piece of jewelry that visibly branded in a visible spot (unless it’s meant to be, like something from Tiffany’s). Yes, that spot will be on the inside of my hand, but it alters the aesthetics of the ring. It’s just not as clean with it there.
I’m just boggled by it.
The epilogue is that we can apparently get it without the mark as a special order, but I’m sortof sour on the shop now (they did, after all, mess up the stone after about an hour of specific conversation on said topic).
I think that if you’d gotten that upset about something that would only be a memory after the wedding day, then it would possibly be Bridezilla-y. (Still worth trying to change, if it’s important to you, but not worth getting too upset about.)
But presumably you intend to wear the ring a lot even after the wedding is over. So it should look exactly how you want. And I think that principle can fairly be gender-neutral.
I think I can say pretty confidently that, while your request and subsequent frustration was entirely reasonable, swearing at the jeweler’s wife puts you solidly in “Bridezilla” territory. I certainly don’t think any rational person would approvingly refer to that as “being in control.” Clearly, there are double standards for men & women saturating the wedding industry, but I don’t think this is really a good example.
It should be pointed out that the cursing on the phone may actually be a blog reality edit; I honestly have no recollection of if I cursed at her or not. I know I subsequently used that phrase for the remainder of the day, and it made for a funnier punchline.
This is precisely how I would have handled it, starting with the outrage at the logo, the f-bomb on the phone and then later questioning whether I was being a jerk. On this matter, no, not a bridezilla. I *hate* the whole notion of branding or even that it has a name “branding” and I don’t think a logo belongs on something as personal as a wedding ring.
I wouldn’t want a logo on my wedding ring either. Assuming I owned one, that is.
There are times in life when “fuck” is the only appropriate emphasis, and this was one of these times.
It was my father (RIP) who taught me to swear effectively, and I thank him for that almost daily.
Words are just words, and limiting oneself is just that … limiting.
If you really need to edit yourself in certain company, you can always do it in franglais, and use “seal”. That animal in French is a fuque. So, for seal’s sake, P, go for it.
Holy crap…………. I’ve been doing (err… did) percussion for years and never came across this instrument. I want.
They are not easy to snag, as the production is extremely limited, but if you seriously want one you should chat with Dante, as he tends to keep tabs on them across the nation.
I’m pretty sure you didn’t actually curse at her.
That sound you hear? I think that’s the blog-reality-edit alert going off.
I think my bro is producing this. I know he bought the rights to the book a few years back and assume he’s hung on to that. Look for Playtone in the credits.
Cool, P!
Are you saying I have a big mouth?
’cause you’d be right. I can’t seem to keep it shut. :\
Just like me in the real world.
I like November when you’re prolific.
It’s like there’s a chant or charm in your voice. Makes me feel relaxed.
I’ve only been in Philly for 5 years or so… therefore I am not a threat to your title.
I have been blogging for 9 years or so myself (though as you pointed out I started out in New York).
Scott – Thank you for dropping by! Any competitiveness is almost entirely in jest – I’m alwayS thrilled to find any blogger with archives as deep as mine, no matter what their location.
Fosters is fiancée’s favorite store in at least a mile radius, so perhaps we’ll meet you in person on the 6th!
We’d love it if you guys came down to Foster’s for Fork You Live next Saturday!
Hey, thanks for the comment on my old blog (gingerbreadandlatte.blogspot.com) I’ve actually recently made the switch to wordpress as well. I’m not writing there on a daily basis, but it’s basically a continuation of my old blog but w/ new digs. I’m mostly kicking around on tumblr now (http://nicoelisnotatypo.com)- it’s more addictive than twitter.
…or you could take this as an opportunity to pick a better musical with which to sing along. Since it’s Christmas, I propose JC Superstar. Or you could always do Bat Boy.
How many musicals are Christmas-centric and start with the lyrics, “December 24th, 9 p.m., Eastern Standard Time”? Because, I believe that’s how the tradition got started.
Also, my one-man performance of Hedwig doesn’t go down so well in a room full of in-laws.
I very much love summer :)
Someone very much loves winter :(
I Wish to know whom more :)
For what you love winter?
For what you love summer? Let’s argue :)
i have to protest for the dolphin on the harmless mascot category. Though not often thought of as fear provoking think of the dolphin in this sense 300lbs of solid muscle…that can effectively kill a shark.
might want to rethink that one because your average wild dolphin is pretty vicious….though i do understand the average person equates a dolphin with the loveable trained one we grew up with on flipper, the truth is nothing like that.
So, would you say the dolphin is more deadly than the majority of the human mascots?
most definitely.
please explain the north/south street thing. you only allow yourself to walk in one direction on it? does it matter where on the street you are?
I’m trying to think of a good ocd example from personal life and failing. Here’s a lame and not terrible one: if I do laundry, I like to do every single piece in the laundry baskets. Start with the darks, then go to lights. As many loads as it takes. It’s all folded and put away. That first dirty sock in the empty basket is always so painful.
Rabi – I head east down my small street. I cross fourth street. I come to third street. I would only turn south onto third from my street. If I wanted to go north I would have turned north at fourth. I’m sure I’ve unintentionally done the reverse a few times, but if I’m thinking about it I follow the rule.
Pam – Wow, I wish I could learn that skill. I think you need to come up with a more embarrassing one :)
cold cereal … +/- $4.00 per box and 1 gallon of liquid = $4.00. $8.00 per week breakfast expense.
But I understand your real goal was to add more fruit – so quit making smoothies out of it. Eat one banana – or apple – or a handful of berries – and save on the other ingredients.
But DON’T stop eating! (says she who could stand to eat less)
maybe this is really stupid, but do your smoothies really need to include so many ingredients? I get that it is more satisfying to have a smoothie than to eat a banana, but is there something bad about a frozen banana blended with some orange juice? then you could have smoothies for six dollars a week…. I mean, I assume you have already considered this, I’m just wondering what your objection to the simpler smoothie is.
I often eat leftover vegetables for breakfast.
Both – I’m certainly making it much more complicated than it needs to be. The number one goal is find a way to eat fruit, which I don’t do at home, and which super-energizes me.
(The number two goal is to find a way for it to be somewhat portable, so I will actually finish it even if I have meetings. This is where a banana + yogurt or granola + fruit plan has failed miserably in the past. Fruit salad has worked, but I certainly don’t have enough time to do that on my own.)
Mit – Between the bagel, lunch, and an after dinner snack I have *way* too many grains already. Plus, portability.
Rabi – I could probably cut down on the amount of OJ I need and/or make them with less strawberries. However, a sub-goal of the fruit goal is to eat a few different fruits so I get different nutritional benefits. Also, I tend to let bananas pile up at work.
All that said, I might be ignoring something that’s way cheaper than strawberries – apples or pears, maybe? – which is what’s killing the cost.
fruit all by itself is sort of like the ultimate portable food. do you not like eating oranges / apples / whatever on their own?
I do, but at work that leads to sticky fingers, which does not lend itself to blueline reviews or handshaking. Also, if I put it down and it begins to be covered by papers I might not see it again until the next day.
I am really looking for a fruit that can be supplied solely via straw. I am always thirsty.
One of the pitfalls of working in the middle of a major city is that it’s easy to blow your paycheck before it ever makes it into your bank account.”
Ya, I live in the middle of nowhere. It’s difficult to spend my paycheck. I keep trying to get people to take my money but they just refuse.
“Nope, we don’t do that out da country dear. *spit* You’ll havta go to da big city to spend your money”
I guess there’s big city bigots as well as small town, huh?
I think my meaning is pretty clear in the post – I’m talking about the temptation to walk out of my workplace and spend my earnings mid-day in the various department stores, boutiques, and 4- and 5-star restaurants within blocks of my building. If you live and work in the middle of nowhere the effect probably isn’t the same.
If you’d like some tips on saving money (and the earth) this holiday season, please scroll down two posts.
Otherwise, thank you for reading and commenting.
Dude, I can’t believe that Glam is exactly a minute long. Brilliant. Also? They both sound fantastic!
A music festival?
BINGO!
Hi Peter,
I am a big fan of BG. I keep thinking that the final Cylon is Madame President, but then I’m not sure that a Cylon could get breast cancer as she has had.
B – It is by bar our favorite show! We just bought the DVD of 4.0, and I’m re-watching every scene with the potential final cylon(s) as if the actors are playing it as cylons. I have to say, though I share your doubts about Roslin, her scenes ring the truest.
Perhaps we should pay a visit to catch one of the final episodes :)
If I had known you in 2000, Peter, I would have put money on you becoming just the 2009 man of your aspirations.
By the way, I listen to you all the time! Thanks for the music.
Besos,
Sandra
Just added you to my blogroll, Sweets!
My husband and I both got sick the week before our wedding. It was a stomach thing and perfect for shedding a few pounds at the last minute. (ha!)
I definitely lost a little weight in my face in the past week or two, which is AWESOME!
Congratulations!!
have fun, peter.
woo! you two are awesome.
Awww, I teared up a bit.
Congrats, guys.
That made me teary, just a little bit…and, I, cynic that I am, do *not* cry at weddings. ;P
You guys are both amazing people who are fortunate to share love, talent, intellect, artistic pursuits, and a vision for the future. If anyone can make that complex thing called marriage work out, I have faith that you guys can. :)
Congratulations!! *hugs*
70% of the time I tried to speak french to people in paris, they just spoke english back at me. so I bet you will be okay.
I hope the rest of your plans and preparation came together. I bet you guys will have an awesome time regardless.
This is already shaping up to be my favorite travel writing, ever.
more pictures! (CONGRATULATIONS!)
oh. right. lost camera. sorry.
At the moment I’m using E’s old point-and-shoot, which is actually slightly nicer than my old one because it’s not so compact.
I almost had this camera shipped to us overnight, but it was $125 to get it from NYC. We couldn’t find it anywhere in Philly on Monday. I’ll just buy it when I get back.
I definitely laughed outloud at you breaking the awed silence with a Lord of the Rings reference. I do love you two. The pictures are great and I can’t wait to see more!
OMG, so did I. The only thing more awesome than being a giant single nerd is being married to one equally as nerdy. Because the couple that is nerdy together stays together. :)
wait… I’m confused. I thought you bought a new (blue) one before coming over for the Eagles massacre (er, game) on Sunday?
I didn’t like the feel of the selector dial on the new (blue) one, so I went online to see if anyone had problems with it and discovered that it’s actually worse at the things I like to do than my old camera (manual aperture, low-light motion shots, et cetera). I don’t know that you’ve ever noticed, but I was constantly frustrated by the old one’s failure to shoot anything worthwhile without a flash, to the point that I largely stopped bringing it with me to places I might want photos.
Elise redirected me to start reading up on prosumer cameras, and within a few hours it was clear that I should (a) return the Canon, and (b) buy something that’s better for the things I’ve actually been using a camera for over the past two years.
I’m still pissed about losing the card of images inside the old one, and I hold out a hope that it will turn up.
congrats you nerds! can’t wait to see more Paris!
I think my throat is starting to itch from the mention of pineapple-guava. ;)
we don’t get romanian channels, but we do get many spanish ones. i imagine that’s pretty comparable.
We get French ones, in VT!
Well, we get French radio stations. I’ve never had a TV since we’ve been in Vermont, so I’m making an assumption.
Oh the animal sounds! I don’t believe I mentioned it on my blog, but one of my favorite lessons with my students in Taiwan was about animals. Namely, a rousing game of “guess what animal sound the crazy foreign teacher is making!” The rooster totally blew their mind. And, a favorite Web site: http://www.flat33.com/bzzzpeek/index1.html
I’m sorry for your museum-bummer! Some are bound to happen, I suppose. If I were you, I think I would have given up after the vagina incident and gone to eat chocolate crepes instead. I give you the award for “museum tenacity” and suggest you not visit a new museum tomorrow. (PS– Sorry, hadn’t ever been to d’Orsay.)
So, did they not have any surrealist exhibits??? Generally, modern art museums are completely disappointing to me, except for the fact that they usually have some Magrittes, Dalis and Van Goghs, which, as you know, make me very happy. The rest of it usually just feels like thing I have to endure to get to the good stuff. MoMA has, like, 3 floors of crap and 2 floors of awesome. The awesome, though, is worth the pice of admission.
Of course, I would think that most museums would be a let down after Le Louvre, non?
I hear what you say, and I have heard it before. It is true that people are sometimes ignorant and cruel. Even Christians. I encourage you to look past people and don’t give up on God.
Try to read the bible, study it for yourself.
Ask God to give you faith. He is not what you think he is.
God bless you. You are a special person,
Oh jebus. Sounds dreadful. Can’t wait to hear what throwing money did to alleviate the problem. :)
I hope this was intended to be funny because I literally laughed out loud byt eh time I got to the end of it!
Well, I mean, it was dire at the time, but, yes, meant to be quite amusing.
You get the BEST treatment and all kinds of perks by mentioning you’re on your honeymoon. I often consider telling people that even when I’m not on my honeymoon… maybe this is best saved for anniversaries after the actual honeymoon. :) Enjoy your new accommodations! Miss you both.
I believe you should also add to your hit list “Best Groom-and-Mom dance ever” with special points for enthusiasm, style, and obvious artistic similarities.
And, at least in my book, “best party ever.” All the thought you guys put into it really paid off and I think every guest had a BLAST!
I totally second the groom-and-mom-dance. It was possibly the awesomest thing that happened to me all month. (Well, aside from the wedding altogether.)
Agreed on both points, and I will audition to the death… or, to the pain… for the part of Buttercup. I don’t care if she’s a mezzo.
Thanks SO much for this blog post. I had spent HOURS trying to edit my page and never could. You made it easy!
Alisa
Loved your commentary on the trip, Peter … thanks for all of it.
Next time, try Barcelona. I can see you loving that city, as well.
And, of course, a tropical island would suit you, too … !
Bisous,
Sands
By the way, Peter, I’ve neglected to congratulate you on your marriage. Best wishes, Sweetie, for a life of happy, happy!
And keep the music coming. I love your stuff!
Great idea! I would be happy to post a link or even a banner for your cause on my site.
I went to Time last night after hitting up Irish Times at 2nd and Bainbridge. Irish Times was very well attended but I have to say the sound system was horrible. Time was a little slow this week, but I think might be my new favorite open mic venue… caught a little Ally Cat and drank some very good beer.
Oh, Tori. She never fails to blow me away.
(As an aside: your link to the price doubling bit has some extra punctuation. And I was disappointed to click through and find that the other article was about the wisdom of crowds, not crows. I’m really curious now about the wisdom of crows.)
I was wondering if you could tell me how to hide the about title in my bio section on my music account. I want to replace it with an image that says “Band Bio”. ?
Thanks – Rick
Wow, that is awful. The soundtrack sounds so thin. And so much slo-mo makes for an almost non-action sequence. The first couple trailers definitely caught my interest, but this… hmm…
I love the one for Highlander! That’s just genius.
You so get me thinking and keep me cool, Peter! Thanks.
S
i would like if i had a studio ha
did I tell you I saw Steggy at the Henri David Halloween Ball and he asked me if my fake Amy Winehouse tattoos were real?
I thank you for the kind words, Peter! At long last, I did finally agree that I’d been wasting my efforts in livejournal. It seemed so insular, so closed off, and now, I guess, the training wheels are off, eh?
Thanks again, and see you soon (in cyberspace and otherwise)!
Your posts have been especially poignant lately. Well done.
I am so excited I could die. In fact, I probably will die.
I am praying to any god who will listen that she finally, after nearly a decade of waiting, ‘To the Fair Motormaids of Japan’ as a B-side. I know that ‘Snow Cherries’ wasn’t what anyone expected, but I loved it!
Maybe, if this is a return to the fundamentals, the basics, if you will, going back to the place she was visiting when she released ‘Pele’, perhaps this time around ‘TTFMoJ’ will finally speak up and say ‘HEY GIRL!! WHAT ABOUT ME?? I’ve got something to say here.’
We can only hope.
Incidentally, I will be in Germany the day this album is released. Oh, Joy! I get to drive my DH with new Tori for a whole week!!
I was TOTALLY thinking of Motormaids when I wrote this post. Leave it to you to connect psychically with my inner freakily obsessed fan ;)
Ha! I kept thinking of RotK, too. I’d think, “Well, I’d be okay if it ended here.” And then another scene would come along. And I’d think, “Well, okay.” And then there would be another scene. The 150K years later bit with the robots was ridiculous. I didn’t have unreasonable expectations, but wow, that last hour was a disappointment.
Having some discomfort with adjusting to the “mainstream”, then? Welcome to the universal family that still somehow includes the rest of us artists working in obscurity, for however long that will last.
It’s like the punk rockers who chafe at the idea of “selling out” (and I mean real punk rockers, not dreck like FOB). Why punks would rather their heroes NOT succeed materially is beyond me. Wouldn’t you want your heroes to get paid for what they do, so they can KEEP doing it, instead of going back to work jobs in their communities and fade into memory? I never got that.
But to you, my friend, I’d just be careful of how long you burn up, because all that burning can, at some point, lead to burn OUT. You’ve done a helluva lot thus far with the way you operate, so maybe that won’t happen to you. It’s happened to me, though, and I haven’t accomplished nearly the body of work you have.
I’m done… in more ways than one. Have a great day.
I’ll never mind being mainstream, but I do have to be mindful of intentially being mainstream.
It’s the difference between Incubus crossing over for doing essentially what they had been doing all along, versus Liz Phair completely inverting her sound for the sake of getting popular.
In my own way I’ve been one of those dilettante punks, eschewing the success of my idols. I like to think I got over that. The only thing I ever want now is for every band I like to get as big as U2 – so long as they keep making music their way.
Only fair to hold myself to the same standard.
I have to find the right balance between burning up and out. I think it has a lot to do with return on investment – it’s hard to put consistent high effort into things that consistently have no reward (although, in some cases you have to trudge through the non-rewarding parts to get rewarded, and I have to learn that patience.)
Collingswood did this for Christmas. I don’t think they have any more, though.
Peter,
Just tried to fan you on facebook, but it won’t let me do it … Sheesh.
Friend me, if you can …
Both Berkshares and NC Plenty work this way. Berkshares 12 banking locations, NC Plenty just one.
Very good questions: Who manages the cash? A) In the case of Berkshares they have 12 local credit unions and banks that act as exchange agents. Walk into the bank and buy the local currency at a discount $9.50 gets you 10 Berkshares.
Are banks holding it in escrow until the money is spent at stories, and then reimbursing store owners who submit used bucks? A) Yes, the USD stays in a Berkshares local bank account. The store owners have a choice of providing change to customers and including some Berkshares (some ask for them) or if the store takes in too many and needs to restock their shelves, the merchant simply goes to the local bank and exchanges Berkshares into USD. On that outexchange, the Merchant will take a 5% haircut, he gives 10 Berkshares and receives $9.50 USD
In this situation, it is advantageous for the consumer to use them (5% discount on purchases) and disadvantageous for merchants to ‘cash-out’ thus both ends of the equation encourage re-circulation of the notes.
And, what happens if a resident buys in and then wants to buy back out – do the local dollars exchange back to cash at the same rate they were bought? A) Yes
Also, I’m interested in the counterfeit angle. Real money is one thing, but what could these local currencies possibly be printed on that’s safe from duplication? A) Again. good question. This can be a problem. However with local business most merchants will watch things very closely. Also Berkshares are printed by AB Craine on their paper stock. They supply the US Mint and are pretty good at what they do:-) Other communities also take similar measures, watermarks, special paper, special ink, coding, foil stamps etc. The crime of counterfeiting local currency is also very serious, it’s no joke.
Mark
Skype IM ‘digitalcurrency’
Wow! I had no idea. And all in 72 hours?
My favorite Sunday listening pleasure is “All Things A Cappella” airing 12-2 pm (EST)on WKNC 88.1 (and they stream too!)
How cool to “know” someone who understands my (listening) passion.
Mit – Well, it’s equally surprising to find out you are a secret acappella addict!
When I first learned how to write music in standard notation I was obsessed with the concept of having a group of singers sing a guitar arrangement. I didn’t really understand that was how choral music worked, and I certainly didn’t know about acappella groups at the time.
It was sort of a dream come true to stumble in on the founding of one and become closely associated with them for so many years.
PS: The best acappella disc I have ever heard is probably Burn Like a Roman Candle by Off the Beat.
Sorry to leave a comment not related to the thread. I’ve been trying to leave a message via the “contact” point but it doesn’t like me. I ran across your wedding photo stream and Flickr. Fabulous photos and love how happy everyone looks!
I bookmarked this site, Thank you for good job!
Suddenly a fan? :) I referred you (and other LP directors) to this blog in December…have you been reading it since then or did you rediscover? I thought you might like it.
Jem – I rediscovered but had it bookmarkd, and wasn’t sure why :)
Oh my friend, we would dance in the streets and scream poetry in broken eyetalyunn.
….and that’s before we even crack the seal on the bottle(s).
Wow, that’s a pretty simplistic view of the world. Binary choice? Really? I think any honest discussion requires the admission that every encounter brings light and darkness, and often it’s hard to tell which decision will cause more of which. Attitudes like the one you seem to be advancing here generally end up causing more pain, because they encourage people to value short-term harmony over long-term happiness. You can’t really believe that, can you?
I think there’s plenty of room for gray in our opinions, Wes. The difference between light and dark here is whether you’re consciously trying to add to someone or subtract from them – not whether you might upset or cause pain. Pain isn’t the same as causing someone to emotionally defecate on themselves.
I’ve had a few subtractors in my life recently, and some of them even framed it positively. The difference is pretty plain.
I do follow you, as you know … and would appreciate a few tips. I’ve not taken the time to get the twist of the tweets, so spill, Pete. I’ll be reading.
You rock, Peter. Thanks for putting this all together so quickly.
i think Mike Doughty generally has that quality of voice – especially in Soul Coughing (i.e. super bon bon)
M – I’m glad the notes were useful! I don’t know if I was intro’d to you directly. Were you the guy hanging out w/Seth @ the beginning, and later sitting with Cupcakie towards the middle of the room?
Dante, that’s a good one. Doughty also has a little bite on the edge of his voice. He doesn’t have to scream to show disdain.
I love this. My personal “technology <3 story” is when I was able to post to my blog and IM as I traveled by train from London to Edinburgh.
Someday the places I travel in the US will catch up.
Thanks for posting this, and for sharing your findings. I have spent much time pulling my hair out on this seemingly elusive process!
Happy I could help! I find myself referring back to this post all of the time. It’s hard to believe MySpace doesn’t have an (even easier) easy reference guide.
Have a blast! I’m so sorry I have to miss it again!
My grudges aren’t going to win any fans, and I don’t say this to rile you up, Peter, but I can NOT stand to hear this triumvirate of artists: Dave Matthews Band, Ani DiFranco or Tori Amos. Allow me to quickly explain.
In Mr. Matthews’ case, it was the fans that turned me off forever, and though I’ve read him in interviews, and find him funny, and engaging, and even musically adventurous when solo, I can not cotton to any of the DMB output.
Can’t stand Ani DiFranco’s voice. Not years ago, not now. Unless that fundamental part of her changes, there will be no listens from me. Also, I feel like her music is ALOT about message message message, which is why I stopped listening to RUSH years ago. Come on, Neil Peart, just drum, or lighten up.
And Tori Amos… that’s a bit more complicated. Part of it is related to a long-ago friend who tried to convert me to listening to Tori Amos’ music against my will (though I did, and still do, honestly like the songs “Cornflake Girl” and “God”. “Past the Mission” wasn’t bad, either). The other part of it was my uneasy relationship with Trent Reznor’s music in high school. I felt like she was his female musical counterpart (and I know they had some sort of musical/personal friendship or partnership of some kind), and I was never that comfortable getting into HIS music, even at the time I felt the way albums like Pretty Hate Machine and Downward Spiral catalouged. For me, she symbolized more of that same emotional dredging, with cleaner pianos and a nicer (yet still incredibly overwrought) voice.
As for lifetime subscriptions, there are three, which do have conditions:
Clutch, the Melvins, and Billy Joel.
I love Clutch and the Melvins, and have seen both of these bands live more than 14 times each. I have almost everything they’ve ever put out, except the live records in both cases, and 3 albums in the Melvins case. The Prick album almost ended my love for the Melvins. I hated it so much, I took it back, and it remains the ONLY album I’ve taken back and not allowed to grow on me. I also never got Electro-retard, because it was remixes or stuff I already had on other releases. I haven’t gotten their last one, Nude With Boots, due to laziness.
And Billy Joel? Well… he’s the Piano Man and it was sort of a birthright in my family, after my mom became a fan. My sisters and I are all fans, and growing up with the man’s music, I had to get everything.
Generally, though, I won’t buy box sets and usually, I don’t buy live albums. What’s the point, if you have all the studio albums already? Just give me the b-sides or rarities in a separate disc, and I’ll have everything. And live albums? Pshaw, just go see `em.
And yes… I realize that’s impossible for broken-up bands or dead artists, but oftentimes, live album sound BLOWS.
Oh boy!
DMB I share with you nearly verbatim. His music isn’t so exciting, and his fans are frequently insufferable. I tend to like him solo, because then it’s just about melody and guitar.
Ani I got into before my obsession with good vocals, so she was grandfathered out of that rule. The thing is, at early stages she had a beautiful voice – especially on her first album. It started getting barkier and talkier around 4-5 before it became what it is today.
I shared your Tori grudge for a long time. Tori fans are notoriously bad at choosing songs for non-fans. Recently a Tori board had a thread on that topic, and the fans were choosing the most screechy, boring, or off-putting songs as what they’d play for a potential fan. My favorite example is “Blood Roses,” her most harrowing and screechy song. I love it, but why would you subject someone to that first?
The Trent/Tori connection is interesting and, in my opinion, apt. I think Boys for Pele is certainly a NIN analog. I’d be interested in floating one or two Tori songs your way sometime to see if I can circumvent the grudge :)
I wonder if I could have sympathized with you two or three years ago, before those two women began to disappoint me? Or, can I see the obvious flaw with everything I love so unconditionally, as part of my unconditional love?
(I think I’m more defensive of the next tier of artists on my “must buy” pyramic. Tori, Ani, Garbage – I can see why someone wouldn’t like them. Say something nasty about PJ Harvey, then we have an argument on our hands.)
Yes, box sets, reissues, and live albums are also generally exempt from my “buy all” plans. Most live albums, in the words of Ani, “make my teeth itch.”
I’m honestly dumbfounded why this post hasn’t generated more of a response. Do your readers not care enough about music to voice their opinions?
But to answer a question you posed in your response, I would certainly not be averse to auditioning a few songs per your suggestion, although I do have to say, once I’ve been turned AGAINST, it’s extremely difficult to turn me FOR a band/artist. Case in point: Metallica
Years before Metallica took on Napster and wrote a never-ending series of horrible albums, they put out the self-titled “Black” album. I’d been a fan in the late 80s, with … And Justice for All back through their first full length, Kill Em All. Something about that first single, “Enter Sandman”, rubbed me the wrong way, and though I was but a freshman in high school, I said NOPE that’s it for me. This band is musica non grata on my walkman, hereforward. I never got that album, and all subsequent material I felt was garbage. Their covers of “Turn the Page” and “Whiskey in the Jar” weren’t TOO AWFUL, and there was one particular standout track on their bloated S&M record (Symphony and Metallica, I suppose; I never bothered to find out). What that track was, I can not now recall. It wasn’t enough to make me plunk down my hard-earned money to investigate one song (and this was the days before iTunes and the .99 song ).
Josh Browns has said I was wrong about their new album, Death Magnetic, and that it’s a return to 80s speed metal form. Yeah? Not from what I heard, and I’ve been forced to hear more than half the record (my wife still hangs tight with Metallica on occasion).
No more. Not for me, and the continued crap material they keep releasing is further proof that I was right in my decision years ago to affix the CRAP label to them. I think they should just throw in the towel and go on American Idol like KISS did.
Besides, aren’t all the kids androgynous and wearing skulls and studded belts anymore?
Sorry… I guess I’m boo-hooing for the loss of truly good, truly offensive, unapologetic rock and roll. I need a AC/DC welded to a Bloodhound Gang taking graduate economics and literature classes with Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine.
…and I thought it was just me.
First thought: Just support interoperable networks. Then join a network that you trust will be around for awhile, or run your own, or whatever. It doesn’t matter.
Second thought: Support open file standards. I still get all my music via MP3 (or MP3s I create myself from CDs). Therefore I don’t have to care if the latest DRM tech company decides to shut down, or if Microsoft decides to stop supporting whatever their DRM is. This plus local backups means I won’t lose content. I can put my pictures on Flickr, but there’s no sense in which I’m locked in.
Definitely on both! Of the many possible follow-ups to this post I definitely want to do one about open file standards and keeping things at a high quality. An example that springs to mind is the relation between mix-tapes and uploading photos to FaceBook.
The local backups post is another topic entirely. I didn’t want to make this too much about being a Type A freak (i.e., me), but I certainly have some thoughts on that as well.
Thanks for the reply!
I have been of this mind for some time. I will also say that many people are writing what I like to call disposable content for these platforms. While some great insights are gained on Twitter, there isn’t really a whole lot of ways to mine the conversations you had there in context.
Media on Facebook is another story. Photographs and videos need to be archived and backed up elsewhere.
One of the things I really like here is the concept of having a social media footprint of sorts. I have been talking about this footprint for awhile but I think that this post does a good job of adding the “why” to the equation. It is not a matter of shiny new toy syndrome, but more a necessity to follow your community to whatever platform they choose next. FriendFeed perhaps?
Very nicely done.
I would like to say that the content is secure, but i know that is not the case.
however, it is the individual’s responsibility to generate and maintain content. it is the users responsibility to use it.
if no one cares that the content is lost (author or user), then it does not matter.
its about being personal responsible for what you use or produce.
don’t you think?
Kami – “Disposable Content” is so true. People are eager to have conversations, but the danger is that you spend so much time talking that you aren’t creating anything of lasting value. Your brand is confined to your freshest 15 updates.
I think this post was missing the “footprint” concept, just as your footprint may have been missing the agnosticism.
Following the community to new platforms is the component I feel that many SM strategies skip. That’s why the people and strategy ought to come first.
Esteban – Wow, if ever there was a communicator’s epitaph…
“if no one cares that the content is lost (author or user), then it does not matter.”
I absolutely buy into the responsibility for content. Especially for a professional or a business – you have to have faith-in and ownership-of your content to confer confidence in your readers/customers.
it’s possible that I’m doing this math totally wrong in my head, but doesn’t that imply that it takes only five years of working full time at the same job/career before you have gained expertise? that strikes me as being… overly optimistic.
Well, I’m generalizing Gladwell’s rule, and his point.
The 10k hr rule is just one facet of becoming an “outlier,” and he’s applying it to pretty specific things – like composing music or writing machine code. Few people are quite so specified over the course of their work day, and most of the truly remarkable talents have other factors contributing to their success.
The unspoken assumption I got was that, yes, later in life many people eventually achieve a mastery of the thing in which they specialize. College gives us a head start on it; it’s why med school and law school are so laborious. But, these are general things that many people specialize in – so no one is becoming an outlier by serving their time.
Gina’s ability to sing harmony to anything by age 16 is a little more outlying than me being good at communication.
PS: You should download that Hezekiah Jones song.
I’ve contemplated the 10K hours rule for a bit now, seeing as I’m out a job and all. In a weird way it puts your life in perspective, and in many instances it focuses your interests.
Did you really know how dedicated you were to your music until you started adding up the hours? Did I really know I loved writing all that much until I added up the hours?
It’s amazing the time you can spend doing the things you love without realizing how much time you’ve spent doing them, or how much of an expert you might actually be. Maybe with what I know about how I spend my time I should consider writing a novel. :)
BTW, your “Like a Virgin” rendition is priceless. Thanks for sharing it with me!
is there anyway i can add personal page info to my music page… for example.. i’d like to add my schools to my music page and make it more of a personal / band page hybrid
Norby – I’m not sure if you can add additional boxes to the layout, which sounds like it would be the most literal way to solve your problem.
Even if you can add boxes, you’d be adding the information manually – which means it wouldn’t dictate your network when it comes to MySpace search. In effect, MySpace isn’t looking for that info from a band.
Dang. I haven’t listened to all the songs posted so far but I listened to most of them and I like them all. If I had to choose, so far I’d pick Gone Baby Gone, Spin and Real You.
Pam – Thanks for the comment!
Gone Baby Gone started out really low on the “possible album songs” list, but after hearing it I’m somewhat in love. It’s in a great, unusual place in my range.
The fact that we both like it even though I wasn’t originally considering is sorta the whole point of this exercise :)
After random googling your blog caught my attention and has stuck in my head because I too am on the same page being an independent artist and all (and I literally meaning DOING it ALL!) Anywhoo I found a forum thread on being an independent artist… I haven’t tried the concept yet but I thought it might be a tool that you could use if you haven’t found it out already.
http://cdbaby.org/stories/06/07/13/0002244.html
Warmest Regards,
Gedina Jean
apparently I can’t decide where to leave my comments… stupid facebook
anyway, I think let it be is a PERFECT b-side. like the way “how can you be sure” is a perfect b-side. see, now I want to go listen to the fake plastic trees single right now.
“Let It Be” gets a bum rap because (a) it doesn’t have chorus, and (b) E and I are in a never-ending debate about the merit/appropriateness of making guitar references in my songs. She especially doesn’t like it when they are in her songs.
I rebut that the guitar is a fundamental part of our relationship. After E it’s next closest thing to me (other than my blog, and we certainly don’t need songs about that), and sometimes I have to reference it to exemplify the dissonance.
Point being, she vociferously dislikes this one, which is why it’s so rare.
PS: I think the only other song to emerge completed from the scuttled “Real You” songwriting project was the one about you that I played last time I was in NYC.
I suppose I tend to like self-referential things — like poems that talk about themselves, songs about guitars. ;)
Out of the last batch I like Tattoed and Colorblind the best. I also liked So Hard and Saving Grace a lot. :)
Thank you for chiming in!
I’ve been afraid that “Tattooed” is just unlikeable – I’m not sure why. It’s good to have it out there so I can receive some feedback.
I’m in love with “Saving Grace” now. I can’t stop playing it.
How about just: “Because it’s fun.”
?
Not everyone wants to be a musician. A lot of people just want to be amused by a video game.
This post is not about wanting to be a musician. It’s about primacy of experience.
The Beatles version is so detailed and so analogous to the cost/experience of actually playing Beatles music that I feel as though it has officially crossed over from being an amusing video game to being a true simulacrum of an actual life experience – analogous to people who attend concerts only to watch them through a cell phone camera, or who make themselves in the Sims and sit all day trying to achieve their ideal career.
Thus, the argument that not all people want to be musicians approaches moot. If a reason to play is “because it’s fun,” then so would be playing the actual music. That is something I can’t necessarily posit about previous Rock Band editions. For example, I don’t think playing the Aerosmith edition is the same as playing Aerosmith music.
I got started on an Infinite Spring before this got going. Such a great idea. If the library hadn’t wanted their book back, I would have sailed past the 80 or so pages I got done. I was getting sucked in, and will be once again now that I’ve got my own copy.
All good points. There’s that tension between the mediated/imagined experience. Insert paranoia about a dystopian Wall-E/Surrogates/etc. future where we’re all living at a remove from the Real Thing.
I’m curious how many people who get good at Rock Band actually try to move on to music? I also think it’s interesting/odd that I’ve seen some of my friends get “stage fright” about the videogame, preferring to just watch.
Another argument in favor of learning a real instrument: it can help you pick up chicks/dudes, or at least meet new ones. Which can be a good thing.
I would offer to mail you mine, as I love book exchanging, but I think the postage would probably be enough for you to buy your own copy.
Ooh, Backtype looks like something I never knew I needed until I (you, whatever) discovered it.
It’s priceless, isn’t it?
Would you believe that was sitting around in a starred post in Google Reader from last fall? Goes to show you how much smart stuff escapes attention on the web just by virtue of our bandwidth being only oh-so-wide.
I missed the crying?! What the crap? I can’t believe I had to leave right as the good stuff started. I did hear Like a Virgin, though, so that’s something, right?
You did a GREAT job, Peter. Loved it!
I misinformed you: FSOR gives me Middlebury as Vermont’s thirteenth biggest town. But it’s the biggest one in our county, so that should count for something.
Krisis, you rock. Thanks for mentioning my interview with Dan at Geekadelphia, and my novel, “Personal Effects: Dark Art.” I hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much for the exposure to your readers!
–J.C.
I 100 percent agree! Sarah totally rocks!
I am floored and humbled by your blog post – actually sort of speechless which is MOST unlike me. :-) You are incredibly kind and generous with your words and I will do my best to continue to live up to them!
Sarah
I read Sarah’s post and loved it. It actually reminded me a little bit of a post by Gretchen Rubin over at The Happiness Project about drifting. Take a look: http://tinyurl.com/rcmaxn
Anyway, I think Sarah makes a fantastic point, and her escape plan is a great place to get started shedding that mediocrity we might’ve just drifted right into.
Gini. Thank you for stopping by to comment! I’m a regular reader of your tweets, and now of your blog as well.
Sarah. Your post struck such a chord with me – I immediately shared the story with my wife after I was done reading it. I can’t wait to read and respond to more posts chronicling your adventures. I think “escape from mediocrity” might be my theme of the summer!
Teresa. I am a rabidly dedicated reader and evangelizer of Happiness Project (did I get the link from you?).
Now that I am subscribed to a wide array of betterment blogs I’m starting to see the rise and fall of some common themes. In all the noise of supposed-expert bloggers it’s a good way to get a temperature of what’s really working for people in their real lives – as opposed to something catchy they just thought up.
Thanks for the compliment Krisis! Gonna have to add you to our blog roll. :)
I understand with itms you’re paying for exposure and convenience and apple-flavored goodwill, but what is CDBaby offering, other than serving up preview listens, handling the transaction, and providing a one-use-only download link to each paying customer?
I wonder if there are free, drop-in “music store” applications for artists who run their own websites. The tech side shouldn’t be that hard a problem, and if you’re working in small volumes (as a local indie artist) your bandwidth cost + Paypal fees would be far less than $.25 for every song purchased.
M. Hutchins. Thank you for stopping by. I am so fascinated by the way you’ve updated the status quo of fiction for an online world, and I can’t wait to read your book. You’re much more the future than a silly Kindle is.
Eric. I love Geekadelphia. I have no idea why I haven’t linked to it before, as I have literally dozens of posts bookmarked on my feed reader. I’d love to meet you sometime – do you ever come out to Tweetups or BlameDrewsCancer events?
Peter,
We always appreciate the passion in which artist weigh in on topics when we make changes. That means we’re doing something right if people care. However, I do want to point out a pretty big omission in your article above. The fee change DOES NOT effect the digital distribution we already do to iTunes where we are the “middle man.” This only effect downloads through our store, where we are not the middle man, we are developing our retail side to give artist more control than ever in how their music is merchandised. A couple things to highlight:
1. Artists can set the price for their single song downloads as high as they like. What to charge $2, $10, $20 for a song, go ahead. In general, being consistent with other retailers like iTunes is best, but we have far more types of products than just 3 minute pop songs(Anywhere from classical and world music to meditation CDs to audio books). For artists with longer content this will be a big feature.
2. Since the beginning we have been the only place that will give you(the artist) all the contact info to everyone that buys your music. With the new site, we’re taking that a step further and allowing you to give away a tracks for promo in exchange for contact info. There’s no cost to the artist for that. I expect that this feature will be a quick favorite.
Those are just a couple of the benefits in the new site. We’re asking for a little more on downloads through our site, but artists are getting a huge amount in tools and service in return. This new launch is just the beginning, as it’s really only the foundation that we’re building on. There is a lot more launching through the Fall. Let me know if you have any questions!
Kevin Breuner
CD Baby
I’m actually excited about the new features that CDBaby is bringing to the table – namely the download cards. They’ll be huge for promo.
Sure, the bigger cut of single-downloads is a bit tough to handle – but I’m not sure if that bigger cut is for the individual sales only (a previously unavailable service) or for the full-album digital sales as well.
To answer your question about possible solutions – have you heard of QuidPlayer? Carsie Blanton uses it. It’s basically a widget you control and allow people to pay-what-they-want. She’s had a lot of success with it.
Tim. Per usual, we are of a similar mind. We have to consider that not all artists are as willing or able to grow-their-own as we are – nor do they necessarily take a similar view to commerce v. art.
Kevin. I truly appreciate your thoughtful response to my post. I don’t mean to unfairly beat up on CD Baby; I went back to make the distinction between your own DLs and iTunes DLs more clear. However, I think your company’s move is a significant signpost of the direction that online distribution is heading in, so I can’t help but react (somewhat negatively).
That said, I know that CD Baby has done wonderful things for a lot of artists very dear to me, and I appreciate the “We’re not evil, and we love music!” position you have always assumed.
Dante. Agreed, regarding the new features. If anything, I think the changes will make CD Baby a bigger player on the digital scene. I’d like to see them cut in on iLike in the apps/integration front, as I find that service to be relatively hapless.
QuidPlayer sounds very much to be in the direction I’m thinking in. As always, I have a lot more to say on the topic than time to say it at the moment. Soon, though.
Awesome! I love it.
Erica Jong would be proud of this.
Also, your fear of that first step reminds me of something I told my boss yesterday. In high school, I worked for a man who was fond of telling us that the hardest part of any project is the beginning 5% and the concluding 5%, and that the middle 90% was easy. In other words, getting started and finishing up anything were the most difficult parts of anything.
It’ll be simple to remember in this case that your beginning 5% is stepping out into free fall and your ending 5% will be that knowing where/when to pull that cord and sticking that landing.
Might be simple, but it sure ain’t easy.
Good luck, man.
Matt – Of course, you entirely understood the point of my obliquely written post. I feel like this is a metaphor – both for all the first steps I’ve made over the last few years, and for the big ones I’ve yet to take.
Most of them are pretty simple, but not many are easy.
Oh my. I’m a little loose in the knees just looking at the photo.
Nice!
You’re my hero.
<3 – thank you Peter. For everything.
This picture made my day.
And you and I are very different people.
I think I just broke out in a sweat looking at this photo! ;-)
Kudos to you for being so brave and rocking this jump!
It’s good that we never know what we are in for when we embark on a new journey. Or we might get scared and not proceed. I had no idea Twitter was going to open my world up to hundreds of new people and adventures. But I’m glad I’m here and getting involved with Blame Drews Cancer. And I’m glad I also got to meet you.
It’s quite a journey and in such a short period of time, but we have a true team in place and its inspiring. You guys get me through some crappy days. And you are making a difference. One character at a time. Thank you.
I’d be much more concerned if they were taking a bigger cut from iTunes income. Thanks for posting these thoughts..
“Great, I thought. Way to endear yourself to the intimidating guy with cancer by advertising your never-ending weirdness.”
I have not laughed that hard in a long time :)
That Applebees night was something special. It’s the grander vision that people will start to get soon and they’ll say “Ohhhh, wait…WHOAHHHH” – and that grander vision is all of ours and will evolve. It’s not just me and Hodgkins. I’m .5% of the equation.
I’m very lucky to have met you.
i wrote to cdbaby 2 times and they dont respond. great company ! I MISS DEREK SIVERS running the show. wtf
I read the 22 most useful free apps article, and found I didn’t know about Digsby. Downloaded it, and I’m using it now.
Yep, pretty awesome. I still maintain I am a Luddite, though, and will smash the machines (as soon as they stop working for me).
If I didn’t think misogyny was so dangerous, I’d be less easily offended. As it stands, this country is getting to be extremely misogynist and anything that represents a dangerous attitudinal shift bothers me on a fundamental level. There are so many people who actively hate women – the Christian Right is a great example – and to encourage that in any way just makes me bristle. I don’t think your friend is self hating so much as accepting the old “you should learn to take a joke” and “stop being a man hating feminazi” tripe we’ve had shoved down our throats. I see where she’s coming from – it is far easier to laugh with them than to be offended – but no, long story short, I don’t find that sort of thing funny.
Kari – You just described my opinion almost 100%. Even when misogynist things are relatively innocuous they’re still supporting a disturbing spin on a patriarchal take on the world.
I feel the same way about humor/insults at the expense of the GBLT community, which Elise and I both respond to rather viciously.
I was joking about Elise being self-hating, though ;)
I don’t know as I’d find “show me your tweets” offensive. That could be meant as ironically empowering? Maybe not.
Of course, the question always really comes down to the intent of the wearer. Misogyny is the problem, not misogynist speech. However, the other two t-shirts seem pretty clearly meant to objectify & offend women. They might be worn just for humor’s sake, but then they just betray a terrible sense of humor, which is really just as bad.
I don’t really understand the usefulness of your hypothetical. Is the “Asians” context really that different from the “women” context? Is it really possible to see a problem with one and not the other?
Wes, you may be right, there may be no difference. My understanding was that it was basically a thought experiment to see whether there is any distinction between our reactions to ostensibly racist behavior and ostensibly misogynist. I’m sure there are people out there that think one is more or less acceptable than the other, and maybe having it put in parallel like this will be enlightening.
And while I found one or two of the t-shirts amusing, I can see why some might find them upsetting and would certainly not try to talk anyone out of being offended by them.
To continue the thought experiment, what if a woman were wearing the supposedly misogynist shirts?
Wes. Partially disagree re: source of problem. Tacit acceptance of speech is tacit endorsement of behavior. Speech isn’t the problem, but it’s a treatable symptom.
I do not accept any forms of ethnic or GBLT hate speech for that reason, and Elise’s practice is similar. I have seen Elise hit a room like a tornado when she heard one of her brother’s friends say, “that’s so gay.” It was probably the first time he ever heard someone tell him not to say it.
Wes/Elise. Yes to Elise, it was a thought experiment. Also, I was more comfortable trying to make a parallel example with Asian because I could get Elise’s feedback on both examples.
Elise. Kari and I actually took our conversation to email and touched on your last point. We seem to agree humor from within a marginalized group often is a good way to defuse/depower that marginalization.
I think the @s shirt on a woman would have that effect. Not the latter two shirts though.
By “intent of the wearer” I meant only that. Saying “that’s so gay” might not be conscious gay-bashing, but the intent is still to equate “bad” with “gay,” and should not be accepted. However, when Dan Savage says “that’s so gay,” he’s clearly poking fun at the ridiculousness of calling an inanimate object or concept homosexual. It’s the intent that matters.
The same goes for a woman wearing an offensive shirt. While I don’t think that necessarily makes it ok, I think one can fairly make the presumption (not assumption!) that she isn’t being misogynistic about it.
The problem with a t-shirt (or bumper sticker, or other static display) is that it’s impossible to tell the intent from only the wearer, which is why I tend to shy away from such displays. Any statement can be acceptable if it has an innocuous or empowering meaning. Of course, it’s the speaker’s job to portray that meaning, and tweeting about one’s intent to offend does a pretty good job of it. I also think it’s safe to presume a person wearing a t-shirt that says “mommy bloggers put out” isn’t trying to empower anyone. Unless it’s a pregnant woman. Or an activist attempting to change our ideas about sex. Or just some misguided soul with poor social skills.
The point is that it isn’t the t-shirt that’s the problem. It’s the misogynist wearer. Of course the male bloggers claimed they weren’t being misogynist, but prejudice is so dangerous because it’s an unconscious thing. The act of thinking “mommy bloggers put out” or “I have spiritual thoughts about your breasts” is funny implies certain ideas about women, sex, and values that I don’t agree with. That’s the problem, in my mind.
Indeed, I didn’t entirely grok your “intent” comment on first pass, but here I agree.
you should save your bookmarks to the cloud! I used to use Google Notebook coupled with a handy firefox extention, but G-notebook is no longer supported, so I started using Google Reader with the help of a bookmarklet. They save to the “notes” section (it’s optional to add to shared items, too) and I tag them appropriately.
[ed. note: I updated my post to reflect my response to this comment]
Matt. There were a few in the free apps that were a surprise to me. I have some luddite tendencies in that I tend to hang on to older tech long after better options come along (see also: Blogger, WordPress 2.3, my 2004 cell phone). I’ll be interested to hear about your experience with Digsby. I have those functions covered at the moment, I think, but possibly not to the level of awesomeness that Digsby provides?
Dante I am hopeless when it comes to bookmarking/favoriting things for use at an undetermined point in the future – it breaks the way that I use/organize bookmarks, and I don’t tend to rememember to look for things in that context. It just results in 1000s of bookmarks I have to clean up at some point. However, CK is the ultimate memory pit ;)
dude, i’m a part of this story and i can’t wait to hear what happens next.
honestly, sharing that experience with you…and putting together our organization, is almost as close as you can get to someone, really. you see me panic mode and pissyjusthadchemo mode and all, but we all know what we have to do.
we’re on a path. i’m glad we’re on the same one, at least for this.
Yes, I’m the same way. I end up bookmarking things and forgetting about them or never following up… but when I get that random flash of memory of the time I saw that thing and maybe bookmarked it, a google-powered search in G-reader always pulls through.
Hmm. A compelling argument, given my addiction to G-Reader and my spiffy Google-powered phone…
I had an interesting reaction that I only just unpacked enough to realize where it came from: I had a strongly negative reaction to the anti-women comments, and pretty neutral, or even slight amusement, at the anti-Asian comments.
I think it’s because I more strongly association anti-women sentiments with physical overpowerment and potential physical harm (such as violence or rape). Furthermore, it seems to me that female Americans as a whole are (insert a great many caveats here, including “from my experience”, “at this point in history,” “in my corner of the world”) more disenfranchised than Asian-Americans as a whole.
Not that I would expect anyone else to have the same reactions, or that I think my reactions are “wrong” or “right.”
An interesting point… is humor about or targeted at one demographic more or less acceptable depending on how much that group is currently marginalized? If the shirts were remarking about caucasians, how potentially offensive would they be?
Oh, Peter! You have me in a puddle here, but the tears feel okay thanks to the music.
Thank you so very, very much …
Sandra
By the way … tomorrow is my birthday, so I’m considering this my first gift …
I found both scenarios offensive.
The Asian ones are simply unjustifiable.
“Show me your tweets” is in poor taste, but probably not misogynistic — it’s replacing the misogyny of objectification with some sort of joke about exposing our writing to the anonymous masses.
Is “put out” some kind of a pun? Perhaps as in putting out content? Otherwise it’s incredibly misogynistic.
The breasts one is boorish frat boy humor — all the more offensive because it’s not even attempting to be clever.
My take on it is the men felt somewhat uncomfortable at being the outsider at a female conference, and tried to cover their insecurity with humor — never a good move. Being a “misguided soul with poor social skills” isn’t an excuse.
I definitely think there’s a correlation between how marginalized a group is and the offensiveness of the jokes. Caucasians, as a racial group, are not particularly marginalized. They may be in predominantly African American areas of the country, for example, but as a whole are the dominant and for the most part least marginalized group in America. However, when you start to break it down, there are caucasian gay men and lesbians, who are pretty marginalized. Then you have caucasian heterosexual women, who are also marginalized. So it’s tricky. Broad jokes about white people are usually not met with much offense, probably in part due to the fact that white people have it pretty good and therefore will take a joke at their expense.
I actually think in some cases the reverse is true of what you are saying. Everyone loves to make jokes about transgendered people (”hot tranny mess” being one of the memes that flew around for a while), and they are by far THE most marginalized group. So it’s interesting.
So I went and read Grace’s post, and found the blogs in question. and came to a few conclusions:
1) Neither dude is particularly interesting or clever, so there are no unforeseen revelations regarding deeper intent.
2) Both used the “fuck em if they can’t take a joke” defense, which is intellectually lazy and dodges the question entirely.
3) Twitter guy’s shtick is shock humor, and that’s a different can of worms.
4) MommyBreasts admits he did it out of social anxiety. Nice of him to be so candid, but, as I said, not an excuse.
5) He also made an entire post of cleavage shots as his “favorite ladies at BlogHer this year.” Does he understand the concept of taking the joke too far?
6) Both also use the “there are more important issues to worry about” excuse, but MommyBoobs goes on to list for an example… SEXISM. Which *is* pretty hilarious, but probably not intentional.
I’m normally much nicer than I was then. Hopefully at some other time you can meet my less-ill representative, and I can meet your less-trying-not-to-catch-said-illness representative.
Sadly, the CD Baby site is broken:
http://cdbabyrelaunchdebate.blogspot.com/2009/07/cdbaby-relaunch-debate.html
Well now you’ve gone and ruined by lazy streak cuz I gotta check out all these fab links!!
Sarah
Thanks for including my compilation of “45 most creative blog designs” in your list. Hope to see more of you, as I have just added another awesome post ;)
Which Andrew Bird album do you have? Any recommendations?
Ah, that’s too bad. I still haven’t seen any trailers for it, so I don’t have even a partial opinion, but I’d heard good things.
Also, love that line from the VV review: “like most so-called science fiction these days, it is really a war story in scientific drag.” So true, so disappointing!!
The best way to go in is completely unspoiled, as even the mild spoilers I encountered were misleading. I tried to stay as bland on that account as I could.
Thanks so much for the kind compliments, Peter!
We think that Barbara is a rock star too!!!
Best wishes,
Robert Resnik (1/3 of Twist of the Wrist)
im still confused.
I concur! I can’t figure out why it got such incredible reviews. I felt it ripped off too many previous films to be engaging, such as “The Fly” and “Iron Man”. Throughout the whole film I kept getting the feeling that I’d seen it before.
It’s good to think outside the box, as even that, too may burn to the ground. I just wonder where your musical taste would be if there never was American Idol. Hahaha!! Get well soon, buddy. Blog ON!
Glad you reposted this blog post on Twitter. Congrats on your blog’s 9 year anniversary. The 10,000 rule can be discouraging sometimes b/c I know I’ve cultivated some bad habits through practice. As they say, “if it takes 10 years to get in the woods, it takes 10 years to get out. That’s why it has been so hard to quit smoking.
I love everything about this post!
I also joined the 27 club this year. I don’t think my year was as awesome as yours, but I sure learned a lot. Happy 9 year anniversary!
You are an amazing person for all that you do for everyone! If 27 was this good, it can only get better ;)
so good to see that I’m not alone. We went this weekend and walked out after 30 min. and at least 8 others walked out before us. I haven’t walked out of a movie since I was a teenager (that was a long time ago!) Maybe I didn’t stay long enough but I felt much like all the opinions above and just found no redeeming qualities to keep my attention.
YEAH! what you said <3
#iblamedrewscancer for any geography that tries to separate us on 09/09/09. And parallel parking. I blame that, too.
@Kim – Or you could #blamedrewscancer for the necessity of parallel parking, that day. Some things his cancer is actually responsible for. :)
Great job on the explanation! You make it sound very enticing. I’ll be using this link whenever I mention Blame-a-thon in the next several days.
Is there any way that I could buy the sheet music off of you or commission you to write acapella arrangements? x x x x
whenever i click on edit profile page it takes me to bandprofile.shows page! as a result i cannot even get to the myspace 2.0 editor.
im going mad. please help.
sorry i meant whenever i click on customize profile page
Great, thoughtful article. Sorry I’m so late reading it.
if you took nine years to record and post then,
my comment might as well be two years later but,
this is inspiring.
so, thanks.
i don’t have netflicks but if i had,
i would’ve watched ‘I Like Killing Flies’
It could be a leprechaun. My of-Irish-descent grandfather told me that they lived in the woods of montgo county and they were actually dastardly little goblins that caused much trouble. They weren’t the cute little creatures at the end of rainbows. My grandfather said that if leprechauns had any gold at all, they most likely stole it! So, I’d check to make sure you don’t have one of those, because that would be a royal pain in the arse. Apparently they are very hard to evict…
Isn’t it simpler to just build a dedicated site than this bullshit myspace.This really prove that people are just stupid flock of cows.
I’m doing it too!
Kokot, we are in complete agreement. However, MySpace is used very regularly by people who book local concerts and festivals, so it is a necessary evil.
I love it! You two even have the facial expressions down.
That is hilarious, because I TOTALLY PRACTICED IN THE MIRROR. I could not get his little lips-pursed scowl/smirk down right, but I worked on his brow furrowing all day before we went out.
Cao everyone,
Im new to the forum and just wanted to introduce myself, my name is Robert and I’m form Australia. I’ve been a long time lurker who has finally decided to make an account and contribute.
I have just about every Madonna lp, cd and 45 up till 1991. The one thing about Crazy for You was that I believe it was released on Geffen Records. I wrestled in high school so I’ve seen Vision Quest many times and never thought that Crazy for You would become somewhat obscure. I’ll download when I get home.
I don’t think it’s obscure any longer – it was on Immaculate and the subsequent Something to Remember ballads disc, and I’m sure the new box as well. It was just relatively obscure for the general consumer pre-Immaculate – and certainly in comparison to a hit song from a movie soundtrack now.
LIKE.
Yeah, I was kinda thinking you should have come with me. You are the only other sizable MJ freak I could think of. Perhaps when it’s on DVD.
GORGEOUS!! My favorite couple on tv. And you guys are HAWT! Good job!
Depends on the dream! I find the biggest obstacle to accomplishment is simply not knowing how to go about something. For instance, if I wanted to start a business, I’d be stalled simply by the enormity of a task that I can’t figure out the steps of. However, that isn’t a goal of mine — not even close. But things that used to seem that level of impossible — publishing poetry, for instance — have gradually started to seem feasible, and I realize that I have slowly been arming myself with the information that I need to do what I want to do. So for me, planning is invaluable in making me feel able, and feeling able is the only way to overcome the panic of trying (where the very premise of trying includes the possibility of failure, never mind Yoda and his cliches.)
There are other dreams that I’m living right now (making my own clothing! cooking new things all the time!) and yet others that I take little steps towards every day and I can see them waiting for me in the near future. Some of them (family-related) are accomplishments for which I’ll never receive any recognition, but they are all the more important for that — for being so personal that I accomplish them not for anyone else, but just for me and those most important to me.
I actually struggle with both. As you know, I’m pretty good with dreaming, and creativity, and living spontaneously. I’m NOT very good with productivity, self-discipline, and making long-term plans that I actually follow through on. I am the queen of half-finished projects and bright ideas that never happened or plans that were much better in dream-form than in reality.
There are instances in which I need to plan things, and then, I plan those things in detail…and inevitably become frustrated if every single detail does not go according to plan. It’s a struggle to let go and just live life and enjoy things as they happen when I planned them a different way.
Planning seems to be equivalent to adding anxiety to life, and I kind of would like to go back to a “do more, think less” strategy. But it seems a lot harder, the older I get! :)
I’ve been trying to set up my music myspace page and want to advertise my new single at the top of the page(before the streaming music box) Alot of musicians do this. For example look at florence and the machines page. I really can’t out how to do it at all. you could help me by any chance please?
hah,septa
I have not had it strike
Do not know what it feels like
Hey! I listened to songs today. Awesome. I love Falling Slowly.
I love this one!
Thank you, Pamela! It’s so flattering to hear people enjoying it even after ten years – lets me know I’ve been doing something consistently right all of this time.
Oh, Jim Steinman. Nothing quite like him. Nice one.
i admire your tenacity is learning and conquering new things. you the shizzle.
yeah baby! congrats!
I’m an artist myself and im basically researching all of this in,and i gotta say the politics are wonderful! im happy that this discussion of indie artist having options in this soon to be digital music revolution is even existing,were at the peek of it now and CDbaby,itunes,ilike,amazon and who ever is helping the indie’s out.but in my opinion Cdbaby is for the underdog to really prove to the world!!! the success stories alone i read had passion writen all over them,itunes is great brand wise but it’s oversaturated with all of the mainstream top 100.i would love to be there one day but at that point you loose touch.i say go cdbaby! and im gonna look into that quidplayer,it sounds more controlable,
-Eric Biddines
great post! love the troll scale. brilliant. and do you want me to cut that mofo?
I love the positivity of this, but I also LOVE thatit was auto-associated with the SOS, T for Troll post.
Excellent analysis and resource. Thanks for mentioning it and posting and walking us through the steps.
ps: Your self-confidence is attractive AND inspiring.
Long ago, I came to the conclusion that if I stopped doing what I was doing every time someone hated me, misunderstood me, or just didn’t get what I was doing..well, I’d never do anything. I’d never allow myself to be me, because I’d be too concerned with being approved of or liked. And the periods in my life when I’ve taken the criticisms to heart have been the least productive, and the most inhibiting.
Studies show that 8 out of 10 people lack self-confidence, in some way, shape, or form…including many performers, innovative thinkers, leaders, and truly unique people. To be in the last four categories, you can’t let it all get to you, and you don’t, and I think that’s awesome. :)
Go Emily, you got the guts for the perfect show!
You are one of the people I thought of when I got that blogger email. (Almost typed blooger. Guess it’s the same thing.) Advice? Should I try to move? My tech skill is pretty limited.
Gone With the Wind. I watch it almost every time I get sick.
Feel better!
For posterity, readers on various feeds have said:
-”The Last Starfighter”
-”Aliens and Jurassic Park top all others.”
-”Jurassic Park is up there, along with Independence Day and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”
avatar should def win. it is epic and should be. it’s the most beautiful cinematography and best told story. hurt locker is adequate. it better not win though. it’s no saving private ryan. and i’m with you on juno, another masterpiece in my eyes.
When I was home sick as a child, we didn’t have videos yet. I remember loving game shows and talk shows like Dinah Shore. I have zero nostalgia for those.
When I’m home sick my favoritea are Wes Anderson movies, Firefly/Serenity and Almost Famous.
I’m actually not a big fan of most of the Best Picture nominees, and the ones I’m likely to enjoy are the ones others aren’t going to like as much. District 9 and The Hurt Locker can’t inspire me to go see them (if I’m bored by 30 second previews, what am I going to do with two hours?), I’ve not seen Avatar, but already in my mind it’s overhyped. Of all the nominees, I’d like to see Precious, The Blindside, and Up In The Air. Strong acting and writing is always what makes a “Best Picture” for me.
Juno was fabulous. I love witty writing, and Ellen Page is one of my favourite young actresses.
Skip “The Reader”, and read the book instead. It’s a beautiful and disturbing story, but Hollywood didn’t do it justice. I got the sense they were too afraid of the disturbing, and downplayed it.
Loved MILK. Though now Netflix is convinced the only movies I will enjoy include prominent gay characters and very liberal storylines. I would like to tell Netflix that I am actually much more open minded than that.
676 Trackbacks/Pingbacks
[...] I might not be able to plot a book liked I used to, but surely I can supply meaningless blather as good as I ever did? I mean, lest we forget, I was the #1 Power Blogger on the entire freaking internet on several occasions, and I Blogathoned 48 posts in 24 hours every summmer for three years running. (not to mention I remain the longest running Philly Blogger, and the originator of a singer/songwriter “podcast,” but I digress). [...]
[...] I’d also like to be able to fit into my vinyl pants from high school. We should all have dreams. [...]
[...] The ache persisted for a few days, and by last night it was on the move – the pain slithered in to my mouth, up to my temple, and down the side of my neck. The ache became the headache, which in turn became one of the top three worst headaches of my life. (Another is here). [...]
[...] Last trip to the hairdresser – just for a trim – my shampooer warned me. “You’re going to go through an ugly phase,” she matter-of-facted at me, before admonishing, “and don’t go cutting it off just because you’re in the ugly phase.” [...]
[...] Posted on January 23rd, 2003 by krisis. Categories: uncategorized. Watch as six pounds of Roma Plastilina clay (hopefully) becomes a 1/2″ scale set for Prometheus Bound, neatly bound up in the form of an irregular polyhedron. [...]
[...] The week that i moved into my first apartment was also the only week i’ve ever owned a cell phone. Actually, it was on loan from Drexel as part of my employment as a peer leader. Only two and a half years later and all that i can remember is working long days in our tiny cloistered room in The Armory, after which i would take a short but exhilarating walk back to my new home. Short to the tune of seven blocks, but exhilarating because it carried me off of the Drexel campus map and onto poorly lit residential streets that were known to host such threats as maliciously drunk frat-boys and the very occasional mugger. [...]
[...] What i would do, though, is have an embarrassingly loud one-sided conversation about themes of materialism and submissiveness in Moulin Rouge as they relate to modern feminism. Not exactly guaranteed to scare away muggers, but i suppose i was hoping to portray that any startled girly screams in the middle of such a heated debate would be construed as distress calls rather than me conceding that Nicole’s tuberculosis had nothing to do with damning her character as soon as she became more than a high class hussy. [...]
[...] For those of you who are slightly new to this whole shebang, you should know that Trio has effectively become my get-out-of-blog free card. How it works is, basically, I lay my artistic soul bare for you in a 10-12 minute concert that, despite its sound of carefree ease, involves hours of sweat, profanity, and occasional blood to produce. Flush from my artistic efforts an enamored with my new tuneage, I typically let Trio sit at the top of the page for a week (or more) so that my barely-existant fanbase has no trouble locating and clicking upon the special feature repeatedly to satiate their listening desires. [...]
[...] Who are we kidding, I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear about that in the first place. Somewhere Avril is giggling. Also, netted from that MeFi thread, Kaki King’s new video. Watching her play melts my music synapses.Take a look. [...]
[...] So, cast-iron stomach aside, i got sick. Sick to the tune of using a SEL day and lying on the tiled bathroom floor at 4am vaguely twitching as to try to distract myself from being sick. It was not a good scene. Luckily, mom is just a numeric page away, and she generally arrives bearing legal narcotics. I swear, it’s worth sending a member of your family to nursing school just so you know you won’t kill yourself over a stomach flu. [...]
[...] In closing, just remember: say no to your bourough as a mispelled designer name, say probably not to pink, and don’t wear your first initial as a monogram unless you are Madonna or have a name starting with E. [...]
[...] Opening the door to our stairwell i discovered that Zoe, our downstairs neighbor, was playing my traditional airplane-landing accompaniment, PJ Harvey’s “Kamikaze.” This from the same neighbor who was blasting Madonna the day we moved in, and whose best friend is an abnormally pretty drag-queen named Dave, who occasionally chats with me in the hall. [...]
[...] some comments on that last bit: My favourite songs tend to reflect my favourite albums of the moment, but as you can see there are a few departures from that list. The new Elastica album is wonderful, but it has only made me lust after the 1:33 of perfection that is “All-Nighter” even more. The split entries represent songs that i usually listen to in pairs on the albums they come from. On Nina Gordon’s album, the two are really the only ones i like, but on Tracy Bonham’s and Weezer’s they’re barely better than the rest. The Pretenders are on the list just because “Back on the Chain Gang” melts my whole world. As for Ani, “Swing” is from her new EP and her last LP, “Itch” is from Not So Soft (which i recently gushed about), and the live “Firedoor” (featuring an awesome segue into “Rapper’s Delight”) is from a 1999 radio show from Stockholm. [...]
[...] I’m exceptionally disappointed that the link to this particular entry isn’t working at present (but, believe me, I’ll link your asses to it just as soon as it starts working again), but. . . BUT! This Crushing Krisis character. . . *swoon*. . . look at the press I’m getting: [...]
[...] Half a decade of intervening years has erased my memory of all but the “greatest hits” of those early songs. In some cases I can still recall a melody, or a few chords, but in others I’m surprised that I even wrote a song by that name. My longtime undercounting of my catalog at 140 songs was a result of this – fully sixty songs has been discarded or forgotten. [...]
[...] I have yet to reattain the epitome of my prettiness, but I have escaped the seductive “cut it off” allure of the uglies to inch ever closer to unspeakably desirable rock star look i’m cultivating. [...]
[...] (I would compare this to stepping onto the stage, but that analogy has the negative connotation attached to it from the time I tried to sublimate my 103 fever for a dress rehearsal but wound up with Bronchitis and Pneumonia. Because, you see, a fever is not just a symptom, it’s a condition, and you are your conditions.) [...]
[...] Despite previous independence highlights, today’s pre-fourth could have been my best. How many other days can you succeed at work, see one of your favorite people engaged, and get rip-roaring drunk with the best of your bestest of friends (actually, family). I love it. [...]
[...] This post will (temporarily, at least) close the loop my recent discussion of good music prediction systems. [...]
[...] I’m not really sure how it happened. I definitely hated them actively in 2000, and was rather bored with them in 2001. I think the love was the combination of buying OK Computer and The Bends, and then really liking a lot of Hail to the Thief, and then finally being amazed by what they can do in concert. Bonnaroo only served to prove the point. [...]
[...] When i worked as an intern at Record Kingdom the big man named Train once gave a little speech about pheromones. Because, you know, before he was a DJ he was a biology major. [...]
[...] It was early in the day today that i decided that i must be putting off pheromones. I’m not sure exactly when it occurred to me. It was after the first girl, in the subway. She was plain, not anyone i’d be caught flirting with. But, she had Anastasia’s jeans. [...]
[...] I don’t know. I guess it find those jeans sexy in the same way i always think girls who wear Happy are attractive. Anastasia is the first person i hung out with for that amount of time prior to college – she was bound to have an impact on me. This isn’t a story about her, though. [...]
[...] I won’t record Anastasia’s chapter of my pheromone-soaked day, because it really had nothing to do with it. Just two formerly close friends catching up for the first time as adults. I was stymied after a day of being beset by women who look great and mean nothing to be met by one who means an awful lot. An awful lot of memories and songs and hung-low jeans and perfumes that invoke her to this day. [...]
[...] I’m in much more of an output phase than an intake one right now, but sometimes output involves manic consumption of a lot of things in a brief period of time to keep me fueled. [...]
[...] Vegan Lunch Box is up for Best Food Blog at the 6th Annual Bloggies. Way back when i had a discussion about the nomination process of the 1st Annual Bloggies with founder Nikolai Nolan. In retrospect, i was mostly pissed off that Trio wasn’t (and was never) nominated for “best non-weblog feature” in the days when podcasting meant nothing, let alone had it’s own freaking award category. But, i digress. I stopped being upset when Rabi (another vegan!) won the “best kept secret” award. [...]
[...] It is t-minus something to Attack of the Well-Mannered Ex part deux. He is in a cab somewhere, trying to find our tiny street. [...]
[...] My recently social outings have been split evenly between the aforementioned best friend Gina and boyfriend Wes, and Elise’s best friend Amanda, because it stands to reason that anyone who could tolerate hanging out with Elise 40hrs a week of work plus however many hours of rehearsal will probably be able to tolerate me for the length of a concert or two. [...]
[...] Having introduced the trinity of my love, my mother, and my best friend, my cast of characters now widens considerably (though it stays predominantly female). [...]
[...] Having introduced the trinity of my love, my mother, and my best friend, my cast of characters now widens considerably (though it stays predominantly female). [...]
[...] Having introduced the trinity of my love, my mother, and my best friend, my cast of characters now widens considerably (though it stays predominantly female). [...]
[...] Having no child-skills to speak of, in my limited interactions with wee ones i just do what my mother did – treat them like fully functional small adults who are slightly hard of hearing. I don’t engage in baby-talk, and i don’t engage in little white lies about coal in stockings and Easter Bunnies. [...]
[...] I will not spoil the irony of Healing Magic Hands‘ post Unintended Messages by trying to describe it. Honest Planet allows me to rest easy in knowing i wasn’t the only romantic four-year old; her anecdote leaves me with a new level of horror over my mother’s grade-school hookup machinations – what if it was all a conspiracy with the other parents?!? [...]
[...] Vegan Lunch Box is up for Best Food Blog at the 6th Annual Bloggies. Way back when i had a discussion about the nomination process of the 1st Annual Bloggies with founder Nikolai Nolan. In retrospect, i was mostly pissed off that Trio wasn’t (and was never) nominated for “best non-weblog feature” in the days when podcasting meant nothing, let alone had it’s own freaking award category. But, i digress. I stopped being upset when Rabi (another vegan!) won the “best kept secret” award. [...]
[...] Of the first we dare not speak (not anymore, anyway). At the second, someone told me she loved me, and someone passed out in my stall shower (different someones; obviously a success). And, at the third I holed up in my room, jamming loudly with a rotating slate of collaborators, oblivious to the rest of the party (my ideal evening). [...]
[...] Of the first we dare not speak (not anymore, anyway). At the second, someone told me she loved me, and someone passed out in my stall shower (different someones; obviously a success). And, at the third I holed up in my room, jamming loudly with a rotating slate of collaborators, oblivious to the rest of the party (my ideal evening). [...]
[...] Moving from Reed Street to college was a move of efficiency – the dorm room was only oh-so-big, and the hurricane was oh-so-bad. Two carloads would certainly be all that we could manage. I reminisced at length about it previously. [...]
[...] Next comes the move of legend: me from Spring Garden Street, and Lindsay and Erika from Race Street. This recap makes it sound rather pedestrian, but it still inspires only-slightly-hyperbolic stories from the five of us whenever anyone moves. [...]
[...] My CD intake has become truly ludicrous over the course of the last month; since my latest acquisitions post i’ve purchased another 20+ discs, hardly any of which are bad. Yet, i hardly listen to 200 songs in my own collection a week – i average about 700 a month with iPod, and without (as i am, currently) i hover around 300. That means i’m not even listening to all of my new purchases once through iTunes. [...]
[...] I consider myself to be a fairly open-minded music fan, but the Boy’s taste definitely veers lo-fi and out of tune. I can manage to forgive both of these traits individually, but in tandem i can’t stomach them at all. Speaking of which, witness two posts about my arch-nemesis Bright Eyes over the course of a single month. Someone really needs to teach that boy how to sing. [...]
[...] Lowest ranked is the Yeah Yeah Yeahs disc Fever To Tell, which was subtly disappointing … everything i had heard about them made them out to be “The Next Big Thing, but it’s mostly just girl-lead punk with fairly uncatchy screaming (i prefer The Distillers). Still, i can at least comprehend making this pick. [...]
[...] File under “Coolness” – A daily reading of the superb semi-fictional (i hope) Acerbia lead me to the witty Stiletto Philosphy, whose top link is none other than The Go Fish, who i suspect could be the most read Philly blogger (she was mentioned in the Inquirer article i kvetched about on CK’s birthday). It makes me happy that TGF’s blogger has become known enough that i find my way back to her from blogs in completely other circles, which i suppose isn’t surprising given her mammoth reading list. [...]
[...] File under “Coolness” – A daily reading of the superb semi-fictional (i hope) Acerbia lead me to the witty Stiletto Philosphy, whose top link is none other than The Go Fish, who i suspect could be the most read Philly blogger (she was mentioned in the Inquirer article i kvetched about on CK’s birthday). It makes me happy that TGF’s blogger has become known enough that i find my way back to her from blogs in completely other circles, which i suppose isn’t surprising given her mammoth reading list. [...]
[...] Well, okay, not randomly; i had just spent thirty minutes fixing that Largehearted post, and i randomly checked to see if i was coming up on the recently updated list. However, the clicking was not random, and i won’t have you think i clicked through just because i saw a C. It was more like: Cock Under Lock? I wonder if it’s a blog about a pet rooster or a chastity belt? [...]
[...] Elise is a Photography major, with all sorts of practical and historical knowledge to bring to bear, whereas i have never used a manual camera and still describe pictures as pretty and nice. To rectify the gap in our knowledge, i occasionally endeavor to make myself learnèd about photographers and their craft. To that end, i think i stole this fashion photography slide-show from Kottke; i liked it, and subsequently narrated it to Elise, who proclaimed something about Nan Goldin ruining everything and how gorgeous Lisa Fonssagrives looked. The second slide in the show is by David LaChapelle who does some wonderful things with light and motion in his pictures though, we both decided after looking through his portrait collection, they are mostly souless (though i have a few favorites). And, to round out the trio of links, i love this portfolio of digital retouching, complete with before and after pictures and photoshop layers (cribbed from Metafilter, but again originally from Kottke). [...]
[...] In closing, i feel that you should know that i am eating raw cookie-dough for dinner, and that after a content-lite day for T-Give i’ll be closing out NaBloPoMo with several more Trios and more NaBloPoMo site reviews. [...]
[...] You were supposed to receive the second Influences Trio tonight, but it took six hours last night to get one song right, and we are leaving on our T-Day expedition to NJ in a few hours. [...]
[...] We break the radio-silence of Term-Paper-Hell-Week to bring you this important bulletin: Record Kingdom, my oft-lamented but still-beloved co-op employer from 2002, is apparently going out of business! Lindsay and I haven’t spoken to any of our former co-workers yet, but we were both sad to hear about it; though we didn’t exactly pledge our undying allegiance to RK, we spent a lot of long hours trying to make them a more organized, more profitable company. [...]
[...] We break the radio-silence of Term-Paper-Hell-Week to bring you this important bulletin: Record Kingdom, my oft-lamented but still-beloved co-op employer from 2002, is apparently going out of business! Lindsay and I haven’t spoken to any of our former co-workers yet, but we were both sad to hear about it; though we didn’t exactly pledge our undying allegiance to RK, we spent a lot of long hours trying to make them a more organized, more profitable company. [...]
[...] I won’t record Anastasia’s chapter of my pheromone-soaked day, because it really had nothing to do with it. Just two formerly close friends catching up for the first time as adults. I was stymied after a day of being beset by women who look great and mean nothing to be met by one who means an awful lot. An awful lot of memories and songs and hung-low jeans and perfumes that invoke her to this day. [...]
[...] Well, my Sunday estimate of 17/30 pages done wound up being a bit of an understatement, as a week of all-nighters (and, shockingly, more than a couple wake-uppers) just concluded with the completion of an unintentionally lengthy PR paper about Dracula and his effect on Romanian tourism, which clocked in at sixteen double-spaced pages. Not monstrous, but still the third longest paper i’ve written at Drexel, and long enough to meet the class’s Grad-student length requirement even though I took it as an undergrad. [...]
[...] We break the radio-silence of Term-Paper-Hell-Week to bring you this important bulletin: Record Kingdom, my oft-lamented but still-beloved co-op employer from 2002, is apparently going out of business! Lindsay and I haven’t spoken to any of our former co-workers yet, but we were both sad to hear about it; though we didn’t exactly pledge our undying allegiance to RK, we spent a lot of long hours trying to make them a more organized, more profitable company. [...]
[...] Rather than touch any of that, i co-opted it for my own, never doing the same thing twice. Once i carried a balloon in the parade. Another year i dined with Gina and her family and friends. Two years ago i spent Thanksgiving alone, drinking martinis and watching old movies. Each iteration was superior to the alternative of a dead bird and getting stuffed just to get stuffed. [...]
[...] Indeed, it was a rat. A rat that had grown so large that even seeing it full on i was tempted to believe it was a mutated house cat. Let me put that into perspective for you: big enough that it cannot be obscured by a single car tire; too menacing to beat to death with a flip-flop; large enough that it immediately evoked a fire-swamp joke after i was done screaming like a little girl at the top of my lungs at one thirty in the morning in the middle of a deserted West Philadelphia street. [...]
[...] That thought sustained my negligence of our heater through the evening, but it hasn’t carried me through to fitful sleep. Our bedroom, an addition to the house, hangs precipitously over our back door, my side of the bed exposed to the bitter elements on five sides. Even at my most endurant iron-man moment my resolve to avoid using our heat evaporates upon entry into the bedroom – especially without Elise and her heating pad to huddle up against to osmose some warmth. [...]
[...] What better activity to kick off a week of being cold and alone than working on my NaBloPoMo reviews? Grab your leftover sandwich, kids, (or, if you’re me, your favorite bottomless pail of cookie dough) cause it’s time for I, J, and K. [...]
[...] * where baked does not equal microwaved into a smoking heap [...]
[...] That’s the short of this story. The details are almost immaterial. I left a whiny grump and returned not. Sure, i’ve whined and grumped a little since then, but i can’t summon up the same intensity of either, or of meanness, as i’ve already mentioned. [...]
[...] “Don’t Bother Me.” Syndicate Product follows up on the Philly Paper Strike story i touched last week to let us know that if the strike occurs Philly news-people have established a website for on-strike reporting: PhilaPapers. [...]
[...] “In My Life.” My favorite song, as sung earlier this month. Somewhat Refined stops to teach a brat who’s boss. Hell yeah. She also posts some classic adverts. Two topics i don’t specialize in but am very fond of. Another Top 10 S from Writing Aspirations. [...]
[...] “Sgt. Pepper’s (Reprise).” A great, great, great “how we met” story from Simian Farmer. Way better than mine. [...]
[...] Anyway, gentle readers, I am back. And my corner has been deemed to contain “healthy media critique.” So hurrah. [...]
[...] Next time, I think I’ll go even farther and help out with the cause. Either donate a prize or help out with the reviewing. [...]
[...] I began this month by comparing my entry into National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) to a DC comics-style Crisis – a reboot of me and my entire multi-verse of blogging, all for the benefit of any new readers that might stop by. Everything familiar would be eliminated, or re-imagined from scratch. [...]
[...] I once theorized that the commonality of an experience makes it seem less real, as if the more people we’re aware of sharing it with the less intense it becomes. [...]
[...] Since I had Bonnaroo in June and we had St. Louis together in July, Elise was suffering from a one-vacation handicap. She needed time away from me to have an adventure, and I needed time to shuffle around the house and pretend to be a bachelor. With her returned from San Francisco it feels as though our balance has been reset. [...]
[...] Since I had Bonnaroo in June and we had St. Louis together in July, Elise was suffering from a one-vacation handicap. She needed time away from me to have an adventure, and I needed time to shuffle around the house and pretend to be a bachelor. With her returned from San Francisco it feels as though our balance has been reset. [...]
[...] I spent all day worried about the notes that i fucked up on Mother Mother. Peter, i kept thinking, how could you post a Trio with notes that fucked up?. Well, i knew how; “Mother Mother” had been holding me up for over a week, and finally this morning i just woke up, tuned my guitar, screamed intermittently for about three minutes, and then wiped my hands of the Trio just in time for my directing class. [...]
[...] Last week my obligations, as if in cahoots with each other, all cancelled each other out. Between last Tuesday and this Monday i had a single class and worked for three hours, but for all intents and purposes i was off — with no responsibilities other than to myself. I hardly knew what to do with myself at the time, but i fell into a sort of rhythm: waking up a little late, doing something i had been meaning to do for months, playing guitar, running an errand, et cetera. Nothing of substance, just the things i would find the time to fit in if time were more hours in a day. [...]
[...] Coffee does not make me sharper. Not in the least. Coffee fuzzes my edges, as if my body is a camera trying unsuccessfully to capture a subject in motion. An afternoon trip to Starbucks leaves me feeling drugged, unable to control myself or stop talking or just think clearly for a single second. Is this what it’s like, i think, to be on speed? Moving without even having to think about it. [...]
[...] I’ve seen a lot of random opening bands, many of whom i’ve derisively blogged about the next day, but Kaki King is the first artist since Peter Mulvey (and, to a slightly lesser extent, Erin McKeown) to ever leave me with my eyes unblinking, my jaw hanging loose, and my fingers twitching just in contemplation of my inevitable attempt to replicate the performance before me. [...]
[...] I’ve seen a lot of random opening bands, many of whom i’ve derisively blogged about the next day, but Kaki King is the first artist since Peter Mulvey (and, to a slightly lesser extent, Erin McKeown) to ever leave me with my eyes unblinking, my jaw hanging loose, and my fingers twitching just in contemplation of my inevitable attempt to replicate the performance before me. [...]
[...] And, by the way, i wore cargo pants to Kaki King. And, and, rather than doing it myself i made Ross order my cosmopolitan. I have to say, there’s nothing quite like making your muscle-y blond football-player sized male friend walk up to a female bartender to order a cosmo (especially when they come in dainty little glasses). I don’t know what was better… the look on her face when she heard his order, or the look on his when he saw the look on hers. [...]
[...] While the OE inclusion is surprising, the Inquirer article left a bigger impact on me — if only because it neglected to mention this site. I have a sneaking suspicion that Crushing Krisis could be the longest running Philadelphia blog (now that Rabi is conveniently out of the way in new york); I have to slog through all of the links here and here to make absolutely sure. [...]
[...] Long gone are those days, though, when i represented all that is common and exciting about blogging. I am not an active linker, and i do not engage in many of the trends and memes that are so often definitive of the blogging community. I am more interesting in reporting, either on my daily life, or on the people and communications i observe, and in singing and playing both my own songs and others’ through Trio and Blogathon. [...]
[...] Long gone are those days, though, when i represented all that is common and exciting about blogging. I am not an active linker, and i do not engage in many of the trends and memes that are so often definitive of the blogging community. I am more interesting in reporting, either on my daily life, or on the people and communications i observe, and in singing and playing both my own songs and others’ through Trio and Blogathon. [...]
[...] Long gone are those days, though, when i represented all that is common and exciting about blogging. I am not an active linker, and i do not engage in many of the trends and memes that are so often definitive of the blogging community. I am more interesting in reporting, either on my daily life, or on the people and communications i observe, and in singing and playing both my own songs and others’ through Trio and Blogathon. [...]
[...] That’s what i love — how this has been woven together with my “real life;” not so much that you cannot see the seams, but well enough that it never quite unravels. I love that people i haven’t talked to, people i have forgotten, people i have never met can see a sketch or snapshot of my life at any given moment. Sometimes writing for it can seem boring, or tedious, or invasive, but if i were to stop, to actually give up for a single minute in the days or weeks that separate my posts, then suddenly this mirror of my identity would just turn into a photograph, taken from far away. [...]
[...] My response is, of course, “I told you so.” After all, i have been doing it for three years now, to the day. [...]
[...] Long gone are those days, though, when i represented all that is common and exciting about blogging. I am not an active linker, and i do not engage in many of the trends and memes that are so often definitive of the blogging community. I am more interesting in reporting, either on my daily life, or on the people and communications i observe, and in singing and playing both my own songs and others’ through Trio and Blogathon. [...]
[...] Long gone are those days, though, when i represented all that is common and exciting about blogging. I am not an active linker, and i do not engage in many of the trends and memes that are so often definitive of the blogging community. I am more interesting in reporting, either on my daily life, or on the people and communications i observe, and in singing and playing both my own songs and others’ through Trio and Blogathon. [...]
[...] Long gone are those days, though, when i represented all that is common and exciting about blogging. I am not an active linker, and i do not engage in many of the trends and memes that are so often definitive of the blogging community. I am more interesting in reporting, either on my daily life, or on the people and communications i observe, and in singing and playing both my own songs and others’ through Trio and Blogathon. [...]
[...] That’s what i love — how this has been woven together with my “real life;” not so much that you cannot see the seams, but well enough that it never quite unravels. I love that people i haven’t talked to, people i have forgotten, people i have never met can see a sketch or snapshot of my life at any given moment. Sometimes writing for it can seem boring, or tedious, or invasive, but if i were to stop, to actually give up for a single minute in the days or weeks that separate my posts, then suddenly this mirror of my identity would just turn into a photograph, taken from far away. [...]
[...] For me Blogathon is a study in controlling chaos. Last year when i agreed to make twenty-five recordings to post over a twenty-four hour span the task seemed impossibly daunting, and it got even more daunting when i got locked out of my school’s recording studio with only six songs recorded. But, it was never really the songs i was worried about, evidenced by the fact that in the end i exceeded my original estimate by twenty-nine. I don’t remember what i ate, or how i got to sleep the day before, or how i kept all 54 of the songs organized on my hard drive. What i do remember is that finishing was never a question: i had the songs, i had the drive, i had a cause, i had friends to keep me awake, and i had a final song to debut. [...]
[...] A wonderfully tipsy holiday lunch with my co-workers. Unearthing ancient audio and importing Blogathon posts into WP. Watching Superman Returns and crying every time Brandon Routh looked a lot like Christopher Reeve. How finding a great gift for Gina drove home why my holiday gifts are going to be donation-based, and my subsequent call to my mother to tell her not to buy me any presents. Rehearsing with Gina, and how it feels to finally be able to sing harmony. Playing in a new music showcase, where I was invited to be in a Space-Rock-Opera (and, how Tori Amos is the great uniter of people). The cab-driver I think I may have just imagined. Buying used DVDs from Netflix. The new No-Cast, and how I have a perfect example. [...]
[...] In the midst of all of my NaBloPoMoing in November I was reminded of how fun it can be to turn on my mixer and record a song – especially something I’ve never played before. In fact, my favorite results of the month were all songs I barely rehearsed and slammed through in a single take (Other Plans, Under My Skin, & Dilate). [...]
[...] Or, at least, I used to be average. In 2004 I graduated to “decent” when I made three very broad resolutions – to be aware of my money, my diet, and my time. They didn’t mean I had to pinch pennies every day, avoid eating junk, and be productive 24/7 – they just meant I had to be conscious about when I wasn’t doing those things. [...]
[...] So, yeah, if you had been wondering why i’ve suddenly gotten all sullen and quiet, it’s because i’m working a full-time communications job from nine to five and a half time communications job every night as soon as i get home. Oh, and i’m recording 25 new songs for Blogathon. Oh, and i’m visiting Martha for the holiday weekend. Oh, and there’s that having a girlfriend thing, that takes some time to. And i vaguely recall something about a kiddie pool and plastic Solo cups filled with grilled chicken, but that was quite a few Coronas ago. [...]
[...] Which is funny, in an ironic way, because this weekend i was telling someone about Crushing Krisis, and i had this overwhelmingly clear moment where i remembered my original conception of it, how everything in the world is pressing against me and that i am in the middle slowly asphyxiating but at the same time slowly pushing back against it all with all the pressure i can bring to bear, and how it is all just crushing in both directions, and whatever is still breathing in the end wins. [...]
[...] In other cock-related news (ha! a pun!), i went rooster hunting when i returned from work this evening, after an unbelievable alarm-clock-like round of crowing this morning that ran on regular half hour intervals starting at five. I was unable to locate the foul fowl, despite some leads indicating that what i previously thought to be an errant chicken walking around behind CVS was actually said rooster, a pet of the man who lives on the corner. A thorough stalking of his premises revealed no such terror of a bird. I have resolved that if i am woken up at any point before 7am tomorrow by its crowing that i will go outside, find it, and shove it through its owner’s mail slot. [...]
[...] I think that sometimes Elise feels bad that i don’t write so many songs anymore, as if it’s her fault. It guess it is a little bit, because i am happy and not creating stupid scenarios in my head to connect me to every person that i pass by on the street out of utter desperation to be a part of someone else’s day. It’s confusing to look at the entries in my little grey book from a year ago, while Elise was still new and confusing enough to evoke my typical lyrical ramblings. At a point not too far after that there is a disconnect, and suddenly i am not writing out of my gut anymore, from where my songs used to spring covered in bile and blood. Every time Elise gets used to me not having anything new to sing at all i surprise her, the other night with four new songs that she had never even heard a hint of before. They make me uneasy — i have trouble feeling them and so they are hard to sing. [...]
[...] A year ago this week I had just finished my yearly engagement at Lyndzapalooza, and otherwise hadn’t played anywhere other than the Shubin X-Mas Revue since… well, since the last Lyndzapalooza. However, I had also just written and demoed two new songs that seemed not to suck, and I was arranging for and singing in an a cappella group (the latter for the first time ever). [...]
[...] Much like “Standing,” it woke me up from sleep to jot it down. Only this one was much more stubborn – the lyrics didn’t have a consistent meter, and I could hear only a few pieces of the music. It seemed unremarkable, especially for something thar had dragged me out of bed. [...]
[...] (Also w/r/t my sleeplessness, I experienced a highly unexpected psychotic break into hysterical tears at of the intersection of Broad and South while singing along to “Morse Code Love.” [...]
[...] None other than Peter Mulvey, my personal favorite folk-rock hero and my mainstay musical influence — not to mention being one of the few people on earth who owns both of my demo cds as well as occasionally talking to me from on-stage about his bottom-end. So to speak. [...]
[...] None other than Peter Mulvey, my personal favorite folk-rock hero and my mainstay musical influence — not to mention being one of the few people on earth who owns both of my demo cds as well as occasionally talking to me from on-stage about his bottom-end. So to speak. [...]
[...] I might not be able to plot a book liked I used to, but surely I can supply meaningless blather as good as I ever did? I mean, lest we forget, I was the #1 Power Blogger on the entire freaking internet on several occasions, and I Blogathoned 48 posts in 24 hours every summer for three years running. (not to mention I remain the longest running Philly Blogger, and the originator of a singer/songwriter “podcast,” but I digress). [...]
[...] The concept is staggering; it doesn’t mean that i set a trend, but at least that i tapped into it first and have (so far) held onto it the longest. Through this passive act of ignorance i suddenly realized both how important this has become to me, what it really is, and how often i do not come through for it. [...]
[...] Long gone are those days, though, when i represented all that is common and exciting about blogging. I am not an active linker, and i do not engage in many of the trends and memes that are so often definitive of the blogging community. I am more interesting in reporting, either on my daily life, or on the people and communications i observe, and in singing and playing both my own songs and others’ through Trio and Blogathon. [...]
[...] Long gone are those days, though, when i represented all that is common and exciting about blogging. I am not an active linker, and i do not engage in many of the trends and memes that are so often definitive of the blogging community. I am more interesting in reporting, either on my daily life, or on the people and communications i observe, and in singing and playing both my own songs and others’ through Trio and Blogathon. [...]
[...] Whether or not i’m putting in my best effort on a daily basis, new people continue to happen onto this page for the first time, some of them familiar and some entirely strange. All of my roommates (current and former) read it regularly, as do most of my close friends. Some of my professors have been known to stop by. This weekend, Rabi and I had just sat down to a refreshing Bubble Tea when my cell phone was rung by my god-brother, who i haven’t seen or spoken to in almost four years, but who had found this through Google. He told me that “Hide Your Love Away” was his favorite song so far, and said we should hang out sometime soon. [...]
[...] Whether or not i’m putting in my best effort on a daily basis, new people continue to happen onto this page for the first time, some of them familiar and some entirely strange. All of my roommates (current and former) read it regularly, as do most of my close friends. Some of my professors have been known to stop by. This weekend, Rabi and I had just sat down to a refreshing Bubble Tea when my cell phone was rung by my god-brother, who i haven’t seen or spoken to in almost four years, but who had found this through Google. He told me that “Hide Your Love Away” was his favorite song so far, and said we should hang out sometime soon. [...]
[...] That’s what i love — how this has been woven together with my “real life;” not so much that you cannot see the seams, but well enough that it never quite unravels. I love that people i haven’t talked to, people i have forgotten, people i have never met can see a sketch or snapshot of my life at any given moment. Sometimes writing for it can seem boring, or tedious, or invasive, but if i were to stop, to actually give up for a single minute in the days or weeks that separate my posts, then suddenly this mirror of my identity would just turn into a photograph, taken from far away. [...]
[...] By the way, 5am has been designated as Request Hour. Now, it’s not going to be anything as thrilling as the request hour from last year, but that’s because each song required a lot more planning this year. Essentially, last year i could just sortof stand in front of my monitor and belt stuff out. This year i have to decide how to amplify everything into the mixer, and then EQ it all, and then set levels, and then mix into the computer, and then i have to go stand in some awkward position somewhere to sing into a precariously placed microphone. Sound fun? So, there were a couple suggested covers that were sadly vetoed because i simply couldn’t learn them cold quickly enough. But, rest assured it’s still going to be fun, and they’re honest to goodness requests. In thirty minutes. Be there. [...]
[...] I ostensibly bought his new disc Lifted to review it, but i know that i am really casing up the competition. In the past i have wondered at the success of others who are only slightly older than me, and whose work i adore. Now, i am wondering about the success of someone who i could very plausibly be; who shares the exact years of pop culture inundation with me, if not some of the same influences. I happen to think that i sing better than him; i also think i write more accessible songs. But, i am in college, and he is on the road. I am on the dean’s list, and he is in Rolling Stone. [...]
[...] (If you don’t know me at all you probably should just skip down to the last post to avoid too much incoherent rambling). [...]
[...] As of two years ago today i had only completed three music courses on a collegiate level. None of them went towards improving my vocal skills. I was fully aware of that fact, and though i strove to improve both my volume and pitch on my own i had already begun to do the same through coursework. In 2001 i earned the ability to record in Drexel’s digital studio, and it was during the mixing of Relief that i became enamored with the idea of joining 8 To The Bar. [...]
[...] In the weeks to come i found myself watching in jealously and awe as 8 To The Bar added new members — almost all of them in my singing range. It had never occurred to me to audition. The grace saving me from actual disappointment about this were The Treblemakers — 8ttB’s just-formed female counterparts. The Treblemakers were composed almost exclusively of my close friends (save for Selina), and as they began rehearsing i quickly became their groupie-at-large … locating errant members after practice began, fetching extra photocopies, and reserving seats for them at the 8ttB concert. By the following fall i was an actual member of the TM’s, albeit an honorary one, and i still gave no though to auditioning for 8ttB despite them adding two more people who sing the same voice part as me in addition to our collective friend Dante, to whom i cannot claim any semblance of vocal comparison. [...]
[...] Six months ago today was the third night Elise and i slept beside each other in the same bed. Six months before that i was packing up what there was of my life and wondering if it meant anything at all. Six months before that i was already saying what i refused to let myself figure out. And i don’t remember what happened six months before that, other than that it was a week before i started using blogger. [...]
[...] After Ross left, Kate wanted a shower, Lindsay wanted me to sweep up the hair in the bathroom, and Erika wanted to go to sleep. I just wanted my curls back, to save them for winter when i can be pretty again, and now i am just teary and wide awake waiting for the train to take me away from here in the morning. I will not forget this feeling. [...]
[...] I’ve followed Kate’s lead and delved into some CK written from the old apartment, and it’s downright odd. I don’t remember writing like i did then – in constant fits and starts, or even thinking like that. Now every single post either sends me into a fit of laughter or a state of quiet contemplation, and sometimes both consecutively. And, though i’m sure it’s very amusing and thought-provoking on its own (heh), the highlights for me definitely connect to having been there when they were written… remembering how many times i fell to the ground in a fit of hysterical laughter on this night of drinking with Aim, laughing out loud at the nearly psychic advice doled out in this post, and remembering to read the commented out dream in this one, which i easily recollected almost blow for blow. As much as i love making other people think, or laugh, or sing along, i think the best part of this is often just looking back and seeing exactly what i was like on a certain day nearly two years ago. It’s truly worth the effort. [...]
[...] I’ve followed Kate’s lead and delved into some CK written from the old apartment, and it’s downright odd. I don’t remember writing like i did then – in constant fits and starts, or even thinking like that. Now every single post either sends me into a fit of laughter or a state of quiet contemplation, and sometimes both consecutively. And, though i’m sure it’s very amusing and thought-provoking on its own (heh), the highlights for me definitely connect to having been there when they were written… remembering how many times i fell to the ground in a fit of hysterical laughter on this night of drinking with Aim, laughing out loud at the nearly psychic advice doled out in this post, and remembering to read the commented out dream in this one, which i easily recollected almost blow for blow. As much as i love making other people think, or laugh, or sing along, i think the best part of this is often just looking back and seeing exactly what i was like on a certain day nearly two years ago. It’s truly worth the effort. [...]
[...] My grandfather was never much of a driver that i remember – between his failing vision and his advancing bipolar disorder he wasn’t quite cut out for traffic. But, that day i somehow convinced him to start up the car and drive to my house. Children have short sight like that: one day my grandfather was lucid, happy, and amenable enough to drive me somewhere and i just wanted some toys to play with. Every time my mother mentions that he was overseas in the war or reminds me of how he lost half of his finger while doing janitorial work so that she could go to Catholic school my memory of him flickers off of the cartoonish and frightening man he was half the time, and off of the feeble thing he was in the nursing home. The image i see, ever so shortly, is the one that is framed on top of my grandmother’s television in Florida. Their wedding picture. Sometimes looking at it makes me very afraid, because they could look so absolutely happy together over fifty years ago without suspecting that any of this would happen … a war, a daughter, a sickness, and a grandson who just wanted his action figures so that he wouldn’t have to hear about any of it. [...]
[...] It took me a minute of thinking, but the last time i saw my father was while i was in the hospital last year. I’m not even sure he knows that i had surgery last month. The last time i saw my mother was a few weeks ago, i suppose. And i haven’t seen this little white box for eight days now. [...]
[...] My mother apparently took my accompaniment by a blessed Beatle to mean that i was moving towards the light, and thus became even more upset. Of course, being a mother whose sensitivity to art was washed away by the brutal reign of the television and trickle-through exposure to N’Sync singles, she had already forgotten that my secondary reason for being so upset the last time i was in the hospital for a procedure was that George had just died. [...]
[...] When we last left our hero, he was awaiting a response to his record reviews with bated breath. Would he finally get to write for an honest to goodness newspaper? We pick up shortly after Peter receives the paper’s reply as we fade up from black. Though he was initially joyous at their friendly invitation of “Welcome Aboard,” over the course of the day he realizes that the congratulatory email has delivered him the worst possible news – his new editor is more interested in what he feels about records than what he thinks, and is hopeful that he will revise his reviews to this effect. [...]
[...] The apathy involved in this redesign amazed me. It basically got to a point where i knew there was a redesign coming, and i didn’t really want to blog until it happened, but i didn’t really want to work on it. Which, equated to not wanting to blog at all. [...]
[...] The latter quote has relevance to yesterday’s first post because it implies exactly the opposite opinion of blogging while winding up with the same end result; blogs will be overabundant rather than just being over, and their proliferation will render having your own blog to be a non-event. The idea that personal pages once rife with badly justified text and awkwardly placed image files are soon to be transformed into a neverending stream of well-intentioned but poorly maintained weblogs is somewhat disappointing – even if my blog started out that way, i’ve always hoped the medium wouldn’t be relegated to such “ubiquitous” and “transparent” ends. If that happens, maintaining a domain name blog won’t be any different than having some shitty page on Geocities; not that it was any different in the first place. [...]
[...] Sometimes it seems as though everyone i know reads Henry’s Diary on a semi-regular basis, and today Aim beat me to the punch and had to break the news to me. Far be it from me to insert myself into other people’s personal lives that i know nothing about via the internet, but i would trade in a whole heap of my personal good karma if it could help the situation between Mike & Tracey. I was just a little younger than Henry when my parents separated, and my only memory of my father living with me is him standing on our steps screaming something. I think it might have been the day he left. I’ve already made my feelings pretty clear on how amazing i think Mike is for creating the Diary, and i just don’t want to believe that the idyllic little Californian world i had conjured in my head for Henry is now going to be irrevocably changed with only a website to act in the place of memories that will slowly trickle away from Henry as the years go on. Right. So much for not inserting myself. [...]
[...] Funny that i wrote that last post when i did and forgot to publish it; last night after i got home i collapsed onto my bed into a sleep deep enough that it might as well been medical in nature. It was, really; my body hasn’t taken longer than eight hours to regenerate itself in longer than i can remember. Sometimes you just need more than half of a day to put everything inside back into its proper order. [...]
[...] The whole think stank of their horrible tech set-up from last year, which nearly turned me off to performing in front of people altogether. But, i persevered – twisting my body halfway around so that i could aim my guitar into one microphone and sing into another. It was hellish, i was uncomfortable, and i was too distracted to hit the high notes. I was not the happiest camper in the room. [...]
[...] Even though my taste in music runs pretty slim these days, i’m not ignorant; i know my Evelyn Champagne King, my DJ Shadow, my No Limits crew, and my Jets singles with blue rainbowed MCA labels on them. Still, i find myself going through boxes of LPs and singles, primarily Hip Hop, and not recognizing a single name. At first i was prone to write this off to ignorance, but after a week i’m sure that isn’t the case. The records i’m pawing through aren’t all big name acts … instead, they are debut singles, self-owned labels, and one hit wonders looking for a rebound. I don’t know them because they aren’t known. The thing that gets me about these records, though, is the effort they took. It takes a couple of hours for me to get ready for a Trio, not counting the time i spent writing, arranging, and practicing. It took me an on&off month in the studio to record my demo cd, which is nearly all solo. How long do you think it takes to record a solid hip hop track? Brainstorming and refining the rhymes, finding a hook or a sample to build on, getting into the studio to lay it down, adding other instruments, remixing and editing …it’s a long labor. And, a labor of love. Singer-songwriter snob that i am, i tend to marginalize a lot of urban artists because they don’t write their own music and play their own instruments. But, they’re not Celine Dion, that’s for sure. They own the words, they built the beat, and they might have produced on it as well. Forgetting for a moment about their ridik-u-lezlee mizspellled namz and overblown posturing, they took the time to create something, and they were hoping to get noticed because of it And they’re in my $6 bargain bin. [...]
[...] Via Ernie, Via 37signals: Celine Dion’s new disc will not play in computer CD drives. I’ve been harping about this a lot recently, and there has been a similar amount of speculation in independent internet press on which overblown major-label artist would first allow themselves to play guinea pig to this particular corporate experiment. Ironically, Dion is one of the least relevant: music piracy is obviously most common on college campuses, but Celine is much more of an Adult Contemporary artist. It remains to be seen if labels are brave enough to similarly cripple a disc by Ms. Spears or even Metallica, as the ramifications on record sales alone are potentially horrifying — not to mention the nearly assured backlash by college-aged record buyers (and their potential to find an easy way around the protection). Not to prematurely give birth to my aforementioned massive media essay, but record labels just don’t get the damned point. Students burns and rip discs because they aren’t realistically affordably. Record companies continue to raise prices to help maintain their profit margins, while they slash artist rosters at the same time. Maybe if brand new pop discs didn’t have an unbelievable list price of nineteen dollars they wouldn’t be so readily copied for under fifty cents. But, rather than assess their own corruption of the artistic process and of the artists’ own rights, the recording industry would rather point the finger at technology and punish buyers who listen to music at their computers. It isn’t the right way to solve things. [...]
[...] Garrison Starr just released From Takeoff to Landing, a second full-length LP to accompany her three EPs. This is not only cool because Garrison Starr rocks my world, or because i wore her t-shirt today and then magically found a press copy of her record for sale, but because now you can witness the incredible transformation of one of my favourite songs. For a taste, take a listen to the solo Five Minutes from her EP and then take a listen to the band version at Amazon or on her label’s site. To me it sounds as though the band version uses the same two-track guitar/vocal recording from the solo version — very cool, plus it’s a neat tag onto the “Who would Peter sound like if he had a band” comment chain from last week. Why don’t you listen to a trio or two and then register your opinion? [...]
[...] At some point during which i was surely raving about my website and how much fun i have writing for it and meeting people through it, Elise decided to set up house on BlogSpot, though she didn’t tell me about it until i mentioned something to the effect of that she could only get sexier if she — in addition to being incredibly intelligent, acting as an op on a MUDD via telnet, and playing a bit of guitar — had a blog. Of course she did, because her sexiness rates off the scale, and she’s actually had some really sparkling moments of blogging in the month she’s been writing so far. Funny anecdotal entries from math class, reminiscences reminiscent of the stylings of Martha & Rabi, and entirely flattering opposite-view accounts of things i’ve mentioned us doing here. Without much discussion we decided that my linking to her, via sidebar or upon any mention of her name, would result in too much strangeness to be worthwhile. As such, our two respective blogs exist in entirely separate universes… while hers is anonymous in name and design, mine is here for all to see along with over a year of context, songs, and occasional photographs. Somewhere in that distinction, i have found that i rely on her accounts of our collective life to remind me of what has gone by rather than my own. My reluctance to air actual personal details aside, i am simply uncomfortable with making more than an obscure mention of a day spent in New Hope, marathon sessions of Secret of Mana, and her having fallen asleep in my bed. [...]
[...] At some point during which i was surely raving about my website and how much fun i have writing for it and meeting people through it, Elise decided to set up house on BlogSpot, though she didn’t tell me about it until i mentioned something to the effect of that she could only get sexier if she — in addition to being incredibly intelligent, acting as an op on a MUDD via telnet, and playing a bit of guitar — had a blog. Of course she did, because her sexiness rates off the scale, and she’s actually had some really sparkling moments of blogging in the month she’s been writing so far. Funny anecdotal entries from math class, reminiscences reminiscent of the stylings of Martha & Rabi, and entirely flattering opposite-view accounts of things i’ve mentioned us doing here. Without much discussion we decided that my linking to her, via sidebar or upon any mention of her name, would result in too much strangeness to be worthwhile. As such, our two respective blogs exist in entirely separate universes… while hers is anonymous in name and design, mine is here for all to see along with over a year of context, songs, and occasional photographs. Somewhere in that distinction, i have found that i rely on her accounts of our collective life to remind me of what has gone by rather than my own. My reluctance to air actual personal details aside, i am simply uncomfortable with making more than an obscure mention of a day spent in New Hope, marathon sessions of Secret of Mana, and her having fallen asleep in my bed. [...]
[...] Speaking of not being interesting at all, i can’t believe you just read all of that :p . Or, am i all wrong; is it not the obscured mentions or the explicit ones that interest you, but instead my inner-turmoil on the matter? I suppose i’m just stuck on how to best portray this particular crushing aspect of my life to you. Dare i ask… any thoughts? [...]
[...] Speaking of not being interesting at all, i can’t believe you just read all of that :p . Or, am i all wrong; is it not the obscured mentions or the explicit ones that interest you, but instead my inner-turmoil on the matter? I suppose i’m just stuck on how to best portray this particular crushing aspect of my life to you. Dare i ask… any thoughts? [...]
[...] “Colorful?” I pondered it more than i asked it. I suppose even the most routine of comfortable things are still thrilling in the right light. A half hour later Kat was framing up a picture of the shadows that our blinds cast against the curtains, with Elise coaching on what to leave out of the edge, and inside it felt like we had rewound back past spring to last summer, and the wonder i had in my eyes at this place when it was empty and unfinished. I am enjoying all of the seasons i have collected, as much as i am enjoying the spring that has now officially arrived. [...]
[...] It’s funny how spring doesn’t always manage to play the part, even after i get so exciting about its approach. It’s a good thing that i feel like spring, anyhow… [...]
[...] No one ever took me up on the offer of the view, but it might have been because i never really offered it seriously; always packaging it with the joke that it was, in fact, my surefire means of seduction — which tends to diffuse the seductive power of the plan. Right now it is raining. My neighbor has his blinds closed, so all there is to see is the oblong diamond overlay of his mottled brown siding, and the strange rust-orange of the next house with cabinets backed up against its windows so that all i can see is what’s on top of them. Stricly speaking, it’s the most restricted view i’ve ever had … even last year’s view of rowhomes sometimes came through with something a little more noteworthy. So, my window isn’t much to be proud of . . . except, between here and those houses on the other side, there is a tiny backyard world that is separate from the people in the houses that surround it. Staring out into it is like watching the interior of a snow-globe, only it is the outside and we are the in, and we are staring out at it through the protection of my tiny back window. [...]
[...] Um, guys? I implicitly trust your opinion when it comes to links of the day, and this seems really fascinating, … … but i can’t figure out quite what the fuck it’s about. Any ideas? And, while i’m in a link frenzy…) I can’t decide if milk came out of my nose after reading this excursion in creative parenting because it a) Reminds me of the sortof wacky reasoning my mother might have employed b) Seems like something Melly would say four years from now c) Sounds like it could be the cousin of something found on Henry’s Diary d) Makes me miss the wonder of being four, and look forward to seeing it through a different set of eyes eventually. Actually, all four. Although, i definitely imagined the phrase “Millennium Falcon” spoken by my mother at some point in the middle of the entry, which was definitely creepy. Link stolen from the newly over-the-hill JillMatrix, who’s hotter at 40 than Sheryl Crow is. And, she easily rocks just as much. Oh, and, hey, i know why he has his windows open! Right now he has a ton of friends over and they’re all smoking dope and re-graffiti-ing his room. So, i suppose that mystery has been solved… excuse me while i rock on with my bad self for spying them in the act! [...]
[...] Um, guys? I implicitly trust your opinion when it comes to links of the day, and this seems really fascinating, … … but i can’t figure out quite what the fuck it’s about. Any ideas? And, while i’m in a link frenzy…) I can’t decide if milk came out of my nose after reading this excursion in creative parenting because it a) Reminds me of the sortof wacky reasoning my mother might have employed b) Seems like something Melly would say four years from now c) Sounds like it could be the cousin of something found on Henry’s Diary d) Makes me miss the wonder of being four, and look forward to seeing it through a different set of eyes eventually. Actually, all four. Although, i definitely imagined the phrase “Millennium Falcon” spoken by my mother at some point in the middle of the entry, which was definitely creepy. Link stolen from the newly over-the-hill JillMatrix, who’s hotter at 40 than Sheryl Crow is. And, she easily rocks just as much. Oh, and, hey, i know why he has his windows open! Right now he has a ton of friends over and they’re all smoking dope and re-graffiti-ing his room. So, i suppose that mystery has been solved… excuse me while i rock on with my bad self for spying them in the act! [...]
[...] So, i try not to be too judgmental in my voyeuristic exploits; after all, it isn’t really my place to have an opinion about what my neighbor does in his own bedroom — seeing as it’s not my place to be staring at him to begin with. Honestly, i feel a little lax in my creepy-neighbor duties, since he’s taken to leaving his blinds open for me to easily stare into lately. Who knows; maybe he finally started being interested in what was happening in my room? Anyhow, never was there a better reason to listen to obscure cds and stare out of my back window than procrastinating on doing my Public Relations final project, and so here i am wide-eyed and dumbfounded, blasting Save Ferris and wondering why my neighbor decided to open all of his windows and put fans in them on one of the coldest nights so far this year. I mean, if it smells in there or something, he could leave the room while he aerated it. But, anyway, no judgments … god knows i don’t want to know what he thinks about what goes on in here. [...]
[...] I’ve never thrown a party before; the small gathering i arranged last month paled in comparison to this one. This, though, was a party … furniture rearranging, obsessive vacuuming, nearly eighty assorted jello shots, fifty dollars just in soda and chips, and two refrigerators full of assorted beer-like substances. I have yet to figure out how many people were here… twenty just from assorted a cappella groups, another ten certified friends of the house, and lots of random non-house friends. A large group of people, to be sure. And, funny things, too. For one, our extra room got turned into a concert hall when i brought all but two of my guitars out to play, and sudden i was being treated to a whole spectrum of songs — from a multiple-MC version of “That Thing” to what amounted to a full-band treatment of “The Only Gay Eskimo.” Recitals of Weezer songs upstairs. Me parading around nearly naked with a pair of underwear on my head. [...]
[...] A few days after Christmas Amy and i went to IKEA to buy various pieces of furniture, and while we were there i bought a set of four 12oz rose-colored glasses. For the entire next week, they were all i drank from. [...]
[...] Ack, no time to talk right now, but i wanted to bring this article to your attention … it was mentioned in the comment chain below. I’ll have commentary later (on the article as well as other comments), so be prepared with some of your own :p [...]
[...] And, honestly, the comments on most of the sites i read absolutely suck. For the most part they consist of a few quality bloggers leaving thoughtful messages that would probably be more useful as a cross-link from their own blog, and then a seemingly endless stream of facebiting first-posting people who don’t have a clue. Every so often i have a post i really want a response to, and so i use my comments script for those posts. The extremely underwhelming response to them has confirmed my initial opinion just as much as commentary on other sites does: it’s not meant to be a daily part of Crushing Krisis. [...]
[...] And, honestly, the comments on most of the sites i read absolutely suck. For the most part they consist of a few quality bloggers leaving thoughtful messages that would probably be more useful as a cross-link from their own blog, and then a seemingly endless stream of facebiting first-posting people who don’t have a clue. Every so often i have a post i really want a response to, and so i use my comments script for those posts. The extremely underwhelming response to them has confirmed my initial opinion just as much as commentary on other sites does: it’s not meant to be a daily part of Crushing Krisis. [...]
[...] And, honestly, the comments on most of the sites i read absolutely suck. For the most part they consist of a few quality bloggers leaving thoughtful messages that would probably be more useful as a cross-link from their own blog, and then a seemingly endless stream of facebiting first-posting people who don’t have a clue. Every so often i have a post i really want a response to, and so i use my comments script for those posts. The extremely underwhelming response to them has confirmed my initial opinion just as much as commentary on other sites does: it’s not meant to be a daily part of Crushing Krisis. [...]
[...] You know, as much as i love getting cards from my mother, i’m honestly not too upset about having other plans for V-day. Not too upset at all… [...]
[...] I haven’t done a Trio for quite a while, and apparently there was a reason … the one i did tonight sucks. Well, actually, it doesn’t suck, but it does show how out of practice i am and how my newly loosened vocal chords have a hard time fitting within the bounds i’ve set for them. Opening tune “You Have No Proof I Said I Love You” is the one i was working on with Andy a two weeks ago. Second is Lisa Loeb’s “Stay,” which i used to play all of the time when i bought my first guitar. And, well, if you make it past the second appearance of “Excuse,” just take what you hear with a grain of salt :p … it was practically improv. Meanwhile, while here i’m in my room sounding like a steaming pile of sonic crap, boys only 6 months older than me are starring in my new favourite movie. Damned wasted time… [...]
[...] I wear my headphones for the entire walk from here to the theatre, and from there back to the apartment. This week i’ve been singing the whole way there: Pinkerton, Garbage, Return of Saturn, Jagged Little Pill. I investigate each record in thirty minute intervals, picking apart the melodies in high-definition sound and finding their places in my own range. Rivers comes out strained in chest voice, i solidly match Shirley’s alto, Gwen brings me up to falsetto or down to my lower register, and Alanis tends to hover over my break point. I cannot keep my voice inside my chest. [...]
[...] Just so you don’t get the idea that this whole blogging thing is an exercise in spontaneity: i scrapped three different posts before deciding on that one, and i had to consult a dictionary five times for spelling and meaning while writing it. I don’t know if that makes me more or less of a geek, though… [...]
[...] Does everyone remember my essay? You know, the painfully embarrassing one that i seem to find entirely more hilarious than i should find it? Well, my Journalism instructor just emailed me some copious commentary on it, which was headed off with the following glowing review: Assuming you’re not gay (not that there’s anything wrong with that!), I’m left with the feeling that your approach to romance is more like sabotage than flirtation. Like Lenny in Of Mice and Men, you crush rather than stroke. Unlike Lenny, you know exactly what you’re doing. My advice: STOP doing that. I heard a great line from a forgettable movie once. The Matthew Modine character turns to his mouthy cohort and says, “Never miss a good opportunity to shut up.” Those awkward silences you mentioned may have existed more in your mind than the moment. Either way, you’ve acknowledged your inability to trust silence. I’ll bill you later for the romantic counselling. [...]
[...] Last night i was miserable and so i went out. It was a good idea; sitting around and moping wasn’t going to fix anything. Tonight i had the same impulse, but although it was well-intentioned of me i think that i realistically should have realized that it was time for a recharge Because, if i don’t take time to recenter every so often i manage to let people see through to what’s underneath. And, that never works out too well. [...]
[...] I don’t really have a defined audience for this little escapade, you know? It’s just intended for anyone who wanders in off of the proverbial virtual street. I don’t say much about myself on my About page, i don’t have any “definitive” posts (though i do have a multi-thousand word “Best Of” section), and i don’t tend to give much background other than a backlink here or there — so it’s really up to the reader to define me through my words. I never really think about the introduction of a new reader to my page… how they define their context of me, or what they like about what i’m saying. They’re reading, so they must like something, right? What i do have, though, is a little mental check-list of people who aren’t reading. My mother. My associates in the Admissions Office. My roommates. It’s not as though i’m saying things that i wouldn’t ever let them hear, but i would probably be a little bit more tight-lipped with them around. Less about depression. Less about drinking. Less about house-issues. Of course, not everyone has such a tidy little category of subjects that i would edit out for them and every once in a while someone surprises me — either with their investigative ability or their interest in my life. On those occasions i have to mentally remove them from the list and say “Well, now i know they’re reading.” What the hell am i trying to say? Well, let’s just say this: my telepathy might not be quite up to snuff, but my ability to have people i’m trying to communicate telepathically with read my posts about failed telepathy without actually thinking about the ramifications of them reading not only those posts but also all other past and future posts about them … that ability seems to be working just fine. [...]
[...] When i worked as an intern at Record Kingdom the big man named Train once gave a little speech about pheromones. Because, you know, before he was a DJ he was a biology major. [...]
[...] It was moot, that point, as the young lady chose (quite improbably, based on other available seats, which supports pheromones theory) to sit directly next to me, pinning me between a sideways-facing seat and the window with her porcelain Dunstness. She was fiddling with her Nano, unable to drag it out of the silken purse that was acting as its case. [...]
[...] Um… thank you? I mean… hell, anyone who calls me sassy and then in the same breath acknowledges my “bunch of girlfriends” has definitely improved my day. (”bunch”? Like, a bunch of grapes. Doesn’t that imply more than one? Maybe this connects back to the part about me being “Lesbian Boy“) [...]
[...] Speaking of which, try to follow this one: At the start of Fall Semester i was in a student written/directed play. After our second performance, we had a reception, during which i was introduced to a pair of incredibly attractive roommates and a boy whose cuteness i considered a personal affront and challenge. I saw the three of them again at auditions for Lysistrata, where i pointed out the roommates to my own roomies, remarking upon which one i found especially distracting (despite their separate but equally stunning attractiveness). The other one of them was cast in the play, and shortly thereafter i was informed that she “wanted to marry me,” which struck me as strange since we hadn’t ever really spoken at length. I proceeded to make a sloppy drunken mess of hitting on her at a party, while i had the majority of my conversation with her uninterested roommate. A month later i asked said uninterested roommate out on a date based on her interest in paying attention to me upon further meetings. It was the perfect date, but did not seem to result in anything romantic, which i lamented at length. Lest i have the chance to put this crush behind me, she wound up being on the Stage Management staff with me for Formicans. Rest assured, it’s been all business. I was encouraged to ask her to our winter Ball, but balked, and when i finally got up the never i found out that she was attending with the cute freshmen guy (obviously my uncharacteristic distraction due to his cuteness was prophetic more than homosexual… who woulda thunk it?). I immediately swore off attending the Ball, only to have my mind changed by (drumroll, anyone?) her roommate, who asked me to go the next day. So, i’m going to my winter formal with a girl who had a crush on me even though i sortof went on a date with her roommate and only didn’t ask said roommate to the formal because she was already planning to attend with the cute boy i met only seconds after meeting the both of them. Hors d’oeuvres at eight, dancing until one. Drama served throughout. [...]
[...] I was happy to have the warning this morning, since the day seemed especially dreary. I didn’t even need to look out of my tiny back window to know; i could feel the chill sliding in through the cracks and twisting up to raise goose-bumps on my legs. Deciding to sleep through my first two classes was not the most wrenching decision i’ve ever had to make. The other thing Lindsay can’t seem to understand is why my alarm rings over and over again. I tell her it’s a warning… life ahead in four hours… three hours… until finally it’s just “Time to wake up. Fucking Blastoff.” Apparently, one ring is enough to convey the message to her. Today the blastoff ring was #6, and the reason i got me out of bed was because the sun had decided to accompany it. I was up and navigating the mess of my floor to turn down the alarm before Courtney could start screaming, and i could feel the diffuse runny-egg yellow of a damp sun on my back. The day had made an ugly duckling transformation for me, and i felt as though i was headed for something not entirely dissimilar. It’s strange to go from kneading a palmful of shampoo past damp curls down to the suffocated scalp beneath to sliding a dime sized drop down the middle of centimeter long strands on the top of my head. It’s the shortest my hair has ever been. Stepping out past my fish-curtain i caught my nude reflection in the mirror, and something seemed different other than my hair. No new pimples, no unexpected muscles. It was something about how the slope of my shoulders changes, the line of my neck becomes smoother. And, something else as well — as if my haircut was emblematic of some greater change that was working its way out from my heart and up through the skin. [...]
[...] A year ago today was the first night of that fateful week where i saw her every night, and we counted it as the start of our relationship. I didn’t even hint at it on here until a few days later, and uncharacteristically didn’t mention it outrightly for over a week. Tonight i’m in a similar place… i spent my allotted AM blog-time last night just staring into a white box, and then grudgingly heading off to sleep. I had something to say, but no way to say it. This morning evoked a similar reaction. [...]
[...] I don’t know that it’s an idea, so much as simply how my body tends to balance itself out. Left to my own devices during the summer of 2000 i actually split each day in half, sleeping from five to nine in both the morning and evening. This sounds ridiculous, but given a healthy and active list daily schedule it actually suited my needs perfectly and kept me highly energized through my grueling turn as an Orientation Leader. [...]
[...] Nine hours later, lying huddled underneath two blankets trying my best to keep my eyes shut against the incessant glow of my monitor, it suddenly occurred to me: why bother? I’ve become a stickler for sleep recently, trying to get back onto the steady schedule i had last semester, but no amount of benadryll and warm milk is going to change the fact that i like to stay up very late and wake up early — which typically involves a nap somewhere in the middle. A quick foray into the kitchen for left-over pizza suddenly turned into an hour-long cruise of my favourite weblogs, and now i’m up and wired for a day free of academic offerings; all i have to do is look handsome around six to attract the attention of certain people at rehearsal. So, i should just Let It Be because i can … because i don’t have anything to do today until past sunset, and i can nap plenty of times between now and then. [...]
[...] Yes, that’s right, the girl from the date. Could life get any more like a WB drama? By the way, if you want the previous four posts to make the proper amount of sense (or, at least the amount of sense i intended them to make, which may or may not add up to a proper amount of sense), read them bottom to top. [...]
[...] My grandmother dies; i proceed to get so sick that i miss the funeral (never to be forgiven by family). (!) [...]
[...] The weekend of my dress rehearsals for Good Woman of Setzuan i am diagnosed with Pneumonia and Bronchitis. I have to argue not to be admitted to the hospital so i can start going to rehearsals again. Upon my return I forget an entire verse of my big song on opening night (at this point being generally attributed to my medication, which i will neither confirm nor deny). (!) [...]
[...] I have to drop a class for the first time. (!) [...]
[...] I am totally miserable in my apartment; i don’t speak much to my roommate. (!) [...]
[...] I miserably quit blogging for an entire week when my archives disappear. (!) [...]
[...] I spend the majority of the summer wondering where i’ll be living in September. (!) [...]
[...] I step in to give the counselor-of-the-day presentation one Tuesday in September, because the counselor in question was to horror-stricken to speak. (!) [...]
[...] I endlessly deliberate over a first date with someone who lives across the country from me and who i like very much — only to be romantically rebuffed. (!) [...]
[...] I sign up to attend the Philadelphia Folk Fest and then have to back out because of work and moving into my new apartment. (!) [...]
[...] I enter a rather depressive haze and let details about it slip to my mother, who becomes physically ill at the thought of my mental instability. (!) [...]
[...] There’s a unnatural desert wind through the chill of my room every twelve minutes or so as the heater in Lindsay’s closet warms the house with its breath, and in the breeze that just passed a picture came fluttering down from my wall. I picked it up to affix it back to the wall by my door and saw that it was a picture Ross had just given me a few weeks ago – one of Laurel and I at my first Drexel party. [...]
[...] I finished Infinite Jest this morning on the floor of my grandmother’s bedroom in Florida. It’s over. Done. Completed. 1088 pages in a cover with the exact same colors as my second demo cd, starting while marooned in a hospital bed and finished while marooned in an retirement condo. [...]
[...] I just (for the first time ever) caught wind of someone plagiarizing my content for their own nefarious uses. The site itself seems to have disappeared, but Google has faithfully cached the one offending page here. Strangely enough, i located it via a referral from a the search “that the only way to convince me of its worth is to do amazing,” which sounded oddly familiar because i wrote it here. Further perusal reveals that this post was also partially lifted. The only other pages from “Bellylicious” that Google seems to have cached are all just index files or in other languages, and i can’t seem to locate an active email link on any of them, so i’ve hit a dead-end in locating the perpetrator. [...]
[...] I’m afraid to buy men’s toiletry products in public. God help us all if i ever have to go and buy condoms*. [...]
[...] What’s so different about Trio, really? I know for sure that i listen to Trio more than anyone else does, mostly because for me it’s a practice take that i can actually learn and grow from. But, why do i do it, and do it so regularly and fanatically? Why do i post my portfolio-mp3s to the page and leave a mostly-empty comment box up for them? Why do i bother to extensively provide an online discography in the song archive? Why do i talk about it all over and over again as if i have some large and attentive audience who follows all of my comments about the evolution of songs and how Weezer’s artistic development makes me cry? [...]
[...] My one and only final begins in three and a half hours; it is for my Philosophy class — a subject i have a rocky history with. I don’t seem to be especially concerned about it, as i have already secured my required B and would need to get a perfect score to wind up with my beloved 4.0. [...]
[...] But, the most shocking of all of the intercourse i’ve witnessed in the past two days was Dawson’s. Dawson, one of the few remaining Virgins out of the long-running formerly-teeny-bopper shows. Dawson was my hero because, in the 90210 of my life, i am Dawson … i have plenty of potential romantic entanglements, but they’re all fizzle. Yet, in this inescapably well-scripted episode he goes from joking about dating Jen, to sortof dating Jen, to kissing Jen. And then… well, we know what comes then. [...]
[...] AKA Music also has something blaring very loudly when i am shopping there. The first time i ever walked in they had Keep It Like a Secret playing much louder than i had ever heard it, and i took it as a good omen and proceeded to spend $100 dollars there. Subsequent trips have produced equally loud music and large expenditures. [...]
[...] The trees were lit up with colored balls that we spotted from blocks away, and as we spoke my gaze kept wandering away from our wooden bench and out into the forest of glowing spheres. I can’t believe i’ve only met her four times. I can’t believe it’s been an entire year. [...]
[...] You know, i’ve gotten really far away from posting about the simple nuances of my daily life. For example, my room is an utter mess. By now i think you should’ve figured out that everything in my life is always a mess, so it’s not as though this is a huge surprise. However, for once i’ve managed to contain my mess to my room and areas directly adjacent to it, so i can escape my room and pretend that my life is in any kind of order. But, really, it’s not. It’s a wonder i pay my bills and pass my classes. Hmm… what else about me is boring that i used to talk about… time to hit the archives… [...]
[...] Please also rest assured that i’m not pulling a Selina on you and that i am, in fact, not currently at this girl’s place blogging around the issue. Here i am, blogging in the issue, tracking it all over my easily locatable page for all to see. Blog blog blog. [...]
[...] I sank into a kind of paralyzed trance, in rhythm with the throbbing veins beneath my skin. [...]
[...] Other days the world is so vibrant with narrative color that I can hardly take it all in. Not if I had a tape recorder for my thoughts, or a camera for the view. And so I marvel at the human mind, and how in a life full of gadgets it is still the best recording device I’ve got so long as I make sure each aspect of the world is remarkable in its own way. [...]
[...] The litany was in full-effect last week, and it became clear I would have to beat my hair into submission before it would end. So, I did something unprecedented (which cutting it off wouldn’t be, if we recall the Mohawk and other such endeavors). I walked into the bathroom, lined up my styling products, and took out Elise’s curling iron, hairdryer, and an array of brushes. An hour later, I emerged with feathered hair. [...]
[...] Last night just before waking up i dreamt of Tori Amos fronting Ani DiFranco’s band, and at the end of the chorus of “Strange Little Girl” she suddenly broke into “Father Lucifer.” At first glance this just seems like a silly dream incoherency, but a cursory glance to my guitar after i woke up revealed that both choruses are in the same key and share two of the same chords. I didn’t quite remember how to play “SLG,” but i’m sure that when i get home i’ll be able to easily reproduce the transition from “you really should, really should be going” to “nothing’s gonna stop me from floating.” [...]
[...] Would you believe i’ve avoided picking up my dry-cleaning for a week because i missed the pickup day and was afraid of being reprimanded by the dry cleaner? Seriously. I have to walk by it every day to get on and off my block, but i was too afraid of what excuse i’d need for not having picked up my favourite slacks and dress shirt. It’s funny which sorts of social interactions can really stop me in my tracks. Anyhow, once i managed to get in and out of there (without any commentary on my lateness and neglect) i cleaned my room, did laundry, and paid bills. So, yeah, maybe it stinks, but at least i’m not wasting it. [...]
[...] I was idly cleaning my room this morning in what was a vain attempt to finally distribute the last of my packed belongings from moving in last month when i ran across my notorious stash of condoms. To refresh the memory of those of you who didn’t read me way back when i had a whopping three visitors a day, i have a giant ziplock back of q-tips which conceals a sizable handful of condoms that i never spent money on and have never used. They don’t seem like the sort of thing i should throw away, so they’ve continued to live a blissfully undisturbed existence nestled in the depths of a multitude of cotton swabs. [...]
[...] Meanwhile: Aim continues to be incredibly fucking hilarious for another consecutive post. If i went to the RenFair and that happened i would laugh for the entire ride back home. The familiar blogger behind GirlMecha graces me with a link. Unknown blogger Katrina has me labelled under the essential ingredient “Grain” As in grain alcohol? I hope so… and, speaking of random links, apparently even bloggers from Malaysia find me midly amusing (and share my feelings for the color purple). Next, read in horror as Benjy relates tales of overheard sex and… well, that’s about it. If i started talking about all the sex i’ve overheard i would find myself with a much better Google Rank than i ever intended to have. And, finally, the impeccably designed Entropy seems to have picked me up from Rabi’s linklist much in the same way i found fidelity while i was on an adventure similar to his last week. [...]
[...] If i seem a little out of touch, it’s because all of my free time has been taken up with reading multi-hundred page assignments for class and listening to the new Garbage album. And, man, if you think i got distracted when Tori’s disc came out you ain’t seen nothing yet. Also, i’ve apparently become a popular mecca for Ashleigh Banfield after praising her reporting in the WTC ordeal; i’ll have to find a nice head-shot to display on the sidebar or something; who knew that the random news reporter i was listening to happens to be one of the premier “news babes” of the ‘net? Go figure… [...]
[...] I haven’t been saying much about my songwriting lately other than my notoriously weepy comments of last week, and i’m not sure if it’s because i haven’t had anything to say or if it’s because i have too many things. While i am still in an intake phase, it is slowly giving way to some tiny forms of output … guitar riffs and quickly scribbled verses that are slowly coming together as my new songs. One thing that is entirely clear is that i am once again lacking in an emotional center to orbit around in my writing (which is almost amusing, since between that post and now i had a long period of only having a center and not too much else). I think the new songs are frightening me a little bit because they are actually doing things i’ve been wanting songs to do for a while… using different types of chords and strumming, narrating differently, being about the same feelings but from different angles. The reason i mention this at all is because i was bored on Saturday and decided to make a list of songs that either just missed being on Relief or were written since then. The list quickly grew to over 30 songs, and as of this morning the current final tally seems to be 44. I’d point out (as always) that easily half of those songs are only half-decent and that i might never take the time to make them decent (or better). But, anyway, click if you’re interested in titles: [Album Songs][All Songs] [...]
[...] And, oh, hi, i also have a life. I think this week was one that was ripe for all sorts of essay-length posts from me regarding what i mentioned in Monday’s mammoth post, but then Tuesday happened. [...]
[...] Everything i write nowadays is toolong and verywordy. I can’t seem to help myself; i’m just not as omnipresently connected as i used to be and the things i have been wanting to say just build and build until they are no longer simple phrases or paragraphs. Do you remember when this used to be snap reactions to hardwood floors, or fuzzy butterflies swirling in my stomach and the awkwardness that always ensues as a result? Hardwood floors have turned into brick walls and sloped ceilings, but that special breed of butterfly does emerge from a cocoon every so often to do a loop-to-loop just beneath my esophagus. I’m just left wondering if it’s my intent, my writing, or my editing that changed along the way. Obviously it would have to be a little bit of all three… but, what don’t i talk about now that you used to expect to hear from me? I’d really like to know. [...]
[...] Although i’ve always liked Weezer i was never really a “fan” due to that fact that the band is all boys, and i was only into girls. However, last year Gina and I inexplicably were able to obtain tickets to their sold out warmup show in Philly, and to honor the occasion i bought their eponymous album so i could refresh my memory of their most famous songs. For the vast majority of the intervening year i was happy to sit and listen to the familiar blue album, and to sing it at parties and appreciate it as classic modern alternative rock, if there is such a thing. [...]
[...] My bitter pairing of “Splinter” & “Hold On Me” is just a weary attempt to escape from someone else’s bed, while “Tired of Sex” laments that being stuck there doesn’t do one much good in the end. “Unstrung” shares its broken heart and strings with “Falling For You.” “Over You” plays with the pushing/pulling gravity of an imploding relationship, but it cannot admit to enjoying the pull the way “Getchoo” does. “Up & Down” is the culmination of the emotions… the breaking point that nothing on Weezer’s album ever gets to but everything seems to inexorably lean towards. My songs aren’t as mature as Rivers’, and it shows in that i am so focused on the breaking while he is focused on the emotions on either side of it. “No Second Chance” laments a relationship that fell apart without ever directly identifying the person its addressing; its mirror is the tangled web between “Across the Sea,” “El Scorcho,” and the mournful “Butterfly” – songs that are more concerned with lusting, liking, and losing rather than just with the snap of a heart torn in two. Each song in that trio is tied into someone and their life more than i’ve allowed any of my songs to be with the possible exception of “Up & Down.” [...]
[...] #1 problem with my at-home lack of internet access? Being unable to chip a couple dozen more points of my JunkBot score so i can rank in the international top100 (right now i’m 175 145 133 125 109)! Aside from the obvious connection to my intense need to dominate simple contests where i have an unfair advantage of time, age, or resources, my non-stop marathon of junking actually gave my spacial geometry skills a much-needed boost just in time for my moving process. So, any effective interior design i’ve done this week directly results from Lego.Com. And, that you just have to love. [...]
[...] So, time has everything that’s tailgating me held off for the time being (at least to my perception), and i am left suspended in cruise control. Work, Friends, Sleep, Work, Rehearse, Sleep,… capitol lettered events leading me from one day to the next without a question. My bed has had a giant green Rubbermaid bin at the bottom of it for an entire week, and now fully half of its width is taken up with clothes and books i am sorting through, which leaves me a significantly less-than-human-size space in which to curl up at night. But, i don’t protest, because moving the bin or finishing my sort are things i haven’t scheduled any time for. And, so, i will arrive home tonight at 8pm (after another rotation of Work / Rehearsal) and i will leave for work half a day later and in the between bits my apartment will transform itself from scattered to neatly piled, and hopefully my thoughts will follow suit. Half a day to scrunch the remaining half of my worldly possessions into truck-sized bundles while managing to leave out the things i need to live: already packed are all of my belts, brushes, kitchen utensils, and ties vs. inexplicably unpacked snowboots, economics textbooks, and condoms, none of which i’ll be using in the next day. Or in the next semester, for that matter, unless some highly unpredictable/improbable things occur (like snow in October, me inexplicably switching back into the BS program i scratched and clawed to escape, or me having a romantic life that *gasp* includes sex)(see, i told you they were improbable). Somewhere at the bottom of a sorting pile of snowboots and textbooks (the condoms are segregated) lies an entire box of caffeine pills that i never opened. You do the math. [...]
[...] For two hours i waged a focused assault against my possessions, sorting, boxing, and tossing aside. As a result, all of the things i need to get onto the truck have been freed up (even if there’s no clear path from any of them to the door) save for one: my desk. Historically my computer is the last thing to be unplugged and the first thing to be set up (enabling me to narrate my way through any ordeal), but this is the first time the desk will have gone out significantly ahead of the stuff that it holds and i can’t possibly wait until tomorrow to disassemble this mess of wires because i suspect my new roommates might kill me if i keep them waiting so i can fire off one last blog (just wait until i start asking them about DSL). So, here we’ve got a showdown … messy apartment with no place for a computer to live comfortably for another 36hours versus my intense internet addiction and the fact that i won’t have a connection from 1:15pm on Friday until 8am on Tuesday. Yes, that’s as long as i was offline while in Florida. No, i’m not quite sure what i’m going to do with myself either. Yes, i could go outside to do something other than shop for cds. Maybe i’ll… um, … climb a tree? Jesus, i have no idea… [...]
[...] At least, I think it had to do with sleeplessness. That’s not one of my typical welling up into tears in the middle of the street tunes.) [...]
[...] Gina and I have now known each other for over half of our lives – through middle school, high school, college, post-college, and now whatever this is. It was amazing thing to be a part of her big move yesterday, just it continues to be amazing to be able to see so far into the past of someone, someone with whom silliness comes so easily, and with whom I am the epitome of comfortable, willing to speak my mind even when I know we disagree. [...]
[...] As I wrote last year’s birthday post I felt as if I had finally reached a stable place in life, and if Year 6 of Crushing Krisis was about finding stability, then this past year has been converting stability into happiness. [...]
[...] Some of that conversion was literal. I went from writing and editing letters to managing publications and ad campaigns. I went from being a house-bound recluse of a songwriter to a semi-regular at area bars. and [...]
[...] To the best that I can discern, Crushing Krisis is the longest continuously running blog in Philadelphia, and has been since 2003. It’s an amazing thing to contemplate, especially considering that Philly was recently measured to be the second most bloggingest city in the United States. It also means that CK is increasingly one of the most established blogs on the face of the internet. [...]
[...] Some of that conversion was literal. I went from writing and editing letters to managing publications and ad campaigns. I went from being a house-bound recluse of a songwriter to a semi-regular at area bars. and open mics. I transferred Crushing Krisis from Blogger to Wordpress on November 12, in the midst of participating in the amazing National Blog Posting Month. I vowed to have a consumerless Christmas (and succeeded). And, Gina and I finally became the band we’ve always teased at being. [...]
[...] Some of that conversion was literal. I went from writing and editing letters to managing publications and ad campaigns. I went from being a house-bound recluse of a songwriter to a semi-regular at area bars. and open mics. I transferred Crushing Krisis from Blogger to Wordpress on November 12, in the midst of participating in the amazing National Blog Posting Month. I vowed to have a consumerless Christmas (and succeeded). And, Gina and I finally became the band we’ve always teased at being. [...]
[...] Year 7 of Crushing Krisis includes a slew of favorite posts. I cursed at the television. I had a headache so profound that I gave it a name. I reinvented myself for NaBloPoMo. recounted my first heartbreak. In one trio I redefined one of my favorite songs, and debuted one that had been incubating for half a decade. I almost burned down the house baking cookies in the microwave. My life-altering nap at Bonnaroo. [...]
[...] Year 7 of Crushing Krisis includes a slew of favorite posts. I cursed at the television. I had a headache so profound that I gave it a name. I reinvented myself for NaBloPoMo. recounted my first heartbreak. In one trio I redefined one of my favorite songs, and debuted one that had been incubating for half a decade. I almost burned down the house baking cookies in the microwave. My life-altering nap at Bonnaroo. [...]
[...] I recorded a perfect version of one of my favorite songs. I took my first trip to a casino. Septa carried out an act of terrorism against my favorite garment. And, I finally celebrated the 4th of July the way I’ve always meant to. [...]
[...] I recorded a perfect version of one of my favorite songs. I took my first trip to a casino. Septa carried out an act of terrorism against my favorite garment. And, I finally celebrated the 4th of July the way I’ve always meant to. [...]
[...] But, for every favorite post there’s another that’s just as essential. I offered the most succinct description of myself ever made. I retold the story of the Queen of Darkness, complete with soundtrack. I mercilessly deceived a toddler to get him to eat his vegetables. I contemplated six years of knowing (and reading) Rabi. I listened to the Beatles entire catalog while racing through my last letter of NaBloPoMo reading. I examined my role as a narrator in my own songs, comparing it to that of an inanimate object. [...]
[...] But, for every favorite post there’s another that’s just as essential. I offered the most succinct description of myself ever made. I retold the story of the Queen of Darkness, complete with soundtrack. I mercilessly deceived a toddler to get him to eat his vegetables. I contemplated six years of knowing (and reading) Rabi. I listened to the Beatles entire catalog while racing through my last letter of NaBloPoMo reading. I examined my role as a narrator in my own songs, comparing it to that of an inanimate object. [...]
[...] But, for every favorite post there’s another that’s just as essential. I offered the most succinct description of myself ever made. I retold the story of the Queen of Darkness, complete with soundtrack. I mercilessly deceived a toddler to get him to eat his vegetables. I contemplated six years of knowing (and reading) Rabi. I listened to the Beatles entire catalog while racing through my last letter of NaBloPoMo reading. I examined my role as a narrator in my own songs, comparing it to that of an inanimate object. [...]
[...] Elise and I found a new favorite restaurant. My seemingly endless struggle with organizing my home office. I started documenting my visual life. [...]
[...] Elise and I found a new favorite restaurant. My seemingly endless struggle with organizing my home office. I started documenting my visual life. [...]
[...] I reflected on how far my 2004 resolutions have got me. I recorded my favorite Garbage song, as well as one of Madonna’s most obscure. I reflected on how feminism sometimes makes me cry. I drank a lot of limoncello. I helped present the fifth annual Lyndzapalooza with hardly a hitch. I recorded my catchiest song, ever. I nearly lost my mind in the middle of Broad Street. [...]
[...] I recorded my favorite Garbage song, as well as one of Madonna’s most obscure. I reflected on how feminism sometimes makes me cry. I drank a lot of limoncello. I helped present the fifth annual Lyndzapalooza with hardly a hitch. I recorded my catchiest song, ever. I nearly lost my mind in the middle of Broad Street. [...]
[...] I recorded my favorite Garbage song, as well as one of Madonna’s most obscure. I reflected on how feminism sometimes makes me cry. I drank a lot of limoncello. I helped present the fifth annual Lyndzapalooza with hardly a hitch. I recorded my catchiest song, ever. I nearly lost my mind in the middle of Broad Street. [...]
[...] I recorded my favorite Garbage song, as well as one of Madonna’s most obscure. I reflected on how feminism sometimes makes me cry. I drank a lot of limoncello. I helped present the fifth annual Lyndzapalooza with hardly a hitch. I recorded my catchiest song, ever. I nearly lost my mind in the middle of Broad Street. [...]
[...] Year 7 of Crushing Krisis includes a slew of favorite posts. I cursed at the television. I had a headache so profound that I gave it a name. I reinvented myself for NaBloPoMo. I recounted my first heartbreak. During a single Trio I redefined one of my favorite songs, and debuted one that had been incubating for half a decade. [...]
[...] Year 7 of Crushing Krisis includes a slew of favorite posts. I cursed at the television. I had a headache so profound that I gave it a name. I reinvented myself for NaBloPoMo. I recounted my first heartbreak. During a single Trio I redefined one of my favorite songs, and debuted one that had been incubating for half a decade. [...]
[...] I almost burned down the house baking cookies in the microwave. I finally told the story of my life-altering nap at Bonnaroo. I recorded a perfect version of one of my favorite songs. I took my first trip to a casino. Septa carried out an act of terrorism against my favorite garment. And, I finally celebrated the 4th of July the way I’ve always meant to. [...]
[...] But, for every favorite post there’s another that’s just as essential. I offered the most succinct description of myself ever made. I retold the story of the Queen of Darkness, complete with soundtrack. I mercilessly deceived a toddler to get him to eat his vegetables. I contemplated six years of knowing (and reading) Rabi. I listened to the Beatles entire catalog while racing through my last letter of NaBloPoMo reading. [...]
[...] I examined my role as a narrator in my own songs, comparing it to that of an inanimate object. Elise and I found a new favorite restaurant, where we’ve since become regulars. My seemingly endless struggle with organizing my home office. I started documenting my visual life. I reflected on how far my 2004 resolutions have got me. [...]
[...] I examined my role as a narrator in my own songs, comparing it to that of an inanimate object. Elise and I found a new favorite restaurant, where we’ve since become regulars. My seemingly endless struggle with organizing my home office. I started documenting my visual life. I reflected on how far my 2004 resolutions have got me. [...]
[...] I recorded my favorite Garbage song, as well as one of Madonna’s most obscure. I reflected on how feminism sometimes makes me cry. I drank a lot of limoncello. I helped present the fifth annual Lyndzapalooza with hardly a hitch. I recorded my catchiest song, ever. I nearly lost my mind in the middle of Broad Street. [...]
[...] After recapping my year in words or links I usually spend the penultimate paragraphs of these August 26th posts talking about what Crushing Krisis is to me and what I hope to make it in the future, but I don’t know if this iteration warrants the introspection. [...]
[...] What you might not know (because I haven’t mentioned it in about seven years) is that I had a childhood obsession with the Price Is Right. I loved the One Bid, I loved the Showcase Showdown. [...]
[...] Specifically, there was the two of us sitting on the floor in front of our stereo singing the harmony to “Band on the Run” (even though she’s been a snob about Wings for as long as i can remember) (and, also, us doing the flip-out vocals to “Oh, Darling” later in the car because, yes, we are Paul McCartney addicts), my showing her how to operate the self-checkout lane in Superfresh (and saying “Okay, rolls, *dramatic pause* this is where it gets a little complicated”), watching her trying to coax my cat out from under my bed because he forgets who i am (”It’s Peter, the one who used to squeeze you and chase you and torment you a lot. You remember him, don’t you?” “We’re trying to get him to come out, mom.”), her shocked (and amusing) exclamation of “And exactly how am i supposed to make breaded eggplant parmigiana without eggs?” when i asked if we could have Rabi over to eat something credibly Italian, and especially this introductory exchange: Peter – [incredulously] When did you get so… blonde? [...]
[...] Isn’t it sort of funny that after all that talk about net identity on Sunday i’ve had mine irrevocably altered? If i thought that anyone at America Online gave two cents or ten seconds of a care towards my screenname being hacked i wouldn’t have learned anything during my time on the internet, and since i have i know that the likelihood of seeing me on aolim as KrisisPM ever again is about as much as my suddenly resubscribing to the dreaded AOL service and blogging that my new email is krisispm@aol.com. [...]
[...] I was rereading the archives of the entire year i’m really glad that i have this, and you. My quality of life has improved, as ridiculous as that sounds, and i think this way i might be able to actually learn from my mistakes. And, to think, this all started just as a place to jot things down. [...]
[...] btw, those two girls are my new roommates. should be interesting. [...]
[...] The second was an aimless little lark called Crushing Krisis – otherwise known as my blog. [...]
[...] (History being that we were deadlocked as #1 & #2 on PowerBloggers for almost all of our second week of existence, which was totally ridiculous, because i was trying to outblog 10 people all by myself. And, even more ludicrous i mostly won. Ha! Now, back to our story.) [...]
[...] I woke up in the middle of the night last night for absolutely no reason, and so i logged on and caught up on some blog reading and chatting with various PuppetMaster players and then went back to sleep. In said sleep i had some very odd dreams, including one where i was walking around a series of tunnels that all lead to different restaurants while holding hands with a girl. While i was dreaming i didn’t really realize who she was, but in that slippery way that dreams can be i somehow knew as soon as i woke up. Five minutes later i checked my email and found out that she’s back. I’m only ever psychic about these little things, but sometimes it’s a real thrill. [...]
[...] When we last left our hero, he was awaiting a response to his record reviews with bated breath. Would he finally get to write for an honest to goodness newspaper? We pick up shortly after Peter receives the paper’s reply as we fade up from black. Though he was initially joyous at their friendly invitation of “Welcome Aboard,” over the course of the day he realizes that the congratulatory email has delivered him the worst possible news – his new editor is more interested in what he feels about records than what he thinks, and is hopeful that he will revise his reviews to this effect. [...]
[...] The 24 hours that we’ve got make me conscious of what i’m doing. Contemplating a re-read of all of this year’s lamentably edited Rolling Stone, i instead rerouted my attention to cracking open Atlas Shrugged for the first time; rather than sit down for a second daily helping of The Sims i tidied up my room and rehearsed for the impending fourth season of Trio. How else can i do all that i keep resolving to do, other than cutting out the things that i don’t? [...]
[...] Just read: Ani DiFranco breaks out her pen and comes off as not only a credible artist but an apt critic of corporate bred media. I’ve been feeling a media-criticism essay welling in my boots for a few weeks now, but until that pans out try Ani’s opinion on for size. Also, while you’re reading media-critique, check out John Hiler’s witty article on how blogs both augment and interfere with more traditional means of journalism. And, while i’m linking to things, the musician i met on the street last week was just profiled by Rolling Stone. For the third time. RS doesn’t seem to be featuring the new mention online right now, but you can catch the other two on his site. So, um… i’m a little bit excited — hopefully he emails me back sometime. [...]
[...] I’ve been very good this year about buying new records – for the most part, i haven’t. Sure, there was a purchase or two a few months ago, but when my music allowance for the first four months of a year is under $100 you know i’m acting with some amount of restraint. Part of what kept my wallet firmly in my pocket is the knowledge that the past two weeks would see the release of over a dozen records that i was definitely eying up for purchase, and on Monday i picked up a few between AKA and South Street. Here are first impressions, in ascending order of quality: [...]
[...] ps: I had hoped to record a Fiona Apple song for my last influences Trio, but i didn’t have a guitar arrangement locked down. Though it isn’t necessarily what i would have played, here’s a highly superior “Oh Well” from the unreleased Jon Brion version of Extraordinary Machine. [...]
[...] Some of that conversion was literal. I went from writing and editing letters to managing publications and ad campaigns. I went from being a house-bound recluse of a songwriter to a semi-regular at area bars. and open mics. I transferred Crushing Krisis from Blogger to Wordpress on November 12, in the midst of participating in the amazing National Blog Posting Month. I vowed to have a consumerless Christmas (and succeeded). And, Gina and I finally became the band we’ve always teased at being. [...]
[...] Year 7 of Crushing Krisis includes a slew of favorite posts. I cursed at the television. I had a headache so profound that I gave it a name. I reinvented myself for NaBloPoMo. I recounted my first heartbreak. During a single Trio I redefined one of my favorite songs, and debuted one that had been incubating for half a decade. [...]
[...] I almost burned down the house baking cookies in the microwave. I finally told the story of my life-altering nap at Bonnaroo. I recorded a perfect version of one of my favorite songs. I took my first trip to a casino. Septa carried out an act of terrorism against my favorite garment. And, I finally celebrated the 4th of July the way I’ve always meant to. [...]
[...] But, for every favorite post there’s another that’s just as essential. I offered the most succinct description of myself ever made. I retold the story of the Queen of Darkness, complete with soundtrack. I mercilessly deceived a toddler to get him to eat his vegetables. I contemplated six years of knowing (and reading) Rabi. I listened to the Beatles entire catalog while racing through my last letter of NaBloPoMo reading. [...]
[...] I examined my role as a narrator in my own songs, comparing it to that of an inanimate object. Elise and I found a new favorite restaurant, where we’ve since become regulars. I documented my seemingly endless struggle with organizing my home office. I started documenting my visual life. I reflected on how far my 2004 resolutions have got me. [...]
[...] I examined my role as a narrator in my own songs, comparing it to that of an inanimate object. Elise and I found a new favorite restaurant, where we’ve since become regulars. I documented my seemingly endless struggle with organizing my home office. I started documenting my visual life. I reflected on how far my 2004 resolutions have got me. [...]
[...] I recorded my favorite Garbage song, as well as one of Madonna’s most obscure. I reflected on how feminism sometimes makes me cry. I drank a lot of limoncello. I helped present the fifth annual Lyndzapalooza with hardly a hitch. I recorded my catchiest song, ever. I nearly lost my mind in the middle of Broad Street. [...]
[...] I am not a habitual taxi-taker. In fact, I’m the opposite – usually walking home with my guitar at 1 a.m. after playing at Lindsay’s bar of choice. [...]
[...] This Thursday night on the way home from our band rehearsal my driver was Russian, and not sure how to get to my house from the Kimmel Center. Another recent transplant, perhaps? [...]
[...] Suite #3: Hindsight [...]
[...] I recorded and uploaded my first Trio seven years ago tonight. [...]
[...] My first selection, “Crashing,” is from my second-ever Trio, recorded on September 10, 2000. [...]
[...] Every so often the need arises. Like a few weeks ago, heading home from work sick. [...]
[...] For me, the most infamous first demo will always be “Supposed To Be,” from the first Trio of Season 2, recorded September 30, 2001. [...]
[...] Such was the case with “Colorblind,” which was one of the many songs I quickly tossed off in my post- Queen of Darkness period. I had so many songs to pay attention to at the time that quite a few of them slipped away (infamously, “This Long” wasn’t recovered until last November). [...]
[...] Rabi saved my song and I from repeating that fate by requesting it – first in the middle of a field, and again for the first Blogathon. [...]
[...] I repaid the favor by playing “Colorblind” of my own accord in Season 2, Trio #7 to mark the first anniversary of us reading each other’s pages. Knowing that Rabi was on the other end of the speakers made me appreciate the song much more as I recorded it, and makes it one of my favorite Trio recordings. [...]
[...] Such was the case with “Colorblind,” which was one of the many songs I quickly tossed off in my post- Queen of Darkness period. I had so many songs to pay attention to at the time that quite a few of them slipped away (infamously, “This Long” wasn’t recovered until last November). [...]
[...] And, while we’re on the topic of music, I must reiterate my addiction to my two recent mp3blog finds The Yellow Stereo and Philly-based Some Velvet Blog. Why? Because they like indie music, but they still have good taste – a trait critically missing from those who wet themselves over every yowling tuneless indie band that galumphs down the pitchfork pike. [...]
[...] Georgie-James is one of the rare bands that shares genre-space with our Arcati Crisis duo. Listen to “Cake Parade,” which is especially Gina-ish. I hope we get that catchy when we fill out to band size. The Magic Numbers seem to be in that category as well, except Gina can sing circles around their chick(s). [...]
[...] <irony>Links aren’t life.</irony> Posted on Friday, September 7, 2007, at 12:09am. Filed under Life. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback. [...]
[...] I know some of you are more interested in my recent Trio highlights than others, and that those others have been counting down the days until I do a proper blog post where I amusingly contemplate my navel and/or contemplate the amusing navels of other blogs through extensive linking. [...]
[...] I know some of you are more interested in my recent Trio highlights than others, and that those others have been counting down the days until I do a proper blog post where I amusingly contemplate my navel and/or contemplate the amusing navels of other blogs through extensive linking. [...]
[...] I know some of you are more interested in my recent Trio highlights than others, and that those others have been counting down the days until I do a proper blog post where I amusingly contemplate my navel and/or contemplate the amusing navels of other blogs through extensive linking. [...]
[...] Ernie, AKA LittleYellowDifferent, was (is?) a major-league A-list blogger who celebrated his seventh-year anniversary of blogging a scant month before my own. As a birthday gift to his readers, he reinstated hundreds of old posts that had been long-since gone from his page. [...]
[...] I know some of you are more interested in my recent Trio highlights than others, and that those others have been counting down the days until I do a proper blog post where I amusingly contemplate my navel and/or contemplate the amusing navels of other blogs through extensive linking. [...]
[...] Trio has featured it’s fair share of covers, but I don’t think I’ve ever played one with so little preparation as “Enjoy the Silence,” which appeared in the “Boston” secret track attached to Season 2, Trio #7. [...]
[...] Today’s song is “World In My Hand,” originally recorded in January of 2003 for Trio Season 3, #7. [...]
[...] This version of “Relief,” from Trio Season 1, #8, was recorded just seven days later. You can clearly heard that in those seven days the song resolved very clearly into the form it’s stayed in for the past seven years. Listen Now: [...]
[...] Trio can act as a snapshot, catching songs as they transform from one form to another. That’s certainly the case with this recording of “Typical,” from Trio Season 2, #13. [...]
[...] And more: food from afar may be more energy efficient than locally grown – which totally countermands that annoying geological footprint thing that has been a link of the week somewhere on the internet every damn week since I posted it in 2000. And: A cat that infallibly senses death. Don’t cats lead souls to the afterlife. [...]
[...] Instead, you can read the article that Alison posted in a comment to my last entry, which illustrates some more of Heroes‘ obvious faults (mostly in comparison to Lost, but also to Buffy and Battlestar). [...]
[...] A week ago a blog I’ve become quite fond of – MLarson – quoted my statement from “Why A Link Is Not Enough“: Links aren’t life. [...]
[...] I usually have an intense fight or flight reaction to opening acts that i have never heard before, which is increased exponentially when i am in a room small enough that any under-breath comments could be overheard between songs. I can rarely find anything to appreciate about these seemingly random (occasionally local) artists as i innerly triangulate between critique, ambition, and jealousy. Too self-absorbed. I could hit that note. Why can’t i be up there? [...]
[...] The last time i posted something like that was in the same archive week during which i met Selina. Moral? Possibly that i should buy a lot of fortune cookies tomorrow and amend “in bed” to them all to make sure they’re giving me an accurate reading. [...]
[...] Finally, now that my beloved and sarcastic co-communication fiend Amy has promised to blog with some regularity, i’m contemplating getting a Philly webloggers ring together – not just bloggers, but webloggers. Phloggers? Dunno… if you’re from the Philly area or go to school here drop me a note about your interest. Just think!, we could have a bi-monthly pub-crawl just like meg, tom, and the rest of the UK crew. And, i’m personally hoping to have CKfieldtrip ‘02 be to South by Southwest – which reminds me: field-trip #1 is this Sunday. More excitement about that when i allow myself to contemplate it being only five short days away; if i start thinking about it now all you’ll hear out of me for the remainder of the week is incoherent babbling and squeaks of boundless joy. Not that that’s entirely different from the current content, i suppose. [...]
[...] That’s how I arrived at this fantastic version of “Icy Cold,” from Trio Season 2, #15. The fingerstyle arrangement at the beginning and end was played exactly as arranged – I didn’t ad-lib at all (highly unusual for me when I comes to intricate guitar pieces). [...]
[...] Read the rest of this great post here [...]
[...] No matter how premeditated or rehearsed Trio has become over the years, it often yields surprising results – even in the control-freakish Season 5 I nailed a reinvention of “Other Plans” in single take. [...]
[...] Pioneer Woman posts my favorite chapter yet of her serialized “How I Met Marlboro Man.” Life suddenly becomes a music for EJ. This has happened to me before, but with squirrels instead of people. [...]
[...] Flash back to a year ago – the beginning of my quarter-life danger/opportunity. [...]
[...] For the first couple of meetings we just played around, trying to figure out what we sounded like after a year-and-a-half apart. By our third rehearsal we realized that two of our biggest past challenges had transformed into major opportunities. [...]
[...] A flipped pronoun on “Standing” pales against the best bridge vocal I’ve ever done. Skipping a progression on “What’ll I Say” to untangle my quarter inch tiny in the face of belting out my harmony at the close. And, starting “Wait” with a too hard pick hardly mattering when compared to our hilarious ad-libbed inflections and gestures on the final verse, tossing our lines back and forth to each other while the rhythm section carried the song. [...]
[...] I needed something a little more artist-oriented – where I wouldn’t be fiercely battling for attention over and over again with the same damn Madonna cover. [...]
[...] An errant Banker’s Club cosmo aside, Thursday night was the best birthday gift ever. [...]
[...] Even more significant, my acappella experience had taught me how to hold my own against other vocals, and as a result I no longer had to struggle to sing harmony with Gina. Not only could Gina sing more harmony with me, but for the first time I could sing harmony on her songs as well! [...]
[...] Tonight’s selection is the first song of Season 3, and thus the first ever “hi-fi” Trio recorded (and preserved) as a high quality wav rather than a crummy real audio file. [...]
[...] It’s the presence of all of those elements that make my relatively off-the-cuff cover of Hedwig and the Angry Inch’s “Wicked Little Town” in Trio Season 4, #5 one of my favorite Trio performances, despite some quibbles re: flatness. [...]
[...] I had forgotten the smell that you smell when a piece of your tooth starts getting grinded down into obscurity, and the gentle numb pressure as you click your hollow teeth against one another, and how the drill sings flight of the bumblebee to you if you close your eyes, and how when you open them that light overexposed everything entirely. I haven’t had a cavity filled for nearly a decade, and that dusty gritty smell sent me back to third grade when everything was disconnected and my dentist was a cabin in the middle of the woods when compared the vast city when compared to my unassuming house on 64th street. Really it was just out in the suburbs and it had a small driveway and back then dense shrubbery constituted a forest of redwoods. My tongue is the most active part of my body and it always swirls and peeks around my mouth when i have something done to it. It swiped a tiny spy at the filling as my dentist turned away, and now i’m afraid i created some tiny pocket of insecurity and that everything will be able to infiltrate up to my brain if it can make it past my lips (which makes kissing scenes all the more dangerous). But, anyhow, i woke up at 6:30 and i’m playing the dreaded acoustic night with the same amount of cheery unpreparedness with with i approached it last time. Off i go. [...]
[...] I had forgotten the smell that you smell when a piece of your tooth starts getting grinded down into obscurity, and the gentle numb pressure as you click your hollow teeth against one another, and how the drill sings flight of the bumblebee to you if you close your eyes, and how when you open them that light overexposed everything entirely. I haven’t had a cavity filled for nearly a decade, and that dusty gritty smell sent me back to third grade when everything was disconnected and my dentist was a cabin in the middle of the woods when compared the vast city when compared to my unassuming house on 64th street. Really it was just out in the suburbs and it had a small driveway and back then dense shrubbery constituted a forest of redwoods. My tongue is the most active part of my body and it always swirls and peeks around my mouth when i have something done to it. It swiped a tiny spy at the filling as my dentist turned away, and now i’m afraid i created some tiny pocket of insecurity and that everything will be able to infiltrate up to my brain if it can make it past my lips (which makes kissing scenes all the more dangerous). But, anyhow, i woke up at 6:30 and i’m playing the dreaded acoustic night with the same amount of cheery unpreparedness with with i approached it last time. Off i go. [...]
[...] We are producing two student written plays that are very witty and funny and i got cast as the male lover in both of them against the same female lover. I didn’t really think about the reality of kissing someone night after night on stage when i was auditioning, but now it looks like i am adding one more person to my impeccably neat little list of lips i have locked with, and my irrational fear of herpes alarm bell is ringing like mad. And, chat logs are lame. [...]
[...] We are producing two student written plays that are very witty and funny and i got cast as the male lover in both of them against the same female lover. I didn’t really think about the reality of kissing someone night after night on stage when i was auditioning, but now it looks like i am adding one more person to my impeccably neat little list of lips i have locked with, and my irrational fear of herpes alarm bell is ringing like mad. And, chat logs are lame. [...]
[...] We are producing two student written plays that are very witty and funny and i got cast as the male lover in both of them against the same female lover. I didn’t really think about the reality of kissing someone night after night on stage when i was auditioning, but now it looks like i am adding one more person to my impeccably neat little list of lips i have locked with, and my irrational fear of herpes alarm bell is ringing like mad. And, chat logs are lame. [...]
[...] We are producing two student written plays that are very witty and funny and i got cast as the male lover in both of them against the same female lover. I didn’t really think about the reality of kissing someone night after night on stage when i was auditioning, but now it looks like i am adding one more person to my impeccably neat little list of lips i have locked with, and my irrational fear of herpes alarm bell is ringing like mad. And, chat logs are lame. [...]
[...] Songs are continuing to ambush me. Two weeks ago “Necessary Evil” came to me in the guise of a riff consisting of a single half-step and a bluesy first line that i won’t ever do justice. Before that were two other ambushes… “Up & Down” with it’s rough and tumble sexual upfrontness and “This Tiny Trouble” pretending to be a song about vintage sitcoms. Somewhere inbetween exists the still-forming “Destination,” which portrays something near the opposite emotion from REM’s “Stand.” All four for unintended, unexpected, and anything but premeditated. [...]
[...] My wrist hurts so bad that i’m physically sick, and of course i decided that i ought to type about it; ironically, my mother just had surgery for her rapid onset Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ten days ago. I definitely have CTS, without a doubt in anyone’s mind, but so far it’s been a particularly ineffectual case of it. But, this morning i actually enjoyed my job for three whole hours, so now i’ve got to pay for it somehow, right? My task for this morning was to make individual mounts for photos of everyone in our department (22 people) so that we can have a new staff board outside of the office. This involved heading across the street to the ECM Creative Group, whose office is totally surreal compared to mine. They have seven people crammed into one medium office space, and each one of them have an iMac or a G4 plus one hi-tech tool (scanner, digital camera, digital film scanner, digital scripting board…), and all of them are delightfully tech-headed in amusing and awing ways (as opposed to those other tech people i met last week). They all go out together in the morning for coffee (small black with shots of vanilla), they listen to 88.5xpn (”Hey, turn that up, that’s George Harrison!”), and they talk about fun things like digitally inserting a prettier color of sky into pictures of our lab building or about who gets to take home their extra registered copy of photoshop. Their leader is Carole, who seems almost quiet and mousey when you first meet her, but who is really whacky and carries twizzlers on Fridays to get her through the day and rows crew in her spare time. Ally, one of the other office people, is a nationally ranked female rower. They also have a myriad of toys, both technological and for children. They do the university web page, our yearly viewbook (now on cdrom), and a myriad of other visible campus design work. Carole thought i was only an “arty kind of guy” and was surprised when i told her i might be interested in working for her part time and that my goal for the summer is learning PHP/mysql. She asked to look at my cross-curricular project once it’s done. I blushed a little and studiously ate my twizzler. So, yes, today they gave me a job with a goal and a timeframe and nice company and i loved it. Use Quark to make the picture mounts, slice them into reality with a huge metal rule and an exacto blade, then mount the mounts onto heavy cardboard, and finally deftly place the picture into the mount using a mere two pieces of double-sided tape that do not let go of what they’re holding onto even if you only want to move it half a millimeter. The only problem was that to use the exacto blade, or to edge pieces of double-sided tape into the right place, my right hand kept being twisted every which possible way until finally it felt like the insides of my wrist ached and my fingers didn’t quite want to be cooperative. One of the other women in the office with CTS had a beautiful wrist-splint on to get used to her new keyboard, and i was biting my lip to keep myself from asking her if i could borrow it. We just talked a bit about her condition instead. At first it’s a lot like trying to move your arm when it’s totally numb from sleeping on it, and you know you can move it but it will feel strange and you’d really rather not. (And, i just wrote that without thinking about it, but that’s exactly how my mother described her CTS to me three months ago when it first started really getting to her. And, i’m in two high risk categories because i’ve typed regularly since age 7, and i play guitar every day. Fuck.) [...]
[...] It took the better part of the year for me to suss out the secrets of my guitar part, and as soon as I did I recorded a quiet-but-determined take of “Lost” – exactly the way it had been playing in my head for half a year – in Trio Season 1, #11. [...]
[...] Over the years “Lost” has stuck with me through ups and downs. Playing with cellos, in different keys, segueing into “Lucky Star,” and changing from 3/4 to 4/4. Recently I feel like maybe we’ve parted ways … at least for a little while. Somewhere in the middle of that journey was another take as quintessential as its first Trio appearance – a recording that remains one of my all-time favorites over four years after the fact. It originally appeared on January 13, 2003, in Trio Season 3, #6. Listen Now: [...]
[...] Now just a month ago, Gina and I are in a third floor apartment across from the Kimmel Center playing with a drummer and a bassist for the first time. Beforehand we absconded into the stairwell, working hushedly on our harmonies and debating on what we should tell the drummer to do. [...]
[...] XPN programmer at Some Velvet Blog highlights the best in Philly Indie Rock. No Polymer there, though they’re surely one of the area’s best (and, I say that having once written a really nasty song about their lead singer that I featured yesterday). [...]
[...] Wired’s Listening Post blog highlights the fantastic (and friendly) Daytrotter, a Rock Island, Illinois studio podcasting all manner of free music from major indie artists. (Previously blogged here.) [...]
[...] Originally you were meant to get “Are You” from Trio Season 4, #4. However, listening to it tonight I was compelled to alter a flubbed change – editing it out in favor of a seamless transition. [...]
[...] The endeavor of bringing mixing to Trio began 53 weeks earlier with Trio Season 4, #1. Actually, you’ve heard an earlier recording of the song in question – “Relief” – already during this series. I recorded this particular “Relief” in a single take, but then decided to add just a touch of harmony. And then just a touch more. [...]
[...] The endeavor of bringing mixing to Trio began 53 weeks earlier with Trio Season 4, #1. Actually, you’ve heard an earlier recording of the song in question – “Relief” – already during this series. I recorded this particular “Relief” in a single take, but then decided to add just a touch of harmony. And then just a touch more. [...]
[...] Peter Mulvey’s “Wings of the Ragman” is a different creature, maybe because of its aerobic, alternately tuned guitar or it’s rapid, flowing melody. Or, maybe it’s something else. No matter what, my version of it from Trio Season 3, #6 is very nearly my favorite Trio recording of all time. Listen Now: [...]
[...] As soon as I knew Elise was in the air for the first leg of her 24 hours of travel I was caught off guard by a rapid onset of moping. [...]
[...] I don’t usually mope when Elise is on vacation. Not right away, at least. Typically I spend a day or two delighting in my pseudo-bachelorhood, and by the end of day three I get bored and start to tidy things in anticipation of Elise’s eventual return. So, I was entirely surprised yesterday when the delight never began. [...]
[...] You can read the rest of this blog post by going to the original source, here [...]
[...] After hearing the guitar/vocal I realized that a lot more had come to me than just the basic structure of the song. Without even thinking about it I added a lattice of background vocals and guitars around the original demo, replacing some of them in the coming days with more polished versions. The end result was one of my most professional-sounding tracks of all time, which wound up as the opening track of Trio Season 4, #2. [...]
[...] out “Up & Down” and “So Hard” from Trio Season 3, #5. And, tune in next week for the first Trio of Season 6. Up & Down – 12/14/2002: [...]
[...] I remember very specifically burning them to CD and listening to them on the train ride to Elise’s house, and as soon as I arrived pushing the disc into her stereo, ignoring that one of the tunes was a touch explicit and Elise’s 10 year old brother was sitting on the floor playing video games. Not to mention that the cover in the middle of the two songs was “Untouchable Face.” [...]
[...] Rabi saved my song and I from repeating that fate by requesting it – first in the middle of a field, and again for the first Blogathon. [...]
[...] flashback only accounted for half of my posts, so what else did I spend every day blogging about? Eloquent cab drivers. Why a link is often not enough. Imagining myself as Britney’s image consultant. An epiphany. [...]
[...] a link is often not enough. Imagining myself as Britney’s image consultant. An epiphany. Why I don’t like Heroes. A brand new version of “Standing“. My birthday, and the path to Arcati Crisis’s [...]
[...] for half of my posts, so what else did I spend every day blogging about? Eloquent cab drivers. Why a link is often not enough. Imagining myself as Britney’s image consultant. An epiphany. Why I don’t like Heroes. [...]
[...] An epiphany. Why I don’t like Heroes. A brand new version of “Standing“. My birthday, and the path to Arcati Crisis’s debut at the Tin Angel. Six consecutive happy hours. Other [...]
[...] In September I linked to a video of a jaw-droppingly smart image resizer that scaled images down not proportionally, but [...]
[...] every day blogging about? Eloquent cab drivers. Why a link is often not enough. Imagining myself as Britney’s image consultant. An epiphany. Why I don’t like Heroes. A brand new version of “Standing“. My [...]
[...] cab drivers. Why a link is often not enough. Imagining myself as Britney’s image consultant. An epiphany. Why I don’t like Heroes. A brand new version of “Standing“. My birthday, and the [...]
[...] “Standing“. My birthday, and the path to Arcati Crisis’s debut at the Tin Angel. Six consecutive happy hours. Other stuff, [...]
[...] image consultant. An epiphany. Why I don’t like Heroes. A brand new version of “Standing“. My birthday, and the path to Arcati Crisis’s debut at the Tin Angel. Six consecutive [...]
[...] Why I don’t like Heroes. A brand new version of “Standing“. My birthday, and the path to Arcati Crisis’s debut at the Tin Angel. Six consecutive happy hours. Other stuff, [...]
[...] has written a lovely little piece about Radiohead’s new album, In Rainbows. Everybody and their mom has touched on the overthrow of the big labels and the [...]
[...] having disposed of a few of those systematically programmed prejudices (e.g., I do not ridiculously eschew middle Beatles) I can’t seem to succumb to the Magic of Asbury Park’s favorite son. I even tried [...]
[...] OMG, I forgot to mention the best part of last week’s happy (six) hour(s): Melon is going to go to the Kelly Clarkson concert with me. Oh [...]
[...] You can read the rest of this blog post by going to the original source, here [...]
[...] Torrez was very nearly my first favorite blogger (and, not only because he ran Power Bloggers). He’s back, and recently posted some advice on increasing blog traffic. A month later and [...]
[...] Random Madness in Torrance wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt lack of attention to cutting edge music or film, often in favor of a retrospective cover article…, but with even more music. In the 90s The Last Drop was full to the brim with pseudo-artistic posers and the trash (and high school students) who were desperately in love with them. As actual music fans we [...]
[...] her to buy me anything (including a t-shirt, at which point I calmly explained that HMV was not an Amoeba-like rarity, and that we used to have an HMV in Philadelphia that’s now either the Gap or [...]
[...] year my adventures in National Blog Posting Month were bookended by a comic book analogy, which provided a frame for a complete reboot of Crushing [...]
[...] Also, since I am cultivating a second career as a a singer-songwriter, I performed and uploaded nine Trio podcasts of original music ranging in topic from my identity to things left unsaid to my modern pop influences. [...]
[...] I performed and uploaded nine Trio podcasts of original music ranging in topic from my identity to things left unsaid to my modern pop [...]
[...] S5-#1: Identity [...]
[...] S5-#4: Things Left Unsaid [...]
[...] S5-#6: Teenage [...]
[...] S5-#9: Perspectives [...]
[...] S5-#2: Elise [...]
[...] S5-#5: Childhood [...]
[...] S5-#3: Hindsight [...]
[...] S5-#8: Friendship [...]
[...] take an extended vacation. Having used my vacation days and accompanying budget earlier in the year to attend Bonnaroo, she opted for a solo excursion to [...]
[...] (Continued from Permission) [...]
[...] (Continued from Planning To Be Surprised) [...]
[...] Advice to keep in mind while ring-shopping: Just be aware that – much like kisses and “I love yous” – you can’t take ring shopping back. It can mean as little or as much as either of those things can, but it can’t ever be meaningless. Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007, at 8:34pm. Filed under Life. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback. [...]
the opposite of writer’s block…
Back in October, Peter wrote about artists tapping the same idea over and over again, trying to approach a perfect portrayal of that story. The idea stuck with me because I do that all the time.
With poetry I think it’s a little different, because…
[...] S6-#1: Within [...]
[...] S5-#9: Perspectives [...]
[...] S5-#7: Current Influences [...]
[...] S5-#3: Hindsight [...]
[...] haven’t completely figured out the third, but so far it would seem to involve playing “Pocahontas,” multiple times if [...]
[...] I have been following the primary elections on various news sites, but really it’s just an input/output thing. I’m outputting riffs, harmonies, new songs, project plans, site maps, engagement party thank [...]
[...] aside from the first two, whose blogging were fueled by infatuation with the Queen of Darkness and Elise, [...]
[...] Like a square to a rectangle but not visa versa, SongFight is to Arcati Crisis. SongFight was perhaps the first time Gina and I masqueraded under our proper name, though we had certainly recorded together before as an entity. And, from our fours-years-ago SongFighting emerged “Moscow, Idaho,” which we played an utterly stunning version of on Saturday ever-so-shortly before my voice-losing escapade. [...]
[...] sparse month on CK, aside from the first two, whose blogging were fueled by infatuation with the Queen of Darkness and Elise, [...]
[...] Chrissy wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptHowever, there isn’t much joy to the 61 with that approach – you quickly lose sight of discovering amazing new music … really listening to it, and loving it, feeling that you have to proselytize to all your friends about it, … [...]
[...] S6-#2: Transparency [...]
[...] S5-#7: Current Influences [...]
[...] already a better singer and actor than I was at his age, which I can at least rationalize as due to his vastly superior genetics (I [...]
[...] DDR in front of him over Christmas I felt like a cow skipping rope. Oh, and did I mention that their father runs marathons, and that when he deigned to run my company’s ten mile race last year he [...]
[...] I’ll be a legally bound part of this family in a scant nine months, and the peer pressure is starting to mount. To date I’ve skated by on the account of being an academic-wunderkind and a singer-songwriter. Then I had a few months of grace on the “wow, that’s a nice hunk of diamonds you bought for my sister/daughter.” [...]
[...] safe from competition in Elise’s family, her sister Jenny left an encouraging comment about how she respects my bloggingness – leaving unspoken the inference that the respect is intact despite my hopeless fat, lazy, dumb, [...]
[...] the course of the evening I played two sets, rocking my now-standard opening duo of “Icy Cold” and “Like a Virgin,” and debuting my new tentatively-titled “Not David [...]
[...] myself in such a fashion is that you’re blind to me; when i talk about fabulous hair cuts or early morning beauty, you have to just take my word for it. Aside from the scattered and few pictures of me i [...]
[...] but, anyway i just realized today that i haven’t played “under my skin” since i played it for rabi or at the bar and i think i somehow got past it or something and that scares me, because that song [...]
[...] #1 is true. I have had exactly one serious scrape or cut, ever, and it wasn’t even that serious. This wasn’t a trick, folks, because a broken collarbone is neither a scrape nor a cut. Once i cut open my finger on a catfood lid and it bled for about an hour, but i didn’t even need a stitch. I must’ve been fifteen or sixteen and i remember being amused when my neighbor put on latex gloves to help me bandage up my finger because it meant he assumed i actually had the chance to catch any bloodborne diseases, which was a little flattering. Later that summer he gave offered me a bass guitar and some cocaine, of which i took one. [...]
[...] #6 is true. I haven’t shared a residence with more than one person at a time since i was 4. My parents separated when i was four, and since i’ve gotten to college i’ve only had one roommate at a time. This streak looks as though it will be broken next year, since we’re looking at 4-bedroom houses. [...]
[...] #18 is true. The first time i was ever on stage i didn’t want to be there, and i forgot all of the words. Okay… this one is a little fudgy, but it holds up. I had obviously been on stage before this experience, whether it be to accept my treasured Christian leauge math awards (i obviously intend to bring that Christmas shows. However, that’s not where it gets fudgy; the first two times i was a featured performer on a stage was playing my recorder in fifth grade, and narrating a part of a play in fifth grade. Both events had to have happened in fifth grade because i associate them with the same teacher, and they both had to have happened at the Christmas show because the only other show was the Sping show and that was done by the middle school that year. So, i’m going on the basic assumption that the narration occurred before the recorder playing, but either way this works out because i definitely remember not wanting to play the recorder and not knowing what i was playing while i was onstage.up once a day now), or to stand way in the background of the chorus in silly school [...]
[...] #3 is true. In my life i have consumed under 1 gallon combined of beer and/or cola. I can tell you nearly exactly how much beer i’ve ever had… 20oz. of Old English, 16oz of Corona, 8oz at the PNE convention, and various other tiny amounts of beer that total well under an additional 20oz. That’s half a gallon. As for cola, i’m only referring to Pepsi/Coke, and not gingerale, seltzer, ect. I had a glass of coca cola once on a very hot day when it was the only thing available, and otherwise i’ve never had more than a mistaken sip through a straw once or twice a year. I’ve always hated soda, because it tastes horrible, it’s carbonated, and it has absolutely zero redeeming healthy qualities. In my mind, it should be restricted to consenting adults as much as cigarettes and beer, because as long as the government sees fit to tell people what they can and cannot do we really ought to try to make our nation’s children a little healther in the process. [...]
[...] #13 is false. After my 5th birthday I have not had a birthday party every even-numbered year of my life, until this year broke the streak. Actually, after my fifth birthday i have not ever had a birthday party until this year broke the streak. Corroborating evidence can be found here, and congrats to Benjy for figuring this one out. I went to the birthday party of a girl i really liked in first grade. It was at St. Monica’s bowling alley, and i think nearly our entire class wound up attending. I remember coming home from there and telling my mother that i didn’t like birthday parties, because they were just excuses to have people bring you gifts or for them to look bad if they didn’t. And, from that point forward, i neither had nor attended another birthday party (or any other party, for that matter) until i became less anti-social in middle school. However, i still never had a party because my birthday is so very early in the school year, and because i tend to be uncomfortable as the deliberate focus of attention of a group of people unless i’m actually doing something more noteworthy then getting slowly and inexorably older. This past year’s parties weren’t so bad, since the focus of the first one was mostly playing frisbee and the focus of the second one was margaritas. This year there’s talk of kegs of Raspberry CiderJack and relentless live music. Be afraid (or, just get invited ;) [...]
[...] #15 is true. Up until i stopped knowing what i wanted to be, i wanted to be a veterinarian. I knew it, and my whole family knew it, and it was a fact. Then, high school came along. Biology… not a problem. Math… not my favourite, but doable. However, definitely the class that put me off to any career in the sciences was the dreaded Chemistry. Granted, i actually enjoy Chemistry a good deal more than it’s ugly sidekick Physics, but our school’s Chemistry teacher was nearly certifiably insane and all i ever learned from her is how to make sourpatch kids burst into coloured flames and launch across the room. From the first quarter of Sophomore year onwards, i knew that my being a puppy-doctor was out of the question (also, my dear mother had the presence of mind to point out that i am deathly afraid of dogs over a third of my body weight or with teeth significantly larger than mine). I slowly edged away from it… first saying i would be a psychiatrist (could you picture me in med school? what a train wreck that would’ve been), then downgrading to a psychologist (i was pretty serious about that until i found out that psychology majors don’t usually wind up as psychologists), and then just winding up undecided in my Senior year of highschool (which definitely hurt my college application process, but oh well). [...]
[...] and less vivid like a patch of wallpaper that sees too much sun, but the prospect that i’m slowly changing all of my memories to the best representation of how i got how i am rather than what actually made [...]
[...] #7 is true. Just because i haven’t taken math for two years now and probably won’t ever again doesn’t mean i wasn’t good at it at some point. Up until the dreaded geometry i could do no wrong mathematically, but when we had competitions in math i liked the word problems because they were logic and math. Anyone could brute force their way through a computations exam, but the logic exam required a more expert touch. Or, at least i had convinced my tiny third grader brain of that. The third year we had a huge blizzard the day of the competition and wound up taking our tests via mail, and i placed fourth. I think that’s when i stopped liking math. This was written by krisis. Posted on Friday, June 1, 2001, at 10:11 am. Filed under memories, stories. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback. [...]
[...] #17 is true. A girl kissed me aproximately 3 years, 2 months, and 2 hours after when i originally asked a girl if she’d kiss me. Of course, i always remember wanting to kiss girls, from when i was very little. When i was five we went to Disney World, and there was one rather boring ride on a boat and i just remember that the most adorable girl was sitting across from me but i was afraid to look right at her because i felt like she would immediately know i was staring at her and i’d look like some dorky little five year old just smiling dumbly at the cutest six year old ever. So, yeah, i was setting up for romantic disaster very early on in life. Anyhow, the girl who never kissed me was Juliana, and while i didn’t ask her to kiss me outright i would like to point out that our faces were very near to each other and it had never crossed my mind to kiss anyone ever before then in such an immediate fashion. So, while the actual question posed was whether or not she’d ever consider going on a date with me, it was only asked because the question we’re focusing on had been asked and answered in that are faces were still just near to each other. But, anyhow, we just wound up sharing lip gloss, and the rest is history. As for my first kiss, it’s a topic i dance around constantly on this log without ever actually talking about it, because i talked about it entirely too much when it first happened. As you can easily see, i have no concept of secrets when it comes to myself so i didn’t think to keep my mouth shut about kissing someone – never thinking about if the someone would prefer me to keep my mouth just slightly less ajar than it was. I suppose it would have been better if i just continued to watch the replay of it in my head and not replay it for everyone else, but decisions are decisions and no one was hurt by any of it and life goes on (without us ever ever kissing again). So… no links to point you towards for this one, but if you’re a regular reader i’ll tie it all together for you; these three events coincide: first kiss, new years 2000, & “under my skin.” Happy now? This was written by krisis. Posted on Friday, June 1, 2001, at 12:09 am. Filed under Year 1, flirt, memories, stories, under my skin. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback. [...]
[...] know how i’m always talking about how totally pornographic i’d be with a webcam? Or, alternately, are you a SurvivorCam [...]
[...] yeah. What made me think of that is that i haven’t uploaded lyrics for the oft-played “Up&Down” yet, and i was just reading a recent interview with Melissa Etheridge where she talks about [...]
[...] #20 is true. I was never very sick as a child, and by the time i got into middle school the only kind of illness i ever had was the flu or issues with my tonsils – never a stomach bug. I very clearly remember the last time i threw up in my own home, which had to be at age ten or eleven sitting on my mother’s hope chest with our big manila-colored basin sitting next to me. But, anyway, save for my first experience with how not to get drunk, i haven’t thrown up ever since, and i can hardly even remember what it’s like. Unpleasant, i’m sure. This was written by krisis. Posted on Thursday, May 31, 2001, at 10:41 pm. Filed under memories. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback. [...]
[...] #14 is true. Come on, people, i’m a record addict. After reading the War Against Silence entries concerning the ordering of records and reading Hi Fidelity cover to cover in a matter of hours, i decided i needed an eclectic but fun way to organize my albums so that i always had a decent selection to pick from on any shelf. So, i took all the discs down from the shelf and started messing around with ten random discs that i had been listening to a lot recently. After a little idle experimentation (well, this whole ordeal is rather idle, isn’t it?) i decided ordering albums by the predominant color of their spines would be fun. However, once i had my 50 most played discs on the shelf i realized that Tori Amos was going to occupy the first, last, and middle spots of my collection, and that the plan was entirely unfeasible because if just three of her discs were already spread out that far then the addition of her twenty-some singles would cause me to have a heart attack trying to find all the beesides to make mix tapes with. The plan was thusly abandoned. This was written by krisis. Posted on Thursday, May 31, 2001, at 7:18 pm. Filed under stories, tori. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback. [...]
[...] rest assured that it’s more punk than anything else i’ve ever written. Except “Punk.” That’s definitely punker. I was a little concerned when i first started playing this [...]
[...] #2 (below) can’t seem to decide where it wants to go. I started writing it simply as a song in the [...]
[...] a Trio into the public record, but i will disclose two new untitled songs: 1’s lyrics were blogged and 2’s weren’t. Enjoy. This was written by krisis. Posted on Monday, May 28, 2001, [...]
[...] fixes to what seems to you a large overall problem. Pulling the plug on a site, whether it be a treasured monument to e/n or the best Ani DiFranco site on the internet, seems like a hopelessly selfish choice. However, i [...]
[...] intense rehearsals to losing my voice to drums and drawing blood to chairing my own mixing committee to penning artist [...]
[...] intense rehearsals to losing my voice to drums and drawing blood to chairing my own mixing committee to penning artist interviews while working to re-debut Arcati [...]
[...] intense rehearsals to losing my voice to drums and drawing blood to chairing my own mixing committee to penning artist interviews while [...]
[...] intense rehearsals to losing my voice to drums and drawing blood to chairing my own mixing committee to penning artist interviews while working to re-debut Arcati [...]
[...] rehearsals to losing my voice to drums and drawing blood to chairing my own mixing committee to penning artist interviews while working to re-debut Arcati [...]
[...] back in the day i had a favourite website, and that website was IllegalOp. Before this blog was even a glint in my mind’s eye, i was a regular poster over the summer [...]
[...] get more interesting. Or maybe just louder. We shall see. But, speaking of vertical neighbors, my downstairs neighbor randomly showed up at my door last night while my mother was fussing over my newly installed air [...]
[...] of her poems from following her log. After a few requests, the set wound up as: Punk, Because, Unstrung, Colorblind, Under My Skin, Lost, All That’s True, Give, Never Say Goodbye. Trio has an [...]
[...] following her log. After a few requests, the set wound up as: Punk, Because, Unstrung, Colorblind, Under My Skin, Lost, All That’s True, Give, Never Say Goodbye. Trio has an interesting effect on how i make [...]
[...] set wound up as: Punk, Because, Unstrung, Colorblind, Under My Skin, Lost, All That’s True, Give, Never Say Goodbye. Trio has an interesting effect on how i make up a setlist when i’m [...]
[...] know, sometimes resolve in one part of a song is just a bridge to more tension in the rest of it (which is really what [...]
[...] #2 [...]
[...] so, okay, you know how i mention from time to time how i need to be more of a bitch? It’s sorta a running theme with me that i love to please everyone; this tends to be [...]
[...] hard to inflate it. Is it possible that any of you have been around long enough to remember Viktor? Well… the other day he walked by me and said hello and i told him quite succinctly to [...]
[...] sixty one (our page is here) is a real breath of fresh air. (Good explanation here) Explore and have [...]
[...] and Facebook keeping in touch with people and Gmail haggling with various wedding musicians, and The 61 hearing awesome new music and, oh, my job that involves keeping tabs on people in email all day [...]
[...] I literally rolled around on the floor in convulsions of laughter the first time I saw Weekend At Bernie’s, but the morbid schtick didn’t hold up as well to repeat views as, say, Clue. [...]
[...] that’s a week i won’t soon forget. New romantic interests, bitter ex-girlfriends, new Ani DiFranco albums, stress at work, and slowly but surely becoming famous. This was written by krisis. Posted on [...]
[...] i won’t soon forget. New romantic interests, bitter ex-girlfriends, new Ani DiFranco albums, stress at work, and slowly but surely becoming famous. This was written by krisis. Posted on Saturday, April [...]
[...] forget. New romantic interests, bitter ex-girlfriends, new Ani DiFranco albums, stress at work, and slowly but surely becoming famous. This was written by krisis. Posted on Saturday, April 14, 2001, at [...]
[...] romantic interests, bitter ex-girlfriends, new Ani DiFranco albums, stress at work, and slowly but surely becoming famous. This was written by krisis. Posted on Saturday, April 14, 2001, at 11:21 pm. [...]
[...] S6-#1: Within [...]
[...] S5-#9: Perspectives [...]
[...] S5-#3: Hindsight [...]
[...] they existed. What was their life like before the invasion, and what was it like now? While I am advocating for the rights of my lesbian friends to marry are their Iraqi counterparts struggling for the simplest of rights – for the ability to exist as [...]
[...] whatsoever: “Out of Words” (which, I suspect, eventually turned into the song “Nothing to Say.”) I knew that eventually i would run out of words I did not expect to like it I did not [...]
[...] This is actually my favorite, because I plucked it out of the high school era to recraft it in college (and, firmly in the blog-era, as this was the same class that produced “Atlas“) [...]
[...] 7 of Crushing Krisis includes a slew of favorite posts. I cursed at the television. I had a headache so profound that I gave it a name. I reinvented myself for NaBloPoMo. I recounted [...]
[...] lot of limoncello. I helped present the fifth annual Lyndzapalooza with hardly a hitch. I recorded my catchiest song, ever. I nearly lost my mind in the middle of Broad [...]
[...] to stop by. This weekend, Rabi and I had just sat down to a refreshing Bubble Tea when my cell phone was rung by my god-brother, who i haven’t seen or spoken to in almost four years, but who had [...]
[...] Peter at Crushing Krisis [...]
[...] write on my door and shove crap through my mail slot for the rest of my life as long as they left Lindsay and Kate and our gay neighbors (yes, the irony) alone and in [...]
[...] would never compare this experience to the discrimination that other people endure every day. It was passive – intimidation from a coward. t’s not even really about me. [...]
[...] amazing thing about the last twelve months is how many successes they encompassed. I played a show at the Tin Angel with my band (two, actually). I got engaged to the love of my life. I completed six months of [...]
[...] vocals. Lyndzapalooza threw not only a hugely successful music festival, but two modestly awesome off-season events. I finally became the senior member of my team at work. I’m planning the most kick-ass party [...]
[...] the first time. I had two of my most memorable taxi-driver conversations. I played a game of “what if I managed Britney?” I conquered my quarter-life crisis. I co-invented (and later conducted) an Upscale Bar [...]
[...] dissected Radiohead’s record release, along with the entirety of the “blogosphere.” I became fascinated for an entire night [...]
[...] the “blogosphere.” I became fascinated for an entire night by a trick of photography. I learned valuable lessons from my longest period of bachelorhood in the past half [...]
[...] post of all time, I began telling the story of our engagement, further chronicled here and here. I disclosed my previously deeply personal delight in hot food eaten cold. I saw Elise’s brother make his theatrical debut. I posted a rare Trio [...]
[...] contemplated being a real band. I reflected on my childhood masquerade as a born-again Christian. I posted yet another awesome-right-out-of-the-box Trio. I celebrated Gina’s birthday by recounting our first time [...]
[...] sibling rivalry by way of working out regularly for the first time in my life, and in the process got to know Elise’s sister a little bit [...]
[...] solo gig, and made friends with 13-year-olds. I spoke at my mother’s wedding, and reflected on how just a few decades ago mine would be illegal in some states. I became a big brother, and [...]
[...] Last year I said: If Year 6 of Crushing Krisis was about finding stability, then this past year has been converting stability into happiness. [...]
[...] many successes they encompassed. I played a show at the Tin Angel with my band (two, actually). I got engaged to the love of my life. I completed six months of voice-lessons, emerging with newly revitalized [...]
[...] band got censored for the first time. I had two of my most memorable taxi-driver conversations. I played a game of “what if I managed Britney?” I conquered my quarter-life crisis. I [...]
[...] dissected Radiohead’s record release, along with the entirety of the “blogosphere.” I became fascinated for an entire night by a trick of photography. I learned valuable [...]
[...] personal delight in hot food eaten cold. I saw Elise’s brother make his theatrical debut. I posted a rare Trio that I liked as soon as it was [...]
[...] almost shattered the fragile, bird-like skeleton of one of my SVPs. I taught the entire internet how to edit their MySpace Music profiles [...]
[...] on how just a few decades ago mine would be illegal in some states. I became a big brother, and started becoming my mother, all in the span of a week. I reflected on GBLT rights in Iraq by way of Ani DiFranco and teenage [...]
[...] at the Tin Angel with my band (two, actually). I got engaged to the love of my life. I completed six months of voice-lessons, emerging with newly revitalized vocals. Lyndzapalooza threw not only a hugely successful music [...]
[...] taxi-driver conversations. I played a game of “what if I managed Britney?” I conquered my quarter-life crisis. I co-invented (and later conducted) an Upscale Bar Crawl. I blogged daily for an entire month for [...]
[...] began telling the story of our engagement, further chronicled here and here. I disclosed my previously deeply personal delight in hot food [...]
[...] contemplated being a real band. I reflected on my childhood masquerade as a born-again Christian. I posted yet another awesome-right-out-of-the-box Trio. I celebrated [...]
[...] MySpace Music profiles (seriously, you should see the referrals I get on that one damn post). I nearly got laughed out of a coffee-shop due to my savant-like knowledge of [...]
[...] I played my band’s first honest-to-goodness solo gig, and made friends with 13-year-olds. I spoke at my mother’s wedding, and reflected on how just a few decades ago mine would be illegal in some states. I became a big brother, and started becoming my mother, all in the span of a week. I reflected on GBLT rights in Iraq by way of Ani DiFranco and teenage theatre. I posted the best and worst of my teenage poetry. [...]
[...] six months of voice-lessons, emerging with newly revitalized vocals. Lyndzapalooza threw not only a hugely successful music festival, but two modestly awesome off-season events. I finally became the senior member of my team at work. [...]
[...] band got censored for the first time. I had two of my most memorable taxi-driver conversations. I played a game of [...]
[...] I conquered my quarter-life crisis. I co-invented (and later conducted) an Upscale Bar Crawl. I blogged daily for an entire month for no reason at all, highlighting my favorite (remastered) Trio Tracks along the [...]
[...] record release, along with the entirety of the “blogosphere.” I became fascinated for an entire night by a trick of photography. I learned valuable lessons from my longest period of bachelorhood in the [...]
[...] masquerade as a born-again Christian. I posted yet another awesome-right-out-of-the-box Trio. I celebrated Gina’s birthday by recounting our first time singing together. I cultivated an ulcer. I learned about sibling [...]
[...] wedding, and reflected on how just a few decades ago mine would be illegal in some states. I became a big brother, and started becoming my mother, all in the span of a week. I reflected on GBLT rights in Iraq by [...]
[...] The amazing thing about the last twelve months is how many successes they encompassed. I played a show at the Tin Angel with my band (two, actually). I got engaged to the love of my life. I completed six months of voice-lessons, emerging with newly revitalized vocals. Lyndzapalooza threw not only a hugely successful music festival, but two modestly awesome off-season events. I finally became the senior member of my team at work. I’m planning the most kick-ass party I’ve ever thrown, which coincidentally happens to be my wedding. [...]
[...] if I managed Britney?” I conquered my quarter-life crisis. I co-invented (and later conducted) an Upscale Bar Crawl. I blogged daily for an entire month for no reason at all, highlighting my [...]
[...] began telling the story of our engagement, further chronicled here and here. I disclosed my previously deeply personal delight in hot food eaten cold. I saw Elise’s [...]
[...] Trio. I celebrated Gina’s birthday by recounting our first time singing together. I cultivated an ulcer. I learned about sibling rivalry by way of working out regularly for the first time in my life, and [...]
[...] played my band’s first honest-to-goodness solo gig, and made friends with 13-year-olds. I spoke at my mother’s wedding, and reflected on how just a few decades ago mine would be illegal in some states. I became a big [...]
[...] I played a game of “what if I managed Britney?” I conquered my quarter-life crisis. I co-invented (and later conducted) an Upscale Bar Crawl. I blogged daily for an entire month for no reason at [...]
[...] played my band’s first honest-to-goodness solo gig, and made friends with 13-year-olds. I spoke at my mother’s wedding, and reflected on how [...]
[...] began telling the story of our engagement, further chronicled here and here. I disclosed my previously deeply personal delight in hot food eaten cold. I saw [...]
[...] And, still fresh in my mind, I was the victim of a crime of hate. [...]
[...] that in Sarah Palin’s opinion the message written on my door last month – the cat shit shoved into my home – was motivated by normal hate. And so was the deaths of Matthew [...]
[...] Krisis is a Philadelphia blog thar recently celebrated its eighth birthday. It’s been the home of my original music since 2000, and features the internet’s [...]
[...] Krisis Crushing Krisis is the longest running blog in Philadelphia. Skip to content HomeAll About Crushing KrisisAll About My MusicAll About This BlogAll About WordPressAll About Your AuthorContact [...]
[...] with. Plus our core Saxbys crowd of three young girls who keep coming back, mostly because at our first outing we promised to learn a Jonas Brothers song for them and delivered mightily upon our [...]
[...] you mistakenly think that was a Palin joke, I’m actually refering to her sometimes-mentor Oblermann. As Palin jokes go it was way too easy.) This was written by krisis. Posted on Monday, September [...]
[...] I’ll be liveblogging this debate to capture some of the highlights and to discuss my immediate reaction, just as I did last week for the first Presidential debate. [...]
[...] there is my heavily documented debate coverage, followed by a frantic 24-hours of strategic planning between E & I that has not yet yielded [...]
[...] A year ago I said I love all the dire wedding warnings that come from every quarter when you first get engaged. I suppose it’s a cultural hazing thing? I just don’t get it. Each of our favorite weddings were relatively lacking in insanity and drama according to the various brides. Also, we’re both OCD project managers with the same taste in everything. [...]
[...] site that matches the overall look of our wedding “campaign,” and on it she placed the first three entries in my series of ten engagement [...]
[...] that matches the overall look of our wedding “campaign,” and on it she placed the first three entries in my series of ten engagement [...]
[...] the overall look of our wedding “campaign,” and on it she placed the first three entries in my series of ten engagement [...]
[...] S6-#3: A Confidence Game [...]
[...] S5-#9: Perspectives [...]
[...] S6-#2: Transparency [...]
[...] S6-#1: Within [...]
[...] S5-#7: Current Influences [...]
[...] S6-#4: Good Bones [...]
[...] S5-#7: Current Influences [...]
[...] S6-#3: A Confidence Game [...]
[...] S6-#2: Transparency [...]
[...] S5-#9: Perspectives [...]
[...] S6-#1: Within [...]
[...] on each occasion. I played the same songs over and over, heavily relying on the crutches of “Icy Cold” and my cover of “Like a Virgin.” Any other song would leave my wide open for [...]
[...] over and over, heavily relying on the crutches of “Icy Cold” and my cover of “Like a Virgin.” Any other song would leave me wide open for rookie mistakes like forgotten [...]
[...] has been through months of development. In the case of a newer song like “Not Tonight (from Monday’s Trio), I start with a core of words or melody that have been stuck in my head. I sketch the basics of [...]
[...] Suite #7: Current [...]
[...] Suite #7: Current [...]
[...] Unsaid, Friendship, Perspectives, while three cover-song Trios focused on Childhood, Teenage & Current [...]
[...] S5-#7: Current [...]
[...] S5-#7: Current Influences [...]
[...] it was herpes, mostly because now that I only make out with Elise I precious few reasons to invoke my irrational fear of herpes.) Yet, I put off visiting the dermatologist, thinking I could make the patches disappear with [...]
[...] S5-#7: Current Influences [...]
[...] only do I have to finish telling the story of how Elise and I got engaged last year, but aside from touching on our invites a few weeks ago I [...]
[...] only do I have to finish telling the story of how Elise and I got engaged last year, but aside from touching on our invites a few weeks ago I haven’t really spoken at all about our planning [...]
[...] unique element of our wedding that I’ve previously touched upon is the composition of our parties – my side consists of three women and two men, and Elise’s [...]
[...] It’s funny that you can apply any kind of science to songwriting. You spend a lot of years as a songwriter thinking it’s just lightning that strikes you, but there are things you can do to make yourself more of a lightning rod. All This Time When the chorus came in my head I literally walked to the piano and played the entire song in one go and wrote the lyrics. It all happened in 30 minutes. … Effectively the whole song came at once. I was because I was primed. That’s the challenge, you know? You have to be working on songs to have other songs that work. Will It Ever Come? Much like “All This Time,” it came at this point that I was very primed, in the summer of 2000. I wrote a lot of what are still my favorite songs at that time … songs that I really still play very frequently. And this one was kindof in the middle, and it just got ignored. It was at the very beginning of Crushing Krisis and I blogged the lyrics. [Ed note: Literally; I wrote them out in nine minutes in the Blogger window. They were my 81st post.] [...]
[...] S6-#4: Good Bones [...]
[...] S6-#1: Within [...]
[...] we last left our intrepid nuptial heroes we were all slinking out of David’s Bridal hoping that they wouldn’t call the cops on [...]
[...] songs. However, we then played “Under My Skin” again and i performed the “i don’t miss you anymore” extended mix (much to Gina’s confusion and delight). The first time i ever sang the [...]
[...] the way, it would seem that i come down against the idea of drunken flings afterall. I did get one comment about them that made me really think for a minute … one of my [...]
[...] to reflect her mood. I thought about it, and then I responded that i wore white and blue today. Clouds. I was feeling like clouds. This was written by krisis. Posted on Monday, April 9, 2001, at [...]
[...] S6-#5: Morning Light [...]
[...] me tell y’all a story. Boy meets girl. Boy thinks girl is adorable but doesn’t say a word, because he never says these things (in [...]
[...] person). Girl reads boy’s website and then asks him if he wants to do something over break. Boy leaves the state, and doesn’t get to see girl at all when he returns (not realizing she lives a stone-throw [...]
[...] the weekend. Blogs made this weekend should be … interesting. These are the same people from this post. Yep. Fun. Love y’all. This was written by krisis. Posted on Thursday, April 5, 2001, at [...]
[...] less (or, alternately, his .02pounds, which is worth more). Personally, myself, I wouldn’t fling. I mean, for one, it wouldn’t mean a thing. Also, for another, kissing and sex is supposed to [...]
[...] the fray: I’m against alcohol-induced hookups, for most of the same reasons you mentioned in your post. but completely sober one night stands can be very meaningful, in their own way. I think. not every [...]
[...] Opinions on getting flung? Says J.Miller: Personally, I probably wouldn’t fling…not that the opportunity would arise, anyway. For argument’s sake, however, if I were to fling, I’d want to do it sober so that I could be assured of remembering it. =) [...]
[...] of RiotHero is not only jarring (after all, he is a blogging icon) (he’s mentioned in the instructions on how to set up blogger, for godsakes), but it’s also sort of sad. I honestly haven’t [...]
[...] a normal “chore” perspective. No. This was a no drinking glasses left and completely out of pants [...]
[...] even involve me, and how everyone was scratching and clawing at each other to get ahold of the one Pre-Mix demo i brought for Laurel, who left today. Lowlights included dropping a bottle of hard lemonade [...]
[...] I like to claim that I haven’t changed materially, but clearly I have. Not just the superficial ways – the lack of curl in my hair, or the newfound power in my voice. Not just my newfound ability to be in a steady state. I express my opinions differently. My confidence is more tempered, and my fear of failure more subtle. I play my worries much closer to my chest, and they’re a lot more complex than wondering who I’ll kiss next. [...]
[...] my steadiness I don’t see as many colors in the world. I used to delight in church bells and saxophones, and all the colors they brought out in the world. When is the last time I saw that color in [...]
[...] video tape from last semester to use for her class. She’s in the same class that lead me to ponder how a close-up view of someones face is totally different from watching them from afar. Yeah. [...]
[...] and I spent today in New Jersey for the same weekend and reason that caused meto quit NaBloPoMo last year – my brother-to-be’s fall [...]
[...] come a long way in a year. Last year was his first time acting on stage; this year he had the final bow in a challenging, thought-provoking play, The Rimers of [...]
[...] With the aid of the intrepid Bill Hull today in the recording studio, i complete not one, not two, but half the vocal/guitar tracks for my newest demo cd. Towards the end of the session we recording “Angel,” “Lost,” and special guest-star “Bridge” all in a row with a single retake on the former two just to be safe. However, the highlight (as well as the major time-consuming task) of the day was “Under My Skin.” [...]
[...] for a day or too is just too intimidating, methinks. I promise to have a fun guest-logger if i ever leave you for an intentional period of time again. I would ask Spoon, but he never even writes for his own [...]
[...] Much like last year, running the event through a Ning network feels a little impersonal – no one seems to be making a point of reading everyone else (as I legendarily accomplished in 2006). [...]
[...] The store didn’t have it in stock, but it wasn’t a custom design – just a more obscure band/jewel combination. They told us they’d order it from the company headquarters in Europe, and that it would be in shortly. Sure enough, they rang us barely a week later to let us know that the ring was in, which is what brought us back to New Hope on Saturday. [...]
[...] love to go back and reread my first kiss with Selina. But, it’s not there. Not a single word. This is as close as it gets. Damned friends,… and so much for not jinxing it. This was written [...]
[...] (the Senior who i recorded with tonight, who happens to be the head of the aforementioned 8 to the Bar) seems to be convinced of my vocal talents despite the fact that i haven’t yet manifested any [...]
[...] G’morning. She seems to be reading this now, which is amusing because we had just both agreed not to read each other’s webpages a few days ago. To be fair, she probably caught wind of it [...]
[...] i’m a broken fucking record, eh? “And the emotions spun out of control and the bodies fit like a needle in the groove and after it was all over we [...]
[...] It’s funny, because the only time i drank this whole term was with her, but stories of my various semi-nude escapades and strip-tease lap-dancing get around, and make a girl jealous. But, what’s funny is that [...]
[...] bigger compliment came from Bill Hull, who’s currently in charge of the aforementioned Eight to the Bar. I mentioned off-handedly to him that i was finally starting voice training and he replied that i [...]
[...] caught up. For a while i was keeping up just fine, but somewhere around my massively ill-advised thanksgiving shopping spree i managed to load up on more things than i had the ears for, and Christmas just put me further [...]
[...] thanksgiving shopping spree i managed to load up on more things than i had the ears for, and Christmas just put me further under. Albums by Portishead, Velvet Underground, Built to Spill, Ben Folds [...]
[...] my precious precious B’s, i don’t have any class nearly as challenging or stressful as Philosophy was last term … in other words, i at least feel as though i have a basic understanding of all [...]
[...] then it wasn’t because i felt like listening to Tori but because i needed a specific song to comfort me. But, then a month went by without listening to her at all. I have months like that [...]
[...] wish i could write songs about stuff consistently. For every “Hold on Me” that talks about physical things like sheets and walking down the street, there’s a [...]
[...] 26th one; i’ve been doing this for half a year now. Time fools me the same way that physical scale does. This school year seems to be dragging on forever, but it’s a whole month shy of how [...]
[...] half-week stopover back at Reed Street) was pure misery – i was sick, my future roommate was being less than helpful, and at one point i didn’t even have a lease to prove the apartment was mine. It was also the [...]
[...] from The Grotto to here was disproportionately easy, considering it involved more possessions and stress than ever. How i managed to get all the stuff [...]
[...] since I I first transferred from Blogger to WordPress in the midst of the first NaBloPoMo (a feat I still can’t believe I engineered), I’ve also been [...]
[...] become firmly entrenched in the “Behind the Music” portion of my life – recording a seminal album while going through a horrific breakup and a nearly deadly illness. Flirting with potential [...]
[...] a seminal album while going through a horrific breakup and a nearly deadly illness. Flirting with potential entanglements Oh, and drinking a [...]
[...] I feel like those old posts have been slowly transforming my present day life. I Trio “Will It Ever Come,” telling the story of how it was written, and then find myself re-reading the post about [...]
[...] “Behind the Music” portion of my life – recording a seminal album while going through a horrific breakup and a nearly deadly illness. Flirting with potential entanglements Oh, and drinking a [...]
[...] portion of my life – recording a seminal album while going through a horrific breakup and a nearly deadly illness. Flirting with potential entanglements Oh, and drinking a [...]
[...] put myself in their place. How else to remember that I hatched my plot to break up with Selina as an allegory of why I shouldn’t pull an [...]
[...] album while going through a horrific breakup and a nearly deadly illness. Flirting with potential entanglements Oh, and drinking a [...]
[...] telling the story of how it was written, and then find myself re-reading the post about recording it in the studio. Yesterday I re-read one lamenting that it was hard to tell if you have a fever when you’re [...]
[...] re-reading the post about recording it in the studio. Yesterday I re-read one lamenting that it was hard to tell if you have a fever when you’re under a spotlight, and last night I replayed the experience at our benefit show – half sick and half [...]
[...] yeah, theatre. First i bitched about it, and then i got sucked into it, and here i am bitching about it again. I don’t like [...]
[...] yeah, theatre. First i bitched about it, and then i got sucked into it, and here i am bitching about it again. I don’t like to act. Maybe i’m good at it, [...]
[...] that Peter doesn’t live here anymore. Not since this summer, when a slight mouthiness resulted in our home being vandalized in a hate [...]
[...] story picks up mere seconds after my Friday post, which was interrupted by Dante’s appearance to ferry me and my various PA equipment to The [...]
[...] that I am a sound sleeper. When I’m ready for sleep, I sleep well, with the exception of ticking watches, rogue hamsters, and urban [...]
[...] I can say with some amount of certainty based on years of life experience that I am a sound sleeper. When I’m ready for sleep, I sleep well, with the exception of ticking watches, rogue hamsters, and urban roosters. [...]
[...] minx over there). For those of you who haven’t keeping up, let me present the evidence: OhMy!, a spectacle, close-up, sleeping-where?, and the self-referential allusions to things people know [...]
[...] of you who haven’t keeping up, let me present the evidence: OhMy!, a spectacle, close-up, sleeping-where?, and the self-referential allusions to things people know nothing about. So… do you know [...]
[...] up last night, having to do with a mouse. I seem to have a mouse, you see. As we’ve been over previously, i am not especially fond of rodents when they’re running rampantly around my apartment. Yes, [...]
[...] absolutely spectacle of themselves and don’t ever live it down. I always make sure to make a spectacle of myself so that i’ll always live in infamy,… at least until the next party. Last [...]
[...] when i crystallize a moment in time so perfectly into words and notes that sound good, so that i replay the moment every time i sing the song. Over time i’ve come to accept my slightly idealized [...]
[...] for a number of years, I’d never heard of a hang drum until I got clued in at Crushing Krisis last week. Hang is like a hybrid of a steel drum, gamelan, and an udu. Here’s a video of some [...]
[...] all my bitching about theatre prior to getting into the play? Well… now i’m not only in the mainstage [...]
[...] having one of those “small cog in an infinite universe” kind of days. I remember when i was younger i [...]
[...] the class happened to be Advanced Recording Techniques, with the same instructor i had for Basic last semester. If only every class were to start with something as positive…. This was written by [...]
[...] majority of that prolonged absence was taken up by a lot of traipsing around with Amy & Liz that involved one snowed in basketball court, two trips to 7-11, three slip and fall accidents, and [...]
[...] week but as i drifted off last night i hardly even remembered it. I’ve been sleeping on the floor since i got back because my bed still has the results of my cleaning spree all over it. This [...]
[...] I’ve been sleeping on the floor since i got back because my bed still has the results of my cleaning spree all over it. This morning my eyes were pried open by the scrape of a metal shovel against cold hard [...]
[...] hand on it on my way in. Fingerprints. Something permanent, until washed away. yeah. So, anyway, my collarbone hurts like hell from carrying my bookbag through the airport. I just underlined [...]
[...] was an in-joke name for our studio recordings. Four years ago Dante Bucci didn’t know what a hang drum was, and Andra Taylor had no idea she’d be living in [...]
[...] to actually give up for a single minute in the days or weeks that separate my posts, then suddenly this mirror of my identity would just turn into a photograph, taken from far [...]
[...] S6-#3: A Confidence Game [...]
[...] obviously my rampant & irrational fear of herpes doesn’t come into play when sharing my fork with a four year old, but i still very rarely [...]
[...] i’m away… This was written by krisis. Posted on Tuesday, December 19, 2000, at 12:05 pm. Filed [...]
[...] the whole of my bed, which i’ll obviously have to displace in order to sleep tonght. I have repeatedly bemoaned my unescapable bulk of possessions, but i haven’t ever addressed why i own what i [...]
[...] Smith has been an indy acoustic introvert darling for years, so i’m surprised i managed to ignore him for as long as i did. Built to Spill is yet another import from Anastasia’s record [...]
[...] milk or butter); my crappy stereo (and its five disc changer); my (unexpected) $50 bonus (for multiple record sales days at the shop); not living in a dormitory (and not worrying about getting kicked out for break); my [...]
[...] collection – over a hundred books. A significant portion of it is comprise of out-of-print books I hunted down two Christmases ago, including sheet music for every Madonna album and imported, out-of-print David [...]
[...] which I posted a healthy 37 posts in 30 days, including 10 songs in the first ten in three Trios (Good Bones, Morning Light, and Instants) and a bonus tune. I also blogged on my typical wide range of topics: [...]
[...] including 10 songs in the first ten in three Trios (Good Bones, Morning Light, and Instants) and a bonus tune. I also blogged on my typical wide range of topics: a celebration of our President-Elect, a two [...]
[...] I also blogged on my typical wide range of topics: a celebration of our President-Elect, a two part recap of my wedding style, thoughts on Joni Mitchell’s Blue, a list of newly discovered blogs [...]
[...] a healthy 37 posts in 30 days, including 10 songs in the first ten in three Trios (Good Bones, Morning Light, and Instants) and a bonus tune. I also blogged on my typical wide range of topics: a celebration [...]
[...] tune. I also blogged on my typical wide range of topics: a celebration of our President-Elect, a two part recap of my wedding style, thoughts on Joni Mitchell’s Blue, a list of newly discovered [...]
[...] in 30 days, including 10 songs in the first 10 days in three Trios (Good Bones, Morning Light, and Instants) and a bonus tune. I also blogged on my typical wide range of topics: a celebration of our [...]
[...] of topics: a celebration of our President-Elect, a two part recap of my wedding style, thoughts on Joni Mitchell’s Blue, a list of newly discovered blogs This was written by krisis. Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008, [...]
[...] Morning Light, and Instants) and a bonus tune. I also blogged on my typical wide range of topics: a celebration of our President-Elect, a two part recap of my wedding style, thoughts on Joni Mitchell’s Blue, a list of newly [...]
[...] a two part recap of my wedding style, thoughts on Joni Mitchell’s Blue, a list of newly discovered blogs, my experience playing a terrific benefit show, and a few random inane [...]
[...] a list of newly discovered blogs, my experience playing a terrific benefit show, and a few random inane [...]
[...] of my wedding style, thoughts on Joni Mitchell’s Blue, a list of newly discovered blogs, my experience playing a terrific benefit show, and a few random inane [...]
[...] Blue, a list of newly discovered blogs, my experience playing a terrific benefit show, and a few random inane [...]
[...] This evening marks the end of the third annual National Blog Posting Month, during which I posted a healthy 37 posts in 30 days, including 10 songs in the first 10 days in three Trios (Good Bones, Morning Light, and Instants) and a bonus tune. I also blogged on my typical wide range of topics including a celebration of our President-Elect, a two part recap of my wedding style, thoughts on Joni Mitchell’s Blue, a list of newly discovered blogs, my experience playing a terrific benefit show, and a few random inane thoughts. [...]
[...] him – I had met him at the holiday revue we’ll be playing tonight for the sixth year, and when we moved Gina and Wes into their house in 2007, plus a few other occasions. But, I very much liked him, and I expected he and his wife Joan would [...]
[...] Late in the proceedings Gina and I took the stage for an impromptu performance, offering our cover of Neil Young’s “Pocahantas.” Afterward Gina and Wes covered Neil’s “Helpless,” which I heard for the first time right hear on CK in 2003. [...]
[...] pointless to spend the rest of the post back-patting for all of my accomplishments in ‘08 – I sortof already do that once a year, [...]
[...] materials assigned to us. However, i was left with this aching lack of knowledge that would surely come back to bite me in the ass during the final. Surprisingly, my ass is fine. The final was a comprehensive series of [...]
[...] I mean, what would life be without a crush or two to make it interesting? Whether anything will come from them… well, that’s the question i’ve been asking for years :) This was [...]
[...] to small changes articles about budgets, or goal setting. It all dovetails with my concept of living marginally, which I suppose it my personal version of being green – why waste money and time on frivolous [...]
[...] if you feel like hearing “under my skin,” go here and listen to the whole trio, because the version of “almost” at the end of it is [...]
[...] i’ve only ever mentioned these delectable treats twice in my blogging history: on two pages seperated by at least a month. Despite this, i’m ranked in the top ten on this yahoo/google search. [...]
[...] quality where i hold sway over sleepy people who should be hard at work. And my pen has been burning to write lately as well. Oh well, i’m verging on late for the shop. I shouldn’t [...]
[...] love the rain. Living in dorms and apartments doesn’t really give me the chance to enjoy it like i wish i could, but i love it all the same. This summer while we were training for [...]
[...] that i know what “Brick” is really about i am having a lot of trouble listening to it. It has a totally different quality [...]
[...] were in a mad panic yesterday while i was taking my typical monday off from blogger because my last sunday post sounded like some sort of farewell. Of course, it was a farewell: it was a farewell to a [...]
[...] help but feel a little sad, since that means New Years won’t be a tradition like i was hoping it would be. This was written by krisis. Posted on Tuesday, November 28, 2000, at 10:32 am. [...]
[...] already wrote about my sympathetic response in the current day, about how getting into the headspace of those old posts alters the current me. I’m past that [...]
[...] um, I have no idea where we left off. Before Christmas? After Christmas? Let me [...]
[...] long time CK connoisseurs may recall, I met Ken in the middle of the street in University City while changing my guitar string in 2002. He was super-nice to me at the time, and I was surprised to later discover he is an [...]
[...] made it a point to catch as many of Alex’s shows as I can since then, as based on the sheer, unbelievable amazingness of both [...]
[...] from the coffee shop and started to wash my hands when the drippy pipe (yes, still from when the sink fell) finally just got too much on my nerves. I grabbed a tube of caulk (don’t ask where i found [...]
[...] affirming to read that the me of eight years ago was worried that in half that time I’d give up playing guitar and turn into some vacant, corporate, [...]
[...] we get too optimistic, please recall that I was requesting an airlift home after about 36 hours of Bonnaroo, which cost about a sixth as much as this international nonsense, and at least there I was [...]
[...] Crushing Krisis [...]
[...] Trio Season 6 – Suite #4: Good Bones [...]
[...] Jeff at Crushing Krisis blog attended the opening day and gives his thoughts here. [...]
[...] Connie’s Ric Rac is my neighborhood open mic, as well as being the room that spawned my recent asphyxiation and the subsequent interstate love song that Gina is currently endeavoring to [...]
[...] such a subtle flaw. We’ve been over how as a child I felt compelled to read cereal boxes as I ate breakfast, but it’s a lot more than that. It’s my voracious reading – how on [...]
[...] debunking employs my favorite example from Tipping Point (”Broken Windows“) versus Freakonomics (crime v. abortion) – a book I panned as being [...]
[...] The debunking employs my favorite example from Tipping Point (”Broken Windows“) versus Freakonomics (crime v. abortion) – a book I panned as being superfluous. [...]
[...] The debunking employs my favorite example from Tipping Point (”Broken Windows“) versus Freakonomics (crime v. abortion) – a book I panned as being superfluous. [...]
[...] weekend was consumed by more arranging and kitten-mania. Yes, the kittens from earlier this summer are back in our yard, and have been for at least a week – sleeping in flower pots and causing all [...]
[...] to join me? Find out from Money Makers Elite Club™ There is nothing new to make money at home; My Life Is a Joke – crushingkrisis.com 02/18/2009 Lindsay and I have an ongoing joke about my life. Lindsay, being my [...]
[...] yet to abandon it. Which, (a) hilarious that my senior project adviser still asks me about my blog five years after the fact, but (b) way to stick the personal “blogger / songwriter” branding so that it’s [...]
[...] We briefly caught up (me, married! him, reconstructing his house! my band, awesome!), and the conversation then turned to my blogging proclivity and how I have yet to abandon it. Which, (a) hilarious that my senior project adviser still asks me about my blog five years after the fact, but (b) way to stick the personal “blogger / songwriter” branding so that it’s the first thing he thinks of, even five years after the fact. [...]
Crushing Krisis › Everything is local … even currency….
Great questions and comments from an interested blogger. He asks these after reading the USA Today story. Comments welcome….
[...] Radiohead’s little experiment aside, Trent is at the very forefront of interacting with fans in the digital domain – plugging in to their opinions and offering a variety of models to obtain his music. It shows through in the interview – right down to letting fans remix his songs and edit his concert videos to the development of NIN’s own somewhat ground-breaking iPhone app. [...]
[...] Now i’m not so sure. The focus of my next demo keeps shifting as i add both old and new songs to its potential tracklisting, and it is now taking a slight turn away from the cut-away model of an imagined relationship that it once was. And, in that turn, “under my skin” is becomes less and less the obvious title track and more and more the catchy first single. Of course, those two intersect, but not by rule. All of those flailing tendrils taking root are what can shift this disc; it’s at least two months away from being recorded, which was the amount of time between “crashing” and “under my skin.” But, enough of that, go listen to a Trio. This was written by krisis. Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2000, at 11:26 pm. Filed under songwriting, under my skin. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback. [...]
[...] this and not liking her video because she looked “fat” RoadRunner records are looking like total asses. No wonder she wrote this charming song about them, [...]
[...] took only seven days for me to appreciate the conversational power of Twitter, and to see why fans use it to follow [...]
[...] this week with as nasty a set as I could summon. After some consulting with Elise, I came up with: Splinter (legendarily nasty break-up tune), Bridge (unapologetically fierce alt-tuning rocker from high [...]
[...] After some consulting with Elise, I came up with: Splinter (legendarily nasty break-up tune), Bridge (unapologetically fierce alt-tuning rocker from high school), Real You (utter dissection of a false [...]
[...] more that I comment on myself more now – even in songs about other people – starting around “So Hard.” I think it’s important to root your song’s accusation in something comment, but [...]
[...] two weeks of daily tweeting Twitter still wasn’t quite a habit. I understood why I was tweeting, what to tweet, but I [...]
[...] two weeks of daily tweeting Twitter still wasn’t quite a habit. I understood why I was tweeting, what to tweet, but I didn’t feel like I was tweeting [...]
[...] (lyrics)(chords & my cover)(references) This was written by krisis. Posted on Tuesday, May 5, 2009, at 10:00 am. Filed under tori. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback. [...]
[...] from a decade of hiatus on Tori’s 2007 tour. This is one of the best performances.) (lyrics)(my love for syc)(cocaine & me)(references) This was written by krisis. Posted on Tuesday, May 5, 2009, at [...]
[...] Crushing Krisis › meditations upon <i>the choirgirl hotel</i> [...]
[...] guitar. I have been playing for hours, drilling songs against a metronome. The bridge of “Unengaged” for twenty minutes straight. I’ve worn through a callous for the first time in [...]
[...] listening to “Like a Virgin” from 2006 and thinking, This is awful. Why am i singing like that? (Of course, I wouldn’t make it ten [...]
[...] A few years ago I saw Malcolm Gladwell deliver a speech at the New Yorker Festival that is largely recapitulated in [...]
[...] I was in a very bad place, and also in the hospital, and I asked my mom to walk to B&N to buy me David Foster [...]
[...] that more or less haranguing than my Beatles screamo diatribe from last week? I think the Big K was meaner than [...]
[...] Blogathon as a platform for my music to raise money and awareness for my favorite charities. I have cancelled Christmas in favor of giving charitable gifts. I volunteer with – a musical non-profit dedicated to [...]
[...] sound sleeper. When I’m ready for sleep, I sleep well, with the exception of ticking watches, rogue hamsters, and urban [...]
[...] here and here. I disclosed my previously deeply personal delight in hot food eaten cold. I saw Elise’s brother make his theatrical debut. I posted a rare Trio that I liked as soon as it was [...]
[...] almost shattered the fragile, bird-like skeleton of one of my SVPs. I taught the entire internet how to edit their MySpace Music profiles (seriously, you should see the referrals I get on that one damn post). I nearly got laughed out of [...]
[...] almost burned down the house baking cookies in the microwave. I finally told the story of my life-altering nap at Bonnaroo. I recorded a perfect version of one of my favorite songs. I took my first trip to a [...]
[...] with soundtrack. I mercilessly deceived a toddler to get him to eat his vegetables. I contemplated six years of knowing (and reading) Rabi. I listened to the Beatles entire catalog while racing through my last letter of [...]
[...] wanted to skydive for a long time. Forever? Since before I started having the flying dreams, I think, so frequent and tangible that the power of personal flight started to feel [...]
[...] I’ve wanted to skydive for a long time. Forever? Since before I started having the flying dreams, I think, so frequent and tangible that the power of personal flight started to feel familiar. [...]
[...] presently two miles away from the Pennridge airport, the site of today’s insanity. (see also: last night and this [...]
[...] I’m presently two miles away from the Pennridge airport, the site of today’s insanity. (see also: last night and this morning) [...]
[...] Crushing Krisis › learn how a PA system works [...]
[...] (see more skydive shots or read a digest of my twitter coverage) [...]
[...] already unfolded the story of my Twitter addiction, as well as my visit to a meeting of the Social Media Club of Philadelphia. However, neither could prepare me for my next [...]
[...] already unfolded the story of my Twitter addiction, as well as my visit to a meeting of the Social Media Club of Philadelphia. However, neither could [...]
[...] (Read Part 1) [...]
[...] (Read Part 2) [...]
[...] I’m not quite ready to be done with my story of jumping out of a plane to Blame Drew’s Cancer. [...]
[...] Crushing Krisis › Play at playing with The Beatles. Or, just play … Share and Enjoy: [...]
[...] laptop on my chest, firing out #blamedrewscancer emails. (Yes, I know I owe you the last chapter in the skydiving story. All in good time.) Around the time I planned to go to sleep National Mechanics emailed me and [...]
[...] Groom Team Style, pt. 1, wherein I am nearly ejected from David’s Bridal. [...]
[...] … – – – …, a brief SOS wherein we are briefly stranded in London on our honeymoon. I don’t think [...]
[...] “I’m not old,” and other stories from my actual life, wherein I meet @brimil, watch a house burn down, and have way-out dreams about the impending [...]
[...] Tattooed/Colorblind & Shake It Off, – my best audio and video recordings, respectively. My favorite single [...]
[...] Tattooed/Colorblind & Shake It Off, – my best audio and video recordings, respectively. My favorite single recording of the year [...]
[...] Groom Team Style, pt. 1, wherein I am nearly ejected from David’s Bridal. Twice. I love the madcap style of [...]
[...] whiling away the hours, wherein Gina and I discuss the ramifications of Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers and sing [...]
[...] Nothing But Rock & Why I Blame Drew’s Cancer, pt. 1, my skydive photo and the start of the story behind it. It’s impossible to exaggerate the [...]
[...] pipes and glass, a stream of consciousness on my childhood drug-addict neighbor. Blogging gives you so much power [...]
[...] Nothing But Rock & Why I Blame Drew’s Cancer, pt. 1, my skydive photo and the start of the story behind it. [...]
[...] right now, wherein I live-blog my wedding vows. (not really) (but kinda) The last thing I did before Team [...]
[...] I first floated the assumption that I was the longest running blog in Philadelphia six years ago today, and I verified it last November (with a footnote). [...]
[...] and a honeymoon, an all-encompassing circus that stayed relatively fun right through the end, just as I predicted and insisted it would. I recapped dress shopping with my groom’s party in two parts, the first of which hilariously [...]
[...] dress shopping with my groom’s party in two parts, the first of which hilariously features my near-ejection from David’s Bridal. I recorded a song that would become so synonymous with our wedding that its lyrics wound up in the [...]
[...] there was the actually bit where I got married. Subsequently, I reported our honeymoon adventures in words and [...]
[...] made music both solo and as Arcati Crisis. As AC, Gina and I headlined a show and then co-hosted an open mic for over half a year, in the midst of which we recorded a Live @ [...]
[...] A year ago today I wrote that I felt “as though the vast majority of my personal greatest hits record is contained in the last year of my life.” [...]
[...] just as I predicted and insisted it would. I recapped dress shopping with my groom’s party in two parts, the first of which hilariously features my near-ejection from David’s Bridal. I recorded a [...]
[...] in two parts, the first of which hilariously features my near-ejection from David’s Bridal. I recorded a song that would become so synonymous with our wedding that its lyrics wound up in the fortune cookies at [...]
[...] link is being shared on Twitter right now. @krisis, an influential author, said #3 of my top 9 posts of [...]
[...] At some prior point in this site’s storied history I would write a song, literally record my first run-through, and post that as a demo – sometimes all in a single day. “Granted” is an example. [...]
[...] I still owe you one last skydiving post. Suck it up, people. It’s [...]
[...] the window open, wearing layers. It’s my season, I’m doing things I love, and I have my beautiful curly hair back. I even like how I look in full human motion on tonight’s [...]
[...] planning insanity is in overdrive heading into Wednesday’s 9/9/09 Blame-a-Thon benefit concert (right now working to curate our overnight film festival). At work I’m on a few unusual [...]
[...] is the last part of my story. You should read Parts 1, 2, and [...]
[...] Krisis Crushing Krisis is the longest running blog in Philadelphia. Skip to content HomeAll About Crushing KrisisAll About Your AuthorAll About This BlogAll About WordPressAll About My MusicAll About My [...]
[...] since I saw District 9 I’ve been a little leery of shrimp eating, and the dumpling of a thousand shrimps was not [...]
[...] being me (and having just played a bit of “Last Christmas” last night), I was immediately dancing in my chair to the syrupy 80s Christmas ballad being unfurled on the [...]
[...] was a long day in the studio. (Ha!, does that sound familiar? Sooner or later i’ll just buy the equivalent equipment so going into the studio won’t [...]
[...] also did the found-music thing in Bretch’s Good Woman of Setzuan, a process well-documented in the annals of the [...]
[...] I considered. Why was I even at the Philebrity awards? Because of Drew, and blaming cancer. And, hadn’t the experience taught me to be the best possible me at all times? Hadn’t I jumped out of a plane with these people, still relative strangers at the time? [...]
[...] Crushing Krisis › What I Tweeted, 2009-12-20 Edition [...]
[...] you missed the first song, it was Fisher Price. Tomorrow I’ll have a brand new cover, and after the holiday another week of [...]
[...] it for my 2001 studio disc Relief. It remained bound to my apartment, where it factored in to a few of my favorite Trio [...]
[...] for my 2001 studio disc Relief. It remained bound to my apartment, where it factored in to a few of my favorite Trio [...]
[...] singing and guitar-playing issues, and I’ve played in a lot of amazing Philly venues – including the Tin Angel, as part of a showcase with Arcati Crisis. Yet, I’ve never fulfilled that original goal of [...]