Now that my CD shelves have been rearranged within an inch of their lives, and since I have added yet another substantial shelving unit, it's time that I put some effort into the way I arrange the music on the shelves. I'd made some attempt at this when I first set up in the basement but I admit I didn't get very far. My plan is to go through all the letters of the alphabet and arrange the CDs by category to make them all consistent. They will hopefully all be ordered as follows: Pop, Folk, Blues, Jam bands, Prog, Jazz, Female artists, Compilations, Soundtracks and Comedy.
This may turn out to be just mindless busywork but I'm hoping when it's all done it will ultimately make it easier to find whatever it is I'm looking for. Now, give me an "A"...
It's funny (or tries to be).
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Todays Catch
We've recently moved some furniture to prepare for in-laws coming over the holidays. The couch from the basement is now upstairs and vice-a-verse. While all this was going on I took the opportunity to change around my CD shelves to create a better flow. I must say it seems like an improvement but only time will tell for sure. During all this I somehow created more space for more CDs (my secret plan all along), so I went out to some of the local thrift stores to look for an additional storage solution.
I'm pretty set on what I want so it may take a while to come across it thrifting but I'm willing to put in the time. It needs to be black to fit in with all my current shelves and it has to be less than 2 feet wide. I know this is not an impossible request because I already have a couple in use now that fill the bill. Why can't we perfect the cloning of storage shelves? Anyways, I struck out on the quest for the perfect shelf today but I did come up with some new shelf filler. I've been marking this years purchases with glow-in-the-dark tape and I've noticed that lately my shelves tend to glow a bit when the lights go out.
A couple of weeks ago I was in another Good Will store and picked up duplicate copies of 4 different Phish CDs including Junta and The Story of the Ghost. You may well ask why I need 2 copies of some Phish CDs and I'd tell you that it's nice to have a set in the car "just in case". Just yesterday I popped in Rift and I can't think of better driving music than Maze. When the ticking of the clock is taken over with the drumbeat, I just want to put the pedal to the metal. Of course my car will only go about 70 mph which is the normal speed around here but it feels good none the less. Also, I ended with 3 copies of Lawn Boy (not a bad thing) so if anyone needs one, let me know.
Another reason were moving furniture around is we may be overhauling our kitchen space sometime next year and we need to make room to be living out of boxes while it's going on. Judging from the prices we've been quoted so far, we'll be using the new kitchen to prepare Ramen noodles for a while.
A couple of weeks ago I was in another Good Will store and picked up duplicate copies of 4 different Phish CDs including Junta and The Story of the Ghost. You may well ask why I need 2 copies of some Phish CDs and I'd tell you that it's nice to have a set in the car "just in case". Just yesterday I popped in Rift and I can't think of better driving music than Maze. When the ticking of the clock is taken over with the drumbeat, I just want to put the pedal to the metal. Of course my car will only go about 70 mph which is the normal speed around here but it feels good none the less. Also, I ended with 3 copies of Lawn Boy (not a bad thing) so if anyone needs one, let me know.
Another reason were moving furniture around is we may be overhauling our kitchen space sometime next year and we need to make room to be living out of boxes while it's going on. Judging from the prices we've been quoted so far, we'll be using the new kitchen to prepare Ramen noodles for a while.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Winding Down
I can't believe this school year is almost over. Just one last project in my design class and a final exam in English and I'm done until 2012.I thought I'd post a little of what we've been doing in design 1 because I don't want to bore you with my English research paper. The last project we finished just before Thanksgiving break was rendering our likenesses in a monochromatic scale. Mine turned out pretty well considering what I had to work with.
First we painted some 6x9 pieces of bristol board with 5-6 different shades of the color we chose to work with. I chose orange but it looks more red after I scanned it. Next the teacher took a photo of each student and we had to create a mosaic by cutting out swatches from the different shades and tints that we had painted.
It was a little frustrating trying to get the pieces to come out the right size. You had to have a pretty good idea of how you were going to lay it all out color wise, but it was like a puzzle and I like puzzles. The best thing about it is that paint really hides wrinkles. I am by far the oldest student in this class and I may be more that twice my teachers age but this class and this teacher has taught me a lot. For instance, I now know red is not my color.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
End of the month round up
It's been a busy couple months will school and all but I've still taken some time to see some live music over the last 30 days or so.
MJ and I saw Niles Lofgren at the RamsHead late in October. Outstanding show. Mike had seen him quite a few times with The E Street Band but this solo (He did have a keyboard player that helped him out) show really showcased his playing as well as his songwriting. They also filmed on song for an upcoming video he's working on. I took some pictures and some video clips I'd like to share but I have since misplaced my camera so those pics may come later.
Last Saturday night we saw Bob Schneider again at the RamsHead. This was the forth time Is seen him there and this was a solo show and of course it was very entertaining. The only downside was one of the two women who shared our table with us. She claimed to be a huge Bob fan and she'd seen him countless times but she would not shut up while he was on stage. She'd make constant chatter about how great his songs were and how beautiful he was. I felt sorry for her friend who made efforts to keep her quite so everyone could enjoy the show but she was no match for the bottle of wine that made her a drunken blabbermouth. These weren't young girls either. They must have been both been in their forties and said that they had kids so they were old enough to know better. Luckily Bob records his shows and sells them on his website so we'll be able to here anything we missed. http://bobschneider.com/
Then Sunday night Eric and I went out to The Red Red Wine Bar to see a blues duo called Swampcandy.
Another fine show and although I still didn't have my little point and shoot camera (That's why I didn't get any shots of Bob and the drunk chick) I did have a backup that my nephew Jeremy gave me. During the set break I asked if I could take a few shots and they told me "sure, go ahead". I'm not used to this camera and the zoom and video didn't seem to work but I did get one or two good shots. These guys are local and have a real rootsy sound. I can't recommend them enough. Of course I picked up a couple CDs which I had signed and I'll be glad to share with anyone who want to hear them.
MJ and I saw Niles Lofgren at the RamsHead late in October. Outstanding show. Mike had seen him quite a few times with The E Street Band but this solo (He did have a keyboard player that helped him out) show really showcased his playing as well as his songwriting. They also filmed on song for an upcoming video he's working on. I took some pictures and some video clips I'd like to share but I have since misplaced my camera so those pics may come later.
Last Saturday night we saw Bob Schneider again at the RamsHead. This was the forth time Is seen him there and this was a solo show and of course it was very entertaining. The only downside was one of the two women who shared our table with us. She claimed to be a huge Bob fan and she'd seen him countless times but she would not shut up while he was on stage. She'd make constant chatter about how great his songs were and how beautiful he was. I felt sorry for her friend who made efforts to keep her quite so everyone could enjoy the show but she was no match for the bottle of wine that made her a drunken blabbermouth. These weren't young girls either. They must have been both been in their forties and said that they had kids so they were old enough to know better. Luckily Bob records his shows and sells them on his website so we'll be able to here anything we missed. http://bobschneider.com/
Then Sunday night Eric and I went out to The Red Red Wine Bar to see a blues duo called Swampcandy.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
Down and Out of it
I spent the last half of this month feeling less than 100%. Not only did I contract a cold which has been dogging me for what is going on three weeks now but my desktop computer got a virus which seems to have completely deleted the contents of my hard drive. It did one of its usual restarts after some updates, all my desktop icons where gone and all my program and library folders were empty. Not a good thing. I asked around to some folks in the neighborhood who are good with computers and the general consensuses is that I'm fucked. I went as far as replacing the hard drive and reloading the operating system so now I just have to go through the tedious task of reloading all my software. My one hope is I can recover the photo and music data from the old hard drive before I reformat it but I'm having some trouble accessing the data folders. Hopefully with a little more encouraging advice from the neighbors I'll be able to get some stuff back.
Even though I've been sick, that has not prevented me from stepping out and enjoying some live music. The weekend of the 22nd I went up to Rochester (of all places) with Eric and Kathy for my nephew Thomas' 17th birthday and while I was up there (conveniently) Eric and I went to see the Tedeshi/Trucks band at the Auditorium Theater. A great room and a great show.
Also while I was up there I tried to make contact with as many people as I could. I haven't been back to Rochester nearly at all since we moved back down to Maryland I don't know how many years ago. I'd always planned to keep in touch but over time life happens and good friends seem to slip away. It was quite successful in that I got to see Billy North (briefly) and my friend Kirk as well as Fred and a host of in-laws. I didn't get a chance to see my friend Bob but I've been reconnecting with him recently via email and he sounds interested in maybe joining in for the next Broke Back Brewery tour. I'd like to plan something like that for before the holidays but between work, school and the unpredictable winter weather it my not happen until early next year although I'm sure we could all use a break sooner rather than later.
Anywho, October is almost over and I'm feeling better so I better brace myself for the coming winter months
Even though I've been sick, that has not prevented me from stepping out and enjoying some live music. The weekend of the 22nd I went up to Rochester (of all places) with Eric and Kathy for my nephew Thomas' 17th birthday and while I was up there (conveniently) Eric and I went to see the Tedeshi/Trucks band at the Auditorium Theater. A great room and a great show.
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| A fish fry smothered with Rochester's own Bill Gray's Hot Sauce |
Anywho, October is almost over and I'm feeling better so I better brace myself for the coming winter months
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Not so compact
I didn't plan on it but this weekend I ended up with a part-time job. This is a good thing since I've started working just 3 days a week at my "real" job so now I've got some free time. I was off today and despite the less than stellar weather (cold and overcast, very autumnal) I went out to poke through the last of the seasons garage sales. I was surprised how many there were and one just seemed to lead to another so I was out for a couple of hours and did pretty well for myself.
The find of the day (I ended up spending a total of about $30) was at one of the last sales I stopped at. I noticed a Sony CD jukebox, like I always noticed electronics at such affairs. After I plowed through a few stacks of cds I asked how many disks it held and was surprised to hear 400. I know I would kick myself for not inquiring further about the price of said jukebox, so I asked and when he said it was $20 I said "SOLD!"
It wasn't hard integrating it into my little cave. I moved the 25 disk changer into the downstairs living room and replaced it with the Sony. It looks great although it does smell a little like tobacco smoke but that should air out soon. The next and more difficult step was what to fill it with. I have 2 binders full of Zappa bootlegs and covers so I just started shoving them in. The binders are empty now and I still have almost 300 slots to fill!
Like I said, this is going to be a part-time job for me but it is surly going to be a labor of love. I'll need to work out some sort of organization so I know what's in it and where I can find it but for now I think I'll just keep stuffing things into it until it's full and playing it on random. This is certainly the best $20 I ever spent.
The find of the day (I ended up spending a total of about $30) was at one of the last sales I stopped at. I noticed a Sony CD jukebox, like I always noticed electronics at such affairs. After I plowed through a few stacks of cds I asked how many disks it held and was surprised to hear 400. I know I would kick myself for not inquiring further about the price of said jukebox, so I asked and when he said it was $20 I said "SOLD!"
It wasn't hard integrating it into my little cave. I moved the 25 disk changer into the downstairs living room and replaced it with the Sony. It looks great although it does smell a little like tobacco smoke but that should air out soon. The next and more difficult step was what to fill it with. I have 2 binders full of Zappa bootlegs and covers so I just started shoving them in. The binders are empty now and I still have almost 300 slots to fill!
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| Feed me! |
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Sir Duke
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| "Don't touch my hair again old man!" |
Duke took the stage with his excellent band promptly at 9:00 and they played a rocking 90 minute set of covers and originals. The band was tight and well seasoned and they all seemed at home up on the stage. I can't say that Duke is the best guitarist I've ever seen (I did see FZ once), but his technical skill and his choice of material along with his unique singing style made it a memorable evening.
It's a shame so many music lovers missed this opportunity to see a living legend of the blues but there should be more chances in the future. Duke is only a spry 63 years old and should have a lot of years left to spread the blues.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
I'm gona need more tape`
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Lights! Camera! Action!
It was just one of those. I heard a song, had an idea and went with it. Actually Herbie Mann and Nak are partially to blame. Nak loaded up my 25 disk changer the last time he was in town and I've been grooving on it all summer. That I had free time alone in the house to do something like this is a miracle by itself. The only way the moment would have been better is if the dogs came it at the end on cue. You can't get dependable help these days.
From camera to YouTube it took about a half hour. Technology is a wonderful thing. When it works.
Like a lot of people we lost power from the storm last week. We were only dark for a couple of days and the weather here right after the storm was perfect so not even Kathy missed the air conditioner. Kathy stocked up on batteries for some reason so I had plenty to keep my CD player going (not the 25 disk changer). We did have both laptops charged up but without the internet what's the point?
From camera to YouTube it took about a half hour. Technology is a wonderful thing. When it works.
Like a lot of people we lost power from the storm last week. We were only dark for a couple of days and the weather here right after the storm was perfect so not even Kathy missed the air conditioner. Kathy stocked up on batteries for some reason so I had plenty to keep my CD player going (not the 25 disk changer). We did have both laptops charged up but without the internet what's the point?
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
We shall rebuild
This has been quite a week or so for mother nature around here. Just before we got home from our California vacation we heard that a tornado touched down around here. We're back for a couple of days and we have an earthquake and the following weekend we get hit by a hurricane. I think she's trying to tell us something.
Despite all that commotion we didn't suffer much damage. During the hurricane we lost power and had to do without for about 36 hours. The internet was out for 2 days but we're up and running again now. On the plus side we had a big bag of strawberries in the freezer that would have gone bad had it not been for my neighbor Shawn who not only had a generator but also a blender and rum. A nice way to spend an evening with no power.
There was one fatality from the big quake of '11. He will be missed. Too bad the weather can't do anything about the weeds.
Despite all that commotion we didn't suffer much damage. During the hurricane we lost power and had to do without for about 36 hours. The internet was out for 2 days but we're up and running again now. On the plus side we had a big bag of strawberries in the freezer that would have gone bad had it not been for my neighbor Shawn who not only had a generator but also a blender and rum. A nice way to spend an evening with no power.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
From bad to worse
Before vacation I took a math prep class to help with my dismal score on the math placement exam I needed to take before I carry on with my degree program. Now, I'm no math wiz but there must be some way to figure the odds of me doing worse on the second attempt at the placement test. What ever those odds were, I beat them like Ringo beats a drum. I went from a 38 on the first try to a 28 on the test today.
I can equate it to looking at musical notes on a page. I see them but for the life of my I could not tell you what the tune sounds like, even if you put a gun to my head. Now I have to take three non-credit math classes before I can take the one credit one I need for a degree. This may not be pretty.
I can equate it to looking at musical notes on a page. I see them but for the life of my I could not tell you what the tune sounds like, even if you put a gun to my head. Now I have to take three non-credit math classes before I can take the one credit one I need for a degree. This may not be pretty.
Friday, August 12, 2011
It ain’t fair
Lucky me, I got to work the booth at the Howard County Fair today. I say I’m lucky because I’ve only got to work here one day here instead of the 2-3 days I worked it last year. Another plus is that this year the vendor pavilion we’re in is newly air-conditioned as opposed to last years’ sweat fest.
Speaking of air-conditioning, a couple of weeks ago when I arrive for work at our Baltimore store I noticed that one of our two air conditioners was missing. It was the unit that hasn’t worked all this year and we’ve been too poor to replace so I didn’t give it too much thought. I hoped that maybe things were looking up and it had been sent out for repair. Shortly after, we all discovered the real truth which is that someone(s) had descended under the cover of night and stolen it.
Once the police reports were filed and the insurance agents were called, my boss put in a call to a company that does fencing to get a quote on getting the working unit secured. The morning that the fencing contractor was due to come out, I got to work to find a second hole where the working air-conditioner once stood. BALLS! That is only one of the places that were destined to become uncomfortably sweaty over the next few weeks.
The cows were out of the barn and the door was left wide open and the occupants left inside were fast becoming Sweat lab instead of Techlab and getting crankier by the day. The outdoor temperatures climbed to triple digits which is not uncommon in these parts at this time of year. Even without the skyrocketing temperatures outside, we have no way of fighting the heat that is generated by all the computers and processing equipment inside the lab.
One thing that made one hour film processing possible back in the 1980s was the availability of chemistry and minilab equipment that work at high temperatures which speeds the processing time of the film. The down side of that is the machines are heating the chemistry to 100 degrees and now we have no way to counteract it. We now have the problem of the machines running too hot and shutting down on their own.
All this is not my problem for the time being. I’m at the fair until 8:00 pm and then I’m on vacation for the next week or so. My hope is that the insurance companies will have worked out who will pay for what by the time I return and new frigid air will be in my future. As it stands now, the boss’s insurance says it’s the landlord’s problem but the landlord has the opposite opinion. If this can’t be worked out this may be the last nail in the Techlab coffin. No one wants to shop in a place without AC and I know I speak for more than just myself when I say that no one wants to work in these conditions.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Math-derbation
It's be thirty years since I took high school algebra and I'm sure very little has changed. I'm now taking a math refresher course (Monday thru Thursday from 6-8pm) to try and get my dismal placement score (38) up high enough so I won't have to take any non credit math classes before I can take what ever math class is required for my degree.
I've never been a math wiz and combine that with my dyslexia and you have a recipe for disaster. Numbers are not my friend and if you don't believe that, look at my bank balance. I think the real problem for me may be that math seems so absolute. There is only one right answer even though there may be several ways to get to that answer. My mind just doesn't work like that.
It's not that I don't like problem solving. I enjoy puzzles, mysteries and creating things, sometimes out of nothing (drawing) or sometimes out of found objects (cuttie/pasties). Unlike most people I even enjoy the challenge of moving. There are few things more satisfying to me than taking the contents of my life (and Kathy's life and whoever else may be living with us) and getting it packed and loaded .into a single truck. It's like real life 3-D tetris.
I've lived almost 50 years so far and not once have I ever needed even the most basic algebra with the exception of trying to take the accu-placer test for school. Maybe that's what my life has been missing. Better living through math. Maybe I would be more successful and more fulfilled with a working knowledge of calculus. If that is the case I may have to go through life unfulfilled. I can figure out how much to tip and I can make change in the register at work but the value of x eludes me.
Yesterday about an hour and a half into my first refresher class I think I hit a wall. I'll keep going to class for the next two night if for no other reason that I paid $50 for it, but I think it may be best for everyone if I just start at the bottom again and work my way up to 2 plus 2 =why?.
I've never been a math wiz and combine that with my dyslexia and you have a recipe for disaster. Numbers are not my friend and if you don't believe that, look at my bank balance. I think the real problem for me may be that math seems so absolute. There is only one right answer even though there may be several ways to get to that answer. My mind just doesn't work like that.
It's not that I don't like problem solving. I enjoy puzzles, mysteries and creating things, sometimes out of nothing (drawing) or sometimes out of found objects (cuttie/pasties). Unlike most people I even enjoy the challenge of moving. There are few things more satisfying to me than taking the contents of my life (and Kathy's life and whoever else may be living with us) and getting it packed and loaded .into a single truck. It's like real life 3-D tetris.
I've lived almost 50 years so far and not once have I ever needed even the most basic algebra with the exception of trying to take the accu-placer test for school. Maybe that's what my life has been missing. Better living through math. Maybe I would be more successful and more fulfilled with a working knowledge of calculus. If that is the case I may have to go through life unfulfilled. I can figure out how much to tip and I can make change in the register at work but the value of x eludes me.
Yesterday about an hour and a half into my first refresher class I think I hit a wall. I'll keep going to class for the next two night if for no other reason that I paid $50 for it, but I think it may be best for everyone if I just start at the bottom again and work my way up to 2 plus 2 =why?.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Unsupervised playtime
When it comes down to it, it's Kathy's fault. Not that I have anything to blame on her. She left this morning to take our friends, Sue and Chris's kids for an overnight at some water park in Virginia. It's just what she does. It's indoors so it's perfect for gingers like her and my nemesis Katie. Each of the kids were bringing a friend so there was no room for me even if I wanted to go.
I started out early this morning after Kathy left. After walking the dogs (not too far because it's so damn hot) I headed out in my car Stubby with the plan of getting some breakfast at Hardees. I wasn't too far from home when I came upon a garage sale (a rare thing here on a Sunday) and I skidded off the road to check it out. I scored five CDs for a buck each including some Tori Amos, Collective Soul and The Cure. I also picked up some shot glasses. Two with the Road Runner and Wiley Coyote for a buck each and one that said "Beer, 5 cents" for a quarter.
Then I remembered that there is an outdoor flea market near Hardees so I made a detour and checked out the few vendors who weren't going to let out current heatwave interfere with commerce. I choose to go shoeless in an effort to keep me moving across the hot gravel that once made up the drive-in where the flea market now stands. I figured if I couldn't stand in one place too long I was less likely to pick through useless crap and less likely to spend money on same. I found a couple jazz CDs for a buck each and then found a tent with hundreds of CDs to look through. I of course had to look through every last disk on the table and came up with more than a handful of winners.
I had to rehydrate after that so I got a large soda at the near by Hardees and continued my quest for cheapness to Value Village, a thrift store that has yet to disappoint me when it comes to beer shirts. True to form I found two beer shirts, one for the local brewpub DuClaws for a beer called Old Flame (the front of the shirt says "at least the beer's not bitter". The other beer shirt (what Kathy calls my big boy shirts) is from Wasatch Beers in Park City Utah, advertising something called Polygamy Porter "(Why have Just one?)" I also picked up a paperback book and best of all, all books and t-shirts were half price on
Sunday!
I ended up with 18 CD's and four t-shirts for the day and on the way home I stopped at the liquor store and got some beer to see me through the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening. I've also got a little fresh salad to keep me fed until Kathy comes back and I'll be in line once again.
I started out early this morning after Kathy left. After walking the dogs (not too far because it's so damn hot) I headed out in my car Stubby with the plan of getting some breakfast at Hardees. I wasn't too far from home when I came upon a garage sale (a rare thing here on a Sunday) and I skidded off the road to check it out. I scored five CDs for a buck each including some Tori Amos, Collective Soul and The Cure. I also picked up some shot glasses. Two with the Road Runner and Wiley Coyote for a buck each and one that said "Beer, 5 cents" for a quarter.
Then I remembered that there is an outdoor flea market near Hardees so I made a detour and checked out the few vendors who weren't going to let out current heatwave interfere with commerce. I choose to go shoeless in an effort to keep me moving across the hot gravel that once made up the drive-in where the flea market now stands. I figured if I couldn't stand in one place too long I was less likely to pick through useless crap and less likely to spend money on same. I found a couple jazz CDs for a buck each and then found a tent with hundreds of CDs to look through. I of course had to look through every last disk on the table and came up with more than a handful of winners.
I had to rehydrate after that so I got a large soda at the near by Hardees and continued my quest for cheapness to Value Village, a thrift store that has yet to disappoint me when it comes to beer shirts. True to form I found two beer shirts, one for the local brewpub DuClaws for a beer called Old Flame (the front of the shirt says "at least the beer's not bitter". The other beer shirt (what Kathy calls my big boy shirts) is from Wasatch Beers in Park City Utah, advertising something called Polygamy Porter "(Why have Just one?)" I also picked up a paperback book and best of all, all books and t-shirts were half price on
Sunday!
I ended up with 18 CD's and four t-shirts for the day and on the way home I stopped at the liquor store and got some beer to see me through the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening. I've also got a little fresh salad to keep me fed until Kathy comes back and I'll be in line once again.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Ubertramp
I've long been a fan of the band Supertramp, thanks in part to the exposure afforded to me by my childhood friend DK. Albums like "Crime of the Century" and "Even In The Quietest Moments..." were early favorites and then they took off with the popular success of "Breakfast in America"
Part of why I liked them and maybe also part of their success was the fact that the two key members, Rick Davies and Roger Hodgeson both shared vocal duties as well as song writing. Maybe not the Lennon and McCartney of there time, but more comparable to Dillford and Tilbrook of Squeeze. There is something about the two different voices on these albums (and yes, in these times they were indeed big, black, 12" albums) that raised them above other bands with a narrower vocal sound.
The band continued on after Roger left in the early '80s for a solo career and I was afraid that their best years were indeed behind them. I was surprised and pleased by there first post-Hodgeson album, "Brother Where You Bound?" and it was even one of the first CDs I ever bought. Some of the lyrics I think may even be pointed towards Roger but it was the continued use of longer compositions that impressed me. One more plus may have been the lack of Rogers input.
As I've said, I'm a big Supertramp fan, but it seems like on almost every album there was one song that I grew to hate and it was always a song sung by Roger Hodgeson. Crime of the Century had "Dreamer"
Even In The Quietest Moments had "Babaji". Breakfast In America had Lord, Is It Mine?" and Famous Last Words has "It's Raining Again". Brother Where You Bound had nothing that tends to drive me nuts after repeated listens and it also had the benefit of some killer Dave Gilmore guitar solos.
There have been ups and downs in there output since. I was excited for the follow up to Brother but was disappointed with Free as a Bird. Some Things Never Change was a solid recording as was Slow Motion. There have also been countless compilations and live releases and they all have the strong material but that we've all heard before, but I don't think there will ever be another Crime of the Century.
Part of why I liked them and maybe also part of their success was the fact that the two key members, Rick Davies and Roger Hodgeson both shared vocal duties as well as song writing. Maybe not the Lennon and McCartney of there time, but more comparable to Dillford and Tilbrook of Squeeze. There is something about the two different voices on these albums (and yes, in these times they were indeed big, black, 12" albums) that raised them above other bands with a narrower vocal sound.
The band continued on after Roger left in the early '80s for a solo career and I was afraid that their best years were indeed behind them. I was surprised and pleased by there first post-Hodgeson album, "Brother Where You Bound?" and it was even one of the first CDs I ever bought. Some of the lyrics I think may even be pointed towards Roger but it was the continued use of longer compositions that impressed me. One more plus may have been the lack of Rogers input.
As I've said, I'm a big Supertramp fan, but it seems like on almost every album there was one song that I grew to hate and it was always a song sung by Roger Hodgeson. Crime of the Century had "Dreamer"
Even In The Quietest Moments had "Babaji". Breakfast In America had Lord, Is It Mine?" and Famous Last Words has "It's Raining Again". Brother Where You Bound had nothing that tends to drive me nuts after repeated listens and it also had the benefit of some killer Dave Gilmore guitar solos.
There have been ups and downs in there output since. I was excited for the follow up to Brother but was disappointed with Free as a Bird. Some Things Never Change was a solid recording as was Slow Motion. There have also been countless compilations and live releases and they all have the strong material but that we've all heard before, but I don't think there will ever be another Crime of the Century.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
48th of July
Last Sunday we had what is turning out to be an annual gathering at our house to celebrate the 4th of July. It featured the usual cast of characters as well as some new faces. Aside from our over the top use of fireworks, the real highlights were supplied by Chris Flaherty. He brought a small scale model of a Civil war battle which we proceeded to set alight with fireworks.
He also brought his newly finished catapult which allowed us to celebrate our independence by hurling water balloons into the neighbors yard. The design is solid but it may still require a little fine tuning and more weight before we can use it to lob pumpkins into the neighbor's yard.
Science marches on!
He also brought his newly finished catapult which allowed us to celebrate our independence by hurling water balloons into the neighbors yard. The design is solid but it may still require a little fine tuning and more weight before we can use it to lob pumpkins into the neighbor's yard.
Science marches on!
Winning the war on beer
At the suggestion of my neighbor Shawn, I watched a movie called Beer Wars the other night. It's a very well made documentary about the watering down of beer by the big three national brewery, Coors, Miller and Anheiser Busch. It's a sad tale of how the big guys are doing everything they can to eliminate the competition of small breweries and micro breweries.
One the bright side, the little guys (Dogfish Head is featured prominently) are still growing despite the crowding out of them on the supermarket shelves by the big guys. We as beer drinkers must do our part to help these small businesses survive. That is why I think we should start thinking about another BrokeBack Brewery Tour for this fall. Who's with me?
I'm you need to get your blood boiling for this challenge, watch the movie. It's available on www.hulu.com with a few commercial interruptions but thankfully none of them are for Bud, Millers or Coors.
http://beerwarsmovie.com/
One the bright side, the little guys (Dogfish Head is featured prominently) are still growing despite the crowding out of them on the supermarket shelves by the big guys. We as beer drinkers must do our part to help these small businesses survive. That is why I think we should start thinking about another BrokeBack Brewery Tour for this fall. Who's with me?
I'm you need to get your blood boiling for this challenge, watch the movie. It's available on www.hulu.com with a few commercial interruptions but thankfully none of them are for Bud, Millers or Coors.
http://beerwarsmovie.com/
Summer Cramp
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| Are you saying I'm fat? |
Kathy came into the room and found me hobbling around like a man... well, like a man my age. I've recently lived through another birthday that I thought I'd never see and I have to admit, getting old kind of sucks. The only up side is when Kathy told her friend Janet how old I was, Janet's reply was "He's so immature."
At least it seems that my mind is still young.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
You too can Rock
June is winding down and I don't plan on seeing any more shows before July, but I must say that this month went out with a bang, or maybe a Rattle and a Hum.
Kathy was asked by a co worker more than 6 months ago if she'd be interested in going to see U2 this summer and Kathy, although not a music lover, said sure, why not? Fast forward to June 22, 2011. The woman who asked Kathy to go ended up with an extra ticket to what is turning out to be one of the hottest concert draws this summer. Hmmmm, who could she ask to go on short notice?
Not much of a sacrifice for me. Although according to Kathy, I own every CD in the universe, I only own one U2 CD, Achtung Baby. I've been aware of U2 for 30 some odd years, and appreciate their music, I don't consider myself a fan but I know a good thing when I see it coming, so I jumped at the chance to see them at the local football stadium along with about 80,000 other people.
The plan was for an early dinner along with some other fans going to the show, some tailgating before the show and the of course, the show itself. We got to downtown Baltimore by 3:00 pm and it's good thing we did because parking places were going fast. We ended up on the 6th floor of the Marriott's parking garage and we waited for the rest of our party to arrive. We all hooked up at a bar/restaurant called The Alewife for drinks and an early dinner before walking to the stadium. The food was good and they also featured an impressive number of beers on tap and in bottles. Nice.
From there it was a short walk to the main event and some more tailgating with more like minded fans. We waited around until about the time the opening act, Florance and the Machine, was to start and then we went in to claim our seats. The weather was hot but we were fortunate to have a cool breeze to make it bearable.
The stage setup was impressive and promised a 360 degree show to everyone who attended the show. The round video screen surrounding the stage came too life before the main event and was an intricate part of the whole show for the remainder of the evening.
Considering the size of the crowd and the outdoor conditions I have to say that U2 put on a hell of a show. We didn't know every song they played but there were more than enough old favorites to keep even the outskirts fan like me satisfied. Kathy was surprised by how many songs she knew and the whole production was first rate. I may never see U2 again for as long as I live, but I must say that I'm glad I had this chance to see this band, if not at their creative peak, at least at a performance peak.
Kathy was asked by a co worker more than 6 months ago if she'd be interested in going to see U2 this summer and Kathy, although not a music lover, said sure, why not? Fast forward to June 22, 2011. The woman who asked Kathy to go ended up with an extra ticket to what is turning out to be one of the hottest concert draws this summer. Hmmmm, who could she ask to go on short notice?
Not much of a sacrifice for me. Although according to Kathy, I own every CD in the universe, I only own one U2 CD, Achtung Baby. I've been aware of U2 for 30 some odd years, and appreciate their music, I don't consider myself a fan but I know a good thing when I see it coming, so I jumped at the chance to see them at the local football stadium along with about 80,000 other people.
The plan was for an early dinner along with some other fans going to the show, some tailgating before the show and the of course, the show itself. We got to downtown Baltimore by 3:00 pm and it's good thing we did because parking places were going fast. We ended up on the 6th floor of the Marriott's parking garage and we waited for the rest of our party to arrive. We all hooked up at a bar/restaurant called The Alewife for drinks and an early dinner before walking to the stadium. The food was good and they also featured an impressive number of beers on tap and in bottles. Nice.
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| Our group, under the expressway |
The stage setup was impressive and promised a 360 degree show to everyone who attended the show. The round video screen surrounding the stage came too life before the main event and was an intricate part of the whole show for the remainder of the evening.
One hell of a June
This month started out strong, musically, with my trip to New York to see a free concert with my friend Nakie at a club called The Falcon. It was Ed Palermo's Big Band playing the music of Frank Zappa and this 18 piece band did Frank Proud. The band has been together for close to 30 years and have been featuring Franks music for well over a decade.
The show was on the first Friday of June in the evening but Norm and I were so excited (and hungry/thirsty) that we got to the club early. Early enough to catch the band doing the sound check and running through some new changes like the intro to "Montana". I asked if they minded if I took some pictures and Ed said sure, no problem and asked if we could sing because they needed someone who knew the words to The Beatles "I Want You (She's So Heavy)".
He was kidding of course but I was ready to take over in an instant should the vocalist become sick or injured and unable to fulfill his singing duties. He stopped by our table when they were done rehearsing to sa "hi" and shake hands and he seemed pleased when we let him know how much we'd been looking forward to the show.
Norm and I ate (and drank) while we were waiting for the show to start. The club was pretty packed by the time the band came on and their selections and the skill in which they preformed were outstanding. In case you don't know, Frank Zappa's music is complex and ofter difficult to preform, but this fine oiled machine under the guide of Mr. Palermo preformed it beautifully. Without losing any of Frank's intended melody, the band swung and as Frank would say "put some eyebrows on it".
One of the many highlights was the young lady who was the violin player. Not only was she a knock out, she played with a visible passion and skill that could take your breath away.
The break between sets featured a fire dancer/eater out on the lower patio and she was almost as talented as the band. Nak and I realized the she was the young woman sitting in front of us for the first set of the show but she did not return to her seat for the second set so we couldn't let her know how much we enjoyed her performance. Maybe she had heart burn.
The second set was as impressive as the first and I picked up the bands latest CD of Franks music and had Ed sign it. All in all, a magical night spent listening to wonderful music played by a top notch band with a good friend and a lot of other Zappa fans.
The show was on the first Friday of June in the evening but Norm and I were so excited (and hungry/thirsty) that we got to the club early. Early enough to catch the band doing the sound check and running through some new changes like the intro to "Montana". I asked if they minded if I took some pictures and Ed said sure, no problem and asked if we could sing because they needed someone who knew the words to The Beatles "I Want You (She's So Heavy)".
Norm and I ate (and drank) while we were waiting for the show to start. The club was pretty packed by the time the band came on and their selections and the skill in which they preformed were outstanding. In case you don't know, Frank Zappa's music is complex and ofter difficult to preform, but this fine oiled machine under the guide of Mr. Palermo preformed it beautifully. Without losing any of Frank's intended melody, the band swung and as Frank would say "put some eyebrows on it".
One of the many highlights was the young lady who was the violin player. Not only was she a knock out, she played with a visible passion and skill that could take your breath away.
The break between sets featured a fire dancer/eater out on the lower patio and she was almost as talented as the band. Nak and I realized the she was the young woman sitting in front of us for the first set of the show but she did not return to her seat for the second set so we couldn't let her know how much we enjoyed her performance. Maybe she had heart burn.
The second set was as impressive as the first and I picked up the bands latest CD of Franks music and had Ed sign it. All in all, a magical night spent listening to wonderful music played by a top notch band with a good friend and a lot of other Zappa fans.
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| Ed's only solo of the night |
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Almost too easy
With the approaching holiday I'm a little under the gun time wise, but I mixed up my 2 gallon batch of My Beer tonight with the hope that it'll be ready by the 4th. From start to finish it took maybe a half hour at the most and some of that time was spent on sanitizing.
It's a no boil kit for some kind of non specific ale so the malt syrup already has the hops in it. I used some other yeast (and English ale, I think) that I had in stock and even gave it a little head start by adding it to a little dried malt and water before adding it to the wort. I also threw a few Cascade hop pellets in at the end to see if it will do anything for the aroma.
They say about 7 days to ferment and then it's bottling time. The two gallons should take less than 12, 22 oz bottles so that works for me (less bottle cleaning). I hope that with the smaller batches I'll be able to brew more often and if I get the Beer Machine going too I could have a whole slew of different brews to try the next time anyone comes for a visit.
It's a no boil kit for some kind of non specific ale so the malt syrup already has the hops in it. I used some other yeast (and English ale, I think) that I had in stock and even gave it a little head start by adding it to a little dried malt and water before adding it to the wort. I also threw a few Cascade hop pellets in at the end to see if it will do anything for the aroma.
They say about 7 days to ferment and then it's bottling time. The two gallons should take less than 12, 22 oz bottles so that works for me (less bottle cleaning). I hope that with the smaller batches I'll be able to brew more often and if I get the Beer Machine going too I could have a whole slew of different brews to try the next time anyone comes for a visit.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Welcome to the machine
This month has been a busy one (and it's not over yet) so I haven't had all the time I need to keep up with everything on my blog. June started with a trip to NY to see Norm and catch The Ed Palermo Big Band at a club/restaurant called The Falcon. More on that in the near future.
The day after the show we went to a book sale/flea market event and in addition to picking up yet more CDs, I bought a Beer Machine home brewing system for $5.00. The package was opened but it all seemed to be in tact but unused so I figured I go a real good deal. Once I got it home and went through the contents I determined that indeed, all the parts were in tact but looking at the instructions I noticed that it was from 1995!
I opened the actual brew kit and found that the can of malt was a bit rusted and starting to bloat a bit. I figured it was best to toss the malt and guessing the the yeast was past its prime as well, I disposed of it too. Now we all know how businesses come and go so quickly these days but I did a search on the inter-web to see if the machine was still a going concern and somewhat to my surprise, it's still out there.
http://www.beermachine.com/index.html
I'll be ordering some new mixes in the near future and we'll just see what this machine is made of. at the very least, I'd like to use it's little keg for dispensing home brew since it's got it's own little CO2 cartridges for forced carbonation for those times when you just can't wait for something to self carbonate.
My plan is to brew my Mr Beer kit (that I picked up after Christmas) and hopefully have something on hand for when we have our annual 4th of July shin dig. If all goes well I could be brewing all kinds of small batches from now on.
The day after the show we went to a book sale/flea market event and in addition to picking up yet more CDs, I bought a Beer Machine home brewing system for $5.00. The package was opened but it all seemed to be in tact but unused so I figured I go a real good deal. Once I got it home and went through the contents I determined that indeed, all the parts were in tact but looking at the instructions I noticed that it was from 1995!
I opened the actual brew kit and found that the can of malt was a bit rusted and starting to bloat a bit. I figured it was best to toss the malt and guessing the the yeast was past its prime as well, I disposed of it too. Now we all know how businesses come and go so quickly these days but I did a search on the inter-web to see if the machine was still a going concern and somewhat to my surprise, it's still out there.
http://www.beermachine.com/index.html
I'll be ordering some new mixes in the near future and we'll just see what this machine is made of. at the very least, I'd like to use it's little keg for dispensing home brew since it's got it's own little CO2 cartridges for forced carbonation for those times when you just can't wait for something to self carbonate.
My plan is to brew my Mr Beer kit (that I picked up after Christmas) and hopefully have something on hand for when we have our annual 4th of July shin dig. If all goes well I could be brewing all kinds of small batches from now on.
It Gets Depressin' 'Round Midnight
I started watching a movie last night called "'Round Midnight". It's loosely based on the lives of Bud Powell and and Lester Young. It's set in Paris in the early sixties and directed by some frog director which means it has some subtitles. I'm only half way through it (it's over 2 hours long) and I can tell you it's depressing.
The real saving grace is the award winning score by Herbie Hancock and the movie features the likes of Herbie as well as Wayne Shorter, Dexter Gordon, Ron Carter and Tony Williams among others. So far it's been mostly playing in a small club, drinking and blackouts.
I shut it off last night because it was getting late but I don't know if I can finish watching it tonight. The music is great but unless the plot takes an unexpected upward swing, I don't know if I can take it. I'm starting to see why so many jazz musicians got into heroin.
The real saving grace is the award winning score by Herbie Hancock and the movie features the likes of Herbie as well as Wayne Shorter, Dexter Gordon, Ron Carter and Tony Williams among others. So far it's been mostly playing in a small club, drinking and blackouts.
I shut it off last night because it was getting late but I don't know if I can finish watching it tonight. The music is great but unless the plot takes an unexpected upward swing, I don't know if I can take it. I'm starting to see why so many jazz musicians got into heroin.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
eye hop
I noticed today that my hop plant is up to eye level. If I can keep them watered and maybe get them a little more daylight, maybe I can finally get some combs this fall.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Yes it was
Nakie came for a visit last weekend and we had a chance to see a couple of live music shows. Saturday night we went with MJ to see Jonathan Coulton. The show was sold out and MJ and I had tickets but we scored one for Norm at the box office. We didn't all sit together but that in no way diminished what a great time we had.
Both the opening act, Paul & Storm, and Jonathan were as funny as they were musically talented. The songs and the banter in between had us rolling in the aisles. Jonathan is a solo act but Paul and Storm both joined him for part of his set which added beautiful harmonies to his silly songs.
The main event, and the real reason for Nakie making the trip (aside from the frosty malt beverages consumed) was the chance to see Jon Anderson of Yes preforming a solo show at the RamsHead on Stage in Annapolis. No opening act, just Jon and his guitar as well as a number of different string instruments and a piano. He played for 2 hours nonstop and was thoroughly entertaining telling stories as well as preforming a host of classic Yes songs and solo material.
Both the opening act, Paul & Storm, and Jonathan were as funny as they were musically talented. The songs and the banter in between had us rolling in the aisles. Jonathan is a solo act but Paul and Storm both joined him for part of his set which added beautiful harmonies to his silly songs.
The main event, and the real reason for Nakie making the trip (aside from the frosty malt beverages consumed) was the chance to see Jon Anderson of Yes preforming a solo show at the RamsHead on Stage in Annapolis. No opening act, just Jon and his guitar as well as a number of different string instruments and a piano. He played for 2 hours nonstop and was thoroughly entertaining telling stories as well as preforming a host of classic Yes songs and solo material.
more spokes, more water
This spring is already shaping up to be a high activity one for me. Last weekend I doubled the amount of miles I've put on my bike this year (I'm up to 8 so far) and Chris and I have done the first of which hopefully be more than a few biathlons for 2011.
After work last Saturday we headed out for a state park in the Patapsco river valley which is approximately half way between our two houses. We were on the water by 6:30 pm, with the threat of the park closing at dusk (8:15 by the sign on the unmanned guard house at the entrance to the park), after which time we ran the risk of having both of our cars locked in the park overnight.
This was my first time in this part of the park and Chris's first time on the water there so we didn't know what to expect as far as canoeing conditions. With all the rain we've had this spring we were hoping that the water would be high enough so that we wouldn't have to get out of the canoe a lot to transverse the low water areas. It turned out that we only had to get out once although we did not go as far as we would have liked because of losing daylight.
Because it was uncharted waters and time was of the essence, we chose to pull out early and bike back to the cars. We knew that we still had to find the canoe again to load out to the car and I for one, did not want to do that in the pitch black. As it turned out, our timing was perfect. We got a few extra miles in biking around the park and got back to the canoe before dark.
I think we only went about three miles downstream in the canoe but it was a glorious three miles. The weather was perfect and I had brought a few cans of Magic Hat #9, which we got into once we were into international waters. Chris brought a large sub for us to eat so it was another great dinner on the water. For future trips we hope to get a much earlier start and go much farther down river. The Patpasco empties into the Baltimore harbor so in theory we could end up in Fells Point but that would require more time, planning and much more beer.
After work last Saturday we headed out for a state park in the Patapsco river valley which is approximately half way between our two houses. We were on the water by 6:30 pm, with the threat of the park closing at dusk (8:15 by the sign on the unmanned guard house at the entrance to the park), after which time we ran the risk of having both of our cars locked in the park overnight.
This was my first time in this part of the park and Chris's first time on the water there so we didn't know what to expect as far as canoeing conditions. With all the rain we've had this spring we were hoping that the water would be high enough so that we wouldn't have to get out of the canoe a lot to transverse the low water areas. It turned out that we only had to get out once although we did not go as far as we would have liked because of losing daylight.
Because it was uncharted waters and time was of the essence, we chose to pull out early and bike back to the cars. We knew that we still had to find the canoe again to load out to the car and I for one, did not want to do that in the pitch black. As it turned out, our timing was perfect. We got a few extra miles in biking around the park and got back to the canoe before dark.
I think we only went about three miles downstream in the canoe but it was a glorious three miles. The weather was perfect and I had brought a few cans of Magic Hat #9, which we got into once we were into international waters. Chris brought a large sub for us to eat so it was another great dinner on the water. For future trips we hope to get a much earlier start and go much farther down river. The Patpasco empties into the Baltimore harbor so in theory we could end up in Fells Point but that would require more time, planning and much more beer.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Shawn+dawn=Lawn (not!)
I'm drinking a Budweiser. I'm not particularly enjoying it, but it is a far cry better that the last 2 brews I've made myself. Tomorrow Shawn and I will bottle and pig (a three gallon keg) the beer we made the second half of our tasting party on March 13. I was at his house last weekend when he transferred it to the secondary fermentation tank.
It's a light summer ale with lemon peels thrown into the mix. I took a sip and it tasted like sunshine. It had a cloudy orange hue at that time and it measured (Shawn figured), at 3.3-3.5% ABV and had just a slight refreshing lemon finish. I want to give a bottle to each of the guys from the tasting. Hell, a 12 pack of it and let me at that chainsaw!
Did I mention that the bud isn't the first of the night? I actually got out early tonight and the ever forgiving daylight hours even allowed me to give the dogs a walk in the evening.. The walk didn't last too long as we saw Shawn raking the lawn about 2 doors down. He had his 2 labs, Tyson and Chip, out with him so we ended up doing a doggy drop-in, (it's kinda the canine version of a play-date).
He may be going away for the summer for work and among other things, he asked me if I was interested in keeping a eye in his bees while he was gone. Me? In a bee suit? Get me my camera! Be prepared Nak, you may meet them yourself. (I think he has 2 bee suits). With luck there'll be some lawnmower left too.
Speaking of... Beau, any ideas or dates of when you may be able to 'help" me this spring? Things are bad at work, with a lot of people leaving, but if we go under, I may have a lot more free time, and my back yard could use some work. You like bees too, right? Three words: Honey, Brown, Ale. Or hop the hell out of it. I don't care.
I may need another bud but that may not be necessary as I've had some other "bud". I've got homework but I may be able to do it tomorrow after bottling, but maybe not.
Did I mention that the bud isn't the first of the night? I actually got out early tonight and the ever forgiving daylight hours even allowed me to give the dogs a walk in the evening.. The walk didn't last too long as we saw Shawn raking the lawn about 2 doors down. He had his 2 labs, Tyson and Chip, out with him so we ended up doing a doggy drop-in, (it's kinda the canine version of a play-date).
He may be going away for the summer for work and among other things, he asked me if I was interested in keeping a eye in his bees while he was gone. Me? In a bee suit? Get me my camera! Be prepared Nak, you may meet them yourself. (I think he has 2 bee suits). With luck there'll be some lawnmower left too.
Speaking of... Beau, any ideas or dates of when you may be able to 'help" me this spring? Things are bad at work, with a lot of people leaving, but if we go under, I may have a lot more free time, and my back yard could use some work. You like bees too, right? Three words: Honey, Brown, Ale. Or hop the hell out of it. I don't care.
I may need another bud but that may not be necessary as I've had some other "bud". I've got homework but I may be able to do it tomorrow after bottling, but maybe not.
Growing a part
I've been making a conscious effort to at least appear more grown up these days. This stems from a comment from Kathy who more than once has referred to my unkempt appearance as "shabby". Truth be told, I've never given much thought to my clothes and now looking at them I can see she has a point. Most of my pants are frayed and tattered where the cuffs have been dragging the ground for so many years. Either I've been shrinking over the years or my pants have just been riding too low below my beer belly. I prefer to believe I've been shrinking.
Not being a fashion plate, I purchased some new (to me) pants at the local thrift store. Going with the shrinking theory, I bought some about 2 inches shorter than I used to and wouldn't you know, they were still too long. It goes to show the last time I bought pants for myself. What I though was 2 inches shorter was actually the same size that I've been wearing into the ground (literally). I wasn't about to throw away the $12 I spent on 3 pair of pants so I've just been giving them a generous cuffing and it seems to be doing the trick.
Another concern from Kathy has been my inability to "dress my age". Comfort has always been key with me and since my job doesn't require any fancy dress-up clothes, my closet is mostly full of t-shirts decorated with the cartoon characters I love. In an effort to grow up, I've started to add a selection of beer related t-shirts as well. What could be more adult than a beverage you have to be over 21 to consume (legally), and if the shirt combines beer and cartoons, all the better.
So I've been reshaping myself from the ground up and now I get to one of my real problem areas, my head. Although I'm not a ball player by any stretch of the imagination, I do like a good ball cap. Not an especially grown up look. As fate would have it, I recently found a pork pie style hat in the parking lot at work after an especially windy afternoon. It looked nearly new but I wasn't taking any chances. I left it out in the rain for 2 days to rinse away any bad mojo and cooties from the previous owner. When I did put it on it fit like a... hat. It's blue so it works for most of my wardrobe and I've even added a couple pins (Krusty the Klown and Ralph Wiggums) to the hatband to truly make it mine.
Underneath the hat area is a problem that is really concerning me recently. It's been decades since I've shared the mop top look of my cartoon visage but my hair has pretty much remained the same style as my father's for the last 20 years, standing up on it's own. It's always been fine (not thin) and I've come to terms to the two receding bowling alleys flanking either side of my forehead. What's bothering me is I seem to be developing a new mid-life part on the right side of my scalp. I've never in my life had a part there or anywhere else for that matter and I'm perplexed by it's sudden and persistent appearance. Is my body gearing up for a comb over? Should I call the hair club for men? Should I get another hat?
Whatever is going on upstairs, I'm not going to let it bother me too much. My philosophy has always been, no matter what I look like, at least I don't have to see it.
Not being a fashion plate, I purchased some new (to me) pants at the local thrift store. Going with the shrinking theory, I bought some about 2 inches shorter than I used to and wouldn't you know, they were still too long. It goes to show the last time I bought pants for myself. What I though was 2 inches shorter was actually the same size that I've been wearing into the ground (literally). I wasn't about to throw away the $12 I spent on 3 pair of pants so I've just been giving them a generous cuffing and it seems to be doing the trick.
Another concern from Kathy has been my inability to "dress my age". Comfort has always been key with me and since my job doesn't require any fancy dress-up clothes, my closet is mostly full of t-shirts decorated with the cartoon characters I love. In an effort to grow up, I've started to add a selection of beer related t-shirts as well. What could be more adult than a beverage you have to be over 21 to consume (legally), and if the shirt combines beer and cartoons, all the better.
So I've been reshaping myself from the ground up and now I get to one of my real problem areas, my head. Although I'm not a ball player by any stretch of the imagination, I do like a good ball cap. Not an especially grown up look. As fate would have it, I recently found a pork pie style hat in the parking lot at work after an especially windy afternoon. It looked nearly new but I wasn't taking any chances. I left it out in the rain for 2 days to rinse away any bad mojo and cooties from the previous owner. When I did put it on it fit like a... hat. It's blue so it works for most of my wardrobe and I've even added a couple pins (Krusty the Klown and Ralph Wiggums) to the hatband to truly make it mine.
Underneath the hat area is a problem that is really concerning me recently. It's been decades since I've shared the mop top look of my cartoon visage but my hair has pretty much remained the same style as my father's for the last 20 years, standing up on it's own. It's always been fine (not thin) and I've come to terms to the two receding bowling alleys flanking either side of my forehead. What's bothering me is I seem to be developing a new mid-life part on the right side of my scalp. I've never in my life had a part there or anywhere else for that matter and I'm perplexed by it's sudden and persistent appearance. Is my body gearing up for a comb over? Should I call the hair club for men? Should I get another hat?
Whatever is going on upstairs, I'm not going to let it bother me too much. My philosophy has always been, no matter what I look like, at least I don't have to see it.
Friday, March 25, 2011
And a One-a and a Two-a...
This may be the most fun I ever had for a grade. Our assignment was to create a movie that animates the numbers from 1-10. Being a wise ass I choose to do it Roman numeral style. I spent a lot of time on this and it's still not done but I'm happy with the way it's going and I've learned a lot so far. Kudos to my teacher Grant for assigning this project. I may even enter it into the student art show this month.
Technology marches on. I started this post in late March and I've finally figured out how to get the damn thing uploaded in the right format. This is the finished product, or at least as done as it was when I submitted it to the art show. Lo and behold, it was accepted. They don't know about the porno soundtrack.
I'm quite pleased in how it's turned out but I could go on tweaking it for ever. Time to move on and that means getting into the programing language behind it. Not my forte but it needs to be done. It'll all hopefully help me get a real job someday.
Oh, and the musical soundtrack, it's called "Fuzzy Navel" from a collection of vintage 70s porn music. Nice.
Monday, March 14, 2011
All the empties have been rinsed.
Sunday's beer tasting went off with out a hitch. We had a good turn out and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. I've even heard that it was to buzz of the school bus stop Monday morning.
Props to my co-host, Shawn Dann, (Kathy calls him my Maryland Mike Beaudette). He took care of cooking the pork loins and he also made a great seafood dish in his Big Green Egg. while I did the pouring and kept the sampling going. We ended up with over 20 different beers which made everyone quite happy but no one dared to try the Chelada which was our wild card anyways.
Most guest brought either beer or food but one,(one of the 3 Mikes we had at the tasting) brought a laptop computer and raffle tickets and it went to a lucky winner as a very nice door prize. The company he works at ia updating their systems and instead of stripping them all for parts, he's been re-loading the operating system and putting them back into service. He told me the specs and it's a hell of a lot better than the one I have.
Anyways, Shawn was the winner and I think he earned it. This is something we'll defiantly be doing again, at least until I win my laptop.
Props to my co-host, Shawn Dann, (Kathy calls him my Maryland Mike Beaudette). He took care of cooking the pork loins and he also made a great seafood dish in his Big Green Egg. while I did the pouring and kept the sampling going. We ended up with over 20 different beers which made everyone quite happy but no one dared to try the Chelada which was our wild card anyways.
Most guest brought either beer or food but one,(one of the 3 Mikes we had at the tasting) brought a laptop computer and raffle tickets and it went to a lucky winner as a very nice door prize. The company he works at ia updating their systems and instead of stripping them all for parts, he's been re-loading the operating system and putting them back into service. He told me the specs and it's a hell of a lot better than the one I have.
Anyways, Shawn was the winner and I think he earned it. This is something we'll defiantly be doing again, at least until I win my laptop.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Dog Days of Winter
"HE'S GOT A KNIFE!" Four words you never want to hear your wife to say. Worst of all I could see that it was true as he came charging towards me with it. Fortunately because of Kathy's warning and his desire to avoid me, I just let him by and he proceeded to lay down on the rug and lick the knife clean.
Yes, it was our dog Zappa who was the knife wielding maniac in question. Kathy had just been cutting some cheese (insert fart joke here) in the kitchen and she put the knife down and turned her back on it for a moment. That's when Zappa switched into counter surfer mode, grabbed it, and dashed out of the kitchen and around me to enjoy his spoils.
It's been a banner week in our little dog town. Earlier that week we'd been locked out of the house when the door handle on the front door failed. My brother-in-law Eric arrived home first to discover the problem. Of course being security conscious I had bolted the back door as well so it looked like we may have to break in. This was a day when my nephew Jeremy, who was usually home at this hour, was up visiting family in Rochester NY.
I got home shortly after Eric and after determining that the front door was hopeless concluded that our only hope, short of breaking something, was to crawl through the doggy door out back. I had to remove my jacket and phone as well as the bulging contents of my ever over flowing pockets, but after 1 or 2 exploratory pokes through and a promise from Eric not to take any photo, I sucked in my gut and less than gracefully propelled myself through. The dogs thought this was great fun.
This all happened just before Kathy came from work so she didn't even have to know of my humiliation but being the loving husband that I am, I shared my trails with her much to her amusement. We both agreed that for once we were glad to have big dogs, even if one of them is a knife wielding punk.
Yes, it was our dog Zappa who was the knife wielding maniac in question. Kathy had just been cutting some cheese (insert fart joke here) in the kitchen and she put the knife down and turned her back on it for a moment. That's when Zappa switched into counter surfer mode, grabbed it, and dashed out of the kitchen and around me to enjoy his spoils.
It's been a banner week in our little dog town. Earlier that week we'd been locked out of the house when the door handle on the front door failed. My brother-in-law Eric arrived home first to discover the problem. Of course being security conscious I had bolted the back door as well so it looked like we may have to break in. This was a day when my nephew Jeremy, who was usually home at this hour, was up visiting family in Rochester NY.
I got home shortly after Eric and after determining that the front door was hopeless concluded that our only hope, short of breaking something, was to crawl through the doggy door out back. I had to remove my jacket and phone as well as the bulging contents of my ever over flowing pockets, but after 1 or 2 exploratory pokes through and a promise from Eric not to take any photo, I sucked in my gut and less than gracefully propelled myself through. The dogs thought this was great fun.
This all happened just before Kathy came from work so she didn't even have to know of my humiliation but being the loving husband that I am, I shared my trails with her much to her amusement. We both agreed that for once we were glad to have big dogs, even if one of them is a knife wielding punk.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Coming to a Head
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Twice as lucky
I had the good fortune this evening to see Robert Cray preform at the Rams Head ON Stage tonight. My friend MJ scored free tickets so it didn't cost anything more than dinner and parking. Neither of us are big Cray fans but we'll see just about anyone for free. I must say he was good. He looked good, the sound was great compared to the recent Project/Object show and he really can play guitar.
The only down side, and the reason I feel lucky I didn't spend $70 on a ticket was that it was kinda short. He did play for about an hour and a half and the band was tight so they just did one song after another but the show started at 8:00 and went to 9:30 with encore? That just seems a little light.
Again, he put on a very good show and his backing band was top notch. We enjoyed it but had we spent the ticket money we would have been disappointed by the brevity. Also I'm not a huge fan of his singing voice. It's good and he sings very well but I prefer my blues with more grit than his smooth jazz vocals, but that's just me.
Anyway, it was a good show and a good night out and I'm home in time to do a blog update. Nothing wrong with that.
The only down side, and the reason I feel lucky I didn't spend $70 on a ticket was that it was kinda short. He did play for about an hour and a half and the band was tight so they just did one song after another but the show started at 8:00 and went to 9:30 with encore? That just seems a little light.
Again, he put on a very good show and his backing band was top notch. We enjoyed it but had we spent the ticket money we would have been disappointed by the brevity. Also I'm not a huge fan of his singing voice. It's good and he sings very well but I prefer my blues with more grit than his smooth jazz vocals, but that's just me.
Anyway, it was a good show and a good night out and I'm home in time to do a blog update. Nothing wrong with that.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
He don't look White
I had a chance to see the Frank Zappa cover band Project/Object again this week, this time at Annapolis's RamsHead On Stage. I went with Eric and MJ and we had a nice dinner at the venue before hand.
I was looking forward to this show because not only did it feature Ike Willis but it had the added attraction of including former Zappa vocalist Ray White too! Anyone familiar with Zappa's work will recognize Ray as the lead vocal from "The Illinois Enema Bandit" off the Zappa Live In New York album. He's got a rich soulful voice that just brings the enema bandit story to life.
I was not disappointed because they did do the Bandit suite but aside from a couple other numbers as lead singer and a few brief guitar solos he was under utilized. The main thing he seemed to do was provide comic relief as he and Ike had fun on stage (just like the old days).
Ike was in fine form both playing and singing and of course the rest of the band with it's ever changing line up, save for Andre Cholmondeley, were as tight as ever. The latest drummer and bass player proved to be a powerful combo and I hope to see them with this band again.
All in all it was a good but not great show. The music was a little too loud and it over powered the vocals more often than not. Between sets I did get Andre to sign one of his solo project disks for me and I got myself another handsome FZ t-shirt. I will see them again if I get the chance but MJ said he's seen them enough (this was his second time). It would be great if they could come back around for the 1st anniversary of the Zappa statue unveiling and do an outdoor show, but I believe there's some bad blood between them and the ZFT so maybe not.
I've still got the Ed Palermo Big Band plays Zappa show in New York to look forward to this spring!
I was looking forward to this show because not only did it feature Ike Willis but it had the added attraction of including former Zappa vocalist Ray White too! Anyone familiar with Zappa's work will recognize Ray as the lead vocal from "The Illinois Enema Bandit" off the Zappa Live In New York album. He's got a rich soulful voice that just brings the enema bandit story to life.
I was not disappointed because they did do the Bandit suite but aside from a couple other numbers as lead singer and a few brief guitar solos he was under utilized. The main thing he seemed to do was provide comic relief as he and Ike had fun on stage (just like the old days).
Ike was in fine form both playing and singing and of course the rest of the band with it's ever changing line up, save for Andre Cholmondeley, were as tight as ever. The latest drummer and bass player proved to be a powerful combo and I hope to see them with this band again.
All in all it was a good but not great show. The music was a little too loud and it over powered the vocals more often than not. Between sets I did get Andre to sign one of his solo project disks for me and I got myself another handsome FZ t-shirt. I will see them again if I get the chance but MJ said he's seen them enough (this was his second time). It would be great if they could come back around for the 1st anniversary of the Zappa statue unveiling and do an outdoor show, but I believe there's some bad blood between them and the ZFT so maybe not.
I've still got the Ed Palermo Big Band plays Zappa show in New York to look forward to this spring!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Bloody Good
Recently I returned to the library the book Paul is Undead without cracking the spine. I was feeling a bit undead myself at the time and I didn't need any grim reminders of what was to come.
Now that I'm feeling better I had the good fortune of finding Pride and Prejudice and Zombies on CD at our local library. I snapped it up and plowed right through it enjoying every gory bit. There was a brief forward describing how the whole thing came about and included the fact that the book has been optioned for a film adaptation. This may be one instance where the movie might be even better than the book.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
It ain't pretty
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| This is what passes for sports in Severna Park which is one reason I don't like sports. I'll be posting the weekly "rasseling" photo from the local paper. Can you tell me what's wrong with this picture? |
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Paul is unread
I've been sick the last week or so but that unfortunately does not mean I've been laid up in bed. As appealing as that idea has been, I've had too much going on in my live to indulge in any down time. On top of working, school has started and I'm in 3 classes. Also this past week, I helped a friend move. This was not just a matter of loading boxes on to a truck, driving and then unloading. This involved packing as well and over 7 days squeezed out any energy reserves I may have had, but that'a another story.
I'd picked up the book "Paul Is Undead" at the library and although I'd recently enjoyed "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" I guess my mood just wasn't up to reading this Beatles/Zombie extravaganza. I returned it unread. Other books that I have read this year include:
Shakespeare's Trollop by Charlaine Harris
Stranger Than Fiction by Chuck Palahniuk
Phantoms by Dean Koontz
I'm currently reading/listening to: No Wonder My Parents Drank by Jay Mohr and my new bedroom book is National Lampoons Road Trip USA (All The Places Your Dad Never Stopped At) by Harmon Leon. This last one is turning out to be very good with chapters about counting naked people and how to get kicked out of a cult. It's non-fiction I can sink my teeth into.
I'd picked up the book "Paul Is Undead" at the library and although I'd recently enjoyed "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" I guess my mood just wasn't up to reading this Beatles/Zombie extravaganza. I returned it unread. Other books that I have read this year include:
Shakespeare's Trollop by Charlaine Harris
Stranger Than Fiction by Chuck Palahniuk
Phantoms by Dean Koontz
I'm currently reading/listening to: No Wonder My Parents Drank by Jay Mohr and my new bedroom book is National Lampoons Road Trip USA (All The Places Your Dad Never Stopped At) by Harmon Leon. This last one is turning out to be very good with chapters about counting naked people and how to get kicked out of a cult. It's non-fiction I can sink my teeth into.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
That's MR. BEER to you!
Really, my plan was to stop in at Bed, Bath and Beyond on my way home from work to buy a back scratcher to help me cope with the dry itchy skin I suffer from during the winter months. Both Kathy and I have our own back scratchers on the headboard of our bed but I was looking for something to use in the car. I have an hour long commute to and from work each day and when I'm wrapped up in my winter coat and my back starts itching I need the relief that can only come from a good scratching.
Of course while I was at the mall I decided to check out FYE again to see if I'd missed anything and also to pick up another copy (for $1.88) of Widespread Panic's Ball CD. They had moved the clearance tables around so instead of grabbing the Panic disk from where I'd scene it last, I had to look through everything again which wasn't a major chore for me.
While giving everything a second glance I did come up with another half dozen disks that I'd either over looked last time or had put back in favor of some other treasure. On top of the a fore mentioned Panic CD I picked up:
Robert Palmer-Don't Explain
The FieryFurnaces-Blueberryboat
Django Reinhardt-The art of the Jazz Guitar
Henry "Red" Allen- The classic Year
An audio book copy of Fanny Hill
plus 2 Disks that I already have but couldn't pass up for .50 each:
Pete Droge-Spacey and Shakin
Johnny Society- Clairovance
(if anyone out there needs a copy of either of the last two just say the word.)
Still no back scratcher. I made for Bed Bath and Beyond and hunted around and even asked if they carried such a thing but unfortunately for me that was a big NO. Not being someone who can pass up a clearance section I scanned a whole assortment of marked down Chistmas, Thanksgiving and Halloween stuff discounted as much as 70% off.
I don't have a whole lot of use for wrapping paper, bows and the like but I did come across A Mr. Beer brewing kit which includes everything you need to make 2 gallons of homemade beer for only $14.99. How could I resist? Needless to say, my back itched all the way home but in the big picture, fighting dry skin starts with forcing fluids and I know of 2 gallons I can start with. In as little as 14 days.
Of course while I was at the mall I decided to check out FYE again to see if I'd missed anything and also to pick up another copy (for $1.88) of Widespread Panic's Ball CD. They had moved the clearance tables around so instead of grabbing the Panic disk from where I'd scene it last, I had to look through everything again which wasn't a major chore for me.
While giving everything a second glance I did come up with another half dozen disks that I'd either over looked last time or had put back in favor of some other treasure. On top of the a fore mentioned Panic CD I picked up:
Robert Palmer-Don't Explain
The FieryFurnaces-Blueberryboat
Django Reinhardt-The art of the Jazz Guitar
Henry "Red" Allen- The classic Year
An audio book copy of Fanny Hill
plus 2 Disks that I already have but couldn't pass up for .50 each:
Pete Droge-Spacey and Shakin
Johnny Society- Clairovance
(if anyone out there needs a copy of either of the last two just say the word.)
Still no back scratcher. I made for Bed Bath and Beyond and hunted around and even asked if they carried such a thing but unfortunately for me that was a big NO. Not being someone who can pass up a clearance section I scanned a whole assortment of marked down Chistmas, Thanksgiving and Halloween stuff discounted as much as 70% off.
I don't have a whole lot of use for wrapping paper, bows and the like but I did come across A Mr. Beer brewing kit which includes everything you need to make 2 gallons of homemade beer for only $14.99. How could I resist? Needless to say, my back itched all the way home but in the big picture, fighting dry skin starts with forcing fluids and I know of 2 gallons I can start with. In as little as 14 days.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
New year, new music
When you consider that I could be spending my money on drugs and guns, it may be for he best that I choose instead to buy music. Back when vinyl ruled I had a fair collection, most of which has now been given up except the few that I have saved, mostly for the cover art. A lot of these are now adorning the walls of our bedroom and the lower level of our house.
The final CD I bought last year was purchased at the Govt' Mule concert my brother-in-law treated to me too on December 28th. He got himself a long sleeve t-shirt ($20.00, not bad) because his new nickname is "mule" because it's his responsibility to transport things for us on his weekly back and forth trips from here to Rochester, NY.
Since the first of the year I've been in a bit of a music buying frenzy, which is no where near as bad as it might sound (to Kathy). I visited our local FYE on a lark and although they don't have the clearance center that I've experience at other FYE's in New York, they did have a few tables set up with some closeout stuff that I took my time to paw through. It was a lot of junk but there was enough good and interesting looking stuff that I walked out of there with 16 CDs for less than $25.00.
Of course this was like the first drink to a recovering alcoholic. On my next outing to The Goodwill store I picked another half dozen disks for $20, and I've since been back there and picked up 3 more. I also bought a couple/three CDs from our favorite bookstore from which I had been given a generous gift card for Christmas by our dogs.
I still have some online gift cards left that may soon be turned into CDs in the near future but they may well be spent on something different like DVDs. Believe me, there is still a lot of music I'd like to buy, which may seem impossible to Kathy since she thinks I already own every recording ever made. There's just something tangible about flipping through great big bins of stuff looking for treasure rather than typing a name into a search engine.
Besides, the last two things I tried to find on the internet turned out to be rare, out of print selections which were far more money than this bargain hunter would ever pay. I'm satisfied for the time being with all this new music and I'm hoping it'll hold me over until Garage sale season rolls around again.
For the record some of the new additions are:
Ben Harper
David Sanchez
Cannonball Adderly
Greg Osby
Widespread Panic
The Red Garland Quintet
Joshua Kadison
John Hiatt
Lee Morgan
Buena Vista Social Club
Coheed And Cambria
Roy Hargrove & Antonio Hart
Meat Loaf
Branford Marsalis
Horace Silver
The final CD I bought last year was purchased at the Govt' Mule concert my brother-in-law treated to me too on December 28th. He got himself a long sleeve t-shirt ($20.00, not bad) because his new nickname is "mule" because it's his responsibility to transport things for us on his weekly back and forth trips from here to Rochester, NY.
Since the first of the year I've been in a bit of a music buying frenzy, which is no where near as bad as it might sound (to Kathy). I visited our local FYE on a lark and although they don't have the clearance center that I've experience at other FYE's in New York, they did have a few tables set up with some closeout stuff that I took my time to paw through. It was a lot of junk but there was enough good and interesting looking stuff that I walked out of there with 16 CDs for less than $25.00.
Of course this was like the first drink to a recovering alcoholic. On my next outing to The Goodwill store I picked another half dozen disks for $20, and I've since been back there and picked up 3 more. I also bought a couple/three CDs from our favorite bookstore from which I had been given a generous gift card for Christmas by our dogs.
I still have some online gift cards left that may soon be turned into CDs in the near future but they may well be spent on something different like DVDs. Believe me, there is still a lot of music I'd like to buy, which may seem impossible to Kathy since she thinks I already own every recording ever made. There's just something tangible about flipping through great big bins of stuff looking for treasure rather than typing a name into a search engine.
Besides, the last two things I tried to find on the internet turned out to be rare, out of print selections which were far more money than this bargain hunter would ever pay. I'm satisfied for the time being with all this new music and I'm hoping it'll hold me over until Garage sale season rolls around again.
For the record some of the new additions are:
Ben Harper
David Sanchez
Cannonball Adderly
Greg Osby
Widespread Panic
The Red Garland Quintet
Joshua Kadison
John Hiatt
Lee Morgan
Buena Vista Social Club
Coheed And Cambria
Roy Hargrove & Antonio Hart
Meat Loaf
Branford Marsalis
Horace Silver
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