Now Hear List #1

because I really dig lists (see blog post #1)

So Geo and I have this little game we play. It involves cool whip and rubber glov--hey, hey, HEY! Stop it. Stop it. That's a whole different kinda list. Pervert.

Anyway, we like to  make up punk band names from ordinary signage, phrases, utterings from strangers, events whatever. For example, we walked into a local Indian restaurant for lunch once and there was this overwhelming scent of  Vindaloo vapors. We both exclaimed what a great name for a band: Vindaloo Vapors!  Can't you just hear it..."Ladies and Gentlemen, please put your hand together for Vindaloo VAPORS!!!!"  So here goes...

Punk Band Names:

Vindaloo Vapors

Autumn Squirrel Frenzy

IRS (Itchy Red Snapper)

Electric Closet

The Network Time Killers

Zovarax Down the Shute 

(Geo wrote that exact note to himself as a reminder to retrieve the tube of zovarax which accidentally feel down the laundry shute. And, no I'm not explaining what that's for.) 

Now it's your turn. Got a great name for a punk band? Post it in the comments and I'll compile a list on the sidebar for all to enjoy. Thanks for playing.

Friday Photo #1

Jumping at Tonic  2/8/09

Another stolen..uh, I mean borrowed idea from an old French photographer, Philippe Halsman who successfully got dignitaries, scientists, authors and celebrities to drop their guard and jump. 

"Neither a Borrower Nor a Lender Be"
except when it's a really good idea


So a former co-worker friend of mine...let's call him Sass-Man, has a feature on his well-appointed and very well maintained blog known as Friday Photo in which he posts a particular photo he's taken which strikes his fancy. He then includes a link to his online gallery in case the reader's appetite has been whetted enough to want to view more from said album.


It's a great idea. So great....I think I'm going to steal it. Not so much "steal" it as borrow it...pay homage to his creative genius by, by...pinching it. Before I pilfer his notion and make it my own, let me tell you a little about my friend as way of clearing my conscience.


S-Man is a graphic artist with whom I worked for many years at the Big K, until ten years ago when he decided he'd had enough of the best of the worst of local TV. At the age of 43, when most of us have re-evaluated our career choice only to surrender--beaten, a hollow echo remaining where our hopes and aspirations lived--to life's dominant paradigm, Sass quit his job, cashed in his 401K, bravely proclaimed "the future is NOW" and headed west to find comfort under the warm San Diego sun.


Jesus! Who the hell does that? Seriously. Who the hell has balls like that? What a tremendous thing to do. That's the kind of shit you do when you're 22 and bolstered by the courage of youth and naivety that life's going to roll the way you've mapped it out.


Prior to his departure, Sass filled his creative void by self publishing his own comic, Innocent Bystander. It's a lovely collection of personal stories and observations filled with warmth, wit and nostalgia. The comic is no more, but I think there are seven or eight back issues available. Geo and I are lucky to have an entire set. Thanks! A long-time lover of comics, S-Man came to fall in love with San Diego from his numerous trips to the Mecca of the comic world--Comic Con.


After a brief stint back in the quagmire of local TV (San Diego style), he sweet-talked his way into a position at his dream company, the much ballyhooed Comic Con. I suppose his persistence along with his enormous creative talents had a little something to do with it. Since he's been there, attendance has sky-rocketed establishing Comic Con as the ultimate stop for Hollywood honchos as well as comic book royalty. For the first time Entertainment Weekly devoted almost its entire August issue to the event. Plus there are postings of popular panel discussions with the cast of shows like Chuck (a terrific show suffering from low ratings--watch it Mondays @ 8pm on NBC) on NBC's web.


The convention's meteoric rise in popularity after Sass's arrival could just be coincidence, but I like to think his passion and tremendous east-coast work ethic had a little something to do with it. I'm so proud of him. It took him a while, but he found his home. He's finally...happy. Kudos to you, my friend.


Let this be a lesson to every one of us. We should all grow a set, say f*ck it and go find what makes life worth living. The future is NOW, Baby!

Obsession Loves Company

validating my love affair with Rhett Miller

Okay...at the risk of having Geo roll his eyes completely out of their sockets from disgust, I've found a kindred spirit in my whole (she said "hole") rampant love-for-all-things-Rhett obsession. Her web name is Hola, Isabel! and she is a self-proclaimed stalker Mom. Added bonus--she's funny! There are a couple entries centered around the velvet-tongued boy with the deep blue eyes worth a read Here and Here. She seems like any normal, married woman with children, so there.

Oooo. I am so diggin' this LINK thang! I'm going to have to start linking to just random crap for the halibut. (OMFG! You must, MUST click on that last link. My bud, Beets would love it!) Holy Dingly-Dangs! There are literally over 82 million entries on the internet involving the word "crap"!?! Wow. Who knew? (BTW that last link is for comic lovers.) But I digress....

Back on topic, Geo and I are going to see my fantasy second husband over vacation in December...the gushing will continue ad nausea upon my return--hopefully with photos, perhaps a video and a fun story or two. And maybe an autographed barf bag for Geo. :D

Obsession Of The Month: A Day With Old 97's @ Diesel, October 9, 2008

(just blame it on being a girl....)

On October 9th I had the great pleasure of meeting Rhett Miller and Murry Hammond at an in-studio concert at WYEP here in my home town. They could not have been more charming and kind and gracious to those of us in attendance. They chatted with every fan, signed autographs, swapped stories and patiently posed for photos. It was delightful to watch these two old friends interact with each other as well as the audience. It was evident they've been buds for a looooong time, seeing each other through life's pathos. Murry, the jokester, kept things light and buoyant. Rhett, soft-spoken and mild-mannered, charmed the ladies in the room without even trying. *sigh* Hands down, two of the sweetest performers I've ever met. They remembered everyone's name and even changed their set list to accommodate a little girl's last minute request.

And then that night they took the stage, and Rhett released a riptide of raw emotion filled with angst, anger, longing, betrayal, passion and heartache which flooded over the crowd like a breeched levee. The energy level so high it lifted the audience and carried us from one blistering hook to another. Un-freaking-believable!! They totally blew the roof off the joint. Ninety minutes sailed by in a moment, and I so did not want the evening to end. Like an over-indulged child, I wanted to scream, "Do it again! Do it again!"

Old 97's is the best band I've seen live in 15-20 years. Their performance is incredibly tight for a band that doesn't rehearse. I suppose it's a testament to their skill as musicians as well as the depth of their relationships. Or maybe it's the Jameson. Either way, the boys are in sync! Rhett's stage presence is so captivating I dare anyone (particularly female) to watch anything else. You just can't do it. Not when he's soulfully belting out those brilliant lyrics. Yeah, okay...the hip action is pretty stellar, too. I may be older, but I'm still a girl for God's sake.

The next morning I jumped on line and bought everything that was missing from my Old 97's catalog. If you're a newcomer, I highly suggest starting off with the quintessential live CD,

Alive and Wired from 2005. This two disc set includes a large portion of their work up to that date. It's one of the few live recordings which successfully transports the listener to the live club experience. It's exactly like being there. No shit. Search through iTunes for some other choice chestnuts and a copy of Blame it on Gravity, and a happy camper you will be.

Many thanks to Rhett and Murry for taking the time out of their busy schedule to stop by the radio station to perform. It was great meeting them both. The concert was phenomenal.

I cannot wait to catch the next one.

And for f*ck's sake...GO SEE THEM!!!!

**The guys are so cool they let anyone record their shows. There are an abundance of videos on YouTube. Search either Old 97's or Rhett Miller and plant yourself down for a while.

www.Hitbyatrain.com

www.rhettmiller.com

http://blurt-online.com/video/view/138/ (podcast inerview from Athens, GA 10/20/08)

Pleased to Meet You...

Hi Everybody! 

And by "everybody" I mean my hubby, Geo and maybe a few close friends, because really...who the hell else is going to want to read this. Seriously. When I tossed around the notion of writing a blog, Geo the Pragmatic and my true North posed the very valid question.."Why". Honestly, I don't know the answer to that simple syllable. Maybe it's because my job is as mundane as making donuts, and I feel the need to fling the doors of my brain open and take my creative quadrant out for a walk. Maybe it's because I've had some experiences lately which have been so enjoyable I don't want them to atrophy in the dusty corners my noggin. Or maybe it's because...you know, I wanna.

In any case, there are a few things I feel compelled to point out right up front:

1. I'm consistently inconsistent. Discipline has never been a strong suit with me. Maybe it's because I'm an Aquarius whose creative juices are totally dictated by mood and muse. (hey, sounds like a viable excuse to me) My attention span is notoriously minute and easily distrac...Mmmmm pie! What was I saying?

2. My life is nothing without my magnificent, albeit sick and twisted,  friends and family. In time you'll meet them all to their collective horror. There's me best pals from the grind, Beets and Suzette; the Dingly Dang boys; my Card Club gal pals, H2P (Horrible Horrible Person)-who really is not a friend, but I'm sure I'll have ample opportunity to dish about and anyone else I can drum up.

3. My spelling is atrocious!! Sorry.

4. My grammar's even worse.

5. I like lists. There will be lists. There are already lists on the sidebar. 

6. I have a 12-year-old-boy sense of humor which will become very apparent. 

7. And finally...I have no real plan for thematic content or anything else for that matter. 

I'll stop at seven. Seven is a good number.

Okay then. I guess I'd better get off my buttocks and write something. 

In the words of Peter Pan, "Here we GO!"

Murray