116 posts from 2006

I got nudged out of my spot as a dj opening for my friends' band by a banjo playing beat poet. Seems the bar owner double-booked.

I'm not even kidding.

It's too bad that I can't play this just for the laughs:

Army of Lovers - Crucified

3 comments

What books did you love as a child? 
Submitted by hearts. 

Obsessed with:

A Wrinkle in Time

Madeleine L'Engle

I am once again attempting to combat the neighbor man's love of singing loudly and plinking away on his guitar right next to my office. I like to start my afternoons pleasantly, with a cup of coffee and Morning Becomes Eclectic on KCRW. However, Nic Harcourt this he is a Very Funny Person today, which, really. No. I picture him and Kurt Loder having drinks together and being oh-so-very impressed with themselves. (come to think of it, I would be, if I were one of them.)

Today's selection? The Hospital Records podcast, by London Elektricity. He also talks a bit, but mostly plays the twinkly drum-n-bass tunes for drowning out neighbor man.

Also, did you know that the internet-famous Arlo's uncle, Liam Lynch, has a podcast? He of Sifl and Olly fame?

Sifl and Olly - Songs- Llama School

1 comment

I'm finally switching mobile service providers again, mostly because we can save some serious money if we're both on Cingular. T-Mobile also doesn't work very well in a lot of the places I've needed it to, (see: most of my road trip) though it's been far better than Sprint.

I used to work in wireless, and I know I want a phone that I can get email on and do a bit of work-related stuff easily, but that has some fun and useful features too. I have a sneaky suspicion it will be my birthday present, so if the most exciting thing about it is that I can get powerpoint on it, I'd be a bit bummed.

Here's the selection Cingular has in our area: Treos, a few Blackberries (yuck) and the 3125, which I like for the clamshell. (I am a notorious purse-caller. Hello? My chapstick would like to say hi, apparently.) I still adore my Sharp TM 150, since it takes great photos and is quite intuitive. I've never been one to carry my phone around in my pocket, either, so it doesn't matter if it's Zoolander-size. A decent camera is a must. A music-enabled phone would be nice, since I seem to not be able to keep an iPod alive.

Any ideas, friends of the Lazyweb?

I love love love a 4-day weekend.

I had a post kicking around in my head about how my self-induced ankle injury causes me to fall over onto tables and into walls because I'm too stubborn to use crutches. Also a post about how yoga at home instead of in the shala is great, really. I'm learning how to do poses that I can do, instead of trying to look like the best one in the class, because, hello, I'm the only one trying to remember Sanskrit and turn into a pretzel in this house. It's hard to compete with myself. Though one more week and I'll probably find a way.

I also want to post about the sour cream rolls I'm making for Thanksgiving with The Indie Kids, but I haven't any yeast, so that's right out. Can't make 'em yet. And who knew you needed corn syrup for so many things? I dislike corn syrup in general, but apparently it's a must for pecan pie. Boo!

Instead, I want to know where I can buy a Wii in Boston. Where? Where are you? There is a hard-working man in this house who needs one for Christmas-come-early.

In summary: 4 day weekends revolving around food = awesome.

What's your favorite music for a Sunday morning?
Submitted by Nick.

Coltrane for chilling, Aretha if it's cleaning day.

Blue Train

John Coltrane

Young, Gifted and Black

Aretha Franklin

Thanksgiving is one of my very favorite holidays. I nearly always have at least two Thanksgivings to attend, one of which is typically cooking for large groups of my friends, with a good percentage of vegetarians. Cooking a traditionally meat-heavy holiday for discerning veggies is always a challenge, but one I enjoy: it involves a lot of side dishes, and there's more meat for the rest of us.

A good balance in a mixed herbivore/omnivore crowd is usually 50/50 meats and non-meats, because there's always one or two vegetarians who break after the 3rd glass of gluwein.

I have a bunch of things bookedmarked at del.icio.us, including the now-famous butternut squash lasagne. I find having a main course style dish for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike gives it the all-important inclusiveness.

I'm trying my hand at pecan pie this year for the first time - I've never been much of a baker since it's too precise for me, but it's worth a shot!

Do you have favorites, non-meaty or otherwise? (I'm sure this will be a QOTD this week, but...)

Thank you for coming out in the rain and voting. Thank you for exercising your right to vote as though it was something you earned rather than something you're owed. Thank you for coming out in favor of your values, for change, for a helluva interesting election. Good show, yall! Thank you for being the kind of place where the voice is with the people, and we can wake up the next day with new and interesting challenges for everyone. How awesome is that?

Thank you, Massachusetts, for voting in the second black governor in the US who is a KILLA public speaker, like church preacher good. Thank you for not giving in to negative advertisements and scare tactics.Thank you for Christy Mihos, the funniest independent candidate I've ever seen. Dear Christy: please get your own TV show. Preferably animated.

Thanks to voters, for coming right at 7 am when I was still counting ballots. Thank you for waiting in long lines and through broken machines and for the three who ran in, soaking wet, right at 9 to get your vote in. You looked like you had a hard day at work. Thank you.

On a more personal poltics note: thank you to our beloved Montana for electing Jon Tester. Our home state of Virginia, I know you'll do the right thing and confirm Jim Webb, veteran and miltary family man, the guy in his son's jump boots instead of the guy who decorated with a noose.  Thanks to Arizona for denying a gay marriage ban. South Dakota, thank you for voting against the abortion ban. Missouri, thanks for voting your heart to elect Claire.

Thanks to Michael J. Fox for taking one on the chin for all of us. I don't know if you know this, but you're still my hero, and not just for having kicked ass on a hoverboard way back when.

It's cliched, but heartfelt: God bless America. Even if your team lost, let's try to find a way forward from here, shall we?

Blue mass

Tomorrow I'll be working at our local polling place, helping you the voter from 6AM to whenever.  I read today that if you picture yourself voting, you're more likely to go and actually do so. Remember - you don't get to complain if you don't hold up your end of this crazy American experiment.

I can't get this video to embed on Vox, but [this is good].

she can't vote, but you can.

As for me, I want to vote for people who respect the same things I do. A candidate who thinks for their peeps. Someone who wants to give everyone the freedom to marry who we want to, rather than having to hide our true selves away and destroying families and communities in the process. Who thinks kids all deserve an education, soldiers should be protected like the heroes that they are, and someone who admits that we got 99 problems and all, but still believes that there's a better tomorrow.

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

You know, like this guy, except he's not running. (right now.)