The move is made

AFter just over 2 solid years of blogging here, I'm happy (w. a tinge of sadness) to announce that this will be the last post at this address. I've already started blogging over at severebass.com/blog, but there will definitely be no more updates here. To view the archives in a way that will let you still connect w. the new stuff, please visit the archives. Thanks for reading folks and I hope to see you commenting on the new blog!

See ya there!

MOVING!

No, not physically.

But I am working on some of the shite ahve outlined below n that means moving to a new format. I may keep this blog up and running and use it for a few more personal posts, but for the most part, everything that is new is going to be found here:

SEVERE BASS

Note that it's currently a wordpress site, but soon enuff it should actually be found here:

severebass.com/blog

Not yet tho - but soon enuff!

It's been a long time since I started this blog (the first 10 posts were more of a joke then anything else), but I've been trying to maintain it since moving out here to California and I'm really glad I have. However, it's time to move forward and get things into a format I have more control over (and am happier with). So if you wanna keep checking out the score, start following me over at wordpress. Thanks for checking in and please be aware - things are only going to get better!

I'll eventually archive this blog over there as well, but not yet b/c I still feel like a Luddite.

ONWARD!

Off ta quite a start...

Altho ah am aware that ah am daein a TERRIBLE job bloggin regularly as ah promised in my last post, ah feel like ahm makin considerable progress in many of the projects ahm hopin ta undertake this year....

First up, ahm werkin on my web presence. Ah am in complete fawkin awe of people who really use thar online presence to engage with people all ovah tha world. How small tha internet is doesn't cease to amaze me. In particular, ahm really blown away with how Amanda Fucking Palmer (of Dresden Dolls fame) seamlessly blends her life with her fans. Tha woman organizes ninja gigs via twitter (where she shows up for 30 minutes at a park w. a keyboard, announcing said gig only a couple hours prior via her twitter account), sent us pics from tha woman's room at tha grammys, and makes a personal connection to her adoring fans. Of kerse, it doesn't hurt that she already was a fucking rock start before all this stuff came to play, but it's really inspiring. Through her I've started following a couple other (significantly less known, but still famous/popular in thar own right) musicians and keep seeing one life lead into tha next. This is tha kinda game ah wanna play!

Unfortunately, as it stands ah only use social networking to furtha my own inanity fer tha most part these days. So ahve realized that ah need a comprehensive website that has room fer growth, and makes it easy fer me ta manage my otha online profiles/etc. Thars a ton of musician-related sites out thar that ahm just nawt utilizin - but ah hope fer that ta change. Howevah, ah can't just jump in n git started - in ordah ta maintain control of my presence, ah must create it intentionally. This is a bit bewildering - now.

One of tha reasons ahm gittin more n more excited about daein stuff of this nature is ah believe ahve found a cohort fer Severe Bass. Steve is a very tasteful guitar player I've been jammin w. this month, n he really seems ta git it. We werk well togetha, he puts some very cool (n different then what ahve been hearing, which is great) parts and notes in/on my tunes, n ah think he's havin fun with it too. We're still down a drummer (thanks flakers!), but ahm much more enthusiastic about movin forward w. this stuff now that ahm pretty sure one of tha right people is on board.

Ta prepare fer some of this, ahve been thinkin about long-term n short-term accomplishments that must happen ta make sure ah git all this eventually accomplished, n ta dae that, ahve started usin a self-imposed work plan that is at least a few months ahead of me so ah ken feel like ahm werkin towards it. January's goals were as follows:

• Organize Electronic Communications (ASAP)


• implement hosting on websites I own (learn from wtb)


• look into ways to link existing communications


• eventually create facebook fan group


• discontinue any wastes of time


• Prepare desktop for quicker assimilation to laptop (by MLK Jr Day)


• Become familiar with laptop functions and become proficient with the necessary applications (Word processing, html, basic image manipulation, spreadsheet, etc.).
• Pick a sustainable OS (Feb 1)


• Investigate open office, ubuntu potential


• Actually learn some image manipulation

Unfortunately, ah can't say ahve actually done all this stuff. While ahve started on tha organizin electronic communications, n have gawten much closah ta hostin my own domain names, ah haven't gawten down ta any of tha nuts n bolts yet. Ah have slimmed down my desktop, n made sure that pretty much anythang ahma wanta use on both tha desktop n tha laptop have been put on my external drive - but last nite when werkin on my laptop, ah apparently screwed up royally in settin up ubuntu, n ahm currently waitin on my comp ta dae a fresh install - boo.

Howevah, tha point of this is nawt so much ta be on my own internal-schedule (altho that would be nice), but more that ah am thinkin about this kind of stuff in what ah believe is tha rite way. That by takin time ta lay down solid foundations now, ah will nawt end up limitin myself in tha future. Also, ahm daein this as DIY (er at least as on-tha-cheap) as possible, n that is in line w. my work ethic, hah.

Ahm also keepin this thang in mind - this is what ah came up w. a few weeks ago tha nite aftah Deviants Online, in that ah have a "mission statement". Ah am pretty happy w. what both the goals outlined, as well as tha broad range of ways ta interpret said mission statement, n hope that it ken help steer me in tha right direction. Fer those curious:

"My long term plans should be centered around saving the world with as many tools as ah ken utilize, & ensuring that incorporates my personal understanding of how universally positive & accessible musick is as a positive force for change."

Easy enuff right? So let's git started....

First post of tha new year/decade

Damn, it's already been over two weeks of this new year n ah havent gawten around ta postin SHITE fer ya yet! My apologies...tha new year has kicked off w. a bang n ahm anticipatin it ta be a really busy one.

Ahm havin kind of a hard time figurin out which post it is ah want ta write: tha "heres all tha cool thangs ah was up ta recently, w. a little bit of a new perspective ahm takin towards myself n my environment", OR the "holy shite am ah excited about my potential future n tha steps ahm takin ta git closah to it". Ah feel like ah don't have tha perspective fer the second one yet, so instead ahm gaein ta hafta save all of my evil-genius typed plans fer anutha time when they are a little more articulated. Altho ah do admit that when ah write down goals n what ah wanna dae ta make them happen, ahm much more inclined ta follow thru.

So, what have ah been up ta so far? NYE was kinda quiet, watched some fireworks from my roof. Then my cousin came by for a few more days n we jammed some more (Will try to post a video at some point). Since then it's been logistics n busy-times-at-werk, n band practices, n some dates. Also, a really killah punk rawk show last weekend for Agnostic Front kicked some freakin ass at thee Parkside fer thar 25th anniversary tour.

As a lil precursor to what ah mentioned above, ah also attended a very inspirin n illuminatin session of Deviants Online, hosted by the truly wondahfull Sarah Dopp which gawt my thought bubbles churnin out some ideas of what ah want Severe Bass n my web presence ta look like this year. Supplemental to that, ah bought a laptop which ah have spent almost no time playin w. just yet. Ah think ahm still gittin used to tha idea...

Anyway, expect some more info from me at a latah point in time. This week is SUPER-CRAZY-BUSY, as ah have two band practices today, a Wee the Band show tomorrow w. a new vocalist, more band practice on Wednesday, n then a late night Tando show on Thursday w. a new guitarist (Anutha berklee cat!)

Ah also have gawten some more drums on loan that look n sound pretty sweet - pics will be comin latah.

Will be back once that's all taken care of (n will try nawt ta slack so much on postin blogs!)

Goals for 2010

Ahve prolly said it before on this blog, but Ah Don't Believe in New Years Resolutions. Ahm all about personal improvement, n appreciate that it does facilitate many people examinin thar lives n makin conscious efforts to better themselves. Howevah, ah always have thought that if thar was somethang you should fix about yerself, you should implement it as soon as possible, hopefully immediately upon realizin this. Ahll admit, ah can't always implement change immediately myself, but think that ahm relatively good at fixin my bad traits (if ah wish ta dae so at least).

However, 2010 seems pivotal to me, n ah think that havin some concrete goals to work for (n hopefully accomplish) will be helpful in reachin more of my potential this year. These are subject to change, howevah, tha initial spirit will try ta be kept if edits are made.

So here's Severe's List of Goals for 2010:

• Put together both a video and written solicitation to approach potential sponsors with (ie, bass guitar and amplifier manufacturers). Research the best way to go about initiating contact


• Related to above, have done at least preliminary recording for Severe Bass w. band, if not having recorded EP (hopeful)


• Continue attending Bikram yoga at LEAST 2 x per week, hoping to create an average that is closer to 3. Do at LEAST one double - preferably back-to-back if attainable.


• Attend bike maintenance course


• Garden with as much available space as possible in Spring/Summer 2010, paying attention to conditions and recommended crops


• Get a raise at work


• Take a vacation for myself


• Finish reviewing every taqueria in the Mission for Burrito-Quest!

This list is a work in progress

2010, Comin round tha bend....

Holy shit wow 2009 is almost done with. Whoo-wee! Ahm lookin forward to tha new year, THA FUTURE!

Ahve been in a fight w. December - ah figured tha only way ta make it thru this month was ta come out fists blazin. First thang first, ah took a day off, n gawt sick. As ah was recoverin, ah scouted ta nova (see below - man, ahve been slackin this month on writin journal posts). Work was nutso, n ah mae sure ta keep every second ah had outside booked w. auditionin a new WTB vocalist (hopin she works out - sings real nice n knows her shite!), auditionin my own band (Drummers already flaked - we'll see if tha guitarist sticks around), musick, sfbc outreach trainin (so ah ken werk tha sweet places), xmass gift shoppin, cutting off my goatee, n of kerse, tha holidaze in Buffalo.



Tha turbulence before tha Great Lakes was one of tha worst ahve evah experienced, but ah made to n from BNIA without much problem. Buffalo was a mixture of sleep, food, family, and booze. Ah believe mom counted 35 er so people overall - 5 of which were between tha ages of 3 months n 8 years, which were (ahem) uber-cute n hella fun.

Sadly, nawt a single fawkin picture was taken as far as ah know at this Xmass, which was a really really good one.

December has pretty much backed off, altho ah did throw up aftah yoga fer tha first time evah (wtf), n ahm feelin pretty good about everythang. Thar was anutha surprise, from my alma mater....ahll extrapolate at a latah time.

Tomorrow is tha last day of 2009. Ah can't say 2009 was a bad year - plenty of good stuff happened (n nawt much bad). Just that ahm supah fawkin excited about 2010.

Instead of new years resolutions, ahma set some quantifiable goals fer myself in 2010. Expect me ta be postin/editin them soon.

2010 is when it all comes togetha people (altho maybe ah said that last year, hah!)

Good times in pictures

My trip home was nawt all emo reflection howevah - ah did have a rawkin time, despite tha logistics....

Ah left my house at 5:45 AM on Thursday mornin ta catch a 7:30 flight, n arrived about when ah was supposed ta. Then ah went out fer way too much veggie food at my favorite NOVA veg restaurant Sunflower. Aftahwerds ah gawta margarita w. my boy Damian - Damian is actually one of my newer friends in NOVA, even tho we've been hangin out fer ovah a decade now.

Friday ah was off ta lunch w. some of my old SUUSI girls, n then ah swung by my organizations DC office fer a couple hours ta speak geek n databases. Ah met up w. tha fabulous Jen Hitt fer some musick, n then it was off ta a party consistin of a bunch of my friends n burners. Well, Jen n Todd had SOME non-burner friends ah guess :)

Tha party was a good time...it lived up to it's West Coast promises, which wasn't entirely my fault. My homeboy E. Jay brought a djembe which facilitated hippy dance-times, n all tha burners brought thar open-minds n crap. Howevah tha burner world did turn out two wondahful surprises as well.

Oh yeah, pictures:

Ah made sure ta eat seth before he left

Ah must've had a grand experience howevah, cuz ah even freestyled near tha end of tha nite, somethang thas only happened a half a dozen times at most. It requires a very particular blend of intoxication n comfortability, as well as feelin like ah have somethang ta rap about.

Tha guy next ta me was cool but also a lil obvious in how much he was tryin ta git laid, n also needed more songs ta sing at parties

Then it snowed. Ah fergawt ta git pictures, but ah didn't like that. No sir, ah didn't like that bullshit. Howevah, ah gawta cute pic of me w. Todd that mornin:


He just looks so happy ta be next ta me

Finally ah went back ta NOVA n had dinnah w. E. Jay n my rents:


N then ah wrote tha previous post when he left.

Ah did indeed stay up all nite my last evenin in NOVA. Grabbed some Z's on tha plane, n tha second ah gawt back ah was in full-motion. First thangs first, ah werked my usual shift at tha yoga studio. Then ah went home fer a couple hours, had some food, n went back to tha yoga studio ta finish up. Aftah some (result-less) shoppin, ah was back w. enuff time ta snack, showah, n git dressed fer tha SF Bike Coalition Winter Fest. Ah like tha SFBC, n ah like pourin beer fer them (partially cuz ah always end up gittin a few free ones that way). W. tha combination of everythang, ah gawt apparently really hammered.


Ah remembah havin a good time, but ah don't remembah who these people are

Then ah rode home in tha rain. Awesome, really it was.

Whew! WTB is auditionin vocalists this week, ah am meetin w. two guitarists n one potential drummer fer Severe Bass, n gaein to tha Symphony on Saturday. Also our new roommate moved in. N it's been cold as shit (in tha low 40s!)

December, ahma kick yer sorry ass! You'd bettah git outta here before we git intae it....