Awesome thang about tha Food Co-Op

Is bulk dried hummus (aka chickpeas n prolly some dehydrated tahini type thang) fer like 4 somethang a pound. A lil watah, some olive oil, spices (paprika n ground chili this time around) n you have cheap tasty spreadable goodness. Let tha experimentation begin!

News Flash: Health Care sucks

Fer those of you who haven't seen Sicko, health care is lame. A brief background that ah may nevah have typed out:

In sept of 2005 ah overused my hand rite hand (Thas what she said) while werkin at the United States Patent n Trademark Office (as a proofreader - ah really ken spell actually) to tha point whar ah could barely use it. Ah saw a PMRT (Physical/Preventative Medicine and Rehabilitative Therapist) doctor who treated me fer pain w. gizmos like mild electric shock, heat, n ultrasound. This made it feel sorta bettah er a lil while.

Since then this has gawten bettah n then worse n then betta n then worse, etc., until now it pretty much hurts my whole arm/shoulder from time ta time. Weird unhealin n overuse (hello computahs n bass geetars) n compensatin fer injury has screwed up most of my right arm - altho nevah at tha same time. Every day, every hour sometimes, a different part of it hurts - w.o much method it seems. Most disturbin, is sometimes a fingah twitches - most recently these days is tha middle one on my rite hand. This bugs tha FAWK outta me n freaks me out. Since Feb. of this year it has appeared 3 times, most recently this week. Tha last two times it has eventually just kinda disappeared but ah don't know exactly why.

Ah started yoga n acupuncture n some exercises when ah moved here cuz ah finally had tha time n willpowah. Thangs have gawten much bettah - tha wrist itself rarely bothers me, mostly just pain in otha parts of my arm/shoulder, sporadically. N finally ahve been gittin "proper" medical treatment - gaein thru tha rigamarole of a general practitioner referrin me ta a specialist, who referred me ta hand therapy. Hand therapy is nawt blowin me away - n they want me ta wear a splint at nite. Whatevah, fine. But ahm startin ta think ahm best just daein what ahve been daein n spendin money on a massage from time ta time.

Today my follow up visit to tha specialist was pretty blah. He told me ah definitely have mild (very mild almost) nerve problems in both hands givin me Carpal Tunnel. Most of my pain is nawt actually from that. B/c its mild, he cannot recommend anythang but a splint n hand therapy, but wants me ta nawt fergit about eventually gittin surgery - he guesses ahll need it in 15 er 20 years. Ta stop tha twitchin he recommended Aleve - as an anti-inflammatory. Wonderful.

Tha most obnoxious thang about this is ah needed a day off werk sick ta just git to tha general practitioner fer tha original referral. N b/c ahm in an HMO, ah am stuck to my location - my specialist could only refer me to hand therapy in tha east bay, n my gp could only refer me to a specialist in my group. So ahve been travellin ta oakland durin work hours (thank you sick leave) cuz its tha only place/time ah ken git treatment. If ah switched groups, ahd hafta see my new gp AGAIN, git referred to ANUTHA specialist, n then FINALLY therapy. WHACK!

Excitin stuff, huh? Is this what grownups blog about? How awful ta be growin up - at least ah live in a slummy apartment ta feel young!

Mid-July? You are SO full of shite...

it's nawt actually July 21st. Fer one thang, it hasn't gawten above 60 in a week. Coldest wintah indeed.....

It bein mid-July means that GA was like almost a month ago already n that is just hard ta fathom - it feels like way longah then that.

Ontae otha thangs tho - ahm actually kinda comfortable in my crazy house. Doesn't mean ahm nawt kinda lookin fer a place ta live that doesn't have church downstairs every day, er buses gaein past it 24-7, just means that ahm adaptin a bit bettah then ah may have expected. Ah mean, ah still have serious furniture issues (a real dresser n a decent lamp) ah haven't figured out yet.

Tha boys from that jawbreaker cover band emailed me today - 3 weeks aftah ah last wrote them. Since then ahve seen them repost thar call fer bassist/vocalist at least twice. Bottom line? nawt interested in werkin w. people who don't follow through. Nawt ta mention at tha last practice tha guitar playah couldn't play half tha tunes we'd talked about daein (n ah dont mean ta be a snob, but if you don't know whar whats F n whas F#, ahm nawt sure if we should be werkin togetha). It would've been nice, but me n flakes don't git along too well, so it's fer tha best.

Today it rained a lil bit, which was especially awesome b/c ah nawt only biked ta werk, but gawt thar n realized ahd left my lunches on my bed. Ah don't mind payin fer lunch from time ta time, but if ahd let tha poor tupperwares hang out in my hawt room all day, they would've gawn bad by tha time ah gawt home (mac n cheeze). So, ah spent my lunch break pedallin back to my house n then back ta werk. Thas about a 9 mile roundtrip. Ah might nawt've minded if it wasn't so grey n cloudy n borderline rainy.....

N ah watched Combat Shock last evenin, a Troma movie from tha mid-80s. This movie is on tha list of "Most disturbing movies ever made" that ah have in some horror movie book from my teenage years - from it ahve learned about such classics as Eraserhead, In a Glass Cage, n Maniac ta name just a few. Combat Shock was nae dissapointment - low-budget of kerse, but incredibly grim n disturbing. Franky is a Vietnam vet who may er may nawt have slaughtered tons of his fellow men (yes, a la Jacobs Ladder, although ah think this is oldah) with an ugly wife n mutated baby (a la Eraserhead, yes), living in run-down NYC where life gets worse every day. It's convincing in its grimness however, and obviously a labor of love - tha final scene is depressing as hell but hard to turn away from (Although it ends pretty much exactly how you mite think). Fer those who share my appreciation fer twisted art - please give this one a test drive. But ah can't imagine many actually enjoyin this......

Anyway, ahm home early, nawt gaein ta yoga cuz tha extra bike ride set my whole day off n now ahm grumpy. Hmph. Perhaps ahll make somethang tasty ta make up fer it....

Back in RED!

TA-DA!

Great idea, far from perfect:

We've gawt these pretty handy filters here at werk called tha MiniMinit One Cup Coffee Filters that werk great fer tea when yer on tha road, campin, etc. Observe:



Ah have some awesome coffee that ah bought from my buddy Arpie at General Assembly. Arpie sells Fair Trade Coffee (note tha coffee cup chalice) that is some of tha best coffee ahve evah had. Ahve brought in a small bag of this ta werk b/c tha house blend french roast is a bit gross here, n want to make my own brew.

Tha MiniMinit werks okay - granted, its hard ta git as strong a cup as ah like, n thars potential spillage problems w. tha coffee grounds, but tha jist is thar. Tha downside - by tha time yer coffee has finished "steepin" (cuz its nawt roastin), its lukewarm. N heatin up a freshly made cup of coffee is lame.

Ahm sorry ah dont have anythang more interestin ta blog about at tha moment, but am sworn ta secrecy.....

Ah should be asleep....

but ahm nawt cuz tha mexican bar across tha street is playin musick really loud. Ah think they have live bands on Sundays, but haven't checked it out as of yet. Tonights bass player is a bit more interesting then most nights.

My brutha Marc and his new fiance Kelly came into town this weekend which was awesome. They were pretty much just in time fer dinnah n then tha think13 show at tha House of Shields, which totally rawked. My old Berklee friends The Tand kicked off tha nite w. some killah blues-rawk, promptin everyone ta tell me "They're really good!" They seemed ta enjoy themselves as well, n think13 played a rawk show ta a pretty decent crowd, considerin that tha only folks thar REALLY wanted ta see us. Tha HOS has a very strange set up - tha band plays on a 10 x 10 (ish) balcony above n to tha back of tha main bar floor, n thars a projection screen that shows tha downstairs crowd whas happenin. So unique, but has its sound issues.

All in all though, a great nite - we definitely had a blast n ah was very glad ta hang out w. my old buddies, new friends, n my brutha n his girl. Like we're adults n all that. Today we checked out tha Stern Grove Festival n saw a decent rock/funk/middle eastern band in a ridiculously cool outdor venue. Very minimalistic backing, and then log-seating up some relatively steep california park slopes w. huge trees everywhar - FOR FREE! Only in San Francisco. Aftahwerds we briefly looked at what may be tha most schmancey chinese restaurant in tha city, n then ate at one a lil less extravagant (while still on a roof) n shared a bottle of wine ahve been keepin chilled since ah fawkin moved here in my BACKYARD (cuz ah totally have one!).

Here's me n tha bro at tha Chinatown entrance (yes, ah need ta chill out more in front of photos, n yes ahm temporarily blonde, full update on that coming):

Ahm SOOOO Old....

Ah just turned down a booty call. Cuz ah just gawt home, haven't showered, n want ta have all my energy togetha fer tomorrow.

On tha otha hand, ah started my new work trade at my bikram studio n that is supah sweet.

Sleepin alone,
Mr. Humble Observer

yep

click to enlarge (thats what she said)

more graph humor and song chart memes

thanks graphjam!

Review from a while back

Ah fergawt ta post tha Soilent Green review from Metal-Realm.net when they posted it. Here's the link:

Soilent Green - Inevitable Collapse in the Presence of Conviction

N here's a sneak preview of the Opeth review ah just finished while ahm at it (cuz ah don't know how long it mite take fer them ta put it up):

Opeth – Watershed

Opeth’s best and worst attribute is that their albums come with a large amount of anticipation and generally high expectations. They are some of the most technically skilled musicians in the modern metal scene as well as some of the most diverse and subtle, so there’s a reason they are pretty much the only progressive atmospheric metal band out there that can tastefully and effectively blend beautiful instrumentals with pounding rhythms, guitar pyrotechnics with lush melodies, etc. etc. Watershed starts off as one would expect – a soft acoustic song exploring the differences in Mikael Akerfeldt and guest vocalist Nathalie Lorichs vocal styles and setting you up for the crunch of “Heir Apparent,” which is a great transition – the first time you hear it.

With every other song clocking at over 7 minutes, there seems to be a lacking of original parts in some of them. “Heir Apparent” and the following track “The Lotus Eater” sound almost identical when one ends and the other begins, which might be the point, but when you’ve only got 7 tracks (and one of them is “Coil” the acoustic intro), I kind of expected a little more diversity. The songs do switch up the vibe rather effectively, and some of the best moments are when switching back and forth from driving angry musical blasts and the fast but still well played acoustic moments. But contrast is not necessarily enough to make a strong album, and after the second listen, this album begins to drag. Especially obnoxious is the last minute or so of “Burden,” which features out-of-tune acoustic guitar and then some smarmy laughing at the end of it. Hey Opeth – when Type O Negative plays a joke on it’s listeners, at least they don’t make it last more then 20 seconds. The production is great, although the bass is a bit behind the mix then I like (but I’m a bassist so that could just be my opinion), and the overall sound is air-tight, although anything less would be a monumental disappointment.

Finally, for an album that screams to be digested in one sitting, the last track “Hex Omega,” is completely unnecessary. The second-to-last track, “Hessian Peel,” puts pretty much everything out on the table and leaves you feeling somewhat satisfied. By throwing another track on the end of what is already a 48 minute album, it gives the whole thing the feeling it wasn’t completely thought out. Not to mention that “Hex Omega,” doesn’t explore any musical territory that hasn’t already been done (almost to death) in the preceding 5 tracks. There’s also a large amount of self-indulgent guitar playing that I noticed after I’d digested the album as a whole.

It’s not a bad album by any means – there are some great riffs in this track, some very cool progressions and phenomenal guitar playing. But when you expect a little bit more from a band that is as polished and professional as Opeth, it leaves sort of a bad taste in your mouth and seriously takes away from it’s ability to be revisited over and over again. The determination in “Watershed” is obvious, but some of the focus is lost, and that makes for a more-then-slightly uneven album. Which is a shame, because there’s hints at greatness spread throughout.

Rating: 6 out of 10

oh tha mission....

Just as ah finished my last post, a group of street musicians started up some mexican musick in close proximity ta my street. ah hear upright bass n accordion, altho ah can't see them (othawise you would totally git a picture).

How ahve usually done my "year in review"...

Those of you who know me mite think ahm a pretty introspective guy. Ah won't argue w. that - ahm especially intae anniversaries n thangs along those lines. Fer many MANY years while ahve appreciated tha new year as a new beginnin, whar ahve REALLY gawten my "new beginnins" from is summer UU hippy-type conferences. This started at SUUSI, as ah came back from my first year thar a changed person. Tha years that ensued, ah noticed growth. Summer is often more of a time ta reinvent yerself then January anyway, n as SUUSI became constant (more so then otha thangs in my life), ah started feelin like that was my way of markin 1 more year.

Eventually, SUUSI turned intae opus. Ah remembah tha first year ah missed a summer conference - n it felt like stagnation. It was hard ta git a new handle on my life n whar ah was gaein w.o trekkin off ta some campus er woods n spend in a few days w. engagin, challengin, n unconditionally lovin people. Tha next year ah was determined - so determined ah spent 2 days in a dyin car w. someone who drove me absolutely nuts.

But, it werked. Ah came back from these thangs a new person - n many times w. a completely different take on bass playin. Ah was able ta judge myself n whar ah was gaein (n wanted ta be gaein) so much bettah fer those days of isolation n (at least sometimes) relaxation.

N now, thars this year. Now, ah did indeed gae ta a summer UU conference - tha largest one out thar actually. But GA happens in convention centers in cities - nawt relaxed college campuses er idyllic wilderness retreats. N GA is bizness - while thar is definitely a social aspect, n thar are some workshops n worships that are more spiritually enlightenin then othas, GA makes nae qualms about bein about tha bizness - so thas what you git outta it.

Don't think ahm complainin - ahve had some really good times at this GA n GA's past. Highlights from this year included naked Atlantic swimmin past midnite in watah unbelievably warm - somethang ahve nawt always found at otha more social conferences. N GA challenges ya ta evaluate yer UUism, somethang you ken git away w.o daein at otha conferences. But it didn't recharge me in tha same way - especially w my volunteer position endin when it did (which is a blessin in many ways, but still leaves me a lil sad).

So ahm left in a place whar ah dont quite know how ta proceed - ah feel ahm on tha cusp of some really great thangs here in SF (altho my room is totally a mess n ah cant imagine bein here past october), but ah dont have that same place ta come from whar ah feel renewed n ready fer action. Instead, ahm almost in a place whar ahm just daein tha same thang since ah left off. While thas nawt entirely true, its also nawt entirely false.

While thars still a million ways ah ken re-engage w. myself n tha communities around me, thar is one fact - as great as GA ken be (n ah really enjoyed this year), it's nae Opus er SUUSI. N ah dont know exactly what ta dae about that.

Runnin a stop sign in El Cerrito

Costs $93.