You Want To Be In The Band?

Anybody interested in long-distance (or short-distance) audio fun?

Accordionistas? Folkies? Spoken wordies? Anybody with a mic?

Email you know who and say "I'm in." Could be fun!

SoundCloud: The Tour from SoundCloud on Vimeo.

Glad You Asked

What's the funniest thing I've seen in a while? It's the "Early Rap Topics" meme that overtook a certain corner of Twitter today. (Better than #slatepitches, which is saying a lot.)

Mixed Media

Media Item #1: Switzerland



Media Item #2: The Criminally Underated Catherine Feeny

Sara and I were lucky enough to catch Come Gather Round Us in a few settings, including a furniture store and rickety house. They are fantastic. Capital "F."
One of their members, Catherine Feeny, has a new solo record streaming at her site and she's also playing at Mosgo's on October 3rd. Those are high-quality songs, people. Try "The Bell and the Anchor" or "People in the Hole."

S-Pain

So I bought T-Pain's iPhone app, which is basically Auto-Tune and a few Auto-Tune enabled Karaoke songs. You sing, it pitch-shifts you. This is the first experiment, where I asked Sasha to talk in to the mic. She asks to watch Yo! Gabba Gabba on the iPhone instead. I took that clip, loaded it into Audition, cut it up a bunch, found some beats, and did this.

Carribbean Update

I got a sore throat, showing signs Sunday. Fever, night sweats, acute pain when swallowing and talking.

By Thursday we were in a hospital where English might be the third most-spoken language. Maybe second. Either way, it amplifies my empathy for ESL speakers, especially parents, in the States.

Diagnonsis: Strep throat. The Dutch-accented doctor sent me along with some super-heavy antibiotics and a "I hope your wife doesn't get that." In/out = 1 hour. Sara's been superchamp about getting everyone cared for.

(As for the whole hospital experience, it was pretty cake. We called, he said come down, we did, and $70 (US) we were on our way. A few months ago I went in for strep and it cost $300. What the hell?

*********

So, that's the c0-dominant force in this otherwise awesome trip! I've been resting like there's no tomorrow, and during Sasha/Mike naps, Sara's been getting her pool/beach time in.

(I finally saw Project Runway and was happy to bid adieu to that freak who made the chicken+egg dress.)

Sara's skin is golden brown, and Sasha has yet to burn.

Normally I'd be all "Let's try Kitesurfing!" and "Let's go get lost!" and "Let's vandalize a McDonalds!" So, in a way, it's a good thing.



Sasha's also been enjoying the beach and pool, in mixed doses. Her attitude towards swimming pools has completely swung around. She really likes playing in the sand.

She also has been talking a lot, for no reason. "Who made that circle?" "There's an iguana...Why?"

We've been making the most of it, and it'd be stupid to complain about purely bad luck (someone remind me of this when I'm not on meds). Being sick is much easier on vacation, and letting it get the best of you is extra-senseless here.

I'm on the mend, and we've still got some exploring to to do! Sara's skin is golden brown, and Sasha has yet to burn. So far it's been a blast, and I'm excited to feel well enough to explore during our remaining time here.

East Boulder Lake, Trinity Alps

Seventeen more photos.

Grassacre

Goal: a drought-resistant, hassle-free, unique non-lawn that we can do ourselves on the cheap

The front fence became the walkway, no hardware was bought, and Sara timed the plant sales perfectly.

No watering system, no pesticides. Today I saw, for the first time, bees tapping the flowers.

We're not sure it was a good idea yet. Then again, I felt like a jerk pushing that mower around a lawn nobody used.

Eventually, we'll plant a tree of some sort. Until then, we wait for the rain.


Started:
September 2008

Completed:
August 2009

Wanderlust Festival

More photos.
New York Times story.


The Wanderlust Music & Yoga Festival had it's inaugural event this year, and the Dronks were lucky enough to go. It was in Lake Tahoe, high up in Squaw Valley's Gold Coast upper lodge. We went with Jess and Sean, hooking up with my folks and the Berris along the way.

The main stage was at 8,000 feet; you need a gondola ride to get to it. Best stage siting I've ever seen. Squaw Valley was beautiful in July.

Overall, it was a really fun show. A first-time event has it's issues, but the lineup was really refreshing. I love High Sierra and all that, but it was great to see bands we hadn't seen before (SJ/DK excepted). It was mostly indie rock, which led to a low twirler presence. Nobody offered us mushrooms.

In fact, it was sort of like being in an REI catalog: lots of outdoorsy Bay Area money and lots of yoga folks. Regardless, the manners were almost as good as the vibe. Sasha was joyful for the whole event: really cooperative and happy. Weatherwise, "hot" doesn't quite capture it, but it was a dry heat. That's good, right?


Day 1. Sasha went to Reno with Oma and Opa while we saw MC Yogi, Mutaytor, and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. We walked right by SJ/DK on our way in and managed to throw a thumbs-up their way. After hooking up with Jess and Sean, we watched former bus-driver Sharon Jones prove that she is the hottest 53-year-old on Earth.


Day 2. My folks leave, and we drive back up to Squaw Valley. Sara's yoga class left her sore and over it.

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings were great, including a "Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby" with Jenny Lewis. Lewis's set was pretty good.

I got a few minutes Gillian Welch after the show for a quick interview. New record underway. What's in the box? "Box stuff."

Spearhead canceled due to Michael Franti's ruptured appendix. Wanderlust pulled a Hail-Mary and got Common to fill in. His set was *awesome,* complete with a Tahoe-specific freestyle. Surprise highlight.

Also nice, a wall-size get-well card for Franti, which fans signed.


Day 3. A quick dip in Lake Tahoe proved fun. No yoga. No way.

The hugely likeable Mates of State, a husband/wife band who tour with their lil' kids, were epic. She plays the keys, he the drums, and they both sing. Belt, more accurately. Another musician helped fill out their shockingly full sound. We were both fans before, but now it's on a whole new level. Sasha, who loves MoS, napped through it.

I had a fun interview with them later, despite some sonic intrusion from a violinist 6 feet away. (Thanks, Andrew Bird.) After criss-crossing their path a while later, it seems that we're "Hi/Bye" friends.

Caught some Broken Social Scene, caught some William Fitzsimmons, caught some Andrew Bird. Also spotted Adrian Grenier (Entourage's Vincent Chase) walking around with a Spearhead man-purse.

We headed out to Yuba City to crash with Chris and Kim Berri. Sasha learned to beatbox ("Like Biz [Markie]!"). The Berris gave us homemade beer and and a bed to sleep in. We watched an extreme-cake show until 1am. Sasha loves Kim. So do we. Chris, too. Also: Shawn who watched Charlie and Eric who gave Casey her meds.


Day 4. Goodbye, Berris! Good people. Rolled out of Yuba after visiting one of the west's best: The Cookie Tree. Respect the CT.
Swam in the Eel. Listened to Mates of State. Came home. We're clean.

Glenn Beck

In the crowded arena of radio shouters, Glenn Beck unearths a new low at 3:00 minutes into the clip. The aftershock at 3:31 is just dessert.

I'm Not Dead Yet 1.1

(slight revision)

Short story: I have Strep, maybe MRSA, and an ear infection.

Some reports of my condition, while hopefully well-intended, are exaggerated. This has made life complicated, perhaps unnecessarily. Like, if you told someone you had Swine Flu, you'd have to go through that whole explanation about how pedestrian it usually is. Apples and oranges, but you get the idea.

I'm not an expert, but the doctor gave me no reason for alarm. Neither did my mom, who's a nurse. The doctor even said I could go out in public if I felt up to it. I don't, but it's good to know. I don't want to understate the situation, because MRSA can be bad news. But I'm taking the word of my doctor and my mom, who said "People get worked up about it, but you'll be fine in a few days."
_________

This thing came on pretty quick. I went to Urgent Care this morning because something didn't feel right. Every minute or so when swallowing, it felt like was someone closing their hand around my neck.

"Strep, for sure," said the doctor. "Looks like a truck ran over your throat."

Since I don't know anyone sick right now, it was odd. Halfway through the visit, I rolled up my sleeve and showed him this scab I had from a rugburn last week. "This isn't related, right?"

"Oh my," he said. This mostly-healed abrasion was infected.

So now I'm getting treated for MRSA.

No, it's not confirmed because he couldn't swab the abscess (since it was mostly healed up), but that was his theory. Yes, MRSA is actually treatable.

The doctor said unless you and I press open wounds together, I won't get you sick. Lots of people carry on their skin. It's common, I guess.

But yeah, he seemed unconcerned. My mom was more concerned about the Strep, which kills 400,000 people a year worldwide.

I'm buffing my house to a high gloss with biocide wipes, which may or not be necessary. I'm doing it anyway. Who doesn't like to wipe?

But wait! There's more!

The doctor was checking out my ears for some reason and said I have an outer ear infection. "You like Q-tips, huh?" So now I'm on two separate antibiotics. I'm going to miss Q-tips so much. I'd touch brain if that stupid eardrum wouldn't stop me.

______________

Sara, as always, is taking great care of me. She's making smoothie runs, buying antiseptic chemicals that we normally wouldn't have in the house, etc. She's healthy today, as is Sasha. Fingers crossed. I take care when sick, and feel strongly about containment. I feel better now than this morning, but I'm still running a fever.

In conclusion, this is a good time to rest, eat healthy, drink lots of water, and watch old Colbert Reports.

"Some People Say Rappers Don't Have Feelings"

"We have feelings.
Some people say we're not rappers.
It hurts our feelings when you say we're not rappers."

-Flight of the Conchords


So, we ("Z" and myself) wrote and recorded a rap until 3:30 am on Friday. That was a new experience.

I knew rap was difficult, but this was a surprise.

I'd post it here, but due to the nature of my job, it's over on my semi-anonymous co-MC's blog.
He's a better rapper than I, and it's got three samples from Clifford.

Go Iran

If you're going to only click one link, click here.

A guy at work used to do news and did a story on Iran. He said that it was one of the most wired countries in the world.

The election demonstrations are incredible, seeing them live-blogged is equally amazing. Despite turning off text messaging, Gmail, Yahoo, etc, we're still seeing this stuff more vividly than ever.

The stuff that's coming out of Iran (and beyond) is incredible in so many ways: censorship workarounds, Twitter, student bravery, picasa blogs, cops shooting into crowds, even sports coverage. If you scroll down some of those #iranelection feeds to when events were just heating up, it's shocking. A friend in Australia called it a tapestry of dissent.

The other day, someone said something that I'd never thought I'd feel: Go Iran.

Beach Living Has Perks

It's been fantastic weather, and we had a lil' picnic with the Smiths over at Bay Street.

The surf was really fun, and the kids ran themselves silly.



Also, the surf was really fun.

Palm Springs

Sara's mom turned 60 this weekend. She lives in LA, so we met her there and drove out to Palm Springs. Not bad livin' out there. Windy as all get-out, but we had a good time. We hit the Discovery Museum, did some shopping, and Sara and I got to go see "I Love You, Man," which was hi-larious.

We fly back tomorrow. Good times.

Postponed No More

The board fits on the bag.
The gear fits in the bag.
Marine forecast is great.
We canceled last year.
The flowers are out.
No chance of rain.
It's on!

That's Got To Hurt

"It was Mrs. Crafty, in the sewing room, with the rotary cutter."

Sara recounts the incident over at her craft blog. (She seems oddly proud, like a surfer who's been attacked by a shark. )

What was most creepy, from my view, was when she passed out. Both times, her eyes stayed open as her glasses were knocked askew.

You're right: that's less weird than the fact I retrieved and froze the meaty flesh-filet. Still there in the freezer. Wanna see?

More flickr gore.
________________________

Naturally, we've been comparing injury stories:

Mr. D reports that once, he put a chisel right into the meat of his palm.

Am told Mr. R apparently went into deep his own finger with a power saw. Almost lost it.

I've had my hand opened (and stitched closed) thanks to hobo dogs and river rocks.

You?

Great Shape (for dead)

We first heard that there was a white shark scare at Camel Rock. I was told Whitey was probably checking out the dead juvenile whale that bobbed around Trinidad before washing up on the right side of Houda point. What? A dead whale?
We're there!

Being whale-carcass afficionados, we went out on Saturday's low tide. Andy, Ava, Zeke and Owen came out, too. The whale was easy to find.

Suprisingly, it didn't have the throat-choking odor that often accompanies dead whales. It didn't smell good, but at least you could walk right up to it without your eyes watering.

Sasha and I talked about how the whale was slowly going back to nature. A surfer said a biology class came out the day before to remove some whale parts; does that count?

While there were some guts scattered about, it wasn't too decayed, probably because it was below the high-tide line. With that, though, is the constant trickle of shark-attracting odor washing into Humboldt's most popular surfing waters.

On that note, a surfer asked me if I knew anything about the recent white shark tagging operation. I knew nothing. He'd heard that someone was tagging (and presumably tracking) white sharks nearby. 10 had been tagged between the mouth of the Mad and Trinidad, he added.

Afterward, we wandered the beach, climbed rocks, drew sand pictures, and enjoyed the weather.

7'4 Fish

You're nerdy, flat, uncool, funny-shaped, and Deanna thought you were from Ikea.

I love you. Let's go away.

Haircut: FAIL

Sometime between plugging the clippers into the socket and applying them to my head, the little plastic blade guard fell off.

Of course, I fly out to a work conference tomorrow.

Sicko II

While Sasha was getting better, Sara was coming down with something. We thought it might pass, but no.

Sara's had this going on for nine days now, which was surely extended by the stress of a sick toddler. Today, she went in to see a doctor.

Confirmed: Bronchitis AND a fever.
Antibiotics: order up.

On the good side, Sasha is recovering well from her infections.

_____________

Down at my work, we've been really lucky for the last several days. We've had a wide range of talent stop by to do their thing. I think we've been scoring big (although I might re-EQ 2/9).

If you can grab podcasts from my work, check the four from February 6-10.

Sicko

Pinkeye is going around the daycare.
She also has a new ear infection and a fever.

We've been swabbing out eye-boogers since Saturday. For such sick kid, she's being a total champ. Most of the time, she's pretty chipper.

Today, she called handed me a toy ducky and said "Here, Mike."

Sara picked up something funky, too.

Extreme Sports

Eventually, one of these guys is going to be a meat waffle on the side of a mountain. Until then, this remains one of the most stunning things the internet has ever provided.

Seriously, though. How do you turn?

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