Erin just said...

I thought Monday Night Football was on Sunday

Every Colts Fan Ever

Slowly Gouging My Eyes Out : Part One

Since early Thursday morning i have been on a trip to Bend, OR. Let me rephrase that, the trip ended 3 hours after it began; however, the pain will not end until Sunday. My girlfriend's Aunt is celebrating her 50th birthday, and organized a gathering in Bend (Sun River) for her family. These are people i've either never known or only thus far moderately tolerated. That's a "me" thing though. They're not bad people, per se, i am. For every act of kindness that emanates from their character, i recoil in disgust. i've always preferred to be a bit removed when it comes to family gatherings. my own family is a bit more militant, argumentative, loud, angry...Italian. i take to this well, although many others do not.

Point being, i think i'm dealing well enough. However, i wouldn't call it enjoyable. Apparently, (this was not made clear to me prior to leaving Portland) Sun River was founded in order for people of wealth to partake in outdoor activities. As a person of only moderate wealth, i do not take part in outdoor activities. No, that's not true, it has nothing to do with wealth for me - i just don't care to jump in a river, hike a hill of lava, kayak, or "nature walk." i'm willing to go for a bike ride, but i'm not terribly interested in that either.

This paints me as a bit of an outsider to this group. i believe that all 15 of them would love to do nothing more with their lives than jump into rivers for the rest of their lives. i have always believed that we evolved with two legs for a reason: to never have to go into water again. it's not that i can't swim, but rather my body is not built for swimming. i cannot stay afloat and there's little anyone can do about it.

Until next time, here's to sitting outside the circle

Time for Definitions

ok, so far my blog has been:
Band Recommendations
Hockey News
Inside Jokes
and rantings

I need more of a focus. I think i'll keep the Band Rex section, and there's no way i'll stay quiet about the upcoming hockey season. but i need something else...

a major focus...

man, where'd i go

i don't post here anymore it would seem. no, it's just that i have like 8 other blogs...oh and a job.

Buffalo Where'd you Go?

Please allow me to rant for a bit...

Almost 20 years ago my family moved to a suburb of Chicago known as St. Charles, Illinois. We moved in October and my brother and I immediately hated Illinois, it was cold, dreary, uncomfortably foreign. Our neighborhood seemed to be filled with kids that were life-long friends, and we were simply outsiders (stay gold). I attended a school that is more well known for proximity to an infamous school for troubled boys (in fact, I've met transplants originally from Chicago that know what made St. Charles famous, and they always say, "ah, the bad boy school") whereas my brother was setup to attend his first year of what the Midwest (and now Northwest) call middle-school. Needless to say, we were unhappy for reasons that really had nothing to do with the Chicagoland area, but more to do with our selfish views on life.

Although it is always a good idea to rehash one's past and try to learn lessons in retrospect, this is supposed to be a post about the playoffs, so I'll get to the point. It was in Chicago that I learned to love sports. Interestingly, in the city that had just recently (within 5 years) won the Super Bowl, I became a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers whereas the Bears were my "second" team. That's since changed, as now I'm a Bears fan...Pittsburgh's just my "second" team. More importantly for this story, Chicago is where I learned what the hell hockey is. Over the 2 years I lived in the great state of Illinois, I became a fan of the Chicago Blackhawks. They were a tough team that featured dynamic characters at skill positions whilst maintaining their image as a team more willing to mix it up than to play dominant offensive hockey. They were an amazing team to watch growing up even after moving back to the Northwest.

Those 2 years in Chicago were important to who I became when we moved back to the Portland, Oregon area. I had a passion for things that were previously missing in my life, and I had become a hockey fan. I had also started the tedious journey of a Chicago Blackhawk fan. Easily the most maligned teams in all of the sporting world. I've watched all-stars leave the team, heroes be dealt, coaches forced out, players sign on just to fail and potential talent dealt away before it was realized. I've felt guilty for cheering on a team with an American Indian head as its logo, dirty rooting for a team that has the best looking sweaters (jerseys) and yet still made a black 3rd sweater (jersey), foolish for thinking that each year will be better when they were steadily worse from 1991 and downtrodden for criticizing them today for mistakes they made in 1992. Point being, I've been loyal, and will stay loyal.

At the same time, I had to find a way to be happy for 82 games every year. In 1992, I was able to find the way. Super Nintendo's first great hockey game was NHLPA '93. There were the Blackhawks that I had loved for 6 years now, Roenick, Chelios, Belfour and Larmer. And even though I would play with Chicago by default, so would my brother and all my friends. You see, the Blackhawks once really were that good (well, maybe it was more that Roenick was so good) and my friends really only knew hockey from me anyway; so, invariably Chicago was their team (if not, then Pittsburgh--kinda odd thinking about it). Like anyone realizing saturation, I looked elsewhere. I found a team from Buffalo, found out they were called the Sabres, and looked into their lineup.

I've always loved goaltenders, and Buffalo had 3!!! Darren Puppa (how could a 12 year old not love this name) and Clint Malarchuk were unbelievably good. Plus, I'd never seen a team have so many *chuks; from the aforementioned Malarchuk to Andreychuk and Hawerchuk. Years later the Red Wings would sport the OV line...paled in comparison to the Chuk team. Then, the coup de gras, an American center and a Russian winger named LaFontaine and Mogilny respectively. These two players were legends to me. I spent countless hours trying to find a way to get them into a Chicago sweater, alas all my solutions involved paying these players more than the league minimum. Thus, a Sabre fan was born.

I've followed Buffalo for 15 years now, only 2 more than I've followed Chicago, and at times I feel as though the Sabres really are my favorite team, even if they aren't "my team." They've had 4 near perfect teams in my lifetime, '94-'95, '98-'99 and '05-'06/'06-'07, my favorite is still the team from '95, but the one that made me realize I was a fan was the one that lost to a technicality in '99. In a way, it was that moment when I realized that the Sabres were the right team for me. From the time I decided to like any sports team (excluding the Bulls), they'd followed a track record of let downs (those keeping score: cubs, sox - both, bears, steelers (fucking neil o'donnell), blackhawks). I was sure that leaving Chicago and Boston sports teams behind for Buffalo would be the answer.

And now, we're down 3-1 to Ottawa, after a season of determination where the Sabres ran (nearly) wire to wire leading the league in points.

They say, somethings never change; but, here's to when they do.

Album Challenge2 : Herbert "Scale"

Brian: so you didn't like Scale?
Josh: Roughly I’m saying, no - it's shite. Here's what I’m into now: Tull.
Brian: you're so dumb
Josh: nah, i just didn't get into it
Brian: ah well, differing opinions is the point
Josh: it doesn't seem very memorable to me, which is ok, it's just hard to focus on it when that's the case for me. Rounds was an eye-opening experience, and it has a feeling of there being something more. I like that, not every album does that, but I like it and it makes it easier to try different styles when such an element is present
Brian: I just can't listen to Rounds unless I'm at home listening to the whole thing



Summary
It's not as though Herbert (really?) has put out a bad album here in Scale. Actually, I can hear its merits. There are catchy grooves, good lyrics, fine vocals, etc. Something about it just generates apathy. I listen to this and wonder why someone would actively choose to listen to it. Tracks from Scale could wind up in a soundtrack, mix-tape, whatnot and it'd make perfect sense, "set the mood" as it were. As an album though...not so much

slow dayz

I'll get back to posting regularly soon, I promise. I'm trying to figure out what the weblog should be about. I'm tired of aimless writings being posted on the web.

Nightmares

Album Challenge : Four Tet "Rounds"

Welcome,

Herein lies the first of an ongoing weekly challenge betwixt two friends to review relevant, pleasant, challenging or historic albums that neither would listen to independently.

The players:

BeingMused - Fan of the truly alternative. Electronica, indie, etc. bored by conventionalism

IlJipper - Fan of country, rock and "indie" music that employs big guitars and thoughtful lyrics. Favorite artists : Lucero, Pavement, Mission of Burma, Wilco

IlJipper's first challenge: Four Tet Rounds

Four Tet is apparently actually some guy named Kieran Hebden. This gave me the idea to go by The Matlock Expressway when I decide to pursue my solo career. So, essentially Kieran is a very talented musician whom also knows how to utilize a laptop to his benefit, and crafts some very pleasant electronic music.

Rounds starts off very gently with the song "Hands." This is a perfect opener to an album of this nature, and it utilizes the process of building something out of nothing rather than the typical monumental building process that so many "indie" bands are using these days instead of writing good songs. The next track actually threw me off a bit, as I was exposed to Four Tet's angular sample interspersing. This is apparently a signature of Four Tet's sound, but I was unprepared and felt very disoriented and uneasy about the experience.

Tracks:
"My Angel Rocks Back And Forth" starts with a lovely meandering piano part over drum and white noise. This is a beautiful track, the piano really adds a layer of juxtaposition to the ambient noise interplay with the drums. At 2:30 the track takes a decidedly different approach to it's ultimate fate. Adding the oh so common studio "trick" of looping a reversed phrase from the piano while at the same time upping the tempo on the drums "Now, we can almost do the trance to this!" Through all the mire that was added, this is still a beautiful track. Sadly, I have to sit through the schizophrenic "Spirit Fingers" until the highlight of the album begins to play.

"Unspoken" will be the ultimate challenge, as it is 9:31 long and I have not yet been sold 100% on Four Tet's style. Fortunately, the sound splicing was not overwhelming and actually turned the longest piece on the album into one of my favorites.

After the height of the album, we are let down until the last track. "As Serious As Your Life" features a guitar, as well as a general tempo and feel, that just seems out of place. It's not that it's bad, it just doesn't fit the rest of the album and seems to be a forgettable track. This is followed by "And They All Look Broken Hearted" which just doesn't do it for me. I assume it must be emotional. All of the elements are great, the jazz drumming samples, the sparse usage of noise, the warm keyboard, the japanese stringed instrument...I just don't like it.

"Slow Jam" has a doggie toy, that's cool. It kind of sounds like a Pavement song from all the demos that have been released. I like it.

In Review:
Since listening to this album for the review, I've actually gone back and listened again. For some reason in everyone's lives we're introduced to something that breaks down a preconceived belief. Baraka changed my mind as to what movies could do, Chuck Palhniuk and David Sedaris took two different angles to alter my perception on a novel, and The Descendents, Mission of Burma and Uncle Tupelo reinvented my musical tastes years ago as much as Philip Glass or JS Bach had done previously. Four Tet's Rounds isn't necessarily going to make me an electronica fan, but perhaps it has allowed me the ability to listen for more in a genre I had previously detested.

So, i have a job...

i know i haven't checked into the old weblogospherinets in a long time, but i've been meaning to step up my game lately. However, i haven't the time today, this is more of a "just checking in"/reminder to myself that i have a weblog.

So, i have a job doing Search Engine Marketing for a living and work for a wide variety of clients. The one that takes up most of my time and energy is a pair of insurance plans from Stonebridge Life Insurance Co. Here's their sites, my agency did most of the design work on one, and all on the other

www.stonebridgeaccidentinsurance.com
www.accidentaldeathcoverage.com

Band Rex - 01/07

Time for me to introduce another new band. January's band is...

Frog Holler

Frog Holler is a fantastic band out of Berks County, Pennsylvania in what is known as Pennsylvania Dutch country. The band has been around for a few years now, and have amassed a good collection of fine recordings. Born out of bluegrass, Frog Holler dances the fine line between The Jayhawks, The Replacements, Bill Monroe and Old Crow Medicine Show easily blending their country roots with the urgency of small town rock and roll.

Frog Holler on the web

So, the NHL has begun beating its chest about an increase in interest into their league:

-- A 27 percent increase of hits on NHL.com, plus an even more substantial growth in online voting for the All-Stars. There were nearly 27 million All-Star votes cast in six weeks this year, as opposed to 6 million in eight weeks for the last game in 2004.

- By STEPHEN HAWKINS, AP Sports Writer


Funny, I thought that was due to the Vote for Rory campaign aimed at targeting the NHL's silly All-Star ballot, and to award a long time journeyman hockey player in an era where the sport is focused on celebrating 2 teenagers. A plot that the NHL purposefully ruined, so that they could have the game the way they wanted. Hopefully, Gary Bettman will retire soon, allowing someone who has some clue how to run a league to take charge and return the NHL to its rightful space in the big 4, which I believe now includes Texas Hold 'Em.

Hawthorne

This week I moved into an apartment in Portland. I'm living in the Hawthorne neighborhood now, and although it's a drastic change from living in houses for 2.5 years, I'm enjoying the location and short bus ride to work. Hawthorne is so far proving to be a good neighborhood and I'm glad to be there, but it'll take some time to warm up to the thought of living in an apartment by myself.

The nicest part about the whole thing is that I believe I'll have a better area to work on writing and composing. With no roomates, I won't be self-conscious of what I'm doing and I can probably be more comfortable writing at home.