Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Hum Baby!

World Series Baseball! Local boys make good! While the radio, television and newspapers continue to build the (mostly-positive) hype as they always have, these last few months I've also seen many tweets and status updates celebrating the Giants' many successes and woeing their few failures, a uniquely 21st century manifestation of the usual excitement around such events. In response to this shared celebration many others have gone out of their way to ridicule us baseball fans, sometimes in good humor, but mainly out of sheer ignorance. Perhaps it is a byproduct of the social-networking age, but I've really noticed an unnecessary amount of hating on the excitement over the Giants' World Series bid and subsequent victory.

"i'm glad the world series is over. i was starting to feel guilty about how many people i was deleting."
Considering I wasn't deleted from this person's friends list, they obviously weren't very serious about the whole thing. Perhaps they were just annoyed by seeing so many of their peers writing about the Giants, but perhaps they need to get a life because they spend too much time on Facebook, because it really shouldn't be taken that seriously (WHY AM I WRITING THIS BLOG POST?!?!).

"I dont care about sports"

Someone who didn't really care wouldn't even make this post!

"Big F N deal."

If it doesn't affect you, why must you rain on someone else's parade? Ditto my commentary from above.

"WOOO SUPERBOWL YEAH MAN! Take that stanely cup home SF"

Okay, this guy's just trolling. Not that bad actually... Except for the typo!
"pfft... i could win the world series but i don't wanna"

Another troll, but even the best trolling efforts get tiresome when surrounded by other poor trolls and their witless jabs.

"Who needs free Giants tix? Go up to the foothills of south san jose. The ticks are giant and free too! Go for it jocks! Haha"

This joke might have worked better if he said "giant sticks" (GIANTS-TIX), but really, is the "jocks" jab really necessary? You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who wasn't into some form of sports, or, more generally, games or athletic diversion. We're not all jocks.

"the best part about the giants winning tonight......is in 2 months everyone who was so happy isn't even gonna care. nice try bay area fans, you've proven to be the biggest group fair weather fans i've ever seen. GROSS! ha"

One, he assumes that everyone is a fairweather fan. Two, why shouldn't people be happy in the moment? What's gross about sharing some diversion with your friends? Here's an actual response to this fool's post:

"FRIEND, it's like going to a show. It was pretty awesome, won't forget about it but I'm not gonna talk about everyday. I see you post more shit about the giants winning than anyone else on here, bitching or not. I'm just not really sure why you even give a shit if people are into something silly like a sport. I love you but if you're gonna bitch about something on here, can it please be about something a little more interesting, like, how there is an AIDS epidemic at work."

I'm not sure what this AIDS epidemic is all about, but she put it pretty well.

His response to his friend's response:
"hahahahah FRIEND, i see what ur saying but i haven't said anything about the giants in like a week now. i'm just telling it like it is."

That was posted on Monday, November 1st.

This was posted October 30th (when the Giants lost one of their only playoff games)
strike 3, urrrrrrrrrrrr out!!!!

Now for some of his prior gems:

"and the bandwagon fans roll out. all aboard the yuppie train you fucks"

"fuck the vaGiants!!!!"

"i hope tim throws his arm out or gets hit by a line drive."

"i love working in the bay area and seeing all these people just be bummed about the giants losing. makes me smile!"

Ahh yes, because schadenfreude, wishing ill upon your fellow man, and judging others blindly couldn't possibly make you hypocrite... right?

"you know i thought people today had respect, 1 you don't just yell at people if they ride a bike. 2 you def. don't pull up behind me and get out of your car talking shit for the fun of it, i might just have a knife on me. fucking tough guys, the world needs to get rid of them."

Talking shit for the fun of it? Right... Though I do agree about the last part... Fucking tough guys: the world needs to get rid of them.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Born Invincible



This is gonna be pretty dope.

Friday, May 21, 2010

The [web]Site of Reversible Destiny


BoingBoing mentioned an article in the New York Times about conceptual artist Arakawa and his wife Madeline Gins. Arakawa recently passed away, but not after bestowing the world with tons of weird stuff, such as the Site of Reversible Destiny in Yoro (pictured above). I'm pretty fascinated by homeboy's existence, having known nothing about him prior to tonight even though I've been to the Site of Reversible Destiny. I guess dying proves that some aspects of destiny aren't reversible though, huh?

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Photo Roundup



Straight Outta San Jo!

Here's a real cool article about NWA and the posse, and where all the members ended up after they parted ways:

http://www.laweekly.com/2010-05-06/music/whatever-happened-to-n-w-a-s-posse/

Despite the difference in scale, it's interesting to see how connections were made and broken, how some of the guys became superstars while others faded away, not unlike some of the people I know.

Monday, April 26, 2010

This is for you!



Who's going to the next Gathering of the Juggalos with me?

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Babies



Courtesy of the always great My Third Eyeball.

Friday, April 16, 2010

The D.O.C. It's Funky Enough

Spose - I'm Awesome



I just read this article about another rapper from Maine named Dray who has this to say about Spose: "I think it takes away from the real rap, it puts comic on that, and it's harder for people to take guys like me seriously." Why wouldn't Spose be considered real rap? Because he's self-deprecating? Because his song doesn't fulfill some fantastic stereotype to which all rappers must adhere? Is Snoop Dogg real rap? That guy's been a total clown for years now. Has he ever heard Rapper's Delight, you know, that really old rap song? There's a verse about eating bad chicken and needing some kaopectate in it!

I only heard Spose for the first time one hour ago, but I find it annoying that someone as wack as Dray Senior would have the gall to discredit someone else as fake when his best line is "I'm like Hammer in his prime." Is it "real rap" to have 5 myspace pages? Are clean versions of your songs "real"? Does being the hardest gangsta from the mean streets of Portland, Maine make you "the best rapper alive"? Hardly. You're not even the best rapper in Maine.

Friday, April 09, 2010

The Big Bonanza



This looks like the best anime I've never seen.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

RAAAAAAAANDY!!!

I have fallen in love with Aziz Ansari's alter-ego Raaaaaaaandy. Pure genius. Low-brow genius.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Spanish Bombs

Does anyone else think that Joe Strummer and Mineta Kazunobu have similar voices? Both sort of airy and hoarse.

Time to pay a parking ticket... who wants to buy zines off of me??? Billz billz billz.

Friday, January 15, 2010

A Retrospective on FIve Years of Last.fm

1st track: Unknown - Unknown * ---
1000th track: Unknown - Unknown * ---
2000th track: Unknown - Unknown * ---
3000th track: SPARTA LOCALS - ƒ[ƒ‹ƒh 10 May 2005
4000th track: The Bruce Lee Band - 04 31 May 2005
5000th track: SPARTA LOCALS - Party 26 Jul 2005
6000th track: Crimpshrine - Summertime 31 Aug 2005
7000th track: Les Savy Fav - Hello Halo, Goodbye Glands 21 Sep 2005
8000th track: Dinosaur Jr. - The Post 13 Oct 2005
9000th track: N.W.A - Quiet on tha Set 25 Oct 2005
10000th track: Q and Not U - District Night Prayer 08 Nov 2005
11000th track: Operation Ivy - Bad Town 30 Nov 2005
12000th track: Blockhead - Cash 13 Dec 2005
13000th track: Breakfast - Vertigo 02 Jan 2006
14000th track: Stevie Wonder - Part-Time Lover 02 Mar 2006
15000th track: Sonic Youth - Teen Age Riot 23 Apr 2006
16000th track: Scared of Chaka - Time's Up 07 May 2006
17000th track: Earth, Wind & Fire - September 07 Jun 2006
18000th track: Shinobu - boourns 22 Jun 2006
19000th track: Operation Ivy - Smiling 02 Sep 2006
20000th track: The Weakerthans - Illustrated Bible Stories for Children 16 Sep 2006
21000th track: 銀杏BOYZ - No Future No Cry 04 Oct 2006
22000th track: Miles Davis - Moon Dreams 31 Oct 2006
23000th track: Common Rider - Toss Around 14 Nov 2006
24000th track: Slow Gherkin - Shed Some Skin 29 Nov 2006
25000th track: I Need Sleep - Parasite 11 Dec 2006
26000th track: Yuri Misumi - The Wonderful Star's Walk Is Wonderful 22 Dec 2006
27000th track: Zazen Boys - No Time 10 Jan 2007
28000th track: Modest Mouse - Doin' the Cockroach 27 Jan 2007
29000th track: Slow Gherkin - Baby Snake 10 Feb 2007
30000th track: Jawbreaker - Boxcar 08 Mar 2007
31000th track: Skankin' Pickle - The Dub 27 Mar 2007
32000th track: 曽我部恵一 - 3つの部屋 13 Apr 2007
33000th track: Beastie Boys - Time to Get Ill (Instrumental) 25 Apr 2007
34000th track: Daft Punk - Aerodynamic 07 May 2007
35000th track: Leatherface - Baked Potato 22 May 2007
36000th track: Jawbreaker - Pack it Up 12 Jun 2007
37000th track: Hüsker Dü - Beyond the Threshold 06 Jul 2007
38000th track: Dinosaur Jr. - Almost Ready 25 Jul 2007
39000th track: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Da Introduction 01 Oct 2007
40000th track: 東京事変 - Metro 17 Oct 2007
41000th track: Fruity - Love Your Tummy (Live) 31 Oct 2007
42000th track: Dinosaur Jr. - No Bones 21 Nov 2007
43000th track: Bad Manners - Mafia 05 Dec 2007
44000th track: Billy Bragg - The Busy Girl Buys Beauty 22 Dec 2007
45000th track: 2Pac - Keep Ya Head Up 11 Jan 2008
46000th track: Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Barstool Blues 01 Feb 2008
47000th track: A Tribe Called Quest - Electric Relaxation 21 Feb 2008
48000th track: Beastie Boys - Something's Got To Give 11 Mar 2008
49000th track: The Constantines - Goodbye Baby & Amen 29 Mar 2008
50000th track: Public Enemy - Welcome To The Terrordome (1990) 18 Apr 2008
51000th track: The Cherry Tempo - A Conjoining Sense of Togetherness 10 May 2008
52000th track: MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS - ???? 05 Jun 2008
53000th track: Guided by Voices - Hot Freaks 24 Jun 2008
54000th track: Flower Travellin' Band - Satori Part 4 08 Apr 2009
55000th track: Violent Children - Live free or die 19 Apr 2009
56000th track: Dr. Dre - LOLO (INTRO) Featuring Xzibit 28 Apr 2009
57000th track: Buffalo Daughter - Counter Parrot 17 May 2009
58000th track: 2Pac - California Love feat. Dr. Dre 16 Jun 2009
59000th track: four tomorrow - About my unclearly far fuckin' tomorrow song 30 Jun 2009
60000th track: Perfume - love the world 24 Jul 2009
61000th track: 矢野顕子 - Denwasen 24 Aug 2009
62000th track: Gucci Crew II - Sally (That Girl) 17 Sep 2009
63000th track: Thao with The Get Down Stay Down - Bag of Hammers 19 Oct 2009
64000th track: Still Flyin' - Dead Memory Man 07 Nov 2009
65000th track: 7Seconds - Out Of Touch (Live) 19 Nov 2009
66000th track: 細野晴臣 - 北京ダック 30 Nov 2009
67000th track: Yellow Magic Orchestra - Rydeen 19 Dec 2009

Friday, January 08, 2010

It's Not a Day Wasted



Seeing the Slow Gherkin reunion last week had me thinking all sorts of stupid tripe that I wasn't sure should really be put out in to the ether, but here I find myself on the toilet pooping and typing away while the Wire plays in the next room.

Slow Gherkin played such a big part in my development as a person, insomuch as that music has played a huge role in my life, and Slow Gherkin is one of the few lasting musical influences in my life that has withstood the transition from teenager with poor taste to balding young adult with slightly less questionable taste. I was never under the illusion that Slow Gherkin were superstars of any sort, but always thought of them as a band that had made it. A touring band, with records on Asian Man Records, playing all across the country and around the world. I was just happy that I could see them locally a million times a year if I so chose, because other people around the country wouldn't have had the same chance.

Now that I have many of the same achievements under my belt as they did (Asian Man, tours, blah blah blah, poorly attended local shows) I can't help but feel really strange about how I admired them so much. Make no mistake, I still admire the hell out of them, but it's strange feeling extremely ordinary as I do knowing that they are ordinary just like me. There's probably some kids out there who thought the world of Shinobu, not fully grasping how ordinary we really were (and are).

However, I still feel like Slow Gherkin's existence was so much more significant than Shinobu's, by far! But, I found it a bit heartening to think that maybe someone might feel the same way about me and my friends as I did about my teenage heroes. I'm still considering my options as far as continuing to pursue the rock & roll lifestyle, but I'm extremely happy to see these people that I so admire living their lives and being real people. I don't feel so bad about, nor fear, facing my life and living it.