Well, I'm a bit backed up on the posting and while I can take the cop-out answer that the holidays have pretty much slapped me upside the braincan, I seriously have no excuse. Really. None. Nothing. It's pure Virgo laziness at this point.
Aside from all that, I feel like I've been really busy. Just to catch up on a one-by-one basis, let's take a couple of weekends ago, pre-Thanksgiving and pre-December where Grace and I made a small trip out to Buena Park to hang out with one of her former co-workers to catch the USC/Cal game (which incidentally, we did not watch).
What ensued was quite fun, given that I'm not normally very good around people I don't know at all that well. We'll start with our dinner at the Illinois chain standard, Portillo's. You know Skooby's, right? That bastion of fancified organic hot dogs? Well, Portillo's is like that cousin that visits from the Midwest in all his cornfed glory, but covered in savory grilled onions. The highlight of this visit has to be their famous chocolate cake shake. Never have I had such a devilish sweetness post-dinner and probably would make the trip to Buena Park for this dessert alone. Too delicious.
After that, we rolled ourselves back to the house for a game of Killer Bunnies which turns out to be a mind-bender of a game. When one of your weapons is a negative black hole, you have to believe this is one twisted little game.
Through one learning game, I was quite lucky to come really close to winning before losing out to Grace. Truthfully, the bunny army I amassed in the second game was more intimidating and I probably one out of sheer lucky, but needless to say, I think I got the hang of it.
It all comes back to something that I do tend to enjoy and endorse. If you manage to meet up with people, it tends to be more fun experiencing new things and just sitting and chatting for a bit. While I do have a good time just lounging in front of the tube for a while, there's something to be said for the lost art of game night.
Anyone up for some shoots & ladders?
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Monday, November 27, 2006
Belated T-Day
Wow, well this weekend had no shortage of fun, so I'm before I dispense with the bloggerly pleasantries, I just want to say that I hope everyone had a pleasant and relaxing holiday in preparation for the next one up ahead. I especially hope that no one was seriously injured or bankrupt by the weekend sales either. Lord knows that there are a few too many incidents out there as it is.
Monday, November 20, 2006
The "HB" List
A friend of mine sent me the following list, I thought I'd comment a bit since it was kind of funny the first time around.
You know you're from HB if...
- You give directions using the beach as a point of reference.
I used to do this a lot when I was living at home. "You take Newlad heading towards the beach..."
- You got mad when they tried to change the name to Surf City.
This was weird and sometimes I still think it's weird seeing as I don't surf at all.
- You got mad when Santa Cruz tried to claim that THEY were the official Surf City.
It's still hard for me to believe that people actually surf in Northern California.
- You've gotten drunk under the pier.
Nope, never done this one. I'm a good boy, apparently.
- You know that the North side of the pier is local territory, therefore anyone else trying to surf there will be promptly run over by said locals.
Once again, I don't surf, but the North end of the pier is very sparse most of the time.
- You walk outside and can see at least 10 palm trees, 5 seagulls, and 1 tourist, at any given time of the day.
Very true. I used to see this more often in high school which was surrounded by palm trees.
- You drive Beach Blvd almost every day.
Not anymore, but more often than not, I'd try to avoid Beach Blvd.
- You loathe the summer months when Main Street is flooded with tourists, so, as a result, you proceed to laugh at them any chance you get.
Actually, Main Street is flooded more often now that it's a tourist trap. It's very easy to point out tourists there, but even easier to crack a smile when they're trying to score some food at Fred's.
- You know that not all surfers are stoners, have blonde hair, or say "dude" every other word.
This is true, since everyone has surfed at least once while growing up in HB.
- You freeze when the temperature drops to an artic 55 degrees, yet you complain when it gets over 80. (don't hate us because we've been blessed with good weather).
When it gets that cold on the beach, you thank the lord you brought a sweatshirt. I know that I've been scoffed at for my aversion to the cold, but it's what I grew up with.
- You've attended just as many bonfires as regular parties.
More true in my childhood. That goes to show that most regular parties are bonfires.
- You've ever ditched school and couldn't think of anything to do, so you just walked to the beach.
Yea, this has happened.
- You ever had a season pass to Disneyland.
I think this must have been mandatory. It's even harder now that the passes are more expensive though.
- You cringe every time someone asks you if you're from "THE" OC.
I still cringe, especially since Newport and Laguna have to constitute less than 5% of the Orange County population. We call it just "OC" but it's hard not to throw the "the" in there.
- You're used to people from MTV scouting the beach for people to be on their dating shows.
Never seen this, but I'm guessing it happens more often nowadays.
- You've ever had a Bravo Burger breakfast burrito.
Actually, I've never had one of these, but I have had a Bravo Burger.
- You've ever had Golden Spoon (come on, I had to include it).
Oh yes. Is that place even still there?
- You live 10 minutes away from school, but you can get there in 4.
Ha. Try me.
- You consider stop signs a mere formality.
They call it the "California Roll" for a reason.
- You've become sickened by the growing number of hotels along PCH, yet you never pass up a chance to attend a party being held in one of them.
Never been to a room party, but I'm sure it's an experience.
- You hate tourists and send them to Laguna Beach when they ask where Disneyland is.
I'm not this unfriendly.
- You rarely pay for drinks at Starbucks or Jamba Juice because you "know people."
Well this is a new one. Unfortunately, since I didn't know anyone working at Jamba or the Starbizzle, I never got the hook up.
- TK burger follows all beach trips!!!
TK what?? Where is this?
- You've been arrested.
Do I look arrestable?
- You've been to a REAL house party.
Strangely, the answer to this question is "yes."
- You've had your share of experiences at Central Park.
A couple friends of mine and I filmed a short adaptation of "The Scarlet Letter" with an all-male cast. It was the stuff of legends I tell you.
- You know that sex wax has nothing to do with sex.
Anyone who tells you differently has never touched the stuff.
- You know that Las Barcas/Fiesta Grill/Chronic Tacos is the most legit Mexican food around!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Too bad, I disagree. Although the food isn't half bad, you can't get real Mexican food in Huntington Beach from these places.
- You know to walk directly to the back seating at Sugar Shack.
Sugar Shack: always crowded and not as good as Plums.
- You remember a beach town before the hotels, the gated communities and cookie cutter stores.
I'm not quite this old.
- You know all the cops hangout at Starbucks and will harass you at any chance they get.
Apparently, I'm a real goody-two-shoes.
- Your high school has won every surfing championship for 80 years, but has to forfeit your homecomming game (HBHS only).
When I was in high school, our football team was quite good. Can you say "Tony Gonzales?"
- You know exactly how to spot a 909'er (you 951'ers arent fooling anybody).
951? A little help here. And yes, I can spot a 909'er for miles.
- You or your friends have been to Samoa, Costa Rica, Hawaii, or Indonesia; and you're dirt poor.
If any of my friends have been here, it's while they've been living away from Huntington.
- Your next door neighbor is 50 with long hair and smells like pot.
My next door neighbors were families with children, so no.
- You actually have to schedule when to park your car during the months of June through August.
This must apply to people who live within 1.5 miles of the beach.
- You don't exterminate your roaches, you smoke them.
Once again, I'm a good boy.
- You pack shorts and a T-shirt for boarding in the snow, and a sweater and a wetsuit for the beach.
I know better than this for the mountains.
- You know why the waves glow sometimes at night.
It's been way too long since I've been to the beach during the night.
- Your children learn to walk in Rainbows.
Only recently have I discovered the sandal glory that are Rainbows.
- You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Huntington Beach.
Haven't done this yet, but it would be interesting to see their reactions.
You know you're from HB if...
- You give directions using the beach as a point of reference.
I used to do this a lot when I was living at home. "You take Newlad heading towards the beach..."
- You got mad when they tried to change the name to Surf City.
This was weird and sometimes I still think it's weird seeing as I don't surf at all.
- You got mad when Santa Cruz tried to claim that THEY were the official Surf City.
It's still hard for me to believe that people actually surf in Northern California.
- You've gotten drunk under the pier.
Nope, never done this one. I'm a good boy, apparently.
- You know that the North side of the pier is local territory, therefore anyone else trying to surf there will be promptly run over by said locals.
Once again, I don't surf, but the North end of the pier is very sparse most of the time.
- You walk outside and can see at least 10 palm trees, 5 seagulls, and 1 tourist, at any given time of the day.
Very true. I used to see this more often in high school which was surrounded by palm trees.
- You drive Beach Blvd almost every day.
Not anymore, but more often than not, I'd try to avoid Beach Blvd.
- You loathe the summer months when Main Street is flooded with tourists, so, as a result, you proceed to laugh at them any chance you get.
Actually, Main Street is flooded more often now that it's a tourist trap. It's very easy to point out tourists there, but even easier to crack a smile when they're trying to score some food at Fred's.
- You know that not all surfers are stoners, have blonde hair, or say "dude" every other word.
This is true, since everyone has surfed at least once while growing up in HB.
- You freeze when the temperature drops to an artic 55 degrees, yet you complain when it gets over 80. (don't hate us because we've been blessed with good weather).
When it gets that cold on the beach, you thank the lord you brought a sweatshirt. I know that I've been scoffed at for my aversion to the cold, but it's what I grew up with.
- You've attended just as many bonfires as regular parties.
More true in my childhood. That goes to show that most regular parties are bonfires.
- You've ever ditched school and couldn't think of anything to do, so you just walked to the beach.
Yea, this has happened.
- You ever had a season pass to Disneyland.
I think this must have been mandatory. It's even harder now that the passes are more expensive though.
- You cringe every time someone asks you if you're from "THE" OC.
I still cringe, especially since Newport and Laguna have to constitute less than 5% of the Orange County population. We call it just "OC" but it's hard not to throw the "the" in there.
- You're used to people from MTV scouting the beach for people to be on their dating shows.
Never seen this, but I'm guessing it happens more often nowadays.
- You've ever had a Bravo Burger breakfast burrito.
Actually, I've never had one of these, but I have had a Bravo Burger.
- You've ever had Golden Spoon (come on, I had to include it).
Oh yes. Is that place even still there?
- You live 10 minutes away from school, but you can get there in 4.
Ha. Try me.
- You consider stop signs a mere formality.
They call it the "California Roll" for a reason.
- You've become sickened by the growing number of hotels along PCH, yet you never pass up a chance to attend a party being held in one of them.
Never been to a room party, but I'm sure it's an experience.
- You hate tourists and send them to Laguna Beach when they ask where Disneyland is.
I'm not this unfriendly.
- You rarely pay for drinks at Starbucks or Jamba Juice because you "know people."
Well this is a new one. Unfortunately, since I didn't know anyone working at Jamba or the Starbizzle, I never got the hook up.
- TK burger follows all beach trips!!!
TK what?? Where is this?
- You've been arrested.
Do I look arrestable?
- You've been to a REAL house party.
Strangely, the answer to this question is "yes."
- You've had your share of experiences at Central Park.
A couple friends of mine and I filmed a short adaptation of "The Scarlet Letter" with an all-male cast. It was the stuff of legends I tell you.
- You know that sex wax has nothing to do with sex.
Anyone who tells you differently has never touched the stuff.
- You know that Las Barcas/Fiesta Grill/Chronic Tacos is the most legit Mexican food around!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Too bad, I disagree. Although the food isn't half bad, you can't get real Mexican food in Huntington Beach from these places.
- You know to walk directly to the back seating at Sugar Shack.
Sugar Shack: always crowded and not as good as Plums.
- You remember a beach town before the hotels, the gated communities and cookie cutter stores.
I'm not quite this old.
- You know all the cops hangout at Starbucks and will harass you at any chance they get.
Apparently, I'm a real goody-two-shoes.
- Your high school has won every surfing championship for 80 years, but has to forfeit your homecomming game (HBHS only).
When I was in high school, our football team was quite good. Can you say "Tony Gonzales?"
- You know exactly how to spot a 909'er (you 951'ers arent fooling anybody).
951? A little help here. And yes, I can spot a 909'er for miles.
- You or your friends have been to Samoa, Costa Rica, Hawaii, or Indonesia; and you're dirt poor.
If any of my friends have been here, it's while they've been living away from Huntington.
- Your next door neighbor is 50 with long hair and smells like pot.
My next door neighbors were families with children, so no.
- You actually have to schedule when to park your car during the months of June through August.
This must apply to people who live within 1.5 miles of the beach.
- You don't exterminate your roaches, you smoke them.
Once again, I'm a good boy.
- You pack shorts and a T-shirt for boarding in the snow, and a sweater and a wetsuit for the beach.
I know better than this for the mountains.
- You know why the waves glow sometimes at night.
It's been way too long since I've been to the beach during the night.
- Your children learn to walk in Rainbows.
Only recently have I discovered the sandal glory that are Rainbows.
- You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Huntington Beach.
Haven't done this yet, but it would be interesting to see their reactions.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Big Musical Catch-up
There was going to be a long, long, long post about music and the recent listens, but I'm going to keep it very concise and to the point. Brevity is the soul of wit, right.
OK, so it got very long at the end, but I can't help it!
Sia - Color the Small One
A very mellow pop-soul record, the disc is enjoyable to listen to while working and especially heartfelt towards the end. Grace reckons it sounded almost like Sheryl Crow, if she had been smoking for hours before recording.
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
One of the most lauded albums of the last year or so, Sufjan Stevens' musical journey through the USA continues. Although I'm not too familiar with his other work, this record reminds me of a high school wind ensemble performance. Not that it's amateurish and unpracticed, but that it's an intimate record with a story to tell. Easy to fall asleep to, but compelling.
Kraftwerk - Minimum/Maximum
The German trio delivers on this record combining some very simple vocals with some most stirring techno rhythms. Similar to Illinois, this disc tends towards a narrative, but unlike Illinois, it's more about emotion than personality. Their four-part tribute to the Tour de France gives the start-off record some energy and it's very easy to see why so many popular bands give them inspirational credit.
DangerDoom - The Mouse and the Mask
Before there was Gnarls Barkley and after there was a Gray Album, Danger Mouse collaborated with rapper/showman MF Doom on this somewhat alternative hip hop album. It's an interesting mixture, seeing as the album was produced in concert with Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block. While there are some notable cameos (Cee-lo, in a pre-Gnarls appearance and Talib Kweli) and some remarkably funky and folk beats, there also happens to be some sound bite contributions from Adult Swim staples. It may sound bizarre (it is) but I actually liked it quite a bit.
Metric - Live it Out
More of the same from this Canadian outfit. Emily Haines' vocals are instantly familiar as they sound somewhat generic, but in the context of the band they work very well. While there are only a few groups with female vocalists, Metric stands out for it's new wave melodies and unreliance on folk harmonies and instrumentation. Having listened to two records of theirs, Metric is consistently good, but I'd like to see the music stretch a little more on the next effort.
The Mars Volta - Amputechture
The third full-length studio album from these guys strikes me as an oddity. While they've expanded their sound quite a bit (with the addition of a saxophone) they seem stuck in a rut. While the first album (De-Loused in the Comatorium) was a jigsaw of progressive rock and punk, this one dwells for way too long in the progressive direction. It makes for a much more difficult listen than I would have liked, but I admire their ambition. As a side-note, the majority of lead guitar is played by the Red Hot Chili Peppers John Frusciante.
Nelly Furtado - Loose
As female pop vocalists go, Ms. Furtado is the least generic. You have your Britneys and your Jessicas, but who could ever see them trying to integrate Reggaeton, Latin Pop, and Hip Hop into one record. Granted, Gwen Stefani and Fergie have stretched the limits of pop music so far, but you could say that Nelly Furtado was toying with more diversity than the same old Rap and New Wave flavors. Timbaland makes many an appearance on the album, but it's Ms. Furtado's unique vocal presentation that makes it listenable. While there may be a few throwaway tunes at the end of the record, there are also some gems. Personally, I like that there's more to each track than just sampling and a vocoder. If all pop acts took their cues from the undersampled and underproduced vocals on Loose, music would be all the better for it.
Beck - The Information
A Los Angeles native, Beck always gleans the diverse musical spectrum of his imagination that undoubtedly springs from his upbringing in some East LA neighborhoods. He's mentioned before how many critics like to describe his music as pastiche, but I think it's gone beyond that. While there are many different layers of style on every track, there's a distinct sound that is so inherently "Beck" that you could recognize it within a few bars. Much stronger than Guero and more upbeat than sea Change, The Information is better for his partnership with Radiohead uber-producer Nigel Goodrich. Right now, this one is in strong rotation and is in strong competition for my favorite record of the year. A must-listen.
A very mellow pop-soul record, the disc is enjoyable to listen to while working and especially heartfelt towards the end. Grace reckons it sounded almost like Sheryl Crow, if she had been smoking for hours before recording.
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
One of the most lauded albums of the last year or so, Sufjan Stevens' musical journey through the USA continues. Although I'm not too familiar with his other work, this record reminds me of a high school wind ensemble performance. Not that it's amateurish and unpracticed, but that it's an intimate record with a story to tell. Easy to fall asleep to, but compelling.
Kraftwerk - Minimum/Maximum
The German trio delivers on this record combining some very simple vocals with some most stirring techno rhythms. Similar to Illinois, this disc tends towards a narrative, but unlike Illinois, it's more about emotion than personality. Their four-part tribute to the Tour de France gives the start-off record some energy and it's very easy to see why so many popular bands give them inspirational credit.
DangerDoom - The Mouse and the Mask
Before there was Gnarls Barkley and after there was a Gray Album, Danger Mouse collaborated with rapper/showman MF Doom on this somewhat alternative hip hop album. It's an interesting mixture, seeing as the album was produced in concert with Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block. While there are some notable cameos (Cee-lo, in a pre-Gnarls appearance and Talib Kweli) and some remarkably funky and folk beats, there also happens to be some sound bite contributions from Adult Swim staples. It may sound bizarre (it is) but I actually liked it quite a bit.
Metric - Live it Out
More of the same from this Canadian outfit. Emily Haines' vocals are instantly familiar as they sound somewhat generic, but in the context of the band they work very well. While there are only a few groups with female vocalists, Metric stands out for it's new wave melodies and unreliance on folk harmonies and instrumentation. Having listened to two records of theirs, Metric is consistently good, but I'd like to see the music stretch a little more on the next effort.
The Mars Volta - Amputechture
The third full-length studio album from these guys strikes me as an oddity. While they've expanded their sound quite a bit (with the addition of a saxophone) they seem stuck in a rut. While the first album (De-Loused in the Comatorium) was a jigsaw of progressive rock and punk, this one dwells for way too long in the progressive direction. It makes for a much more difficult listen than I would have liked, but I admire their ambition. As a side-note, the majority of lead guitar is played by the Red Hot Chili Peppers John Frusciante.
Nelly Furtado - Loose
As female pop vocalists go, Ms. Furtado is the least generic. You have your Britneys and your Jessicas, but who could ever see them trying to integrate Reggaeton, Latin Pop, and Hip Hop into one record. Granted, Gwen Stefani and Fergie have stretched the limits of pop music so far, but you could say that Nelly Furtado was toying with more diversity than the same old Rap and New Wave flavors. Timbaland makes many an appearance on the album, but it's Ms. Furtado's unique vocal presentation that makes it listenable. While there may be a few throwaway tunes at the end of the record, there are also some gems. Personally, I like that there's more to each track than just sampling and a vocoder. If all pop acts took their cues from the undersampled and underproduced vocals on Loose, music would be all the better for it.
Beck - The Information
A Los Angeles native, Beck always gleans the diverse musical spectrum of his imagination that undoubtedly springs from his upbringing in some East LA neighborhoods. He's mentioned before how many critics like to describe his music as pastiche, but I think it's gone beyond that. While there are many different layers of style on every track, there's a distinct sound that is so inherently "Beck" that you could recognize it within a few bars. Much stronger than Guero and more upbeat than sea Change, The Information is better for his partnership with Radiohead uber-producer Nigel Goodrich. Right now, this one is in strong rotation and is in strong competition for my favorite record of the year. A must-listen.
OK, so it got very long at the end, but I can't help it!
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Ketchup
There's a good deal of things to recap over the weekend, but there's more than enough stuff on my mind to keep me occupied. I'll have a better update until then.
Here's what I'm thinking about these days:
Here's what I'm thinking about these days:
- Collecting all the stories I've written and passing it around in a little booklet, is that really a good idea?
- Reading the new Comic Tools blog and wondering if I should change up my technique.
- About the upcoming opening of Mario Batali's Mozza and whether or not I should set up a reservation now or later when the hype dies down.
- After seeing Puppets on the Pier, I've been tinkering with the idea of actually building my own marionette.
- Whether or not my life drawing instructor is really committed to our class.
- Actually finishing both Metal Gear Solid 3 and Metroid Prime: Echoes before the Wii arrives.
- Catching up on the 4 episodes of Nip/Tuck that are backed up on the TiVo.
- Moving the blog to either Blogger beta or Movable Type.
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