I am no longer cool
Category: MySpace

After about the 75,000th "WTF, man?" I've  removed all traces of coolness from my profile. Sure, it looked good, but as far as MySpace profile pages go it was a little antisocial.

If I'm ever feeling industrious enough I may try again, with a little more thought given to how to do everything a typical ugly MySpace page can do, but 'til then if your eyes start bleeding looking at mine, it's for the best, I think.

8:50 AM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Gig Notes
Current mood: content
Category: Music

As you know (because I haven't been able to shut up about it for a month), I went to see Pansy Division last night at Café du Nord in San Francisco, where they were playing with the Southern Girls and the Avengers.

I had expected last night's rain to screw up my travel time, but traffic was light and I got there a bit early, just before the Southern Girls went onstage. As Kris and I were wandering around checking out the place (and the people -- more on that later), I spotted a guy who looked familiar. I had Kris follow me to the table where T-shirts and CDs were were being sold and pointed at the cover of The Essential Pansy Division. "See that guy there in the pool?" I glanced over at the familiar-looking guy to my right. "Does he look like that guy over there to you?"

We both agreed he did, and that he must be Jon Ginoli, so at that point I had to go over and say hello. Preparing to look like a total idiot, I walked up to him and somewhat timidly asked, "Jon, right?"

He looked at me. "Yeah. You're Trick, right?"

Thank you, Jon. That right there pretty much made my night. I had left a short "have a good gig" note on the band's MySpace page yesterday afternoon, and I guess he recognized me from it. The irony that Jon recognized me from one comment at MySpace when I had to go look at an album cover and get someone else's confirmation before saying hello does not escape me.

I pretty much gushed nervously over him and the band for a few minutes, then forced myself to walk away before I said something stupid. He's a really friendly guy, but I had to get away before I offered to wash his car, become his personal roadie, or bear his children.

The opening band, the Southern Girls, was... well, interesting. They were a bunch of large, hairy guys, in dresses and really bad wigs, with a thing for Cheap Trick. 'nuf said there, probably.

The P.D. came on shortly thereafter, and opened their set with "Who Treats You Right," then tore through a cross-section of their catalog hitting songs like "Dick of Death," "Cocksucker Club," and "James Bondage," among others, and some new songs they recorded last week. Most of the band then went offstage while Jon did a solo rendition of "Curvature."

The second half of the set kicked off with Chris Freeman (who, incidentally, was looking fabulous after changing into a little strapless sequined number) switching to drums for "Luv, Luv, Luv." The set continued with "Bunnies," "No Protection," "I'm Gonna Be a Slut," and "He Whipped My Ass In Tennis (Then I Fucked His Ass in Bed)," before they closed with "Alpine Skiing." I'm sure there were other songs in the set list as well, but I'll be damned if I can remember what they were. I was there to have a good time, not memorize set lists. Sue me.

Maybe the biggest surprise of the night: Kris liked them (or at least didn't hate them). He was very clear about that not meaning I should ever drag him to a gig with me again, but he was smiling and laughing most of the night. Once we stepped back a bit from the four-man mosh pit that erupted in front of the stage, he really seemed to be having good time.

As a bit of a compromise, I had agreed with Kris that if he'd go with me, we could skip the Avengers and head home after Pansy Division was done playing, so we left as soon as they closed their set. I didn't mind... I was there for the Pansies.

All in all, the gig was everything I had hoped for. The band's playing was pretty tight, even though they haven't played a live gig locally in over a year, and have yet another new token hetero (Joel Reader, lead guitar) in the line-up. I had a great time, Kris didn't hate it, and Jon Ginoli knew who I was. What more could I possibly want?

9:26 AM - 0 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Last Minute Change
Current mood: apprehensive
Category: apprehensive Life

I was supposed to be hitting tonight's Pansy Division gig with Katie (who you may or may not remember as my date for the Me First and the Gimme Gimmes show around last Christmas).  Well, I spoke to her today and if she's as sick as she sounded, she may not be with us any more at this point.

Kris has graciously offerred to go in her place. Part of me is really happy he's going... and then there's the other part that remembers he didn't speak to me for a week after I dragged him with me to see Bowling for Soup.

We'll see how it goes.

Currently listening : More Lovin' From Our Oven By Pansy Division Release date: 12 August, 1997

6:56 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

A Prayer for Jon Ginoli
Current mood: bouncy

I'm thoroughly wiped out. A team of us were up until 3:00 am trying to get a working network out of the tangled mess of routers and cables the contracting client keeps in their data centers, with only a small degree of success. A very small degree. In other words, things are still pretty screwed up. "Things," in this context, would refer both to the nextwork and my sleep-deprived brain.

My spirits have been kept afloat, however, knowing that I'll be seeing my beloved Pansy Division tomorrow night at Café Du Nord (and by the constant reminders from my best Portuguese friend that it's right around the corner).

[Aside: I live in the U.S.A., so I'm an American. People from Canada are Canadians. I know a few Frenchman, some Mexicans, and assorted Englishmen, Scots, and Irishmen. What the hell do you call someone from Portugal? A Port? Portsman? A Portuganean? Wait, I know: a Portugasque.]

Anyway, I'm not going to let a few dropped IP packets get me down.

The Pansies are my favorite; I shall not miss them.
They maketh me jump up and down in dark mosh pits:
They singeth to me of Deep Water.
They restoreth my Political Asshole:
They leadeth me to Touch My Joe Camel for Denny's sake.

Yea, though I drove to the Silicon Valley near the campus of Apple,
I will fear no packet loss: For my Pansies art with me;
Thy Dick of Death and thy Two-Way Ass, they comfort me.
Thou preparest for a gig before me in the presence of the Cocksucker Club;
Thou annointest my ears with Vanilla; My Groovy Underwear runneth over.

Surely Headbangers and Hippy Dudes shall fill all the space of thy venue,
and I will dwell At the Mall forever.

Currently listening : Died for Your Sins By The Avengers Release date: 01 June, 1999

3:02 PM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Musings on a Side Job
Current mood: confused

Currently listening : Total Entertainment! By Pansy Division Release date: 12 August, 2003

8:51 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Sprung
Current mood: hopeful
Category: Life

I love spring in San Francisco.

I'm a Los Angeles native, where spring, summer, fall and winter are so similar they're really mostly indistinguishable. The bay area's not much different, but it's different enough that you can see it.

In the last several weeks the spring palette has been showing its colors. The hill in the backyard is covered with bright orange poppies. The cherry trees have done their transition from brown to pink to white to green. The purple magnolias have bloomed in the front yard. The frisia I planted a few years ago is back again, bring my favorite spring smell with its yellow, red and white flowers.

My raspberries, boysenberries and blueberries are all flowering, getting ready for what looks to be the best batch of fruit since I planted them. The avocado tree I started from a pit has started its annual growth spurt, and is finally looking like something I'd call a tree; it's no longer just a stick with big, shiny leaves on it.

In other places, flowers I'd forgotten were there are blooming. There are snapdragons, chrysanthemums, columbine, roses, kangaroo paw, and some with names I can't remember, and they're all roaring to life so fast that I find new ones every day.

Unlike in Los Angeles, when spring arrives here you really get a feeling that life is beginning again. It's a really good feeling, and I don't know how I lived without it as long as I did.

Currently listening : Crap Attack By We Are Scientists Release date: 09 November, 2006

9:45 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Getting Rear-Ended As I Drive Off Into the Sunset
Current mood: pained
Category: pained Life

I've been in various kinds of pain for the last two days. Yesterday it was a sore back and another chronic, but somewhat embarrassing, pain issue that cropped up around 10:00pm and again at 3:00am this morning.

At around 7:00 I woke up with yesterday's back pain having transformed itself into a feeling like someone had twisted me into a knot and then ran over me with a small car a few times. Fortunately, it only hurts if I look to the side, or breathe deeply, or sit in front of a computer.

I don't really mind aging all that much, but it fucking hurts.

Currently listening : Roll On By The Living End Release date: 27 March, 2001

5:57 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Decision Made.
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Jobs, Work, Careers

As of yesterday afternoon, it's official. I won't be taking the new job.There are a lot of reasons for that, from some questions about the financial health of the potential new place to my reluctance to give up working with one of the best teams I've ever been on, among other factors, but I'm pretty happy with the decision. All in all, the whole thing's definitely worked out for the best.

With that out the way, I had some time yesterday to think about more important, things, like that the lease on my Crossfire is ending in a couple of months. It just so happens that when I made the call to say I was staying at my current job, I was near the strip of car dealerships in Oakland. Coincidence? Probably not.

The Crossfire's been a great car this last three years, but it's going back to the dealer tomorrow.  I need to clear a spot in the garage.

Currently listening : Singles 45's and Under By Squeeze Release date: 22 August, 1995

4:52 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Fubar Is Not a Drinking Establishment
Current mood: frustrated
Category: Web, HTML, Tech

I'm posting from my phone. Why? Because my computer's broken again.

I used to wonder why mine seem to break more often than everyone else's, but I know the answer — a person's computer knowledge is directly proportional to how likely he is to try some little experiment on his own machine that'll fuck the whole thing up.

Currently listening : Nights in Der Welt By Die Arzte Release date: 04 May, 2004

8:19 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Did I Sleep Through 2007?
Current mood: annoyed

I just received an email notifying me that "all ... offices will close from Monday, December 24, 2007, to Friday, December 28, 2007. In other countries that observe Christmas as a company holiday, ... offices will close for similar period at that time."

Do these people not realize it's barely friggin' April here? Am I supposed to start planning for the holidays now? Does anyone do that?

There should be a law against mentioning Christmas before September, at the earliest. I feel violated.

5:14 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment