take my recycling, please

i put out the trash and recycling a bit early today, and saw something different.

i mean, it's very normal for us to see people going through the recycle can, especially around dusk when a lot of the streets have their cans out. i've never seen someone pull up in their car and load most of my can into their trunk. crazy. honestly, i wouldn't have noticed if their radio wasn't so damn loud. it was louder than my tv.

taxi driver swede

i've enjoyed the whole sweding deal, and especially love that fresno is actually on the cutting edge with our swede fest.  today, i saw that michel gondry had done a swede of the movie taxi driver.




love that it's in french


love the use of color


love the cheese factor.  i especially like this because some criticize swedes for this.  but that's the beauty, they are supposed to be low budget, quirky films.

my dubstep kitchen

i've blogged my enjoyment for my drunk kitchen before, and now my dubstep kitchen has been unleashed on the world.



a-freakin-mazing


and for you pop fans, show me where you're noms at.

teen mania

this is a documentary, done by msnbc, about teen mania ministry.  now, i don't have any experience with teen mania and their honor camp, but when i was doing youth work i did help promote the local acquire the fire event rallys and attended at least one of their sales pitch event for pastors, to help sell them on the atf events.  the doc is 44 minutes, so you may want to watch it in sections, or break off some time to check it out.



to be honest, as i watch this doc, it frightens me.  it frightens me that i could have possibly sent a kid to this crap.  thankfully, i didn't.  this stuff that has nothing to do with Christianity, the love of Jesus, or living out the will of God.  it also really pisses me off how easily people get hooked in.  well intentioned, good Xian people being tricked into a dangerous situation.

now, i wouldn't necessarily say the atf events are a bad thing in themselves. i think you can experience God's presence at something like this.  i also think they can be very manipulative.  and the honor academy and their boot camp mentality seems very unbiblical to me.  seriously, what is that, navy seal training? how does that help you grow closer to God?

"the honor academy is not for everyone." - ron luce.  you know what, it's not for anyone.  it is a cult situation masked in Christianity.  luce's defense disgusts me because it's not an answer.  it's a spiritualized response that masks what is going on.  it blames those being abused for not being spiritual enough, or as Christlike as they should be.  the reality is that not everyone swallows the lie, and that sort of answer avoids what needs to be addressed.

30 days without meat

today is december 4th. i have officially gone thirty days without meat (i have had eggs & cheese).  and you know what, it was surprisingly easy.  i didn't have any withdrawl symptoms or strong cravings or any other imagined things.

what did i learn during these thirty days?

• well, there are meatless options at most places.  some of them are damn good, too.  
• fast food sucks.  okay, i'm sure most of us already know that, but it really does.  not eating meat helped me avoid fast food for a month.  yes, it's convenient, but it generally is low quality crap that i don't need in my belly.
• fresh & easy has an amazing vegetarian chili.  this stuff is seriously good, and i think i like it more than any other canned chili.
• apparently, there is meat in a lot of stuff.  it's cold, so we've been having more soup lately.  when you start looking at labels, you find that a lot of stuff will have bacon thrown in.
• i want to find a local farm that is doing quality, free range cattle.  if i'm going to eat meat, beef specifically, i'd like to know that it's fed right (grain fed) and not raised in horrible conditions.  this may take some time, and cost more, but i think it's worth it. (a friend gave me a link to page river bottom farm - a sanger farm doing just this)
• it would be good to get veggies from a csa.  just like the better raised beef, it would be good to support a local farmer, and buy seasonal vegetables.  i hear good things about the farmer's daughter csa.
• i've been thinking more about cooking, and want to experiment a bit more in the kitchen.  i've found some interesting recipes, and want to get some more cookware and try out new foods.  if i'm eating, it should be an enjoyable experience. sure, there will be quick, easy meals, but i'd rather they be the exception, rather than the rule.
• i really want to try this.

i wonder what i should try to give up next for thirty days?

diego's umbrello & the quiet americans

thursday night an intriguing little show hits audie's olympic.

local favs, and up and comers (as much as an up and comer group with all road tested, successful musicians can be) the quiet americans are taking the stage @ audie's.  i dig 'em a lot, and if you haven't seen them, you should.  and buy a cassette.

they'll be joined by a band named diego's umbrella.  i haven't heard of them, but apparently they have a bit of a name to them.  and, i like their sound, which sort of reminds me of a little more electric ska el olio wolof.

check some vids from diego's umbrella






okay, i definitely like the quiet americans better, but it should be an intriguing show.

lemur thanksgiving

i love the san francisco zoo. seriously, it's my favorite zoo.

thanks

at this time of year, of course we think of what we're thankful for.  i mean, it was thanksgiving yesterday.  so, i started thinking about what i am thankful for, from trivial to actually important.

1. family - here and abroad. i'm thankful for heather and all that she has to put up on a daily basis with me as her husband.  my mom has been enduring some change in life that i don't know i would go through as gracefully.  although it's at a distance, it's great watching my brother and sister raise their kids via facebook.  and, up close we get to see heather's brother & sister in law raise their twins.  good stuff.

2. friends - again, near and afar, it's good to see you all growing and changing as a part of our lives.  some settle down, others don't, and it's all good because it allows us to be different things at different times. and, we're excited to meet an addition or two to the friend group family.

3. pub quiz - dang right. every wednesday i have a blast as a part of the team doing pub quiz. some weeks it's stressful, or we get annoyed with people, and some weeks we really bone it on a question or three, but it's still a good time.  i would have never imagined when we started that we would average 100 people a week.

4. soccer on the television - the US men's and women's teams gave us plenty of good watching in the last calendar year.  arenal gives me fits, but i love tuning in, and the galaxy had the best record this season and won the mls cup.  good stuff.  and, it was great watching all these games with friends.

5. home - as i type this, i watch leaves falling from our tree onto the lawn i raked this morning. dang it! but, others don't have this luxury.  we enjoy our place, and are actually trying to get stuff done around the house.

6. work - i choose to work a few different jobs because the one or two i would really like aren't full time options.  but i'm glad to have freedom to teach subjects i really enjoy, and to coach students.  like any teacher, i have my share of complaints, but it's generally good, and steady, work.

7. art - dang it, i am such a rare painter that i wouldn't call myself an artist right now.  but, i still have a mural looming off in the distance, and when that gets going it'll really push me to do more and to make a bigger impact.

so, there are some things that i'm thankful for off of the top of my head.  what are one or two (or more) things that you're thankful for?

movember on the news

no meat november update - first thanksgiving

so, last sunday was our first family thanksgiving of the season.  i knew thanksgiving would take place this month, but with all the foods available, it's actually not that hard to avoid the meats.  what i hadn't accounted for was random meats.

this sunday, tri tip was there, along with turkey.  now, don't get me wrong, i like turkey.  i expected turkey.  i was ready to avoid turkey.  but tri tip?  dammit.  i held strong, and avoided the meat.

what this really makes me want for the remaining thanksgiving feasts i'll attend: people to step their game up on the mashed potatoes.  really, i've had a lot of weak, mushy, watery mashed potatoes in the last few years.  doesn't seem like it would be that hard to me.  we've made them at home during the years, and haven't had much problem.

mustache 11/16

mustache coming along nicely. thanks those who have donated.  see the link on the mustache post below if you'd like to donate.

no meat november

so, i haven't eaten meat in a little over a week.  it hasn't been difficult.  i mean, it's not like i was addicted to meat or anything.

there have been a few little snags. i knew that i was eating a bunch of fast food, but i didn't quite think about how frequently, and convenient, it was.  eating is requiring a little bit more planning.

another issue is that there is meat in a lot of things that i didn't think about.  we went out for thai food the other day. i knew i'd be okay on my meal because they have tofu as an option.  we ordered an appetizer, the money bags, which are these little delicious little fried deals. i knew they had potato and peas in them, but didn't know they also had chicken in them.  damn, those were out.

for some reason, i really want tacos.  this is a little odd to me, because it's not like i eat tacos regularly.  but i really want to have some asada tacos right now.  and , it seems like i notice taquerias more.

i have discovered some nice vegetarian options. for instance, bobby salazar's has a nice veggie burrito.  i think i prefer thai food without the chicken, shrimp or beef.

mustache update week 1

here's me looking slightly handsome, with a week's worth of whimsical mustache.  also, this picture looks very orange for some reason. (i think it's because i didn't use a flash.)

as i mentioned in the movember post, i'm a part of a local team, growing mustaches and trying to raise some $ and awareness about male health issues, particularly prostate cancer.  if you'd like to donate, you can click here.  i'd appreciate any support, but now pressure.

as the mustache thickens up a bit i intend to try some goofiness.  we'll see.

movember

so, along with everything else that i'm doing this november (no meat, paint more, blog more) i've also joined a team.  a mustache growing team.

last year, i grew a novembeard.  it was handsome.  this year, i'm taking part in movember.  movember is a movement trying to bring about awareness about prostate cancer and other male cancer issues.  from their website,

"Once registered at www.movember.com, men start Movember 1st clean shaven. For the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery. Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, Movember Mo Bros raise funds by seeking out sponsorship for their Mo-growing efforts.

Mo Bros effectively become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November. Through their actions and words they raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health.

At the end of the month, Mo Bros and Mo Sistas celebrate their gallantry and valor by either throwing their own Movember party or attending one of the infamous Gala Partés held around the world by Movember, for Movember. 



The Movember Effect: Awareness & Education, Survivorship, Research
The funds raised in the US support prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men. The funds raised are directed to programs run directly by Movember and our men’s health partners, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG, the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Together, the three channels work together to ensure that Movember funds are supporting a broad range of innovative, world-class programs in line with our strategic goals in the areas of awareness and education, survivorship and research."

so, if you would like to, find my profile, it's under my name, and donate. any donations help and are appreciated.   or, you can donate to anyone on my team, team fresno.

questioning westboro baptist

i am not a fan of westboro baptist cult and their weird family. i remember hearing them frequently on adam carolla's radio show, and it always bugged me that these wackjobs were given any time or opportunity to spout their crap.  generally, i'd like to just ignore them.

however, sometimes comedy happens, and it's worth checking out.  brick stone, a fake personality that interviews people,  did an interview with some westboro folks in las vegas, and it's funny enough to share.  enjoy.

swede fest 8

good times to be had this saturday

swedefest returns, and it'll likely be packed since the avengers trailer swede done by the dumb drum has blown the eff up. should be a good time, and for those of you over 21, enjoy a beer. and, there will be tacos!

the god who loves justice

take 20 minutes, if you can, and hear a sermon that i wish was being preached more frequently



preach it!

happy halloween

565 pieces of candy. gonzo.

start time: 6:07
ran out of candy time: 8:20

i'm actually surprised it made it that long.

birthday month

getting older is what it is.  in fact, i really don't mind getting older, and don't get weirded out by numbers.  this thursday, i'll be turning 36 (oops, typed 37 first).  i'm going to use this day as a starting point for a couple of things.

the first thing i decided was to try being a vegetarian for a month.  i watched a few short videos recently about the meat industry, and it did bug me a little. one of them challenged people to try to be vegan for a month. i'm not going that far, but i did think that i could try to be a vegetarian.  for me, this is about discipline.  can i eat a little healthier, and a little less conveniently?  honestly, a large portion of my diet now is because i'll have limited time at meals, especially lunch. so, i'll eat a hot dog or two, or grab some fast food.  not so good for me. hey, i'm getting older, and the lbs don't just fall off any more.  now, i'm not totally becoming a vegetarian, as i'll actually be more of a ovo-lacto vegetarian, which means i'll be eating eggs & dairy. frankly, there's no way i'm giving up cheese, and i've yet to enjoy any of the faux cheeses i've tried.

the next thing i want to commit to is painting more.  man, i used to paint most days, and my art was coming along nicely. for whatever reason, i stopped, and really haven't painted much in over a year. i need to force myself to work on paintings every day. i won't say i'm committing to every day, but i do want to at least work on something four out of seven days in each week.

i think these are two pretty good challenges. hopefully, by december 4th i'll have stuck with them, and will be able to reflect back on the experience. i'm also going to try to blog frequently about the experience over the next month.

gone, baby, gone

do you remember this mural?

well, i hope you do, or that you have some photos of it because here's what it looks like now.

maybe this adds some credence to the fresnan's story about rumors of palominos closing.

UPDATE:
couple of things to add
- my friend adam actually texted me and let me know about the mural being painted over and i ran with the story.
- the bee has been working on the story since, and has dug up a lot of great info. see here and here. i don't advise you read the comments on the bee version of the story.

i'm interested to see how this continues to unfold, and a little discouraged by the tower district marketing committee.  also, when i begin my mural downtown for creative fresno, i've got a lot better idea of what needs to be spelled out in the contract.

red state review

months back, i remember hearing about kevin smith making a new film, and it was definitely floating under the radar.  it was called red state. it wasn't getting a ton of press, although it seemed to have buzz from the film festivals. i saw smith on talk shows, and he was pretty vague about what the movie exactly was.  he was asked about the political connection to the title, and he sorta played it down, and played up how this movie was sort of a horror film.  outside of those initial press junkets, i didn't hear much about the actual movie.

flash forward a few months, and the movie has had some limited release, and i'm pretty interested to see it.  today, netflix announced that red state was now streaming and so i popped it in our instant queue.  we decided to watch it tonight.

now, i'm not going to tell you much about the movie, because it seems that smith has worked to keep it sort of a secret, and i'll respect that and not put out a lot of detail in this review.  if you want to talk specifics in the comments here, i'm game.

here's what i will say: this movie is not compelling at all.  i didn't find it that well made.  i barely even found it interesting.  i kept waiting and waiting for the movie to take me somewhere different, and it never did.  maybe i'm expecting too much of kevin smith.  for the life of me, i can't figure out why this movie is being billed as a horror film.  it's not eery, it's not frightening, the only horror is that the scenario of the film could be real.  and heather pointed out how much you ham-fistedly coming through a few characters at the end of the film.  real novice level writing there.

watch this film if you want.  just don't invite me over.

installiday

today was a good day around the house.

• installed hand towel bar
• installed towel bar
• removed shower doors
• installed shower rod
• installed shower curtain

what will i get into tomorrow?  i don't know.  i doubt i'll install anything else.

gatorade hangover

um, yeah.

tom morello, this land is your land

i've had some interesting discussions about the occupy movement, and i'm still not sure i would say that i endorse it all, mainly because i don't know what the all is.  that's alright, i do love that americans are waking up to the class struggle that exists in our nation.  i hope people see the inequality in wages, the injustices going on in our government and society, and that change happens.

today, i saw this video of tom morello, of rage against the machine fame, playing arlo guthrie's "this land is our land."  pretty damn cool.



nice use of the people's microphone

straight outta dunwoody

so, this is a pretty humorous video about living in an atlanta suburb.  i really appreciate how well they copied straight outta compton with some very similar cadence and vocal tone.



i'm going to have to check out some more vids from dormtainment

rademacher, light fm - post art hop show

 

thursday night is a return to post art hop shows.  it's not at tokyo garden, like the good old days, but it's rademacher and light fm.

light fm, well, they're just about to go on tour with the smashing pumpkins.

rademacher, they're only releasing their latest ep.

be there. be.

hidden valley ranch taste test

so, this was my favorite sketch from this last weekend.



i'm not naming names, but this totally reminds me of a local business owner in some weird way

tower dogs is closing

from facebook today, "

I would like to start off by thanking everyone who supported TDogs. I am going to sell TDogs so I can move on to doing something I've always dreamed of doing. Its not that I don't love TDogs but it just isn't what I personally want to do anymore, so if you are interested or know someone who might be please call me.This could be a great opportunity for the right person or family. I would really like it to stay Tower Dogs, but I really can't control that. Today will be the last day we're open until after the Fair, not sure after that. Again thank you all for your support I'm so grateful."

 anybody wanna loan me some $? i've always wanted a hot dog stand.

bleed into one

over the past few years i've really gotten into watching documentaries.  i currently have a handful in my netflix queue, i have 2 on my dvr right now, and enjoy finding new ones on subjects i've learned about. the internets is good for that.

well, today the internets brought me bleed into one.  it's a documentary about Xian rock.



i will patiently wait for this documentary, since it says coming soon, but doesn't give a release date.  it looks pretty damn interesting, and it has a ton of good bands in it.  seriously.  p.o.d., mxpx, sixpence none the richer, phil keaggy, the prayer chain, zao, living sacrifice, u2, switchfoot, jars of clay, 77's, and the crucified (fresno represent!).  i grew up listening to these bands, among others, and so it will definitely take me back to my youth.  i'm just sad they don't have project 86 or sometime sunday listed, because then my heart would jump out of my body.

now, i can already tell that this documentary is coming at Xian music from a perspective i agree with, so i suppose we could say it's not a documentary in the truest, objective sense, but i'm okay with that.

the jacuzzi of comedy 9/25

This is going to be my moving away party.


Its turning out a little bigger than I planned at first.
Which is dope!

The evening will be hosted by:
Nicholas Nocketback
Featuring special musical guest:
JAY SMITH.

Also performing:
Gary Lee (Visalia, Ca)
and
Brandie Posey (Los Angeles, Ca)

I believe in you, Fresno.

-Boney

P.S. I'm moving to San Diego and I already miss you.
I'm going to see if I can work more on my stand up material
in some rooms around SD in order to grow more as a comic.

 

 

here's some additional info provided by the host, nick nocketback

"This Sunday, 8:30pm, well after thar guilty pleasure-church-is over, bring your devine ass down to Starline for comedy and a late nite-style show that'd make Conan rethink careers. Your host, me."

 

"It's been a long time. I shouldn't have left you...without a bunch of weird shit to think about later. LETS GET IN THE YACUZZI. This Sunday. Hosted by Nicholas Nocketback. Featuring yours truly."

 

"Starline, Sunday, September 25th, Eight Thirty PM...A smashingly, brilliant good time. Hot liquid magma jokes poured on your face like Bisquick. Nicholas Nocketback hosts The Late Nite Jacuzzi, Starring Boney Beezly as Ashton Kutcher in Patriot Act II, This Time it's Personal." 

  

"Be the first in your office to say "I was there, and for Christ's sake, was I drunk, laughing, and high from sniffing pills."  Nocketback hosts the Late Nite Jacuzzi, starring Boney Beezly--9/25/2011 (8:30)

 

"Come witness history: Nocketback hosts the Late Nite Jacuzzi, starring Boney Beezly. Be prepared for a Late Nite Show format, comedy from taint to taint, drink deals and crushed prescription pills. Starline, Sunday, September 25th, Seacrest, Out!"

 

Rarefrom Dubstep Throwdown

Come hear some of the newest in dubstep and nu jungle. Brought to you by bassfienz crew; valley vetran djs: hd4000 (dj odeed and dj wish), dj woody and dj orange are ready to shatter windows and make you wish you brought your inhaler.

friday night
10:30pm - saturday at 2:00am
 

Veni Vidi Vici

1116 N. Fulton St.

Fresno, California

frebby's 2011

i've been thinking about the frebby's this year for a while.  i wouldn't say that i've been thinking about it since last year's show, but i would say that i've followed it this year, and even went back and looked at some of the winners from last year.

when they announced tickets being on sale, i thought about whether or not i would like to attend this year.  to be completely honest and give full disclosure, i went last year because adam, carrie and i were nominated for fresno pub quiz.  i'm not exactly sure what category it was that we were nominated in (i think it was action or connection).  i'm not exactly sure who nominated us or how many nominations we received, but i know we (adam) did one.  i don't know how it was judged, or who won our category.  what i do know is that we didn't win.  and please believe me, i'm alright with that.  of course, i would have loved to won, but that's alright, you don't always win.  and, what we do @ pub quiz that i'm so proud of is our weekly event, and how we manage to decently interact with our attendees through the net, especially facebook.

last year, the event itself was fine.  adam and i bought tickets (i wonder if oscar nominees buy tickets?) and went to the award show at the downtown club.  they had a nice appetizer spread, and the bar was serving decently priced drinks.  we mingled with people, and i actually met a few local twitter folks i hadn't met in person.  i thought the keynote presentation was decent enough, but really, i was there to find out if we won.   i would imagine that is what all the nominees wanted to know.  anyway, after the event, we hung out for a little bit more and then took off. 

like i said before, the event was fine, but it's an awards ceremony.  i 've been to plenty of those through my academic and athletic careers.  i've won some, lost some, but in general, an awards show is only so fun in my opinion.  i don't know if i've ever met someone that said they just love to go to award shows, even if it's not connected to them at all.

so, when this year's event was announced, i decided that i probably wouldn't go.  when i heard the price of admission had gone up, i was less inclined and pretty sure i wasn't going.  since none of the stuff i do on the 'net were nominated, and i didn't nominate myself for the blog, podcast or pub quiz,  it pretty much sealed it that i wasn't going.

but something interesting happened today on twitter.  roque of dumbdrum.com asked via twitter, "@frebbyawards So besides the award show, what other things should people expect on Thursday? Trying to sell some coworkers on attending."  he also tweeted about how he was going, but again, was trying to convince new people to go.

rightly so, @frebbyawards replied, "@brodiemash the main focus is the awards, of course, but there will be fun booths to browse upstairs & an afterparty at @55Fulton."

@alisa_m, who works for paprika studios (who puts on the frebby's) also replied, "@brodiemash I would also add that it's a great way to get introduced to people heavily engaged online or in the business doing cool stuff."

being me, i stuck my nose in where it probably doesn't belong and asked "no dis intended, but can anyone not connected to frebbys give @brodiemash reasons why ppl should go?"

i received two responses.  the first, was from @abelopez and i'm only assuming that it was in reply to my question, "@edwardstewart *crickets chirping* (I'm getting a lot of use out of this today)" because it was pretty much right after.

the other was from someone who has a protected account, so i won't say who it was, but here's the tweet, "@edwardstewart @brodiemash good food, good presentation, great group of the most creative folks in time." - i'm assuming town was meant there at the end.


one of the other people behind paprika studios and the frebby's, james collier (whom we've had on the podcast, speaking about paprika & the frebbys)  replied, "beautiful - thanks (name redacted)."

james also tweeted, "@brodiemash I can only speak as someone connected to the event, but several of your peers were nominated"

i dunno, that answer just doesn't do it for me.  why would a non web designer go?  i mean, i can get good and network at a lot of events.  i mean, creative fresno has blenders every month, and has a bartender challenge, featuring my anonymous twitterer as one of the bartenders, tonight.  there is flyp, putting on events.  we have art hop.  the beehive consistently puts on great events were people can come, meet up with the creative/cool folks in town, and on and on.  why would i want to go to an awards show?

let's throw some more stuff into the mix:

• the fresno internets has their "cool kids."  the top blogs, the ones that get links on other blogs, the ones that either are the new hot shit or the tried and true cool ones.  i'm not bragging, but i was in that cool kids group.   i'd like to think that i still am to some extent, but i realize my blogging has gone to crap and i rarely do it, and our podcast takes off two or more months off between episodes.  not exactly the way to stay top of the heap.  to me, and this is only my opinion, there is a bit of "the cool kids of fresno's internets are going to be there, so you should be there."  i was listening to the fresnan on a recently episode of the dirty dowdy podcast, and they mentioned the frebbys, what it was and so on.  they were nominated, and going to the show.  but, they did bring up the "inner click" of the fresno interwebs: mike oz, the fresnan, james collier, travis sheridan - and how they (dirty dowdy) were outside of it.  furthering that, let's throw out another event that fresno internets cool kids routinely mock, including myself...
• fresno magazine's best of fresno event - in no way will i defend how they pick their winners.  i have no idea how their ridiculous winners.  then again, all we know about the frebbys is that they have a panel of judges that rate each nominee on a 1-10 scale looking @ creativy + innovation, effectiveness, & expertise.  most award ceremonies are pretty subjective, and i would imagine that fresno magazine has some criteria for their awards.  but, i will defend the event itself.  the best of fresno has a ton of food samples from legitimately top restaurants in town.  they have free wine samples from local vineyards.  they had free stella artois on tap the year i went.  but, i could say from my experience that the best of fresno event is, "great food & drinks, an awards presentation, and a ton of people.  some you'd want to talk to, some you wouldn't."  honestly, i had a better time at the best of fresno awards than at the frebby's.  that isn't said to knock the frebby's.  i just had a better time.

now, the frebby's and best of fresno are award ceremonies about two different things, although the best of fresno does have a web category.  the frebbys is more specific and focused on specific web categories, and that's good - since they're a web award show.   but i'm still left at a point wondering why anyone that isn't a web designer or a nominated group would go?  and again, this isn't intended as a slight against the frebby's or any people or group.  i'm just thinking out loud here, and trying to be thorough as i work through it.  and i just don't have an answer.

what do you think?

dj woody @ veni's

we'll see if they get a digital flyer done for this bad boy, but dj woody will be spinning dubstep and more over @ veni vidi vicci's this friday night. 

cover?  who knows. time? beats me.

all i know is that we'll be over there, bouncing to the wobble wobble fuzz.

naming?

if you were going to start a blog that was going to give reviews of restaurants, what would you call it?

larry david's rules for living

i'm really enjoying curb your enthusiasm this season, and always love to see larry's somewhat annoying takes on life.  well, someone put together a little video compiling those rules.

skrillex - first of the year

i've posted dubstep songs here before (although what do i know, maybe it's just electronica or something), and i'll probably do it again after this one. i really dug this song, and the video is freaking amazing.
Skrillex - First Of the Year (Equinox) from HK Corp on Vimeo.
so, what have we learned? don't mess with demonic little girls, especially if you're a pedophile.

marc maron on his wikipedia page

i really enjoy marc maron's wtf podcast. really, if you listen to podcasts and aren't listening to his, step your game up. here's marc maron breaking down his wikipedia page with wbez.

Marc Maron fact-checks his Wikipedia File with Justin Kaufmann from WBEZ on Vimeo.

war on the poors

i realize that john stewart is a comedian, with a team of writers, but once again he is spot on.

The Daily Show
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The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

it's also quite disheartening that there is a group of people out there that actually believe the crap that the other side is saying. seriously, i get super depressed every time i'm teaching sociology and we talk about wage inequality in the u.s. and income levels. the idea that the federal poverty line is set around 23k for a family of 4 is insane. i have my students break down the monthly expenses for a family of 4 as a way of demonstrating how impossible it is to actually live around that level. and yet, people still vote against themselves and their own best interests. the believe the insane people that are actually conducting class warfare.

lost smiths promo video

it was a godsend when i saw this press video for the smiths from 1992 over @ laughing squid today. i knew i would be spending time watching and listening to some heavenly music.




not enough smiths for you? of course not. go over here and enjoy more smiths videos dammit.

mondat haiku 8 15

heat is kicking my
rear and i have little want
but to nap and nap

back in the valley, jailbreak at fulton 55

some musical happenings this weekend.

friday night, our friend malcolm sosa will be playing a solo set over @ studio itz from 8-10 pm. it's a free show, and he'll be joined by two acts from l.a. (i don't know the acts, but malcolm called them "two great acts.")

UPDATE: i've heard through facebook that one of the other bands is manhattan murder mystery.

saturday night, there's a cool show down @ fulton 55.



a little bit of rockabilly, a little bit of old school country, and a bit of our friend vince corsaro on drums. sounds great.

fresno distributing

fresno distributing, aka fresno d, has always been a little odd to me. i liked the idea of supporting local businesses, but as a distributor type store i found it a bit off putting as a customer. the show room seems like an afterthought, and if i want to get a new faucet or whatever, i probably would hit up the easy display and multiple options of lowes.

around the fourth of july, we had an issue with our shower. the divertor, which allows the change from bath to shower to happen, wasn't working properly. we also had a long-time leak on our cold water handle, but that was a nagging concern and had their not been a problem with the divertor i would have let it keep dripping. my go - to spot for home repairs is fresno ag, so i headed over there. they had the right parts to fix my problems, and things were reasonably priced. while we were there, we inquired about other handles for our price pfister, 1970's looking set up. unfortunately, for the set up we had there were only a few, equally ugly options.

on our way home, we decided to pop in at fresno d, and see if they had other options. we spoke with one of the parts guys, discussed what we had, and he let us know a few options. eventually, we realized that we could switch out the stems behind the handles, and found these real sweet, sleek brushed nickel handles. we placed an order and started waiting. now, it's a little scary that their paperwork says that orders can take up to three months to come in, but they told us that it should be in three or four weeks. after just about a month, our new handles and parts were in.

today, i drove over to pick up the parts. the original guy we worked in wasn't in (i think he was on lunch break) but that wasn't a big deal because we were just picking up a unit. i got my box, and headed out.

this is where things went wonky. i looked at what i had, and it was only a two handle set up, according to the box. i popped the box open, and while they were the right two handles, we were missing the third. i went back in, and waited to be helped. after a minute or so, i was able to explain my issue to someone, and he began to investigate. he looked up the faucets and what not in their books, and what we wanted (finish wise) didn't come in a three handle. was i going to be stuck with two sweet handles, and one ugly one?

the guy i worked with, whose name i sadly didn't catch, was amazing. essentially, he found all the appropriate pieces from other sets or packages. all of the parts. and, even more cool, they did it for free. i was figuring that i would have to shell out for the additional stuff. i wouldn't have been stoked about that, but i would have had my parts. nope, they said that because there was a miscommunication they were going to give me the parts i needed since i'd already bought the other parts. freaking awesome.

thanks a ton, fresno d. you may not have all the things that lowes, home depot or even fresno ag have, but you do your thing well. and, your customer service is awesome - seriously, i was able to watch several customers treated very well, and the employees go out of their way to figure out people's needs/problems and do their best to help. great work.

monday haiku 8/8

watching damages
is a new passion of mine
a very good show

a post for adam

a little post for adam, who has had a lot of fun with at&t over the last few months.



www.toothpastefordinner.com/080711/

evolution of the hipster

i've featured some hipster flow charts and other stuff talking about the hipster. now, i don't want to just pick on a group of people, but i did think this little video from glove and boots does present a humorous history of the hipster. sit back, and enjoy some history.

christian boobs

i wanted to share with you a great blog post from the blog jesus needs new pr. it's about how people dress. or, rather, how people should dress, specifically women, if they want to be modest, Xian women.

in short, he points out:
inherent sexism in modesty discussions
inconsistent standards
modesty is a culturally determined standard
the shame attached to modesty talks

i don't always check out that blog, but i drop by every so often and scroll down to see hilariously bad church signs, weird Xian videos, and more. i hope you enjoy the read.

matt damon vs reporter on teachers

matt damon is friggin awesome. seriously, he seems to have a much better grasp on economics than the reporter and cameraman asking him questions. and, he understands that most people simply aren't doing their job for the paycheck, especially teachers.

in a world of celebrities that ought to shut the hell up, i'd like to hear more from mr. damon. and, frankly, in a world of people like charlie sheen and mel gibson, i want to watch more of mr. damon's work.

six year anniversary

yep, today this blog turns six.

there have been a lot of twists and turns along the way.

blogging has been passionate.

blogging has been lazy.

there have been busier seasons of blogging.

there have been seasons of blog drought.

but it continues on.

we continue on.

police motorcycle manuevers

today i'm giving you a pretty cool video of a police officer navigating a police issue harley through an obstacle course. damn fine work. i do recommend that you turn off your sound so you don't have to listen to lowrider.



i've taken a motorcycle course and have learned some of the techniques demonstrated, but am in no way anywhere as good as this good. sick skills from this guy. and, it's rather impressive that he's doing it on an old school harley not a bmw or kawasaki or whatever smaller bikes used now.

sesame street covers the beastie boys

a little over a minute of awesome.

Sesame Street breaks it down from Wonderful Creative on Vimeo.

thanks, sesame street.

also, here's the newest from the beasties.

goodbye mrs. puddles

in 1996, we got a cat for heather. she was a little runt of a kitten, and she brought us tons of joy over the years. here's some fun reflections.











over the last few years, we noticed that she was really starting to show her age. we found out she had a few tumors, and knew that it was only a matter of time. today was her last.

we'll miss her dearly. really, there are only a few people in our lives that we've known longer than our cat.

uswnt vs japan

it's thursday, but i'm already looking ahead to sunday. why? well, the u.s. women's national soccer team is playing in the championship game of the women's world cup. this is a big deal, even if you don't like soccer.

i do like soccer, but admit that i'm not the biggest fan of the women's game. i remember watching in 99, the last time we won. in the months before the cup, i had watched a few scrimmages between the uswnt and lower tier, division 2 men's college teams. despite being the best in the world at the time, the women couldn't keep up with those guys. when i watched that cup, i sorta felt the product was inferior. the soccer wasn't as good, in my opinion.

jump ahead to now. i am amazed by our team. great crosses. flying headers for goals. shots on point. yes, there is an occasional bad pass or whatever, but the same can be said of the men's game. and it's not just the u.s. team that looks great. all of the teams in this year's world cup have really played beautiful soccer, something that i wouldn't say about last year's men's cup (i'm looking squarely at you france. you ain't the only one, but you may be the ugliest.)

the game is still a little different than the men's game. it's not quite as physical, the keepers can't quite cover as much of the net, but the soccer is still great to watch. and, the women don't fake injuries as much. there is an occasional flop, but overall, these women stay on their feet. when fouled, they pop back up and get on with the game. refreshing stuff, really.

so sunday, i'll be watching. and you should be watching. and cheering. our side is the favorite, and don't let that sway you. it's going to be a tough match, and hopefully the trophy returns to the u.s. when it's all said and done.

don't miss the best sport going on right now.

monday haiku 7/11

women's world cup is
awesome, sons of anarchy
also a good watch

treme season finale

season finales are great. really, you get a nice little bit of finish, quite a bit of loose ends for next season, and a whole lot of anticipation for next year.

sunday we got the season finale for treme. not everyone likes this show, and some find it quite unlikeable. myself, i like the show but there are parts that i could do without. but, the beauty of a show like treme, and the writers behind it is that the parts that sometimes are throw away, the threads that i may not care for, help build the wonderful tapestry. and as the tapestry is seen, it gets more wonderful.

this second season has shown a lot more of that tapestry. wonderful music, more of the grit of the city, and the interpersonal working and crossover of threads. great stuff. as i watched the season finale, i got goosebumps about 3/4s of the way in, as ladonna lets loose on the d.a. and the system, venting the rage of the city. her husband, larry, who has stood in opposition of staying in new orleans, and of ladonna owning her bar, sees that fire, sees the woman he's always loved, and decides there is no way they are selling the bar, and that the whole family is moving back. wonderful drama played out, great to see the family struggle, and also a lovely metaphor for the city and it's fight.

the crow...it might have had babies

the title quote comes from a time where jay mohr was on the jim rome show. he was recounting a time when he almost ran over a crow while driving, while working on a movie with christopher walken. i still fondly remember hearing mohr do a walken impression, and say, "the crow...it might have had babies." still makes me laugh.

anyway, it's good that jay mohr didn't hit the crow. or, maybe he should have. a recent study confirms that crows will remember your face. do not anger a crow. it will attack you. it will remember you, perhaps even the rest of its life. it will recruit other crows to attack you. and, those crows will remember you and attack you later, even without the original crow.

that is some evil, crow isht.

now, i've heard of this idea a few years back, but the level of memory and recruiting is a bit new to me. nuts.

same sex tulare county

suck it san francisco. you aren't as gay as...tulare county. well, at least, census numbers show that the county with the most same sex families raising children is tulare county.

i admit, i'm surprised by that. then again, it may make sense that families with children aren't living in the city, or even the bay area, where property cost is very high. it also makes sense that people that had kid in heterosexual relationships and then came out would want to keep their children near the other parent as much as possible.

radamacher baby hawk

i've haven't been a proper rademacher fan boy of late. i've missed a show or two, and while i've chatted w/malcolm on facebook and eli in person, i haven't blogged much of what i've heard.

but the band has been busy. they've been honing their sound, recording mini albums, and are beginning to hit the road in support of their first Baby Hawk albums. sadly, they aren't playing fresno any time soon. here's where they will be:
RADEMACHER EP RELEASE SHOWS in JULY
7/1 - Sacramento @ Old Ironsides
7/2 - Merced @ The Partisan
7/13 - San Francisco @ The Knockout
7/14 - Los Angeles @ The Bootleg Theater

click over here to read a pretty good article with malcolm sosa, and you can download the latest incarnation of "they are always into that." it's well worth your time.

sunday night in fresno

it's a little bit away, but sunday has options, options, options.

first off, we have a great little comedy show that happens once a month at the starline.



i've been able to catch at least portions of all of the previous comedy jacuzzi events and it's more than worth the money to get in. boney beezly has been bringing in some hot comics from outside and swirling them with the right mix of local talent.

but, sunday night also brings a fine rock and roll show down to fulton 55. you wouldn't know from this logo, but there are fine bands on the bill.



this show features Useless Keys, Quiet Americans, The Mallard. now, i don't know the useless keys (& i'm a lazier blogger than the fresnan so i won't even bother to find a link) but i hope they're good. i do know the quiet americans, and they are very good. solid poppy rock with happy sounding lyrics and enough fuzz to give you a beard. finally, we've got the mallard on the bill. they come from san francisco (sorta) and everything from "the city" should be loved in fresno. but seriously, greer mcgettrick is in the band. we loved greer and her music when she was here in fresno as a part of rademacher. when we heard she had a new band we wanted to see it, and now they'll finally be here. pure awesome. or, if i want to sound like the kids in super 8, mint.

it's tuesday now. you've got time to figure out what you'll do sunday night, but it better be one of these two things.

UPDATE: new flyer for the show. it seems useless keys are the headliner. maybe i'll have to look them up.

monday haiku 6/20

the heat is here and
of course our swamp cooler has
issues. water pump?

tv on the radio - you

although it took me until the 2nd album to really get into these guys, i'm in now. enjoy a little mini movie they made for their song 'you.'

whole foods parking lot

let me get back to posting other people's videos. here's a little funny rap about the whole foods parking lot.



fog and smog.

and, how about a medley of hip hop songs played on the violin?

tommy from tokyo garden sings!

our friend lauren convinced tommy, the bartender at tokyo garden, to sing a song. a real treasure, and the only time i've seen it happen. amazing stuff, and i love how he giggles midway through the song.



rare, rare stuff right there.

no, you're not.

eating food doesn't make you a foodie.

saying you paint doesn't make you a painter.

putting up videos from other people doesn't make you a blogger.

i could go on with a few more lines, but i don't really want to this to take a (more) negative tone. life is well. i've got time on my hands right now do to a slightly smaller class load and the end of track. so, with time, i realize that i haven't kept up with some things, like painting. it's giving me a kick in the pants to do the stuff i really enjoy, do the things i really want to be about and not just say i'm about.

in other news, i'm still trying to get a.o. fresno off the ground. seriously, i really didn't think it would be so difficult to find 25 people in the fresno area that liked soccer, especially u.s. soccer that would want to get together and watch matches. this is also helping me realize the limitations of my contacts. but i really do believe that this is a cool, grass roots, supporters organization that does care about soccer. if you watch any of the gold cup games, you'll see american outlaws in a section. they'll be the ones passionately cheering, singing, chanting throughout the whole game. i'm already a member, and would love for you to get involved, too.

on a side note, we went to vegas last weekend. it was a ton of fun. the vegas schedule caught up with me last night. i was falling asleep on the couch at like 9:45, and went to bed @ 10:30. wha?

college kids - let's always be friends

wow, i saw the malcolm sosa posted a link to a college kids song, and figured i would check it out. holy moley, what a great tune. i'm not sure how it would sound live @ a show, but i'm loving it.

College Kids - "Let's Always be Friends" from Benjamin Gauvain Hoste on Vimeo.

where i saw the video first.

college kids website.

bye bye beard

i grew this beard during the 2011 outdoor track season in solidarity with the throwers i help coach. the season is over, and it's time for the beard to go. here's my send off to the beard.

fay wrays cd release show

let me ask you a few questions:
1. do you like music? yes, move on to question 2. no, do i know you?

2. will you be in fresno saturday night?

yes, move on to the flyer. no, i'm sorry.



seriously, this is going to be a very good show. the fay wrays always put their best foot forward on stage, and i'm sure this week won't be any different as they drop their new album. along with fay wrays will be fresno darlings and sxsw tested fierce creatures, one of my new local favs achievement house, the sunburns (who rock), grand canopy, and tokyo death march. i don't know much about the last two, but i'm sure their worth it. hell, 2 of the 3 first bands i mentioned are worth the $10 bucks to get in.

i recommend you head down to fulton 55, enjoy your saturday night.

my drunk kitchen

thanks to laughing squid i found out about a hilarious cooking show called my drunk kitchen. she does witty, little videos where she cooks while drinking. it's a little tough to gauge how much she is drinking vs acting drunk, but i found it enjoyable.



the closing credits were a nice little touch. most of the videos are around five minutes, so click over and enjoy.

wigger

if you need me in the next few days, i'll be staying in between 45th and university, just off wigger. drop on by. on second thought, you better just call or text.

the jacuzzi comedy showcase

i've really been enjoying the comedy showcases that boney beezly has been putting on. the comedy comes back this sunday night.



"The Jacuzzi presents: Allen Strickland Williams (Los Angeles)
Allen's an old fashioned joke man. His style is dry, deadpan and wicked smart in the tradition of Stephen Wright and Mitch Hedberg. You may have enjoyed his 10 minute set at the Jacuzzi in March.

We've got 3 other comics scooting in from L.A. to display their wares as well as some local beasties you may recognize, along with special musical guest: General Populous performing his unique brand of alternative Hip Hop.

Our first 2 shows were beyond anyone's expectations.
The Jacuzzi audience has been a hip, generous crowd...and the local and touring comedians have all fallen in love with playing the room. This 3rd installment should be our best one yet, the momentum is ridiculous. We've got a good mix of Los Angeles contract killers and up and coming local talent...bringing that funny, relevant style of comedy that isn't the same old obvious bullshit. All for $5.

Thank you all so much for supporting and being a part of this project. Please Please Please bring all your friends...but not the lame ones.

-Boney Beezly

***Here's the line up***

Stephen Mintz
Chris Cruz
Michelle Rowe

Musical Guest: Populous

Dave Ross (Los Angeles)
Megan Koester (Los Angeles)
Eric Dadourian ((Los Angeles)

Allen Strickland Williams (PARTS UNKNOWN)"

get sweded and charmed

saturday looks to be a pretty awesome evening in fresno. the fuego are playing, and then there's this madness.



seriously, the swedefests are a pretty fun thing to do. if you've never been you should go and see local talent on displayed. and in my book, anything featuring james mclain is comedy gold.

after the swedefest, head on over to audie's and check out the best smiths tribute band. i'll be there singing along, wishing i had seen the real smiths when they were around. of course, i was a little kid then, so it probably wouldn't have been appropriate, but whatever.

fresno pub quiz

it's been a while. well, not since we had pub quiz, but since some of you have been at pub quiz.



we've missed you, come on home.

snl birthing class

so, recently heather and i watched the business of being born. i'm not really sure why, because it's not like we're having kids or are trying to convince people about having natural childbirth. it wasn't a bad documentary, although it has some "interesting" parts.

anyway, last night on saturday night live, tiny fey was hosting and did a damn fine job. several good skits, but this one in particular killed it:



damn funny, and spot on to the business of being born.

2011 white house correspondents' dinner

i remember a few years back when colbert killed it at the white house correspondents' dinner, and this year seth meyers got the call. enjoy.



"john hamm is exactly how every republican thinks they look."

and the president's response

fight for your right revisited

yes, i posted the shorter video of this, but i thought, "why not put the super cool extended version up, too?" so, once again, here's "fight for your right revisited" from the upcoming beastie boy release, hot sauce committee part two.

Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise - Free Music Videos - Top Songs

i really am excited about this album. and, i will definitely be spinning it on vinyl. still using the wax, but yes, i also using digital downloaded versions.

brickin' it up

today, out of no where i embarked on some yard work. i was chilling on the couch and thought i'd go out in the yard and do a little something. i started by pulling some giant weeds out of our planter box. that got me onto digging on this bush that neither heather or i like and i've just trimmed it back the last two years. this year, i'm taking it out.

recently, we came up on a load of bricks for free (thanks, adam). i sorta knew where i wanted them, but wasn't exactly sure how much i had, along with some pavers and other bricks that were already at the house when we moved in. once i had an idea about how many bricks i had in square footage, i started plotting. i also consulted heather about the plans, and we came up with a basic idea.

planned area one:



planned area two:



the bricks in one possible formation:



the bricks for area two:



and then i began digging. and sorta leveling. here's area two readied:



area one all sorta readied:



the bush that's coming out:



so, tomorrow i'll be picking up some sand for the base under the bricks, as well as some brush in grout stuff. and hopefully i'll have at least the brick project done. maybe i'll get crazy and pull out the bush as well. of course, this will all happen after i watch arsenal vs liverpool.

UPDATE:
the finished project:



many thanks to mike and adam for their time, truck, tools and knowledge. we figured out that it would take 25 bags of sand for the base, and we used 24. pretty good estimating. the weather cooperated and it wasn't too hot, we turned on the giants game and did work. a nice afternoon.