i hadn't been the shepherd's inn since...well, since it was the santa fe basque, and that trip was probably 14 years ago. i don't remember much about that meal.
creative fresno, a local group that i've attended some events from, was having their monthly evening blender (get together) there last friday so i thought i'd give it a shot. now, i didn't check out the whole place, and we didn't eat in the proper dining room, but i'll give you my review as it was.
first of all, the bar was very nice. honestly, the decor of the bar itself is amazing. the bar tender was friendly and helpful, and the drinks were very reasonably priced. cocktails were around $5, and beers were cheaper. they have a decent amount on tap, and a whole ton in cans/bottles.
creative fresno had some free appetizers provided. i missed out on the wings, but there were still breaded/fried mushrooms which were delicious. man, they were breaded nice, and still nice and juicy.
we knew that appetizers weren't going to be enough, so we sat down with some friends at a table. our group of five was looked in on fairly quickly, the waiter was helpful, and honestly, the meal didn't take too long from order to arrival.
two of my friends had cheeseburgers. they were rather basic, but both liked what they had. from my seat, these burgers looked pretty nice. the fries were tasty but simple - i know because i had them with my meal as well.
one of my friends had their signature thick rib eye (i forget exactly the name they use). it was cooked to his order, and he dug it.
i just had the regular signature rib eye, and i thought it was very good. i eat a fair amount of steaks at restaurants, and i think this was better than most that i've had lately (richards, landmark, livingstones - not that i'm saying those were bad, just this was better). my meal came with clam chowder & salad (signature items get both, normal meals one or other) but i only ate the soup - needed to save room. one of my cheeseburger friends ate the salad. i thought the clam chowder was pretty good, but more or less standard clam chowder. the steak came topped with grilled onions, peppers and mushrooms which was a great addition to the steak, which tasted great. there was a choice of pilaf, potatoes, fries or veggies, and i went with fries.
finally, my wife ordered a house salad and the cheese plate appetizer. i was rather impressed with the look of the salad. it wasn't too fancy, but it had actual greens in it - not just some chopped up iceberg lettuce. it also didn't just look like some "bag" salad thrown in a bowl. the cheese plate was only decent, but that was because it was just one cheese - they were out of the other type that normally comes on it. but it was still fairly cheap for a cheese plate.
overall, we had a great time at the restaurant. while it won't become my every week haunt, i'd definitely go there for another dinner.
935 Santa Fe Ave
Fresno, CA 93721
(559) 266-2228
Monday, September 06, 2010
Saturday, September 04, 2010
whitney avalon & cee lo - thoughts
so, the other day i tweeted about how cee lo's new song, f--k you isn't good. a few people i interact with tweeted how they liked it, and i made a response back about how the lyrics were weak, the music was mediocre and all that it had was being catchy. then i tweeted that herpes was catchy and stayed with you as well. all good fun.
since then, i actually looked up the lyrics, and they're aren't as bad as i thought, but i still don't think they're great. i also still stand by my assessment that the song isn't very good. but, if you like it, fine.
today i saw a rebuttal to the song, done by whitney avalon. honestly, i think it's on par with cee lo's song.
i don't have anything against cee lo. he was a great part of goodie mob, and has been on some of my favorite outkast songs. i dug the stuff he did with gnarls barkley. i just think he can do better.
since then, i actually looked up the lyrics, and they're aren't as bad as i thought, but i still don't think they're great. i also still stand by my assessment that the song isn't very good. but, if you like it, fine.
today i saw a rebuttal to the song, done by whitney avalon. honestly, i think it's on par with cee lo's song.
i don't have anything against cee lo. he was a great part of goodie mob, and has been on some of my favorite outkast songs. i dug the stuff he did with gnarls barkley. i just think he can do better.
Friday, September 03, 2010
hunter shoots a bear
this is a great web campaign. the initial video is just a starter, and i wonder how far it can go.
basically, you'll choose your own adventure with the hunter, but then you get to type in what they'll do next. pretty cool. my first was hug the bear. what'll happen if you get frisky?
basically, you'll choose your own adventure with the hunter, but then you get to type in what they'll do next. pretty cool. my first was hug the bear. what'll happen if you get frisky?
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
creative fresno september blender
i feel like i might be forgetting something. oh yeah, this is what it was:
creative fresno is having a blender this friday. the blenders have been a little hit or miss for me. i mean, sometimes i go, most of the time i don't. here's why: i end up talking to the same people, and it's mostly just my friends that i probably came with. what good is that? i can do that on my own over drinks, and not have potentially awkward conversations with strangers.
but i'm interested in this blender. why? well, i'm not exactly sure, but i think that creative fresno has been doing a lot of cool stuff lately. maybe i'm more aware of the org because of the kickstart campaign (see to the right - you can still donate) or maybe because i know a few more members, or maybe it's because of twitter. i dunno, but cf has been more...on my mind lately. not in a creepy way. so, when i saw they were having a blender @ the shepherd's inn, i thought, "why not?"
"September(Fun) + Great Conversation + You/Blender = Shepherd's Inn. This is Creative Fresno's equation for a kick-off a long weekend while enjoying the final days of summer at a downtown icon good time! Join us won't you?
Connect with artists, entrepreneurs and other creative professionals over a cocktail and complimentary appetizers. Great conversations and great fun!
The Blenders, which take place on the first Friday of the month, are Creative Fresno's social mixers of professionals, artists and entrepreneurs whose exchange of ideas are an effort to revitalize the urban life and landscape of the Fresno region.
When: Friday, September 3
Where: Shepherd's Inn - 935 Santa Fe Avenue
Time: 5 - 8 p.m."
and, if you go to the blender, you can join, or rejoin creative fresno. i use their website occassionally (rarely) but think i may actually re-up. i was a member years ago, but didn't see much benefit/reward to paying for membership over not paying for membership. this year, there is a lot more to membership. and, i'm sorta involved with their kickstarter campaign by giving and retweeting (and harassing the fuse fest & cf twitter accounts).
creative fresno is having a blender this friday. the blenders have been a little hit or miss for me. i mean, sometimes i go, most of the time i don't. here's why: i end up talking to the same people, and it's mostly just my friends that i probably came with. what good is that? i can do that on my own over drinks, and not have potentially awkward conversations with strangers.
but i'm interested in this blender. why? well, i'm not exactly sure, but i think that creative fresno has been doing a lot of cool stuff lately. maybe i'm more aware of the org because of the kickstart campaign (see to the right - you can still donate) or maybe because i know a few more members, or maybe it's because of twitter. i dunno, but cf has been more...on my mind lately. not in a creepy way. so, when i saw they were having a blender @ the shepherd's inn, i thought, "why not?"
"September(Fun) + Great Conversation + You/Blender = Shepherd's Inn. This is Creative Fresno's equation for a kick-off a long weekend while enjoying the final days of summer at a downtown icon good time! Join us won't you?
Connect with artists, entrepreneurs and other creative professionals over a cocktail and complimentary appetizers. Great conversations and great fun!
The Blenders, which take place on the first Friday of the month, are Creative Fresno's social mixers of professionals, artists and entrepreneurs whose exchange of ideas are an effort to revitalize the urban life and landscape of the Fresno region.
When: Friday, September 3
Where: Shepherd's Inn - 935 Santa Fe Avenue
Time: 5 - 8 p.m."
and, if you go to the blender, you can join, or rejoin creative fresno. i use their website occassionally (rarely) but think i may actually re-up. i was a member years ago, but didn't see much benefit/reward to paying for membership over not paying for membership. this year, there is a lot more to membership. and, i'm sorta involved with their kickstarter campaign by giving and retweeting (and harassing the fuse fest & cf twitter accounts).
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
karl pilkington: an idiot abroad
this post is mainly for heather, because she loves karl pilkington. i'm sure we'll be trying to watch this.
Monday, August 23, 2010
fierce creatures on the view looks good from here, fresno
we captured (not really) two of the fierce creatures and recorded a podcast. check it out. and, if you haven't already, pick up a copy of their ep. it's available at shows, on itunes, on emusic, and probably somewhere else. definitely worth the $.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
unbranding
i was telling some friends about this interesting article and trend that i saw. let me share with you:
"Allegedly, the anxious folks at these various luxury houses are all aggressively gifting our gal Snookums with free bags. No surprise, right? But here's the shocker: They are not sending her their own bags. They are sending her each other's bags! Competitors' bags!"
this is interesting and awesome. fashion houses, and i might suspect other companies as well, are sending gifts to less desirable "stars" like snooki from the jersey shore. they figure that people of haute couture don't want to be associated with a drunk mini-person that is pretty much the antithesis of fashion.
"Allegedly, the anxious folks at these various luxury houses are all aggressively gifting our gal Snookums with free bags. No surprise, right? But here's the shocker: They are not sending her their own bags. They are sending her each other's bags! Competitors' bags!"
this is interesting and awesome. fashion houses, and i might suspect other companies as well, are sending gifts to less desirable "stars" like snooki from the jersey shore. they figure that people of haute couture don't want to be associated with a drunk mini-person that is pretty much the antithesis of fashion.
Friday, August 20, 2010
argyle pimps at the starline
tonight could be a very good time. you see, the argyle pimps are playing a show. i'll admit, i think i've only seen them play once, which is sorta surprising for a fairly well established fresno band. i enjoy their music, have their album, but just never really saw them play. along with the pimps will be fresno's latest buzz band, fierce creatures. i saw part of a creatures show, but wasn't in the mood for it so i didn't stay for the whole set. but, i also have their ep release and it is rather good.
another reason why this show could be intriguing is that starline is no longer 18 & over. that could cut down on the annoying kid factor. hey, i'm 34, i admit that i think of shows in a different way than when i was 18, 19 or 20. sure, it's unfortunate that there are less venues when younger patrons can go, but that also means there will be less people clogging up the bar, ordering soda or water, or taking up seats. and since there will be less people there, i'm a little more inclined to be there and show some support.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
protect your neck - busker style
not exactly sure where this guy is (i sorta think england) but he does a fairly good version of wu tang's protect your neck
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
i'm voting tea party
i love finding funny websites, even if i'm not going to buy their stuff.
click over and check out several very funny t-shirt ideas.
click over and check out several very funny t-shirt ideas.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
stormtrooper singing in the rain
the good folks over at the dumb drum bring you "real" posts about star wars with content releases. well i say pishaw! i give you videos of stormtroopers dancing!
fred the raver
so, this kid is like our friend woody, but much younger. and blond.
but, it reminds me of seeing his daughter sing along to songs.
have another
but, it reminds me of seeing his daughter sing along to songs.
have another
Monday, August 16, 2010
meaty spaghetti sauce
so, i've been wanting to me a little more inventive with my cooking lately. not to crazy, but just actually using recipes for grilling and cooking. yeah, i know, crazy. anyway, i was thinking about making spaghetti & sauce for a meal, so i started poking around the 'net and found this one at cooks.com:
2 lbs. hamburger
1 lb. bacon
1 onion (medium)
4 cans reg size tomato soup
1 can contadina tomato paste w/ italian seasonings
dash worcestershire sauce
dash white vinegar
Cut bacon into bite size pieces. Chop up onion. Fry onion and bacon
together until onion is tender and bacon is cooked thoroughly. Drain.
Brown hamburger. Drain.
Mix all remaining ingredients together with onion/bacon mixture and
hamburger.
it looked interesting, but i decided to bastardize it and make it my own. here's approximately what i did:
1/4-1/3 lb of fresh bacon from butcher
onion powder to taste
1/2 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1 tsp of garlic
1 can of campbells tomato soup
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato paste
dash of worcestershire sauce
salt, pepper & basil to taste
i followed the prep directions pretty much in the original order. the ingredients above are grouped how i put them in.
the sauce as it finished cooking
some wheat spaghetti that i prepared
the finished product with a bit of grated parmesan
i'm pretty happy how well it turned out. honestly, as the sauce got hot and i was tasting it in its final stages i kinda just wanted to eat sauce. the flavors came together rather well, and i liked the ratio of sauce and diced tomato - i'm not a big fan of big tomato chunks. surprisingly, the bacon almost disappears in this mix and isn't a heavy hitter in the overall flavor, but when you bite in a chunk as your going it's a nice surprise.
2 lbs. hamburger
1 lb. bacon
1 onion (medium)
4 cans reg size tomato soup
1 can contadina tomato paste w/ italian seasonings
dash worcestershire sauce
dash white vinegar
Cut bacon into bite size pieces. Chop up onion. Fry onion and bacon
together until onion is tender and bacon is cooked thoroughly. Drain.
Brown hamburger. Drain.
Mix all remaining ingredients together with onion/bacon mixture and
hamburger.
it looked interesting, but i decided to bastardize it and make it my own. here's approximately what i did:
1/4-1/3 lb of fresh bacon from butcher
onion powder to taste
1/2 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1 tsp of garlic
1 can of campbells tomato soup
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato paste
dash of worcestershire sauce
salt, pepper & basil to taste
i followed the prep directions pretty much in the original order. the ingredients above are grouped how i put them in.
the sauce as it finished cooking
some wheat spaghetti that i prepared
the finished product with a bit of grated parmesan
i'm pretty happy how well it turned out. honestly, as the sauce got hot and i was tasting it in its final stages i kinda just wanted to eat sauce. the flavors came together rather well, and i liked the ratio of sauce and diced tomato - i'm not a big fan of big tomato chunks. surprisingly, the bacon almost disappears in this mix and isn't a heavy hitter in the overall flavor, but when you bite in a chunk as your going it's a nice surprise.
fresno urban sound experience kickstart
the fresno urban sound experience (fuse 2010) is back again. last year we had a great time downtown, and we froze our butts off on the spiral garage seeing the sleepover disaster. if you want to see a list of confirmed artists for this year, you can click over to the fresnan, and watch for updates there as well.
anyway, they're raising ca$h for this year's festival and thought i'd share that with you (as if you didn't know that already). if you donate, creative fresno will share some goodies with you, depending on donation level. pretty cool stuff, and you're helping the festival come together.
on top of that, local newshound mike oz is doing funny stuff for donors. pretty cool, eh?
so, you can give some $ to help fund a great festival, which is good. then, you get some swag from creative fresno, double good. add in mike oz's bonus, triple goodness for everyone.
i say you do it. even if it's only a small donation - every cent is needed (and it's tax deductible).
anyway, they're raising ca$h for this year's festival and thought i'd share that with you (as if you didn't know that already). if you donate, creative fresno will share some goodies with you, depending on donation level. pretty cool stuff, and you're helping the festival come together.
on top of that, local newshound mike oz is doing funny stuff for donors. pretty cool, eh?
so, you can give some $ to help fund a great festival, which is good. then, you get some swag from creative fresno, double good. add in mike oz's bonus, triple goodness for everyone.
i say you do it. even if it's only a small donation - every cent is needed (and it's tax deductible).
skating vacant fresno pools
every so often a new video pops up with skaters draining pools in or around the fresno area. some are good, some are bad. i was perusing laughing squid today, and saw this one and was really impressed with the production of the video.
it also got me to click over to the source of the video, california is a place. i tweeted their video honey pie, but hadn't seen their other vids. rather nice site, and i'm curious how many more videos they'll do.
and, demonstrating my short memory, mike oz posted this very video back in may. stupid brain.
Cannonball from California is a place. on Vimeo.
it also got me to click over to the source of the video, california is a place. i tweeted their video honey pie, but hadn't seen their other vids. rather nice site, and i'm curious how many more videos they'll do.
and, demonstrating my short memory, mike oz posted this very video back in may. stupid brain.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
stump removal
saturday i lured 3 friends into my backyard with pizza and beer for the task of removing a stump. the job before we started:
and with the magic of photos, here's the hole after we pulled the stump. there are a few remaining roots that i'm hoping are small and deep enough to not matter.
here's the pile of roots & stump that we removed:
and here we have the debris along with the filled in hole, all nice and smoothed out:
big thanks to adam, corin and mike for lending hands. these guys rocked, and without them it would've taken me a lot longer to get the job done, and my yard would've been a mess. i also learned that it's been a long time since i did manual labor, and my hands are very used to their white collar life.
and with the magic of photos, here's the hole after we pulled the stump. there are a few remaining roots that i'm hoping are small and deep enough to not matter.
here's the pile of roots & stump that we removed:
and here we have the debris along with the filled in hole, all nice and smoothed out:
big thanks to adam, corin and mike for lending hands. these guys rocked, and without them it would've taken me a lot longer to get the job done, and my yard would've been a mess. i also learned that it's been a long time since i did manual labor, and my hands are very used to their white collar life.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
twitter: the movie
i'm actually interest in seeing the social network (the movie about facebook). i think the story is interesting, and i think jesse eisenberg is a fine young actor. so, i'm pretty sure i'll check out that flick. until then, i'll just have to enjoy parodies like this one about twitter.
Friday, August 13, 2010
blake jones & the trike shop at tokyo garden
hey, if you're not going to see exit through the gift shop tonight, go see blake jones & the trike shop along with bad andy & the sunburns, and old toy trains. they're playing over @ tokyo garden. tell blake you saw a cat playing a theremin.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
exit through the gift shop
i've been to many fresno filmworks presentations, but it's been a while. and, it's been a while since i've been as excited to see a film.
i love banksy's work, and this film has got me all twitterpated. okay, i'm not that giggly and whatnot, but i am excited to see the film. pretty sure we're going to the 8 pm show, feel free to join us.
i love banksy's work, and this film has got me all twitterpated. okay, i'm not that giggly and whatnot, but i am excited to see the film. pretty sure we're going to the 8 pm show, feel free to join us.
denny's fried cheese melt
yeah, denny's must of been jealous of kfc and their double down sandwich, because they're rolling out something as heart attackingly "delicious." it's called the fried cheese melt.
so, you've got 4 mozzarella sticks inside of a grilled cheese sandwich. yep, sounds about right.
i can't get too high and mighty on this, because i've got to admit that i have eaten a similar hamburger at red robin that had mozzarella sticks on it (it wasn't very good).
so, you've got 4 mozzarella sticks inside of a grilled cheese sandwich. yep, sounds about right.
i can't get too high and mighty on this, because i've got to admit that i have eaten a similar hamburger at red robin that had mozzarella sticks on it (it wasn't very good).
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
diversity committee screw up
so, it seems that this is arab american heritage month, which sort of makes sense since ramadan started today. anyhow, at my work they have a bulletin board to celebrate it or whatever. i'm not exactly sure who put up the billboard and it's items, but they seem to be a little bit culturally ignorant or perhaps insensitive. or maybe i am.
maybe it's just me, but i'm guessing most arab americans wouldn't be too keen on the israeli flag & american flag together on a bulletin board celebrating arab american heritage. you know, since arabs generally aren't israeli (i know there are a some arabs in israel, and if i remember correctly they're mainly arab Xians). whomever did this billboard may want to rethink that picture.
maybe it's just me, but i'm guessing most arab americans wouldn't be too keen on the israeli flag & american flag together on a bulletin board celebrating arab american heritage. you know, since arabs generally aren't israeli (i know there are a some arabs in israel, and if i remember correctly they're mainly arab Xians). whomever did this billboard may want to rethink that picture.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
bigger job than i thought
yesterday i wrote a haiku about going to remove a stump from my back yard. i had success removing a small set of roots a while back in july, and thought this may be another small remnant of a tree. damn if i wasn't wrong.
i started digging around 1 pm and it consumed my afternoon. i began digging where some tree sprouts were coming up and quickly saw that it was bigger than i had initially thought. so i uncovered more. and more. and more. here's where i am now:
yeah, i've uncovered a massive stump with thick roots. the remaining base of the tree that was is about three feet across. no lie. it's big. so, now i've got to figure out if i'm going to bring in a pro to pull this thing out, or try to see if it can get it out myself. i'm not exactly sure how deep the roots go, but i think when whatever happens, i'm going to have a deep hole in my backyard that needs to be filled.
i started digging around 1 pm and it consumed my afternoon. i began digging where some tree sprouts were coming up and quickly saw that it was bigger than i had initially thought. so i uncovered more. and more. and more. here's where i am now:
yeah, i've uncovered a massive stump with thick roots. the remaining base of the tree that was is about three feet across. no lie. it's big. so, now i've got to figure out if i'm going to bring in a pro to pull this thing out, or try to see if it can get it out myself. i'm not exactly sure how deep the roots go, but i think when whatever happens, i'm going to have a deep hole in my backyard that needs to be filled.
Monday, August 09, 2010
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
toothpaste for dinner!
i hadn't read toothpaste for dinner in a while, and chuckled about these gems today.
toothpastefordinner.com
toothpastefordinner.com
toothpastefordinner.com
toothpastefordinner.com
toothpastefordinner.com
toothpastefordinner.com
toothpastefordinner.com
toothpastefordinner.com
toothpastefordinner.com
toothpastefordinner.com
weekly preview
man, i just realized that it was art hop & post art hop this week. rademacher has been playing a residency down in l.a., so i'm imagining they'll be sorta polished & ready. not sure who's playing with them, but we'll see.
i think i'll be out art hopping this month. there is at least one show i want to see - there's some cool looking stuff at the k-jewel gallery.
before thursday, well, it's pub quiz on wednesday. big jackpot this week, and i think 1/5 odds of winning it. last week we had our highest attended week with 120 players & 25 teams. i would be it will be similar this week. i advise people to show up early to get a seat.
after thursday, well who know what the week will bring. hopefully the weather will be nice (i've been out of town the last two weekends, and the weather @ both locales was awesome. don't do me wrong, fresno.)
i think i'll be out art hopping this month. there is at least one show i want to see - there's some cool looking stuff at the k-jewel gallery.
before thursday, well, it's pub quiz on wednesday. big jackpot this week, and i think 1/5 odds of winning it. last week we had our highest attended week with 120 players & 25 teams. i would be it will be similar this week. i advise people to show up early to get a seat.
after thursday, well who know what the week will bring. hopefully the weather will be nice (i've been out of town the last two weekends, and the weather @ both locales was awesome. don't do me wrong, fresno.)
Monday, August 02, 2010
show review: the sleepover disaster @ the big takeover
it really almost was a sleepover disaster this weekend.
how's that? well, we'll get to that in a second.
you see, this last weekend, i had the pleasure of taking my wife out to brooklyn, new york. while we'd been to nyc, we hadn't been to brooklyn, and we had the opportunity to go. you see, our good friends in the sleepover disaster were playing at the big takeover's anniversary festival. the show was 2 days long, and had like 16 bands playing. we knew we wouldn't attend the whole show, but we would see many of the acts on saturday when sleepover was playing. we secured free entry to the gig by being the merch people for sleepover - a fair trade in my opinion.
monticore & i flew out of fresno, and had a decent set of flights. nothing noteworthy, but we did enjoy sending joking texts to our colorado friend jay while we were in the denver airport.
anyway, we arrived in ny, checked into our hotel and began to wander the neighborhood a little bit. thursday night we ate some delicious gourmet pizza at a little place, found a spot for some libations and called it a night.
the band was flying in friday evening, so we planned to do some touristing in the area & then meet up with the band later. they were staying at the same hotel as us, and we thought we may be able to catch a drink after they were in. so, we headed out exploring, focusing mainly on the area of prospect park. we hit up the brooklyn museum, which was great, and the brooklyn botanic garden, which was pretty cool as well. after a lot of walking, we decided to go chill at the hotel for a bit before dinner & the band showed up. this is where the disaster begins to filter in.
you see, the band missed their flight. due to some terrible l.a. traffic (fly fresno, boys!) the band didn't get on their scheduled bird. of course, it was one of those classic situations where they got to the gate, the plane was still there, but the doors were closed and they couldn't board. so, they got put on standby for the next two flights that night. both were full.
the next morning, i got a text from vince and he told me that there were 3 possible flights they were trying to get on. they had stayed the night in the airport and were hoping to still make the 6 hour flight from l.a. to n.y.c. this meant more chance for monticore & i to take in some sights. so, we headed back to prospect park and went to the prospect park zoo. it's a bad sign if no one knows there is a zoo in your town (brooklyn) and even worse if you're within like 4 miles of said zoo and the cab driver doesn't know where you are. so, we helped our cabbie get us close enough. the prospect park zoo is pretty small, but it wasn't bad. and, it made me really value our zoo here in fresno. really, many fresnans don't realize we have an excellent zoo. when you get out and see zoos in a lot of cities (we love zoos) you understand what we have.
eventually, we heard from the band - they had managed to all get on the very last possible plane ride out. seriously, any other flight would've put them into n.y. after their set.
so, the band showed, taxied to the venue to drop off gear, and then met us at the hotel to check in. they got ready for the show & we walked the 10 blocks to the show. i think we arrived at the venue two acts before sleepover went on.
when they went on they killed it. really good. it's been a while since we've seen sleepover, as they've been on a bit of a hiatus. and honestly, this is the last sleepover show for the foreseeable future. eric is focused on family & recording and has left the band (ronald dzerigian played bass - he did some of their early stuff), luke is focused on the quiet americans, and vince is writing some stuff on his own. the band isn't officially dead (last time i heard) but it isn't looking like they'll be playing fresno any time soon.
anyway, sleepover was really good. ronald was a little tentative, but that's understandable when you're filling in. luke and vince were great together, and i loved their set. they had a good mix of their faster, more rocking stuff and some of the slower, more melodic as well. i'm not positive, but i think they stuck to material from the hover full length release and the oceanographer ep. in looking around the venue during the sleepover's set, it seemed that everyone else was digging it, too. really, people liked the band enough that they sold out of all of the cd's they brought, and a bunch of shirts. i'd take credit for my awesome merch selling skills, but the band and their performance is really what sold it all. sadly, the set was a little shorter than planned (i think they cut 2 songs) because the festival was running behind schedule. i got a little bit of video to share with you all:
friend
oceanographer - partial
hold my tongue
the venue, the bell house, was a rather nice venue. the main show space was probably about the size of audie's, and had a bar in there of about the same size. the stage was bigger & higher. they also had a lounge space that was a pretty good size, with another bar.
after the show was all over i was able to chill out with the gents and some friends that ronald had in the brooklyn area. great time.
sunday, monticore & i jumped on a plane home. that was almost a disaster, too. we literally sat on the runway @ laguardia for between 1.5-2 hours while we waited to take off. fortunately, that didn't screw our other flights completely, and we made it home safe.
how's that? well, we'll get to that in a second.
you see, this last weekend, i had the pleasure of taking my wife out to brooklyn, new york. while we'd been to nyc, we hadn't been to brooklyn, and we had the opportunity to go. you see, our good friends in the sleepover disaster were playing at the big takeover's anniversary festival. the show was 2 days long, and had like 16 bands playing. we knew we wouldn't attend the whole show, but we would see many of the acts on saturday when sleepover was playing. we secured free entry to the gig by being the merch people for sleepover - a fair trade in my opinion.
monticore & i flew out of fresno, and had a decent set of flights. nothing noteworthy, but we did enjoy sending joking texts to our colorado friend jay while we were in the denver airport.
anyway, we arrived in ny, checked into our hotel and began to wander the neighborhood a little bit. thursday night we ate some delicious gourmet pizza at a little place, found a spot for some libations and called it a night.
the band was flying in friday evening, so we planned to do some touristing in the area & then meet up with the band later. they were staying at the same hotel as us, and we thought we may be able to catch a drink after they were in. so, we headed out exploring, focusing mainly on the area of prospect park. we hit up the brooklyn museum, which was great, and the brooklyn botanic garden, which was pretty cool as well. after a lot of walking, we decided to go chill at the hotel for a bit before dinner & the band showed up. this is where the disaster begins to filter in.
you see, the band missed their flight. due to some terrible l.a. traffic (fly fresno, boys!) the band didn't get on their scheduled bird. of course, it was one of those classic situations where they got to the gate, the plane was still there, but the doors were closed and they couldn't board. so, they got put on standby for the next two flights that night. both were full.
the next morning, i got a text from vince and he told me that there were 3 possible flights they were trying to get on. they had stayed the night in the airport and were hoping to still make the 6 hour flight from l.a. to n.y.c. this meant more chance for monticore & i to take in some sights. so, we headed back to prospect park and went to the prospect park zoo. it's a bad sign if no one knows there is a zoo in your town (brooklyn) and even worse if you're within like 4 miles of said zoo and the cab driver doesn't know where you are. so, we helped our cabbie get us close enough. the prospect park zoo is pretty small, but it wasn't bad. and, it made me really value our zoo here in fresno. really, many fresnans don't realize we have an excellent zoo. when you get out and see zoos in a lot of cities (we love zoos) you understand what we have.
eventually, we heard from the band - they had managed to all get on the very last possible plane ride out. seriously, any other flight would've put them into n.y. after their set.
so, the band showed, taxied to the venue to drop off gear, and then met us at the hotel to check in. they got ready for the show & we walked the 10 blocks to the show. i think we arrived at the venue two acts before sleepover went on.
when they went on they killed it. really good. it's been a while since we've seen sleepover, as they've been on a bit of a hiatus. and honestly, this is the last sleepover show for the foreseeable future. eric is focused on family & recording and has left the band (ronald dzerigian played bass - he did some of their early stuff), luke is focused on the quiet americans, and vince is writing some stuff on his own. the band isn't officially dead (last time i heard) but it isn't looking like they'll be playing fresno any time soon.
anyway, sleepover was really good. ronald was a little tentative, but that's understandable when you're filling in. luke and vince were great together, and i loved their set. they had a good mix of their faster, more rocking stuff and some of the slower, more melodic as well. i'm not positive, but i think they stuck to material from the hover full length release and the oceanographer ep. in looking around the venue during the sleepover's set, it seemed that everyone else was digging it, too. really, people liked the band enough that they sold out of all of the cd's they brought, and a bunch of shirts. i'd take credit for my awesome merch selling skills, but the band and their performance is really what sold it all. sadly, the set was a little shorter than planned (i think they cut 2 songs) because the festival was running behind schedule. i got a little bit of video to share with you all:
friend
oceanographer - partial
hold my tongue
the venue, the bell house, was a rather nice venue. the main show space was probably about the size of audie's, and had a bar in there of about the same size. the stage was bigger & higher. they also had a lounge space that was a pretty good size, with another bar.
after the show was all over i was able to chill out with the gents and some friends that ronald had in the brooklyn area. great time.
sunday, monticore & i jumped on a plane home. that was almost a disaster, too. we literally sat on the runway @ laguardia for between 1.5-2 hours while we waited to take off. fortunately, that didn't screw our other flights completely, and we made it home safe.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
ocd arguments via teh interwebs
lately i've had several discussions via twitter and a few blogs. it's been fun, and generally good conversation, in my opinion.
the problem i run into is that i just want to check them incessantly. and when you're involved in a few at a time, and have a bit of time, you can just keep going and going and going.
but, internet discussion often doesn't work that way. not everyone is so...involved.
patience.
the problem i run into is that i just want to check them incessantly. and when you're involved in a few at a time, and have a bit of time, you can just keep going and going and going.
but, internet discussion often doesn't work that way. not everyone is so...involved.
patience.
Monday, July 26, 2010
jane austen's fight club
this bad girl is making its way on teh internets today and so i thought i'd share because i love fight club so and thought this take on it rather droll.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
fay wrays free for all
our good friends, fay wrays, are trying to get on the bill with this festival. do them a favor and click over and vote for them. get fresno, and the fay wrays on the free for all festival.
get yourself high - the chemical brothers
check out this dopeness from the chemical brothers featuring k-os.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
weekend recap: inception & cyrus
this weekend was hot. so, we went to some movies. friday, we went and saw inception. it was really good. the visuals of the movie are stunning, and i found the plot to be interesting, as well as different than your usual hollywood stuff. i'd recommend seeing it, and i'm sure i'll go see it again. i also recommend seeing it on the big screen, just so you can take in the effect of the movie in a larger than life setting.
saturday was movieless.
sunday, brought more heat, and so we looked to escape to another movie. i hadn't heard much about the movie cyrus, other than it was get mixed reviews. the synopsis online was intriguing, and strange. so, off we went.
now, i will say that i enjoyed the film. john c. riley is a good actor, and he has a quirky sensibility about him. you don't expect him as a leading man, or as a love interest, and i think he pulled it off well enough. sorta. it's still a bit difficult to see john c. riley as a love interest, but in this quirky role i can move past it. and jonah hill and marisa tomei both play their respective roles well. cyrus wasn't a great film, and you could see it on video, but it's worth seeing.
saturday was movieless.
sunday, brought more heat, and so we looked to escape to another movie. i hadn't heard much about the movie cyrus, other than it was get mixed reviews. the synopsis online was intriguing, and strange. so, off we went.
now, i will say that i enjoyed the film. john c. riley is a good actor, and he has a quirky sensibility about him. you don't expect him as a leading man, or as a love interest, and i think he pulled it off well enough. sorta. it's still a bit difficult to see john c. riley as a love interest, but in this quirky role i can move past it. and jonah hill and marisa tomei both play their respective roles well. cyrus wasn't a great film, and you could see it on video, but it's worth seeing.
Friday, July 16, 2010
ferris club
i used to watch fight club on most fridays...
maybe i'll watch ferris bueller's day off today.
maybe i'll watch ferris bueller's day off today.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
mel gibson vs christian bale
it's strange making light of crazy mel gibson's situation, but somebody did a mashup of mel gibson and christian bale. and it's awesome. what a great 2 minutes of insanity.
monticore says that we only need alec baldwin mixed in.
monticore says that we only need alec baldwin mixed in.
Monday, July 12, 2010
show review: el olio wolof, rademacher, admiral radley
saturday night we were able to attend our 2nd love the captive show. this time it would be at the star palace, a place both monticore & i have been to something or other at (we think) but we couldn't remember exactly what (maybe some fpu event?).
the doors were supposed to open at 8, and el olio wolof was supposed to go on at 9. we showed up a little before 9, and there were still people waiting outside. this wasn't just some stragglers that were having a smoke, this was everybody. and, at the time i didn't see anyone i knew, so it was unclear what was going on. all we knew is that doors hadn't opened yet.
so, we wondered around a little, and eventually a friend had showed up and had run into conlan from ltc. it was explained that there were some sound issues and that the doors would open soon. well, soon is a pretty relative term, and the doors did eventually open. here's my thought on the issue: put a sign up on the door explaining the issue & keep it updated as frequently as possible with times. not everyone is an extrovert that is going to ask anyone near the door what is going on. i'm fairly outgoing but still won't do that. btw, thanks to conlan for putting up with my jokes about this throughout the night.
once inside, i made a b-line over to the bar. i wanted to see drink prices and such, and they weren't bad. $5 may be a little high for a bottled beer, but it's not terrible. and, the cocktail prices were decent enough as well. the two guys tending bar were personable enough, and it was a decent fit for the night.
el olio wolof was on first, and due to set up were on the floor, rather than the stage. i'm a big fan of el olio, and i thought they played a very good set. sadly, it was shortened due to the late start, but we understood. i mean, i still shouted for another song or two, but udnerstood when r.c. shut that down. here's el olio wolof performing their song "red witch of my dreams,":
rademacher was up second, and they were also on the floor level. if you've ever read this blog before you know i'm a rademacher fanboy, so i won't take up a lot of space gushing about them here. i thought they played a nice (also time shortened) set. here they are with their song, "roll,":
this brings us to our headliner, admiral radley. i should've spent some time last week listening to ad/rad. shoot, ltc sent out links to where i could've listened for free last week. i figured that since i enjoy earlimart and enjoyed grandaddy that it would be some seamless transition for my ears and enjoyment. sadly, it wasn't as smooth as hoped. they weren't bad, i just didn't quite get into them, and unfortunately we had to check out early so i didn't get to see their whole set. so, i can't really give a qualified review of the biggest part of the show. here they are playing:
finally, let's have some overall reflections on the night:
-venue: i like star palace. it's got the cool, black & white checkerboard floor. it's got huge windows that you can peer out of onto fulton & spy on people. i also imagine that for jam packed shows these windows will be a real enticement as people see from the street how packed it is, how alive downtown can be. i also liked the silhouettes of celebs on the walls, they give the feel of something different than most fresno venues.
-bar: as i said earlier, it was decently good. a little more diversity in beers would be good, and maybe a slightly larger plastic cup on the mixed drinks could be given, but these are small suggestions. i wasn't there for the bar, i was there for the show.
-sound: something that i noticed, and i don't have an answer for, was the fact that both of the opening acts only had one microphone, and it seemed that it was one borrowed from the headliners. venues need to provide quality equipment, and in enough numbers. both rademacher and el olio do quite a bit of off mic singing as well as backing vocals, something that was lost with only one mic.
-crowd: i thought the crowd that was there was rather good. they seemed pretty into the bands, cheered after songs, and some sung along when appropriate. the drawback to the crowd was that it wasn't big enough. my estimate was that there were 70-80 people there (maybe i'm underestimating, i don't know). if you were in the front (& not looking back) or just at the back of the crowd, it was a good crowd. if you were 30' back, or at the back windows, you realized how many more people could, and should, have been there. it's going to take time for ltc & their shows to grow and attract consistent numbers, so i'm not criticizing them at all, i just wish that more had been there on saturday night.
anyway, good night overall, and i am interested to see more shows at star palace, frank's place, or wherever else love the captive books a show.
the doors were supposed to open at 8, and el olio wolof was supposed to go on at 9. we showed up a little before 9, and there were still people waiting outside. this wasn't just some stragglers that were having a smoke, this was everybody. and, at the time i didn't see anyone i knew, so it was unclear what was going on. all we knew is that doors hadn't opened yet.
so, we wondered around a little, and eventually a friend had showed up and had run into conlan from ltc. it was explained that there were some sound issues and that the doors would open soon. well, soon is a pretty relative term, and the doors did eventually open. here's my thought on the issue: put a sign up on the door explaining the issue & keep it updated as frequently as possible with times. not everyone is an extrovert that is going to ask anyone near the door what is going on. i'm fairly outgoing but still won't do that. btw, thanks to conlan for putting up with my jokes about this throughout the night.
once inside, i made a b-line over to the bar. i wanted to see drink prices and such, and they weren't bad. $5 may be a little high for a bottled beer, but it's not terrible. and, the cocktail prices were decent enough as well. the two guys tending bar were personable enough, and it was a decent fit for the night.
el olio wolof was on first, and due to set up were on the floor, rather than the stage. i'm a big fan of el olio, and i thought they played a very good set. sadly, it was shortened due to the late start, but we understood. i mean, i still shouted for another song or two, but udnerstood when r.c. shut that down. here's el olio wolof performing their song "red witch of my dreams,":
rademacher was up second, and they were also on the floor level. if you've ever read this blog before you know i'm a rademacher fanboy, so i won't take up a lot of space gushing about them here. i thought they played a nice (also time shortened) set. here they are with their song, "roll,":
this brings us to our headliner, admiral radley. i should've spent some time last week listening to ad/rad. shoot, ltc sent out links to where i could've listened for free last week. i figured that since i enjoy earlimart and enjoyed grandaddy that it would be some seamless transition for my ears and enjoyment. sadly, it wasn't as smooth as hoped. they weren't bad, i just didn't quite get into them, and unfortunately we had to check out early so i didn't get to see their whole set. so, i can't really give a qualified review of the biggest part of the show. here they are playing:
finally, let's have some overall reflections on the night:
-venue: i like star palace. it's got the cool, black & white checkerboard floor. it's got huge windows that you can peer out of onto fulton & spy on people. i also imagine that for jam packed shows these windows will be a real enticement as people see from the street how packed it is, how alive downtown can be. i also liked the silhouettes of celebs on the walls, they give the feel of something different than most fresno venues.
-bar: as i said earlier, it was decently good. a little more diversity in beers would be good, and maybe a slightly larger plastic cup on the mixed drinks could be given, but these are small suggestions. i wasn't there for the bar, i was there for the show.
-sound: something that i noticed, and i don't have an answer for, was the fact that both of the opening acts only had one microphone, and it seemed that it was one borrowed from the headliners. venues need to provide quality equipment, and in enough numbers. both rademacher and el olio do quite a bit of off mic singing as well as backing vocals, something that was lost with only one mic.
-crowd: i thought the crowd that was there was rather good. they seemed pretty into the bands, cheered after songs, and some sung along when appropriate. the drawback to the crowd was that it wasn't big enough. my estimate was that there were 70-80 people there (maybe i'm underestimating, i don't know). if you were in the front (& not looking back) or just at the back of the crowd, it was a good crowd. if you were 30' back, or at the back windows, you realized how many more people could, and should, have been there. it's going to take time for ltc & their shows to grow and attract consistent numbers, so i'm not criticizing them at all, i just wish that more had been there on saturday night.
anyway, good night overall, and i am interested to see more shows at star palace, frank's place, or wherever else love the captive books a show.
Friday, July 09, 2010
target trip
i needed some things from the local target, so i drove on over. on my way, i saw this guy sitting on the corner.
i couldn't tell if he's seeking change or what not, because his cardboard sign has a picture of cactus and other stuff on it. no words, and he was also sitting on a corner where it would be extremely difficult to actually give him change. so, i thought it was odd that a guy was sitting on a corner, under an umbrella, drinking a beer (sitting on the curb in the pic), with a sign that has cactus on it.
at target, it took me a while to find things, but the guy was still there on my return trip. but before that, i saw this:
the target cash registers are a real pos! for those that have never used the expression, pos is a piece of isht. i'm sure in their case it's point of sale, but it cracked me up and i thought i'd take a picture.
i couldn't tell if he's seeking change or what not, because his cardboard sign has a picture of cactus and other stuff on it. no words, and he was also sitting on a corner where it would be extremely difficult to actually give him change. so, i thought it was odd that a guy was sitting on a corner, under an umbrella, drinking a beer (sitting on the curb in the pic), with a sign that has cactus on it.
at target, it took me a while to find things, but the guy was still there on my return trip. but before that, i saw this:
the target cash registers are a real pos! for those that have never used the expression, pos is a piece of isht. i'm sure in their case it's point of sale, but it cracked me up and i thought i'd take a picture.
this weekend
this isn't an exhaustive list, but here are some of the things i'll be doing this weekend:
saturday
i love rademacher. i love el olio wolof. that alone was probably enough to get me to this show, but i'm also quite curious about admiral radley. they're a combo of earlimart and grandaddy, two bands i enjoy. and, i'm also excited to see a show at the star palace. this is another love the captive show, and i'm happy to help them get more music here in fresno.
sunday
the world cup finale. i'll be cheering for the netherlands. really, i've already gotten out my orange scarf. i don't care that it says fresno pacific on it, and that it'll be around 100 degrees in fresno during the game, i'll be sporting an orange shirt and have my orange scarf on. it's likely i'll watch the game at bobby salazar's, as it's been a good spot to watch the cup with other people.
hopefully you'll be able to join me for something this weekend, even if it isn't one of these activities. or, just do something fun yourself and tell me about it.
saturday
i love rademacher. i love el olio wolof. that alone was probably enough to get me to this show, but i'm also quite curious about admiral radley. they're a combo of earlimart and grandaddy, two bands i enjoy. and, i'm also excited to see a show at the star palace. this is another love the captive show, and i'm happy to help them get more music here in fresno.
sunday
the world cup finale. i'll be cheering for the netherlands. really, i've already gotten out my orange scarf. i don't care that it says fresno pacific on it, and that it'll be around 100 degrees in fresno during the game, i'll be sporting an orange shirt and have my orange scarf on. it's likely i'll watch the game at bobby salazar's, as it's been a good spot to watch the cup with other people.
hopefully you'll be able to join me for something this weekend, even if it isn't one of these activities. or, just do something fun yourself and tell me about it.
Thursday, July 08, 2010
lego shoot out
i really like a well crafted stop action animated piece. and this is a rather well done one.
i also admit that this makes me want to go play some airsoft.
i also admit that this makes me want to go play some airsoft.
patience for lunch
i'm a fairly patient guy. and, maybe it pays off sometimes. today, i went to me n ed's after picking up some coffee beans at cafe corazon. the lunch special is quick and cheap and is a decent size lunch.
except it's not quick when the people making the pizza get confused about orders being taken and orders about to go out. i happened to order a personal all meat just as one was coming out. i didn't get that one, as it wasn't mine.
thirty minutes later i decided to see what was up. yep, didn't make it. more waiting in my future. fortunately, they offered to upsize it and give me
my money back. i told them not to worry about the money back.
so, i'm still hungry, but i'll have leftovers.
except it's not quick when the people making the pizza get confused about orders being taken and orders about to go out. i happened to order a personal all meat just as one was coming out. i didn't get that one, as it wasn't mine.
thirty minutes later i decided to see what was up. yep, didn't make it. more waiting in my future. fortunately, they offered to upsize it and give me
my money back. i told them not to worry about the money back.
so, i'm still hungry, but i'll have leftovers.
first world problems - mc frontalot
i've enjoyed the nerdcore music of mc frontalot for a while now, and he's coming back onto the scene with a new album. here's the first of it:
i wonder if he listens to adam carolla, as first world problems is a bit he does.
i wonder if he listens to adam carolla, as first world problems is a bit he does.
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Sunday, July 04, 2010
viral video 4th of july
just wanted to wish you all a happy fourth. i hope you don't, or didn't if you're reading this on monday, blow any parts off. enjoy yourselves!
Friday, July 02, 2010
post arthop show 7/1/10 review
i was too lazy to actually get out and go art hoppin', but i'm always down for the post arthop show. on last night's bill was badandy, ibid, and rademacher.
badandy, who is the bass player for wheels of fortune, had a full band with him, loosely called the badandy's, but they also joked about looking for a new name during their set. i thought they were pretty good, and the sound reminded me quite a bit of ted leo & the pharmacists, but not in a rip off way. i didn't take any video of badandy.
ibid was second on the bill, and i was excited to see him spit rhymes. i talked to him before the show and he told me that it owuldb e a mix of old and new stuff. ibid hadn't performed in like two years, and he was feeling nervous and rusty. as they sound checked, i was also very happy to see destructo bunny on the turntables. i've always thought they worked well together, and they did last night.
here's some vid from last night from ibid:
and this brings us to rademacher. they continue to be on point, and i hope their month long residency in l.a., along with their other shows, help to push them to the next level.
badandy, who is the bass player for wheels of fortune, had a full band with him, loosely called the badandy's, but they also joked about looking for a new name during their set. i thought they were pretty good, and the sound reminded me quite a bit of ted leo & the pharmacists, but not in a rip off way. i didn't take any video of badandy.
ibid was second on the bill, and i was excited to see him spit rhymes. i talked to him before the show and he told me that it owuldb e a mix of old and new stuff. ibid hadn't performed in like two years, and he was feeling nervous and rusty. as they sound checked, i was also very happy to see destructo bunny on the turntables. i've always thought they worked well together, and they did last night.
here's some vid from last night from ibid:
and this brings us to rademacher. they continue to be on point, and i hope their month long residency in l.a., along with their other shows, help to push them to the next level.
district 11
enjoy this world cup inspired spoof
now, go watch netherlands vs brasil. let's go orange!
now, go watch netherlands vs brasil. let's go orange!
Thursday, July 01, 2010
i found your stump
yeah, we've almost owned our home for two years now. we moved into our place in august of '08, and we've still got stuff to get done to really make it our own. i find that the list is endless, but fortunately, we own the place so we've got time.
yesterday, i was doing a little yard work. i mowed down the weeds in the front, and kicked up a bunch of dirt. we haven't watered the front lawn, mainly out of laziness, but also out of a plan to do something different with it. we've been thinking about gravel or some sort of ground covering with native grasses and other drought resistant plants interspersed.
no the back lawn, that's entirely laziness that has me not watering. i like the back lawn. it's been the site of many great croquette games, backyard bbqs and more. i didn't have the time or energy to mow the back lawn, but there were some little trees budding in a part of the lawn i thought i'd pull out. i've had to do this a few times before, and usually they come out easily. i began pulling out these volunteers, and got to one that was a little thicker and it didn't want to budge. i got the rest out, and then went to work on this one. as i tugged, i could tell that this one had a little bit of root established so i went and grabbed my shovel, figuring i'd just easily pop it out from below.
nope. turn out there was quite a stump hiding a few inches under the surface. the previous owner cut down a tree, but didn't remove the stump. dammit. so, i ended up spending the next thirty or so minutes digging out this stump. it wasn't huge, but it was more work than i had hoped for. i know i didn't get all the roots, but i'm hoping they won't grow into anything. and, i'm hoping that there aren't any others buried around my yard.
this isn't the first time we've come across this. there was a small, re-occuring hole in our front flowerbed. heather saw this hole a few times, and just sort of filled it in. but it kept coming back. so, we thought maybe it was a small animal. with that in mind, i flooded the hole one day, and just let the hose run for over an hour without the hole flooding. this worried us, and made us think that perhaps we had a sinkhole developing. there had already been an uneven spot near that, so it wouldn't have been completely crazy. one morning i got my trusty shovel out and started digging in the area. and that's when i came across a root. it was probably about 2" in diameter. but, there isn't a tree anywhere around there. so, i'm pretty sure that there was a tree there, that was removed, and they didn't properly fill in the dirt. now, i've got a sinking lawn that's dead.
some day, and maybe soon, i'm going to go rent a tiller and churn up that whole patch of lawn. perhaps that's when i'll put in the native grasses and what not. and maybe another tree.
yesterday, i was doing a little yard work. i mowed down the weeds in the front, and kicked up a bunch of dirt. we haven't watered the front lawn, mainly out of laziness, but also out of a plan to do something different with it. we've been thinking about gravel or some sort of ground covering with native grasses and other drought resistant plants interspersed.
no the back lawn, that's entirely laziness that has me not watering. i like the back lawn. it's been the site of many great croquette games, backyard bbqs and more. i didn't have the time or energy to mow the back lawn, but there were some little trees budding in a part of the lawn i thought i'd pull out. i've had to do this a few times before, and usually they come out easily. i began pulling out these volunteers, and got to one that was a little thicker and it didn't want to budge. i got the rest out, and then went to work on this one. as i tugged, i could tell that this one had a little bit of root established so i went and grabbed my shovel, figuring i'd just easily pop it out from below.
nope. turn out there was quite a stump hiding a few inches under the surface. the previous owner cut down a tree, but didn't remove the stump. dammit. so, i ended up spending the next thirty or so minutes digging out this stump. it wasn't huge, but it was more work than i had hoped for. i know i didn't get all the roots, but i'm hoping they won't grow into anything. and, i'm hoping that there aren't any others buried around my yard.
this isn't the first time we've come across this. there was a small, re-occuring hole in our front flowerbed. heather saw this hole a few times, and just sort of filled it in. but it kept coming back. so, we thought maybe it was a small animal. with that in mind, i flooded the hole one day, and just let the hose run for over an hour without the hole flooding. this worried us, and made us think that perhaps we had a sinkhole developing. there had already been an uneven spot near that, so it wouldn't have been completely crazy. one morning i got my trusty shovel out and started digging in the area. and that's when i came across a root. it was probably about 2" in diameter. but, there isn't a tree anywhere around there. so, i'm pretty sure that there was a tree there, that was removed, and they didn't properly fill in the dirt. now, i've got a sinking lawn that's dead.
some day, and maybe soon, i'm going to go rent a tiller and churn up that whole patch of lawn. perhaps that's when i'll put in the native grasses and what not. and maybe another tree.
dust in the wind
you may not realize this, but there are a lot of trucks that carry sand or gravel on hwy 41. seriously, at most points of the day you've got a strong chance of encountering one of these trucks as their rolling down the road. this isn't necessarily a bad thing for most people.
myself, it's a bit of a pain in the...face. you see, i first noticed the number of trucks once i started riding a motorcycle and wearing an open faced helmet. most of the time i enjoy the wind on my face, but when there's a gravel truck anywhere within a mile in front of you it can be a whole load of suck. the trucks keep in the rocks and gravel, but sand does tend to blow out. not large amounts, but just enough. and when this little bits of sand whip into your face at 65+ mph it can really sting. so, i'll be riding along and all of a sudden i'll feel the little pings of sand. then, i do a little 2 step move of cover my face with my left hand and start scanning for the truck. basically, i want to see how far ahead of me it is and if i can manage to get around it.
i guess this is a small penalty to be cool as hell on my motorcycle.
myself, it's a bit of a pain in the...face. you see, i first noticed the number of trucks once i started riding a motorcycle and wearing an open faced helmet. most of the time i enjoy the wind on my face, but when there's a gravel truck anywhere within a mile in front of you it can be a whole load of suck. the trucks keep in the rocks and gravel, but sand does tend to blow out. not large amounts, but just enough. and when this little bits of sand whip into your face at 65+ mph it can really sting. so, i'll be riding along and all of a sudden i'll feel the little pings of sand. then, i do a little 2 step move of cover my face with my left hand and start scanning for the truck. basically, i want to see how far ahead of me it is and if i can manage to get around it.
i guess this is a small penalty to be cool as hell on my motorcycle.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
weekend musings
what a nice weekend. me, i went out of town with almost my entire crew. we booked a cabin up near shaver lake which was spacious, had two great decks and worked out great. really great. we had a fun time each day, and each day brought something different.
having said that, and still being fully satisfied and impressed with my weekend, i know i missed out on a lot of cool stuff in fresno. i know love the captive got it's shows underway down at frank's place with two good looking events on friday and saturday. i'm excited for the first show that i can attend down there.
i know i also missed the closing party for ashtree studios. ashtree's been a great piece of the fresno visual art (& performing arts, too) scene for years, and it's unfortunate that we're losing a spot. all the best out to aileen & tony in their future endeavors.
so, we returned to fresno and guess what, it's hella hot. and you know that. and i know that. whatever, that's not news. what is news, entourage is back. heather's not a fan, but i've enjoyed the show. we'll see if this new season is better than the last, which was pretty mediocre in my opinion.
the week ahead:
-work. yep, gotta go back tomorrow. but, i'm subbing some time this week which means extra cash, which is always a plus.
-pub quiz on wednesday - this is still a very good time each week. i love running the quiz, and like the 95% of the people are having fun, too.
- post art hop show on thursday - rademacher, of course will rock the house, but i'm excited to also see ibid again. i've loved his hip hop stylings for a while now, but haven't seen him rock the mic in a while. so this will be cool. bad andy is also playing, and we'll see what that's about.
-brock lesner vs shane carwin on saturday night. this fight has a lot of buzz. lesner has plowed through the ufc heavyweight division to the title, and carwin has pretty much done the same to the a title shot. i haven't looked at the undercard, but i'm sure it'll be a good night. and, with fedor getting submitted, his claim of being the best heavyweight seems foolhardy at best, and this match could show us who the true best heavyweight in the world is.
having said that, and still being fully satisfied and impressed with my weekend, i know i missed out on a lot of cool stuff in fresno. i know love the captive got it's shows underway down at frank's place with two good looking events on friday and saturday. i'm excited for the first show that i can attend down there.
i know i also missed the closing party for ashtree studios. ashtree's been a great piece of the fresno visual art (& performing arts, too) scene for years, and it's unfortunate that we're losing a spot. all the best out to aileen & tony in their future endeavors.
so, we returned to fresno and guess what, it's hella hot. and you know that. and i know that. whatever, that's not news. what is news, entourage is back. heather's not a fan, but i've enjoyed the show. we'll see if this new season is better than the last, which was pretty mediocre in my opinion.
the week ahead:
-work. yep, gotta go back tomorrow. but, i'm subbing some time this week which means extra cash, which is always a plus.
-pub quiz on wednesday - this is still a very good time each week. i love running the quiz, and like the 95% of the people are having fun, too.
- post art hop show on thursday - rademacher, of course will rock the house, but i'm excited to also see ibid again. i've loved his hip hop stylings for a while now, but haven't seen him rock the mic in a while. so this will be cool. bad andy is also playing, and we'll see what that's about.
-brock lesner vs shane carwin on saturday night. this fight has a lot of buzz. lesner has plowed through the ufc heavyweight division to the title, and carwin has pretty much done the same to the a title shot. i haven't looked at the undercard, but i'm sure it'll be a good night. and, with fedor getting submitted, his claim of being the best heavyweight seems foolhardy at best, and this match could show us who the true best heavyweight in the world is.
Friday, June 25, 2010
love the captive weekend
if you're in fresno this weekend, you should go see at least one of the love the captive shows at frank's place. or go see them both. go. listen. enjoy.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
let's go USMNT
(cross posted from wide world of fresno sports and american outlaws fresno)
holy cow, so ecstatic that the usmnt has not only moved on, but won their group in amazing fashion. really, it doesn't get much more suspenseful than winning the group in stoppage time. i mean, we won our qualifying group on a stoppage goal, and now this? call 'em the cardiac kids.
great goal by landon donovan. it's too bad dempsey's goal was disallowed, but i'm glad we managed to eek through.
something to mention: we've been working on an american outlaws chapter here in fresno. if you've watched any of the u.s. games you've probably seen the outlaws featured heavily in the crowd - they're the crazy fans with flag bandannas and what not. most of the crowd shots from bars in the u.s. have been american outlaw bars, with tons of outlaws on camera. currently, we've got a handful of members, but we need more. in fact, we need at least 25 members signed up with us (+ a supporters bar but we're pretty sure we've got that worked out) to be an official chapter. we've got 5 so far. so, what am i asking? well, i'm asking you to join the american outlaws if you live in the fresno area. it's only $15 a year and you get an official t-shirt + u.s. flag bandanna. and, you'll have friends nationwide cheering along with you as well as a group here in fresno. if you're an outlaw member they also have discount rates on flights to u.s. games, on sales of gear online, and more. seriously, it's not a bad deal at all if you like soccer and follow the u.s. team.
so, enjoy the rest of the cup. if you can, join the american outlaws and come watch a game with us.
the american outlaws official site
american outlaws fresno chapter blog
american outlaws fresno chapter facebook
american outlaws fresno chapter twitter
holy cow, so ecstatic that the usmnt has not only moved on, but won their group in amazing fashion. really, it doesn't get much more suspenseful than winning the group in stoppage time. i mean, we won our qualifying group on a stoppage goal, and now this? call 'em the cardiac kids.
great goal by landon donovan. it's too bad dempsey's goal was disallowed, but i'm glad we managed to eek through.
something to mention: we've been working on an american outlaws chapter here in fresno. if you've watched any of the u.s. games you've probably seen the outlaws featured heavily in the crowd - they're the crazy fans with flag bandannas and what not. most of the crowd shots from bars in the u.s. have been american outlaw bars, with tons of outlaws on camera. currently, we've got a handful of members, but we need more. in fact, we need at least 25 members signed up with us (+ a supporters bar but we're pretty sure we've got that worked out) to be an official chapter. we've got 5 so far. so, what am i asking? well, i'm asking you to join the american outlaws if you live in the fresno area. it's only $15 a year and you get an official t-shirt + u.s. flag bandanna. and, you'll have friends nationwide cheering along with you as well as a group here in fresno. if you're an outlaw member they also have discount rates on flights to u.s. games, on sales of gear online, and more. seriously, it's not a bad deal at all if you like soccer and follow the u.s. team.
so, enjoy the rest of the cup. if you can, join the american outlaws and come watch a game with us.
the american outlaws official site
american outlaws fresno chapter blog
american outlaws fresno chapter facebook
american outlaws fresno chapter twitter
Monday, June 21, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
fresno musical renaissance
it may not be totally true, but it feels like fresno is exploding with music. i've said it before, there are a lot of great fresno bands, and more keep coming up. and now, we've got a good local show "facilitator" in love the captive. sure, there have been and are other local promoters, but these guys are bringing in touring bands and matching them with local talent. (you can hear johnny q from love the captive on our most recent podcast.)
add to those two factors new venues - frank's place & the captive. the star palace & warnor's were already around, but they're seeing new life, but frank's place sounds like it's going to be a jewel of a venue. we'll see, and soon. i know i'm planning on being there on july 10 to see admiral radley with rademacher and el olio wolof.
it's looking good fresno. and it seems like it's going to get better.
add to those two factors new venues - frank's place & the captive. the star palace & warnor's were already around, but they're seeing new life, but frank's place sounds like it's going to be a jewel of a venue. we'll see, and soon. i know i'm planning on being there on july 10 to see admiral radley with rademacher and el olio wolof.
it's looking good fresno. and it seems like it's going to get better.
Friday, June 18, 2010
a place to bury strangers @ audie's olympic
you may have already seen this on the fresnan or the beehive today (or previously here) but you should make every effort to go see a place to bury strangers on saturday night.
we've got a fairly big band & a good local group opening + love the captive promotions = it's something you should go to.
and i do want to say that love the captive is doing very good work right now in fresno. bringing shows that others haven't been. support the scene!
we've got a fairly big band & a good local group opening + love the captive promotions = it's something you should go to.
and i do want to say that love the captive is doing very good work right now in fresno. bringing shows that others haven't been. support the scene!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
pub quiz 6/16
if you're in fresno area and have ever wanted to come to pub quiz, tonight should be your night.
seriously, the jackpot is huge. we don't discuss #'s on online, but it's a lot. and, there are some pretty good questions tonight. and, the musical questions have an interesting twist - they're all famous covers. should be good.
hope to see you there. registration starts @ 7:30, game starts @ 8.
teams of 1-6, $5 a player.
seriously, the jackpot is huge. we don't discuss #'s on online, but it's a lot. and, there are some pretty good questions tonight. and, the musical questions have an interesting twist - they're all famous covers. should be good.
hope to see you there. registration starts @ 7:30, game starts @ 8.
teams of 1-6, $5 a player.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
first world problems
it's only been two days, but it's been tough not being able to check all the social media that have worked their way into my life. i hadn't realized how much i check twitter and facebook during the day now. and, other news websites and espn are pretty much out the door as well. must not find out results.
so, i click on sites and try and find whatever i'm looking for without seeing anything else. so far so good, but it's driving me a little batty.
so, i click on sites and try and find whatever i'm looking for without seeing anything else. so far so good, but it's driving me a little batty.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
The Secret Powers of Time - Philip Zimbardo
man, i love thinking about how culture works. this video is an animation of a speech given by famed sociologist philip zimbardo (stanford prison experiment).
i think this gives a great application for teachers, especially how we view & understand students.
i think this gives a great application for teachers, especially how we view & understand students.
Friday, June 11, 2010
u.s. vs england
hey, i'll be watching u.s. vs england @ bobby salazar's in the tower on saturday. you should come watch it with me. game time is 11 a.m.
the usmnt will be wearing blue jerseys. i'll be wearing a blue jersey. i suggest you wear blue in support of our side versus england (i think the 3 lions will be in white).
the usmnt will be wearing blue jerseys. i'll be wearing a blue jersey. i suggest you wear blue in support of our side versus england (i think the 3 lions will be in white).
a month of avoiding media
yep, it's going to be a long month for me. i've got to avoid facebook and twitter for long stretches, be very careful what i sites i visit on the internet, and so on.
you see, with the world cup being in south africa, and the matches being played during our a.m. times, i'm recording a lot of matches. so, after work, or when i wake up, i'll be watching stuff and i don't want the results spoiled.
which also means that i hope no one dm's me on twitter or texts me results. hopefully i won't screw anyone else in a similar fashion.
you see, with the world cup being in south africa, and the matches being played during our a.m. times, i'm recording a lot of matches. so, after work, or when i wake up, i'll be watching stuff and i don't want the results spoiled.
which also means that i hope no one dm's me on twitter or texts me results. hopefully i won't screw anyone else in a similar fashion.
a place to bury strangers @ audie's olympic
this show's just over a week away, but it'll be dope and you should buy your ticket in advance.
and, you can hear one of the concert facilitators, johnny q on a great podcast over here.
and, you can hear one of the concert facilitators, johnny q on a great podcast over here.
Monday, June 07, 2010
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
city council candidate fail
this was stuffed into my door today:
yeah, i know, you can't really read that. so, i'll type it up for you:
"lawrence cano
fresno city council, district 1 candidate
i am running as an independent because fresno needs a change. my decisions will be based on the important issues for the voters not for certain parties. i received my bachelo9r of science degree in business administration from sacramento state university after i graduated from fresno city college and fresno high school. along with a good decision making ability, i am highly organized and confident of my skills and believe i am a viable candidate for this position. we need change to bring jobs to build fresno's future.
my slogan is strength, hope and honesty
issues i will fight for:
1. your children: recreational centers should be constructed so children have a safe place to go and learn.
2. schools and neighborhoods: rebuild schools in our district and create jobs. reduce crime. fix streets and clean up neighborhoods.
3. teachers: hire teachers who care and have a passion for teaching and i will implement random drug testing for all school district employees.
4.law enforcement: i will make sure that they do their job correctly and fairly. use traffic fine revenue for more police officers.
5. safety: accidents are growing and more deaths occurring. this is due to cell phones, not paying attention and speeding. we must increase the fines for cell phones to $250. this type of nonsense must stop.
6. tax breaks: give residents $250 tax break if they switch from cable to dish network. cost is high and taxpayers deserve a break.
7. jobs: ban cell phones at places of employment to increase productivity.
8. granite park: given the opportunity i can make granite park a successful place, for the community, the residents and most of all for the city of fresno.
as your city councilman i will not wait for the last year of my term to start doing things for our district. i will not use this tactic to get re-elected. i believe in being voted in by the people so i will work for the people. change is good.
lawrence cano, district 1 candidate. canolawrence64@yahoo.com"
and then, hand written, "sorry i missed u. www.facebook.com"
so, let me break this down. the whole opening really has the feel of a resume, and a cheesy one at that. it's like something i would've written in college.
to his 8 points (btw, who has an 8 point agenda? what, couldn't make 10?)
1. okay, fine.
2. hmm, building schools is the districts job, not the city's. know your role homie. and i like that he's going to reduce crime. two words accomplishes a job.
3. hey, once again, you don't know your job. hiring teachers is the job of the district, not the city. and frankly, i'm very offended that he assumes that the current teachers don't care or have a passion for teaching. seriously.
4. okay. aren't we already using traffic revenue to fund city expenses, like officers?
5. blaming cell phones for increases in deaths? come on. and isn't the fine for use while driving set by the state, not the city? once again, know your role.
6. wtf? tax breaks for satellite over cable? and do i get the break every year? do i get it since i already have satellite? does it only count if i use dish network like his plan says?
7. ban cell phones at work? huh? how the eff is the city going to ban cell phones at work? how do you enforce that? and really, how does banning cell phones help jobs? yes, it may make people more productive. how many people really talk on the phone at work while they're not on a break? and this plan doesn't do anything to create jobs.
8. how? and why is this the job of the city, instead of a private investor?
i love that he has a yahoo.com email address. really? you couldn't get your own domain? that is pathetic. and you couldn't even get just your name. you had to have your last name, then first, and 64. weak sauce.
"sorry i missed u." what, are you twelve? did you text or tweet me that message? it's spelled y o u.
"www.facebook.com" um, should i just hit up facebook? or did you want to direct me to your page?
wow, i'm glad i did miss this "candidate." if i had talked to him i would've clowned on him for his wack platform. the funny thing is, i was at home. i didn't hear any knocks on the door (i did have headphones on for like 8 minutes this afternoon, and it's hard to believe that he came by in that 8 minutes).
yeah, i know, you can't really read that. so, i'll type it up for you:
"lawrence cano
fresno city council, district 1 candidate
i am running as an independent because fresno needs a change. my decisions will be based on the important issues for the voters not for certain parties. i received my bachelo9r of science degree in business administration from sacramento state university after i graduated from fresno city college and fresno high school. along with a good decision making ability, i am highly organized and confident of my skills and believe i am a viable candidate for this position. we need change to bring jobs to build fresno's future.
my slogan is strength, hope and honesty
issues i will fight for:
1. your children: recreational centers should be constructed so children have a safe place to go and learn.
2. schools and neighborhoods: rebuild schools in our district and create jobs. reduce crime. fix streets and clean up neighborhoods.
3. teachers: hire teachers who care and have a passion for teaching and i will implement random drug testing for all school district employees.
4.law enforcement: i will make sure that they do their job correctly and fairly. use traffic fine revenue for more police officers.
5. safety: accidents are growing and more deaths occurring. this is due to cell phones, not paying attention and speeding. we must increase the fines for cell phones to $250. this type of nonsense must stop.
6. tax breaks: give residents $250 tax break if they switch from cable to dish network. cost is high and taxpayers deserve a break.
7. jobs: ban cell phones at places of employment to increase productivity.
8. granite park: given the opportunity i can make granite park a successful place, for the community, the residents and most of all for the city of fresno.
as your city councilman i will not wait for the last year of my term to start doing things for our district. i will not use this tactic to get re-elected. i believe in being voted in by the people so i will work for the people. change is good.
lawrence cano, district 1 candidate. canolawrence64@yahoo.com"
and then, hand written, "sorry i missed u. www.facebook.com"
so, let me break this down. the whole opening really has the feel of a resume, and a cheesy one at that. it's like something i would've written in college.
to his 8 points (btw, who has an 8 point agenda? what, couldn't make 10?)
1. okay, fine.
2. hmm, building schools is the districts job, not the city's. know your role homie. and i like that he's going to reduce crime. two words accomplishes a job.
3. hey, once again, you don't know your job. hiring teachers is the job of the district, not the city. and frankly, i'm very offended that he assumes that the current teachers don't care or have a passion for teaching. seriously.
4. okay. aren't we already using traffic revenue to fund city expenses, like officers?
5. blaming cell phones for increases in deaths? come on. and isn't the fine for use while driving set by the state, not the city? once again, know your role.
6. wtf? tax breaks for satellite over cable? and do i get the break every year? do i get it since i already have satellite? does it only count if i use dish network like his plan says?
7. ban cell phones at work? huh? how the eff is the city going to ban cell phones at work? how do you enforce that? and really, how does banning cell phones help jobs? yes, it may make people more productive. how many people really talk on the phone at work while they're not on a break? and this plan doesn't do anything to create jobs.
8. how? and why is this the job of the city, instead of a private investor?
i love that he has a yahoo.com email address. really? you couldn't get your own domain? that is pathetic. and you couldn't even get just your name. you had to have your last name, then first, and 64. weak sauce.
"sorry i missed u." what, are you twelve? did you text or tweet me that message? it's spelled y o u.
"www.facebook.com" um, should i just hit up facebook? or did you want to direct me to your page?
wow, i'm glad i did miss this "candidate." if i had talked to him i would've clowned on him for his wack platform. the funny thing is, i was at home. i didn't hear any knocks on the door (i did have headphones on for like 8 minutes this afternoon, and it's hard to believe that he came by in that 8 minutes).
a place to bury strangers @ audie's olympic
this show is still a bit away, but it's going to be hella good. shoot, i've already got tickets. get yours here now.
to hear a place to bury strangers, click over here.
to hear a place to bury strangers, click over here.
Friday, May 28, 2010
indiana hot rod
saw these bad boys parked outside of the dairy queen today.
that's right, it's a john deer w/a trailer full of lawn care gear & a bike w/a child trailer w/some more lawn stuff. pretty awesome, indiana
that's right, it's a john deer w/a trailer full of lawn care gear & a bike w/a child trailer w/some more lawn stuff. pretty awesome, indiana
Thursday, May 27, 2010
fresno fair local performer contest
i know some local acts *cough rademacher cough* *cough fay wrays cough* that should get in this thing. because not only could they win, but they would rock the fair.
FRESNO, CALIFORNIA…May 26, 2010… The Big Fresno Fair is pleased to announce that it is holding its first-ever Local Performer Contest starting on June 1st. A total of six local performers will be selected to be part of the first annual local musical showcase at the 2010 Big Fresno Fair on Thursday, October 14th from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. on the Pavilion Stage.
Interested local performers are encouraged to submit their music videos online at www.FresnoFair.com
Based upon the most positive public comments on each of the videos posted, as well as input from the local performer contest sub-committee, 20 local musical performers will be selected to advance to the voting portion of the competition. Then Big Fair Fan Club members will be able to vote online for the six bands they want to see at the Fair as part of this local musical showcase. If you are not a Big Fair Fan Club member you can sign up at www.FresnoFair.com
"We are a community Fair and as such we are a reflection of those in our community. This is why we wanted to provide a platform to showcase all the local musical talent we have here in Fresno County," said John C. Alkire, CEO of The Big Fresno Fair. "The local performer contest provides a way for us to do this and create something fun and new for the community to get behind. The entire process from viewing the videos online, to voting for your top six and then coming out to see them at the Fair will be something fun and unique to be a part of. We hope to see this competition and musical showcase grow each year, sharing with a new audience the numerous local talented musical performers."
If you would like more information or would like to help spread the word about the contest and showcase, visit www.FresnoFair.com/localperformercontest to download a PDF of the promotional flyer.
Big Times Are Back at The Big Fresno Fair October 6th - 17th. To learn more about what's new and exciting at the 2010 Big Fresno Fair, visit www.FresnoFair.com
FRESNO, CALIFORNIA…May 26, 2010… The Big Fresno Fair is pleased to announce that it is holding its first-ever Local Performer Contest starting on June 1st. A total of six local performers will be selected to be part of the first annual local musical showcase at the 2010 Big Fresno Fair on Thursday, October 14th from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. on the Pavilion Stage.
Interested local performers are encouraged to submit their music videos online at www.FresnoFair.com
Based upon the most positive public comments on each of the videos posted, as well as input from the local performer contest sub-committee, 20 local musical performers will be selected to advance to the voting portion of the competition. Then Big Fair Fan Club members will be able to vote online for the six bands they want to see at the Fair as part of this local musical showcase. If you are not a Big Fair Fan Club member you can sign up at www.FresnoFair.com
"We are a community Fair and as such we are a reflection of those in our community. This is why we wanted to provide a platform to showcase all the local musical talent we have here in Fresno County," said John C. Alkire, CEO of The Big Fresno Fair. "The local performer contest provides a way for us to do this and create something fun and new for the community to get behind. The entire process from viewing the videos online, to voting for your top six and then coming out to see them at the Fair will be something fun and unique to be a part of. We hope to see this competition and musical showcase grow each year, sharing with a new audience the numerous local talented musical performers."
If you would like more information or would like to help spread the word about the contest and showcase, visit www.FresnoFair.com/localperformercontest
Big Times Are Back at The Big Fresno Fair October 6th - 17th. To learn more about what's new and exciting at the 2010 Big Fresno Fair, visit www.FresnoFair.com
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
it's alive!
the undercurrent is still kicking. they took an unplanned month off, so instead of taking a month off in summer, they won't. next issue should be out in june.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
thanks
i've been coaching track & field for about eleven years now. each team is different, and every year offers different opportunities, benefits, rewards and whatnot.
this year was a pretty awesome year. i was able to travel to indoor nationals, and also get to go to outdoor nationals as well. these are fun, special trips. but even without these trips this was still one of the best years that i've coached. why?
well, it's about the kids. this year we had a group of throwers that really did work hard. most of them went above and beyond to really do the best they could, to perform at the highest level at competitions. they cared. that doesn't mean that all of them always did everything right, but you could see that it mattered. they cared about their performances, and about their teammates.
another thing about this group, they were thankful. right now, i'm looking at a picture of my throwers. they took a group picture after our conference meet, and had it framed and gave it to all the throw coaches. i was blown away by this. seriously, i feel like a proud papa right now. heather even joked that it looks like our family picture because it's one of the biggest things in our living room, propped up on our mantle.
so, i'm thankful. and, i texted them all today to let them know that i'm thankful for this year and the experience. and, most of them are returning, so i'm excited for next year already.
this year was a pretty awesome year. i was able to travel to indoor nationals, and also get to go to outdoor nationals as well. these are fun, special trips. but even without these trips this was still one of the best years that i've coached. why?
well, it's about the kids. this year we had a group of throwers that really did work hard. most of them went above and beyond to really do the best they could, to perform at the highest level at competitions. they cared. that doesn't mean that all of them always did everything right, but you could see that it mattered. they cared about their performances, and about their teammates.
another thing about this group, they were thankful. right now, i'm looking at a picture of my throwers. they took a group picture after our conference meet, and had it framed and gave it to all the throw coaches. i was blown away by this. seriously, i feel like a proud papa right now. heather even joked that it looks like our family picture because it's one of the biggest things in our living room, propped up on our mantle.
so, i'm thankful. and, i texted them all today to let them know that i'm thankful for this year and the experience. and, most of them are returning, so i'm excited for next year already.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
masta ace inc - born to roll
this is still one of my favorite 90's hip hop songs, and, i considered using it last night for pub quiz, but we didn't. such a sick bass line.
Monday, May 17, 2010
i'm on the list
somehow, sometime i got on a list. i can't say exactly what the list is, but it's the call me for surveys list. seriously, every so often, i'll get a random call to see if i'm willing to participate in a survey. some have been local, like the news, but others are national. i remember we even had one call during a podcast, and i was questioned about my thoughts on gay marriage.
i think once you answer one, you're flagged, and more will come. this really heats up during political seasons.
the other day, i was roused from a semi-nap stage to answer a few questions. i agreed because this wasn't just a phone survey. if i fit the right profile, they wanted me to come in for a focus group discussion. i became even more interested when they said that for the two hour experience i'd get $75. after all the questions, i seemed to be something that they wanted, something that fit their criteria. i was scheduled to go over tonight and share my thoughts on political candidates in california's gubernatorial race.
sadly, this morning i got the call. they had overbooked certain groups, and i was now expendable. oh well, i'm sure it won't be the last tie i get called.
i think once you answer one, you're flagged, and more will come. this really heats up during political seasons.
the other day, i was roused from a semi-nap stage to answer a few questions. i agreed because this wasn't just a phone survey. if i fit the right profile, they wanted me to come in for a focus group discussion. i became even more interested when they said that for the two hour experience i'd get $75. after all the questions, i seemed to be something that they wanted, something that fit their criteria. i was scheduled to go over tonight and share my thoughts on political candidates in california's gubernatorial race.
sadly, this morning i got the call. they had overbooked certain groups, and i was now expendable. oh well, i'm sure it won't be the last tie i get called.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
r.i.p. the undercurrent
hey, i dont have any official proof, but it looks like the undercurrent is donezo. no copies can be found of the should be latest issue. there's probably more, and we will see.
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