some more music I'm liking



I'm trying to figure out the taste in music of Vice magazine. They pretty much hated the new New Pornographers album for being "too white" sounding, which is a pretty damn good album by anyone's standards (one would think). Why do they even review an album they hate if that's the best description they can come up with? Then again Vice is the kind of magazine to call something "gay" as an insult, so I guess I can't take them too seriously.

I still haven't got around to pirating some of the artists Vice likes in order to see where they are coming from, music taste wise.

Pitchfork loves the album, but then again, everything Pitchfork loves, I usually hate ("usually" is the key word).

These two scenarios only make me want to "illegally" download stuff before I buy it even more.

Anyhow, I love the new NP album. Definitely their best to date. It's hella gay ass and white sounding, but I still like it.

Also, the new Of Montreal album is pretty dope...well the first half of the album is anyway. Of Montreal is pretty gay too.

It looks like blogger finally fixed the spam-comments epidemic. You need to go to your settings to enable some of the new features. It's cooled down here and on some of the other blogs out there, but still, it won't hurt to take some precautions.

Now I ain't sayin' she's a gold digger...



I hate to admit it, but I really like the new Kanye West album. I saw an interview with him the other day that made me think he's not a bad dude either, so I thought I'd give him a second chance. The first half of the album has some of the most solid hip-hop on it that I've heard in a while, but the last half gets a bit weak here and there. I'll see how my opinion changes throughout the day. His performance on the VMA's last night was definitely the best, but that wasn't hard to accomplish seeing who he was up against.

Highlight of the evening was R. Kelly re-enacting "the closet" with an alternate ending.

The next Paul McCartney

The next Paul McCartney
Originally uploaded by bugbiteme.

Everybody buy Suresh a beer and wish him a "happy birthday". He's turning 36 this weekend!

Neighborhoodies



Last night we invited the soon-to-depart Dan and Heather over for some BBQ and a trip to the local tavern, which is "Liquid" of course. Not quite divey enough, yet not glamorous by any means. It, in no way compares to the B.L., but it's only a couple blocks away, and they have 2 dollar drafts on Wednesday night...That would be 2 dollars for all drafts!

I'm gonna try to go there at least once a week when BBall season starts up.

My new BBQ recipe: Beer Brats cooked with beer, bell peppers, mushrooms and garlic. Wrap the Brat up in foil with the veggies and beer, throw it on the grill. I'm still debating on proper condiments. The mustard and relish overpowered the natural flavors a bit too much. Maybe just some krout and mustard.

Mulva



Friday I just wanted to hang out at home and watch Dune, so that's what I did. What a great book, yet horrible movie. the movie is pretty much what would happen if Peter Jackson made LoTR one 2 hour movie. There was no way to explain it to anyone who hasn't read the book, and even though I had just read it, I had a hard time figuring out what was going on myself. Damn you David Lynch! Good thing he didn't keep directing Sci-Fi movies after that box office bomb...Or maybe he did (gotta check the IMDB).

Saturday I met up with Suresh at the Cornerstone for breakfast since he had never been there before in the 3 years he's lived here. I'd die of a heart attack if I went there more than once a month, but I love that place. Best veggie potato platter in town!

Later on I headed out to Virgin Megastore for the 50% off everything/going out of business sale (finally!). Funny thing about that: even though everything was half off, you couldn't find a CD or LP for less than 10 dollars, and that's including the discount! I found the recent Belle and Sebastian compilation marked at 22 dollars, and everywhere else it goes around 16 or so. The saddest thing I saw was an almost empty cd rack with a ton of copies of that newer Bees album ("A band of bees" here in the US). I found a !!! LP, but even it was still too much for a cheapo like me. Good riddance.

Later that day, I went to shoot some hoops at the secret basketball court with bros (somewhere along T street, not in mid-town), drank some Hoegaardens at Bon Lair, ate some dinner at Caballo Blanco, then saw "The 40 year old Virgin". Funny movie and highly recommended.

I headed out to SF Sunday. Sometimes when I go to the city, I wish I could just live there. The weather is so great, I love all the neighborhoods and parks, just good vibes all around. We went to Amoeba, Atlas cafe, Doloris park and then home. Somehow normal people live there. Not everyone in SF is rich, so it is feasible for the common man to survive in San Francisco. I gotta figure out a way.

A vulgar picture painted

A vulgar picture painted
Originally uploaded by bugbiteme.

seals

seals
Originally uploaded by bugbiteme.

We went to the fair the other day for Summer's birthday. I didn't go last year, but it was exactly the same as all years past, going back as far as I can remember. Katy and Summer talked me into going on the Tango. That plus deep fried oreos brought me to the barf threashold. You know, I didn't get sick, but it's kinda like when you are out drinking and you think "one more drink and I might barf" so you stop.

They can't be stopped!!!



Even though I made my comments for "members only" the spam kept coming in, so I switched it back. I guess I'll just have to moderate and delete them myself. If only my blog were as l33t as Sabrina's (pocketpig).

I know it's early but...



...I'm heading to Seattle Labor Day weekend. I've only been there once and without a local to show me the cool spots, so I'm taking suggestions from people more familiar with the place.

Things on my todo list:

• good eats


• record shopping


• touristy crap


• good local (non 'bucks) coffee


• good place for brew


• nice parks


• whatever

Old news..yeah



but I thought this was a great quote today on those "support our troops" magnets posted on Tom Tommorow's blog:

Think about it: it's a magnet. Peel it off and it's as if it was never there. You can support the troops and not even risk the slightest damage to the finish of your car. That's real commitment.

This Saturday



If you are in the mood for good art while looking at lame art during Second Saturday, head over to Tonevendor to see some visual works by Sacramento's own Jeff Melendez. 2nd Sat is always tops at TV. Expect free flowing hummus and Charles Shaw all night long...or until it all runs out...whatever comes first.

...and did I tell ya? Niki and I are commissioning Jef to do a portrait of heylove.

had to do it



Sorry, but I'm blocking anonymous comments until blogger/blogspot does something about this. Friends who don't have blogger accounts, just get one to log in for comments, or we can talk about my postings over a brew, or while freebasing coke or you can call me sometime.

Would I ever want to do it again?...HELL NO!



I'm talking about jury duty. It was fun while it lasted, but as the verdict was being read, I wanted to curl up into a ball and die. The guy was guilty by law, but not guilty by my own ethics. I guess I wasn't aware of how strong my feelings were in the matter until I realized that the guy's fate was in my hands.


Anyhow, no one died, got robbed, molested, raped, or hurt, yet homie will be going away for a long time.

Whenever someone mentions your name, I think..."songs"



Quote (more or less) from the book of Melendo 3:15.

Anyone going to Thai Ice Cream Social?

two days off



I'm back in good ol' Roseville for the next two days, but I'll be back moonlighting as juror next week.

Did I tell you about the beyond horrible experience I had at Zelda's this past Monday?

Lets just say it was so bad that we didn't even eat pizza that day. Well, we did walk out and went to Luigi's instead. That place pales in comparison, as far as good pizza goes. Zelda's pizza is an entity of it's own, so we should have used better judgment on that one and headed to Chicago Fire in Folsom or just headed home...

Yeah, bad service is Zelda's schtik, but this was beyond anything I've experienced in almost 20 years of eating there (damn I'm getting old).

Surprisingly, we went back for more abuse last night, but we got our food this time and all has been corrected. "Stir it up" even played twice on the jukebox!

Jury Duty


I don't understand why people hate it and try everything they can to get out of it. I love jury duty.

As of today I'm serving as juror on a case that I'm not allowed to tell you anything about until it's over...but back to why I love it so.

• I don't have to drive to Roseville


• I don't have to go to work...in Roseville


• I don't even have to get in my car to get there (a little WD 40, some air, and my bike is as good as new).
  
• I don't have to go to the dreaded city of Roseville.


• I can try all the different places I've been meaning to go to around downtown for lunch (I had mediocre falafel at Julianas Kitchen today)...I'm taking recommendations for lunch spots...anyone is more than welcome to join me


• I hate driving to Roseville every day for work, and while serving on jury duty, I don't have to.


• I get to read a lot (now reading "Dune").


• Roseville == sucks, Sacramento == sucks less, me == not in Roseville.
  

Every time I've had jury duty, it makes me think of how better off I'd be if I didn't have to commute to work. The only catch...other than state worker, I don't know what else I'd do. Maybe if I get laid-off, that will be my calling...or not.