The Sound presents VELELLA VELELLA

KUPS 90.1 FM Tacoma has been broadcasting since 1968. 40 years! To celebrate its anniversary, The Sound is presenting a show free to UPS students. Velella Velella (Seattle), Pt. Juncture, WA (Portland), and Kusikia (Tacoma) will be there, and so should you.

Due to security reasons, or whatever, the show is only open to UPS students. This is unfortunate. But what is fortunate is that the show is FREE for students - just pick up a ticket at the Info Center.

Links to bands: Velella Velella, Pt. Juncture, WA, Kusikia

Oscillate Wildly 10.13.08

Visit KUPS.net for more information.

Today's playlist:

Le Tigre - Dyke March 2001
The Books - All Bad Ends All
Matthew Dear - Send You Back
The Knife - Neverland
The Elephants - Humans Extinct
Kusikia - Heart
Architecture in Helsinki - Heart It Races (As played by Hey Willpower!)
Gorillaz - Dirty Harry
Monkey - Monkey Bee
Pretty Girls Make Graves - All Medicated Geniuses
The Rosebuds - Cape Fear
M83 - Kim & Jessie
CocoRosie - Rainbowarriors
Kimya Dawson - I Love You Sweet Baby
The Magnetic Fields - 100,000 Fireflies
Belle & Sebastian - Judy and the Dream of Horses

Kusikia and The Elephants are both playing at the Squeak and Squawk festival THIS WEEK! It will be a great showcase of Pacific Northwest bands.

Kusikia will be playing at The Helm on Thursday
6:00pm, all ages, $6.
The Elephants will be at The New Frontier on Friday
9:00pm, 21+, $6.

Please support local music, it supports you.

90.1 FM The Sound in the Weekly Volcano

Last week KUPS Weekend Music Director, Carmen Bria, wrote a review of the bluesy, funky, gospel-esque, and soulful JJ Grey and the Mofro's album Orange Blossoms for the Weekly Volcano.

"Their newest release from Alligator Records continues to demonstrate the band’s ability to turn the clearest of water into the muddiest of blues."

My mouth watered at all the southern cooking references. Read the whole article at The Weekly Volcano.

90.1 FM The Sound in the Weekly Volcano

Photo courtesy of Sup Pop.

This week The Sound's Business Director, Webmaster, and all around smooth operator, Kevin Nguyen, wrote a review of Chad VanGaalen's Soft Airplanes for the Weekly Volcano.

"There’s a subtle, melancholic charm in his quivering tenor. (He’s from Canada, which could explain why he’s so sad.)"

You can read the full review at The Weekly Volcano.

By a Moustache

There has been a lot of buzz this summer about Michael Phelps winning eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, beating Mark Spitz's record of seven in one Olympic games set in Munich in 1972. I don't think I'd heard of Mark Spitz before this summer, but I've heard his name about 300 times in the last four days. And it is always in the same sentence as "Michael Phelps." All of a sudden I got the urge to see what this guy looked like.

I couldn't believe what I found:



Okay, he's kind of hot here:




But, seriously, what's with the porn stash?



Mark Spitz won each of his 1972 Olympic races handily without wearing a swim cap or shaving his pits. Quite a difference from this summer's races which are won by hundredths of seconds and too-long nose hairs probably make a noticeable difference let alone facial hair.

NY Times has an interesting article in which Spitz and Phelps are compared. Phelps would have beaten Spitz by half a lap in each event, but who knows what the difference in pools, swimwear, and a razor would make in the comparing of the two.

Olympic Records

I've jumped on the Michael Phelps bandwagon this summer. This guy is phenomenal. After watching him win the 400m IM by a body length, and shatter his own world record by almost a second and a half, it's hard not to be amazed.



Last night I watched the 4x100m Freestyle Relay final and completely freaked out - and freaking out is not something I normally do. You may have heard announcers bring up the race again and again since the event as "the best relay race ever seen," and it was as impressive as they described.

Michael Phelps began the race behind Australian's Eamon Sullivan, who broke the world record for fastest split at 47.24 seconds (apparently only the lead swimmer in a relay can make an official record because they begin in the standard standing position), Garrett Weber-Gale gained some ground for the US, but then Cullen Jones lost the U.S. lead behind Frenchman Frederick Bousquet - who swam the fastest split until that time at 46.63s. American anchor Jason Lezak was a full half second behind the favored French anchor, Alain Bernard. He was still behind at the last 50m, but miraculously pulled ahead in the last meter to win by .08 seconds, and swim the fastest split ever at 46.06s.

The U.S. final time was 3.08.24, beating the previous world record set by the U.S. in the preliminary race, by 3.99s.

Whew. That may be more information than you cared to know about the race, but my reason for including the play by play was to point out how many records were broken in one race.

Watching athletes break records in what seems like every event, I began to wonder when this would level off. Are all of these world records just going to be broken in 2012? How much of this success is due to technology, like the new Speedo LZR suit, and allowing professional athletes to compete?

The New York Times does a good job of looking at every angle that could affect so many record-breaking swims this summer. Whether it's technology or talent, these races are exciting to watch.

Forwarding Address

On Friday I'll be changing this blog's URL to http://cboersma.blogspot.com/.

The current one is much too long, and there is no point to making references that only I understand and enjoy.

Sorry for the inconvenience, but we'll all be much happier in the end.

Baking Ventures

I had the afternoon off today and the weather was kind of gloomy, so I thought I'd do some baking. I planned on making banana bread, but I also wanted to make some muffins because I need breakfast I can grab on the way out the door for those 4:45am shifts, and I get tired of granola bars.

After looking through my huge Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book (a gift from my mother to inaugurate my independent womanhood, I suppose), I settled on Oat Bran Muffins. These sugar-free muffins looked like a healthy morning meal and, having never baked with oat bran before, I thought I'd give it a shot. I also used a Multi Purpose Baking Mix in lieu of all-purpose flour, so these muffins are gluten and wheat free to boot.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oat Bran Muffins

















Prep: 15 min Bake: 16 min
Oven: 400F Makes: 12 muffins

You will need:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/4 cups oat bran
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 cup raisins or snipped dried fruit

1. Lightly coat bottoms of twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl combine oat bran, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
3. In a small bowl combine egg, applesauce, milk, honey, and oil. Add applesauce mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in raisins.
4. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake in a 400F oven for 16 to 18 minutes or until golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups; serve warm.


Aside from the oil, I'm okay with everything in this recipe. The muffins came out in dense, un-risen lumps and they tasted a little too healthy, but I think they'll make a great breakfast food. If I make them again I think I'll substitute butter for the oil and try to add a little more honey to sweeten 'em up.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The recipe for the banana bread I make comes out of the Better Homes and Gardens book as well and it's been consistently delicious each time.

Banana Bread

Prep: 25 min Bake: 55 min
Oven: 350F Makes: 1 loaf

You'll Need:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (5 medium)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil or melted butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of one 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl combine eggs, bananas, sugar, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in a 350F oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean (if necessary, cover loosely with foil the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowing). Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.


I suggest using butter and always cover with foil after 40 minutes in the oven. Check if the bread is done by using a toothpick or fork. It usually requires an extra 5-10 minutes.

Love, Mom

I absolutely love the blog Postcards From Yo Momma. It's not necessarily the content of the posts that remind me of my own mom, but it's the voice or feeling behind them that seem so familiar. All submissions are correspondence from moms sent via email, message board, instant messenger, or text. Here are a few of my favorites:

25 Cent PBR
25 cent pbr at the rhino club on sundays! Of course you probably dont want to frequent there but i thought of you when i saw it.

It's Hell To Get Old
FANX!!!!!!!! For fixing the disposal!!!!!! It’s hell to get old-I knew that the wrench thing was all it needed, but I would have had to bend down and put my reading glasses on and with shortterm memory, try to retain the concept of clockwise vs counterclockwise. You are my best girl.

Ask God About Your Sass Mouth
Stay home tonight baby. We don’t know enough about what’s going on at that party. And also pray about the attitude you have had today. Love, Mom

Tru Dat
Mom: my bad, as they say.
Me: Tru dat, as they say.
Mom: That’s how I roll….I’m a ding dong.

It's Fishy
Mom: FYI, Women of childbearing age should only eat Lake Erie fish once a
week or month (I forget which). Pregnant women - more stringent. Maybe not at all, I forget that too. We had Lake perch last week and then I saw the warning in the paper
Me: Does that include women of childbearing age who are not having children
at the moment?
Mom: YES. Just in case. Perhaps it stays in your body and will farm your
future embryos.

I Will Sit In The Dark And Wait For You
i would rather hang around w/you then go to the mtns and the times when you are doing something else, i will sit in the dark and wait for you to come back..mom

Here is my own contribution:

Call Me Sometime...
when you feel like talking for a while. i don't want to call if/when you are tired or busy or just hanging out. i'm home after 6:45 monday. thursday evening and friday evenings are good, too. or during the day if you are free (like, when is that, right?)
love you, mom

Capitol Hill Block Party

I attended the Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle this evening and was a little disappointed. Granted, my expectations were a little high - blinded by the prospect of finally seeing Vampire Weekend - but I still think my complaints are justified.

As I neared the gate on Pike and Broadway, my Hipster-O-Meter maxed out and then completely crashed. The hipster genre keeps coming up with new and even more ironically-ugly fashion statements. Cut-off denim shorts with slouched ankle boots and three shear shirts that I can still see your black bra through? You are too much.

That's pretty much par for the course, but what I was not expecting were crowds of complete jerks. If navigating through sweaty, drunken people, pot smoke, and condom balloons to see Girl Talk isn't enough, you feel the need to shove everyone and then lean against me for two songs. I object.

To add insult to injury, the sound quality was awful at each stage. We saw Menomena at the main stage, and they played a decent set, but the left speaker was blown and crackled with each bass note. Poor sound equipment cannot be blamed entirely for the mediocre Say Hi performance at the Vera Stage, as frontman Eric Elbogen was not any less awkward now that he has a full band behind him, but the levels seemed to be off because there was no distinction between his muddled singing and his guitar.

There were too many people to take pictures, but I wish Ezra Koenig had been wearing these shorts.

Seeing Vampire Weekend at the main stage was exciting, but the crowd was bizarre. There was actually room to breathe, but it was late, everyone was schwasted, and it was time to go home after hearing One (Blake's Got A New Face).

Oh, and Governor Chris Gregoire introduced Vampire Weekend. Weirdest, most awkward thing ever.

Bureaucracy

For anyone who reads this blog and is not aware (I'm being a little pretentious here in my estimate of faithful readers), The Bygone Bureau has started a "microblog" called Bureaucracy. It's chock full of short posts with a variety of links. This little venture was created to legitimize our time wasted on the internet and supplement our longer articles with easily-digestible mini posts. These posts are a lot less about me and far more interesting. I recommend subscribing with your favorite RSS reader.

My Run In With Nature

Our backyard is shielded on either side with a wall of trees and shrubbery. One of these barriers serves as a sanctuary for many species that have to wait for the guard of night to roam around. I have seen many cats, raccoons, opossum, and squirrels all living together in apparent harmony where no one bothers them (or bothers to landscape).

I have had no problem with these critters until recently.

A few weeks back I participated in a raffle. There were some really great prizes - gift certificates, t-shirts, banana splits - but, like the winner I am, I rode home with a five pound bag of birdseed on my back. Yep, that's a lot of birdseed.

Disappointment aside, I tried to make the most of my winnings. I filled up the bird feeder left by a previous tenant in hopes of enhancing the backyard with some new visitors. Instead, all I did was attract a squirrel closer to the house.

Mr. McNutters

At first I thought it was kind of funny watching the little guy, and I was relieved to know that my huge bag of birdseed would be gotten rid of somehow. However, after the feeder was drained for the second time in one day and there was not a bird in sight, I got annoyed.

I learned that a good way to get rid of squirrels, but keep the birds, is to add cayenne pepper to your birdseed.

Mr. McNutters and Nancy

I took this advice and waited. The squirrels had been watching for my return and quickly pounced on the full bird feeder. They continued eating, as though nothing had changed, and I worried that I had wasted a third of my cayenne pepper on these rapscallions. Then, the one eating looked up as if he had just caught a whiff of something most foul. He froze, had a fit of violent sneezes, and ran away.

After the squirrels left, the feeder was surrounded with about six birds, and I was pleased with my success.

The squirrels did come back for one more sneeze attack, but I haven't seen them since. If they decide to return, the cayenne pepper and I will be waiting.

Bloodborne Pathogens

A good friend of mine has two sisters. Both of them are talented artists. One of them has this webcomic, Bloodborne Pathogens, and it's really fantastic.

She's a barista, and her comic revolves around a coffee shop and its employees. Today, this one hit particularly close to home.

It's funny because it's true.

Insomnia Cookies

I am quite the night owl. My ideal sleeping schedule is between the hours of, say, 3 am and noon. I don't understand how people "leap" out of bed, eat breakfast, or expect me to have a conversation before I've made coffee and tamed my bedtime faux-hawk.

That said, my new found employment requires that I awake at hours I'd rather stay up til, and my sleep cycle is completely effed. Once I have a day off, like tomorrow, I revert back to staying up until the wee hours and reading various reviews of Twitter.

I realize insomnia is a prolonged ailment, and I presently just have too much on my mind or too much 2.0 bullshit to keep me occupied, but I thought I'd search around sites geared toward insomniacs.

It took me one search to find the site for Insomnia Cookies, and my search ended there. This business was started recently by University of Pennsylvania grads and works to provide college students with late night snacks. And they deliver.

Unfortunately, Insomnia Cookies are not available anywhere near my campus and, due to my aversion to looking utterly pathetic, I would never order cookies by phone late at night while alone in my apartment. Once they set up a more available and less embarrassing online ordering option, however, I am so buying milk and cookies at 1:00 in the morning.

Free Coffee

I am now employed as a barista at TostaCaffe. It's a bit of a trek, but you should come by for a delicious espresso or coffee drink. I am also quite adept at making those shakes with whip cream that people pretend are coffee (there is nothing in them but sugar sugar sugar).

Use this coupon, or I can pretend you're my significant other to receive drinks at a hefty discount.

Please, only one "special" friend a week as my fake relationship status (stati?) could become an awkward conversational topic at work.

TWITTING OUT or I've Become One of Those People

Great. Just great. Another site where my friends and I can make snarky comment updates and judge each other accordingly. Thank you, Twitter.

I looked at this site about a year ago when Bob Boilen made a Twitter account for NPR's All Songs Considered. My first reaction was, "Well, I guess I must do whatever Bob Boilen is doing because he's super rad."

I was deceived.

I'm paraphrasing, but his updates read something like this:
"im wiating to get inside this venue." (9.58pm)
"waiting to get interview with john v." (10.34pm)
"stupidassname [or the equivalent] is playing right now." (10.38pm)
"talking to john's managre" (11119rglkn)
"intervvie isas;f go" (10.ae)

So, what was the point of following my radio hero's Twitter account when I could hear a polished podcast 24 hours later? There wasn't one. Twitter was therefore stricken from my 2.0 daily checklist.

Until now.





Now that I work in an office where some people use it, and I have 21st Century ADDeficiency Disorder (a disease in which everyone must know what I am thinking and/or doing every second that I am awake), Twitter.com has become my next internet home. Second Life still seems weird, stupid, and creepy, but judging by this easy transition into yet another site that conjoins my real and online identities, it wouldn't take much for someone to convince me to become a really hot avatar saleswoman who actually never leaves her closet and survives on SpaghettiO's.

I've found friends with Twitter profiles that haven't been updated in months, but have since been awakened now that I've become a "Follower" of their updates. I actually see these people every day in person, but I will now encourage them to tell me anecdotes over the internet instead of during the time when we hang out (which will, from now on, be deemed "Quiet Time").

I'm becoming more and more connected to my world through grammatically poor sentences on a screen.



Internet. Hooray internet.

Update: You can follow my tweets here. Twitterphiles need not apply.

Bocce on the Brain

I played my first game of bocce ball this evening with Exit133. Lawn sports are usually not my thing, but I thought this game of "urban bocce" (i.e. no oyster shell court) was pretty fun. I did have my moments of frustration, mainly due to the poor weather, but I enjoyed it overall. Maybe I'll have to give croquet another shot...

If I ever pursued this pastime, this would be the set I'd purchase from Playboule.com:



And look at how much fun these people are having:


Fun with this amount of intensity must either come only with middle-age or being European.

Business Cards

This is a list of "70 Amazing Business Cards" from Fubiz.net.

After browsing through the pictures I have the urge to order some really expensive business cards. Who cares if I'm unemployed? Getting business cards may help my chances. With some of these designs, I'd probably get hired on the spot.

Here are some of my favorites:

Obama Claims Nomination

Is it finally over? Obama claims Democratic presidential nomination.

Where Free Time Goes to Die

If you have some free time and like stupid flash computer games, I suggest checking out adultswim.com. If you're not familiar with Adult Swim, it is the segment of night time programming on Cartoon Network. They run some familiar shows like Family Guy (they used to run Futurama, but stopped for some reason...I'm thinking of starting a petition), but they also have off the wall original (I think) programs like Robot Chicken, Assy McGee, and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law. Some shows are funny, some shows I don't care for, and some shows have too much Seth Green to even be watchable.

Anyway, adultswim.com has some really bizarre games to match its programming.

My favorites:

"5 Minutes to Kill (Yourself)", which helps you to virtually express your feelings of depression during an especially hard day at work.

"Amateur Surgeon Act 3", in which you can save scummy people by performing surgery with tools found in your pizza delivery truck.


"Bible Fight" is hilarious with biblical characters fighting one another to the K.O. You can have some real blasphemous fun with the characters' special moves, like the Virgin Mary's "Immaculate Deception", Noah's "Dove of Brutality", and Jesus' "Cross Smash".


These games are not recommended for the workplace.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

WARNING:
THIS POST MIGHT BE A SPOILER IF YOU'RE REALLY BAD AT GUESSING THE PLOT OF FORMULAIC MOVIES.

I saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull last night, and I was not disappointed. On the way out of the movie I overheard a group discussing it. One guy was complaining that the movie was terribly cheesy. Excuse me? Had he not seen at least one of the other three Indiana Jones movies? Because if he had, he would have realized that this movie fell into step with the 'cheesy' schtick of every other Indiana Jones. Of course, using a 66-year-old film star and reviving an almost 20-year-old movie legend made the movie a little more aware of itself, but the lame jokes and impossible feats were nothing more extraordinary than the past films.

This movie was fun, but I wouldn't recommend paying cinema prices to go and see it unless, like me, your parents are treating you to a night out on the town. If you enjoyed the other Indiana Jones movies I'd suggest renting Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Shia LeBeouf stars as Mutt Williams alongside Harrison Ford which might deter you from seeing this film. Something has bothered me about LeBeouf ever since the days of Even Stevens, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Oh yeah, it's his acting. He's actually tolerable in the film, playing a 1950s greaser who needs Indy's help to save his mom. LeBeouf's only special acting move, though, is to get tears in his eyes and that became rather tiresome.

There's a hint that LeBeouf might be the new Indiana Jones, or rather the new Mutt Jones (oops!). If I learned anything from the movie A.I., it's that Steven Spielberg does not know when to let a story end. I hope he lets the Indiana Jones series lie after Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and lets the original trilogy live on eternally through re-runs on the TNT channel.

On Repeat

This is in reference to an earlier post "Sad Little Moon."

I have the habit of listening to an album on repeat when I'm stressed or have a lot of homework to do. By "repeat" I don't mean two or three times. I mean, I will listen to an album over and over again until I realize five hours have passed and I should probably turn off my music altogether out of courtesy for my poor housemates who have also been listening to the same album and might like to get some rest.

Last semester John Vanderslice's Emerald City was my album of choice and I racked up well over a hundred plays (thanks, iTunes Play Count). This semester it has been all Magnetic Fields, all the time. I'm sure that will come as a shock to many of you.


Get Lost has received the prize for "Most Played" this semester. Many tracks are upbeat, but there are also a few ballads here and there. Either way, I rate this album most accessible out of the Magnetic Fields canon - or at least a close runner-up to I. I suggest playing "Why I Cry" and "When You're Old and Lonely" until your ears bleed.



The Wayward Bus/Distant Plastic Trees has been a long time favorite. This is a double-album with 21 tracks (including one track of silent intermission between albums) of mellow tunes sung by Shirley Simms. Recommended tracks: "Tokyo A Go-Go," "100,000 Fireflies," "When You Were My Baby," and "You Love to Fail."

If you'd like to enter a body-transcending trance in which you can sit for twelve hours while you write a paper due the next day, you should put either of these two albums on repeat and have at it. When you hit a wall, I suggest listening to Distortion and yelling "Three-way!" at the top of your lungs.

Buy a Car and Get a Gun

This is the most stereotypical American business deal I have ever come across. In Butler, Missouri, you can receive a free handgun with the purchase of a car from Max Motors.

Here's a blurb from the Fresno Bee:

"Salesmen at one Missouri car dealership aren't just kicking in a free CD player or factory air: They're offering a free handgun with every purchase. Through the end of the month, car buyers at Max Motors in Butler will have a choice - $250 toward either a gun purchase or gasoline.

General manager Walter Moore said that so far, most buyers have chosen the gun, adding that he suggests they opt for a semiautomatic model "because it holds more rounds."

(In the fine print, the ad on the Web site explains, 'Check written toward purchase price" and also mentions, "Approved Background Check REQUIRED!!')

Moore said he suspects his "Free Handgun" ad will draw protests in some places. But not in Butler, about 65 miles south of Kansas City.

Moore said, 'Down here, we all believe in God, guts and guns.'"

God help us all.

What I don't understand is the seemingly different representation of the car dealership when I made a Google search. This website is poorly designed, but it at least presents Max Motors as a legitimate and professional car dealership. This other website, however, gives the impression that Max Motors is owned by insane, gun-toting neo-conservatives who, by constant recitation of the Second Amendment, are better patriots than you. Oh, and they just happen to sell cars as well.

You can choose to receive a gas card instead of a gun because Max Motors is "aware of the gasoline and crime problem in America. Max Motors, the Country Dealer wants to be part of the solution and not part of the problem."

God, guts, and guns, huh? (sigh)

Well, at least a background check is required. We all know that stops the wrong people from purchasing guns.

Critical Imbroglio

Jordan is blogging here.

"Critical Imbroglio is a private blog that tends to focus on university life, literature, technology, and popular culture."

Movies You Should Read First

Here's a list from the Geeks of Doom of movies that are being adapted from books and coming out in 2008. The author recommends that you read the book before seeing the movie or at least read it eventually if you liked the movie. She also recommends additional books you might enjoy checking out.

A couple were obvious to me. I'm sure Prince Caspian, the Harry Potter movie, and Wanted will only be enjoyed thoroughly be viewers who have already read the book or graphic novel.

This list turned me on to a couple of new books that I'd like to add to my summer reading list. Chuck by Fight Club author, Chuck Palahniuk might be a fun read. And the descriptions of both Sex and the City, a series of essays by Candace Bushnell, and Midnight Meat Train, a thriller/horror novel (if the title didn't give that away), by Clive Barker intrigued me. I never really got into the show, but the Sex and the City book sounds much more interesting.

Sad Little Moon

I found this wonderful picture of Stephin Merritt this evening. It made me so happy that I thought I'd share it with you in lieu of studying.

Get Lost has gotten me through this finals week. More on that later.

Hipster Olympics

I'm probably behind the times with Poykpac and this "Hipster Olympics" video, but thought I'd post it just in case I wasn't the last person to see it.

Some parts aren't too great, but overall they have the hipster culture down pretty well. PBR FTW!

Mux It Up!

I have just completed my first Muxtape. Muxtape.com is a site where you can make an mp3 mixtape. I feel like there should be a new name for the "mixtape." I've heard from a few people that it's unacceptable to call it anything else - even when the mix is made through a different medium. Personally, I prefer a mix cassette tape above all else. So, if you'd like to make me one, you would be my favorite best friend. However, I think mixCDs, and now mixmp3s, can be just as fun.

My muxtape is called LoveDrugs/SexSounds and you can listen to it at rudywaltz.muxtape.com. Please check it out. Then make your own mux, if you're so inclined, and post it in the comments.

I've been exploring some of the other muxtapes on the site and I quite like this one http://jbird.muxtape.com/. I'll post an update if any other muxes are notable.

Thanks, Kevin, for pointing me to this site.

04.01.08 Oscillate Wildly Playlist

The Vaselines

Oscillate Wildly Playlist

Bow Wow Wow - C30, C60, C90, Go
The Vaselines - Sex Sux (Amen)
Fugazi - Waiting Room
Pixies - Debaser
The Replacements - The Ledge
Eastern Conference Champions - Sedative
The Kills - Cheap and Cheerful
The White Stripes - Jimmy the Exploder
Pretty Girls Make Graves - Sad Girls Por Vida
Fog - Inflatable Ape Pt. 3
Bell Orkestre - Throw It On the Fire
Books On Tape - Upon Rock City
Throw Me the Statue - About to Walk
Velella Velella - Cause Those People Get Free Airline Tickets
The Lovely Feathers - Frantic
The Books - All Bad Ends All
Compass - Never Live Forever

03.27.08 Oscillate Wildly Playlist

I probably shouldn't tell people this, but today's show was not planned at all. I was consumed with midterm-cramming for the previous 24 hours and this set was done on the fly. I had a lot of fun, but flow definitely suffered a bit.






Oscillate Wildly
Playlist

Nouvelle Vague - Bela Lugosi's Dead
Billy Bragg - I Almost Killed You
Don Convalli - New Hollywood Babylon
Mobius Band - Hallie
Caribou - Yeti
Handsome Furs - Sing! Captain
The National - Mistaken for Strangers
Fire Engines - Jacqueline
Ruby Suns (by request) - Tane Mahuta
PWRFL Power - Tomato Song
Low - Belarus
John Vanderslice - June July
Destroyer - Dark Leaves From a Thread
Flat Duo Jets - Mary Ann
Ted Leo - Shake the Sheets


I don't usually care for Nouvelle Vague, but they definitely have some gems. Their best covers are ones you'd never expect (like Bela Lugosi's Dead, for example). So give 'em a chance.

Also, I've been really enjoying the new album from Billy Bragg called Mr. Love and Justice and this random album we received called Don Cavalli Cryland. I've been having trouble finding much of anything about Don Cavalli, so if you come across some more info please let me know.

Greatest Hits...From My Last Two Albums

Today I learned that KUPS will be receiving a copy of Morrissey's new greatest hits album. The collection has been out in the UK since February and is now being released in the US.

There was a contest in January for Moz enthusiasts to send pictures representing their devotion and have them placed in adverts for the release.
The questions included:

HOW DO YOU SHOW YOUR DEVOTION TO MORRISSEY?

HAVE YOU ANY MORRISSEY TATTOOS? HAVE YOU EVER GRAFFITI'D MORRISSEY'S NAME ON A WALL? DO YOU OWN AMAZING MORRISSEY MEMORABILIA?

WE'RE LOOKING FOR IMAGES OF YOUR DEVOTION FOR POSSIBLE INCLUSION IN THE NEW MORRISSEY GREATEST HITS ALBUM ADVERT.

PLEASE SEND HIGH-QUALITY JPG IMAGES TO: morrisseyadvert[at]googlemail.com

BE QUICK, WE MUST RECIEVE ALL ENTRIES BY 19 JANUARY 2008.


I was not too impressed with the Greatest Hits line-up:

01 First of the Gang to Die
02 In the Future When All's Well
03 I Just Want to See the Boy Happy
04 Irish Blood, English Heart
05 You Have Killed Me
06 That's How People Grow Up
07 Everyday Is Like Sunday
08 Redondo Beach
09 Suedehead
10 The Youngest Was the Most Loved
11 The Last of the Famous International Playboys
12 The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get
13 All You Need Is Me
14 Let Me Kiss You
15 I Have Forgiven Jesus

While I do agree that his version of "Redondo Beach" is the greatest thing since mp3 players, most of these tracks are from his last two albums. I think it's kind of lame, even for Mozzer, to make a collection out of two recent albums that have not been forgotten by anyone who would actually spend money for this.

If you'd like to read more, and who could resist, I got all my information from here.

03.25.08 Oscillate Wildly Playlist

After a brief hiatus for spring break, Oscillate Wildly is back. Today's show had an abundance of electronic-alternative music. The line between alternative and electronic music seems to be blurring more and more. Actually, I think all the alternative people just got jealous of the electronica folks' cool equipment and thought they'd try it out for themselves. And I love it.

Oscillate Wildly
Playlist


Xiu Xiu - Under Pressure
New Faces - She's Like the Snow
Why? - A Sky for Shoeing Horses Under
A.M. Architect - Upon
Air - Run
The Maps - So Low, So High
Fujiya & Miyagi - Collarbone
LCD Soundsystem - Get Innocuous!
Belle & Sebastian - Electronic Renaissance
Hot Chip - Ready for the Floor
Klaxons - Atlantis to Interzone
We Are Wolves - Vietnam
Patrick Wolf - Accident & Emergency
The Magnetic Fields - I Thought You Were My Boyfriend

Happy Easter!

I colored eggs on Wednesday. They have already been made into egg salad, but here are a few pictures.

The Spread

Action Shot

Final Product

03.13.08 Oscillate Wildly Playlist

Oscillate Wildly
Playlist


Violent Femmes - Blister In the Sun
Compass - Stick Pots and the Bloody Beats
Klaxons - Two Receivers
We Are Wolves - Vamos A La Playa
Beck - Devil's Haircut
Cass McCombs - Lionkiller
Rocco Deluca and the Burden - Dope
T Bone Burnett - Zombieland
Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombone
Luke Doucet and the White Falcon - The Comandante
WHY? - The Hollows
New Faces - My Alarm
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Walking to Do
Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #2 (Laika)

UPS Flea Market

I'm really excited to attend this annual flea market in the Field House.

I had to help set it up one year and it looked like the kind of place where you can get bags and bags of fun junk for a little cash.

There were also a lot of cheap bicycles.

Mark Your Calendars:

Saturday, March 22, 2008
10.00 AM - 5.00 PM

Admission: $1

The event is a fund raiser for The Women's League.

03.11.08 Oscillate Wildly Playlist

Oscillate Wildly
Playlist: March 11, 2008

Deerhoof - Desaparecere
The Magnetic Fields - Drive On, Driver
The Magnetic Fields - I Wish I Had An Evil Twin
The Gothic Archies - We Are the Gothic Archies
Stephin Merritt - At Madam Plum's
The Future Bible Heroes - Blond Adonis
The 6ths - The Sailor in Love with the Sea
Fujiya & Miyagi - Reeboks in Heaven
Belle & Sebastian - A Space Boy Dream
Asobi Seksu - Strawberries
PWRFL Power - Tomato Song
Mumlers - Shake That Medication
Dodos - Walking
Je Suis France - That Don't Work That Well For Us
Junior Private Detective - Aftermath
Field Music - Sit Tight
Women and Children - Your Honor

On Tuesday I focused the first 20 minutes of my show on Stephin Merritt, most famous for his band The Magnetic Fields (I've already written, like, 8 billion posts about him and this blog is only a week old). I played tracks from his other projects: The 6ths, The Future Bible Heroes, The Gothic Archies, and a track from the album Showtunes which is recorded under his own name.

I gave the listeners plenty of relative, and possibly life-affirming, information like "Merritt plays the Greek bouzouki live," and "Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket) plays the accordion on The Gothic Archies album, Tragic Treasury, and on The Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs."

I really enjoy doing shows with a theme or on a specific artist. If you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments.

Lastly, I'd like to share with you the lyrics to PWRFL Power's "Tomato Song." Kazutaka Nomura is a classically trained guitarist, but he writes ridiculous songs. Here is one example.


"Tomato Song"
If I smoke too much pot you'll call me a stoner
If hit too many lines you'll call me a cokehead
If I like you too much you'll call me a mental
I'll throw a tomato at you
I want to throw a tomato at you
Tomato juice all over your face
Juice dripping on the ground
When you are mean to me
I wish it was an apple not a tomato
And then it would hurt you
You would cry cause the apple is harder
But it's okay for now
Cause I like you
Cause I like you
If I smoke too much pot you will call me a stoner
If I hit too many lines you'll call me a cokehead
If I like you too much you'll call me a mental
But it's okay for now
Because I like you

Creating Synthetic Life or What Am I Doing With My College Education?

I like to watch these short videos on TED.com and pretend I know what's going on in the world. Here is one where Craig Venter speaks on the possibility of creating synthetic life in the near future. It had some interesting implications on what our world will look like when this technology is possible and whether the research is worth the danger this technology might cause someday. It got me wondering about what exactly I'm spending my time on at school.

I've come to the conclusion that the science and math kids beat my social science major 10:1 when it comes to intelligence needed. Sure, my chemistry major friends can't write their way out of a paper bag, but so what? They're learning things that could potentially change the world. I'm learning how to write long papers about government subsystems and other crap nobody cares about.

RE: Future employers- I am a very good typist.

Nation's First Men's Roller Derby Tournament

On Saturday I DJed with KUPS The Sound at Throwdown in the Sound - the "nation's first men's roller derby tournament."

It was an interesting experience. I witnessed a bizarre subculture that's alive and well in Tacoma. As I searched for team names and pictures I came across some information I could have done without. Apparently one of the event's announcers, who goes by the name Deevious Silvertongue, does "roller derby technical play-by-play" on a regular basis - and he is a "semi-pro wrestler" to boot.

People kept joking about gender equality because roller derby has traditionally (I use the term here loosely) been a female sport. I think women would be way more exciting to watch because they'd probably be a lot more ruthless. In my opinion, there were too many rules and not enough violence at this men's derby. I was looking forward to pain and the possibility of blood. False advertising.

I was also expecting WWE-style bodies ready to slam other skaters into the ground. Instead, I saw large, soft bodies mounted on freakishly strong legs.

In addition to not being brutal enough, the men skaters also looked a little femmy. I mean, you're on quad roller skates. The only people who can make that look butch are female roller-derby skaters.

Here are some pictures I took of the event, but there are way better pictures from the Tacoma News Tribune.

Setting up the equipment.

The track set up in the Tacoma Soccer Center.





The penalty box - er, folding chairs in front of this sign.





A skater from the Twin City Terrors. This team was very angry the entire time claiming that the refs were making too many calls in favor of the Puget Sound Outcast.

Who Watches the Watchmen?

I will!
The movie version of The Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons won't come out until next year, but you can look at the costumes planned for some of the characters here from the Time blog NerdWorld.

Stephin Merritt Interview

Short interview and a couple songs with Stephin Merritt on PRI's "Fair Game with Faith Salie."

Apparently, he's playing the Greek bouzouki in concert and not the mandolin like I thought. He describes it as a type of "lower mandolin."

He is so condescending, but certainly lovable.

McSweeney's Knows My Friends

I feel like I know a version of each of the people described in McSweeney's "Selected Entries from the Encyclopedia of the 21st-Century American" by Chuck Adams.

Dynamic Duo

Oh my. Hillary and Obama on the same ticket? The Clintons went there.

Tom Daschle said it best: "It may be the first time in history that the person who is running number two would offer the person running number one the number two position."

I think she's pushing her luck.

Theremin

This is the most boring instrument to watch being played live, but it's so impressive when you realize how sensitive the theremin is how talented Pamelia Kurstin is.