I bought these shirts from I Heart Guts:
Things are going a bit berserk at work. It’s going to be a shitty month, so I’m thinking about capping it off with a nice trip to San Francisco. I’ve been looking at hotel rooms for Memorial Day weekend, and they look pretty affordable. I’m also thinking that I need to get laid. I just feel clogged.
I bought these shirts from I Heart Guts:
Things are going a bit berserk at work. It’s going to be a shitty month, so I’m thinking about capping it off with a nice trip to San Francisco. I’ve been looking at hotel rooms for Memorial Day weekend, and they look pretty affordable. I’m also thinking that I need to get laid. I just feel clogged.
For years I read the LA Weekly. I loved how they would cover the news not only locally but also internationally. I remember in high school they uncovered the fiasco that was Belmont Learning Center aka the World’s Most Expensive High School. I remember sitting in Government class in my senior year just being steamed that the district would waste all that money on that site when it was like hell to get textbooks for my classes.
They were at their best earlier this decade exposing the Bush administration and being the loudest progressive voice in the city. Every Thursday I made sure to get my hands on the new issue despite the fact I spent most of the workday reading the articles online. Reading Marc Cooper, Harold Meyerson and other writers gave me a lot of motivation that writers can make a difference.
But all that ended in 2005. After three years of anti-trust investigation, New Times and Village Voice Media got the go-ahead from the Department of Justice to merge. At that point, I stopped picking up the Weekly. Knowing what I knew about New Times, I could smell the bloodbath that would ensue.
Former news editor Marc Cooper wrote a detailed piece of this downfall on his blog entitled “LA Weekly: The Autopsy Report.” Reading through it last night made me very sad.
I miss those Thursdays when I would waste the entire day reading stories of the Machiavellian exploits of politicians. I miss picking up that copy of the Weekly from the 7-11 on the way home as I bought a pack of cigs. And probably the worst I miss doing the Boston Globe Sunday crossword they would syndicate every week.
While they still have one of the best listings for local events and perhaps the best food writer in Jonathan Gold, that is not enough for me to pick up the skeletal remains of a rag that was once the most important paper in LA.
For years I read the LA Weekly. I loved how they would cover the news not only locally but also internationally. I remember in high school they uncovered the fiasco that was Belmont Learning Center aka the World’s Most Expensive High School. I remember sitting in Government class in my senior year just being steamed that the district would waste all that money on that site when it was like hell to get textbooks for my classes.
They were at their best earlier this decade exposing the Bush administration and being the loudest progressive voice in the city. Every Thursday I made sure to get my hands on the new issue despite the fact I spent most of the workday reading the articles online. Reading Marc Cooper, Harold Meyerson and other writers gave me a lot of motivation that writers can make a difference.
But all that ended in 2005. After three years of anti-trust investigation, New Times and Village Voice Media got the go-ahead from the Department of Justice to merge. At that point, I stopped picking up the Weekly. Knowing what I knew about New Times, I could smell the bloodbath that would ensue.
Former news editor Marc Cooper wrote a detailed piece of this downfall on his blog entitled “LA Weekly: The Autopsy Report.” Reading through it last night made me very sad.
I miss those Thursdays when I would waste the entire day reading stories of the Machiavellian exploits of politicians. I miss picking up that copy of the Weekly from the 7-11 on the way home as I bought a pack of cigs. And probably the worst I miss doing the Boston Globe Sunday crossword they would syndicate every week.
While they still have one of the best listings for local events and perhaps the best food writer in Jonathan Gold, that is not enough for me to pick up the skeletal remains of a rag that was once the most important paper in LA.
Over Christmas with the family all of us “men” were in front of the teevee watching the Celtics-Lakers matchup. My uncle is really surprised that I can break down plays since throughout my childhood and teenage years I could really have cared less about sports. As the game was in the closing minutes one of my cousins remarked that he would really love to watch the Lakers in person. I also remarked that I had never been to a Lakers game.
Really. Growing up our family never had the disposable income to justify spending money to go to a game. The thought was if you could watch it for free on teevee, then why bother wasting money to watch a game?
Now having gone to sporting events in person (although I’ve still not been to a college or pro football game) I realize that witnessing the sport in live action is a completely different experience. The action is much more tangible sitting in the arena, park or stadium than it is just idly following the action on television. Not only do you create your own narrative of the game, you also are linked to every other spectator in the building.
Well I am taking three of cousins to the Sunday afternoon Lakers game against the San Antonio Spurs in a couple of weeks. Now two of them are over 21, but the other is only 12. So I’m sure he’ll have a blast and an experience that he won’t forget. It makes me wonder how things would be if I had gone to these things as a kid.
Oh well. I’m making up for lost time now.
Over Christmas with the family all of us “men” were in front of the teevee watching the Celtics-Lakers matchup. My uncle is really surprised that I can break down plays since throughout my childhood and teenage years I could really have cared less about sports. As the game was in the closing minutes one of my cousins remarked that he would really love to watch the Lakers in person. I also remarked that I had never been to a Lakers game.
Really. Growing up our family never had the disposable income to justify spending money to go to a game. The thought was if you could watch it for free on teevee, then why bother wasting money to watch a game?
Now having gone to sporting events in person (although I’ve still not been to a college or pro football game) I realize that witnessing the sport in live action is a completely different experience. The action is much more tangible sitting in the arena, park or stadium than it is just idly following the action on television. Not only do you create your own narrative of the game, you also are linked to every other spectator in the building.
Well I am taking three of cousins to the Sunday afternoon Lakers game against the San Antonio Spurs in a couple of weeks. Now two of them are over 21, but the other is only 12. So I’m sure he’ll have a blast and an experience that he won’t forget. It makes me wonder how things would be if I had gone to these things as a kid.
Oh well. I’m making up for lost time now.
Well 2008 has been anally raped by 2009 and here we are. I’m taking a stay-cation from work right now, and hopefully I don’t get sick.
Recently I’ve been doing a lot more walking. I’m amazed that I live only a mile or so away from the heart of Hollywood, so it’s been nice to walk about and not having to worry about how drunk I get. Yes this will probably promote binge drinking a la my Santa Barbara days, but whatever.
Now if only the FedEx guy will get here with my Lakers tix so I can get out into the world.
Here are some albums that I liked in 2008. There weren’t a whole lot of interesting things that came out in 08. But here it is in no particular order.
Deerhoof – Offend Maggie
Diamanda Galas – Guilty, Guilty, Guilty
Magnetic Fields – Distortion
Mae Shi – HLLLYH
No Age – Nouns
TV on the Radio – Dear Science
Xiu Xiu – Women As Lovers
Experimental Dental School – Jane Doe Loves Me
Nine Inch Nails – The Slip
Well 2008 has been anally raped by 2009 and here we are. I’m taking a stay-cation from work right now, and hopefully I don’t get sick.
Recently I’ve been doing a lot more walking. I’m amazed that I live only a mile or so away from the heart of Hollywood, so it’s been nice to walk about and not having to worry about how drunk I get. Yes this will probably promote binge drinking a la my Santa Barbara days, but whatever.
Now if only the FedEx guy will get here with my Lakers tix so I can get out into the world.
Here are some albums that I liked in 2008. There weren’t a whole lot of interesting things that came out in 08. But here it is in no particular order.
Deerhoof – Offend Maggie
Diamanda Galas – Guilty, Guilty, Guilty
Magnetic Fields – Distortion
Mae Shi – HLLLYH
No Age – Nouns
TV on the Radio – Dear Science
Xiu Xiu – Women As Lovers
Experimental Dental School – Jane Doe Loves Me
Nine Inch Nails – The Slip
First published on LAist on November 6, 2008.
Shame on you Californians.
With the passing of Proposition 8, you have relegated me and my queer brothers and sisters (and everything in between) to the margins of society while reaping all the benefits we bestow upon you.
I was driving home and decided to give my iPod a roll. I started out listening to Autolux since I had that on at work earlier. But then I thought to myself, “I haven’t listened to Deerhoof in a while.” So with several turns of that wheely-thingee, I put on The Runners Four. What an amazing album that is.
It is perhaps their most accessible album, less prone to their noise outbursts and more moments of utter sonic catharsis. I didn’t really appreciate this album until I saw them live in 2005 at the Echo. Hearing it live made me appreciate every note that was laid down.
I have yet to have an opinion of their new album Offend Maggie since I haven’t listened to it enough.
But they will be coming to town as a four-piece (!!!) on 11/14 at the Echoplex with Experimental Dental School, one of my favorite little bands that could in the last several years. Who wants to come?
Photo by Daisuke Shimote on deerhoof.killrockstars.com
