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May 28, 2007
Don't Rush a Kid
We had our yard sale on Saturday. Our nephew, Bryce, spent the night Friday night and helped to price items -- including some of his own that he brought to sell.
As was expected, people started showing up roughly an hour before our advertised start time of 8 a.m. We ended at 4 p.m., but didn't have a single shopper after 1:30. Perhaps it was the abysmally hot weather, or the fact that it was a holiday weekend.
We sold a modest amount, certainly enough to have made the endeavour worthwhile. Bryce sold about half of his items, too, stating when it was over that he thought "we did pretty good."
The only mildy frustrating point of the day happened when the only child who stepped foot on our lawn the whole day was rushed by his parents. The boy was very young -- so young that I'm not sure he's really gotten the grasp of how money works yet, and was trying to figure out whether he had enough money to buy a couple of toys from Bryce.
Well, after he left, we realized that he'd actually only paid for half of what he owed. This was probably because his parents -- ready to leave -- got in the car and were turning around down the block while he finished up. He panicked, rushed to pay, and met up with his parents at the car.
A few minutes after they'd all left, we realized that he'd left his wallet with all of his money in it. All four dollars of it. With no way of tracking him down, we all hoped he'd come back to get his money. He never did. It kind of tears us up to look down at the wallet just sitting there on our counter. I'm not sure what we're going to do with it.
Posted by colrus at 04:14 PM | TrackBack
May 16, 2007
Gasp! Melinda Done Got Voted Off!
I know this is really important stuff, but, yes, Melinda Doolittle -- the single best vocalist in the history of the show -- got voted off American Idol tonight.
Perhaps she should have done more beatboxing.
Posted by colrus at 11:20 PM | TrackBack
May 15, 2007
Tuesday Randomness
So... Today...
1. Sam cried all day. He was still cute the whole time, though. He's not crying now. Mommy's presence might -- no, definitely -- has something to do with it.
2. Got the Mike Keneally hat. and Boil That Dust Speck reissues in the mail. Just. Freakin'. Amazing.
3. This blog will soon be moving to WordPress. The new blog will have audio and video pages, as well as an archive featuring oodles of my written work.
4. As was previously reported, my return to a (somewhat) normal schedule has enabled me to resume completion of the OTOH compilation DVD. Final edits will be done at home, while DVD menuing/mastering and commentary recording will be done at Lazy Bear (aka Ryan's room). I think I'm gonna sell the discs for, like, $8 a piece. Or maybe I'll just give them away. Along with the 50 or so OTOH bumper stickers I recently found in a box.
5. Jerry Falwell died today. Many are mourning. Some are rejoicing. In related news, I thought Robert T., Mary Ann, and (Highland Park's) Dr. Bouler all did a swell job on "Live and Local" today.
6. I had chinese food tonight. I don't like chinese food as much as thai food. Not even P.F. Chang's, although I do really like P.F. Chang's.
7. I have grown to strongly dislike the following Internet slang terms: "teh" and "woot." I'm not sure why.
8. The Red Sox lost tonight. I mean, they had to sometime.
9. In wake of Imus' firing(s) -- and subsequent similar firings of other radio hosts -- I can't help but come to two conclusions: 1) We need more voices these days, not fewer and 2) Call me strange, but unless a radio host's voice paralyzes me, rendering me unable to change the channel, I'm just not gonna get that offended by what he/she says; no matter what he/she says. I suppose I'm strangely tolerant of even the things I despise. (BTW: I just put one of my Imus CDs up on eBay.)
10. We are planning a road trip back home to Connecticut in June. With the current price of gas, I'm guessing we'll have to shell out about $300 just to get there and back. Still, that's cheaper than flying. Or if we had to power our car with bottled water. (Do the math.)
Posted by colrus at 11:09 PM | TrackBack
May 14, 2007
Crazy Simpson Lawyer Drops Crazy Lawsuit Threat
Remember when Louisville, KY restaurant owner Jeff Ruby kicked O.J. Simpson and his entourage out of his restaurant last week? Shortly afterwards, Simpson's lawyer, Yale Galanter, threatened to sue the restaurant claiming the ejection was racially motivated.
Well, there will be no lawsuit.
In making the decision, Galanter explained that "if we had our druthers, this would have died that night and been over."
Because that's what Simpson does: Wants things dead.
Posted by colrus at 11:18 AM | TrackBack
May 13, 2007
Bonnie "Prince" Billy and the California Guitar Trio Do "Freebird"
Here.
From the CGT member Bert Lams' online diary:
Just before the show Tyler introduced us to Bonnie "Prince" Billy, a well-known singer from Louisville. We invited him to sing on "Freebird" with us, the very last piece of this concert tour. We didn't have time to rehearse, but we did have time to download the lyrics from the internet, some five minutes before the show. He did a great and unique version of the song; it was the perfect ending for this two week tour.
And if the greatness of the CGT was STILL in question, I offer this photo of the trio and soundman/melodica player, Tyler Trotter...
(Click bigger, more bizarre view.)
Posted by colrus at 01:23 AM | TrackBack
May 10, 2007
Back to Normal?
Yes, one day short of Sam's six-month birthday, it seems that Melissa and I have finally settled into some semblance of a normal life again. It took a while, but we've gotten our routines down and are aggressively planning for the future. Melissa is quitting her job in order to spend more time at home with Sam. We are exceedingly grateful to our cousins Shannon and Jason, and to their kids Bryce, Leila, and Jacob for helping us through these first few months, but getting up extra early to drop Sam off and getting home extra late from picking him up each day has taken an exhausting toll on us in a number of ways. While things will be tight financially at first, other things will be better for us with Melissa staying at home, and we're looking forward to the challenges our new life will bring.
In addtion to taking care of Sam, Melissa is tending to some household projects she's been wanting to get to for quite some time. She is also selling Mary Kay on the side, and we're going to have at least one yard sale. We're also going to unload a bunch of stuff on eBay. We simply have too many things we can do without.
Things at The Pulse are hectic and somewhat in flux, but manageable and promising. We are trying new things, tweaking our existing format, and re-evaluating the organization as a whole in order to maintain a healthy level of financial and creative progress. I'm excited to see where we'll go.
On the "other projects" front, I am slowly getting back up to speed on the "On The Other Hand" DVD, the Lord T. and Eloise video, the book I've been working on, and the songs I've been writing. With our semi-normal home schedule, I can realistically plan on getting some of this stuff done.
I'm also digitzing a mountain of audio tapes containing old comedy bits, radio appearances, old band demo/rehearsal/gig recordings, audio projects, and other sonic gems that are slowly oxidizing into oblivion.
I have two fantasy baseball teams this year. One is in first place. The other is in fourth. I had crazy-good drafts, and should do well for the duration.
More later...
---
CURRENT DIVERSIONS:
Listening: Pink Floyd: Meddle
Reading: Mountain Man Dance Moves: McSweeney's Book of Lists
Watching: FRONTLINE/American Experience: The Mormons
Posted by colrus at 12:38 AM | TrackBack
May 09, 2007
Cool Short Flick: "The Time Closet"
Directed by Lazy Bear cohort Seth Worley.
Good stuff.
Posted by colrus at 02:19 AM | TrackBack
Attention Braves: You Need More African-American Players
Members of Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition recently met with Atlanta Braves GM John Schuerholz to discuss the lack of African-American players on the their roster. The recent addition of Willie Harris to the roster brings the number of African-Americans on the Braves' roster to one. Reacting to the addition of Harris to the roster, Joe Beasley, Southern Regional Director for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, said:
"You slipped down to nothing, now you've got one, we expect it to start going up higher," Beasley said was the sentiment he voiced in the meeting. "We want to see incrementally it move back up, rather than moving down. There was an openness on [Schuerholz's] part to talk and to be in dialogue and hopefully be in partnership in trying to make sure that it happens. He was very nice, a gentleman. I'm going to hold him to his word to work with us and move those numbers back up to a respectable level."
My thoughts on this story:
1. Rainbow/PUSH's offer to "work with" Schuerholz to "move those numbers back up to a respectable level" was sweet. I didn't know Rainbow/PUSH was in the player development business.
2. You know, after reading this story, I immediately remembered something I heard during a Braves broadcast a few weeks back:
Annoncer 1: "Well, Carlos Delgado is coming up."
Announcer 2: "Yep. He's a tough left-handed hitter."
Announcer 1: "In situations like these, you just know that Bobby Cox wishes he had an African-American lefty he could bring in to face him."
Announcer 2: "How right you are. Carlos Delgado is only hitting .087 lifetime against African-American lefties."
So, yes, Rainbow/PUSH has a point.
2. I expect Rainbow/PUSH to also become outraged about the lack of African-Americans in the NHL.
3. Inspired by Rainbow/PUSH's actions, I am announcing the formation of an organization -- Sunshine/FORCE -- which will put pressure on NBA teams to add more slow, short honkies to their rosters. Once the honky level reaches a "respectable level," I will withdraw all threats of lawsuits and public hintings of racism. Come to think of it, Sunshine/FORCE will also lean on all collegiate and professional teams of all sports to add more honkies to their rosters -- regardless of skill. Or honky interest in those sports. Or levels of available honkies for those sports.
4. This country is dying a slow, embarrassing death.
Posted by colrus at 01:12 AM | TrackBack
May 04, 2007
Jumping the Hitler
Adolf Hitler was head of the National Socialist German Worker's Party.
People call our current president a Nazi and/or Hitler. Because being a Nazi and/or Hitler is a bad thing.
The bulk of the people calling him a Nazi and/or Hitler would like him to be more socialist in nature.
Being more socialist in nature means being more like Hitler.
In closing, I hate politics.
Posted by colrus at 05:10 PM | TrackBack
May 03, 2007
CGT Show Notes
Last night's California Guitar Trio show at Rhythm and Brews was as good as I said it would be. And then some. I got a CD of the show afterwards. All of the band members signed it. More people showed up than last time.
Some tunes played: "Freebird," "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Tubular Bells," Beethoven's "Pastorale," and "Echoes" by Pink Floyd -- in addition to a ripping assortment of the CGT's dazzling repertoire. Ernie got video of "Echoes" and most of "Tubular Bells."
CGT soundman Tyler Trotter joined the band to play the melodica on a couple of tunes. A drunk, annoying guy in the front row asked "what's that instrument?" Paul Richards told him that it was a melodica. The drunk guy, not quite hearing him, then asked what a "mabtropica" was. He also yelled a bunch of stuff in (I think) Japanese to Hideyo throughout the evening. He also almost spilled beer on one of Bert's monitors.
Later, when the drunk guy grabbed the mic during "Bohemian Rhapsody," Tyler turned the mic off. The drunk guy was baffled. Drunk guys, please stay home. Also, loud, middle-aged almost-drunk guys in the back who talk through the whole show, please stay home, too. All of them can be heard on my CD.
Trevor Higgins and I got named-checked by Paul Richards during the show. After the show, Paul called me "the man" about six times. I am most certainly not "the man," but I appreciate the compliment nonetheless.
Trevor, Ernie, and I had a nice chat after the show. Near the merch table, a drunk chick told us that Chattanooga was a "hub" and that being a "hub" draws people. A drunk guy next to her told us "not to think of anything" because "once you think of it, someone else will think of it."
The drunk chick said Heather Mills has a "Barbie Leg." The "Barbie Leg" was "why she lost on Dancing with the Stars," she explained. I didn't know that. I was just trying to talk to Paul.
If you ever get a chance to see the CGT, by all means, do.
Posted by colrus at 01:56 AM | TrackBack