Filed under: books, cold blooded old times, concerts, music, rest & relaxation, the act of blogging, things at home, work
1. Miike Snow’s “Animal” is sooooooooooo good. This is my new summer anthem. I wonder if the rest of his stuff is as good?
2. I’ve been listening to a lot of Blip.fm at work. I like queuing up songs the night before and then letting it rip during the workday. Check out my blip for the above song.
3. I’m getting a new roof put on the house today … FINALLY. It only took the ‘lords a couple years to get around to doing it. Soon my records room will no longer leak and I will hopefully spend a lot more time in there. It’s been a kind of depressing place to be over the last few months as my stereo and records have been perpetually covered in towels to keep the rainwater away. And it’s been raining a LOT.
4. I went to Night 1 of the Pitchfork fest this year: Yo La Tengo, Tortoise, and Built to Spill all sounded fine but were BORING to watch. Ten years ago I believe I would have had a much different reaction. I used to LOVE watching Tortoise live, and Yo La blew me away when I saw them on the Electr-o-Pura tour. The Jesus Lizard also blew me away when I saw them in 1995, and they were the lone band on the bill that did it for me this time around, too. I’m not sure what I’m looking for anymore when I see a band perform live. I guess, in large part, it’s the newness that increases the WOW factor. So maybe the fact that this music (Yo La et al.) is so ingrained in my DNA lessens its impact? That doesn’t explain the Lizard, though. David Yow was still every bit your creepy uncle. He crowdsurfed and made snarky comments and just looked like he was having FUN. I’m seriously considering seeing them perform when they reunite again in November.
5. DJ’ing my niece’s wedding was a blast. As someone who typically spins r’n'r in bars for hipsters, it’s relatively rare to see people dance during my sets (unless very drunk). The bars I spin at — people don’t go there to dance. They go there to converse. That doesn’t mean they aren’t appreciative of the music or that they fail to acknowledge the DJ. But they just do it with subtler nods and fist pumps. But at this wedding reception I had the dance floor filled the entire time. Kids, adults, everyone. Playing some stupid dance music (Lady Gaga + Beyonce + Gnarls) was fun, but the crowd really went bonkers for the Michael Jackson/Jackson 5 block in addition to the medley I created for the bride/groom. The latter was an 8-minute block of stuff I mixed together, from the Chiffon’s “He’s So Fine” (from the woman’s perspective) to The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” (from the man’s perspective) to a climatic UB40 cover of “I Got You, Babe” (requested by the bridal party), with Chrissie Hynde playing the part of Cher. Oh, and some old dude requested Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London.” Out of left field? Sure, but I gladly played it.
6. The new job sucks. I’m trying to just accept this.
7. Bike riding. I’m improving a lot. I’ve done 325 miles in a little more than a month, including my first back-to-back 30-mile rides.
8. In late spring I made a commitment to R&B, reading and biking. The biking is working out nicely, but the reading (of books) is lagging behind, unfortunately. Attention span, lengthen please. I think I’m going to tackle Let the Right One In, which everyone says is spectacular. (I enjoyed the movie.)
9. I’ve been riding the bus to work on days that I don’t ride the bike. It’s a 30-minute commute, which I enjoy as it allows me time to knock out a long magazine article. I’ve made it through the previous four issues of Wired, but I need to find something new to read. Speaking of …
10. Does anyone have any reccomendations for site’s they check out on a daily/regular basis that have interesting long-form journalism? The subject matter doesn’t matter all that much. I’m not looking for “newsy” articles, per say. Rather, engaging subjects handled in relative depth. I need some ideas for content to pour over during lunch breaks — things I can simply print off and take with me to the cafe.
After much deliberation between a Raleigh that was bit sportier (and pricier) and a Trek that was a bit sportier (and pricier), I chose a different Trek, the Allant, for my new commuter. I pick it up on Monday and am quite excited to begin riding it.
Filed under: music, stupid stuff, things at home, work | Tags: Homies, TV on the Radio
First, my new desk in the loft. Hopefully it will inspire me to, uh, get a job. Or at least look more professional while attempting to do so.
My homies have a new home. Strength in numbers.
Second, the new TV on the Radio album, Dear Science, which I listened to while putting together my new desk. This is the most pop oriented of their records to date, but the group does not sacrifice the David Byrne and Brian Eno influences that have made their music strange in the past. This is the first album I purchased on a Pitchfork recommendation in some time. They got it right.
Filed under: sports, work | Tags: Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose, Illinois Fighting Illini, St. Louis Cardinals
Let’s start with the big, bad news: my job is likely caput for good, which did come as a total surprise that I suppose I should have been more prepared for given the fact that nothing was set in stone when I went back to work for the potential new owners (who are still just that, potential). Given the fact that I recently applied for six jobs in town that I felt I was qualified (and in some cases over-qualified) for and received zero call-backs, I don’t know what the future will hold for me. But I do have one sports-related quest to pursue. It’s a lofty goal, so I’m not holding my breath. But we’ll see.
Speaking of the recently jobless, I was shocked that the Brewers fired skipper Ned Yost today. I’m guessing that had much to do with the general attitude of the team, because I can’t figure out why else one would fire the manager of a team in a playoff race, despite a recent slide. Take my team, for instance. Since getting off to a hot start in April, the Redbirds have played exactly .500 ball. The Cardinals were tied with the Brewers for second place in the N.L. Central at the close of play on July 31. Since then, the Cardinals have gone 17–21, and the Brewers have gone 23–18. Yet Tony La Russa remains in control of his ball team. Man, I hate the guy. I’ve watched fewer games as the summer has progressed, mostly due to a general “I just can’t take it anymore” attitude when it comes to the skipper. Nearly every move he makes or doesn’t make irks me. To scratch my baseball itch while avoiding the frustrations of following La Russa ball, I need to find a suitable secondary team and follow them as much as possible. Last year in the playoffs that team was the Indians. This year I’ve decided I’ll follow the Twins, if they make the postseason, and the Rays, who are hard not to love as they battle for supremacy against the Red Sox and Yankees.
Illini basketball recently hauled 30 jerseys into the rafters of the Assembly Hall, the first time the university has honored players in such an obvious fashion. This is a direct result of Deron Williams’ recent success on the national/international level. The university likely felt it couldn’t honor him specifically without also honoring countless others who have come before him. The list of players honored is largely predictable, so we’re left to argue the merits of Kiwane Garris (who didn’t make the cut) versus someone like Jim Dawson (who did make it). Leave me out of that argument. I’m glad the university is finally realizing that by celebrating your past in traditional terms (the jersey treatment), you can help secure your future (by encouraging all those great players to return to campus and energize the program and its prospects); but I’d rather argue the merits of the ‘08-’09 incarnation. Looking over the schedule for next season, I’m pegging the pre-conference record to be 11–2, with losses coming in the championship game of the Padre Island tourney (likely to Texas A&M) and either at Vandy or versus Mizzou. (I think the Illini will handle Clemson, probably the best team they are playing in pre-conference, at home in the B10-ACC “Challenge.”) The pre-conference schedule is laughably easy for a power-conference team hoping to make the NCAA Tourney. D-Mac will be averaging 18 a game by the time B10 play kicks off.
The Bulls are six weeks away from launching their new campaign, and still there’s no decision on the inclusion of Ben Gordon, who a month ago vowed not to sign the Bulls’ one-year offer. I’m incredibly anxious to see how Derrick Rose fits into the offense, and how his role impacts Kirk Hinrich. I’m hoping that Rose will take immense pressure off Hinrich to be a “playmaker” while also freeing him up to be the beneficiary of Rose’s drive-and-kick penetration. Call me silly, but I see Hinrich as a key to the team’s success this season. He needs to revert to his career-best shooting form of ‘06-’07, especially if Gordon is no longer on the team. I think the Bulls’ defense will improve this year with increased effort, but the team needs to improve its outside shooting accuracy if they have any hope of making the playoffs. Hinrich and Nocioni will need to step up big, because we can’t count on much improvement from Larry Hughes, Thabo Sefolosha, or Rose.
Things change too fast in my life right now. Just when my work situation was beginning to look legitimately UP, news comes that things are unravelling, the sale of the company isn’t imminent, people on both sides have entered a panic mode, and I may once again be out of a job. So instead of preparing for you as planned a wonderful little running feature this week on bachelorhood (while M is away) — dinner (takeout/delivery) and a movie — I will instead be fleeing my C-U confines and heading to Chicago for some rest & relaxation. I don’t know how much blogging I’ll do this week as a result.
Filed under: books, things at home, work | Tags: books, sophie the cat, work
For those of you who don’t know, I was laid off in late July (along with pretty much all of my co-workers) as my company is in the process of going bankrupt, while at the same time being “sold” to a new owner. Well, I was out of work for two weeks, which actually turned out to be a blessing as I mostly relaxed while sending out a few résumés. Luckily, my bankrupt company has, over the past month, paid me the three weeks of vacation pay I was due. And more relevant to my current situation, I was rehired after the two-week layoff by the new ownership/management group. That’s made for an awkward situation as I head to the old office to work. First of all, there are only three of us employed, and the other two are technically still working for the old company, even though they are being paid by the new company. I’m contractually working for the new company (and of course being paid by them), doing my old job, and attempting to avoid my old boss. (The Prez is being let go as soon as the transition to the new company is complete, once the old company has its day in court.)
Upon being laid off, I moved five-and-a-half year’s worth of crap out of my office. I haven’t moved it back yet, and likely won’t because in all likelihood the new company will be relocating to Chicago soon and I’ll be working for them — from home — until at least the end of the calendar year. This means I’ve had to find a somewhat permanent place for that crap I moved out of my office, which is largely a whole bunch of sports non-fiction books. So, voilá, my new bookshelf packed with books.
This doesn’t include the books I’ve worked on for the old company; those are still boxed up, where they will likely stay. The “records room” is quickly becoming a multi-media room, so to speak. Sophie doesn’t seem to mind, as long as the bookshelf isn’t blocking her view of the backyard. This cat has some serious “I gots to get myself outta this house” blues going on right now. The squirrels that play tag on the deck probably aren’t helping matters.
