"New Shoe Dance!"

I finally got some new kicks. I've been seriously frugal this year on shoes - I've needed to update my tennies for a while now, but just never had any shoes jump out at me.

Here's what I ended up with - Adidas "adi specific" white/royal/red. Men's 11.5

Rorschach Radar

If you were to say, look at this radar frame and see an evil smiley face very clearly - would that make you crazy?

what do YOU see?

Evil Inc.

After an incident several years ago at an Abercrombie & Fitch in Omaha, NE - I haven't been IN or purchashed anything from A&F. That was nearly a decade ago. I have one t shirt received as a gift which I have sharpied out the word "Abercrombie." Its a bad place - superficial, materialistic, racist, and overly perfumed.

So - I'm biased. I hate the place. I don't like the clothes, but I also have a strong dislike for the people who would work and shop there. Which sounds mean, but everyone I know that has ever worked there doesn't like it either, and all 3 of them have a story of bigotry, rasism, or sodomy.

But its hard NOT to hate the place when you hear stories like this.

"I got the sucker"

Obama had a press conference about.... something... today. It got overshadowed by a fly. A fly kept buzzing around the podeum - BO told the fly to "get out of here." It didn't listen. The fly landed on Obama's hand for an instant too long. BO pauses mid-sentence, looks down, and SMACK! Got it. Says the reporter, "Nice."
Obama replies, "That was pretty impressive wasn't it? I got the sucker. What do you think of that, Gibbs?" I like the real-person-ness about the whole thing. Who DOESN'T ask that when they swat a fly? 'Did you see that?' 'that just happend!'

Of course - I'm sure some groups will say he shouldn't have killed the fly. He should have captured it humanely and released it into the wild.

"It Might Get Loud"

I'm really looking forward to a few movies this summer.

One's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. That's a given. (july 15th, ahem...) It was my favorite HP book, and I'm hoping it'll be the best movie. Ralph Fines is a fantastic He Who Must Not Be Named (or Voldemort, or Tom Riddle, depending on how brave you are). And Alan Rickman is a great Snape.

I also want to see the documentary It Might Get Loud - a film about a gathering of Jack White, the Edge, and Jimmy Page. They, um, play guitar. :-) It looks like it might be shot pretty cool as well.

the Edge talks about how he gets his insane tone and effects. Page talks about being lead guitarist in Led Zeppelin and being the best (arguably) guitar player alive. Jack White is crazy/awesome. Builds a slide guitar with nails, a glass bottle, one guitar string and a 2x4 in about 2.5 minutes.

I guess I'm 'it."

Photo tag game. 4th picture folder in, 4th photo in.

When I was a junior in college at Iowa State - a neighbor of mine from the dorm days was playing a show at the tattoo shop I got my tat from. The band is called "Poison Control Center" and they've played at prior GDPs, the first 80/35, and I once saw Max Weinburg (E Street Band's drummer. ie: Bruce Springsteen's drummer) play with them. This is Devin, my neighbor friend, playing a solo. On his back. With his feet in the air. It seems rediculous, I know, but you have to see a PCC show to understand. Its a blast. A blasty blast.

Shady

Appreciate the country we live in. This sounds like the shadiest, most insideous dictatorship we've seen in a while. I'd be so frustrated if I lived there. I like to think that I'd leave the country behind me, but... that's easy for me to say. What if you loved your country, but THATS the 'options' you've been given? Ugh. Makes me sick.

California Dreamin'

John Mayer Trio is the coolest thing ever.  It validates me when people say, 'who's your favorite musician?' and I say, "John Mayer."   I get a lot of, "so Your Body Is A Wonderland is your favorite song, huh?"   To which I internally respond with, "you are stupid, and our conversation about music is over.  Go back to your radio."

Not really - I usually follow it up with, "Not the acoustic stuff, the Trio.  Its loud electric blues-rock with fantastic tone and 3 insane musicians."    What I get back is a blank stare most of the time.  Here's what I'm talking about:

The JM3 had a tour in 2006 - Put out one live album called "TRY!" and this is their second live performance in 3 years.    They played on Conan O'brian's show last night - he just moved to LA, California to take over Leno's spot.   So of course John brought the loud blues tweak in a nod to Conan's new hometown: