July 2005 Archives

Last night I headed over to The Paradise to see Liz Phair. I met up with Lukas and his friend a little after 8 and we headed in.

So, I go to the Paradise on a pretty regular basis. Probably once a month or maybe a little less. I have certain routines I am used to there, where I stand, what I drink, etc. Well, when we walked in to the main room, these all went out the door, there were chairs on the floor. This was a very strange sight. The seats were already full, so we decided to head up to find a place to stand. Luckily, Lukas bumped in to some friends, so we ended up with a great place to stand, just one level up and on stage right. We had a perfect view of the stage.

When we arrived, Mat Kearney was on the stage. Just him and an acoustic guitar. He had a nice voice and sounded pretty good. I think I would have enjoyed seeing his whole set rather than just the last few songs, but he definitely had some potential.

A few minutes after 9 Liz came out with a guitar player. It was incredible being about 15 feet away from her. She played a great set over the course of the night. I think I've got a good list of the songs (below). She really seemed to be enjoying herself. She apologized early for flashing the front row (she was wearing a skirt and sitting on a stool). At that point, I was wishing to have been sitting in the front row ;) She actually was heckling the crowd at one point during Rock Me and seemingly cracked herself up enough to lose track of where she was in the song. She talked a lot over the course of the night. As people yelled songs, she would say, yeah, that would work, sadly, we haven't work on it yet. This was the first show of the tour, so they were seemingly just getting in to the flow of things. She polled the crowd at one point on which of two songs they wanted to hear. She was playing this strange looking guitar that didn't have a body, but had the outline to one. At some point, someone mentioned something about how she was balancing her breast on top of the guitar. She said something like, you can either use the smoosh method or else this method, and the guitar has this great curve there ready for it.

A very interesting part of the evening was her mentioning on multiple occasions that she would be doing a podcast in the near future. That should be real interesting. Guess I will have to keep an eye on her site to see when that starts happening. Seems like this is becoming somewhat popular with some artists.

It was definitely a great night. She played for a little under 90 mins. Good mix of new and old stuff. She really just seemed like she was chilling out and having some fun. Almost seemed like a bunch of friends sitting around an apartment jamming out some tunes. Very glad I was in attendance to see this. If I had some more cash, I'd even be tempted to try and go back tonight for the second night (which is most likely completely sold out like last night was).

So, the set list started like this:

polyester bride
girls, girls, girls
extraordinary
mesmerizing

And ended like this:

why can't i
fuck n run

In the middle (in no order) were these:

rock me
wild thing
supernova
6' 1"
divorce song

She also did 3 new songs. Two from the new album and one that got cut. One was Somebody's Miracle, the title track. The other two, I can't quite remember the names to. If anyone has an exact set list, that would be awesome.

Overall, a great time.

Someone got a great shot of Liz on stage here

I was hoping to continue on yesterday's topic, but that work thing got in the way.

And now tonight, I'm headed over to The Paradise to see Liz Phair.

Hopefully, get some more in tomorrow.

So, while hanging out in the parking lot before BSC, Don and I started talking about how they should make a reality TV show about some kids on tour.

I want to say that there was a movie or a documentary made about this, maybe it was even a TV documentary. Anyone have any clues of what I might be thinking of?

It's always interesting to sit back in the lot and watch the tour kids. You know in the back of your head that most of them are funded by wealthy parents, but at the same time, it is really interesting to see how they support themselves while on tour.

Most sell something. Usually, not drugs contrary to popular belief. You get a lot of folks selling food of some sort. You start out with the real food like grilled cheese or veggie burritos (both touring kids favorites), then get in to the more "drug related" food. Things like goo balls or magic brownies. Others sell liquid like water, gatorade, beer. For a small markup from the store price, they can probably do pretty good on this. And I doubt they are checking IDs on the beer purchases :) The more entrepreneurial kids will push it even farther. Kids in the lot this weekend were selling Mai Tais and Jaeger shots :)

After food, you get in to the arts and crafts. This also has ranges. You start off with T-shirts or maybe tapestries. Then you get in to the jewelry, hemp necklases and stuff. After that comes the glass (for tobacco smoking only of course). Some kids even sell posters, dresses, veils, etc. This category goes far and wide.

Lastly, of course, you have the folks selling drugs. It's not too hard to get anything you'd like in the parking lot of a tour. I still remember one lot where I most have gotten passed ten times with people mumbling the available drugs they had under their breath as they walked by.

OK, back to work for now, but more on this later ....

I've got a majorly busy week coming up this week.

Tuesday is Liz Phair at the The Paradise. I can't freaking wait for this show. Seeing her at Avalon a bit back was fun and all, but this should be incredible with it a) being at the Paradise, b) an acoustic show. I'm going with Lukas, who I haven't seen since last summer, so I'm pscyhed to get to see him too.

Wednesday night is poker night. I've missed the last 2 games, so I'm looking forward to getting back in to the action. Since I last played with these guys, they've built an all out poker table from scratch, so it's going to be fun to actually play on this table.

Thursday night, Craig (Houston Craig this time) gets to town. We'll probably hit the Bell and maybe Clarke's for a few cocktails.

Friday night, Craig and I are hitting the Sox game. We've got great tickets, so it should be a ton of fun. After that, we'll probably hit Sam's Cafe @ Cheers to see Sweep the Leg play. Probably won't be a late night, as I've got an early morning....

Saturday, I hit the road. Heading to Long Island. Got an early ferry. Will get my haircut while I am down there. Then, probably a chill night hanging out with the nephew (oh yeah, and his parents and my mom ;)

Sunday is the baby's christening. I'm the godfather. Are you scared? The church should be :) After the christening, there's a big party.

Monday will be a recovery day, chilling and cleaning and stuff. And then, I think I'll probably head back to Boston on Tuesday.

All in all, a crazy week :)

Saw this article on Sci Fi Wire talking about a Blade TV Series. Supposedly David S. Goyer, the Batman Begins screenwriter, is producing it. It's going to be on Spike TV next June as their first original dramatic series. I loved the first Blade movie, thought the second one sucked and thought the third one did a decent job of redeeming the trilogy. It will be real interesting to see what they do with a series. I think it could go either way. It could potentially be very repetetive and get boring real fast or they could really advance the plot. I wonder if they will base any of the stories off the comics or if these will be all original.

Headed to Great Woods yesterday to see Big Summer Classic.

We arrived at the venue around 11:30, since doors were at 1 and the first band started at 1:30. We were in the second row of cars. This was a bit scary. Usually getting there an hour and a half before a show, the parking lot is pretty packed up. Not this time.

We hung out until about 2, drinking beers and making some food. At 2, we took a wander around and the parking lot was still pretty empty. A little bit later, we decided to head in. First surprise, you are allowed to bring your own sealed water in to Great Woods now, nice. Second surprise, no pat down. This was very strange considering it was a "hippie" show, you'd think they would have been looking for drugs and whatnot. Guess they were just happy that people were coming in (considering how empty the lot was).

It was VERY empty inside. It was almost like we were trespassing. We had already missed New Monsson. A little bit after we got in, Yonder Mountain String Band kicked off. These guys started off pretty hot, but got repetetive after a bit. Don't think I could sit through these guys for a full show.

Next up was Michael Franti & Spearhead. These guys put on a pretty fun show. Franti yelling "HOW YA FEELIN?" every minute or two got amusing quick. They are a good mix of rock and an R&B kind of feel. I dug em. They did a bunch of their own stuff and also did a pretty sick version of Sublime's "What I Got".

Next was Keller Williams. I enjoyed much of his set. He did a little U2 along the way and a lot of his own stuff. The parts I didn't like were where he programmed a lot of stuff and then went about his thing. I think I would have just more enjoyed him playing. He did bring the drummer from Umphrey's and the guitarist from New Monsson out for a couple of tunes, which sounded real good. Also, Martin Sexton came out for a few songs which were real good.

The next band was the one I was most looking to see, Umphrey's McGee. I have been listening to all sort of their stuff for a while now, so to finally get to see them live made me very excited. Well, they did NOT disappoint. Holy shit. These guys just ROCK. They are a good combination of Progressive Rock and Jam Music. You can tell they have listened to Dream Theater once or twice :) I was blown away. I can't wait to see a set list. They threw in "I've Got a Feelin'" by The Beatles for their cover. Michael Franti joined them for a tune too and did some nice freestyling.

Last was String Cheese Incident. Don had talked them up big time, so I was really hoping for something good. They didn't disappoint. Lots of fun, lots of different feels to the music. They covered Yes's "Roundabout". We cut out at the encore, so I have no clue of the collaboration at the end.

Over the course of the day the place filled in more and more and by the time SCI was on, it was actually pretty damn packed. Overall, great show, long day, but definitely something I would repeat. Now, if Umphrey's can just do a Boston show where I can see them for a full 2+ hours, I'll be real happy.

Sean sent out mail today that the MetBlogs family has two new members. Namely, Phoenix and Brimingham. Welcome!

I got a few more pieces of my website back together or redirecting to other locations today. I have a couple more things to fix, but most should be almost there now. Let me know if you have any issues.

From an e-mail I got forwarded to me. Even if it isn't true, I've seen similar ones that are.

Friends, Some of you may remember my ex-girlfriend Sarah. I recently received a letter from her. I would appreciate it if you would take the time to read it and review my response. I hope all of you are well.

May 23, 2005

Dear Davey:

I have had a difficult time, over the past few years, achieving closure of our relationship. It is time for me to seek this. I have gone through the appropriate stages of anger, remorse, sadness. It is now time for me to close this chapter of my life. I am trying to recapture my life and gain a sense of identity back. In my professional life I have done this, but my personal life struggles. For so long I/We were "Sarah and Davey", that it is hard to gain my own identity back. I am not worried about my career; I will soon succeed even my wildest dreams. I am just stunted by my personal life. I am ready to release you from my life. I also on a weekly basis encounter people who want to tell me about you or have a discussion about you. I do not want to deal with this anymore. I do have a proposal on how to handle this. I am ready to no longer be forced to deal with your presence. As to how to deal with it, I propose the following: 1. I've heard you have an apartment on the West side. You need to move out of the West side of Indianapolis, this has always been my side of town, I own a house here, and do not rent like you. I grew up here, and always want to live here. I would prefer if you were to leave Indianapolis all together, but I know this is more than I can ask. I do not want to risk running into you at any store. 2. We should officially divide our friends. Particularly Jim, Jillian, Amy, and Ed. You should write them, thanking them for the opportunity to be their friend and explain why you can no longer be in contact with them. I can provide you with addresses, if you need. 3. I will stay out of Republican politics. I promise not to get involved with any Republican politics, unless my father runs for judge, and than I reserve the right to work on his campaign. 4. I would like you to not have anything to do with all things Cathedral. I feel I should have ownership of the school since my mother works there and my brother and sisters went there. You are more tied to Wabash. This should be where you dedicate your alumni status. I will be involved in Cathedral. When the time of reunions comes up, I am willing to say that you can have the reunions ending in "0" years and I will take the"5" years. So you can have 10 years and I will take 25 years. 5. I will avoid Wabash contacts. The few guys from the house I still speak to on a rare basis, I will not. I will also discourage any male offspring I have from attending Wabash. I know some of these things seem a bit harsh, but I feel they are for the best. I do not ever really wish to see you again. I know that this will of course happen beyond my control, but I think we should do our best to avoid what we can. It is my sincere hope that you understand, and do take the time to respond. This is my last request of you. With fondness, Sarah

May 31, 2005
Dear Sarah,
Thanks for your letter. We broke up 3 years ago. Knowing that and taking into consideration you believe me to be a cold, career focused, ego-maniac, what on earth makes you think I would take the time to think about you or agree to your proposal? But since I clearly have taken the time to respond, please take a moment to review some comments and counterproposals I have crafted. 1. First, I will have to resist the burning urge to move RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO YOU. After that deep desire subsides, I will vacate the Westside and return to my roots: The Snooty Northside, as you used to call it. However, since I was born on the Northside and I have Northside in my veins you must abdicate all ties to the North. This includes: Living on the Northside, living on the Northeastside, walking down North Street, being a fan of the Dallas Stars (formerly the Minnesota North Stars), wearing North Face apparel or telling your children that Santa lives at the North Pole. 1 (B). I was born in Indianapolis before you were so I should really get to determine who stays and who goes. In my benevolence I will let you exist here only within the St. Michael's Parish boundary (MLK Dr. to High School Rd. and 56th Street to 10th St.) We will call this the SarahZone. This should be acceptable for you as your family lives across the street and there is a gas station, grocery, convenience store, your place of employment and a fire station. Exceptions can be made with my expressed written consent. You will be required to display a large tag in your windshield giving you permission to travel beyond the SarahZone. 2. I haven't talked to your friends since we broke up. I think they got the message. However since we apparently are still in fourth grade, please have your friends meet me by the playground at recess so that I can tell them they have big fat heads and they aren't my friends anymore. Do you agree? _______Yes ________No________Maybe 2 (B). One of the few times you let us do something fun, we visited some of my family friends on Geist. It was about eight years ago. We enjoyed their boat and home for several hours during a pre-500 party. Please jot them a note saying you are going to forget that ever happened. Please also offer to reimburse them for the boat gas, pool chlorine, air conditio ning Freon, Dr. Pepper and anything else you consumed while you were there. I don't have their address anymore, you can look it up. 3. Please let me know when your father runs for anything. I'm going to run against him. 3 (B). Thanks for staying out of Republican politics. Your heavyweight presence in the party will be sorely missed. I am very involved in ice hockey. I play recreationally and coach a youth team in the winter. I would prefer it if you could stop being involved in all things related to ice and ice hockey . You can use those instant first aid coldpaks to cool your drinks from now on. Also, my parents have been very involved with the Indianapolis 500 Festival for nearly 20 years. The month of May is really a big month for us. While I am not able to honor your request of moving out of Indianapolis, I would ask that you just leave town during May. With 250,000 fans going to the race and 35,000 runners in the Mini-Marathon, I don't want to run the risk of bumping into you. I know your birthday is in May, but man , I just don't care. 4. Christ, I don't have the energy for this one. 5. If any of my friends from Wabash actually still talk to you, they are fired as friends. 5 (B). I'm not going to tell my kids anything about you. But speaking of kids, it would be okay with me if my son was a crack addict, just as long as he got your kids hooked on it and became their dealer. In closing, I will never make decisions about my life or my family based on whether I might run into you at the store. I am now convinced that if we ever do bump into each other, you will spontaneously combust. I wish you the best of luck find a spouse. Seriously. It won't be easy to find a person who is willing to spend the rest of his life raising children and making decisions based on your crazy-ass proposal to an ex-boyfriend and your inability to act like a rational human being.

All my best,

Davey

Can someone please explain to me why this guy is still on the Red Sox?

According to what they flashed on ESPN tonight, he has the third lowest Batting Average in the American League.

I'm pretty sure he leads the Majors in strikeouts (or is VERY VERY close).

He's made a few decent plays in the field, but he's not an amazing fielder by any stretch of the imagination.

So, why is this guy still on the team? I just don't understand it. Does anyone have a good explanation?

RML announced today that inotify is in 2.6.13-rc3. YAY!

I've filed Bug 163186 in Red Hat's Bugzilla to get this enabled in Fedora Core Rawhide.

After a mad week of fun leading up to July 4th, this past week at work was rather difficult. Hard to get back in to the flow of the work week. I decided to spend this weekend relaxing. I spent much of the time on my couch, watching movies, playing with the computer, catching up TiVo, etc.

It was nice to just relax and not have anything to do. I need these weekend more often. Hell, I could use a good two weeks of this. It was nice not having to think too much about what needed to get done. I did catch up on a few important things though, which was good.

Now, back to the grind this week. I think it should be a relatively easy week. Hopefully going to get a lot done on a coding project I am trying to put together. Have a few meetings with customers and potential customers, as well. Hopefully everything will go smooth.

Oh and I finally got my outgoing e-mail working again, so if you have been waiting on e-mail from me, you should have it now or else should be getting it real soon now :)

So, vacation was good. The highlights were:

• Craig visiting
• Batman Begins (awesome movie)
• Red Sox @ Fenway from some great seats
• Seeing TONS of local live music.
• Guinness, Corona, Guinness, Corona, Guinness, Corona
• Finally getting this server moved off of Gentoo (yes, that's why I had downtime)
• Getting to spend lots of good time with good friends for some good summer fun

More soon, still getting some stuff on the server worked out and getting back in to the swing of things. Haven't really gotten myself fully removed from vacation mode yet.