Saturday, May 26, 2007

Spending another Saturday morning watching PBS cooking shows

And man, I love Jacques Pepin...le sigh.

Ssshh, don't cry America's Test Kitchen, you're beautiful too and today's beer can chicken and pesto salad were especially delicious looking, but we're talking about Jacques Pepin here. Besides, I can't wait until it's Ming and Lidia's turn to show me their stuff, so it's not like we're exclusive.

It's officially summer

I say so because last night I took my first (voluntary) cold shower AND starting this morning my hair is going back to curly. Yes, my hair's curls depends on the season. It's just too hot to be straightening this shit in the summer and it'll go all pear-shaped in the humidity anyway, so why bother?

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Drawing: Practice sketches

My stomach is way not happy with me tonight. Anyhow, some things I did earlier.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Update on Borders comics situation

Well, a little while back I managed to go through all the Hellblazer TPBs they have there. Though I've been a bit lax because I lost my building pass for a bit and found myself reluctant to go out only to be buzzed back in at work. However, I'm back on the case and am now working through the Lucifer TPBs. Just thought you would all want to know. Also if you see me on the floor at the Borders don't be afraid, I just want to get out of my cubicle and read some comics, that's all.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Modest amount of immodesty

Video for "Eustace Street," (and listen to The National, dammit!)

I managed to forget this tidbit, but here's a fresh video from the Delorentos. (Previously mentioned here and here)



Also, I can't stop listening to The National after the 5/8 show, and if you aren't listening to them currently, you definitely should be listening to them now. Yes, those you out there who know me, I'm sorry for cajoling, coercing and threatening you to listening to them, but you all should know by now that when I get caught up with a new band that tickles me I will evangelicize for a good 2-3 weeks to get it out of my system. I'm so loving "Green Gloves" right now that I'm listening to it whenever I get a chance. Go have a listen yourself.

Monday, May 14, 2007

New drawing:

Too much work has not only made me feel like my brains were dribbling out of my eyesockets, but now I'm having delusions about a little girl assassin brigade.




Sunday, May 13, 2007

Reliving the 5/8 Arcade Fire show through Youtube

So digital cameras and videos and Youtube have made it way easier to look back on a show and go, "Holy shit, that was crazy."

Some videos of the pandemonium onstage at the 5/8 Arcade Fire show I went to for the last song "Wake Up." I'm somewhere in the crowd. There are two specifically where I make a blurry brief appearance not unlike Bigfoot in his famed video.

Here's what transpired if you want to see what happened throughout the whole song and how it all go started. As previously mentioned, I had managed to get up close to the stage, I wasn't at it, but right behind the person who was. The first guy that called up on stage was two people diagonally to the left of me. At around 25-27 seconds into this first video, the girl way on the left of the frame getting up onstage in the light shirt with a ponytail? That would be my backside.


Wow, I appreciate the sheer size of the crowd much better viewing it from this angle. I was getting crushed and pushed about, but I totally did not think it was THAT many people.




Using where Will Butler is standing in this video as a point of orientation, and the color of the tambourine stick that appears in the air in the middle and at the end, that is my hand shaking it.

I am too lazy or tired to cook

So I am ordering pizza from Domino's for the first time in a long while. I mean, my roommate would order pizza from Domino's in my last apartment and we'd split the cost, but that wasn't often and I never ordered it if I had to order it on my own. This is the first time I've ordered delivery to my new apartment in the almost year I have been living in it. On top of that the intercom doesn't work properly so I've never been keen on trying to order food here, and since my thrifty college days I've been of the camp that "I will not pay tips for what I can do myself," so many times I'd go get food and bring it back myself (if I did feel like treating myself that is).

I'm still sore and slightly tired from last night's LCD Soundsystem show at Studio B. It was a neat show at a neat venue. I suppose it was actually meant to be a DFA Records party in a way since after the show they had a bunch of DJs spinning for people to dance the night away, so I was a bit surprised by that development. On top of that my archnemesis had returned: VICE TV. As I told Kelly, "Seriously, I don't need anymore videos of me acting the fool at shows on the internet." Luckily, they don't seem to have gotten around to posting that Les Savy Fav show video.

Yacht was an opening act. As the evening wore on and became the wee hours of the morning, Kelly decided she was not a fan. While I wouldn't listen to his CDs while doing housework, I thought his dancing was quite endearing and cute.

We were standing way up front which also happened to be the location of some of the amps. Currently hearing continues to come and go in either one of my ears at any given time.

We stayed a bit to dance and that was fun, but I was pooped needless to say. I actually ran into someone on the dancefloor who lived in my dorm freshman year of college, but we gave up having any real catching up conversation because we kept having to yell in each other's ear. But he was surprised and I was surprised and it was quite a surreal moment.

It was fun but we were not that impressed with the selection of danceable music afterwards. On our way home Kelly looked at me and said, "You know, how hard would it have been for them to play some 'Ballin'? Seriously?"

I replied, "I would've taken anthing. Damn, how was I supposed to put my stank on any of that they were playing. I mean throw me a bone here. I would've gladly taken some Three 6 Mafia or even Yin Yang Twins."

As we grumbled loudly about this while rounding somewhere around N12th and N10th street on our way home we stopped to listen to some music spilling out of one of the apartments. It was the Isley Brothers. As we gazed longingly at the people gathered on the balcony of the apartment where the party was presumably going on we were very tempted to knock on the door and ask, "So...is there a party?" because as Kelly spat out in frustration, "At least you could dance to the Isley Brothers. I mean come on!"

It was a long way home all the way from Greenpoint and on top of that I realized I had no clean towels when I got home. Thank God for 24 hour laundromats. By the time I dragged my sorry self into bed it was 5:30 am.

P.S. Philly Cheesesteak pizza is...interesting. It's not bad but it seems like a food I concocted in one of my odd "I'm really craving cheese steak, but I'm also looking for some pizza," and I end up throwing some Cheez Whiz and Steakums on a DiGiorno's pizza.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Busy busy week

Got a whole lot going on workwise. Also been fulfilling social obligations as well. More overnight guests were housed and a show was attended with another show on Saturday as well. Skipped out on a free show tonight due to general tiredness at the hectic pace that things have been going at. This coming week starting with the weekend will be another bump in sheer work activity and we'll see if I can survive this one as well. I almost feel like I barely survived the last two. I'm hoping after this week I can have a bit of a breather.

But Tuesday was interesting since I found myself at United Palace Theater yet again, but this time to watch the Arcade Fire.

I heard a lot of grousing about it being a seated event, but I had the knowledge. From my previous experience that this could be flexible. Using my "Bloc Party Maneuver," I knew that while people might remain seated for the opening act (The National, who did a beautiful set) and would most probably stand up for the main act, which is optimal time to sneak up front. Besides, I had heard the other shows ended up having people come up to where the stage was anyway. So I readied myself for a regular bum rushing.

After waiting about 2-3 minutes after people stood I up I excused myself from my seat and made a light jog towards the front. And was up front to the second row and positioned myself to the end to make it look like I had just gotten out of my row for a better look (you know, in case the ushers and security were vigilant that night). Had no issues whatsoever, and finally Win called people to come up front because "This isn't the movies," and people got up front to the stage.

Oh, I got up on stage at the end when people were called up and got to play the tambourine. I thought this was quite fun until I was informed by Ben that at Monday night's show he and Kate were sitting in the same row as Blonde Redhead and Sufjan Stevens. And I was jealous because as I told Ben "the white hot intensity of my crush on that man would've caused me to spontaneously combust." =( I want to sit near Sufjan Stevens, dude.

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

A breakfast that'll put hair on your chest

I totally forgot to mention this, but this past weekend I finally indulged a craving I've been having for months now.

After months of wistful bellyaching I finally couldn't take it anymore and found myself in Sunnyside wandering around the aisles of an neighborhood store known as the Butcher's Block. Why did I have to go to this particular store out in Queens you ask?



Yes.

The thing is, I just wanted to taste it again. My love for pork and things made of the dear piggy has driven me to this. For one thing, white pudding reminds me of...good quality Spam. You know, like if Spam was meant to be ridiculously delicious this is what it would taste like?

Shut up. It just does and you're going to have to trust me on this one.

As for black pudding? I mean, it's basically soondae (also skip to the "Asia" section of the Black Pudding wikipedia article).

More importantly, it's SOONDAE FOR BREAKFAST.

But there was a problem. Just the black and white pudding even with eggs would not a full breakfast make. And what did I see out of the corner of my eye?



Now we're getting somewhere. I love back bacon...I stopped myself from getting sausages because I was just playing coronary Russian roulette at that point, BUT something was still missing.



Now I'm content. So electing Saturday to be the day I met my greasy, porky doom, I set about creating my breakfast.



I really did not want half-a-tomato joining this party, but I figured that I'm already going balls to the wall here, so it seemed kind of lame to not do so even though I've stated before my skepticism about tomato's role in this whole full breakfast business, and skepticism has once again been confirmed. Seriously, the tomato does NOTHING for me. When I had a fry up for dinner a couple of days later I opted out of that particular vegetable's company. I'm sorry, I love ya dude, but you just do not do anything at all in this meal.

Have you ever had one of those days?

You know, where it feels like you're dying a million little deaths? Yea, today was one of those days. I'm really tired and really stressed, and all sorts of reallys that don't particularly feel good. I feel like tomorrow will be the same.

On the up side I saw Martin Scorcese in the flesh (he was wearing those glasses and yea, is a short dude), and I got 10 oranges for $2 (courtesy of "back of the truck/van fruit and veggies" folks in my neighborhood). I've already eaten three of the above mentioned oranges, and they are delicious. That is all.

I guess I should sleep early today in preparation of dying a million times again tomorrow.