Untitled 33 (Film #24) 28 October 2014

Nothing new to report.  Snagged a few new movies at Music Millenium and one at Fred Meyer.
-High and Low, Kurosawa
-Some odd icarus films movie
-The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
-Other stuff, more to talk about later.

Back to work :D

Untitled 32 (ALATWA #30) 27 October 2014

It's been a crazy week!  I quit a band.  I had a huge argument with my schizophrenic room/bandmate.  rough.  Also had a date flake on me on Saturday.  Shitty.  Sick of shitty dates.

I can't reiterate how much I hate this town and the lack of opportunity, but it's ok, because I'm definitely needing to work on things, and that's the plan.

1. Get pharmacy tech app done and mailed out.
2. Prepare for living on my own

Untitled 30 (Saturday Life #28) 25 October 2014

Me: Hey dude.. were you not into my vocal ideas? N_ said he felt like my ego was getting in the way or something.. we had a pretty gnarly argument last night.. so I was just curious. I hope you know that you can tell me 3:48 PM

J_: Yeah i kinda felt a little stepped on in some areas 5:04 PM

Me: Oh sorry dude. I wish you mentioned it to me. I don't really like hearing about it from another source :) 5:23 PM

J_: Well... Thats not what happened. I didnt go bitch to n_ about it behind your back man. 5:28 PM

Me: Well N_ mentioned it and I just wish you would have brought it up to me. 5:29 PM

J_: N_ brought it up because thats the way he felt. He talked to me about it and i agreed. He basically talked to you about it before i could. 5:32 PM

Me: Oh, gotcha. I just wish you could have brought it up when it happened. It makes it seem like it's something that's been building up for a while. Like maybe you didn't want me in the band or something? 5:36 PM

J_: (1/4) Its not that. Its just like i dont feel like you take my critisism very well. I get a very passive agressive vibe after trying to say something like "i 5:50 PM

J_: (2/4) dislike that vocal line or that bass line" there have been times in the past were i will finally say something and then later on in the practice i will 5:50 PM

J_: (3/4) ask you to do some "oohs" and then when we go to play it you like will start these "ahs" and sometimes i really cant tell if its just a mistake or if 5:50 PM

J_: (4/4) your doing it on purpose... Same goes with some bass critiqing iv said in the past. 5:50 PM

Me: Yeah, I'm sorry about that, but I don't really hear the parts you want me to do, I hear the parts I want to do. That's just how I approach music making. I'll take advice, but I'm not sure any of it fits. Like in the songs you've already written, I'd like to add my part and make it a song we've written. I understand if you don't like that, definitely, but that's my approach to being in a band with original music. 5:55 PM

Me: It's like a painting with three painters.. if you're telling me what to paint, I don't want to be involved, you know? 5:56 PM

Me: I'm sorry I've never brought this up, but that's how I feel. I guess I was being a bit passive in that I didn't bring it up to you, but I swear I wasn't trying to sabotage songs or anything.. I'm just trying to find my part, and I part I like. 5:59 PM

J_: (1/2) Well i enjoy most of your style, and i agree with your approach, but i dont always like your ideas. In terms of painting, say im trying to paint a snowy 6:00 PM

J_: (2/2) day and you start painting a sun or a dry palm tree. You know what i mean? 6:00 PM

Me: For sure.. So in the ideal band you come up with a snowy palm tree :) Or something like that.. All of my ideas are open to opinion, and I'm willing to try your ideas more if you are more insistent about it, but ultimately if I'm not liking something, I can't get behind it. But please, we should definitely talk about it as it's happening. Be more open to discussing it during practice, etc. Spend time talking about it and stuff. 6:04 PM

Me: We all come from such different places musically that it's going to take work to make us all happy. Definitely. I'm willing to work on it for sure. 6:05 PM

J_: (1/3) Dude it doesnt take that much work to make n_ and i happy. And no my ideal band is not were i create the entire picture myself. Its all about 6:14 PM

J_: (2/3) supporting the music and loving it as an art. Playing music together shouldnt take more work than it already has. It should be more free flowing, i dont 6:14 PM

J_: (3/3) wanna take a week to complete one song because everybodys ideas just keep clashing. 6:14 PM

Me: Alright. Well I think I'll quit then. I love you, I hope we can stay friends, but I think we have fundamental differences in music philosophy. 6:22 PM

J_: Ok man well it is up to you. I def want to stay friends. I love you too man 6:24 PM

Me: Yeah, I think it's for the best. :) 6:25 PM

J_: I agree. Honestly i feel like your more of an axe guy. I see you being the guitarist for more of a wilhem scream type band 6:27 PM

Me: Hopefully one day! Haha 6:28 PM

J_: I will stage dive at all your shows 6:29 PM

Me: :) 6:33 PM

J_: I hope i didnt make any hard feeling s 6:43 PM

Me: No dude, all is well :) 6:48 PM

J_: Ok cool 6:49 PM

No, no hard feelings.  Don't you think I'd stay in the band and be your sycophant if I wasn't prepared for the post-Fizzgig life? :)  No offense man, but your style and philosophy on music is haggard.

Oh yeah, so I quit a band :)

Untitled 29 (Film #23) 21 October 2014

It'd been a Downton kind of week, with some sheer brilliance,

The Last Films I've Seen
1. "4.3," Downton Abbey, Season 4, Episode 3, 2014, Morshead. 10.0.
The best television episode I've seen in a while, even beating this year's season premiere of The Walking Dead.
2. "4.4," Downton Abbey, Season 4, Episode 4, 2014, Morshead, 8.8
3. "4.5," Downton Abbey, Season 4, Episode 5, 2014, John, 9.5/10.
4. "4.6," Downton Abbey, Season 4, Episode 6, 2014, John, 9.6/10.
5. "4.7," Downton Abbey, Season 4, Episode 7, 2014, Hall, 8.8/10.
6. "4.8," Downton Abbey, Season 4, Episode 8, 2014, Hall, 7.2/10.

Untitled 28 (ALATWA #29) 20 October 2014

Last night's The Walking Dead was a bit of a letdown, but it as still nice.

Kelso theater pub, their BBQ Chicken pizza, two snuck in bottles of Elysian Pumpkin Ale, and some friends made for a good time.  You can count on that again on Sunday.

Also, band practice tonight with Fizzgig, I do believe, followed by game night Tuesday, and a book talk on Wednesday at Powell's.  Started talking to Samantha again as well, which is nice.  :)

Untitled 27 (A Look at the Weekend #23) 14 October 2014

It's going to be fun!  Tomorrow night will be band practice, most likely.

Frday night, under the covers band practice will happen.

Saturday we'll head to Portland and I'll go to goodwillbooks, then Music Millenium, then a drum shop for Nate.  Might meet a friend there as well, but we'll see.  Jamming with Derek and considering starting a new band after that. :)  Danny Hoover (ex Countdown to Life) may join us? :)

Sunday perhaps band practice with Fizzgig.

Lots of music!  And fun.

Untitled 26 (Film #22) 14 October 2014

Good movies of late:  Not much, been hiding out in my room.  All about PS3 games.  Beat Diablo 3 and The Last of Us recently.  Fucking around on GTA4 now.

Tried to have Nate watch No Country For Old Men the other day.. that didn't work so well.  He wasn't paying attention.  It's hard to get him to focus on good and interesting things, so there's no point in it.

Sometimes he just won't shut up.  He blabs on and on about jazz, he lets his dog run wild, he makes weird statements about getting a job or going to school (while doing nothing) and he is just a jerk sometimes.

The Last Films I've Seen
1. "4.1," Downton Abbey, Season 4, Episode 1, 2014, Evans. 8.6/10.
It's been a while so I had to sort of re-warm to this series with this episode, but in typical fashion, it becomes more engrossingly authentic as it floats by.  Quality programming.
 2. "No Sanctuary," The Walking Dead, Season 5, Episode 1, 2014, Nicotero, 9.6/10.
Yeah, it's pretty good.
3. "4.2," Downton Abbey, Season 4, Episode 2, 2014, Evans, 7.5/10.
The show, as it is wont to do at times, falls into the realm of historical gossip.  Still a great show, but it tends to do this at times, which keeps it from being a GREAT show.  I've demoted it to 9/10.

Untitled 25 (ALATWA #28) 13 October 2014

Last night, watching The Walking Dead was fun, at the Kelso Theater Pub.  First thing I've watched on the big screen in quite some time.

Band practice tonight.

Game night Tuesday.

No other big plans except Ducks Saturday and Seahawks Sunday.  Both on TV.

The Walking Dead Sunday at Kelso Theater Pub.

I want to practice music every day this week.

I want to write in my blog every day this week as well.

Untitled 24 (Friday Life #25) 10 October 2014

I'm writing this blog post at work, unbeknownst to my co-workers (or so it seems?).  I wish I had a job where this wasn't something I had to hide.

That's the only nugget I have to share for now.

Untitled 23 (Film #21) 7 October 2014

Life is an odd one.  Consciousness is so very strange.

Talking to my roommate last night about life.  He's schizophrenic and says some really odd shit.  He's talked to Satan (he saw glowing red eyes outdoors in the woods when he called out to him).  I dunno... most musicians are pretty fucked up I guess, but dude, this is a whole 'nother level!

It's just a weird situation.

Here's what needs to happen in my life:
Eat right.
Curtail spending.
Save money.
Exercise.
Get Pharmacy tech license.
Research inpatient pharmacy tech requirements.

I'm such a bad narcissist!  I think Southern Baptism allows for that pretty readily.  We all think we're doing the world a service, but in reality we're fucking up things irreparably.

Good movies of late:  Not much, been hiding out in my room.  All about PS3

Untitled 22 (ALATWA #28) 6 October 2014

This week should be pretty interesting, and it starts tonight..  Seahawks are playing MNF against the Redskins.  Two teams drawing on a lot of Native American history/art will be playing the 2014 Native Bowl.

Game night on Tuesday!

Perhaps band practice during the week with Fizzgig.  Also with Under the Covers.

Untitled 21 - Sexual Orientation (Friday Life #25) 14 October 2014

Certain segments of society have changed their position or attitude toward sexual orientation, and certain are remaining the same or getting worse.  Whereas being closeted was the norm in the entertainment industries of the early 1900s to the 1950s-1970s and even later in certain sectors of entertainment, more and more high profile celebrities are coming out and leading their lives openly and freely.  Progress is certainly slow.  For every Ellen Degeneres, there is a Matthew Shepherd, for every Barney Frank, there is Harvey Milk.  For every ACLU, there is a Westboro Baptist Church.  Athletes in the large professional sports of the US (Michael Sam, football & Jason Collins, basketball) are finding it more and more acceptable to express their sexuality in a public court, but just as there is resistance to the acceptance of these things, there is a sort of reverse blowback, where – when these players don’t make the presumably (and most likely truthfully) sports-based cut – gay activists and typically more reasonably-minded progressives get frustrated at a system that they see as prejudiced.  It’s frustrating to that segment of society because they actually have been spurned for years, the “don’t ask-don’t tell” mentality as norm has a huge history in our “freedom for all, but not necessarily for you” cultural consciousness. 
            We evolved as a type of bipolar ape, so it makes sense that our society would have a bit of contradiction built in, and it does.  The march of progress (culturally, not biologically – where "progress" is a bit of a misnomer) is brutally slow for those being perpetually swept under the rug and sometimes literally stomped upon.  Things are changing, but again, for every Frank Ocean, there is a trove of multi-genre hip-hop that still says “fag” this and “fag” that.”  Across the board there is resistance to change and a push for it, and no matter which side you’re on, there isn't an easy solution.