Door to door

Nah, I don’t mind you removing the tables one bit. In fact, it actually looks better. Thanks a ton.

Ironically, I also went to Best Buy today. I didn’t pick up the 7 Television Commercials DVD though…but I did purchase the Year of the Rabbit CD. Gabe played it for me on the way to see The Casket Lottery in L.A., but I had decided that I would need to hear it again before I passed any solid judgment on it. Right now as I type away at this post I’m listening to it for the second time, just trying to absorb it. I’ll let you know how that goes.

Good point about Futurama and King of the Hill. King of the Hill has been very funny recently, and it’s steadily gotten that way over the years. I did see the first season out on DVD but I don’t remember that one well enough to warrant an immediate purchase.
One day I’ll have to watch Casablanca, I’ve never seen it either. It’s a classic of course, and some circles refer to it as the best movie of all time. Required viewing for us…

Mmm…steel cut oats. I really liked the steel cut oats they had in Santa Barbara. I thought about driving over to get some more, but I’ll have to try yours instead.

Casa Radiohead

I just got back from Best Buy. I purchased the Casablanca and Radiohead: 7 Television Commercials DVDs. Sweet. Can't wait to see them.

Since Monday, we've posted every day! Hooray for us!

Things I forgot to mention: Onelinedrawing. Good show. It was sweltering hot but Jonah knows how to put on a good show. This time around he had a backing band. He still played solo a song or three but it was cool to hear a full band. The Hulk. I saw it again and it was just as good. The scene with him and the tanks was awesome. I have to say it's one of the better CGI scenes around.

Brock, your Santa Barbara experience sounds interesting. Mmm, steel cut Irish oats. I have a can of some -- McCann's, imported from Ireland. I'll have to make you a bowl sometime!

Tables and Such

I hope you don't mind, Brock, but I removed your tables. Looks good.

Word on The Simpsons and Futurama. I think King of the Hill, 2nd Season comes out soon too. It's probably the least humorous of the three, but there are still some super dang funny episodes. I'm not sure which season, though, it became better. Man, how many times have they cancelled Futurama? Seems like a few and they kept bringing it back. They should've put it in place where all the other shows were failing, the slot Oliver Bean was in.

Fickle

Ok, so I’ve learned that the blog isn’t a fan of tables. My bad. I promise, the next few posts in my little series will have nothing to do with em. Sorry for the distress.

Check this out fans of Matt Groening, DVD’s for his two animated sit-coms are coming out between this month and next month, Futurama Volume 2 and The Simpsons Season 3. As you might know, The Simpsons started to get truly satirical around the third season, and the DVD is proof of that. In fact, some of my favorite episodes are going to be on this third DVD (like the episode where Homer wins an award from Mr. Burns for being sterile from nuclear radiation).
Regarding Futurama, you might also know that Fox sadly canceled the show a short while ago. I guess that’s what happens when the network keeps preempting primetime shows with Baseball games…
Bitterness aside though, the second volume of Futurama looks to be funny too. That’ll probably be my DVD madness for the next two moths. I still need to check out Solaris though. I think Gabe made a wise purchase, and I’ve also been considering giving that movie a second chance. Most likely I was too fickle the first time around and disregarded the film as “stupid” simply because I was overly confused. I do think that some of the film’s shots and ideas were brilliant.

Initech

I love the play on that company name from Office Space. Initech, sounds like: Anytech. Well, the company I work for can be filed under that generalization of tech companies. Today, I'm a bit joyous. I'm moving! No, not to the basement clutching my precious stapler while mumbling how I'll burn the place down. I'm actually "movin' on up." Pay raise? Promotion? If only! I'm litterly moving up, as in upstairs. Why am I so excited? Let me es-plain.

For the past year or so, I've been sitting in a hallway by a door. People constantly come in and out. There are a couple people that have the nasty habit of swinging the door wide open, as if they were twice their actual size. Of course that means I get to hear the door slam, whilst my papers blow all over the place. And that's not the worst part. There's a guy that sits right behind me who's as loud as DC-10 engine. He speaks 3-6 decibles louder than the average person. It's insane!! Finally, I'm getting away from it, in my own cube in a quiet area.

Where's my stapler!?

*sigh*

Ok, I've edited that last post at least ten times over and republished the blog, and the text for the Hearst's Castle bit still seems to be out of whack. Also, I tried to fix the large gaps in between the paragraphs, but no matter what I do, Blogger doesn't seem to update my code. I try again later, but it shouldn't look like that. *grumble*

Brock's Adventures Day 2-4: Of Hemp and the Homeless

The next day after leaving Gabe and Rebeckah, I joined up with my family and we drove up the coast to the small town of Santa Barbara. In the nighttime fog the ocean spray and jagged rocks of the shore contrasted brilliantly with the soft glow that emanated from the buildings and homes established along the road. It was very picturesque and even a touch eerie. To compliment the dark atmosphere I placed Nirvana’s Unplugged into the CD player and enjoyed the moody atmosphere. Finally, after about 2 hours of driving we arrived in Santa Barbara, or what I would later deem to be Santa Barbaric. My hotel room was rather nice, but it faced one of the main streets that ran through the little town, and as a result I had more then my fair glimpse of the homeless. Moreover, cars seemed to be driving by every few seconds due to the intersection being merely feet away. However, the window to my room was big enough that if I stood up to it I could see a large portion of the town as well as the mountainous regions in the distance.

Although the poverty made for a sad sight, it was nice to have a good view of Santa Barbara from my hotel room. Suffering from insomnia afforded me plenty of time to admire the nightlife of the streets as I tried to wrestle myself to sleep. Perhaps I’m being too critical of my insomniac inclinations though. You see, the neighbors above us felt this pressing need to play rap and hip hop music full blast from dusk to daybreak. Most of the residents of the hotel seemed to simply grin and bear it, and I didn’t really mind it too much. Once morning came though, I got a very different view of the town.

You see, down here in Phoenix we have this little sub-city called Tempe that’s positioned near the Arizona State University. The result is that Tempe has taken on the visage of your typical college town, another Oxford for example. My first night staying in Santa Barbara spawned the opinion that it was a barbaric little berg, besieged by destitution and unseemliness. Once daylight came however, the town of Santa Barbara was really no different from Tempe (save for the fact that an ocean surrounded Santa Barbara). Little coffee houses and restaurants offered breakfasts that departed from the typical bacon and eggs fare. At one place they had steel cut oats fresh from Ireland and poached eggs served on olive toast with artichoke garnish. Similarly, Santa Barbara boasted its own little independent music store similar to Tempe’s Stinkweeds. When I first saw it while strolling down the city streets I had sworn someone had carved out my own personal little haven for me. Littering the store windows and obscuring the insides were tons of great music posters. Most of all, the suggestive artwork of Radiohead’s Hail to the Thief covered the shop window like wallpaper. I didn’t buy anything too special at that store, but I finally found a copy of Blur’s 13.
Two other stores I ran into at Santa Barbara were a comic store (where I caught up on my Spider-Man fix) and the infamous Church of Skatan’. Longtime skaters might know the Church by its well-known reputation of transforming an old Catholic Church into what is currently a skateboard store. True to form, it looked more like a Church on the inside than a skateboard store. Stained glass windows and red carpeting were contrasted with skateboard decks and wheels. Wooden pillars and the alters of worship were no longer adorned in religious testaments but now sported gigantic posters of skateboard pros like Chad Muska. It was hilarious to be sure…

When nighttime approached the pleasant little college town transformed once again from a peach-tile jungle into a neon-lit menagerie. I stopped and had dinner at this great little Mexican restaurant that was nestled in between two large buildings and down an alleyway, and I saw the city’s homeless march themselves out into the streets to display signs that read, “A city stricken by poverty” and of course the trademark “the end is near”.
(Keep in mind, I would later on learn that this was nothing compared to the mass poverty of San Francisco)

After staying Saturday night in my hotel room we got up bright and early the next day to begin our trek to San Francisco.


Hearst’s Castle:

Built many years ago by publishing giant William Randolph Hearst, Hearst’s Castle remains to be one of the most prominent historical house museums in the country. Once we had cleared Santa Barbara we came into San Simeon to briefly visit Hearst’s Castle. Unfortunately though, the last tour of the day had left the visiting center for the castle by the time we arrived. As a result, I had to scope out the castle through some coin-operated binoculars positioned on a little cliff. Even glancing at it from a distance though proved that Hearst’s Castle was quite large. Maybe next time I’m in that area I’ll actually take the guided tour.

Commercialicious

Oh, and Radiohead's 7 Television Commercials came out on DVD yesterday. I'm going to need to do me some shoppin'!!

Item 1 and 2

Of course I had to spell Ikea incorrectly. It's in my blood to have typing mishaps like that happen.

Good news for the Hulk! I'll be looking forward to that DVD. I think X-Men 2 is supposed to come out on DVD too around that time. I could be wrong, but if so then it'll be a good day indeed.

I should have my next post up today for my trip-blog dealy. I finished writing it but I need to work out a few things on it before I stick it up. It'll cover stuff that Gabe and you guys haven't heard yet, which is a good thing.

Hulk DVD

Hulk on DVD will be out October 28th. It will be a two disc set. Can't wait for that one!

No Ikea Boy Here

Oh, yeah. Day 2 we went to Ikea, but I only purchased some shelves and a couple stools. I have no room devoted to Ikea furniture and such. I think Fight Club had the wrong view of Ikea. They are the poor man's home furnishing store, not the store of the exclusive, rich preppy person.

Today the movie classic, Casablanca, comes out on DVD. I just might pick it up. Widely considered one of the best movies ever, a required classic. Despite it's reputation, I have yet to see it.

Complete as in boring

You're snubbing my vibe Gabe...hee hee. Yeah, I know that you're already familiar with my first day in California, but I wanted to create a complete guide to my trip in Cali. Day 1 to Day whatever, it has to be detailed! Besides, I wanted to talk about the show. I know you already gave a fantastic commentary on it, so I didn't want to step on your toes or anything. I'm just starting from page one so to speak.

So should I leave out the bit about you being an Ikia boy?

Better Off

I already know about your first day, I was there! Just kidding. There are a couple other site reader's that may want to know about Brock's first day. I'm looking forward to the following days, however.

Possiblies and Maybes is definitely an awesome CD. I've listened to it like crazy! That was the other treat of the show -- we got a copy of the CD before it came out. It's still not out! But if you're waiting for it, you won't be disappointed.

Brock’s Adventures in California, Day 1: Blessed/Blessed

“Hi guys, come on in,” Rocky Votolato said as Gabe, Rebeckah and myself entered into the living room of the appropriately named Zac’s house. Before us stood Rocky at the forefront of a small, but devoted group of underground music fans. Despite being right in the middle of his set the musician paid no mind to the intrusion of his new guests. Instead, he flashed a smile and turned right back into his song (which was yet another viable conception of Rocky’s hushed energy). It was here, in the living room of a homeowner named Zac that we gathered to see Rocky Votolato and his good friends The Casket Lottery play one of their most entertaining and intimate sets in personal memory. The blue carpet and stucco walls was every bit an intricate distinction of the band’s show as was their songs. Warm and personable, this felt like a moment in time that had been set aside for The Casket Lottery and Rocky to play to their fans, minus the obnoxious detractors (mostly) and venue politics. Proceeding his quiet but insightful set (concluded by what he deemed to be a new song, Alabaster) Rocky stepped aside for the main event: The Casket Lottery. After a short break and the instruments had been set up Nathan Ellis and his band set forth to conquer the crowd. Starting off with their notorious favorite, What I Built Last Night, The Casket Lottery engulfed that living room with honored classics like Jealousy on Tap and new classics like Since You and Sick.

In addition to these amazing songs the band’s personable tone led to some interesting commentary by their frontman. “This next song is for Rocky” he declared before playing On the Air, “Because if there was any justice, he’d be on the radio and not the crap that’s currently being played on it.” At other times a fan would occasionally venture forth with a request. “I’m sorry,” Ellis offered after hearing a request for Six Different Ways. “We don’t do well with requests.” While the last show they had played in Phoenix had been nice, this night’s performance showcased the band in rare form. Seemingly free of any inhibitions, they tore through each song with a lively happenstance. They were an innocent band having fun and experienced musicians seeping proficiency in the same breath. Perhaps it was the setting, or the audience, or a number of other factors, but The Casket Lottery delivered a solid set. Energetic and intimate, it was a setting we all dream about seeing our favorite band play in. Earlier in the evening we had all discussed the possibility of Zac’s venue actually being a house in the middle of a suburban neighborhood. Implications aside, it was in its own little way their answer to an episode of MTV’s “Unplugged”. It was an evening with The Casket Lottery and Rocky Votolato in the living room of a quiet and pleasant home. They’re cursed by a self-serving music industry, yes, but this night proved that they were blessed in their own unique way as well.



Possiblies and Maybes:

Years of recording have provided The Casket Lottery with their own unique armada of fan favorites and covers. Now, after gathering some of their most infamously unknown hits together, The Casket Lottery presents their fan base with Possiblies and Maybes, a shinny new work that completes their catalogue. It’s here that we can listen to some of their infamous sonic achievements, such as Lost At Sea or A Priest Walks Into A Bar. Meanwhile, other songs like Unteen and Synchronicity II spout forth from being darkened shut-ins to newfound gems. All in all, Possiblies and Maybes is a perfect collection for the fan desiring completeness in all of us. Moreover, it’s a treat to new fans that want to trace the band’s career up to their current point. Well worth the purchase, Possiblies and Maybes rarely left my CD player while I was in San Francisco. I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed.