It's time to bid farewell to 2010, forever closed off to our memories and the history books. Yesterday, I realized a somewhat stunning feat in that I went to WrestleMania XXVI in Glendale, AZ, on March 28, 2010, and then Monday Night RAW in Phoenix the next night, and those were the only two wrestling events I attended the entire year. For a dedicated fan who used to attend a dozen wrestling shows each year (and I didn't even try to keep count at my peak in 2007), this was shocking. Understandable, but shocking. Afterall, Shawn Michaels is my all-time favorite wrestler and he retired this year. Additionally, Impact Zone Wrestling was where I attended most of my live wrestling events and I disassociated from them at the end of last year. Besides, subtract my time left after all the Jeordie gigs and there wasn't much free time for local wrestling.
Regardless, I made a lot of time for WWE on Monday nights and Thursday nights. I didn't have much time for Friday nights or their online events. I barely watched half of the WWE pay-per-view events throughout the year. So, this year will be the most limited pool of reference, but it's almost a prerequisite for any dedicated wrestling to rattle off a few Year-End Achievement Awards, so permit me to provide mine for the year gone by.
WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: The Miz.
Runner-Up: Kane
Think of it this way, if this year is going to be remembered for any one particular wrestler, then it would be The Miz. John Cena had a ho-hum year. Randy Orton ran a bit hot-and-cold. And Kane may have logged the best year of his entire career, but it was often overshadowed by his challengers. Conversely, The Miz started the year beating Shawn Michaels for the last championship on his resume, picked up steam before and after WrestleMania, secured his place as an upper mid-carder at Money In the Bank, and finally, cashed in his prize to end the year as WWE Champion. When fans are supposed to hate him, there are many who love him so he is almost the anti-John Cena. Except, one thing both men clearly have in common: an indefatigable passion for the business.
MATCH OF THE YEAR: Shawn Michaels versus Undertaker, WrestleMania XXVI.
Runner-Up: John Cena versus Batista, WrestleMania XXVI.
While I have no complaints about the match quality throughout the year, there were hardly any matches that left fans breathless from beginning to end. Subtracted from the pool were both Bragging Rights (Dolph Ziggler versus Bryan Danielson) and TLC (Sheamus versus John Morrison), so maybe I would have a different opinion with a more informed opinion. Regardless, WrestleMania featured a monsterous card of marquee matches with a WWE championship match that was five years in the making, a grudge match that was 13 years in the making, and the most important WrestleMania Rematch in all 26 years. At the end of the night, John Cena and Batista had the fans eating out of the palm of their hands, but Shawn Michaels and Undertaker had the lasting WrestleMania moment as they ended the career of the greatest in-ring performer of all time.
FEUD OF THE YEAR: John Cena versus Nexus.
Runner-Up: Undertaker versus Kane.
After drawing over 80,000 fans for WrestleMania 23, John Cena only had one challenge remaining to reach a legendary status, and that was to get over without the benefit of the WWE championship. Feuds with Big Show and The Miz were unsuccessful attempts, but his trials with Nexus captured the fans' attention unlike any other throughout the year. My controversial runner-up was benefitted by the fact that the historically obligatory Hell in a Cell between Undertaker and Kane became a reality (regardless how disappointing the match itself was). Issues between Randy Orton & Sheamus were of minimal interest. The next closest runner-up would probably have been The Miz and his first NXT protege.
TEAM OF THE YEAR: The Nexus.
Runner-Up: ShowMiz.
Without question, this honor belongs to the cast of NXT, Season 1. While the participants originally looked as though they could not be any more different, their union surprisingly did not take long to buy. For seven guys whose presence recoiled an already low rating from ECW, synergy proved to be their greatest asset as the whole was truly worth more than the sum of its parts. At least leading into the main event of SummerSlam. After SummerSlam, fans had different opinions on where the group should have been used. Regardless, the tag team scene was a virtual wasteland. John Morrison & R-Truth also made a formidable team and the Hart Dynasty got its time in the sun, but the runner-up honor was given to ShowMiz by virtue of starting the quick launch of The Miz.
WOMAN OF THE YEAR: Vickie Guerrero.
Runner-Up: Michelle McCool.
World Wrestling Entertainment is subtly turning mysogynistic with their strongest Diva characters always being heel. Regardless, it is hard to hate a truly good heel, and both Vickie Guerrero and Michelle McCool proved themselves as such throughout the year. Not that there was much in terms of competition for WWE Divas this year as their division became single-branded, much like the tag division did last year. There is plenty of room for the fans to rally behind their favorite WWE Diva but, since the release of Mickie James, that position has yet to be filled.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Wade Barrett.
The creation of NXT provided a lot of opportunity for newer stars to catch fire, but thusfar, the only person who has really been elevated to a higher level has been Wade Barrett, and rightly so. The man has a natural ability with a well-earned level of confidence. Hopefully, Wade Barrett will be a major contender for years to come. He is definitely World championship material, but whether that feat materializes has yet to be seen.
EVENT OF THE YEAR: WrestleMania XXVI.
I withheld the assignment of a runner-up, but without question, WrestleMania XXVI was the biggest event of the year. Notwithstanding a huge miscalculation for the World championship match (the title should have stayed on Undertaker with HBK winning his last Royal Rumble to put Edge/Jericho as a solid midcard match instead of a forced main event), this event saw the culmination of numerous years of history. From Bret/McMahon to the Legacy triple threat, it was hard to find a weak match on the card (although I bet most fans would have named ShowMiz versus John Morrison & R-Truth if forced to choose).
Friday, December 31, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
This is why I hate Christmas...
For starters, I should preface this entire entry by saying that I don't like surprises! This includes presents. My friends don't celebrate my birthday (I don't really even give them a chance by keeping my birthday a secret), and I don't care for Christmas presents most of the time. I think it's ridiculous that the calendar determines when someone is obligated to buy something for me, and then they spend money (they often don't have) on something (I often don't need) just because they know me.
 |
| My coolest gift ever! |
This fully excludes buying me something with a certainty that I would like it. It even excludes getting things that people genuinely believe I need or want, although that is a slippery slope right into the above-referenced drawback of presents.
Buying a "Christmas present" for me in the manner described above comes with a lot of additional pressure. The buyer is hoping that the receiver will appreciate it greatly. The receiver is hoping that they will feel grateful. And onlookers, if any, are hoping that the exchange will result in a moment of overwhelming joy.
That's a lot to ask out of an obligation.
Case in point, here is what I received this Christmas:
- GPS from my family (I've never wanted a GPS, and I love finding places on my own - most of the time, so I suspect this expensive device will get minimal usage).
- Marvel T-shirt from Jeordie (I don't read comics - she later exchanged it for an extremely useful pair of slippers for me).
- Lime green Mohegan Sun T-shirt from Chad (I don't care for the color, but I dig the venue).
- Little stocking with "K" on it from Jeordie (more later).
- "The Dangerous Book for Boys" from Melanie (I'm 30+, although I have a nephew at the right age so reading through this book should improve interactions with him).
- Loot of books & candy from Samm Tyler, Jeordie's friend (very appreciated).
- Dinner at Pita Jungle from Amy (delicious, and totally unexpected)
 |
| Have a Very Penny Christmas! |
My favorite gift? The "K" stocking because it held a peronalized note from Jeordie & Chad thanking me for everything I've done for them over the past year (and longer). Also, I like the stocking because I can put my Canadian hockey puck in it (which is probaby the best gift I've ever been given, and Jeordie only bought it for me because she knew I cheer hockey teams from Canada).
Later on, I found out that Melanie had purchased the book I received a while ago but, as she explained, "I was just waiting to find the right person to give it to," so those words alone made the book significantly more valuable to me. She scoffed at my suggestion that I'd need my nephew to maximize the value of the book, stating that there is a young boy in every grown man. Maybe so, I just don't get along with mine very well at all.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Impulse Buy
Tonight, the following words finally won me over: "Vintage Kay acoustic, all original, nice straight neck, nice action, a very cool guitar, super nice condition, has the original soft case. $25.00 for lower USA lower 48 states shipping."
It didn't take long to finalize the buy, relatively speaking. It started the day before, after my workplace's Holiday Gala (it's in honor of Christmas mostly), when I popped my head into a Best Buy to pick up the new GNR album for $.99, because another Best Buy near work had it for that price, so I figured every location was running the same deal. Not the case here, but this location did have an adjacent guitar shop, so I decided to saunter around there for a bit. In other words, a cute girl walked into that room, so I followed her.
Once in the room though, my eyes immediately affixed on a guitar that I had wanted since I was about 15-years-old. It was an Ovation guitar styled almost identical to the guitar Mark Kendall played on MTV Unplugged during Great White's incredible performance of "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" in 1990. I always felt that performance was one of the reasons that show succeeded. Mark Kendall was more or less the main reason I wanted to learn how to play guitar. He was one of the biggest influences throughout my adolesence (Shawn Michaels was the other).
All things considered, I think Mark Kendall hit closer to home as a direct influence on my life. There were two things I immediately knew that I had in common with him: we were both Taurus and our last names started with a "K" (not that I readily admit it nowadays). He was listed as The K in their "Hooked" album, and that's where my pen name originated. I thought he was the coolest-looking musician of the day, and yet he didn't have any visible tattooes or piercings. It was my proof that I could be cool without either. Whether or not I was ever cool is another story, but I did learn to play guitar. Eventually, I even had my first (and only) ever live performance in July 2003, but gradually after that time, I slipped away from music as a hobby. It was replaced with local wrestling, and Impact Zone Wrestling acquired the majority of my free time.
That guitar was extremely enticing at the time, especially since Gilby Clarke has given me a fondness towards pawnshop guitars. But it was marked around $350 and (the real deal breaker) it had a broken tuning key. I opted against the impulse purchase (as I do with >90% of impulse buys) but I mentioned it to the guys in The Mixology Project when I got back, and they schooled me briefly on the history of Kay guitars, noting that it was a line of guitars from Montgomery Wards. Their history lesson wasn't fully accurate, but it was intriguing enough to be memorable to me. At that point, I made a mental note to make my next guitar purchase be a Kay guitar.
Therefore, the biggest drawback on Saturday evening to buying this (original) "dream" guitar wasn't that it was priced at $450, even though I knew I wouldn't get more than $200 of play out of it, but I would be breaking that promise to myself. I went home and jumped on eBay to price Kay guitars. I saw a rather attractive Kay guitar priced very cheap with an intriguing write-up:
Up for bidding is a VINTAGE KAY Acoustic Parlor Guitar from the 1950's or 60's!!
This Vintage guitar belonged to my brother in law who was the drummer for-
John Lennon & The Elephant's Memory Plastic Ono Band!!
Let me explain a little more in detail -
Elephant's Memory were a great NYC band signed to the APPLE record label.
John liked this band so much he chose them to be his new backing band.
My brother in law played with John on -
the "Sometime In New York City" album as well as played live,
and in the studio w/ him on numerous occasions as well as TV show appearances.
They spent alot of time together in the early 70's.
I grew up around the greatest stories a kid could have believe me! =)
I heard stories about everyone that a teenager becoming a musician idolizes!
He played w/ everyone from Louis Armstrong to Jimi Hendrix!
He was a great drummer, a great friend and an amazing brother!
I miss him everyday very much.
Please read about Elephant's Memory here -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant's_Memory
And here he is playing "New York City" w/ John Lennon -
LIVE @ Madison Square Garden 1972-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBUMpEwvLLQ
We used to jam on the holidays with this little guitar...good times!
I got this guitar after he passed away 11 years ago.
It's a special guitar to me but -
- sadly it must go to a new home so I don't lose mine. =)
THIS IS A REAL DEAL PIECE OF ROCK N ROLL HISTORY!
This wonderful classic guitar in good visual condition but it may need some restoration work.
It has a "Steel reinforced neck" so the truss rod is not adjustable at all.
The neck might need a reset or a bolt down like I see people do or just file the bridge down.
It has high action past the 5th fret but is comfy for playing before that.
It has it's dings & dents but it's a real vintage guitar that's been everywhere...so, yeah it's cool!
This could be an amazing project guitar to turn into something insane!
It comes with the original Alligator style case w/ Blue inside...groovy old school man!
It's selling here for alot less than anyone else who sells these types would sell it for!
Save your $$$ and buy this one! Just give it some love and it will be one sweet killer guitar!
THIS GUITAR IS A CLASSIC PIECE of ROCK N ROLL HISTORY!!!!
This is great sounding old parlor guitar and I've written many songs on it!
It's a real Beauty too, pretty & stylish.
This cool guitar is ideal for collecting, a great conversation piece or great for display!!!!
Would make a great Holiday Gift Idea for the musician, or John Lennon fan!
It is a beautiful example of the original Made in USA VALCO guitars of the 50's & 60's!
Honestly, I am not sure how much of that write-up I believe is true, but it was priced at a starting bid of $79. Unfortunately, there was only an hour left on the auction when I came across it. It ended with no bidders. Afterwards, I wrote the seller to note my interest and I gave him a straight-up deal on what I was looking for mostly. I think he was offended. His response was helpful and polite, but he basically noted that this guitar was for serious collectors only.
Luckily, there were several other Kay guitars available on eBay for varying prices from $50 to $5,000.
The seller of the aforementioned eBay auction did note a few things to be wary about when buying a guitar sight-unseen, namely how difficult it is to ship a guitar through the mail and a few key terms to indicate if a guitar is "ready-to-play" or a "fixer-upper."
Shortly thereafter, my attention started leaning towards this guitar. I liked how the neck had the brand name clearly displayed, just so there was no question that it was "my" guitar. Plus, the music note on the pick guard was classic. It was only priced at $150 for the guitar and the original case. And the seller had a 9500 rating with eBay. The auction listed it as "SUPER NICE" (another apt description of myself) so I felt this seller was being honest (especially based on his positive feedback and comments).
Not that I bought it immediately!
I first saw the auction on Saturday night, and it was a "Buy It Now" listing open for the next 23 days. Originally, I planned to buy it after Christmas if it were still available and if I hadn't found any other guitar by then. But the next morning, I looked at the auction a couple more times, and later that day, I found myself deciding that I would be quite disappointed if someone else bought it. I figured I had enough waiter's remorse to risk having buyer's remorse. Plus, it was about $300 less than what I was almost willing to pay 24 hours early for a guitar, so I decided to buy it.
Spending $175 so close to Christmas was not an issue. I simply used my Cashback balance with Discover card to fund the purchase (something I had previously planned to do in November 2009 when I bought my new television on Black Friday). Now begins a waiting game for it to arrive, but like What Made Milwaukee Famous said, "the waiting's not the anguish, it's the ride!"
 |
| My first guitar purchase in about 8 years |
Once in the room though, my eyes immediately affixed on a guitar that I had wanted since I was about 15-years-old. It was an Ovation guitar styled almost identical to the guitar Mark Kendall played on MTV Unplugged during Great White's incredible performance of "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" in 1990. I always felt that performance was one of the reasons that show succeeded. Mark Kendall was more or less the main reason I wanted to learn how to play guitar. He was one of the biggest influences throughout my adolesence (Shawn Michaels was the other).
All things considered, I think Mark Kendall hit closer to home as a direct influence on my life. There were two things I immediately knew that I had in common with him: we were both Taurus and our last names started with a "K" (not that I readily admit it nowadays). He was listed as The K in their "Hooked" album, and that's where my pen name originated. I thought he was the coolest-looking musician of the day, and yet he didn't have any visible tattooes or piercings. It was my proof that I could be cool without either. Whether or not I was ever cool is another story, but I did learn to play guitar. Eventually, I even had my first (and only) ever live performance in July 2003, but gradually after that time, I slipped away from music as a hobby. It was replaced with local wrestling, and Impact Zone Wrestling acquired the majority of my free time.My first interest in getting a new guitar came unexpectedly while I was on an overnight trip to Flagstaff this past summer. I popped my head into a Super Pawn shop to browse, and I saw a guitar there with my name on it. Literally!
That guitar was extremely enticing at the time, especially since Gilby Clarke has given me a fondness towards pawnshop guitars. But it was marked around $350 and (the real deal breaker) it had a broken tuning key. I opted against the impulse purchase (as I do with >90% of impulse buys) but I mentioned it to the guys in The Mixology Project when I got back, and they schooled me briefly on the history of Kay guitars, noting that it was a line of guitars from Montgomery Wards. Their history lesson wasn't fully accurate, but it was intriguing enough to be memorable to me. At that point, I made a mental note to make my next guitar purchase be a Kay guitar.
Therefore, the biggest drawback on Saturday evening to buying this (original) "dream" guitar wasn't that it was priced at $450, even though I knew I wouldn't get more than $200 of play out of it, but I would be breaking that promise to myself. I went home and jumped on eBay to price Kay guitars. I saw a rather attractive Kay guitar priced very cheap with an intriguing write-up:
Up for bidding is a VINTAGE KAY Acoustic Parlor Guitar from the 1950's or 60's!!
This Vintage guitar belonged to my brother in law who was the drummer for-
John Lennon & The Elephant's Memory Plastic Ono Band!!
Let me explain a little more in detail -
Elephant's Memory were a great NYC band signed to the APPLE record label.
John liked this band so much he chose them to be his new backing band.
My brother in law played with John on -
the "Sometime In New York City" album as well as played live,
and in the studio w/ him on numerous occasions as well as TV show appearances.
They spent alot of time together in the early 70's.
I grew up around the greatest stories a kid could have believe me! =)
I heard stories about everyone that a teenager becoming a musician idolizes!
He played w/ everyone from Louis Armstrong to Jimi Hendrix!
He was a great drummer, a great friend and an amazing brother!
I miss him everyday very much.
Please read about Elephant's Memory here -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant's_Memory
And here he is playing "New York City" w/ John Lennon -
LIVE @ Madison Square Garden 1972-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBUMpEwvLLQ
We used to jam on the holidays with this little guitar...good times!
I got this guitar after he passed away 11 years ago.
It's a special guitar to me but -
- sadly it must go to a new home so I don't lose mine. =)
THIS IS A REAL DEAL PIECE OF ROCK N ROLL HISTORY!
This wonderful classic guitar in good visual condition but it may need some restoration work.
It has a "Steel reinforced neck" so the truss rod is not adjustable at all.
The neck might need a reset or a bolt down like I see people do or just file the bridge down.
It has high action past the 5th fret but is comfy for playing before that.
It has it's dings & dents but it's a real vintage guitar that's been everywhere...so, yeah it's cool!
This could be an amazing project guitar to turn into something insane!
It comes with the original Alligator style case w/ Blue inside...groovy old school man!
It's selling here for alot less than anyone else who sells these types would sell it for!
Save your $$$ and buy this one! Just give it some love and it will be one sweet killer guitar!
THIS GUITAR IS A CLASSIC PIECE of ROCK N ROLL HISTORY!!!!
This is great sounding old parlor guitar and I've written many songs on it!
It's a real Beauty too, pretty & stylish.
This cool guitar is ideal for collecting, a great conversation piece or great for display!!!!
Would make a great Holiday Gift Idea for the musician, or John Lennon fan!
It is a beautiful example of the original Made in USA VALCO guitars of the 50's & 60's!
Luckily, there were several other Kay guitars available on eBay for varying prices from $50 to $5,000.
The seller of the aforementioned eBay auction did note a few things to be wary about when buying a guitar sight-unseen, namely how difficult it is to ship a guitar through the mail and a few key terms to indicate if a guitar is "ready-to-play" or a "fixer-upper."
Not that I bought it immediately!
I first saw the auction on Saturday night, and it was a "Buy It Now" listing open for the next 23 days. Originally, I planned to buy it after Christmas if it were still available and if I hadn't found any other guitar by then. But the next morning, I looked at the auction a couple more times, and later that day, I found myself deciding that I would be quite disappointed if someone else bought it. I figured I had enough waiter's remorse to risk having buyer's remorse. Plus, it was about $300 less than what I was almost willing to pay 24 hours early for a guitar, so I decided to buy it.
Spending $175 so close to Christmas was not an issue. I simply used my Cashback balance with Discover card to fund the purchase (something I had previously planned to do in November 2009 when I bought my new television on Black Friday). Now begins a waiting game for it to arrive, but like What Made Milwaukee Famous said, "the waiting's not the anguish, it's the ride!"
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Wiser Time: 2011 Overview
"Youth is wasted on the young."
It's an old adage, and it's so very true. At the ages when we can take the greatest risk, we feel the most insecure. At least, in terms of finances. Therefore, next year, for the first time in my life, I am going to trust the words of the media, or at least, let a financial advisor guide me in my upcoming fiscal year. Of course, I'm talking about Mo Ansari (president of Compaq Asset Management) whose radio show I listen to most evenings on KFNN 1510, Radio That Makes You Money.
Honestly, there's another caveat fueling my decision as well. I want to introduce an actively managed fund into my portfolio, also for the first time in my life. Two years ago, I introduced the Vanguard Total Bond Market Index fund to provide a stronger hedge against stocks. For the past several months, and every time I listen to Market Wrap nowadays, Mo Anasari is warning investors that the bond market is doomed for a retreat due to overcrowding, comparing it to the tech stocks of 2000 and the real estate market of 2006. Granted, if you want to get someone's attention, those two events are how to do it, so he may just have a flair for drama, but I respect his opinion, and the only way I will be able to track his word is if I put it into active practice.
In fairness, it is not just Mo Ansari advising against the bond markets. Even Vanguard.com, which provides my 401(k) has an article entitled "Vanguard's investment chief cautions bond investors." Inside is an interview with Chief Investment Officer Gus Sauter who notes, "I'm increasingly worried that people aren't aware of the risks in the bond market. (New bonds) have very low interest rate levels. But at some point, the economy will strengthen and those interest rates will rebound. Investors who have pushed out further on the yield curve by investing in longer-term bonds will then see a greater decline in the principal value of their investments."
Therefore, in 2011, I am going to direct no new money into bonds. Keep in mind, my allocation into the bond market won't change at all, just the new money is going to be directed 100% into the stock markets, so when I rebalance quarterly, there will be bigger moves than $200 here to there like I saw this past year.
The active fund that I am introducing is the Vanguard PRIMECAP Fund (Fund #59). Unfortunately for individual investors who may be interested in the fund, this is a closed fund. The only new money coming into this fund is through a Vanguard 401(k), which I have through work so I am able to invest money there.
Mo Ansari always discusses the importance of having an "exit strategy" in place when introducing a new fund. At this point, I am looking for this fund to take the place of half my large stock money, so whereas I have a portion in international stocks, a portion in aggressive stocks, and a portion in large stocks, I will now have portions in international stocks, aggressive stocks, indexed large stocks, and active large stocks. As I age and grow more conservative, my balance in aggressive stocks will dwindle first. If all goes well, then I would keep this new fund in balance with the index fund. If its performance consistently under-performs the index fund for two straight years, then I will move out of the fund.
Unlike two years ago when I directed only new money into the Vanguard Total Bond Market Index fund, I am going to boost this one by moving some money into the new fund. The overall focus is on my asset allocation, which currently looks like this:
Fund # - Real / Current / Target
Fund 24 - 25% / 25% / 25%
Fund 29 - 5% / 5% / 5%
Fund 84 - 10% / 10% / 10%
Fund 85 - 50% / 50% / 50%
Fund 113 - 10% / 10% / 10%
What I am looking to do is change it to look like this:
Fund # - Real / Current / Target
Fund 24 - 25% / 10% / 25%
Fund 29 - 5% / 0% / 5%
Fund 59 - 0% / 50% / 25%
Fund 84 - 10% / 0% / 10%
Fund 85 - 50% / 35% / 25%
Fund 113 - 10% / 5% / 10%
Keep in mind, I am not abandoning my own instincts either. Another popular market right now is the gold market, and in my personal opinion, I would compare this market to the tech stocks of 2000 and the real estate market of 2006. I think the investors in those notorious pitfalls are looking more towards gold than they are to bonds. I have the option to invest in the Precious Metals & Mining fund, but I am going to shy away from it. Although my brother-in-law noted that his father has been encouraging him to invest in that market, and Mo Ansari has been presenting both sides of the story, so hopefully, that market will either boom or peter in the next year. But I'm expecting it to tank just based on the personality of the investors I believe getting into that market right now.
This is my overview for 2011. I am passively retreating from bonds in the short term but I am retaining them in my asset allocation, and I am actively introducing actively-managed funds in hopes that they can outpace the markets most years.
DISCLAIMER: I am neither licensed nor permitted to give specific financial advice, so if you want investment recommendations, then please consult with a financial advisor or reputable financial sources; my favorite website is CNNFN.com and my favorite radio station is KFNN 1510 AM "Radio That Makes You Money." Additional information and financial tools can be found at Vanguard.com. The investment decisions presented above were tailored to my risk tolerance and my financial goals.
It's an old adage, and it's so very true. At the ages when we can take the greatest risk, we feel the most insecure. At least, in terms of finances. Therefore, next year, for the first time in my life, I am going to trust the words of the media, or at least, let a financial advisor guide me in my upcoming fiscal year. Of course, I'm talking about Mo Ansari (president of Compaq Asset Management) whose radio show I listen to most evenings on KFNN 1510, Radio That Makes You Money.
Honestly, there's another caveat fueling my decision as well. I want to introduce an actively managed fund into my portfolio, also for the first time in my life. Two years ago, I introduced the Vanguard Total Bond Market Index fund to provide a stronger hedge against stocks. For the past several months, and every time I listen to Market Wrap nowadays, Mo Anasari is warning investors that the bond market is doomed for a retreat due to overcrowding, comparing it to the tech stocks of 2000 and the real estate market of 2006. Granted, if you want to get someone's attention, those two events are how to do it, so he may just have a flair for drama, but I respect his opinion, and the only way I will be able to track his word is if I put it into active practice.
In fairness, it is not just Mo Ansari advising against the bond markets. Even Vanguard.com, which provides my 401(k) has an article entitled "Vanguard's investment chief cautions bond investors." Inside is an interview with Chief Investment Officer Gus Sauter who notes, "I'm increasingly worried that people aren't aware of the risks in the bond market. (New bonds) have very low interest rate levels. But at some point, the economy will strengthen and those interest rates will rebound. Investors who have pushed out further on the yield curve by investing in longer-term bonds will then see a greater decline in the principal value of their investments."
Therefore, in 2011, I am going to direct no new money into bonds. Keep in mind, my allocation into the bond market won't change at all, just the new money is going to be directed 100% into the stock markets, so when I rebalance quarterly, there will be bigger moves than $200 here to there like I saw this past year.
The active fund that I am introducing is the Vanguard PRIMECAP Fund (Fund #59). Unfortunately for individual investors who may be interested in the fund, this is a closed fund. The only new money coming into this fund is through a Vanguard 401(k), which I have through work so I am able to invest money there.
Mo Ansari always discusses the importance of having an "exit strategy" in place when introducing a new fund. At this point, I am looking for this fund to take the place of half my large stock money, so whereas I have a portion in international stocks, a portion in aggressive stocks, and a portion in large stocks, I will now have portions in international stocks, aggressive stocks, indexed large stocks, and active large stocks. As I age and grow more conservative, my balance in aggressive stocks will dwindle first. If all goes well, then I would keep this new fund in balance with the index fund. If its performance consistently under-performs the index fund for two straight years, then I will move out of the fund.
Unlike two years ago when I directed only new money into the Vanguard Total Bond Market Index fund, I am going to boost this one by moving some money into the new fund. The overall focus is on my asset allocation, which currently looks like this:
Fund # - Real / Current / Target
Fund 24 - 25% / 25% / 25%
Fund 29 - 5% / 5% / 5%
Fund 84 - 10% / 10% / 10%
Fund 85 - 50% / 50% / 50%
Fund 113 - 10% / 10% / 10%
What I am looking to do is change it to look like this:
Fund # - Real / Current / Target
Fund 24 - 25% / 10% / 25%
Fund 29 - 5% / 0% / 5%
Fund 59 - 0% / 50% / 25%
Fund 84 - 10% / 0% / 10%
Fund 85 - 50% / 35% / 25%
Fund 113 - 10% / 5% / 10%
Keep in mind, I am not abandoning my own instincts either. Another popular market right now is the gold market, and in my personal opinion, I would compare this market to the tech stocks of 2000 and the real estate market of 2006. I think the investors in those notorious pitfalls are looking more towards gold than they are to bonds. I have the option to invest in the Precious Metals & Mining fund, but I am going to shy away from it. Although my brother-in-law noted that his father has been encouraging him to invest in that market, and Mo Ansari has been presenting both sides of the story, so hopefully, that market will either boom or peter in the next year. But I'm expecting it to tank just based on the personality of the investors I believe getting into that market right now.
This is my overview for 2011. I am passively retreating from bonds in the short term but I am retaining them in my asset allocation, and I am actively introducing actively-managed funds in hopes that they can outpace the markets most years.
DISCLAIMER: I am neither licensed nor permitted to give specific financial advice, so if you want investment recommendations, then please consult with a financial advisor or reputable financial sources; my favorite website is CNNFN.com and my favorite radio station is KFNN 1510 AM "Radio That Makes You Money." Additional information and financial tools can be found at Vanguard.com. The investment decisions presented above were tailored to my risk tolerance and my financial goals.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
The Lost Decade
On a short flight from Cleveland to Chicago earlier this month, I had the unknown pleasure of sitting next to Jim Brickman the entire trip. It was not until we were preparing to land that he and I started talking at length, but having been friends with Jeordie & Chad, not to mention The Caterwauls prior, and Chris Hiatt before all of them, I think musicians truly enjoy talking to me because I understand their current plight. Personally, I had to revel in Mr. Brickman's reaction to my comment: "They say that we had The Lost Decade in the stock market, but I think that suits the music business better." He simply bowed his head to exhale and then gratefully agreed.
Sadly it is not hard to see what went wrong in the music business. The power of the people shifted into a narrow focus where almost all radio stations were bound to the control of dictatorships through the conflicts of interest known as corporate conglomerates.
Look up almost any hit song from 15-20 years ago on YouTube nowadays, and you can read comment after comment lambasting the music business today, dismissing it altogether as if no bands today are worth our time because they are very secondary to Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and other actor/actresses pretending to be musicians.
If you think all new songs are overplayed on the radio until they are stale, then I implore you to seek out fresh new music. You can even start at Amazon.com, believe it or not. Download their free sampler albums, they ROCK! Amazon has them for every genre of music, even a few comedy albums.
I stumbled upon these samplers myself a bit over a year ago when I saw that the label which signed What Made Milwaukee Famous had a free sampler album with eight tracks, so I downloaded it on a whim thinking that maybe three songs would grow on me. But I never listened to it on my computer after I downloaded it. It wasn't until I was burning a new CD-R where I was 45 minutes short of a full disc that I recalled that I even downloaded the Barsuk Sampler album. I put it on there thinking if any of the songs were ever going to grow on me, this CD-R would be a better opportunity.
Sure enough, I started digging 2-3 of them almost immediately, and within a week, I started loving all eight tracks! Inspired by these new sounds, I found Barsuk.com where I could download even more tracks (each album has one or two tracks to download for free directly). I had never heard of bands like Ra Ra Riot or Say Hi (To Your Mom) but this sampler album was even better than the music I had purchased for which I was burning the CD-R initially.
About six months ago, I started to branch out and I bought another couple Amazon sampler albums (well, "bought" for free). This time, it was Dangerbird and Merge Records. Another strong set of compilations, and these labels even had bands that I already knew (like Silversun Pickups) and bands I at least heard of (like The Clientele and Spoon). In fairness, Barsuk had Deathcab For Cutie so it was not as if I was clueless to their names.
This week, I tried it again. I downloaded the Burning Building Fall 2010 sampler and two Sarathan Records samplers. This new CD-R has been moved to my car, where the songs are slowly growing on me. Truthfully, only one track stood out immediately (Speaker Speaker) but now I find a LOT more of them are growing on me. I don't even realize it until I get inside and find myself humming the song, so I find it in my home collection. Now, I have to wonder how The Purrs "Loose Talk" wasn't an immediate favorite.
If you want recommendations, here are the ones I have downloaded and enjoyed:
Sadly it is not hard to see what went wrong in the music business. The power of the people shifted into a narrow focus where almost all radio stations were bound to the control of dictatorships through the conflicts of interest known as corporate conglomerates.
Look up almost any hit song from 15-20 years ago on YouTube nowadays, and you can read comment after comment lambasting the music business today, dismissing it altogether as if no bands today are worth our time because they are very secondary to Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and other actor/actresses pretending to be musicians.
If you think all new songs are overplayed on the radio until they are stale, then I implore you to seek out fresh new music. You can even start at Amazon.com, believe it or not. Download their free sampler albums, they ROCK! Amazon has them for every genre of music, even a few comedy albums.
I stumbled upon these samplers myself a bit over a year ago when I saw that the label which signed What Made Milwaukee Famous had a free sampler album with eight tracks, so I downloaded it on a whim thinking that maybe three songs would grow on me. But I never listened to it on my computer after I downloaded it. It wasn't until I was burning a new CD-R where I was 45 minutes short of a full disc that I recalled that I even downloaded the Barsuk Sampler album. I put it on there thinking if any of the songs were ever going to grow on me, this CD-R would be a better opportunity.
Sure enough, I started digging 2-3 of them almost immediately, and within a week, I started loving all eight tracks! Inspired by these new sounds, I found Barsuk.com where I could download even more tracks (each album has one or two tracks to download for free directly). I had never heard of bands like Ra Ra Riot or Say Hi (To Your Mom) but this sampler album was even better than the music I had purchased for which I was burning the CD-R initially.
About six months ago, I started to branch out and I bought another couple Amazon sampler albums (well, "bought" for free). This time, it was Dangerbird and Merge Records. Another strong set of compilations, and these labels even had bands that I already knew (like Silversun Pickups) and bands I at least heard of (like The Clientele and Spoon). In fairness, Barsuk had Deathcab For Cutie so it was not as if I was clueless to their names.
This week, I tried it again. I downloaded the Burning Building Fall 2010 sampler and two Sarathan Records samplers. This new CD-R has been moved to my car, where the songs are slowly growing on me. Truthfully, only one track stood out immediately (Speaker Speaker) but now I find a LOT more of them are growing on me. I don't even realize it until I get inside and find myself humming the song, so I find it in my home collection. Now, I have to wonder how The Purrs "Loose Talk" wasn't an immediate favorite.
If you want recommendations, here are the ones I have downloaded and enjoyed:
- Barsuk Records: 2009 Amazon Digital Sampler
- Merge Records 2010 Digital Sampler
- Dangerbird Amazon Sampler
- Sarathan Records Indie Sampler
- Sarathan Records Sunset Sampler
- Burning Building Fall 2010 Sampler for Amazon
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Wiser Time: 4Q 2010
Since the start of the fourth quarter, the markets have been enjoying closings above 11,000 more days than not, which isn't surprising that they experienced a fourth-quarter boost since it is often typical after a third quarter retreat (actually, the standard retreat is viewed as lasting from May until the start of October).
My favorite radio program for the drive home is Market Wrap with Mo Ansari on KFNN 1510 "Radio That Makes You Money." Mo Ansari has great insights and forethought, and he prepares as a pessemist but his amount of negativity often reflects optimism. I guess any time you are looking forward to plan for the long-term future, that frame of mind is somewhat optimistic in itself.
I expect the markets to end 2010 between 11,500 and 12,000, at which point I can revisit my previous blog where I looked at a poll posted on Money.CNN.com in November 2009 asking readers to predict where the market would close 2010.
The big deal about 2010 is that President Barack Obama is now midway through his term as president. Originally, as in "when the markets tumbled down to 6,500," I predicted that our recovery would outpace anything in the past and that the markets would be back to October 2007 by November 2012. The reason I thought that was due to the strength of Obama, but now that we are two years away from the relatity of the next election, I can see it turning out a very different way.
All the Obama supporters who turned out in droves two years ago only to get him elected are not going to be going to the polls in November 2012. Read that carefully, but my use of the word "only" is to separate those voters who showed up in November 2008 because Obama was running from those voters who would have come out to the polls regardless which candidate was running for the Democratic party.
The Republican party ran a very poor campaign two years ago, and if they want to take Obama out of the White House in January 2013, then they had better learn from the mistakes of the John Kerry campaign in November 2004. Not enough people vote against a bad president to make a difference. The Republican party still needs a strong candidate, and if their nomination of John McCain was any indication, they don't have one. Although there are a lot of new names emerging with this political renaissance from these Tea Party campaigns for the mid-term elections.
Personally I am a Republican, but after eight years of George W. Bush (whom I considered a good president), it was time for the Democratic party to take office and focus on the things that Republicans don't care about as much, namely the healthcare issues (although, it's a bit disappointing that Obama has not been able to propose an adequate solution, but the issue is getting addressed, so maybe these minor changes to the current nature of the programs will be the best solution).
I voted for Obama, proudly, and the reason I voted for Obama was for the change he would bring. I know a lot of critics and cynics have complained that he has fallen short of his goal of "change," but maybe they misunderstood his campaign slogan or at least, the only change I was interested in was the one that I knew he already represented, and that was changing the political paradigm of how campaigns are run.
Maybe I was one of the few voters who "got it," or maybe all the Obama supporters read into his "Change" campaign the way they wanted to, but I cannot lavish enough praise onto Obama's 2008 campaign for its class and its no-nonsense philosophies. As I was saying, it was my hope that it was that "change" that Obama was referencing in his campaign.
I would be surprised to see a return to the old mud-slinging methods, but the Arizona elections hardly resembled Obama's successful tactics from two years ago. I did not see many if any commercials putting the importance of voting for someone above not voting for the other person. As a result, most people decided not to vote at all (which isn't the worst thing: I think blind voting obligated by the "privilege" is more irresponsible than not voting).
Regardless, it was amusing to hear what qualified as "bad" in today's politics during the past month of campaigns. For as much guff as SB 1070 received in its initial press, there were signs around the Valley that cited when a candidate voted in favor of it. It rightly has the public's support, even when it was deemed "poisonous" by the media.
Conversely, the worst thing to have your name tied to in this campaign was apparently Nancy Pelosi. Also, voting in favor of Obama's weak stimulus plan was a very bad thing, and any candidate who voted for it was exploited by their opposition as a bad politician for that reason alone.
Politics aside, the markets are slowly recovering from its retreat after a high in 2007, and the only thing individual investors can do is focus on their own portfolio. As the bond markets continue to plunge, I moved a small 2.5% of my stock holdings into the Total Bond Market Index fund today. If the stock markets have not recently been over-valued, then the bond markets are at least becoming under-valued, so the trend is more likely to turn around to my benefit. But even if stocks continue to rise and bonds continue to retreat, then only moving 2.5% into a losing asset class won't adversely affect my overall portfolio either. The best place to find a winning investment is the state lottery or a casino. The best place to amass wealth is through reasonable investing.
My favorite radio program for the drive home is Market Wrap with Mo Ansari on KFNN 1510 "Radio That Makes You Money." Mo Ansari has great insights and forethought, and he prepares as a pessemist but his amount of negativity often reflects optimism. I guess any time you are looking forward to plan for the long-term future, that frame of mind is somewhat optimistic in itself.
I expect the markets to end 2010 between 11,500 and 12,000, at which point I can revisit my previous blog where I looked at a poll posted on Money.CNN.com in November 2009 asking readers to predict where the market would close 2010.
The big deal about 2010 is that President Barack Obama is now midway through his term as president. Originally, as in "when the markets tumbled down to 6,500," I predicted that our recovery would outpace anything in the past and that the markets would be back to October 2007 by November 2012. The reason I thought that was due to the strength of Obama, but now that we are two years away from the relatity of the next election, I can see it turning out a very different way.
All the Obama supporters who turned out in droves two years ago only to get him elected are not going to be going to the polls in November 2012. Read that carefully, but my use of the word "only" is to separate those voters who showed up in November 2008 because Obama was running from those voters who would have come out to the polls regardless which candidate was running for the Democratic party.
The Republican party ran a very poor campaign two years ago, and if they want to take Obama out of the White House in January 2013, then they had better learn from the mistakes of the John Kerry campaign in November 2004. Not enough people vote against a bad president to make a difference. The Republican party still needs a strong candidate, and if their nomination of John McCain was any indication, they don't have one. Although there are a lot of new names emerging with this political renaissance from these Tea Party campaigns for the mid-term elections.
Personally I am a Republican, but after eight years of George W. Bush (whom I considered a good president), it was time for the Democratic party to take office and focus on the things that Republicans don't care about as much, namely the healthcare issues (although, it's a bit disappointing that Obama has not been able to propose an adequate solution, but the issue is getting addressed, so maybe these minor changes to the current nature of the programs will be the best solution).
I voted for Obama, proudly, and the reason I voted for Obama was for the change he would bring. I know a lot of critics and cynics have complained that he has fallen short of his goal of "change," but maybe they misunderstood his campaign slogan or at least, the only change I was interested in was the one that I knew he already represented, and that was changing the political paradigm of how campaigns are run.
Maybe I was one of the few voters who "got it," or maybe all the Obama supporters read into his "Change" campaign the way they wanted to, but I cannot lavish enough praise onto Obama's 2008 campaign for its class and its no-nonsense philosophies. As I was saying, it was my hope that it was that "change" that Obama was referencing in his campaign.
I would be surprised to see a return to the old mud-slinging methods, but the Arizona elections hardly resembled Obama's successful tactics from two years ago. I did not see many if any commercials putting the importance of voting for someone above not voting for the other person. As a result, most people decided not to vote at all (which isn't the worst thing: I think blind voting obligated by the "privilege" is more irresponsible than not voting).
Regardless, it was amusing to hear what qualified as "bad" in today's politics during the past month of campaigns. For as much guff as SB 1070 received in its initial press, there were signs around the Valley that cited when a candidate voted in favor of it. It rightly has the public's support, even when it was deemed "poisonous" by the media.
Conversely, the worst thing to have your name tied to in this campaign was apparently Nancy Pelosi. Also, voting in favor of Obama's weak stimulus plan was a very bad thing, and any candidate who voted for it was exploited by their opposition as a bad politician for that reason alone.
Politics aside, the markets are slowly recovering from its retreat after a high in 2007, and the only thing individual investors can do is focus on their own portfolio. As the bond markets continue to plunge, I moved a small 2.5% of my stock holdings into the Total Bond Market Index fund today. If the stock markets have not recently been over-valued, then the bond markets are at least becoming under-valued, so the trend is more likely to turn around to my benefit. But even if stocks continue to rise and bonds continue to retreat, then only moving 2.5% into a losing asset class won't adversely affect my overall portfolio either. The best place to find a winning investment is the state lottery or a casino. The best place to amass wealth is through reasonable investing.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
GOOD NIGHT!
Since 2004, my favorite band has been the Caterwauls. Their unique style of punk, funk, and melodic junk won me over the first time I heard them, and their second performance solidified me as a fan for life. Several weeks back, I texted the lead singer Kyle Sonnenberg to find out when the next show for his new band (Superfunk Allstars) would be, and he said October 22nd.
It was bittersweet to me because I was glad they finally had another gig in the books (their first in six months) but it just so happened to conflict my plans to see Barsuk recording artist Ra Ra Riot when they came through Tempe, AZ, on their first tour in support of their new album "The Orchard." Nonetheless, friends prevail over fame for me and I set my schedule to attend SFA.
Today, I started thinking that maybe I could make both shows. Kyle's band played at 9PM, so if The Clubhouse started shows late, like 9PM, then I would be able to see both of them. I called the venue and there was no answer. I checked the website, and the show started at 7:30 with only one opening act, so both bands I'd want to see would be playing simultaneously in different venues in the same town. Oh well, I went to Kyle's show.
As soon as I started talking to Kyle, he asked whether I had paid the cover yet. I had not (I have a way of slipping through doors) so he handed me a free pass in order to get into the show. It was a nice souvineer, notwithstanding their new album, my only "Superfunk Allstars" memorabilia to date. Surprisingly, the bouncer came over to me (the guy who was supposed to charge me at the door) and he was going to insist that I pay cover, except he saw my ticket so there was no need.
For the first live gig in six months, Superfunk Allstars did a solid job! Quick 60-minute set, and they wrapped. I spent a little bit of time (about 15 minutes) talking to the guys before I told Kyle that I was going to split to see another show. I figured that they only played 60 minutes, so if the national touring band played 90 minutes, then I could hear the last bit of their show outside the venue.
When I got to the Clubhouse, the parking lot was PACKED! Knowing musicians as well as I do, I drove around back first where the tour vans were. I could hear a band playing live, so I knew this area was my best opportunity. There was only one parking spot in the entire lot, so I had the good fortune of getting it, and then I walked around to the back area where I had just driven by, except now the music from inside sounded like a recording. There was a gentleman coming out of the double doors, so I politely asked whether the music inside was live or recorded. Now that I've re-written that question, I understand his confusion because he said it was a live band, HIS band, and then said that they had just finished.
I asked if his name was Wes, the lead singer of Ra Ra Riot. It wasn't. His name was Colin. "What's the name of your band?" I forget his answer, but I basically heard Opening Act. "Has Ra Ra Riot played yet?" Colin said they were on next, so I could hardly contain my excitement! Colin and I chatted for another couple minutes, exchanged names and other courtesies including set durations, and then I went around to the front.
I was so happy with my stroke of luck that I was willing to pay $20 at the door. Lucky for me, showing up late, it was only $15. I had promised to pick up a friend at work around midnight, and I had previously told her that my second gig was not going to work out, so I would be available. Colin told me that the band plays an hour, sometimes an hour and a quarter, so I felt like I would have enough time to get to Amy's place by midnight.
Ra Ra Riot took the stage right around 10:30, which was getting to be close to the estimate where I may have to leave the gig early. The thing that impressed me the most was the size of the crowd. Before long, I was less impressed with the size of the crowd and more impressed with how intently they were listening to the music. I cannot remember the last time I was a part of a crowd that size that truly appreciated the music. No one was there for the fame of the band. No one was there because they wanted to mingle. The population in attendance was there to hear this band, whether they were familiar with all songs from both albums or only a couple tracks.
They played a short & sweet set, wrapping up after 45 minutes with their fantastic "Ghosts Under Rocks." Unfortunately, I was severely disappointed. Not by the fact that paying $15 for 45 minutes of entertainment meant I was paying $1 every 3 minutes, but because they had not played my favorite track "Dying Is Fine." The band thanked the crowd, and they left the stage. A large portion of the crowd exited the doors. I wasn't sure what to think, but I wasn't ready to leave without hearing the song.
Not (too) surprisingly, the band came back onstage after a full minute and they thanked us again before starting a new song. After that last song, I knew there was only one thing left. It had to be the song I paid to see. They started up "Dying Is Fine," and it was worth $15 to see just that one song performed live.
Ra Ra Riot is formed of several talented musicians, but as a group, they're a one-song-band. Not necessarily a "One-Hit Wonder," but the magic in this song is so far above every other song that they perform together that it is almost hard to believe it's the same band. It was the single greatest performance of any song I've ever seen live by a national act.
After the gig, I picked up their CD/DVD of the new album since I knew more of the profits would go directly towards the band itself. The girl they had working merch actually acknowledge the fact that I had figured that out and expressed her gratitude on behalf of the band.
I stuck around a little while, I told Milo (guitarist) my statement about what a pleasure it was to see that many people truly enjoying the music of a band, and then I started heading out to get to my friend's job before she could text me. I was halfway there when she said that she was finally off, and (since she had been there for 12 hours) ready to go!
All in all, it was a GREAT night -- and it had been a long time since I had so many moving parts fall into place so perfectly. I will have fond memories of this night and Ra Ra Riot for a long time to come.
It was bittersweet to me because I was glad they finally had another gig in the books (their first in six months) but it just so happened to conflict my plans to see Barsuk recording artist Ra Ra Riot when they came through Tempe, AZ, on their first tour in support of their new album "The Orchard." Nonetheless, friends prevail over fame for me and I set my schedule to attend SFA.
Today, I started thinking that maybe I could make both shows. Kyle's band played at 9PM, so if The Clubhouse started shows late, like 9PM, then I would be able to see both of them. I called the venue and there was no answer. I checked the website, and the show started at 7:30 with only one opening act, so both bands I'd want to see would be playing simultaneously in different venues in the same town. Oh well, I went to Kyle's show.
As soon as I started talking to Kyle, he asked whether I had paid the cover yet. I had not (I have a way of slipping through doors) so he handed me a free pass in order to get into the show. It was a nice souvineer, notwithstanding their new album, my only "Superfunk Allstars" memorabilia to date. Surprisingly, the bouncer came over to me (the guy who was supposed to charge me at the door) and he was going to insist that I pay cover, except he saw my ticket so there was no need.
For the first live gig in six months, Superfunk Allstars did a solid job! Quick 60-minute set, and they wrapped. I spent a little bit of time (about 15 minutes) talking to the guys before I told Kyle that I was going to split to see another show. I figured that they only played 60 minutes, so if the national touring band played 90 minutes, then I could hear the last bit of their show outside the venue.
When I got to the Clubhouse, the parking lot was PACKED! Knowing musicians as well as I do, I drove around back first where the tour vans were. I could hear a band playing live, so I knew this area was my best opportunity. There was only one parking spot in the entire lot, so I had the good fortune of getting it, and then I walked around to the back area where I had just driven by, except now the music from inside sounded like a recording. There was a gentleman coming out of the double doors, so I politely asked whether the music inside was live or recorded. Now that I've re-written that question, I understand his confusion because he said it was a live band, HIS band, and then said that they had just finished.
I asked if his name was Wes, the lead singer of Ra Ra Riot. It wasn't. His name was Colin. "What's the name of your band?" I forget his answer, but I basically heard Opening Act. "Has Ra Ra Riot played yet?" Colin said they were on next, so I could hardly contain my excitement! Colin and I chatted for another couple minutes, exchanged names and other courtesies including set durations, and then I went around to the front.
I was so happy with my stroke of luck that I was willing to pay $20 at the door. Lucky for me, showing up late, it was only $15. I had promised to pick up a friend at work around midnight, and I had previously told her that my second gig was not going to work out, so I would be available. Colin told me that the band plays an hour, sometimes an hour and a quarter, so I felt like I would have enough time to get to Amy's place by midnight.
Ra Ra Riot took the stage right around 10:30, which was getting to be close to the estimate where I may have to leave the gig early. The thing that impressed me the most was the size of the crowd. Before long, I was less impressed with the size of the crowd and more impressed with how intently they were listening to the music. I cannot remember the last time I was a part of a crowd that size that truly appreciated the music. No one was there for the fame of the band. No one was there because they wanted to mingle. The population in attendance was there to hear this band, whether they were familiar with all songs from both albums or only a couple tracks.
They played a short & sweet set, wrapping up after 45 minutes with their fantastic "Ghosts Under Rocks." Unfortunately, I was severely disappointed. Not by the fact that paying $15 for 45 minutes of entertainment meant I was paying $1 every 3 minutes, but because they had not played my favorite track "Dying Is Fine." The band thanked the crowd, and they left the stage. A large portion of the crowd exited the doors. I wasn't sure what to think, but I wasn't ready to leave without hearing the song.
Not (too) surprisingly, the band came back onstage after a full minute and they thanked us again before starting a new song. After that last song, I knew there was only one thing left. It had to be the song I paid to see. They started up "Dying Is Fine," and it was worth $15 to see just that one song performed live.
Ra Ra Riot is formed of several talented musicians, but as a group, they're a one-song-band. Not necessarily a "One-Hit Wonder," but the magic in this song is so far above every other song that they perform together that it is almost hard to believe it's the same band. It was the single greatest performance of any song I've ever seen live by a national act.
After the gig, I picked up their CD/DVD of the new album since I knew more of the profits would go directly towards the band itself. The girl they had working merch actually acknowledge the fact that I had figured that out and expressed her gratitude on behalf of the band.
I stuck around a little while, I told Milo (guitarist) my statement about what a pleasure it was to see that many people truly enjoying the music of a band, and then I started heading out to get to my friend's job before she could text me. I was halfway there when she said that she was finally off, and (since she had been there for 12 hours) ready to go!
All in all, it was a GREAT night -- and it had been a long time since I had so many moving parts fall into place so perfectly. I will have fond memories of this night and Ra Ra Riot for a long time to come.
Friday, October 22, 2010
This is why my job sucks...
Truthfully, my day job is a real pain, and it's mostly boring that I don't like to think too much about it (much less talk about it afterwards) when I'm not at my job, so most of my friends do not know what I do for a living. That's fine with me. If I tried to explain it to them, I'd be as bored telling them as they would be bored listening, so it really works out this way.
But this situation today was slightly amusing, so it's worth sharing (in vague terms since I don't want to sidetrack myself with too many details).
Basically, we receive a request (work) and we have to complete the transaction requested, and then it goes to a department where they approve the work (humorously titled "quality assurance"). If we get a difficult item, we can ask for guidance with the work from Service Admins, i.e. consult an elevated peer, so today, I had a very hard, complex transaction and I asked an elevated peer how to process it around 11AM.
This complex transaction takes a long time to process, but I had a very specific question at the end of the process, and I asked about that specific part but they said that, in this case, I wouldn't have to do it the long, hard way, because there is a simple alternative where it updates easily. So I undid all the work I had done and updated the transaction through easy, simple way.
After I processed it the easy way, I sent it to have my work double-checked. The people that double-check my work actually said, "no, this is a long, hard transaction, and what you've done is very easy, so it must be wrong."
My alternative course of action was to argue, and they basically told me, "yes, that was an easy way to do it, and it may seem shorter, but you need us to approve it and we won't, so your supporting the easy way with rational explanations will take longer than the long, hard way, because we are going to argue, and you will have to use the long, hard way anyway."
Honestly it reminded me of an observation I made during the 2008 elections: "Some people are so full of their own shit, they don't know life without it."
But this situation today was slightly amusing, so it's worth sharing (in vague terms since I don't want to sidetrack myself with too many details).
Basically, we receive a request (work) and we have to complete the transaction requested, and then it goes to a department where they approve the work (humorously titled "quality assurance"). If we get a difficult item, we can ask for guidance with the work from Service Admins, i.e. consult an elevated peer, so today, I had a very hard, complex transaction and I asked an elevated peer how to process it around 11AM.
This complex transaction takes a long time to process, but I had a very specific question at the end of the process, and I asked about that specific part but they said that, in this case, I wouldn't have to do it the long, hard way, because there is a simple alternative where it updates easily. So I undid all the work I had done and updated the transaction through easy, simple way.
After I processed it the easy way, I sent it to have my work double-checked. The people that double-check my work actually said, "no, this is a long, hard transaction, and what you've done is very easy, so it must be wrong."
My alternative course of action was to argue, and they basically told me, "yes, that was an easy way to do it, and it may seem shorter, but you need us to approve it and we won't, so your supporting the easy way with rational explanations will take longer than the long, hard way, because we are going to argue, and you will have to use the long, hard way anyway."
Honestly it reminded me of an observation I made during the 2008 elections: "Some people are so full of their own shit, they don't know life without it."
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Wastes of Time
This morning on the radio, I heard a trivia question where the hosts were having callers attempt to guess the answer. The question was "what is it we do the most that is the biggest waste of time?" The callers answers varied to really good guesses to some really stupid choices.
My very first thought was "making the bed." [For the record, now that I've had more time to think about it though, I probably would have said "responding to news articles online," which is an activity that I vehemently hate and nothing has made me think less of this country than them, and yes, it's the reason comments are not allow on my entries here.]
The first couple guesses were things like sitting at red lights, watching television, and texting, so one of the hosts got really annoyed about the lack of intelligence or forethought in these questions, so he started explaining the value in the time spent doing the wrong answers, i.e. stopping at a red light permits other cars to pass to prevent you from getting hit (although I understood the caller's point since I've spent plenty of time at a red light when there is NO traffic in either direction), television is a shared experience to discuss the next day at work, and texting is a form of communication.
The next guess was "cleaning house," and the host explained that the end result is a clean house, so it wasn't a waste of time.
The very next caller was "making the bed," to which the same host said, "ok, that one is a waste of time."
Eventually, we learned the answer was "playing video games," which immediately sounded like a lame answer to me but I wasn't sure why. It wasn't like I was offended, and it definitely wasn't that I'd call my "Virtual Ego Boosts" worthy of the time invested. But what really bothered me about that answer is that not enough people spend time playing video games for it to be called the "biggest waste" of time. Only a handful of the population play video games in the first place. I thought we were guessing at the one activity on which most people waste a lot of time.
The hosts said that the answer was determined by a recent study, so I think that study was a bigger waste of time than video games themselves. It seemed to be a very poorly construed study if that was their final determination.
Especially since another caller proffered the best guess at the question: driving around looking for a closer parking spot! I think he hit the nail on the head. How many times do you go up and down rows looking for the closest parking spot, and then if you find a great spot, you walk into whatever store and continue to walk around some more! What exact benefit is there to looking for a better spot? I'm not saying it isn't nice to have, but I've seen cars in parking lots look like sharks circling around in water.
If you've read any articles about easy ways to burn more calories in your regular day, one of the items that universally appears is parking farther away from your destination. That little bit of difference probably saves more time than it wastes.
I commend that caller for getting the right answer when the (presumably) professional study failed to deliver!
My very first thought was "making the bed." [For the record, now that I've had more time to think about it though, I probably would have said "responding to news articles online," which is an activity that I vehemently hate and nothing has made me think less of this country than them, and yes, it's the reason comments are not allow on my entries here.]
The first couple guesses were things like sitting at red lights, watching television, and texting, so one of the hosts got really annoyed about the lack of intelligence or forethought in these questions, so he started explaining the value in the time spent doing the wrong answers, i.e. stopping at a red light permits other cars to pass to prevent you from getting hit (although I understood the caller's point since I've spent plenty of time at a red light when there is NO traffic in either direction), television is a shared experience to discuss the next day at work, and texting is a form of communication.
The next guess was "cleaning house," and the host explained that the end result is a clean house, so it wasn't a waste of time.
The very next caller was "making the bed," to which the same host said, "ok, that one is a waste of time."
Eventually, we learned the answer was "playing video games," which immediately sounded like a lame answer to me but I wasn't sure why. It wasn't like I was offended, and it definitely wasn't that I'd call my "Virtual Ego Boosts" worthy of the time invested. But what really bothered me about that answer is that not enough people spend time playing video games for it to be called the "biggest waste" of time. Only a handful of the population play video games in the first place. I thought we were guessing at the one activity on which most people waste a lot of time.
The hosts said that the answer was determined by a recent study, so I think that study was a bigger waste of time than video games themselves. It seemed to be a very poorly construed study if that was their final determination.
Especially since another caller proffered the best guess at the question: driving around looking for a closer parking spot! I think he hit the nail on the head. How many times do you go up and down rows looking for the closest parking spot, and then if you find a great spot, you walk into whatever store and continue to walk around some more! What exact benefit is there to looking for a better spot? I'm not saying it isn't nice to have, but I've seen cars in parking lots look like sharks circling around in water.
If you've read any articles about easy ways to burn more calories in your regular day, one of the items that universally appears is parking farther away from your destination. That little bit of difference probably saves more time than it wastes.
I commend that caller for getting the right answer when the (presumably) professional study failed to deliver!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Up, Up, And Away
In under seven hours, I will be taking off on a Southwest flight to Tulsa. Historically, I used to stay up all night before a flight to make sleeping on the plane easier, but the past several times, I have not been able to last. Perhaps, because I was done packing/cleaning before it was time to go to the airport. Or perhaps because my flights were later than they had been in previous years. Either way, I am still undecided whether or not this will be one of those times I pull an all-nighter.
The difference here is that, before my flight, I need to go back to Jeordie's place and get her kittens to bring them over to my neighbor's place because she is going to board them for the few days that I am gone. I don't know whether I am going to continue boarding them until Jeordie & Chad return later in the month or if I am going to bring them back to their own home after I return.
There are several pros and cons of both scenarios, and it's entirely possible that my neighbor will volunteer to keep the kittens the rest of the time as well, which after making such a life-saving gesture, I would certainly allow her.
This afternoon, I looked in on the kittens and Moonpie looked extremely depressed. Neither cat was chipper to see me, but Moonpie walked right up to fresh food and walked away, which was very concerning having put a cat through six daily tube feedings two years ago when he stopped eating regularly. Considering Moonpie is about six months old, I wasn't sure whether he would be able to starve himself for five days without feeling the consequences. On the plus side, I don't need to worry about him while I am gone (and otherwise, I know that I would've worried about him the *whole* time I was gone).
Luckily, I'll be able to rest easy knowing that the cats are in good hands and all the loose ends are tied up. Of course, it's still a question of when I'll be resting.
The difference here is that, before my flight, I need to go back to Jeordie's place and get her kittens to bring them over to my neighbor's place because she is going to board them for the few days that I am gone. I don't know whether I am going to continue boarding them until Jeordie & Chad return later in the month or if I am going to bring them back to their own home after I return.
There are several pros and cons of both scenarios, and it's entirely possible that my neighbor will volunteer to keep the kittens the rest of the time as well, which after making such a life-saving gesture, I would certainly allow her.
This afternoon, I looked in on the kittens and Moonpie looked extremely depressed. Neither cat was chipper to see me, but Moonpie walked right up to fresh food and walked away, which was very concerning having put a cat through six daily tube feedings two years ago when he stopped eating regularly. Considering Moonpie is about six months old, I wasn't sure whether he would be able to starve himself for five days without feeling the consequences. On the plus side, I don't need to worry about him while I am gone (and otherwise, I know that I would've worried about him the *whole* time I was gone).
Luckily, I'll be able to rest easy knowing that the cats are in good hands and all the loose ends are tied up. Of course, it's still a question of when I'll be resting.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Planning Ahead, Apparently
At 6:45AM this morning, my cellphone went off. I can usually fall right back to sleep after reading a text message, and although, the sound my phone made today didn't sound like an incoming text, I checked it anyway. Instead, it was a reminder from my calendar. Not surprising that it was set for today since it is both my Godson's birthday and at midnight, it will send a text or email to Raegan & Kyle Sonnenberg to get as close to both their birthday's as possible (hers is today, his is tomorrow).
However, my cellphone was not reminding me of either event. Instead it said, "Mom's military id expires."
WHAT?! I had zero recollection of adding that information, and I had no idea why it was set so early in the morning. I was not even quite sure why it was on my calendar, much less set in my phone.
After processing the information a few moments, I sent Madre a text: "Does your military id expire today? Or sumptin? For some reason, I had a note about that on my phone for today."
A couple minutes later, I got her reply: "Omg yes u r right I will take of it on monday thank u thank u."
At this point, I suspect that we had a conversation when my cellphone was new and I was bragging about how far in advance I could set a reminder, promising to remind her when the time comes. I got my cellphone in April of last year, so maybe it was a year ago, maybe it was a few months before then.
Regardless how it was originally set as a reminder, it worked. And it was just a bizarre start to a very weird day overall. Maybe I'll have time to tell that story later. Maybe there's nothing to tell.
However, my cellphone was not reminding me of either event. Instead it said, "Mom's military id expires."
WHAT?! I had zero recollection of adding that information, and I had no idea why it was set so early in the morning. I was not even quite sure why it was on my calendar, much less set in my phone.
After processing the information a few moments, I sent Madre a text: "Does your military id expire today? Or sumptin? For some reason, I had a note about that on my phone for today."
A couple minutes later, I got her reply: "Omg yes u r right I will take of it on monday thank u thank u."
At this point, I suspect that we had a conversation when my cellphone was new and I was bragging about how far in advance I could set a reminder, promising to remind her when the time comes. I got my cellphone in April of last year, so maybe it was a year ago, maybe it was a few months before then.
Regardless how it was originally set as a reminder, it worked. And it was just a bizarre start to a very weird day overall. Maybe I'll have time to tell that story later. Maybe there's nothing to tell.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
MOVIE REVIEW: Before Sunrise/Sunset
MOVIE REVIEW: "Before Sunrise" (1995) and "Before Sunset (2004), highly recommended
The first entry was from 1995, with two strangers traveling on the Eurorail train to Vienna. After a brief, mildly charming encounter, Ethan Hawke's character (Jesse) comes up with an idea to get Julie Delpy's character (Celine, I think) to get off the train with him and bum around town until he has to fly back home. Selfish proposition, no doubt, but Hawke's charm carried the weak explanation that she somehow could use their time together to reinforce the fact that no relationship is all that different than any other relationship. Believe it or not, the explanation worked: not just for Celine, since her character was scriped to do whatever was needed, but also for the scene itself since the explanation set the entire tone of the movie. Credit Hawke's boyish charm and Delpy's ability to convey a hidden intrigue for the link since the writing gave them no freebies.
We pick up nine years after the end of the first film, and Jesse (Hawke) is now a successful author for having penned a romantic novel about this implausible romance with Celine. Instead of catching a morning flight home, Jesse is now catching an evening flight home. But he has at least 20 minutes with Celine, who surprises him at his Paris stop on his worldwide book tour. Perhaps it was the memory of meeting Hawke on his book tour on Halloween 1996, but the premise instantly hooked me on this second encounter.
This pair of movies came to me highly recommended within the subject of romantic comedies. There are several examples of movies that supercede the genre, through which the recommendation would extend past the rom-com audience. These movies do not reach those heights, but they never set out to either. These are strictly for romantics at hearts.  |
| "Before Sunrise" was very good... |
In fact, the script was largely improv as both Hawke and Delpy are given writing credits. And rightly so since there are only a few pauses in the script and even less additional parties. For the most part, the film is carried by these two romantic, pseudo-intellectuals bonding over a walk through Vienna. The budding romance takes a lame turn when Celine suggests they should agree to never meet again. Without exchanging names or numbers, they continue their wonderously romantic encounter until the time comes to say goodbye. Unable to call it "the end," they agree to meet each other in six months in the same town again. No names exchanged, no phone numbers. The viewers are left to decide for themselves what happend in six months.
Until nine years later, when directly Richard Linklater provided the movie's fans with an answer.
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| ... but "Before Sunset" was incredible! |
The film sets out to answer every lingering question any fan of the first film, and despite the hefty endeavor, the film succeeds and exceeds its goal. While Jesse and Celine were mildly shallow in the first film, the two characters have now evolved (or aged, if they existed in real life). We learn about their meeting six months after the first film ended, and why the two never spoke in the interim. We find out how their respective lives are now, and then we learn how they feel about their current lives.
It is not often for a sequel to eclipse the original, and it is especially unlikely when those films are nine years apart, but I find it extremely hard to believe anyone could be disappointed in "Before Sunset" as a follow-up. Personally, I enjoyed the second installment far more. Of course, it is worth repeating that both of these films are strongly recommended to romantics (for the rest of the movie-going audience, they may not enjoy the endless conversation between two characters whose screentime encompasses 95% of the run time).
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Virtual Ego Boost
A while back, albeit not too long ago, I was feeling down for no particular reason (at least, none that I remember), so I made use of a recent purchase: NHL 2002 for PS2, which I picked up for a mere $1.80 from Rockzone Records in Tempe (University & 101). Like most video games nowadays, it has the actual, full-length NHLPA roster, as well as a Create-A-Player option, i.e. "add yourself to the game." I went ahead and worked through the options to make Edward Motley a rookie goalie for the Montreal Canadiens.
I didn't think much of it until, unexpectedly, the announcers started calling me by name (or at least, "Ed" which is not my first preference of how to be addressed, but many people still do) and they were praising my big saves! Mind you, I did absolutely nothing to make the save beyond putting myself in the net, but compared to my sour mindset at that moment, I found it extremely cool. And sadly, it raised me out of my funk.
Admittedly, adding myself to a game's roster is nothing new to me since I've been doing it since 1998 with the purchase of WWF War Zone (N64), which instantly made my roommate and I believe that the game was superior to WCW/nWo Revenge (nowadays, I don't think it ever was). The feature spread to every wrestling game released, commonly referred to as CAW for "Create A Wrestler," and by the release of WWF No Mercy, CAW's were so enjoyable that I never felt the need to upgrade my console system to a PS2 until October 2004. I remember my mother's first comment upon seeing my name listed as "WINNER" was that it was a fantastic way to keep your self-esteem elevated. I didn't really agree with her until my recent activity on NHL 2002. I guess I had never needed a virtual ego boost before then.
Honestly, I never used CAW's in wrestling games after I upgraded to PS2 until the purchase of last year's WWE Smackdown versus RAW 2010 (PS2), which not only featured Create-A-Wrestler, but it also had a thorough Create-A-Storyline feature. For the PS2, you could include several CAW's in an unlimited number of segments. In other words, you could create an entire storyline using your own CAW's. Sadly, this option was limited to the actual roster on the other gaming systems. When I bought SVR 2010, I was told that it would be the last game for the PS2, which made sense. Surprisingly though, I have learned that this year's SVR 2011 will be released on PS2 as well, so I can put off my upgrade at least for another year.
Not that I haven't been considering the idea of a PS3 or Xbox 360. Come to think of it though, I am visiting my sister's kids next month, so maybe they will sell me on a Nintendo Wii.
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| Habs fan since the '93 play-offs. |
Admittedly, adding myself to a game's roster is nothing new to me since I've been doing it since 1998 with the purchase of WWF War Zone (N64), which instantly made my roommate and I believe that the game was superior to WCW/nWo Revenge (nowadays, I don't think it ever was). The feature spread to every wrestling game released, commonly referred to as CAW for "Create A Wrestler," and by the release of WWF No Mercy, CAW's were so enjoyable that I never felt the need to upgrade my console system to a PS2 until October 2004. I remember my mother's first comment upon seeing my name listed as "WINNER" was that it was a fantastic way to keep your self-esteem elevated. I didn't really agree with her until my recent activity on NHL 2002. I guess I had never needed a virtual ego boost before then.
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| I understand I made a few big saves. |
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| Taking the net for the Habs and staring into the virtual spotlight. Who needs reality? |
Friday, September 17, 2010
Tony Trouser
For the first time, I saw a friend perform a stand-up comedy routine. It was a friend I've known through my local Impact Zone Wrestling troupe. In fact, my first show was his first show. And we had both known each other through a mutual friend for a couple years before IZW. In IZW, he was known as Tony Trouser, and that nickname has stayed with me since then. I call him "Tony" these days, even though he performs under his birth name of Keith Wilson.
Overall, the show was entertaining, and apparently, it was a contest (I suspect a very crooked contest since the winner was neither the funniest routine nor the most popular amongst the paying audience) but I had promised myself that I wouldn't laugh unless Tony earned it. I wanted an independent opinion of his routine. Lucky for him (and the $5 that I paid to attend), it was hysterical.
He started with a short observation about how he looks like the guy from Twilight. Either Jacob or Edward. He didn't seem sure, and no one cared anyway. Then, he went straight to his next joke (observation) which was in regards to his size. He noted that he was skinny, then mentioned that it saves a lot of money on X-Rays. Impersonating an ER visit, "doctor, doctor, I think I broke a rib!" "Uhm, yes, you did. It is that one right there. It's sticking out. I can see it!"
Perhaps it was the delivery, but hopefully, he was truly that funny. He went on to make a few other observations (which is all jokes are these days anyway), and he eventually built up my level of interest to the point that I literally laughed to tears. It was part of his routine, but he made a statement that I thought was on accident, so when he frantically corrected himself, it sounded genuine to me. After the show ended, it was the first thing I asked him. I was glad he said it was part of the routine. Primarily so I could learn the exact quote. Unfortunately, it is not very print-friendly and it invovles my least favorite four-letter word, but even still, or perhaps because, I thought it was hilarious.
His best friend of the other competitors (Shawn) stole the show. He came up to the stage and said, "Yea, that's the sound of -- inviting the entire audience here!" It was true. No less than 75% of the crowd was there to see him. Any other group organizing a "contest" would have recognized that fact and given him the win for that reason alone. Afterall, he may have invited a dozen people out tonight that won't go back because their whole evening was ruined by his coming in second place.
Nonetheless, his routine was fantastic as well. Plus, he was able to gauge the audience. This crowd was not a blue crowd at all, which was good for me. It would have been good for all of us if the "talents" were actually talented enough to adjust their routines to suit the audience. They weren't. But it was a local amatuer contest at a bar, instead of a comedy club anyway, so I couldn't expect more than I got. Shawn (or maybe Sean) started his bit by saying that he had a troubling day, because his mother unfriended him on Facebook. It maintained the same level of cleverness throughout his time.
Before the show, Tony Trouser and I got to catch up for a bit, especially in regards to IZW. It has been about a year since my last IZW show, and when I left, I swore that I would never attend another local wrestling show for a full year. I was bitter about everything involved around it, and I kept to my promise. Now, my self-imposed embargo has been lifted. I'm free to go back, but I'm not really interested in the shows these days. I've spoken with several of the people with whom I used to work closely, and I don't sense any bitterness from them. Talking with Tony Trouser tonight, I feel as though I moved a few steps closer to making that final step of enjoying a local wrestling show again.
The real problem is that I'd rather watch Tony perform comedy, or especially either Jeordie or Kyle Sonnenberg perform music any day over seeing a handful of my old wrestling friends perform. But I know the time is coming. I had planned to write a blog about my time with the wrestling troupe. And I have it mostly completed. I just need to put it together and make sure it flows, then check to make sure that I've said everything I wanted to say and told every story that I wanted to tell.
After that, then I'll be able to let all my previous resentment go. It really hasn't served any purpose for me the past nine months anyway.
Overall, the show was entertaining, and apparently, it was a contest (I suspect a very crooked contest since the winner was neither the funniest routine nor the most popular amongst the paying audience) but I had promised myself that I wouldn't laugh unless Tony earned it. I wanted an independent opinion of his routine. Lucky for him (and the $5 that I paid to attend), it was hysterical.
He started with a short observation about how he looks like the guy from Twilight. Either Jacob or Edward. He didn't seem sure, and no one cared anyway. Then, he went straight to his next joke (observation) which was in regards to his size. He noted that he was skinny, then mentioned that it saves a lot of money on X-Rays. Impersonating an ER visit, "doctor, doctor, I think I broke a rib!" "Uhm, yes, you did. It is that one right there. It's sticking out. I can see it!"
Perhaps it was the delivery, but hopefully, he was truly that funny. He went on to make a few other observations (which is all jokes are these days anyway), and he eventually built up my level of interest to the point that I literally laughed to tears. It was part of his routine, but he made a statement that I thought was on accident, so when he frantically corrected himself, it sounded genuine to me. After the show ended, it was the first thing I asked him. I was glad he said it was part of the routine. Primarily so I could learn the exact quote. Unfortunately, it is not very print-friendly and it invovles my least favorite four-letter word, but even still, or perhaps because, I thought it was hilarious.
His best friend of the other competitors (Shawn) stole the show. He came up to the stage and said, "Yea, that's the sound of -- inviting the entire audience here!" It was true. No less than 75% of the crowd was there to see him. Any other group organizing a "contest" would have recognized that fact and given him the win for that reason alone. Afterall, he may have invited a dozen people out tonight that won't go back because their whole evening was ruined by his coming in second place.
Nonetheless, his routine was fantastic as well. Plus, he was able to gauge the audience. This crowd was not a blue crowd at all, which was good for me. It would have been good for all of us if the "talents" were actually talented enough to adjust their routines to suit the audience. They weren't. But it was a local amatuer contest at a bar, instead of a comedy club anyway, so I couldn't expect more than I got. Shawn (or maybe Sean) started his bit by saying that he had a troubling day, because his mother unfriended him on Facebook. It maintained the same level of cleverness throughout his time.
Before the show, Tony Trouser and I got to catch up for a bit, especially in regards to IZW. It has been about a year since my last IZW show, and when I left, I swore that I would never attend another local wrestling show for a full year. I was bitter about everything involved around it, and I kept to my promise. Now, my self-imposed embargo has been lifted. I'm free to go back, but I'm not really interested in the shows these days. I've spoken with several of the people with whom I used to work closely, and I don't sense any bitterness from them. Talking with Tony Trouser tonight, I feel as though I moved a few steps closer to making that final step of enjoying a local wrestling show again.
The real problem is that I'd rather watch Tony perform comedy, or especially either Jeordie or Kyle Sonnenberg perform music any day over seeing a handful of my old wrestling friends perform. But I know the time is coming. I had planned to write a blog about my time with the wrestling troupe. And I have it mostly completed. I just need to put it together and make sure it flows, then check to make sure that I've said everything I wanted to say and told every story that I wanted to tell.
After that, then I'll be able to let all my previous resentment go. It really hasn't served any purpose for me the past nine months anyway.
Watching the Watchmen
"Who's watching the watchmen?" - Chad MacDonald, countless times
Jeordie shocked me tonight, she ended around midnight and we were on the road 10 minutes later.
As I pulled away, I thanked her for getting me home early. I needed all the rest I can acquire before work tomorrow. I drove home quickly and slightly wrecklessly, first pulling out in front of an oncoming car (which was a lot closer than I realized) and then rolling through a red light to turn right. The second violation got the officer's attention.
Jeordie lives right next to a popular bar in Tempe, so the officer's first question was where I had been tonight. Foolishly, I attempted to answer Catch 22, but doubting he would know where that was, I was trying to give the crossroads, neither of which were readily available to me. He assured me, "if you're coming from Four Peaks, you can say you're coming from Four Peaks." I told him the crossroads finally (seriously, what are "Union Hills" exactly?) and noted that I just dropped off my friend who performed there. He asked what type of music she played, and I answered acoustic folk (quickly, and clearly sober).
He asked how much I had had to drink tonight, and I replied, "nothing since I got off work at 5." "Nothing *since* you got off work? You drank at work?!" I admitted that I worded my sentence poorly, but "if you're giving me permission, then I'll take it!"
Almost all of my friends are very anti-establishment in terms of our local police departments. I know Jeordie, Chad, and Amy have each had several unpleasant encounters with the members of authority, and each time they feel as though their civil rights were violated. On the other end of the spectrum, I have had a few pleasant encounters with the same policemen (or at least their peers) and I have not felt as though my civil rights were ever in doubt. All of which begs the question, how much information is on our driver's license?
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| This is my favorite photo in 30 years. |
On Tuesday, I got a text from Amy because she has to pay a $170 fine for having an expired temporary plate on her car. The MVD had sent her plate at least twice before without it reaching her, so eventually, her grace period ran out. It did not matter that her car was in fact fully registered with the state. For having an outdated plate, she was fined almost $175 (and there is a misdemeanor on her record).
Conversely, since May 1st of last year, I have been pulled over at least three times, often for moving violations and without proof of insurance on hand, and I have not been cited beyond a "work order" to get my front headlight replaced. Tonight, I got pulled over again. I ran a red light. And I had a friendly conversation with a police officer for 15 minutes before I was on my way again with a courtesy reminder.
Amy needed me to let out Jeribear (which is always my pleasure) and then Jeordie needed me to take her to a gig later, which was all the way across town at Catch 22 on 32nd Street by Union Hills. Once I got home from work, I enjoyed a quick beer before I started moving along: first to visit Dog, then to pack Jeordie. Jeordie's gig ran from 8:30 until midnight, and Jeordie bought me dinner there. She offered me another Bud Light, and I said that I'd share one with her but I had already had one today, so I was good (as per my previous blog, you may remember this limitation has more to do with my vanity than my adherance to the law). I offered to split the beer, but she had misinterpreted my statement, thinking that I meant I had a beer there. I just let her think so and I didn't push the issue. I was already feeling good, except for the growing angst of being at Catch 22, which has usually meant a night full of drama or a night that drags on 30-45 minutes past the end of the show.
Jeordie shocked me tonight, she ended around midnight and we were on the road 10 minutes later.
As I pulled away, I thanked her for getting me home early. I needed all the rest I can acquire before work tomorrow. I drove home quickly and slightly wrecklessly, first pulling out in front of an oncoming car (which was a lot closer than I realized) and then rolling through a red light to turn right. The second violation got the officer's attention.
Jeordie lives right next to a popular bar in Tempe, so the officer's first question was where I had been tonight. Foolishly, I attempted to answer Catch 22, but doubting he would know where that was, I was trying to give the crossroads, neither of which were readily available to me. He assured me, "if you're coming from Four Peaks, you can say you're coming from Four Peaks." I told him the crossroads finally (seriously, what are "Union Hills" exactly?) and noted that I just dropped off my friend who performed there. He asked what type of music she played, and I answered acoustic folk (quickly, and clearly sober).
He asked how much I had had to drink tonight, and I replied, "nothing since I got off work at 5." "Nothing *since* you got off work? You drank at work?!" I admitted that I worded my sentence poorly, but "if you're giving me permission, then I'll take it!"
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| My current driver's license was issued 4/16/98. |
I handed him my license, registration, and proof of insurance. One by one, because I was fumbling around with them. All the more reason it was necessary for me to answer clearly sober earlier. He looked at the registration and confirmed, "this is current!" Proof of insurance, "this is current!" And my license, "where's your real license?" It was a fair question since I am over 30 and the one I handed him denoted that I am under 21 until 1998.
He gave me back my registration and proof of insurance, then he ran my license. This is where they usually write up a ticket for the whole "running a red light" issue, but he came back and gave me my license with two strict pieces of advise: first, come to a complete stop at every red light (sorry. officer) and second, get a new license "because this one is pathetic!" In my defense, it is the best picture I've ever had taken with long hair. And it does not expire until I turn 50.
Unfortunately, the whole ordeal made me think of my friends who are usually put through the wringer on these traffic stops. I wonder whether my friends instigate more or they get more defensive too quickly, or if there are personal records embedded in our license, so they will know who has overdue library books versus those who have five years of perfect attendance at work. If so, then for the record, I'm the latter! =D
Monday, September 13, 2010
Ex Marks the Spot
"And as always, my ex just took me out for dinner and is giving me 20 bucks for bills, hell, being interested in other guys pays off, lol!" - incoming text @ 9:29pm, 9/12/2010
According to the time, I was at Wal-Mart buying a Pepsi Max and AAA batteries in order to withdrawal $20 to give to Amy, with whom I had just eaten at Arby's. Although I generally refer to Amy simply as my friend, she and I were dating for about 3 years between 2006 and 2009. My reasoning for calling her a friend is that is the main reason we are still friends. I am not necessarily the type of person to keep an ex-girlfriend in my life out of a warped sense of loyalty, or especially not out of an obsessive feeling of ownership as the incoming text seemed to imply.
Maybe I was wrong. The true irony is that my own interest in another girl had been building in recent weeks, not that I've told Amy. As I turned out, my instincts were right and the text was truly written mostly in jest.
She explained that she had recently started chatting with a guy online that she liked, so it was odd that I invited her out to dinner out of the blue (it wasn't "odd" because we frequently dine together, often on Sunday evenings) shortly after she had grown an attachment. I reminded her that we had not even been discussing the guy, as far as I knew, and I had no idea about the timing. She said that she knew, but it was an inside joke between her and this particular friend.
I tried to clarify the context of her text further, curious whether it was truly each time we went to dinner or just every time she had a new crush. As I expected, it was the latter. The entire situation was somewhere between a coincidence and just her regular life looking different due to new circumstances.
The true irony is that I cut my conversation with Amy short as soon as I got home to talk to my neighbor: one I insisted would make a good friend for Amy but also, one I had nicknamed "Hot Kristy" when I met her several years prior. I wanted to talk to Kristy for two reasons: first, because I had not seen her in a while, in fact not since I managed to land her the ownership of everybody's favorite neighborhood cat, and secondly, I wanted to get her opinion on this text to find out whether I was over-reacting.
Kristy read it, and I explained the circumstances around the situation. Then, she told me just about everything I needed to know in her response, "it wasn't (written) very nice."
Regardless, by the time I hung up with Amy, I was comfortable with the nature of our friendship. Kristy's words actually made me feel good. It was the first time that I ever confronted an uncomfortable situation directly and immediately. I really don't encounter too many of these situations, but it's good to know that I can nip them in the bud when they arise.
According to the time, I was at Wal-Mart buying a Pepsi Max and AAA batteries in order to withdrawal $20 to give to Amy, with whom I had just eaten at Arby's. Although I generally refer to Amy simply as my friend, she and I were dating for about 3 years between 2006 and 2009. My reasoning for calling her a friend is that is the main reason we are still friends. I am not necessarily the type of person to keep an ex-girlfriend in my life out of a warped sense of loyalty, or especially not out of an obsessive feeling of ownership as the incoming text seemed to imply.
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| Outside All State Arena in Chicago, where we met. |
I was greatly perplexed by this message because Amy had not mentioned a new guy in her life at all, so I had no clue why she would think that I was taking her for dinner in order to block her from anyone else or, even worse, to mark my spot. Obviously, this text was not intended for my eyes, which made the context all the more troubling. While I am extremely non-confrontational most of the time, I barely wasted a moment before I called Amy. It was 20 minutes after the text had been sent, and as far as I knew, she was unaware that it went to me, not the intended recipient.
I told her that I was driving home and I had just received an interesting text. She was genuinely interested in what I had to say next, but as I expected, she was unaware that I received it. I told her and she laughed it off as if it were no big deal.
Unfortunately, I had not really planned that reaction so I had nowhere to go in the conversation. Luckily, my first question was the one that I needed answered. She explained that the text was intended for a friend of hers who was teasing her about my constantly coming around every time Amy was interested in someone new. As far as I knew, this had only happened once or twice before and I thought our interactions during that time were mutually supportive. I found it very hard to believe if I had been duped and, all this time, Amy thought of me more like a pushover than a friend.
Maybe I was wrong. The true irony is that my own interest in another girl had been building in recent weeks, not that I've told Amy. As I turned out, my instincts were right and the text was truly written mostly in jest.
She explained that she had recently started chatting with a guy online that she liked, so it was odd that I invited her out to dinner out of the blue (it wasn't "odd" because we frequently dine together, often on Sunday evenings) shortly after she had grown an attachment. I reminded her that we had not even been discussing the guy, as far as I knew, and I had no idea about the timing. She said that she knew, but it was an inside joke between her and this particular friend.
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| Amy and I dated for three years. |
The true irony is that I cut my conversation with Amy short as soon as I got home to talk to my neighbor: one I insisted would make a good friend for Amy but also, one I had nicknamed "Hot Kristy" when I met her several years prior. I wanted to talk to Kristy for two reasons: first, because I had not seen her in a while, in fact not since I managed to land her the ownership of everybody's favorite neighborhood cat, and secondly, I wanted to get her opinion on this text to find out whether I was over-reacting.
Kristy read it, and I explained the circumstances around the situation. Then, she told me just about everything I needed to know in her response, "it wasn't (written) very nice."
Regardless, by the time I hung up with Amy, I was comfortable with the nature of our friendship. Kristy's words actually made me feel good. It was the first time that I ever confronted an uncomfortable situation directly and immediately. I really don't encounter too many of these situations, but it's good to know that I can nip them in the bud when they arise.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Capricorn Rising
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| I was born in the last hour of my birthday |
There's a seriousness to Capricorn rising people that is unmistakable. Even when they're joking around, it's of the deadpan variety. In fact, plenty of very humorous people have Capricorn Ascendants. It's all in the timing ... and the fact that they don't giggle before the joke is over.
[[Most of the time, anyway. I wish I could keep my reaction under wraps at all times, but I guess I do more often than not. Another problem I run into in the field of communication is when people are torn on whether I'm serious or joking. My excuse is that my voice just naturally sounds sarcastic. Ya know, how some people just sound bossy (usually because they're so bossy so often that it comes across, even when they're not trying). Same deal with me (because I'm usually so sarcastic it comes across, even when I'm not trying).]]
Capricorn Ascendant people project competence. They simply ooze it. They're generally very image-conscious people -- the clothes they wear and their manner are a big deal to them. They want to appear successful, and they generally succeed!
[[I wasn't sure about this one at first because I generally say that I can't have nice things because I don't take care of those things, but the indication that nice things require additional care seems to embody the point nonetheless. Plus, I only have pretty female friends -- or at least I value my friendships with pretty girls more than my other friendships, as evident by Jeordie calling me as I was mid-sentence typing and we made plans for a dinner gig. Being seen with pretty girls can be as shallow of a status symbol as nice clothes or an expensive car.]]
Often the Ascendant persona is the one that was forced upon us by family conditioning. For example, parents may label their Libra Ascendant child the "nice" one; their Aries Ascendant child the "independent" one; and their Pisces Ascendant child is generally the space cadet of the family. We adopt these roles as familiar ones, and often carry them with us as our defense mechanisms, in some way or another, for the rest of our lives. In the case of Capricorn Ascendants, these were the children who were considered the responsible ones. Sometimes, it was they themselves who looked around them and felt the need to be the structured, dependable, and responsible members of the family. So, often, Capricorn rising people adopted a strong sense of tradition, family, and responsibility at a very young age.
[[When I was a kid, I loved saving money. Note how that is "saving" and not "spending." It was often hard to find a toy that was worth the price, but when I found one priced well enough, M.U.S.C.L.E.S. for example, then I would usually stock up. Also, my parents would borrow my money because I always had cash in my velcro wallet, usually around $20, and they would always reimburse me when we got home. Nowadays, my biggest weakness is my obsessive need to feel needed, which has cemented itself through my 5 Years Perfect Attendance Award at work. Deep down, I know Jeordie would be fine without me but my practical assumption is that she needs me. I'm sure she would openly admit that I make her life infinitely easier, but at the same time, we know I am non-essential. Still, I work from the position that she can always count on me. I even wrap up most of our conversations by saying, "call me when you need me."]]
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| Capricorn Zodiac symbol (sometimes) |
[[What me? Worry? Well, I have asked myself all three of those questions often (especially the middle one), so if that is an indication of worrying, then yes, I worry. Honestly, I was unaware that this paragraph was unique to individuals, but it would certainly explain a lot about several other people for me. I guess I am guilty of taking my uniqueness for granted.]]
If success seemed to have come easy to these folks, it hasn't. They just made it look that way with a patient, hard-working, driven personality. Some Capricorn rising people practice some form of self-denial. They know how to do away with the frivolous. Still, they'll spend money on the clothes they really want (the ones with the right labels, that is), and other status symbols. Although they're rarely showy, their quiet air of success is often a result of conscious effort.
[[This paragraph should be my "About Me" section for every online profile I have.]]
More often than not, Capricorn rising individuals are success stories. Their childhoods may have been difficult, but they slowly but surely turn their lives around. Saturn rules this Ascendant, and this generally means a kind of backwards way of living--as children, they are serious and bear a lot of responsibility; and as they grow up, they age beautifully, learning how to loosen up.
[[Frankly, I remember being a snotty little brat as my childhood and somewhat winsome. But my father passed on when I was 12, so there was a lot of growing up in a short period of time. Add to that the above-referenced statements about naturally feeling inclined to support the family, and I can see justification for acknowledging my childhood as a struggle, or my adolescence anyway. By aging beautifully, they must mean an internal beauty, and I have learned to loosen up (the purse strings). Until I turned 30, I was extremely tight around the pocketbooks. But I hit my financial goal at that time, and I felt more confident in my financial security and, since that time, I have been more giving. Not foolishly so, more like Luke 14:13-14. I don't buy my friends, not even the pretty girls. But I have proven myself to myself as a good provider.]]
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