2007I can't wait to get this site rebuilt. I've been wanting to do it for a long time, but it just hasn't been realistic, and now it's finally going to happen. Started the New Year watching bands, it was a lot of fun, hanging out with Claudine and the crew. We saw Tommy Tutone (good not great), The Tubes (sounded great but some weird song selections), The Knack (sounded amazing, they were great), Berlin (only saw a few songs but Terri looked and sounded great), Soul Asylum (didn't know all the songs, but they sounded good), Violent Femmes (amazing, as ever!), The English Beat (always great), and Blondie (first time to see 'em, and they sounded pretty good. Deborah's voice wasn't great, but wasn't bad--the song choice was good, and they did James Brown's "Sex Machine" as a sort of medley in the middle of Rapture). I've got great sounding MP3s of about 12 songs, and as soon as I figure out how to get them up here for downloading, they'll be here. For now, if you want me to email them to you, email me at mark at skatepunk.net. And Lance Hagar, Sammy's cousin, welched on a $1 bet. If you see him, turn him upside down and shake a dollar loose for me. He's short, you'll be able to grab him by the ankles and lift him over your head. The Apple iPhoto books that you cn create from albums in iPhoto are amazing... if you haven't checked 'em out, you're missing the boat. I guess it's a big deal when a bank burns down--they closed off blocks and blocks of Tustin Ave yesterday and wouldn't let anyone anywhere near the Wells Fargo that was burning down. Even though I was apparently there at the drive-up ATM an hour or two before it started, I didn't do it. 2006December Bummed out: Bionic records closed--I went by there today and was sad to see another indie store with real records and real CDs closed down. A definite bummer casualty of technology. Weird but cool: I walked into the Jamba Juice around the corner from my house today and got my smoothie, as always. I turned around and had to do a severe double take. Gailea Momolu was standing right behind me... it took me a minute to place him, it was so out of context. And behind him was Paul Machnau...Two amazing skateboarders from Canada who now live about a mile from me, in little ol' Orange... Like I said, weird but cool. Daewon Song, Thrasher Magazine's Skater of the Year, 2006. Well deserved and long overdue... The other day I wrote about Rancid... (below) How much I like them, how for a while it was an embarrassing pleasure, and I've sort of been wondering why it was that way for me. I think it's because they seem to have this image of being a dumbed-down band, like it's remedial punk rock or something. It's not. This may be partly (or almost entirely?) because of the outward image, what with the mohawks and pretty consistent punk ghetto gear. The thing is, with these guys, the gear and the life is not simply a facade, or a front. They're real. The realest, when it comes to punk rock in 2006. But do not confuse real punk rock with stupid, unintelligent, or otherwise lower-level in the gray matter department. One look at the lyrics they write, and have written consistently over the last 13 years, on every album, and any fan of Dylan, Fugazi, Jawbreaker, Elliott Smith, The Clash, Rush, or any other band known for great lyrics would definitely admit that the words these guys have penned are right up there. And musically? Well, there's no title or contest (thank god) for best bass player in the world, but if there was, Matt Freeman would be in the running, and if it was for best punk bass player, there's not anyone else close that I've ever seen. Speed, agility, accuracy, and an uncanny ability to write a line that somehow circles without ever sounding like it's repetetive. And the stuff that Tim writes, and that Lars writes, run the gamut from one end of the punk spectrum to the other, and it's all great. Super fast eighties hardcore style? Yep, got it covered. Catchy, fifties throwback back beat punk rock? Of course. Clash-flavored rock that transcends all rock categories? Yep. Ska-flavored skunx-rock that Matt and Tim created in a previous band? Handled. Rancid-flavored songs that transcend all other rock and punk styles? Yep, in droves... I guess what I'm trying to say is, check it out. If you consider yourself an intelligent music fan, you're contradicting yourself if you don't check out Rancid. Now Playing: Against Me! All of it. Does a journal for a year count if you don't write in it a certain number of times? Who was it that said "The unexamined life is not worth living?" I forget who said it, but I like it...I know there are no rules for a journal, and I can do whatever the heck I want... but it seems that I've not written enough this year, again. This just came into my head because I was realizing that it's been almost 8 years since I started this silly little journal. The journey is the destination, right? Right. And I've spent a bunch of time living it and a bunch of time documenting it, and I'm still hoping that I can find the balance in the middle somewhere. I saw Rancid the other night. They continue to be one of my favorite bands. And whereas a few years ago I was somewhat guilty about that--as in, a guilty pleasure--I am not any longer. They are seriously one of the greatest bands I've ever seen, and their records are great, too. Chock full of great songs: catchy, pulsing, punchy, rolling, sing-a-long, touching--they do it all really really well. I wonder why they have a weird stigma? Well, maybe that's what makes them so good still, and maybe it's what keeps them out of the big giant halls... whatever it is, I'm happy for it. They've got a newe record coming out in 2007, and I'm stoked. Rancidrancid.com Now Playing: Rancid, Indestructible In 1999 I wrote this list of my favorite shows of all time: October It's been an interesting month. I am officially a work-a-holic, which is both cool and really depressing. I feel like a damn shoegazer, all emo and whiny, and that is a perpetuating cycle, because it's so damn depressing to be all depressed. But being able to work and get a job done where people are depending on me in a big way is one of the most rewarding things I've ever experienced. It's totally its own reward, and a little quiet recognition is all it takes--as a matter of fact, I would much rather have quiet heartfelt recognition than a big show. As we near GvR, which is the biggest event I've ever done, it's pretty funny that I already know I'm going to get all bummed out afterwards, because it will all be over. I fear that I won't be needed, which I guess is one of my biggest fears. And am I expressing this fear now in the hopes that facing it will help me get over it? Why do I write this stuff? Why have I ever. In June I wrote that stuff below and then didn't actually write again for 4 months. So much for being an accurate journal--I guess the value in that comes from the longevity, and I'll always have an idea of what I was thinking in between these little entries. Dark Entries. Anyway, here I am again, writing about writing and thinking about thinking. I sometimes think I just need to decide to be happy and I"ll be happy, and when I have work to do, I feel like I should be happy, and that's why I am. I'm not as much of a mess as I sound like. June Blah, blah, blah. I feel like I should write, but everytime I think of something to write about, I feel like it's so ego-driven and self-centered that I feel like Mike V. And if you've read this thing at all you known I've been so torn about that. It's a Catch 22--it's both gutsy and vulnerable to put yourself out there, which is healing and therapeutic and interesting to read, but it also requires a sense of ego that relies on the assumption that people are inherently interested in what I write. Maybe I should assume that people are interested in me if they're reading this, but that's such a bold statement and seems so freaking macho that I can't stand it. Or I could assume that people are interested in people, which sets it up the opposite way--that it's really not about me at all, but about humanity. That makes it work a little more, but is also kinda depressing. But that's better than the other option. I'll go with that for now... May Wow, I'm actually writing twice in one month. Not even sure what there is to write about, but I do have some energy these days and there are thngs to be happy about once again. You know, it's funny, I meet people who read this thing and think I must be this emo-boy always-depressed dude who goes around with no joy. I'm not that. I have become pretty jaded the last five years, though, since getting divorced, and I feel like I've finally gotten on a train permanently headed in the right direction, back to being a much more positive person. It seriously kills me that at work people view me as this bitter, negative guy. My own doing, I knowm and I'm paying for it. But I'm also digging my way out of ths hole. I don't have much to be bitter about. There's a skate shop in Ventura called Skatepunk, and I actually got a series of pretty funny emails from the guys with all these half-threats about them suing me if I continue to make shirts with the word "skatepunk" on them. The first email started off with this sentence: "Why do you have the R for registered trade mark and C for copy for Skate Punk when you dont even own it?" Whoa, dude, slow down, I do own it. Anyway, I though it was a prank from a friend and turns out, after about 10 emails back and forth, that it wasn't. But there were still a bunch of funny lies ("we sued Shorty's and won") and stuff that made no sense, all in an effort to protect his business' name, which of course wasn't even necessary. But if you find yourself in Ventura, stop by and say hello. Dude's name is Roger, and he needs all the support he can get. It's now May. Should I even bother labeling this year with months? I may not get to write anything at all. I think the only thing that has kept me from throwing in the towel is that I know myself, and I know that I'd later regret it, and I also have this idea about the synergism of this journal. The idea being that it's value grows with each word, but also with each passing day. I started it in 1997, and most of that, from 1999 or so on, is below. No pictures. so I can just keep writing. I started writing little blurbs about my friends and skateboarders and bands. As I slowly got more comfortable, I started writing more about my life, especially as I got divorced and then loved again. So it stands as a document from way before "blogs" was in existence, and I'm still holding on to the notion that it's worth something (to me at least) just for being some sort of record of the last 8 years of my life. That said, as we approach the one-year anniversary of my mom's death, I still feel slightly paralyzed. I've been pushed into action by various forces including financial necessity, but that excludes things that I've done for fun on a lot of levels. Anyway, I haven't been able to write too much lately, and just now I saw this amazing "review" from Lance Hahn, hero-dude from J Church and Cringer. I've been writing about Pitchfork for years, telling anyone who would listen about this record, and to see it in my inbox in the "J Church Listening Room" from Lance was great. So I'm borrowing this and reprinting it here--below. Lance does a great email every once in a while that I totally love reading. If anything, it helps me learn about a variety of music--not just punk, although mostly, in all its varieties--and more so, films, especially underground and art films, for lack of a better term. You can check it out here if you're interested: To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JChurchNewsletter/m or maybe by sending an email to: JChurchNewsletter-subscribe@yahoogroups.com IN THE J CHURCH LISTENING ROOM: PITCHFORK "Eucalyptus" LP I love John and Rick. I love these guys. I love their music. Pitchfork is probably my favorite as I've got the most memories tied up with this music. I remember when I first met John. Cringer was down in San Diego playing a big show with Scream and Excel. Pitchfork was the first band on and was still a trio. They were amazing. They were the perfect West Coast response to Rites Of Spring. John was a young kid who took us to the shop nearby so we could buy soft drinks. To this day, he's still as excited and enthused about music as the first time I met him. I think this record showcases everything that is great about his guitar playing. It's crazy tuneful while experimental and challenging. I remember watching some interview with Eno where he called Hendrix the first electronic musician, as he was as interested in sounds as he was in notes. I think the same can be said for John. On this record he's carrying the melody on every song while pulling out all the stops in guitar trickery with harmonics, pick scrapes and other pick-up noises. It's fucking an inspiration. Rick is also on fire with some of his most venomous lyrics. "Burn Pigs Burn" is a knife in the gut. And he doesn't let up there. "Rana" is pure poetry and the lyrics perfectly marry the big riff (I swear, it must have been somewhere in Blake's subconscious when he wrote the outro to "Chesterfield King" (he's talking about Jawbreaker)). I'm so happy this record is back in print. (Swami) Click here to listen and buy: http://www.audiolunchbox.com/album?a=7309 February Another year promising to be better than the last. And I'm hopeful. Today I'm going to LA to sell some of my Mom's records and CDs, and then I have to clean up the office and then maybe play some music. How did this thing become a diary for the day? Maybe because I didn't have anything else to write so at least I can amuse you with utter boringness. In photography, an everyday photo or snapshot capturing the essence of the decisive moment, even if that moment is otherwise lackluster, is still a study in composition, technical execution, and visual beauty. With words we're not so lucky, and I fear it just comes across as boring... Now Playing: Respira/Radio Antagonista demos January I've been thinking a lot lately about abstractions, and the way I grew up being sort of desensitized to "feelings." I think that my father had to learn to avoid feelings for some reason that I don't know. His time in two wars and high rank as an Army officers, as well as living through the Depression as a boy obviously contributed, but I wonder what else led to it. I was always told to not worry about my feelings, to get tough and take it. And of course I was never able to... and so as I sat with my father for four days in the hospital over Christmas, I did some thinking and reading, and it's interesting to me that some generations of Americans are taught that feelings are abstractions which can be put aside. But they're not, feelings are real, and perhaps they are the realest things we have. It's obviously something I'm dealing with a lot in the year after my mom died, and my first dog died, and going into the year in which my father will probably die. Anyway, if you have any thoughts or good info to read, I'd love to hear it or read it... 2005December Now Playing: The Clash s/t LP December 22: "Breakfast does not cause lunch." This has been on the front page of the site for a couple weeks now and I had no idea that it would cause such a commotion. Basically it's a way of saying that just because one event preceeds another, the first doesn't necessarily cause the second event. Given the recent string of things in my life that have been piling up, and seemingly have created a run of bad luck, I've been doing my remedial philosophising and trying to make sense of it all. And during this I read somewhere about succession of events and I like the cryptic way that it sounded: breakfast doesn't cause lunch. Pretty funny, simple, maybe cryptic, yes, but true. If anyone knows an eager young programmer who is willing to work on this site for a good rate, please have them email me at mark at skatepunk.net. I want to start sort of over, actually get some more photos up, create a simpler way to add photos, and restart the evolution. Thanks. Now Playing: Against Me! (of course) December 7: I'm out of here for five days, but it's interestng that I've got five days' worth of momentum on here. But the last few days it's been less and less. I think that perhaps true apathy means not caring if I do or don't. Does that make the words less meaningful, somehow? Have I become a slacker? Is it possible to be a part time slacker? Or a slacker on some things and not on others? Are you sick of these questions yet? I heard that band Thrice on the radio tonight, and man, he sounds like Ian MacKaye so much. What a bummer. December 6: Sometimes things are just so easy, and sometimes, the simplest things are just hard to do... like writing on this thing, calling friends back on the phone, paying bills, writing Christmas letters, etc... I finally added one photo of the bowl to the end of the ramp page. It's not a great photo, not enough contrast, but it gives the idea. I will be making a bowl page here very soon. December 5: Here it is almost Christmas again. I wonder if I'll actually say something about how dispicable I think they are to my lame neighbors if they come caroling or with gifts again this year. I want to try to think of the most gentle way to say what I want to say, without sarcasm, without being cruel. Is it possible? These are the people who called the city on me when I was building the pool in the backyard. The people who complain to all the other neighbors (who come tell me) when I have ten people and four cars over to the house in the middle of a Saturday afternoon. Anyway, they're jerks, and very self-righteous, and although right now I'm craving the conflict, maybe the bext thing is for them to not come to the house this year... I'll mask my disappointment somehow. Soundtrack for 2005: Against Me! Everything from Tom's Demo Tape right up thru the Mouse On Mars remix of Don't Lose Touch. December 4: I have posession obsession, but is it worth anything to say that I don't have it nearly as bad as some of my friends, or as my father, or my brother? There are all different types: Lance collects anything skateboarding. He's even made it so cool that people read about it in the skateboarding magazines. Me, too. I loved those articles. He's got locks of Caballero's hair, wedding invitations from his friends who got married, boards that were in famous photos of him or someone else, prototype boards and wheels that never saw the light of day, drawings by Gonz and Neil and Lucero, and so much more. My brother has books, records, CDs, but also has a competitive pile of junk that I couldn't even define. So many books, about music, and growing plants, and eroticism, and weird dudes from the sixties, and self help, and on and on. CDs... well, the CD collection is pretty concise, actually. Plus, I can't talk too much about that stuff. Same with records. But I've sold a ton of records, and if I don't listen to a CD within a year or so, I get rid of it. Especially with how easy it is with an iPod these days... and I have gotten rid of junk. My dad grew up in the Great Depression, and learned to save anything that might be someday useful. This meant if a scrap of would could be used someday down the line, we saved it. Or a piece of metal, or an old doorknob. Growing up in the time he did it made sense--you saved for a time when it meant you could save money. My mom was the same way, but with her it was less sensical and more obsessive behavior--she saves magazines that she swore someday she would read. And she did read a lot, but her pride refused to let her admit that she wouldn't get to everything. This push / pull meant she was constantly working to keep ahead of the curve, but of course she was always behind. It made life interesting, and among other things, our mom's habits have taught all of the kids to be self-entertaining. We know how to make the most of our lives, time-wise. I wish they would've taught us how to save money instead of junk! It took a lot longer to learn that habit. So, anyway, my habits are hereditary, and it's been tough to fight it. Being married to Jen helped with the junk, sort of, although she was so intolerant of any psychological reasons for behaviors that didn't mesh with her way, that for a while she pushed so hard to get rid of stuff that I froze, and couldn't get rid of stuff. What she meant, what she ultimately wanted, made sense, and I understand her fears that long term our house would become like my parents, but it was never that bad, and the way it was dealt with was pretty lame. These days my possession obsession is limited--I finally got rid of all my skateboard sticker collections, I sold all my skateboarding magazines, I sold tons of other little things on eBay, and the Goldenrod Records legacy is now down to about two boxes, which I still continue to sell, slowly. I don't have hundreds of pairs of shoes, like a lot of my friends, I don't even have ten pairs. I fully understand having a limited mental capacity for posessions, but at the same time, as my sister recently pointed out as I lamented the stuff I still do have, it's these things that are examples of my personality, and when they're neatly displayed around the house, they really make the house feel warm and lived-in and part of me, as opposed to a boring place with pretty pictures from Target on the wall and no personality. So it's a balancing act. The things I do have collections of: musical instruments--small collection; studio equipment--small accumulation that gets used regularly; records--about 2500 including 7"s; CDs, about 1100, which has barely grown the last 5 years, because I've gotten rid of so many; and books, limited to punk and classic rock, and skateboarding, with a few photo books thrown in, too. I'm not sure why I'm spelling it all out, but that's it... and the stuff I don't have, I'm obsessive about not having--don't want it here, don't want it here. Get rid of it, if it's not being used. Oh yeah, I have photo albums, which would be the first things I'd grab in case of fire. Whoa, where did that rant came from? It was all written before I even had a thought about what I was doing.... I wrote that bit about stuff this morning, and now it's 1am on Sunday night, and I did laundry and was putting the sheets back on the bed, and I spread out this blanket. It's a blanket that Jen and I had when we were married, and I realized something that amazingly, I had never thought of before. (Why am I thinking about Jen so much lately?) She always got on my case about buying stuff that I liked, like CDs, guitar crap, or tools, but was always very happy to send money, usually conservatively, I have to admit, on fashion/style stuff. Example: I had old T-shirts that she hated, because they were old. But if I liked them, and they were perfectly good, I would keep them, just like the blanket that I've kept all these years. But some people get rid of perfectly good clothes just because they're out of style, or because they'd been around for a while, which I never understood. But what it came down to, I just realized, was that once again, the things we wanted to spend money on were different, and her habits were OK and mine were bad! Why didn't I realize this before? Now playing: Some Girls "The DNA Will Have Its Say" December 3: I wonder why I have developed such an aversion to the holidays. Every year it seems that the celebration and the shopping season and the lights go up earlier. Is it people being anxious and hoeful for this time of year, or are they victims of the commercialism that encourages dollars to be spent, to partake in capitalism? As you can obviously tell, I haven't written here for a while. Not since the bowl was done, not since Jim Bates won the éS Game of SKATE, not since Chris Cole won Skater of the Year 2005. Not since I saw Against Me! five times, and not since their album came out. Not since I met Claudine, and not since I went on the best/worst reading binge I've ever been on. Barely since my Mom died, none since I've come to grips with it (I haven't). Get the point? Breakfast does not cause lunch. Just because one thing precedes another doesn't mean the first thing caused the other. But I'm slowly going crazy, and it sure seems like the things that have happened this year have helped. Last year was bad, with my Dad in the hospital all year, and the crap that was going on at work. This year, the work stuff got sorted out, and how, and everything was cruising until May. I've shut down a lot, and was able to recover by focusing on just a few things, getting them done before moving on to the next. Thus, not a lot of writing. Now Playing: Head Wound City S/T CD on 31g I just read something about habits of types of people. I'm pretty impatient, and a commonality among impatient people is that they don't like to cook. This is true with me. I had a point, but it would take too long to write it out, and I'm too impatient to do it right now. Maybe later. (I think there was a connection between procrastination and impatience, too.) I just heard that a friend got a medical marijuana card. He's a habitual smoker, so this will surely make his habit easier to maintain, and because I know the weed mellows him out, I'm happy for him. But it makes me wonder about the system, when basically someone can get a card without being truly sick enough to be under a physician's care. Not a bad thing, but a thing nonethheless that I'm wondering about. Why don't people realize or care, especially people of color, that symbols like the iron cross are hate symbols? Am I too sensitive? Have I become PC? I just don't get it. And by the wy, Skin Industries sucks. It's no surprise to see a bunch of meathead dudes in house slippers with black socks to their knees walking around in Skin T-shirts, but to see girls who are at least intelligent enough to have a brief conversation with wearing their clothes is disgusting. A brand based on misogyny, sexism, and racism? Sounds perfect! Sign me up! Here's my money--just in time for Christmas. Now playing: Against Me! Searching For A Former (Rumored) Clarity I found out that I guy I've been friends with for a long time is in jail, or actually, state prison. The bummer is that it's for something pretty sad, but not so uncommon. The good thing is that he owned up to it, didn't go to trial, and is facing his time served, and won't be in there more than a couple years. But it sucks to think of a friend in prison. When it was for something like what my friend Gator did, it was easy to just say "forget that guy, he murdered someone..." I didn't know how easy until I threw away his letters... (and now I'm wondering if that's the right thing to do? Should I abandon a guy like that? I think yes, why waste my life's energy on someone who didn't value life very much. And then I think that it's a good object lesson that we can all do stupid thing impulsively, and I'm glad I'm much less of a risk-taker these days. Man we did stupid things when we were kids.) For someone like Josh Swindell, who did a despicable, hateful crime while caught up in a moment, I wasn't good enough friends with to really have to face that decision, of what to do. But with this current friend, there was a moment of thought, and then I realized that of course he's still my friend. I'm rambling. Whatever. August Got an email link to this "old school" site today, good stuff, although I still hate the terms old school and new school, not only because I think that skateboarding needs less classifications, categories, and internal factionalizing, but because by this point I really think the terms are worthless. The company New School started about 13 years ago, which is now about 35% of the total life of skateboarding, or almost 45% if you consider when the urethane wheel hit (1974). So what constitutes new school versus old school? Right now it's anything after the H-Street videos, in the early 90s, which coincides with progressive changes in board and wheel designs, and yeah, I understand where and why the terms are used. But I've learned about where a lot of stupid terms come from, and I don't use them either. Stop categorizing and classifying--these categories only emerge in an effort to make each group that much more elite, so the members of the different groups can feel somehow superior to the others, for more comfort. It's easier when lines are drawn. Shine easy, shine comfort, when it comes to skateboarding. Be inclusive, embrace other skateboarders, and forget the categories. I think I'm not phased by much in skateboarding anymore. The biggest thrill has truly become sharing cool things with the kids--Taylor and his friends. It's a different type of joy, and maybe it feels better because it's less selfish. While we were in Texas a few weeks ago, we got tickets at a skatepark for skateboarding before the park was open. It's a public skatepark in Portland, TX, and you have to pay to skate, so the ticket was for theft of service. They actually put a couple of us in handcuffs and were so gung-ho about taking us to jail like we were big time criminals or something. It was pretty ridiculous. At one point one of the cops actually admitted, quietly, that it was kind of embarrasssing to have to do what he was doing, but then he went right back into sheep mode and explained that he was just doing his job, and he was just trying to get paid so he could go home and sit on the couch and live a happy life, and if he rocked the boat at work, it was not productive for his real life plans. Pretty pathetic. Kill me if I ever get like that. I've written a little bit about the bowl in the backyard--it's a combi-bowl shape with a miniature Darth Vadar rollover bump in the middle, and some squared lip, some metal coping, and pool coping. We've been skating it on the weekends for a few weeks, even though not all the flat decks and flat bottoms are poured. It's sort of like skating a pool with a couple feet of water in the bottom. But it's been great anyhow, because it is still possible to generate speed,a nd it's turning out to be a lot of fun. But the best part is that it brings people together. Getting together for skating, eating, or just to hang out are major sources of good times and the bowl helps create all of them. I'm pretty psyched about it. If anyone reading this would like to build a concrete bowl in their yard, I've got just the man for you. His name is Eric Lee, and he's good. Real good. The finals for the éS Game of SKATE are in San Diego on September 10. Free and open to the public, you should check it out! The Baker video premiere is this coming Wednesday--should be good--I've heard it's the best video in a long time. That's hard to imagine, considering that Zero's video just came out, and it's only been two years since Yeah Right, but it's something to look forward to anyway. Man, I haven't written on this thing in a long time and the last few weeks there've been so many things that I thought I might write about, and now that I'm here I can hardly think of anything! My mom died in May, right after the 12th, when I wrote that bit below. Things have taken on a different hue--things that have been very important to me in the past aren't so important any longer, and I've got a much different outlook on a lot of things. I've been trying to come up with a way to explain it, and finally just decided it isn't really worth trying to explain. My friends, who would've probably always described me as a little high-strung at times, have noticed a bit more calm. Unfortunately, at the same time, my new job has put me in a high-pressure position, responsible for some high-profile events, and a lot of things and people are counting on me holding it together. I can't say I don't enjoy that, but it does put things in a different light and sort of force me to prioritize things down and out of the list... I'm rambling, so I'll just go back to what I wrote before--I can't really explain what's going on with me. The bowl in the backyard is almost done, though, and we've been skating it a ton. Lots of fun... I'm still trying to get photos together. June Maybe I'll write later. So many trials, and all God seeing what I'll do, how I'll react. I have to think slowly, for once. May So much to write about, so little time... It's already the 12th of May? Life is flying by. So the last few weeks I've been back into the project in the backyard. I'll try to get photos up soon. I've been building a pool/bowl for skateboarding. It's become an obsession, and doing it at the same time as I remodel the kitchen, install a hot tub, build two decks, embed myself into a new role at work which I totally relish, and build an outodoor kitchen barbecue area was a foolish decision, but it's coming together, finally. I'm up to over 700 tons... yes that's right, tons, of dirt out of the hole in the backyard. The neighbors love me, I'm sure. Our company switched to T Mobile, which sucked, and I'm now on Boost, which rules. Slint and New Model Army within a few weeks of each other? Still mind-boggling. Two of the top ten shows I've ever seen... along with At The Drive In, Bad Brains, Fugazi, Drive Like Jehu, The Clash, the Sex Pistols and others. And my musical... habits have been sort of tweaked by Against Me! It's all I've been listening to for so long. It's been about a month now and it's all I want to listen to. The last time I really remember being this obsessed with a single band was on a road trip in 1990 when I listened to Fugazi non-stop, and before that I remember doing the same thing with Bad Religion's Suffer. I've loved those bands for years now so the Against Me! thing is a good sign... April Wow, is March really gone without me writing a single thing in this thing? A lot has happened. I've got a hole in my backyard that a pool is supposed to be in someday soon, I'm remodeling my kitchen, I saw two of the best shows of my life (New Model Army and Slint), I got a new dog from a guy who didn't tell me the dog was deaf, and my new job is very intense and time-consuming. But rewarding. And Hugh is here! That's enough to keep anyone away from the computer. February Have you ever heard of the Seven Degrees of Separation theory that says within seven people, everyone in the US knows everyone? Basically, I know someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someones who knows anyone you could name in the US. So, I know someone who knows Clint Eastwood, and Clint Eastwood knows Robert DeNiro, so I'm three degrees from Robert Deniro, etc... Anyway, try it sometime. You can probably name it. But even if you can't, I'd bet it's true. And then when you're done, check out this site, where my friend Justin Pearson connected his band Swing Kids to Yes, and The Locust to Van Halen. Now playing: Heavy Vegetable, Pinback, Three Mile Pilot. Gene, where are you? Man, I just listened to Three Mile Pilot for the first time in a long time, and they are so amazing. I am so proud to be able to say that I released that Goldenrod 7" with "This Divine Crown" and "The Open Sided." "The Open Sided" is one of my favorite songs of all time. It is on the singles and comps collection CD that they put out called Songs From An Old Town We Once Knew and it's still available fom Goldenrod, too on vinyl--there are a few left. January Now playing: Stay Clean by Motorhead First day back to work after five days away. It sure sucks that nobody even notices that I was sick. I know some people would kill for invisibility, but it always makes me feel so lonely when people don't notice when I'm not there... it's like getting a hair cut and nobody noticing, although I guess that's more of a girl thing, right? Ron from the Supersuckers had a Ruby Is Love sticker on his Les Paul... if the photos I shot came out I'll send one to the boys at CrailTap, the best inside joke website on the web, or anywhere else. Dry senses of humor only, please. And have you seen skatefairy.com? Ohmygawd, what are you waiting for? And the triumvirate wouldn't be complete without skatemental.com... If you're reading this and you're in Southern California, we could really use your support: Contribution is playing a show in Anaheim on January 27th. It's a showcase, sort of, and we need people to show up. If you're interested, please email me and I'll get some tickets out to you free of charge... Now playing: The Nirvana Box Set By the way, I think I wrote a couple weeks back that I have guns. I don't want to give anyone the wrong idea... I don't own guns...I inherited, by lack of a better place for them to go, my father's guns. They're going in a safe deposit box and hopefully won't be heard from again for a long, long time. I'm not a fan of guns. If we didn't have guns, people wouldn't get shot... I have a lot of friends who love guns, so I've had plenty of heated arguments, and know where I stand. If there weren't guns, people wouldn't get shot, iot's a pretty simple statement, and no amount of arguing will ever change that, or how I feel about it. So, because I'm not a fan of people getting shot, I therefore wish that there were no guns. In my weird depression I thought it was ironic and interesting timing for me to inherit these guns and so I wrote about it... maybe not the wisest choice, but have no fear, I'm certainly not suicidal, and the guns are now gone. Hey, friends, I'm really sorry that this blog has been such a bummer lately. I hope it doesn't become something that is so depressing to read that you avoid it. I appreciate the words of support from friends all over the world--in the last few weeks they've come from San Diego, Encino, San Francisco, New York, and Germany, which is very nice. I'm actually feeling very good the last few weeks. Well, except for that bout with food poisoning from the Westin in San Diego. Anyway, I don't ever mean for this journal to be anything other than what's in my head, and if you've read for a while, or if you read down a ways, you'll know how I've battled in my head even with the egotism that goes with the assumption that people actually are reading this. But I've leaped that hurdle too many times to revisit, and have moved on. In doing so, I've accepted that what's in my head, when I write, goes here. So if there's crap in my head, crap goes on the virtual paper. I only hope that my words do justice for the joy that I often feel, and properly express the goodness that I do often feel blessed to have in my life. I'm bummed that I missed the Indy book signing in San Diego. It was amazing, by all accounts, and Bryce Kanights can be proud to know that he's put on one of the best events ever in skateboarding... Cool records I bought on my recent trip to the best record store in the world (yes, even better than Ameoba): The Easy Cure Three Imaginary Boys reissue plus bonus disc; The Hip Hop Box; Pinback's newest, Summer in Abaddon; Q and Not U, Power; Franz Ferdinand s/t; and the Young, Gifted, and Black roots reggae comp. I also saw two great shows in San Diego this last weekend: Rocket From The Crypt with Deadbolt and a new hardcore quartet named Spacehorse with Matt Anderson, Scott Barteloni, Russell from Fischer and The Shortwave Channel, and Adam, the guy Matt Goldsby says has more hardcore knowledge thatn anyone in the world. All were rocking. And last night I saw Fluf! How amazing to hear those songs live. Really, really, good to see and hear Fluf. They played with the Supersuckers, who were great, but for some reason the crowd turned me off. I know, I know, I've espoused many times that I shouldn't let what other people do effect my enjoyment of something. It only did in as much as I didn't give the band as much of a chance as I would've if there hadn't been so damn many knuckleheads and dirt-girls up front. The times continue to change. What do you do when you know your friend is blowing chunks, and it's none of your business. The answer is different depending on who you ask, but this is one that even I'm going to leave alone. Rob, you're blowing it big time. It's hard to believe that Contribution formed a year ago already. Time flies when you're having fun, right? Our friend Boozy has joined the infamous Deadutantes. Man, they are all hot, and especially Katie, even though I heard she just quit or left or got the boot or something... can't wait to see them. Check out their site. I think it's a really dangerous thing that I now have guns in my possession. But they won't be for long, though, they've got to go someplace safe. Wait, maybe I shouldn't write that. Oh well, no punches pulled. At least not here. I have to do that everywhere else, this should be one sacred place. And remember, you can't kick me harder than I'm already kicking myself. Today is my awesome sister Laura's birthday. Happy Birthday, sis! I love you! So I managed to start off the year with a new cover and I've actually written some stuff. The plan is to actually change the cover photo every week or so. The next one is amazing, I really want to leave it up longer, so we'll have to see. I'm also hoping to put up a page with all the past cover photos, at some point. Soon. Meet The Fockers was a bit disappointing, no? Did I already mention that it's time to lose weight? Being fat sucks. The good news is, I have only myself to blame. Damn Krispy Kreme opened up near the house. Donuts are my downfall. Congrats to Mike and Heather, who just agreed to enter into marital bliss! Now Playing: Gang Of Four, Contract, from the Peel Sessions. It really sucks that John Peel died. He was a champion of good music, no matter how much money was behind it, and usually even more of a champion when there wasn't much or any money behind the music. Money is such a factor in everything, and that sucks. He'd Send In The Army from Urgh! A Music War was the first Gang Of Four I heard, although my friend Nathan had Entertainment in about 1981. He loaned me the vinyl around then, a couple years after it came out, and I taped it, but I didn't really get it and fall in love with Gang Of Four until about 1987. Such an amazing band. If this dribble sounds like it was written when I was drunk.... oh well. Maybe a drinking problem would be better than some of the other problems I've got. Speaking of being drunk, it's unanimous: the song I reach for most upon inebriation is Refused's New Noise. Second choice would be their song Summertime vs. Punk Routine. Third is, surprise, surprise, anything by Inch. It's 2005 and I'm going to write. Probably too much, again. But what the hell. There's a lot to be thankful for, despite all the crap that our leaders pull. $40 million on Bush re-inaugral celebration. That's a bunch of crap. But I digress. I am going to write. To make up for lost time. To spit it all out. I'm going to stop worrying about the outcomes, because the worst possible outcomes won't hurt anyone, except possibly myself. If you've read this tripe for a while, it'll be nothing different, it's just be more than we've seen the last year or so... and I have a feeling it's going to be worse. Now Playing: Elliott Smith, From A Basement On A Hill. Elliott Smith is so amazing. The last record is my favorite. there's more electric stuff, but there are still songs like Memory Lane and Let's Get Lost that are emblematic Elliott Smith, just perfect little pop songs that somehow transcend the meaningless that mainstream culture produces endlessly. I'm not sure if I'm glad that not more people know about this sort of underground music, so that I can still feel like I have it all to myself, or if I wish everyone knew, because it's so beautiful, and I have have a benevloence towards people in general that makes me wish them well. Am I this sick that I need to wonder about this stuff? Isn't this supposed to be stuff that we grow out of in high school or college? What's wrong with me? What's that on your shoulder? What, my head? Anyway, I've really been into Elliott Smith lately. Desert Island Bands, January 1, 2005: Bands that have been burning holes in my iPod screen because they've been there so much this year: I wonder why I do this? And then I wonder why I wonder why I do this. Dear You, Dear You, Dear You, Dear You, I've struggling here, trying to come up with the words to write about my dad. He was a Colonel in the Army. Went to West Point, is a genius, was an engineer, fought in World War Two and Korea, has a steel thigh bone from an accident in France during the Korean War. His political leanings are definitely to the right. But he's been in the Veterans' Hospital in Menlo Park for almost a year now, and he's not ever coming home. He had a stroke last January, and although he's been hanging tough, it's one of those crappy things where he could go at any time. All the family is spending as much time as we can with him, for the kids it's almost like trying to make up for times in the past when we took him for granted, or were too busy with our own lives to be more a part of his and my moms. I've been trying to reconcile my own politics with the pride I feel about my dad fighting for the country during those wars in the past. It's a weird juxtaposition of emotions... 2004December How can it be December already? Man, it's going by fast... The list below came from my friend Justin Pearson. Funny, and sadly, truer than we want to think. 40 Last Minute Things to Do Before the 2nd Coronation of King George II November A thought occurred to me this morning that I was psyched about. I've documented here in this site, a couple years ago, how much it bothered me when people come across as completely whiney when they write on their websites or blogs. It's their site, they have the right to do it, but it just seems so... ungrateful, immature, whatever. So I went back and read what I've written the last few months as I knew that I've been fighting some crappy times. And I realized that the times when I felt especially lame were the times I didn't write anything. I'd rather write nothing than write a bunch of sorrowful accounts of how bad my life is, because I don't feel that way. In fact, even at the worst of times for me, I know I have it good, and I do feel lucky, blessed, and content, in the big picture. So if you should ever see a bunch of "woe is me" carp here, be sure to set me straight. By the way, I did note the irony of that first post in October. I jinxed myself. Now you know why I didn't write much else in October! Yesterday we piled in the car and went to the two new skateparks I'd heard were in Corona--they were supposed to be good. They're actually in Norco, and they're horrible. It is so pathetic that in 2004 were still building parks like these. Rails over quarterpipes, ledges down stairs with 8 foot bowls on the other side, 3 foot deep kidney pools with tile and coping, that were obviously supposed to be deeper. Three foot high ledges, steep and fast snake runs into into nowhere, trannies that are kinked at the bottom... it's so bad I can't find enough words to describe the idiocy of the people who built these parks. I'm sorry I haven't written more lately. Although I thought I'd beaten some of this fall depression, it sort of got a hold of me. I'm fighting the good fight on a personal level. And Novmber 2nd sure as hell didn't help anything... Between that, visits to my Dad, my Mom's deteriorating health, job stress, friend stress, it's been easy to just hide out. I feel like PJ when I don't answer the phone! Anyway, here are some links to check out, and I hope to be able to write more soon! Time Magazine the week after the election. Here's a definitely interesting story...was the whole thing rigged? Ever wonder about just how smart those Bush voters are? This is a slippery slope, claiming that IQ is linked to how we vote, but hey, it's just the facts. I think the more interesting chart would tell us the share of voters in each state who claim that they are "very religious, in a Christian-based religio" or something like that. I bet the parallels would be the same. And I'd also like to have some crazy power which would allow me to point out the hipocrisy of every single "believer" who feels that only Christianity is right, but fails to understand that "we" are doing the exact same thing that the terrorists did, based on their religion. We have gone into a foreign land, based on our beliefs, and killed people, in an effort to hurt the people in power in that country, destroy their way of life, and change things to show that country and the world that what we think is right. Sound familiar? Bin Laden et al came to America, and in an effort to destroy our way of life, and to show us that they have the courage of their convictions, killed people. How can we fail to see the hipocrisy? The answer to that is simple: if you believe that only Christians are right, then we're doing the right thing and they're doing the wrong thing. And vice-versa--that's exactly how the Muslims--the extremists--feel. It comes down to beleivers, and apparently if you believe it's way OK to kill lots of kids and children, because, after all, you have to flatten Fallujah... I've never felt more removed from Christianity, at least the evangelical version of it, than I do today. Sorry Everybody! Check out the gallery--and add your own. Act Now to Stop War and End Racism. October Eminem's new video. Shut up until you see and then you'll know why I put up a link to it. Thanks to friends for editing help. And for the few kind letters I got this morning. It's cool, I've just accepted that October is a time I need to be around friends a little more than the rest of the year... It's funny about email and the written word. For the longest time I really thought that emails were good for me to write, because I was able to communicate myself very clearly and directly, and I thought that I was also able to eliminate my sense of harshness from the words, and the attitude. Since I often am too blunt and direct for my own good, I saw this as a good thing. But what really happens a lot of the time is that when people are left to make the judgement call on their own about the tone of the words, they interpret the words not based solely on the words themselves. The words filter through other factors: the reader's mood, their interpretation of the writer, their prejudgements about the situation, and other factors. It's taken me a long time to learn this... I now know that with some people I can write emails and be just fine, but with other people, and with sensitive issues, nothing beats a face-to-face. Anyone know what happened to Mike DeLoSantos? Now Playing: Skull Kontrol Deviate Beyond All Means of Control An old dear friend of mine read the front page of this site this week and then emailed, asking why I wrote stuff on the cover then didn't continue the thought or deliver on the promise inside...A lot of times, it's not the intention, but rather the result of ambitious blurbing. Anyway, it's possible I may be on the verge of a change in direction, professionally, but I can't write about it just yet... as I can, I will... And maybe I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, but somehow so far this year I've dodged my typical fall depression. I'll officially be another year older in a few weeks, and right about now is when it usually hits... maybe I've beaten it this year! I've been working some heavy retail therapy, building stuff on the house, I got a new front porch, all new windows, started building the bowl in the back yard (and even tipped over the excavator/bulldozer about an after I thought I'd learned to drive it!), and may have just written my best song ever, which isn't really saying much. But, until it sets in, I'm fighting and clawing to stay healthy. Help a friend, send an email! Now playing: Refused New Noise Theology ep September Dave Swift turned 40! I got this funny Florida map thing sent to me today. It's funny, and coincidental, huh? The Contribution CD shipped today! Sorry about being so excited... Now Playing: Mission of Burma: "That's When I Reach For My Revolver" from Signals, Calls, and Marches. More truly randumb notes: Longtime Santa Barbara local and recent videography big wig Ty Evans got married this last weekend. Good job, Ty! Congratulations.*** All you Australian skateboarders--the Girl team left here today headed down there. Go say hi at a demo near you.*** Pixies and New York Dolls reunion shows? What's in the water in New York? And when will Fugazi be playing again? *** I found a huge turkey vulture in the backyard yesterday morning... they're actually pretty cool birds, they just have that ugly head. My sister was teasing me because I shot photos of it. I only wish I didn't have to go work so I could shot more photos of it! *** Although he probably won't send you one, GSD has recently made a 'zine about his life. It's called "this is (not) my life" and covers his life, mostly in skateboarding, from the early 1970's thru early 2004. It's amazing, and if you know Garry, you should get one. *** The Minor Threat remastered discography CD sounds so much better than the original. You might not notice it until you compare, but everything is bigger, louder, better. Time to trade in that old one, or better yet, pass it on to a youngster. That band was the first and best in so many ways. Being into them in 1982 we just took them for granted, but damn, they're great. *** From the ashes of Radio Antagonista's pheromone-laden duet of Yvette and Yessenia come one-half of Respira. Veronica and Yasmine round out the four-girl band. They're recording a three song demo right now that rips... one part Moving Units-type danceable hip shakers and one part Bikini Kill, with a little bit of At The Drive-In's energy and sound... pretty cool. I love punk rock girls. *** I'm psyched--I'm getting all new windows on my house right now. It's the little things... *** The Toy Machine video Good and Evil will be premiering on Friday, October 22 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California. Make plans to be there! And the Thrasher SOTY party is on December 18. *** Don Brown, the etnies man, myth, and legend, came up with this cool idea for a skateboarding contest. He was thinking how there are so many contests, and that if there was going to be a new one, it should be unique or different or somehow set itself apart. Our friend Brandon had talked about doing a surfing Goofy versus Regular contest, and Don adopted that and came up with the etnies GvR skateboard contest. I'm not sure exactly how the details work, but basically, the teams aren't by sponsor, they're by your stance. I think there's more info on the etnies site, and I'll have more here as I learn more--it seems like a great idea! Now Playing: Bob Dylan, Desire (Just discovered Bob Dylan, thanks to Dave Hoang, and this album is amazing. He'd just gotten divorced, and was all pissed off at the world. From the mid-70s.) One of my good friends has got viral meningitis, and it's driving him crazy. Its funny, I'm not sure I would be any different if I were that sick, but it was very easy for me to dispense with the advice--focus on priorities, and that means getting healthy, nothing more. It's funny how we often can't see the forest for the trees... sometimes I feel wise. And then I don't, when I look at how bad my spelling is on this site. Embarrassing. Another friend was asking me for advice about love... which I am smart enough to know doesn't mean they want advice. It means they want to be heard, listened to. And it feels good to be helpful to my friends, and in this particular case, since I know the boy she was asking about, it was easy and fun. Did I spell everything right in this paragraph? Now Playing: The Replacements, Let It Be So I just got back from the San Jose Punk Rock Reunion, and now I'm facing another milestone--my high school reunion. It's going to be a weird one, but I'm definitely going. The last one was fun, sort of. The lame people were still lame, only it took the 5 year reunion for me to realize that, which is actually fairly representative of my whole damn life. Realizing things too late. Anyway, I've sort of found myself caught up in all the B.S. that goes along with it. What clothes should I wear, should I try to lose a quick 15 pounds, blah, blah. Anyway, this other reunion was so relaxed and so much fun that I realized I'm going to go, be myself, and screw it. Why would I think anything else? Now Playing: Husker Du, Flip Your Wig So this weekend was the San Jose Punk Rock Reunion. It sounds kinda funny but it was really cool. There were three events planned. The first was Friday night was a show at the Blank Club with Frontline, Executioner, and Ribzy. Frontline was amazing, they sounded better than I ever remembered them before, and Joe Sib was even better than 1986, even though he hadn't been on stage in more than eight years, since 22 Jacks broke up. Kevin Morrissey now lives in Dayton, Ohio, and it was great to see him, he was always one of those super nice people I'd see everywhere, skating and at shows, for 20 years, and I couldn't place where I met him for the first time if my life depended on it. After a while skateboarders and punk rockers just become your friends and you know them and there's not too much need to ask a lot of questions. But that never stopped me. Next was Executioner. Although they sounded great, I was never as much of a fan of these guys as some of my friends were. James Igoe was always a huge fan, and he was there. He played in a band with Charles Norman, too, for a while. The two things I remember most about Charles: my first impression of him was in the Lynnbrook High School yearbook in 1981 or 82. The photo was Charles, the name said John Lydon. The second thing was that he faded me the first time I met him because I asked him about skateboarding. He didn't really skate, I guess, or something. Anyway, it's way under the bridge and downstream, and Executioner sounded great, even though I didn't really know their songs--just the two on the From The Valley Within comp 7". Next up was Ribzy. I saw these guys in the hardcore days at least 6 times, and they were always fun, but without a record out there weren't too many bands that I would say I was way into. They had songs on the Max RnR record, and on the Valley Within 7" with Executioner, the Faction, and Mistaken Identity, but I'm not sure what else. Anyway, Ribzy sounded great, too, even though I didn't know their songs well. So besides the bands, the show was chock full of old friends and people who I barely knew years ago but struck up conversations with. I always spent much of the evening with my old friend Jennifer Lopez, who is living in San Jose again and has twin girls who are almost three. Jennifer made it out, but her husband John was with the girls so I didn't get to meet him. Jennifer is awesome and it was great to see her. Saturday during the day there was a party, sort of, at Hellyer Park. Everyone got together and shared photos, flyers, and stories. I was visiting my dad so I didn't make it. Sounds like it was a lot of fun. That night the Boneshavers played with Grim Reality, the Faction, and Los Olvidados at the Blank Club, and it was a great show. The Boneshavers are amazing. Their record is really good, and Bob Denike is like a different person when he's singing, so cool. I loved the Kingpins and I like the Boneshavers a lot. Next up was Grim Reality. These guys played my first hardcore show at DeAnza college in 1982. By then I had already seen X, but this was a great show DIY style, instead of a big concert production. There were two shows at DeAnza and I can't remember everything, but I remember Grim Reality and Los Olvidados and Whipping Boy very clearly--the singer of Whipping Boy had on black leather pants and was rocking a huge sidepipe--for some reason that image has scarred me for life. Anyway, Grim Reality, in the words of Adam Stern, "rips." And they did--Jason Hoenig (sp?) is very captivating on stage, and Dead Soldier was great, and still very fitting for the times. Ironic, huh? The Faction...well, it's no secret I'm a fan of these guys, and they had a surprise in store. Adam Bomb Segal was in town for the show, and he brought his guitar (which was an amazing Les Paul Custom in a color I'd never seen before, very cool). I guess that Steve and Adam had been working out who would play what leads via email, but they hadn't played together in 19 years. It showed a tiny bit, but that's it. It was great--Adam finally sounded better than he ever had, tone-wise, and while Steve has worked hard to become the great guitar player that he is, it was very evident that Adam is still a great, natural guitar player. Craig Bosch even joined them on drums for a couple of songs--Let's Go Get Cokes and Tongue Like A Battering Ram. It was a great set--the band has buried the hatchet with Adam, although even after 19 years there was still something... Next up was Los Olvidados. While this wasn't the best I'd seen them, by a long shot, even a mediocre set by this band is better than the best other bands have to offer. I've written it here in the past, but Mike Fox is one of my favorite guitar players ever. And Mike Voss' version of "Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory" was very appropriate and fitting for the last song of this reunion. He was always a huge Johnny Thunders fan and disciple. Even though a lot of reunions are cheesy, this was more like a regular night out where you knew you were going to see old friends, and it was a lot of fun. I've seen a lot of old friends fairly regularly, but seeing Ray, Reeps, Gavin, Corey, Andy, Aaron Arno, Joe Sib, Jennifer, Stevie, Bob, and all of them is always great. Other old friends, like James Igoe, Cheryl Smith, Cherise Klein, Johnny Granada, Greg Aguilar, Teresa Cortez, Cheryl Smith, and Alex Hamalian were a trip to see after that long and it was pretty funny to catch up with some of them. Thanks to Larry Trujillo, Gavin, Joe Sib, and all the others who put this thing on and kept me in the loop on emails. Watch here for photos, or a link to the reunion photo page... Now Playing: Remastered Minor Threat Discography CD I saw my old friend Rob this weekend at the Crib Ramp in Palo Alto. It was the last day the ramp was skateable after ten years. It took me two tries to make a stupid rocknroll on a mini ramp. Talk about feeling old. And feeling like a wuss. I also met Rob's friends Jason and Charlie. Charlie wasn't skating when I was there, but Jason rips and is a genuine guy. It's funny how you talk to one person about something and you instantly get all these periphery friends who want to get in on the conversation, too. And those are the people you know to never give anything to. They never appreciate it, no matter what it is. Hello to Jason and Rob and Crib Ramp R.I.P. Now Playing: Punky Reggae Party Mix CD by Hagop The Contribution CD "What Is Your?" comes out in about two weeks! I'm reading this book right now called Our Band Could Be Your Life, by Michael Azzerad. It's subtitled "The Indie Underground 1981-1991" or something like that. Anyway, it's an in-depth look at a bunch of bands that I love, and a couple I didn't know enough about. The pieces on Dinosaur Jr, Minor Threat, Black Flag, Fugazi, Butthole Surfers, Sonic Youth, all cover some familiar ground, with a new perspective and some new great stories . But I'd never read too much about Husker Du, the Minutemen, the Replacements, or Mission of Burma. The title of the book comes from a Minutemen song--I've always listened to a bunch of songs from comps by them, but have never dug out their records and really listened closely, but I will now. Same with Mission of Burma and the Replacements, and while I like Husker Du and own a bunch of the the records, I really got into them more after Sugar came out in the early 90's and always liked the later stuff better. Anyway, the book is well-written, with unique insights and lots of cooperation from most of the folks involved, which makes it an easy read. I still haven't finished it and I couldn't wait to write about it--it must be good! For the first time in my adult life, I am 100% completely debt free. About a year ago I got it down to car payments and school loans and one credit card, and now I've got nothing--just the house payment! I was certainly part of the american capitalist credit system that sprouted and bloomed right at the time I was 20 years old. I was largely naive in the beginning, then by the time I was in a partnership with my wife on money, having that access to money was so much a part of the day to day life that it was tough to change the habit, no matter how oppressive and depressing it was. Jen helped me learn the right way to think and act towards credit (that sounds weird, but I needed to learn) and I've spent the last three years, since our divorce, digging out of the hole. Now, can I stay here...? That will be the next challenge. Anyway, it feels so good to not have that hanging over my head. Booker got his stitches out yesterday and is doing fine. Thanks to those of you who asked how he was doing. It's funny how some people have to shut out all emotion towards things of their past so they can move on. I guess we all have our areas of strength and weakness, though, huh? August Now Playing, while I work on the site tonight: Game Theory, Rush, Quicksand, Buzzcocks, Joe Strummer, the Beatles, Bush (guilty pleasure), and Jawbreaker (iTunes on shuffle). The people who have the most lasting impact on my memory are the people who prompt the extremeties of emotion: either total love or total dislike. Or really positive or really negative. I remember this guy who decked me in 1982 more than I remember some of my friends from high school. I remember conflicts with people more than I remember some enjoyable dates or specific concerts I attended. But I also remember very emotional positive moments with such great clarity: the few hours in the airport with Tim and Kristy on our first trip to Europe; winning the CASL overall factory division in '89; my first real date with Jen; my wedding day, oddly enough, and being in Hawaii with Jen; the day Jen found out she got her new job; the Joe Lopes Jam and Orange Crush day at my house; the first time I played on stage at the Casbah; the day I got my photography degree; the night Laura and Taylor and Steve moved down here and we went to an Angels game; more recently, find out that I was competely debt-free! All great moments, hours, or days. Also, for me one of the associations I always make with certain people is the music that I listened to with them. I know I'm not unique in this experience at all--it's somewhat universal. I'm just the only one writing about it on this website. Anyway, here they are--the important ones: Seaweed with Kristy and Julie in Pennsylvania; Three Mile Pilot and Sister Double Happiness with Kristy; Jawbreaker, Fleetwood Mac, Three Mile Pilot, and more with Jen; 7 Seconds with Jennifer Lopez; Big Drill Car with Alicia Hunner; Nirvana with Danette Beckenbaugh; New Model Army and Metallica with Doug Smith; the Chameleons and red Hot Chili Peppers with Rob Bingham (he knew about so many good bands so early); the Damned with Tod Swank; Game Thoery, the Replacements, and so many more with Emily Hobson; The Pork Dukes with Jon and Britt Roberts; the Go-Gos, the Faction, Iron Maiden, and so much more with Jon Roberts; Judas Preist with Boots and Jon Roberts; Flipper with Jason Triplitt; Descendents with Jon Roberts and Russ Hume; Black Flag and the Germs with Stephan Steller; Gang of Four, the Clash, Billy Bragg with Nathan Steller(how did he find out about bands almost immediately after they formed?); Dido with Jen Brown and Ty Page; Goodie Mob, Keith Murray, and Master P with Elissa Steamer and Erik Ellington, always; REM with Mike Biren (live with about 20 other people); Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles with my brother Brenning; Kiss, the Knack, and AC/DC live with my brother; Heart, Steely Dan, Manfred Mann with my sister Laura; The Waitresses with my sister Martha (how cool is that?); Noel Leonard and Daniel Shimizu with At The Drive-In; The Who with summer camp in 1977; and Jim Kyle with the Jam. Some of these people were my great friends at one point, others were the cool dudes in school, other were friends of friends. My point is that music is such a strong emotional connector for me, and until the day I die I'll remember the moments I shared with these people when certain music made an impact on me. Not everyone has experienced that. I'm glad I have--those are good memories. Now playing: Inch This Will Fall on Dead Ears Last night I went and saw the Moving Units. Man are they a great band! But for the first time, I felt the pangs of regret that a lot of my contemporaries have felt and expressed to me as we've gotten older and the scene has changed at so-called punk shows. I'm not trying to hide the fact that I'm slightly bitter because I went to a show that has been part of my scene for 20 years or more and I felt old for the first time. It's that, but it's not just that--there's more to it. I've always told those friends that things haven't changed, but they have, so if I stick to my own advice, here are the implications: I'm twice as old as most of the kids in the crowd at last night's all ages show; they're really short; they know nothing, at all, of the sense of basic human respect that has been developed through years of peer-group acceptance and rejection at shows in the music underground; the crowd reminds me of something I would've expected to see at a Depeche Mode concert in the selfish early 80's before AIDS--on some sort of feel-good stimulant like coke or X and far more concerned with their own immediate trip than they are with anything else in the world around them. Even though the Moving Units are a great band, and they're making music in the spirit of the underground, sort of, the bulk of their fans are modern day all-night dance junkies and trendies who just wanna shake their asses. Now note that there is nothing wrong with that, it just probably means that I've gone to see that band for the third and final time. And they are seriously one of the best lat-rock (did I actually just write that?) or dance-punk bands I've ever heard--their music is so infectious everybody can't help but move to it. If you haven't heard it during Leo Romero's part in the Foundation video or don't own the record, you should get it now. Two parts Depeche Mode, three parts Gang of Four, one part Fugazi, one part The Make-Up/Nation of Ulysses, and sore teeth get much better... I know a lot of people are saying it, but this band is amazing and will be a popular radio band in the future. (Sidenote: there's an old hardcore gesture that if anyone loses a shoe during a shoe, the band guys with mics would usually hold it up and see whose it is. Well, they completely eschewed that last night. I was slightly disappointed in that, too. Where is the spirit?) Funny/not-so-funny: In traffic on the freeway out of LA a couple days ago there was a girl in a Honda in a car next to us off and on for a couple miles. She had a full set of 12 inch liberty spikes. They were big and tall and thick and she had the appropriate matching sneer and air of an attitude to go with such a haircut. But her damn hair was so tall she had to take the headrest off the driver's seat and all I could think was "What if she got into an accident?" Well, about ten minutes after first seeing her, as traffic started to pick up a little, I heard a screech of tires ahead and rolled up only to pass that old Honda, and sure enough, she had been hit and was sitting in her car with what I'm sure is now a full-on case of whiplash! Function before fashion means the fashion will function! Now playing: Descendents Milo Goes To College I thought slot car racing had gone away years ago but last night we drove past this "raceway" that had full-on slot cars races going on. There were two tracks that must've been 100 and 175 feet long, and a 50 drag strip. There's nothing like slot cars to make me feel like a kid again! If you haven't seen Napoleon Dynamite, I recommend it. It's dry, it's quirky and it's funny as hell. And it's many of our lives when we were in high school, although in exaggerated detail. Well worth seeing. And don't forget to stay for the scene after the credits! So tonight I viewed my stats for this site for the first time, and it was pretty funny to realize that about 300 different people read this little randumb notes column every month. I wonder what could happen if I actually tried to make it interesting and controverisal and revealing, rather than the sort-of stream of consciousness thing that it is. Self-examination is the root of all ego? Or something like that. Anyway, it's unfortunate that a lot of my energy goes into a different website, as well as ideas, and that definitely takes away some of the desire to do this one... But over the years, I've had over 120,000 unique visits, so that's sort of what makes it worth while. Just think if I actually had the time to learn how to write some code instead of using a WYSIWYG program! And just think if I was able to or willing to spend just a little more time at it! Well, I've been promising myself that I would do that soon... Winter always brings progress, too, so I'm hopeful! I'm having a lot of second thoughts about the whole USAS thing and skateboarding being in the Olympics. I'm wondering what would happen if the rollerskaters did run the skateboarding event in the Olympics, and nobody from legit skateboarding circles showed up. What would happen? We wouldn't get good skateboarders, but instead we'd get kooks? And then the second time around the skaters would want to get involved, or what? If it's inevitable that it's going to happen, then it's good for the skaters to be involved at this time, but I'm not sure that it has to be inevitable. In other words, just because the Olympics wants skateboarding, does that mean they'll get it? And what would happen to skateboarding's underground culture if skateboarding were on the TV all the time, or was on for a couple hours leading up to the Olympics? How badly would it suffer? Who can say? Not me, but that's why I'm hesitant... because it's hard to say, and it doesn't seem likely that the results will be good. Now playing: iPod mix: Moving Units I couldn't believe it. Yesterday at a skateboarding contest Minor Threat was playing and some kid--actually, he was at least 20--came up and asked me if I knew who was playing, because they sounded like Bane. Man, oh, man, it's getting bad! July What does being a skateboarder mean to you? Does it mean the same thing to the new, current generation of kids who grow up skateboarding? I don't think so. More soon on that. For maybe the first time in my life, I feel like I'm not completely prepared for things at work...so much crap going on and I'm just out of the loop and that small part that I could always b.s. adn then go learn about isn't cutting it anymore! Not that that's all I've ever done, but in the past I've always been able to go read something to learn and grasp a situation. These days there is so much to learn about the "business" of marketing and skateboarding that I'm overwhelmed--I'm having trouble keeping up! And it's keeping me up, too--sleep is always the first thing to go for me under stress... so I'm treading water and reading and learning and doing everything I can to keep ahead, but man, oh, man, I do feel like I'm drowning, and that maybe the best thing to do is to get out of the water. But that's always been a strength--never quit. So what to do? (Answer: keep on keeping on!) Ever get the feeling I'm using this damn blog as a pep-talk for myself?! I visited Rome for the first time, and man, that city is cool! I’ve never been to a place where every corner I turned led to something of some epic relevance, and so many things are so impressive. My friend Hagop is living there, teaching for a month, and lives right up the block from the Pantheon. We took an evening walking tour through about ten piazzas of all kinds, and Hagop and his lady Andrea were excellent tour guides. They’re both art teachers who have spent a lot of time in Rome, so I was incredibly lucky to have them as my guides. We hit nooks and crannies with Bernini sculptures, street artists, blue ice, and amazing architecture, people, and things to look at everywhere. They also explained a lot of the culture that would’ve taken a lot of time to learn and understand without such insider info! Thanks, Hagop and Andrea! The next day I was able to explore a little more, in a car with friends, and solo, walking and on the subway. Rome is like DisneyWorld or the Louvre—it’s impossible to see everything unless you have lots of time. And the driving? The driving is crazy—nobody pays any attention to speed limits, lanes, red lights or stops signs… actually, I don’t think I saw any stop signs! The girls, of all ages, seem to go out of their way to look great, and they were very friendly. The skate spots were ok, and things are fairly cheap to boot! My visit was way too short, but Rome is definitely a city that I would love to visit again soon. Down there I wrote that I was going to write about how the hotels in Europe are either too small and cramped and claustrophobia-inducing, or else they're $450 per night. I guess space is at too much of a premium to allow for any sort of sensible sort of room size... oh god I sound ridiculous...enough of that. What's up with the autobahn? I thought there was no speed limit, but it was 120k/mh the whole 120 miles I was on it... And there was traffic! I've always held out that the autobahn was one of those perfect things we've all always heard about, and it was kind of disappointing that it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Bastien Salabanzi won Dortmund for the third time in a row. Although he still seems a little bit full of himself, I think he's really outgrown some of the bad image that he had a few years ago, and recently I've experienced just how talented that damn kid is. Bastien went to Japan in January, and while he was there he got a guitar and his friend Mark showed him three songs on the thing. Well, when he came back he played Arto's guitar for a while and then got one of his own in late May or early June. So he came by not long after that to play and to maybe learn a few things from me. Yeah, right! He's been playing guitar for six months and already has better finger skill and independent control of his fingers than I do after years. So my point is that Bastien is talented at a lot of different things, and things just seem to come easy to him. Hearing him describe how he does caballerial flips is ridiculous--just turn your shoulders, at the right time, flip your board, and just do it... yeah, if it was only that easy, we'd all be that good. I really like Bastien these days! He's grown up a lot and is a good guy, besides being on of the best in the world... This is pretty damn funny! It's a cartoon (as usual for this site, it's kid-friendly, PG13) about our President and his opponent in the upcoming elections. It takes just a minute or so to load but is worth it. Chris Senn did the loop! Well, sort of. Check the Emerica site, I heard there's a photo of it there. Yet another update to remind myself of things to write about in the future: Bastien won Dortmund again; the autobahn isn't all it's cracked up to be; hotels in Europe suck, either they're too expensive or small and crappy... being a skateboarder has changed--it doesn't mean to a lot of kids what I think it meant to almost every skateboarder just a few years ago (but you gotta change with the times.) What else? Oh, yeah: why is what I consider to be fun so much different than what other people consider to be fun? I guess that's all for now. The playlist whilst in Europe: Refused, Inch, The Clash, The Specials, BoySetsFire, AnnBerreta, The Cure, Nirvana, Swing Kids, The Locust. Anything else that annoys. If you've read this column very much you know that I have written a lot about the band Inch from San Diego. They're one of my favorite bands, ever. But they've gotten there subtly. It took a long time for me to remember, sort of, to listen to their records. Whenever I would put on their records, I loved 'em, but if they were away in the shelf, I would go a long time without listening. Well, Cairo Foster is the same way with skateboarding, for me. He's got this low-key aura about him or something, that is just so amazing. When I watch him skate, he makes it look so personal, and like he's having so much fun, it makes me want to skate. His photos in the mags, his interviews, his footage--everything so perfect and understated, that sometimes I forget how much I like his skating. So when I wrote that list of favorite skaters a few weeks ago (down there\/) I forgot to put his name on it. But once I was reminded, it's like, "How could I have forgotten.?" So anyway, add Cairo to my list of favorite skateboarders. I just went down and did it. Speaking of Inch, another band in that same mind frame for me is the Scrimmage Heroes. As far as I'm concerned, their singer's voice is one of the most expressive in "indie rock-dom." So much feeling without being whiny... I love their last record. Too bad they're done... however, if you live in Orange County, you should check out anything you see with the name Analog Tan on it... a bit more experimental, but just as much good songwriting and poppy fun as you could ever want...Analog Tan. Check it out. Now playing: Analog Tan A Veteran Dummy. Duncan, the man who does the site for the Hobart Bowl in Tasmania, just wrote to let me know about this site and the updates to it. The Hobart Bowl, which is down in Tasmania, Australia, is that gnarly snake run into a bowl that the AntiHero guys always destroy. It's super burly, and definitely separates the men from the old men and boys, so to speak, although anyone can go there and have fun...Anyway, check out the site, it's got a bunch of good stuff! Hobart Bowl. Now Playing: The Faction, Collection Although skateboarding as an activity could never be ruined as long as somebody keeps it pure and real, I'm overwhelmed with a sense that skateboarding's industry is falling apart, or at least falling prey to evil forces. Maybe evil isn't the right word, because skateboarding has always been subject to evil forces. Maybe the right term is detrimental forces. Money. As more and more companies sell themselves for millions of dollars it seems to me that the spirit is lost. Yes, I know that Ken Block and Damon still actively run the DC Shoe company, but is their soul in it? Those guys always seem uneasy and disheveled. Vans is now owned by Lee Jeans, they're not doing the Warped Tour, they're not doing their Triple Crown series, (none of that really matters, though) and team riders can't even get the shoes they want anymore. Element's soul was lost long ago. DVS is about to be bought by Billabong. It's not that skateboarding is getting any smaller--it's not. But it's not getting significantly bigger, either. The amount of kids who skateboard has grown a little, but hasn't grown as fast or as huge as the business of skateboarding. The business of skateboarding has grown because kids, the "youth of America" have bought in, and are spending their money, and their parents' money, like hotcakes to look how a skateboarder used to look. (Many skateboarders have evolved their look continuously away from what mainstream folks think they do look like or should look like.) As skateboarding companies clamor to get a piece of that pie before it's all gone, their souls go out the window, too. Isn't enough money enough? Where will skateboarding be in five years? Ten years? I'm not sure either. It's a great age for skateboarding, as they all are (yes, even the horrible little-wheel/big pants era was important in the development, because now we know some things not to do!). But the future is now and dare I say that a lot of decision makers need to check themselves? On the other hand, I've contended all along that nobody will ever be able to truly rape the soul of skateboarding as long as there are people who go ride a pool, slappie a curb, bomb a hill, play SKATE, tailslide a ledge, or grind a rail. The act is pure, and remains a beacon to the business. Let's not let it get turned around. Has anyone seen Farhenheit 911? My good friend Hagop saw it and got so riled up. I'm going to have to go see it, but I have this fear that it might not be a good tool to get Bush out of office. It's polarizing people, I think, and the people in the middle may just think that farther left group is being so reactionary and paranoid, especially given some of the things that have been proven wrong and therefore insignificant since the movie was finished being shot, that they might just vote against the left... I'm not sure, of course, but the hatred I've seen towards this man is very remniscent of the hatred that the right felt towards Clinton, and I've always wanted to believe that I could separate myself and not hate. I don't hate that guy, I just don't want him in office. Hate is a wasted emotion on him... I know that Hagop, Gavin, Tom, and a lot of my other friends would disagree. Now Playing: New Model Army, The Ghost of Cain The Exploding F*** Dolls have so gotten seriously good. I saw them the other night in Denver and they're really great. Catchy, original songs in the '77 vein, tight as can be, with lots of energy. Sounds pretty perfect to me. They have a compilation of stuff that just came out on Disaster records, because Dunae Peters used to be the singer of the band. That's right--if you like The Hunns or the US Bombs, check these guys out...now! June What? Now Playing: New Model Army, Thunder and Consolation. Randoms: The Locust has a new 12" picture disc out of their most recent record, Plague Soundscapes. The B-Side features a horrible portrait of the band shot by yours truly... I can't believe it's almost July. There's still a dirt hole in my backyard where the ramp used to be... The neighbor's house just sold for $550k in four days. That's a good thing! Hope the new owners like the sounds of skateboarding! And bulldozers. And speaking of bulldozers, err, I mean shovels, AntiHero's new ad offers a big box of "good stuff--not bushings and pivot cups" --to the person who builds and documents the best stuff out of cement by September. I'm in!... My old friend Emily is getting married. Wow, they're all trickling away one by one... good luck!... Have you ever seen fatalbeauty.com? Weird stuff, but there's this one girl on there especially worth... laughing at, named Maga. She's made the rounds in the skateboarding world... be forewarned! Can you say pro-ho? I can't think of anything else to write right now so I guess I'll go to work. In case you missed the title of this little blog, it's called Random Notes. For a reason. Now playing: Jurassic 5. (Imagine that.) Now reading: The Great Gatsby, for the first time. Just in case you missed it last time around, here's Andrew Reynolds proving he's the king of the frontside flip. It's time to be light-hearted for a while, back to some of my old lists of favorites. I probably won't get too deep here for a while because... well, just because. Now Playing: Rocket From The Crypt, Group Sounds Favorite Skaters June 2004 Favorite Bands June 2004 Favorite Things To Do When Not Working Recent TV Shows May Now Playing: Elliott Smith, The Lime Album Hatred hit close to home this weekend as I was coming out of the Home Depot and saw an "88" sticker on the back of a pickup truck, and a redneck looking guy, who had given me the creeps when we were both inside the store, driving it. No, it wasn't a sticker for the shoe company, it was a symbol of hatred, a sign of the "white resistance" movement or some other similar crap. H is the eighth letter of the alphabet, and so 88 means HH, for Heil Hitler, to these scumbags. You can read more about symbols of hatred here. I know these guys are around, and you see a few at every event at Volcom, or at a lot of punks shows in Huntington Beach, but this was right around the corner from my house, so it just hit me a little harder. By the way, although Kris and the guys at 88 Footwear did learn fairly soon after they named their company about this alternate meaning of 88, they didn't change the name, they were already in too deep. The name of the skateboarding shoe company comes from Kris Markovich--he turned pro in 1988 and has a lot of good feelings towards skateboarding during that time (I'm paraphrasing here). Having a secondary meaning in popular culture will probably help muddy the definition for the racists, so I'm not sure it's a bad thing that they kept the name. And by no means are any of the guys, that I know, who are part of 88 Footwear, racist. Peter, Ed, Kris, Neil, Corey, Justin--all those guys are intelligent and tolerant folks who would have nothing to do with white separatist or supremacist movements or ideologies. Anyway, beware of ignorance. It hit close to home for me today. There've been a whole slew of things that I've thought about writing here over the last few weeks, but I just haven't had the motivation, time, energy, whatever it takes to sit down in this room for a few minutes to share. So here we go again with a truly random collection of thoughts as I remember them... Now Playing: Refused, The Shape Of Punk To Come Life around here without Molly really falls short of what it was. She spread love so much to Kona and even Booker, and of course to all the humans. Kona is still heartbroken. *** The new issue of Punk Planet has great interviews with Ian Mackaye, Jello Biafra, Neurosis, and more. It's a great issue, check it out if you like those folks or care about what they're saying. *** The eighth-coming of Hellfest is coming to Rexplex Skatepark in New Jersey. I wish I could go, but no such luck. But if you live on the east coast, you should check it out. Here's some of what Brandon's email told me: "This July 23, 24, 25 our park is hosting Hellfest. Hellfest is an eight year strong music and skate festival. This year we expect 5,000 people a day. Check out hellfest.com and rexplex.com for more info." *** This cat named Lewis from Iowa wrote to me this last week. He's got a pretty impressive collection of old, classic skateboard videos listed here, and he loves to trade. Most of the videos are from before the current onslaught of modern street skatebaording, so you're more apt to find a rare vintage flick than the latest and greatest, but he's got a good mix of everything. And he's a good guy to boot. Check it out. *** It's not often that I find a handful of new bands to check out all at once, but recently I found a website (I can't even remember where it was now) that had a playlist for their office, and on it were Challenger, Sadaharu, and Every Time I Die. I like them all, but Sadaharu is really amazing. You can check their flavor of post-hardcore on that website... *** The more I go through the day to day, the more I realize that consideration is one of the attributes that I really value. Actually, I really notice it when it's not there, and that drives me nuts. If someone calls me, I feel I owe it to them to call them back. If I'm going to be late, hey, that happens, but I owe it to the people waiting on me to let them know. If someone needs help and it's possible for me to help, I'll help. I guess it just comes down to the golden rule, which I grew up believing in. *** More soon? I've been watching some playoff basketball. The Lakers of course, but also a few games of the other series. I usually sit and do work while the games are on. I really like watching games that have more meaning like the playoffs do. I'm continually amazed and amused by some of the gestures that these grown men have when they're in certain processes: Jason Kidd with his little kiss and ball roll each time he's at the free throw line; Kevin Garnett with his four-step process before each game of throwing talc in the air, pounding his chest for his homies, throwing low fists to each of the opponents' starting five. Nothign wrong with any of this, it's just nice to see other people with the madness. One of the things that I do laugh at though, and wonder about, is how this whole process of slapping hands at the free throw line came about. Even as recently as 15 years ago, when a player stepped to the stripe he worried about the shot. Now, between each and every shot, they lo-five with three or four players, whether or not they made the shot. Why congratulate yourself or your teammate when he just missed the shot? I know it's ritual, and I know it's a sort of "get this one" thing, but it just seems odd. And remember, I ask these questions here rhetorically. Go Lakers! That reminds me--I work with some skateboarders who are pretty big basketball fans, and each year as the playoffs come around I'm torn between wishing that their team falls way short of the NBA Finals and wishing they go all the way...If they get eliminated early I don't have to worry about rearranging trips and flights to meet basketball game schedules, but I get bummed, because the skater is bummed, and also because I like the same team. but if they make it, life goes on hold for seven or eight weeks this time of year... but right about now is a great time to remember, and I always do, that these problems that I / we have in our lives are so minimal compared to real life that people all over this country and this world have to deal with. I can't complain anymore, I'm truly lucky to be able to do what I do and to have what I have, including the freedom and the ability to create this website. That's enough sappiness for now. If you play guitar, check out Fender dot com. More and more, especially as other company's product quality goes down the drain, I'm drawn to Fender guitars, and these days Fender takes care of a lot of musicians in the skateboarding industry. It's nice to see a company get better and better at what they do, instead of worse, and I'm psyched to play Fender guitars and amps. Now Playing: Rocket From The Crypt, Group Sounds. This just in from Anders Tellen: On the sands of Rio’s Copacabana Beach, Sandro Diaz has become the third person in our history to successfully land the 900. Just last week we reported that Giorgio Zattoni has landed the nine in Italy. And now, in front of a boisterous and excitable crowd at the Latin Amercian XGames, Sandro packed the definitive punch to blast nine feet above the lip land it smoothly. It probably won’t be that long until he includes the 900 in his contest runs. The ante has been upped for the vert dogs. This monumental event happened following the heated vert finals where Sandro took the top spot over fellow countrymen Bob Burnquist (2nd) and Rodrigo Menezes (3rd). Rock on Sandro! éS Footwear is holding a national Game of SKATE series. Pretty cool idea. Check their info here: éS Game of SKATE. It's good to sort things out. Sorry to be very cryptic and vague, but I'll just say that it feels good to solve problems with people. Apologize for handling things the wrong way. Accept other people's sincere apologies. Sort things out... What's wrong with me? (Don't answer that!) My friend Lance told me that a man got a ticket for sitting inside the fence at the Chino skatepark, watching his fully padded son skate in the park. Seems like cops are now just going to the skateparks to get their quotas filled. So lame. They did fix the pool coping at Chino, though. April In the WTF department, the ollie has been officially recognized by the Oxford English Dictionary. That's right: "The trick that changed the face of skateboarding to be included in the latest edition of The Oxford English Dictionary." A great skateboarding site to check out: SkateDaily. Two other interesting sites I just discovered: skateboardbowl.com and my friend Marc Gariss' FourthProject. Another that I got a request to add a link to: diepigdie. Somehow I recently had a realization about my faith in people. I have a lot of faith in people, and that's often why I feel let down. I expect so much-too much-out of people, and then when they can't meet those expectations I take it personally. The worst part of this isn't simply that I feel let down, but rather than when I voice my feelings about the people each time it makes me appear as a really jaded and bitter. I've come to realize that that is how I'm perceived a lot of times, especially by people I work with, and I hate it. I get whiny and I hate it. It's a weird process to get here, and a tough process to back out of, but I'm doing it... Maybe if I had less faith in the benevolence of people, and expected less out of them, I wouldn't feel so let down. Sort of a sad way to go, though. Today would be Tim Brauch's 30th birthday. His parents are at the Grand Canyon right now, celebrating in their own way the good things about Tim's life. Tim liked the Grand Canyon. If you knew Tim, you know what a loss his family and friends are still facing every day. Tim Brauch.com. You know something I think is weird, even though it's totally how I am? I like my dogs more than I like some people. Our dog Molly passed away in her sleep this last weekend. Talk about a dog wanted to please her owners, Molly was the walking personification of that statement. All she wanted was to be loved and to be allowed to love in return. Now, sometimes that can be somewhat annoying, but even when it was annoying, it was a great reminder of some of the best personality qualities, whether they're human or pet. Unconditional love is a great thing. And the love you take is equal to the love you make... After spending a lot of time working here I took ten days off. During that time I got food poisoning at Denny's in San Diego, which was not the way I'd want to spend a Saturday afternoon and evening in San Diego. I ran a Game of SKATE there the next day, which went great. I saw my friend Garry off to visit his folks, and I've missed him, even though sometimes I get so frustrated with him that I want to shake him. I skateboarded a little. I spent a Saturday at work. I surfed for the first time this year and the first wave I caught was great--better than most of the rides I had last year. That felt nice, rewarding. Contribution has recorded a bunch of songs and had a good practice and a really weird one. I've worked a hell of a lot. Our dear dog Molly died, which I wrote about above. A former friend of mine committed identity theft on me, using my SS number to rent an apartment in my name. He's living there now and I'm trying to deal with that legal mess. I spent an evening with Steve Bulky Olson playing music for an upcoming Sessions comp CD. And despite all the BS that we're learning about our president and the terror attacks and what could've been done, the damn polls reflecting the people in the country's opinion of W. Bush continue to indicate pure Bushit. His popularity is going up? What the hell? I've actually spent a whole bunch of time working on the site the last few days. My friend Appleman helped me with some basic concepts for programming and I've been sort of updating the site and organizing it, better than it's ever been. My FTP Browser is cleaner than it's ever been, and although there were a few problems over the last few days, I think that tonight they're all ironed out and I've updated, checked, and double-checked everything. If there's a bad link, please let me know! Now Playing: DOA: Hardcore '81. I've been working on the Contribution site a lot as well, updating, organizing, and trying to create forms that will make it easy to keep it all updated. Our three shows last week were so much fun--we're really looking forward to playing more and more, and writing more and more new songs. I've been talking about adding a bunch of photos for a while. Well, I finally scanned them and there are a few up now of some bands. I ran out of time, but I'll do more this weekend of some skate pals and also a review of all the old front page photos I've had here over the years. Now Playing: Operatic: all. About a year or so ago my friend Damon sent me a little clip of him shralping a pool. I didn't really know how to put it up on the site (he didn't send it to me for that, I just thought it would be cool to do) but I finally just figured it out. Click here! Now Playing: Elvis Costello's Best Of... GSD is pretty damn amazing. Sometimes I get caught up in the crap surrounding work and trying to be something other than just friends with the guy, but every now and then I'm just reminded of how rad he is and how glad I am that we're friends... He can seriously do anything he wants to, and he is so prolific about all the art that he does, in so many different mediums: zines, music, writing, photography, painting, drawing, mixed media/found item collages, and generally progressing through life. Pretty inspiring, constantly. 4/1: It's funny how old friends make you feel so good. Had a brief conversation today (well, now it's yesterday) with an old friend, and I hung up feeling very confident and happy about things. Being able to lend an ear makes a difference, and when things are going good for my friends, it makes me feel good. Speaking of feeling good, I had a great visit with my brother this last weekend. He hasn't been to Southern California since my wedding in '97 and before that, it'd been years. He came down and got to be on vacation, hang out, watch our band play, and play some music with my friends and me. Such a great time. His spirit of rebeliousness is no dimmer than it was in the Summer of Love, when he was 16 and doing everything he could to piss off my dad. (I know this from stories, not from memory, although one of my earliest memories is of my dad pounding on my brother's bedroom and yelling about my brother in there smoking pot!) He's a little mellower but still full of great ideas and lots of energy, and still 100% who he wants to be, with no concessions for anyone or anything. Totally inspiring, and it was a great few days. Now Playing: Rancid Life Won't Wait. Not on my guilty pleasures list because there is no guilt. This record is amazing! A bunch of people have commented to me about my Red Dragons article... it's odd to know how many people actually read this thing. I wonder what my editorial will get me if I go to Vancouver next month. The worst part--the thing I fear most--is that someone |