low blood sugar I laid comatose but awake on my carpet for an hour this afternoon, waiting for the wave of lightheadedness to pass. I'm going to have to find the strength to ween sugar out of my diet. Or high-glycemic foods. Ugh. That's like everything I eat. What do I eat? Nuts and beans?

I watched "Swimming Pool" last night with Keely. Thought it was absolutely OK. About as average as a film can get. Some nice, youthful, perky breasts liberally exposed and an interesting repressed/free-spirited dynamic, but that's about it. The ending was kinda lame and a copout in my book.

Getting some freelance work after a couple months lull. Hoping that the "Hip Hot in the Bay Area" pilot comes to fruition. It's a pilot for a potential series, a la "PM Magazine", that shows the hip and hot places to buy clothes, eat meals and hear live music in the bay area. It could be cool, it could be lame, but either way, if it happens, its work.

I think I need to take a shower and stretch. Not at the same time.   ¶ 6:26 PM

  Taiko master I would really love to be a taiko master. Not just a pimp-daddy taiko God like I already am, but a full-fledged taiko master. Like, people hire me to give workshops and contribute to their albums. But I want it all to come naturally, with not much time and effort. I don't want to have to give up any of my social life -- the gym, movies, meals out -- to achieve it.

Is it too much to ask to have all that I want to learn and become, come naturally to me?   ¶ 2:30 PM

  fuzzy warbles I'm pretty sure that is from an XTC song. I knew there was yet another reason I liked that word and made it mine.

I feel a bit warbly as well. I was about to shut the computer down and get some shut eye but then felt like blogging. Not that I have anything pressing to say.

I went to an old friend from college's (Kendall) housewarming in San Rafael today and was surrounded by wailing toddlers and infants. Pretty much all the women were either with a child or with child. Kind of scary. I recognized people but couldn't remember anyone's name which was fine as I was busy being Katrina's (Kendall and his wife Annika's 1.2 year old daughter) receptacle for "things found round the house, now coated in a sheen of slobber." I felt honored and a little proud that she felt I was responsible enough to guard her stolen booty.

It's a very odd sensation, typing just after clipping one's fingernails. Not entirely pleasant. It's like too much of my skin is in contact with the keys. Like the area that had been hidden behind my now clipped nail is sensitive and nervy. I am making a lot of typos, which I then go back and fix, so that you do not think me drunk or insane. Like that sentence right there had about 10 typos in it. In fact the word typo had 2 typos in it.

Maybe typo isn't even a word.

I'm going to the dentist tomorrow for the first time in a year and 4 months. I think my ex-girlfriend, Jay, is going to be there. I haven't seen her since the breakup, but I'm pretty sure it's gonna be fine. I am a little worried that even if she's not the dental hygenist working on me, that the rest of them will know who I am and enact her revenge on my teeth and gums. I know what some of you (as if I really have a readership large enough to constitute a "some") are saying to yourself, "why don't you go to another dentist?" And to that I answer "because I am both lazy and masochistic." And they have my dental xrays and I'm sure Jay could give a rat's ass about me now.

My eyes are barely open and I think I may actually have one eye closed completely. I need to stop and brush and floss.
  ¶ 12:20 AM

  Monsters Saw "Monster" this afternoon and was pretty blown away. Charlize Theron was truly amazing. She really inhabited the role with a completeness I haven't seen since Hilary Swank in "Boys Don't Cry." Even Christina Ricci was strong, and she's usually someone who doesn't get below the surface of her characters. It was also effectively edited, especially the ending, which could have been over the top or anticlimactic. It also had the best use of voice over I've seen in recent memory. Voice over is usually done either as a crutch for a bad script or to explain stuff we already know. Here, the voice over provided an added layer of depth, a chance for "Aileen" to express her inner fantasies and squashed dreams. It's easily the performance of the year.

Keely is back home after 6 days in Florida and more than the usual reasons one is happy that one's boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife/significant other returns from somewhere far away, is that I get to sleep through the night again. There's something about her presence that just knocks me out cold. And I mean this in the most flattering way possible. I'm usually an anxious sleeper and have battled insomnia most of my life. But with Keely I tend to lean toward narcolepsy. It's awesome.

She used to get upset when I would fall asleep while she read to me aloud or we were watching TV, but now I think she gets a sense of pride in knowing that I must be really relaxed around her to zonk out in the middle of whatever it is we're doing. She may not agree with that statement on the conscious level, but deeper down, she's smiling.

I feel bad that I didn't wrap the Mix CD that I gave Megu for her birthday yesterday. She didn't get any "wrapped" presents and I actually was going to wrap it before going to taiko, but I was running late. I'm honored to have been her birthday highlight, but I know what it is like to have a lame birthday -- all that expectation and self-focus (and heightened sensitivity). Since she's probably reading this, maybe it will make her feel better to know that I got to spend my birthday a couple years back working all day and sitting in a housing authority court room all night (fighting my landlord). I probably had something to unwrap (not an eviction notice), but I can relate to the birthday blahs.  ¶ 8:57 PM

  Jealousy and Envy My two friends tonight. I went to Alisa's for a pot luck dinner and pseudo housewarming. It was the first time seeing her new pad and the place is friggin' amazing. First of all it's huge. A huge living room, dining room that contains a tiki bar in the corner and fits a large oak table as well as a couch and a fireplace. A fabulous kitchen with tons of counterspace and a lot of drawers and cabinets. It's so big that a cutting board/island could fit in the center and not get in the way. There's a gorgeous built-in cabinet in the back of the kitchen that has a mini-bar in it. All of the rooms have original wood (mahogony? I don't know my woods) tasteful paint jobs and nice drapes/blinds. It's got Alisa's room, her roommate Brett's room and another small room that is a computer room for now. It's a fucking house. No neighbors above or below. A yard. A patio. A driveway (I think). I want to kill them and take over the place.

But my place is fine and my upgrades are making it homier. I need to remember that and remind myself that jealousy is a temporary and fleeting emotion and it can be converted into positive action.

At least she's making me a copy of this season's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Sopranos" so I can't complain at all.   ¶ 12:00 AM

  An uncluttered house = an uncluttered mind Or so I would like to think. I'm liking the upgrades I've made to my abode, and now I'm organizing/cleaning the drives on my computer. I'm in one of my "I must sort everything so that calmness will prevail" modes, which is actually a very productive stage to be in, though it borders on mania and has led to a recent (and hopefully temporary) bout of insomnia. Not really insomnia as much as a lack of sleepiness. How can I sleep when there is so much to do, so much to explore, so much to clean!

There is a great article by Josh Kun in this weeks Bay Guardian about how the De Capo Best Music Writings collections (which I own 3 of) are all written by middle-aged white guys and how this "literary collection" ignores a large segment of the music journalists population, namely minorities and younger writers. It also talks about how the sources that this collection tends to focus on are NY intellectual mags like The New Yorker and New York Magazine. Only one article chosen was from URB and other hip-hop magazines and so on and so on. It's a well-written argument that opened my eyes to the insular and privileged viewpoint that this supposed open-minded music journalism collection expresses. Kind of like the old boy's club of the rock writers world.

I shouldn't be writing this, because it may jinx it from actually happening, but I am excited about the possibility, so fuck superstition....I may be going to Alabama for a week (in a couple weeks) to videotape and edit for the internet a 5 day Gospel Quartet Music Festival. Not sure where in Alabama or many of the details, but that is definitely up my alley. I love jobs that combine music and video, where I get to talk to musicians and make mini documentaries. I think this is a concert only project and isn't as cool as my 7 months with WEN (world entertainment network - long story, but it was the ideal job....alas a dotcom casualty).

Anyway - I will find out if it is a go in the next couple days. Not sure what the issues are, but I feel good about it and could use the money.

Keely is off in sunny Florida until next week and I am trying to use this time to let my grooming habits slack off, sleep irregularly and vaccuum the corners of each room. Maybe even get rid of the cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling.

I'm glad it's not so cold anymore. For now.   ¶ 10:48 PM

  2 down, a bunch more to go So I went out and got me a new couch today. A nice, comfy, cozy, sturdy one that is well designed for naps. Found it on Craigslist and took it home with me. It sat in my car for a few hours, but I eventually found a friend to help me get it up the stairs and into my living room and now I am really an adult. There's something about having a futon couch that makes me feel like I'm still a college student.

I moved the futon into my edit/work room and got rid of my bookshelf. I'm going to IKEA tomorrow to find low and long bookshelves to replace the tall and narrow one I no longer have (gave it to the guy who helped me move the couch in). With a lack of wallspace, my thought is to keep my books under my windows, in shelves that will run beneath them.

I'm in interior redecorating mode - which means that I'm finally trying to make my house a home and/or I'm putting off doing something more "important" such as getting my resume and reel together so I can get a better job. But it's so much more fun to redecorate and write blogs and go out to dinner and lay on my new couch with my girlfriend and watch football games on a fuzzy tv screen and organize my mp3's.

Speaking of which....the first new album of 2004. The Walkmen's "Bows and Arrows." It's not officially out yet, but I got a pre-release copy from one of Keely's friends. It's good. It's interesting. Not sure how to describe The Walkmen. Kind of like a janglier, dronier Interpol. It's got an addictive, hypnotic sound that makes it hard to write to. I want to lay back and put on headphones and dream about a simpler time, when playing The Dark Side of the Moon on headphones was the epitome of fun.

Oh, and the other thing I accomplished on my list was that I did situps today.  ¶ 11:08 PM

  TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2003 HAS ARRIVED!!! Top 10 Releases of 2003

First of all, these lists mean nothing, other than to express that I spend a lot of time listening to music and like to share my opinions of music with others. Often against their wills.

I think we list makers do this rating thing as a way to bring a sense of order to the world. It doesn’t actually bring any order to the world, but it does feel good at some point in the process.

2003 was a good year for music. Perhaps even great. I discovered a lot of new talent and some of my previous favorites released their best stuff in 2003. I like to think of myself as being open-minded, musically. There isn’t a genre of music I don’t appreciate. I am most versed in the alternative/pop/singer-songwriter world, but I also am a fan of hip-hop, honky-tonk, electronica, heavy metal, soul and everything in between.

I acquired 64 albums that were released in 2003. Out of this 64, I chose 10 to anoint with my praise. I will follow my top 10 with an honorable mention section, mainly for those albums that I didn’t get enough of a chance to listen to yet. (Or ones that were good but not at the top 10 level.)

A lot of great bands and artists put out albums in 2003 and this list was harder to narrow down than I thought it would be. But narrow it down I did, and here it is, in no particular order. (OK, alphabetical will work.)

1. Belle and Sebastian – Dear Castastrophe Waitress
It’d been 5 years since B&S put out anything close to as good as their first 3 albums and I had sorta moved on from them; too many good bands to follow to stick around for those who were less than inspiring. But “Dear Catastrophe Waitress” shows that what was lost can once again be found and for those who had grown tired of Belle and Sebastian – and those who hadn’t given them a listen yet – DCW is a great place to discover and rediscover a band that defines (and redefines) the twee sound.

2. Beulah – Yoko
Supposedly named after Yoko Ono and supposedly signaling that recording this album was about to break up the band. If it is their last album, Beulah is going out at their peak, as “Yoko” is Beulah at their most focused and inspired. Often accused of sounding too precious and over-produced on previous efforts (not by me), “Yoko” proves Beulah aren’t just studio hacks. The album feels more stripped down (less orchestration) and yet doesn’t sacrifice the lush, often melancholic vibe that is quintessential Beulah.

3. Death Cab For Cutie – Transatlanticism
I discovered these guys back in 2000 at a listening station at Aquarius Records in San Francisco and couldn’t get enough of their literate, Built-to-Spill inspired sound. I was a huge BTS fan at the time (still am, but they haven’t put out anything in a while and Doug Martsch’s solo stuff is not a satisfying substitute) and if they sounded a little “too” much like BTS, I didn’t care. DCFC has put out a couple albums since then, but neither one led me to expect that they would once again dominate my CD player/iPod in heavy rotation. But “Transatlanticism” catches DCFC at their peak, sounding like DCFC and not anyone else. Worldly and wise without empty calories.

4. The Decemberists – Her Majesty
To be honest, I prefer The Decemberists’ debut album “Castaways and Cutouts” more than “Her Majesty”, but since I discovered them this year, and since I can’t bend my rules too much for this list, I’ve put “Her Majesty” here, because this is a band that I think has lasting power. Not unlike Death Cab For Cutie, but with Belle and Sebastian production values and a more eclectic instrumentation. Great use of accordion, acoustic guitar and cymbals. I think that “Her Majesty” will grow on me, perhaps outdueling “Castaways” for lasting supremacy. This is the kind of band that can use the word legionnaire and not sound pretentious.

5. Frank Black – Show Me Your Tears
I’ve sung Frank’s praises enough the past couple years, so I’ll keep this brief. I just can’t get enough of this dude. If I were to start a rock and roll band I’d have Frank be the lead singer. “Show Me Your Tears” is just a collection of great rock songs; it sounds like what the Rolling Stones would sound like if they didn’t suck.

6. Joss Stone – The Soul Sessions
I have my friend Tiffany to thank for this one. She played me Joss’s cover of The White Stripes’ “Fell in Love With a Girl” (changing it to “Fell in Love With a Boy”) on the way to taiko class and I was blown away by not just Joss’s amazing pipes, but with the exceptionally funky reworking of that song. Then I learn that Joss was 16 when she recorded this album and suddenly Alicia Keys is merely an average R & B vocalist. All 10 songs are covers, mostly soul standards by some of the greatest soul singers of the 60’s and 70’s. This could have been either an obnoxious stunt (a la Christina Aguilera) or a pale imitation of the original artists, but instead it is the ultimate tribute album, the best R & B album to come out in years and to think it’s a 16 year old white girl from London who did it.

7. Marc Almond – Heart on Snow
This is one I just recently found. I had no real expectations for this and when I saw that it was an album of mostly Russian folk songs, sung in both Russian and English, I cringed a bit. But why this album works is that it somehow is melodramatic, theatrical, lush, simple, subtle, reverential, sparse and dynamic. It feels like it could be the soundtrack to a musical, to dinner theatre, to a James Bond movie and to a night of candlelit romancing. All at the same time. And Marc’s voice is a true instrument. A big surprise.

8. New Pornographers – Electric Version
The New Pornographers’ first release, “Mass Romantic” was a revelation when it came out in 2000. If I had the record I would have worn out the grooves. It was the ultimate blend of new wave, pop, catchy sing-a-long harmonies, with a touch of prog-rock bombast. “Electric Version” is a bit less ambitious, and its stay on my rotation lasted a bit shorter than the first album, but it’s one of the year’s best albums, easily. This Canadian super-group (as the press defines them, though Neko Case is really the only known musician outside of NP) writes complex pop songs that stick to your brain and tickle it at the same time.

9. Richard Thompson – Old Kit Bag
With over 20 albums to his credit, yet not much acclaim (fame), Richard Thompson is like the grandfather of cult singer-songwriters. I’ve pretty much liked most every album he puts out, with a bit of love for a couple of them (“Rumor and Sigh”, “Mock Tudor”). His latest, “Old Kit Bag”, is his most stripped-down in 15 or 20 years and it really suits him well. The last few albums were quite produced and while that was fitting for the time, his sound was getting a little samey and slick. No one writes a sad song like Richard Thompson. When he sings a sad song, you need a drink afterwards to dull the pain. My favorite song of his (not on this album), “God Loves a Drunk” should be in the top 10 of greatest songs ever written. Though none of the songs on OKB reaches those heights, the fact that he still puts out great albums is a testament to one of our great songwriters.

10. The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow
I was annoyed at first, because the CD is only 35 minutes long and only has 10 songs. With the capability of fitting 80 minutes on a CD I felt ripped off. I mean, I even paid for this one! But the brevity is what makes CTN succeed (or so I tell myself). Every song is a little gem, a nugget of pop goodness. This is less Beach Boys’ influenced than their previous album “Oh, Inverted World,” and this is a good thing. It’s got it’s sunny/psychedelic thing going, but it’s also got a grounded, even alt-country tinge to it, which fits their style seamlessly. James Mercer has one of the prettiest voices in all of pop music and it better be sooner than 2 years before I get another dose of classic “Shiny” tunes.

Honorable mention:
The Black Keys – Thickfreakness
Clem Snide – Soft Spot
Fountains of Wayne – Welcome Interstate Managers
Goldfrapp – Black Cherry
Mensen – Oslo City
Stephen Malkmus – Pig Lib
People Under the Stairs – Or Stay Tuned
Postal Service – Give Up
The Weakerthans – Reconstruction Site
White Stripes - Elephant
  ¶ 10:57 PM