Mon, 12 May 2008
The Top 9 Double Bass Drum Players and Songs
I was recently reading an inspired blog post about dying with a cactus and got to thinking about blogs and music. And then after settling another unrelated argument about music I thought about making a blog post about it. But- you know what? I realized I didn't have my post in list form. People these days only read your blogs if you have a list, preferably in the form of a top 5 or top 10. So, without further ado, here's my
Top 9 Double Bass Drum Songs and/or Drummers.
Why top 9? Because that's 3 triplets mofugga!Now go practice your paradiddles #9 Lars - Metallica - One
although I'm tempted to not link anything related to Metallica
Arrrrr mp3 baddddddd
There may be better examples (Leper Messiah, etc.. .), but One always stands out (stands out for it's crappy production too) #8 Niko McBain - Iron Maiden
The dude's so badass he only needs one pedal to outplay most of the double-pedal users. (this probably isn't the best example either)
... there's more to read here ...
12 May 22:01 | /rants_and_raves | 9 comment(s)
Tue, 06 May 2008
No Chains
Uggh, more anti-biz news in the Chronicle. I understand not wanting a Home Depot or Walgreen's or Starbucks on every corner, but the paint store in the article was already in business on Market and just wanted to move locations.
A paint company and a landlord in San Francisco's Mission District thought they had a good deal when they signed the lease for a paint store to move into a former video rental shop earlier this year.There's a funny line in there about a store on Fillmore too. I didn't know a Ralph Lauren store had been forced to do community service (of a sort) to take over the closed Smith & Hawken location or they wouldn't get their permit. 06 May 13:10 | /rants_and_raves | 0 comment(s)
But the plan had a problem: The paint company, which owns the Glidden brand, is considered a chain store and therefore was not a popular choice. The Planning Commission stopped the move, even though the company wanted to occupy a vacant spot abandoned by bankrupt Hollywood Video, another chain.
Thu, 01 May 2008
Protest Something
I just had lunch near Justin Herman plaza (near the Ferry Building). There's some May Day rally going on, but judging from the signs displayed, you wouldn't be able to figure out wtf people are protesting. There were signs for Longshoremen, Socialists, Defeat Bush, No Blood for Oil, US out of Iraq, "Stop the Immigration Raids", Reformed Medicine, something about China. . . . etc. The only thing we didn't see was a sign for "no spraying for bugs in SF", but that's probably because we weren't looking too hard. I wanted to steal the mic from one of the rally screamers and yell, "ok, lunch break's been over for a while people, get back to your desks!" sfgate.com article 01 May 15:24 | /rants_and_raves | 0 comment(s)
Fri, 18 Apr 2008
Infectious Weirdness
Things have been odd lately- mostly at work. There seems to be very little morale, or maybe people are just in a bad mood. A colleague was telling me that during an interview a candidate she was speaking with had asked how the corporate culture was. She asked - "do people go out for happy hours?". She wanted to say, "yeah, there are a lot, we have them whenever someone leaves."
... there's more to read here ...
18 Apr 00:07 | /rants_and_raves | 6 comment(s)
Tue, 19 Feb 2008
Coming Home on Prez Day
Well, apparently it was a 12 hour day as I just got home. -I had to launch another phone project tonight- I took the ever-interesting 38 Geary bus to get home. Here's what I learned tonight from one man: Paul McCartney is hands-down the richest cat in rock and roll. He lives in either London or England. -James Brown died two Christmases ago -Aids was man-made as there are no homo monkeys. It's from a lab (the virus, not the homo-monkey, which doesn't exist). -Africa, of all the countries, has the most resources (and no homo-monkey). Note: I didn't know it was now a country. -HWBush was in the CIA, and that's how he helped the Bin Laden family. Of course this is leading to Obama's demise, just like the other martyrs they assasinated and why McCain will win. -People used to live to be 900 years old. It said so in the bible, but Michaelangelo was just a contractor and was told to make the baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary look European, but before that all that water and air was pure. And that's why people lived to be 800, 900 years old. After that last line came out, I said, "like Methusela!". And the man said, "Exactly, I'm one of his descendants. You must have recognized that. Most people like you on the bus ignore me, but you're kind and different, even if you don't believe that 'they' caused 9/11 and will get Obama. I don't know why you didn't turn around earlier and just ignore me. Peace be with you brother." And he got off the bus. I just like to say the name Methusela whenever I get the chance. But it got me the peace for the ride home. So I got that going for me. So here's a haiku for you readers- 800 years old
That's how old man lived to be
the bible said so Of course if I were in a bad mood I could've written: you smell it on me
whiskey hidden in my coat
don't talk to strangers 19 Feb 00:12 | /rants_and_raves | 0 comment(s)
Mon, 18 Feb 2008
Working on Prez Day
Well, it took me longer than normal to get to work today as there were no express buses running because it's a holiday. I had to take the normal riff-raff bus which took forever. Once I got downtown I thought I'd get some coffee as I'm already running a bit late, 5 more mins wouldn't make a difference. But three places I like were closed because it's a holiday. When I got to our building I saw some "engineers" waiting outside because they couldn't get in the door. They must not have read the email saying to open the doors you'd need your badge because the building would be locked because it's a holiday. As a side note- should I be worried about someone's code for work if they can't figure out the door badge and elevator badge thing? I think our two floors are the only ones with people on them today because it's a holiday. And I'm not sure the AC/heat (HVAC, as the kids say) is on either because it's a holiday. I'm not that bitter- I'm glad to have a job. I think I'm just frustrated that I didn't get to see all the usual bus hotties. It's a ghost town outside. I wonder if I could've driven and gotten decent parking. . . . 18 Feb 12:05 | /rants_and_raves | 1 comment(s)
Tue, 12 Feb 2008
Love the hate? Hate the love?
I both love and hate newspaper sites that allow people to post comments with the stories posted. To me, it's both funny and sad. (Tragicomic?). I mean, it's one thing to browse the Rants n Rave section of Craigslist- over there, you expect the racist hate and just well, ranting. But it's a bit different when you read something on The Chronicle's site and see comments like that. Well, maybe it's just me, but I expect Chronicle readers to be "chronicle-y". So when I see comments to the story about Newsom going to Sunnydale (the projects) like "Bulldoze it and start over" or "it's the residents' fault that the place is so run down (or that they burned some Dave Matthews Center down . . . I kind of chuckle and say, oh my, how rude- who knew these people read the Chron? But then again, maybe I'm just laughing that someone burned down something connected to Dave Matthews. . . .
Newsom took the group to the play structure at Sunnydale built by the city with money contributed by the Dave Matthews Band after the group played a show in San Francisco.Some comments:
The structure has repeatedly been burned and vandalized by residents, and Newsom was irate to see the damage on a visit last summer. At the time, he angrily called Gregg Fortner, director of the San Francisco Housing Authority, which proved the beginning of the end of Fortner's tenure as public housing chief in San Francisco.
- veggiegrrrl wrote: bulldoze. start over.
I thought veggies were nice?
- ArturoE wrote: How about this solution: evict each person, end the public housing, and send each head-of-household away for a check for $50,000. No more money spent after these buyouts on public housing. Hopefully, they spend their money getting a decent apartment where they can afford it (like Oklahoma). If they spend it on Newports or Air Jordans (or worse) instead, that's their choice.
Hey, if Oklahoma didn't suck, Texas would fall into the Gulf of Mexico . . 12 Feb 12:31 | /rants_and_raves | 1 comment(s)
Tue, 29 Jan 2008
Coffee Roaster Fined
Uggh. Another annoying story about a good business being fined/bothered after serving the community well:
ROCKLAND, Maine- A small downtown coffee roasting business finds itself in jeopardy for having offended the olfactory senses of some of its neighbors.The people who filed the complaint moved away shortly afterward too. 29 Jan 15:09 | /rants_and_raves | 1 comment(s)
Patrick Reilley and his wife, Susanne Ward, co-owners of Rock City Coffee Roasters, the business credited by some with starting the revival of the city.s downtown economy 16 years ago, are facing heavy daily fines and possible closing if the couple cannot find a way to remedy a zoning violation by Feb. 15.
Thu, 24 Jan 2008
North Beach Nimbys
Yet another annoying San Francisco anti-biz story in the Chronicle here. I can understand the thinking behind their rules, but pulling the permits after approving them and after all the paperwork has been signed is evil.
Martha Garland, the executive director of the North Beach Chamber of Commerce who blew the whistle on Kwon's enterprise, says regardless of the timing, the law is the law.Sounds like Martha Garland has too much power, and it sounds like SF continues to be a place that isn't friendly towards business. Just think of all the times this must be happening and we don't hear about it because the business owners *weren't* on Survivor. 24 Jan 15:46 | /rants_and_raves | 1 comment(s)
As is so often the case in San Francisco, this comes down to politics. There are enough hazy rulings to make everyone think he is right. For his part, Kwon says his group was granted a building permit on Nov. 13. He says he can prove that there were only four Red Mango restaurants when he applied for the permit and that there were fewer than 11 when his group got its building permit. He also says the process was delayed by the city until the other Red Mango outlets opened.
"I don't really believe that," said Garland.
And, she was asked, if it is true?
"I'd still fight it," she said.
But if Kwon's version holds up, the logic of the banning his store does seem a little shaky. What if a permit is granted with just four outlets in the country and then someone in Durham, N.C., suddenly decided to open eight stores? Would that mean your permit would be pulled?
"I think that's a valid argument," said Tony Gantner of the North Beach Merchants Association.
Thu, 29 Nov 2007
The Double-Wide
Some good quotes in some articles forwarded to me- Although the woman who forwarded this article about SF parents to me was pointing out another line, I liked the vitriol directed at new moms
I forgot to mention the babies: it appears there are many of them. Commercial sidewalks in Noe Valley, Cole Valley, Hayes Valley, and beyond buzz with kitten-eyed freshies sucking the rubberized life out of pacifiers, frazzled mommies in yoga pants and camel toes pushing behemoth, double-wide prams ...I'm not a fan of the double-wide pram. Man, when we were kids, we had strollers made out of two pieces of aluminium tubing and lawnchair fabric. Whatever happened to those? Another article/post about how it may be a good idea to set your ringtone to your mom's voice because it'll grab your attention faster in a crowd. I'm not so sure though- Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White is enough to get my attention on the bus. And to round things up- the best way to serve chocolate soft-serve ice cream. If I had two girlfriends, I'd take them for ice cream there- but they'd have to share. Two girls, one cup. 29 Nov 13:55 | /rants_and_raves | 2 comment(s)
