yeah whatup i'm quoting ol' stevie.
Today I got up, created a myspace page for my new 'zine "jack tar", made bacon, muffins, eggs & coffee for breakfast, went to a sad little Seafaring Festival near South Lake Union, where the two old fellas singing chanteys on stage had zero people in the audience. I suppose everyone was at the beer festival. Or maybe people really do watch sports in this town. Nah.
We took a quick tour of the Arthur Foss and the Virginia V, then scooted over to CWB for the free sail aboard a 100 year old sprit rigged fishing boat named "Admirable". It was a nice little 1 hour sail around Lake Union, watching seaplanes land and all the sweet wooden boats cruising around. Near the end I decided to help row us in and got a little irked by the old dude who insisted on helping me with my oar. I'm sure I sounded rude when I made the passive-aggressive comment: "does each oar require 2 people?". But jeez, anyone reading this who actually knows me is well aware that stuff like that bugs me. The nice thing about young guys is that they will usually ASK you if you need help. Older guys just jump in and help. Unfortunately they are either weaker than me or just as controlling and bullheaded as me. Neither makes negotiating a large bulky item easier. And when I say older I mean at least over the age of 60. Sometimes it's nice to get help without having to ask for it. I feel sorry for men. They walk a fine line with today's women.
Oh yeah so anyway after that we went to the Locks to watch some Argosy boats go up and down and some chinook salmon wander around the fish ladder. Then we went to my moms for dinner. She told me she's going to give me her car next year. Yesterday she auditioned to be a game show contestant on "Deal or no Deal" which I've never seen. Apparently she won a crowd of 300 over by performing the fight song from when she was a cheerleader at Ballard High School. She had to take some percoset after those semi-splits at the end. She's 52 for chrissakes. The judging panel couldn't believe she was 52.
'Zine
I am starting a 'zine for everyone considers themselves part of the blue-collar boat culture. It will also be partly geared towards traditional maritime enthusiasts. If you would like to submit, please email your submission to intrepid.sailor(at)gmail.com. Unless it's an epic and amazing sea story, please keep your submission to 1 or 1/2 page long.
There's a large variety of topics that can be included in this zine. Feel free to ask questions or offer ideas regarding this first issue, because it's the one that all future issues will be based on. I've lightly researched copyright laws, and everything will be protected under the Berne copyright convention; all rights reserved until 70 years past your death. Be sure that you have your facts straight if you are reviewing/profiling a person, boat, or organization. Please do not submit anything time-sensitive at this point. I'm not sure of the print date yet. ($$$)
I know a lot of guys who get VERY technical when describing their projects. At most, I will dedicate 2 half-pages to technical articles. I'm more interested in relating stories, informational tidbits, brief engineer's and repair tips in LAYMANS terms, educational resources and experiences, and fun stuff like profiles of favorite bars in port, profiles of particular sailors, boats, organizations... maybe some nav trivia... I'm open to ideas.
There's a large variety of topics that can be included in this zine. Feel free to ask questions or offer ideas regarding this first issue, because it's the one that all future issues will be based on. I've lightly researched copyright laws, and everything will be protected under the Berne copyright convention; all rights reserved until 70 years past your death. Be sure that you have your facts straight if you are reviewing/profiling a person, boat, or organization. Please do not submit anything time-sensitive at this point. I'm not sure of the print date yet. ($$$)
I know a lot of guys who get VERY technical when describing their projects. At most, I will dedicate 2 half-pages to technical articles. I'm more interested in relating stories, informational tidbits, brief engineer's and repair tips in LAYMANS terms, educational resources and experiences, and fun stuff like profiles of favorite bars in port, profiles of particular sailors, boats, organizations... maybe some nav trivia... I'm open to ideas.
...
My last week:
Went out for a beer with Captains Christopher and Dierk in Seattle. Made dinner for Cass & Eric. Walked 4 miles with Jarad across town. Got a new boat-related job that lets me come home at night, and will eventually allow me to take my (future) dog to work with me. Looks like I might be starting a 'zine for maritime stuff. I'm already getting offered donations!
I found my digital photo card reader, so more pictures soon.
Went out for a beer with Captains Christopher and Dierk in Seattle. Made dinner for Cass & Eric. Walked 4 miles with Jarad across town. Got a new boat-related job that lets me come home at night, and will eventually allow me to take my (future) dog to work with me. Looks like I might be starting a 'zine for maritime stuff. I'm already getting offered donations!
I found my digital photo card reader, so more pictures soon.
Terr0rSt0rm and The Outlaw Sea
Last night I watched the documentary "Terr0rSt0rm". Alex J0nes is a pompous character (imagine Rush Limbaugh going Left) but his message and research seems very clear and VERY FUCKED up on the part of our g0vernment. Check it out. I'm also reading The Outlaw Sea by William Langewiesche. He's a right-leaning journalist but the stories and facts are very interesting. Worth a read for maritime and non-maritime folk alike. It's mostly about modern piracy and a dangerous shipping industry. Did everyone else know that there's been oil spills 3 times the size of the Exxon Valdez off the euro coast several times since? A lot of the book is about the sinking of the ferry Estonia on the Baltic. Details of her final hour are very descriptive. I like to read that stuff because however much I study in preparation for an emergency, it's hard to know how both the passengers and the boat might actually act in a real situation.
the third vortex
it's a reference to new age people thinking port townsend is on par with sedona for all that vortex stuff.
port townsend is where i spent my weekend! i ran into lots of boat folk aboard lady, lynx and on the streets of downtown PT.
highlights: getting to see Cherlynn, Logan, Captain Gary & Ozzie after so long, breakfast at the Stugards, watching Alcyone heading out Sunday, watching the crew of Lady WA having a raucous dance party aboard the main hold hatch while listening to that numunumu song, chatting it up with Adrian L.
i didn't get to hang out with elaine or christopher, or ozzie, or mark o., which is lame.
port townsend is where i spent my weekend! i ran into lots of boat folk aboard lady, lynx and on the streets of downtown PT.
highlights: getting to see Cherlynn, Logan, Captain Gary & Ozzie after so long, breakfast at the Stugards, watching Alcyone heading out Sunday, watching the crew of Lady WA having a raucous dance party aboard the main hold hatch while listening to that numunumu song, chatting it up with Adrian L.
i didn't get to hang out with elaine or christopher, or ozzie, or mark o., which is lame.
My Bumbershoot
Saturday: RELAX, pick up Bumbershoot tickets, pay deposit on new apartment.
Sunday: Bumbershoot music fest w/Jarad, Katie, Gillian, and random high school students that they ran into. New Pornographers, Spoon, Common Market, Blue Scholars, Kanye West.
Monday: Breakfast at Salmon Bay Cafe w/Nanette, move first load and get keys to new place. Go to Grams & start laundry, see Mom, unwillingly go to walmart for cheap kitchen stuffs and be rude to Jarad because I HATE WALMART. Apologize. Pick up laundry and pack all sentimental belongings from Grams shed into a tiny jeep. Eat sickening Taco Bell food. Go to Ballard, transfer stuff to other car, take to apartment (4 trips to 3rd floor!), christen apt, return to Nanettes to sleep on her floor because she's asleep and we don't want to take the bus home at 1am. Even though it IS 3:30 now and I'm still on the computer....
Regarding the BumberMusic -
New Pornographers
they're obviously a good live band, just not as good when it's not before their normal wake-up time. They openly complained about the 1pm showtime, the lead guitarist looked really rough in the natural light, like super hungover & dirty rough, and I think they were all a little too hungover to warm up their vocal chords. Kathryn Calder's voice kept failing her and all Jarad could say was "she ain't no Neko". But the drummer was totally entertaining and pumped to play. Every time the lead singer started jabbering about how it was too early and whatever private jokes between he and the band, the drummer pretty much cut him off and started right into a song. By the end of their set they were all much more into it and performing better. I still love them.
Spoon
I had very low expectations for this performance. Everyone says they suck at live shows. They must have heard about this reputation because they seemed pretty good to me. Nothing fascinating and incredible. But good fun clean rock or whatever genre they are... oh and David Cross is apparently friends with them, so he came on stage and made everyone laugh.
Common Market
my 3rd favorite new local hip hop band, behind cancer rising and blue scholars. We stumbled by the crazy bumbrella stage crowd and just watched from behind the stage. they're great.
Blue Scholars
Awesome local hip hop band that raps about local issues, southside represent and all that, and US antibush/antiwar stuff. they had their vocals turned way up so i couldn't hear the actual music very much, which was annoying. Jarad thinks they won't go anywhere because they only sing about local stuff.
Kanye West
shit. either kanye west is completely shameless or he is trying to send a message to his fellow african americans that it's good to be DAMN PROUD of yourself. if it's the latter, i say fine and good. he had a string sextet backing him up - 2 cellos and 4 violins played by chicks in black dresses and orange safety glasses i guess. and even though he spent way too much time talking about how freakin great he is, i had FUN at his show. everyone in memorial stadium was getting into it. my little sister started dancing like a crazy woman during the last song of our festival day: Jesus Walks.
Besides all that, I actually enjoyed looking at music poster art at the Flatstock exhibition. We found the Mars Volta poster designer, and one group who does very nice posters for the White Stripes and Raconteurs.
no longer homeless!
We finally landed ourselves a decent apartment. Right in the middle of Capitol Hill, which is the closest decent yet fun neighborhood to downtown Seattle. We even have an itsy bit of a view. AND... they allow dogs. So we can get that golden retriever I've been pining for. $750 per month for a teeny 1-bedroom. Yeah, Austinites and Grand Rapidites might think that's silly, but hey, there's a million coffee shops and cafes and pubs within a 10 minute walk, there's a giant lake to our east, a nice park 5 min walk north, good music venues 5 min south, another lake and an ocean to our west.
Last night we went to the M.Ward show. He's a singer-songwriter acoustic kinda guy, but he's traveling with a band right now. Which is great - particularly the very intense looking ex-Decemberist drummer chick, but he's never toured with a band before and this was their first show together. M.Ward's voice is amazing, but it got a little drowned out by the really loud bass drum pounding away and his guest guitarist also playing loud and breaking strings. I expected the more mellow stuff, so it took me a while to get into the surf-guitar mood that was being presented. But it was still good.
Tomorrow is Bumbershoot. New Pornographers, Dengue Fever and Blue Scholars are the bands I want to see. Jarad wants to see all of those, plus Spoon and Kanye West. So we're going to try to hit all that and some short films too. My little sis is coming with. I'm not sure I'd go if Jarad wasn't here, but it's cool because it'll be fun and he'll get to experience a new Seattle thing. I realized last night just how little I've gone to shows here (or anywhere else, for that matter) and it feels a little claustrophobic. All of the shows we went to in Portland this past spring were sit-down. Last night was standing room only in an unventilated club.
We went out for beers with Cass & Eric tonight. Pic's later...
Last night we went to the M.Ward show. He's a singer-songwriter acoustic kinda guy, but he's traveling with a band right now. Which is great - particularly the very intense looking ex-Decemberist drummer chick, but he's never toured with a band before and this was their first show together. M.Ward's voice is amazing, but it got a little drowned out by the really loud bass drum pounding away and his guest guitarist also playing loud and breaking strings. I expected the more mellow stuff, so it took me a while to get into the surf-guitar mood that was being presented. But it was still good.
Tomorrow is Bumbershoot. New Pornographers, Dengue Fever and Blue Scholars are the bands I want to see. Jarad wants to see all of those, plus Spoon and Kanye West. So we're going to try to hit all that and some short films too. My little sis is coming with. I'm not sure I'd go if Jarad wasn't here, but it's cool because it'll be fun and he'll get to experience a new Seattle thing. I realized last night just how little I've gone to shows here (or anywhere else, for that matter) and it feels a little claustrophobic. All of the shows we went to in Portland this past spring were sit-down. Last night was standing room only in an unventilated club.
We went out for beers with Cass & Eric tonight. Pic's later...
Too Hot To Go Outside
When stuck in Texas longer than I want to be (in August), I make my own fun. Thrift stores and playing with the toys that Jarad's sister collects...
SNAKES ON A TOOB!
Friday was my friend Mikey's graduation from Texas State University. It turned into a 15-hour event; the first part being a tube trip down the San Marcos River. There were 13 of us and 2 coolers of beer. The mostly mellow float trip involved Petro offering beer to 12 year olds girls, Mikey teaching the locals how to use a ropeswing, one of the coolers sinking, and at the end we shot through some kickass "chutes".Afterwards, we ate some BBQ that Mike's mom cooked up ashore, played hacky sack, drank more beer, and posed for a few group photos.
Speeding...Action!
I have a week in Austin with not much to do. So I decided to explore Craigslist for volunteer opportunities. Austin has a decent indie film production scene, and two no-budget projects were needing production assistance this weekend.
The first was a group of UT students working on a narrative short. These three, really nice 30-something guys, Daniel, Noah, and Johnny asked me to work with them Friday night just east of Austin. I'd never done PA work before, nor did I know these guys, but my worries of being left for dead in the Texas desert strangely disappeared while driving Noah out to the filming location. Something to do with my query about his musical tastes and him responding "praise music"... does my suburban white bread American upbringing make me trust Christians more? Yikes. That's for another introspective blog post...
Anyway, they spent 7 hours planning the shoot while the rest of us sat around, then we spent a LOT of time trying to achieve proper lighting and finally started shooting at 11pm. It was cool though - the two 15 year old girls in the short were sweet, as was the dude who played "El Diablo", and the owners of the house made me a pina colada. I finally bailed at 5am, and the 3 UT students thanked me profusely and have promised margaritas later on this week. In the 15 hours I worked for them I learned enough about dollies, flags, lighting and various terminology to make me appear almost knowledgeable for my sunday night gig!
Sunday night found me north of Austin at the Monument Cafe, helping a very cool guy, Christopher Obal, on an indie short that I guess is going to be shown at festivals. Besides setting up lights and standing in for actors for lighting purposes, I held a big reflective screen for a long time and kept power cords from fouling. I really dig the lighting stuff. It'd be fun to do that for a living. More challenging than viewers probably realize.
The UT students and their amateur actors were all very fun to hang out with, but I really appreciated the professionalism and efficiency of Chris. Plus he's just a nice guy. I think Jarad and Polly would dig working with him, as he's a collector of vinyl and a CPA-turned-filmmaker. The sunday shoot also included a good actress named Allison. The short was called "Temporary Man". I didn't even really catch what it was all about.
So yeah it was fun. I'll probably volunteer again for stuff like this.
The first was a group of UT students working on a narrative short. These three, really nice 30-something guys, Daniel, Noah, and Johnny asked me to work with them Friday night just east of Austin. I'd never done PA work before, nor did I know these guys, but my worries of being left for dead in the Texas desert strangely disappeared while driving Noah out to the filming location. Something to do with my query about his musical tastes and him responding "praise music"... does my suburban white bread American upbringing make me trust Christians more? Yikes. That's for another introspective blog post...
Anyway, they spent 7 hours planning the shoot while the rest of us sat around, then we spent a LOT of time trying to achieve proper lighting and finally started shooting at 11pm. It was cool though - the two 15 year old girls in the short were sweet, as was the dude who played "El Diablo", and the owners of the house made me a pina colada. I finally bailed at 5am, and the 3 UT students thanked me profusely and have promised margaritas later on this week. In the 15 hours I worked for them I learned enough about dollies, flags, lighting and various terminology to make me appear almost knowledgeable for my sunday night gig!
Sunday night found me north of Austin at the Monument Cafe, helping a very cool guy, Christopher Obal, on an indie short that I guess is going to be shown at festivals. Besides setting up lights and standing in for actors for lighting purposes, I held a big reflective screen for a long time and kept power cords from fouling. I really dig the lighting stuff. It'd be fun to do that for a living. More challenging than viewers probably realize.
The UT students and their amateur actors were all very fun to hang out with, but I really appreciated the professionalism and efficiency of Chris. Plus he's just a nice guy. I think Jarad and Polly would dig working with him, as he's a collector of vinyl and a CPA-turned-filmmaker. The sunday shoot also included a good actress named Allison. The short was called "Temporary Man". I didn't even really catch what it was all about.
So yeah it was fun. I'll probably volunteer again for stuff like this.
The Day I Missed Spam Musubi
Hawaii vs. Texas: in Hawaii you could get bbq chicken musubi, spam musubi, humbow and decent sushi at the convenience stores.Let me just tell everyone... elgin sausage is the most disgusting conglomeration of lips and assholes ever stuffed into stretchy edible intestine.
We went to a party in Surfside (along the gulf coast) on friday. It was kinda fun at first, then I wasn't feeling too hot and all the bizzarro antics of my fellow beach partiers were starting to drive me nuts. On saturday, we hit a party in Houston, and I met some nice people there. A hair stylist that was a straight male, a cool artsy guy who made his own clothes, and some musicians. But I do get the feeling that life in Houston is a little boring and generally unfulfilling. The rest of the weekend was spent helping Jarad out with his ageing grandmother, emptying a storage shed for his parents, and enjoying the generosity of his parents when it comes to eating out at the local restaurants. That, plus we're into the first season of Angel dvds, and also Wondershowzen (upon Mason's recommendation). Hilarious and over-the-top offensive.
"i love those moments. i love to wave at them as they pass by."
the LOUDEST CROAK in texass goes to this little froggie. you may remember him from his voiceover work in The Grudge, starring Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
i saw Pirates of the Caribbean II today, at one of the country's best theaters: Alamo Draft House. in typical Alamo style, an ancient preview was played prior; this one being "the pirate ship" or something like that, starring Kristi McNichol and Christopher Atkins (blue lagoon). it was a musical. i think i would have enjoyed it more than POTC 2. hate to say it...
yeah so my favorite parts of the movie were the island with the wicker ball cages and all the goings-on there, and then the cragon was pretty neat too. the rest of that was too slapstick and too reliant on CG effects. not that the effects were poor, because the makeup and CG on the villain's boat were pretty badass, but i had enough CG villains in the first movie. it was overload. it would have been cool if keira and orlando had already popped out a few kids or something. or if jack had a woman. did they try to develop a love between keira and jack? cos someone said they did and i missed it. or it was weak, anyway. the last 5 minutes of the movie led me to believe that the last one might be a little different and more worth seeing.
sorry to my boaty & pirate peeps. i just wasn't feeling it.
