It's been a few weeks since I posted anything here...but the hits they just kept on coming. Have no fear, as I'll likely be more diligent in the fall with the writings I suppose, since the summertime scene tends to suck my attention in numerous directions.
So in interest of staying alive & true to form, I'll be splattering some funky factoids and whatnot yer way today. Including info on beer...
First...
Here's a news story, a symbol of the fearful culture in which we live. Now the article fails to delve into the full context of this imagined threat, but the implications are scary.
A public school student in Arizoina was suspended from school for drawing a gun. Not drawing a gun, and pointing it at someone, but doodling a picture of one.
Here's some, kinder gentler & more informative info on beer myths ...
speaking of brew:
Bay Area Brewery Alert: The makers of one of my favorite high hopped ales, Speakeasy Brewery are having their 10th anniversary party on Friday Night...
and my pal's band the Crosstops are playing, should be fun -
Crosstops - Bad Reputation
info on the party likely at http://www.goodbeer.com
Was just up in rainy lil' Redmond Washington last weekend, where Microsoft's HQ is, and where one hears words like "data center" while browsing at the local farmer's market.
When I asked if Redmond had any live music at a local bookshop I was told nightlife entertainment consisted of two Karaoke bars. I ventured forth to surmise the situation, with visions of singing some Cheap Trick material to the local yahoos.
I first hit one called Palmer's, but actually liked the Workshop, a divier one up the street better.
The Workshop's shack vibe was in full effect, within a crusty wooden joint that I mistook for a hardware store upon arriving in town, replete with greasy food, a crappy PA and friendly staff. I'd go back...reminded me of some salty fisherman bar in Key West or something.
The other joint in town with Karaoke, Palmer's was more a shitkicker sports bar, with testosterone raging wannabe cowboys giving each other dirty looks while Megadeth, Johnny Cash and Pat Benatar tunes were badly butchered on the stage.
Both joints though had great attentive, fast & hospitable bartenders, which makes putting up with the local clientele that much easier.
I eventually fraternized with some recent transplants from Mexico City, and despite a deep language barrier discovered that they wanted to sing "I Love Rock n Roll" by Joan Jett...
What's not to like there, so we did...
That mission was at least accomplished. Or at least beer drinking accomplished.
I did get a chance to try a few northwestern microbrews while hanging out some local taverns. My favorite was Mac and Jack's , a local Redmond operation that sells in kegs & "growlers" only.
I had started my night off at a swank country club, drinking a variety of single malt Scotches, ranging from the 12 year old on up to some peat packing 21 year old.
oh well... in the morning it was time to go...
After a quick pathetically quaint faux fishermanesque breakfast at Ivar's of a smoked salmon breakfast sandwich, I bid adieu to the booming Bellevue with it's many construction cranes & Boeing with it's behemoth industrial complex along the highway to Sea Tac.
Soon I was up in the air, looking down on the Puget Sound, Olympic range, and eventually Sonoma, Point Reyes, and the fog enshrouded Golden Gate.
Cut Chemist - What's The Altitude?
Chocolate Salmon anyone?
Despite my relative proximity to the technological world, I've been away from the blogosphere for well over a week, at least at this micro mini outpost of mine...
I do put info up elsewhere, and one of those sites is SF metblogs...
I've delved into reporting on a bit of another blogger's controversy though, a local guy in SF named Jeff Webb has been getting in trouble with his landlord because of his video blogging. Jeff lives in a "SRO" ( single room occupancy) hotel in one of San Francisco's crappier neighborhoods, and his buildings occupants & neighbors are mainly tax payer supported drunks, drug addicts, thugs and unemployable miscreants.
Apparentl;y taking any videros or photos of these folks engaged in the egregious activities and illegal activities they favor as hobbies is against his landlords "privacy" policy, even if such videos have been used as police evidence. Oh well...
The city is full of old hotels, many dating to the world war one era, and if not devoted to the more lucrative tourist trade, most are in bad shape. Long in decline, they went from fully functional, to housing of last resort in the decades since WWII.
San Francisco is now a town held virtual hostage by a neo-liberal elite that belives funneling millions each year into a massive "non-profit" infrastructure of tax dollar sucking "service providers" somehow makes all it's error prone ways above reproach.
The crappy SRO housing for homeless ne'er do 'ells is somehow given the Orwellian name of "supportive housing", when all this really means is sub-standard hotel rooms.
These are noisy, pest infested joints, with needle exchange cans on each floor in the halls instead of ice machines or room service. Most of the users of these so called "services" are human cast offs, many are common criminals & unwanted people whose own families wouldn't have them over for Christmas dinner, or even a snack anyday of the week.
Which brings us back to Jeff, who has lived in his place some 15 years, well before a certain grant & tax payer funded non-profit group with the initials "THC" took over the building. Ironically, the THC process millions in funds to run 15 or so buildings in town, all within walking distance of a "medical marijuana" dispensary and numerous liquor stores. They consider themselves to be an authority on providing housing & training etc while helping "recovering" users get back on their feet. The "medical marijuana" using dope smokers on staff & sitting out front of Jeff's THC building are unhappy about his documentation of his mismanaged surroundings, which get worse with violence & ddrug abuse seemingly all the time. The management seems to believe simply shutting Jeff up is a perfectly fine way to address the numerous problems in the buildings they run.
A couple days after I got Jeff in touch with a local radio talk show host, and reposted siome of the videos he's been sharing via his blog and You Tube, the sh*t hit the proverbial fan. Jeff was retaliated against by his landlord and warned to remove his cameras, or he would face actions against himself, including the possible threat of eviction. Check out the videos... they are scary ...
read more about it here
Anyhow...
here's something more fun to listen & look at
A Dap Tone studios tour and a profile of Sharon Jones
Sharon Jones - Queen Of The Dap-Kings
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings are preparing for a North American tour, and the warm up date will be @ Harlem's legendary Apollo Theatre, in New York City on Saturday, October 6th. While the Dap Kings have been backing up Amy Winehouse this year. Sharon herself was recently handpicked by Denzel Washington for a small part as a soul singer in the forthcoming Hollywood film "The Great Debaters" in which the talented Ms. Jones also contributes to the soundtrack.
The new album doesn't hit the streets until Oct 2nd, but here's a preview of the band's first single off this upcoming release.
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
here's a couple older tracks, so you'll know what you've been missing...
From Dap Dippin' With Sharon Jones And The Dap Kings
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - Got A Thing On My Mind
From : Naturally
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - This Land Is Your Land
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Here's some of the latest news stories coming over the wire, including all your fave construction and mining accidents failures, political debacles, the "progress" of Hurricane Dean etc...
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