So it begins...

27 Aug 24

Made some great bread & butter refrigerator pickles from the cukes, peppers & garlic we grew. The blackberries are starting to ripen so we’re picking like crazy. Blueberries are almost finished. And we have a few strawberries and raspberries each day. We have one more apple pick, we'll make sauce with them. The melons are getting larger and looking gorgeous. We have watermelon, cantaloupe (Minnesota Midgets) & honeydews! The green beans have been amazing. Berit cooks them in a cast iron pan with lots of garlic and they're delicious! We spend a lot of time in our garden.

We met with our medical oncologist, Dr. Y, yesterday at UW Medicine. He’s nice, very informative and spent an hour going over options (there aren’t many choices), what to expect and to answer any questions we had. We really like Dr. Y. He’ll be directing the process for the foreseeable future. He’ll work with Dr. M, our radiologist at Fred Hutch. I should emphasize that all the people we’ve met during this process are smart, compassionate, and very generous with their time and knowledge. We feel cared for.

Following the protocol for advanced prostate cancer, we’re looking at two years of hormone therapy, with 5 weeks of daily radiation in the mix. That starts about 5 weeks from now. 

For the hormone treatment, one shot of Lupron every 3 months with a daily pill of Abiraterone (Zytiga). Because we didn’t want to delay the start of the healing process waiting for the insurance company to approve the treatment (the injection costs $5K), I’m taking Bicalutamide (Casodex) at this time to block production of testosterone, post-approval we will switch to Abiraterone (Zytiga).

And because abiraterone lowers the level of other hormones in the body, they add prednisone to the treatment to avoid additional side effects.

We’re using the nutritionist on staff, she’s wonderful, hoping to get access to acupuncture and maybe some counseling as this is pretty stressful stuff to digest. Fred Hutch and UW Medicine have lots of support services and we’re taking advantage of them 😊

I need to get a bone scan soon; to determine a baseline for bone strength as the hormone treatment can affect bone density. And we’ll continue to do regular bloodwork, throughout the process, to help monitor changes.

Side effects, there are a few, with possible fatigue, weight gain and hot flashes at the top of the list. Long term effects, will depend on how much radiation is used and how long the hormone treatment lasts.

And to add insult to injury, I have a fungal infection on my backside that is quite uncomfortable, but unlikely to have anything to do with the cancer. Regardless, I’m using an anti-fungal cream to treat and am watching my sugar/carb intake. It seems to be working.

The menus are getting easier to create as we dig deeper into a plant-based diet. We have a bunch of recipes now which are tasty and nutritious. We made some yummy enchilada’s last night.

I have a daily weight routine. I no longer run so we walk a lot with the dogs (cycling is out until the fungus is eradicated). We do yoga every evening. I’m 180 lbs, same weight as my junior year in high school. I have no stress to speak of (except cancer) and I feel great!

We’re hearing from lots of friends and family who are keeping us in their hearts and minds. Thank you, it means a lot.

Fingers crossed 😊

The First Week of August '24

“The first week of August hangs at the very top of the summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot. It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color. Often at night there is lightning, but it quivers all alone. There is no thunder, no relieving rain. These are strange and breathless days, the dog days, when people are led to do things they are sure to be sorry for after.” -  Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt 

Granted we’re just about to finish the second week in August, but I love this quote and figured we were still close enough to use it.

 

We are still hanging with the dogs. We’re down to two at this time, Vinnie & Freddy. We refer to them as “The Boys”. The third, Mac, had some challenges and he’s moved in with some folks who are better positioned to help him.

 

We’ve had a great spring and summer, lots of projects completed. The garden keeps us busy. It’s very green right now with everything moving quickly toward harvest. We’ve been picking berries for several weeks now, started with the strawberries, then the raspberries came in, now we’re picking blueberries as well. We get 3-4 lbs each time we pick and yet we don’t seem to make a dent in the patch. We’re eating a lot, giving some away and the rest are going in the freezer for smoothies and pies. Potatoes and cukes are starting to show up. We’ll start making bread & butter pickles soon. And we already processed some apples into apple sauce, one of my faves.

 

We’ve been fortunate to have some visitors lately. My sister and one of her college friends came in May for a week. We did lots of touristy things, Port Townsend, Pike Place Market, Winslow Way, to name a few spots explored. We made great diners every night and crashed early to be ready for the next day’s adventure.

Our sister-in-law travelled from New Zealand to visit in July. She was in the area for a high school reunion. We were so happy to have her here for a few weeks. The weather was sunny and warm for her visit. We picked berries, took The Boys on lots of walks, did some touristy things and made so many great dinners that we started a list (menu?) to keep track.

My older brother will here in 10 days. He’s travelled from New Zealand as well and is in Maine, hanging with our other siblings and their families. We’re the only two in our family who don’t live in the Northeast.

 

After 42 years of gainful employment, in two very different, but very satisfying careers, I retired on the morning of July 1^st. That afternoon I went to UW Medicine to get a PET/CT scan to determine the length and breadth of my prostate cancer, great people and facility. Prior to the screen, they inject you with a liquid that marks the cancer. It has to be inside you for a bit before they start the scan, so we walked up to the Suzzalo Library Reading Room, amazing spot! The scan was 20 minutes. We hopped the light rail back downtown and stopped at Wild Ginger on the way back to the ferry.

We got a link to the scan results Wednesday evening, the night before July 4^th. We have no medical experience but could tell that it probably wasn’t good. Our suspicions were confirmed on Friday when we visited our urologist. The cancer had escaped my prostate and gone walkabout. It was in my nodes and possibly a couple other places. The procedure scheduled to take place that morning (a tour of my urethra via ‘microscope’) was canceled. It was hard to get any information from our urologist beyond that we needed to go to Seattle to take care of this and that we should make appointments with a radiologist and a urologic oncologist. We left with no referrals for facilities or doctors. It was disappointing, to say the least.

Upon arrival at home, we started googling and dialing. By 2 PM we had appointments with a radiologist at Fred Hutch and a urologic oncologist at UW Medicine. I’d just like to say that the folks at Fred Hutch and UW Medicine are knowledgeable, compassionate and very nice humans. I feel that we are in good hands.

We have since completed the appointments and have the beginnings of a strategy. After meeting with the urologic oncologist at UW Medicine we know that surgery is not an option. We meet with a medical oncologist at the end of the month to schedule hormone therapy to stop my production of testosterone (it feeds the cancer) which will be followed by 5 weeks of radiation.

The timing of this is fortunate in that I am retired, and it takes some time to navigate the Byzantine labyrinth we call healthcare. The unfortunate part, my condition was revealed at the start of summer and many of the medical staff, doctors especially, are taking their well-deserved summer vacations.

I should add that I have the best partner in the world; smart & resourceful, focused & disciplined, caring & compassionate, and, as luck would have it, an absolutely awesome human! She is motivated and tireless in her support, I definitely hit ‘The Lotto’ when we met!

 

It may sound bleak to many of you, but we do not feel that way. Yes, it’s been difficult, can’t remember dealing with this much stress, ever. I wake in tears most mornings, but it’s more of a pressure release than sadness for my condition or remorse for not acting sooner to address the cancer. We have faith and welcome the work ahead. We are active with healthy lifestyles and with a few tweaks, we’ll dial it in to create the best support system possible. We’re doing lots of yoga, have moved to a vegetarian diet (mostly), maybe vegan soon, lots of walks with The Boys and whatever else we need. Also, we’ve discovered some great resources for; reducing stress, staying active, making meals and lots more ideas for building our support system.

Please keep us in your thoughts and send some positive energy our way, we can use it. We’re planning on many years to come, but right now, we just need a little bit of luck.

 

More to follow…

Hanging with the Dog[s]

We have 3 dogs now. Our beloved Karelian Bear Dog passed in 2018. We inherited a 15 lbs rescue, from my M-in-L. We had him for several months. He slipped out and was hit by a car in front of our house. We were very sad for a long time. 

We got what looks like a Cairn Terror, but is a Pom Poo Chi (Pomeranian, Poodle, Chihuahua) in the summer of 2020. He’s super affectionate, barks easily and will eat anything; grapefruit, cucumber, watermelon, it doesn't matter. He’s a great friend.

Last March we got two more dogs. One on Petfinder caught our eye. We visited him, liked him and adopted him. We took his friend as well. One looks like a Corgi in front and a skinny Dachshund in the back. His friend, the impulse buy, looks like a Poodle, Jack Russell mix, we think. He's an absolute sweetheart. We'll get their DNA done when they run the sales around the Holidays.

I do very little social media at this point. I log in occasionally to see what family members are doing, but do not engage in conversations or look for news of the world. Social media is the last place I’d look for reliable news coverage. To stay abreast of current events, I subscribe to the weekend Seattle Times (you get daily digital access with it), a local weekly from my hometown and the NY Times online. The Seattle Times has been especially rich the past few years with gardening information, hiking ideas and lots of book, music, film and TV reviews and suggestions. I’ve gleaned a lot of great information from that paper.

I use our local library to access copies of the county paper and a local that has decent coverage, but seems to increase the number of real estate ads and conservative op eds with each issue. I subscribed to the latter, but the delivery person kept leaving the paper on the ground. It either got wet in the rain or blew up the road. Customer service was no help so I read the library copy now.

 

In the headphones:

I listen to a lot of local FM radio, Jazz, Rock & Classical + NPR News and the Weather! I do still listen to CDs and I get them at the local library. It's a great way hear what's available.

Starting Over by Chris Stapleton

Love the title track. Mr. Stapleton may be the best songwriter in Nashville right now.

 

Carry On by Mavis Staples & Levon Helm

Recorded live in Levon’s barn for the Midnight Rambles back in 2011. Great artists performing amazing music.

 

Circlin’ Back: Celebrating 50 Years by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band 

A live performance with lots of guest stars, celebrating the 50 year anniversary of their Bluegrass masterpiece.

 

On the nightstand:

I read approximately 50 books a year. I like to old fashioned codex book. I'm not a fan of eBooks or eReaders, but I do love to listen to audiobooks. Caveat emptor: A good reader can make a mediocre book much better. A poor reader can ruin a bestseller in one chapter or less.

Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty

Stories (mostly Dee’s) from a Native community in Maine told in 12 glimpses. It starts with a curse and ends with…

 

Small World by Jonathan Evison

Told from multiple perspectives across a couple of time periods, we get the see the first generation of pioneers as they maneuver to better their lot in life and pursue the American Dream. And we meet their descendants a century+ later, in a contemporary setting, continuing to make the possible probable. 

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

The operators of a small bookstore deal with a ghost, the Me Too movement, try to make sense of the killing of George Floyd and gird themselves against COVID. Strong connection to all four doorways.

On the screen:

Thank the Gods for streaming services! 

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez collaborate to solve a murder for which they have been accused, hilarity ensues.

 

ZZ Top: That Little Ol' Band from Texas (Netflix)

An interesting doc with everything you wanted to know about a bearded trio who delivered Blues through a Rock’N’Roll filter in the early 70s and took the world by storm!

Trailheads:

Our rescues get a little inimidated by big dogs so they can be a bit reactive. We're working on those issues so we can get back to our favortite spots in the Olympics and Cascades. We're fortunate to have an amazing local parks system so right now we're simply hiking on the island on one of the many well-maintained trails. 

 

Ascending

2 Jun 20

Still dog-less as we ascend to Stage II in the Return from the Pandemic. I remain positive and resolute in my search for a new best friend.

Speaking of dogs, it rained like cats & dogs and little kids on sleds last weekend which delayed the outside work so I’ll be wrapping up the fence project this week. 

What's on the Nightstand:

One Last Lie by Paul Doiron

The eleventh installment of Mike Bowditch, Maine’s crime-solving warden. A cold case involving Mike’s mentor, Charlie Stevens, puts Mike in the cross-hairs way up north on the Canadian border.

Inland by Téa Obreht

Part fantasy, part historical fiction, set in the late 19^th Century Arizona Territory, Obreht weaves the stories of two desperate people, one starved with loneliness, another haunted by ghosts, as they stagger through a drought.

What's on the Screen:

The Outsider (Netflix)

What begins as a murder mystery takes a turn toward the supernatural and dark forces begin to overrun a small community. A few rather gruesome scenes, but mostly, deliciously dark, fantastical storytelling. I binge-watched this in two large bites

Bloodlines: Second Season (Netflix)

Death, drugs and double-cross abound as the Rayburn family navigates the fallout from the death of brother Danny. Sister Meg continues to drink and make bad choices, brother Kevin continues to use drugs and make bad choices and Brother John attempts to hold things together. If I was brother John would sell and move north to save my soul and sanity.

What's in the Headphones:

Building playlists on Spotify and listening to our local airwaves; KNKX, KEXP, KBCS & KISW, and playing my guitar.

Trail Heads:

Buck Lake, 2-3 miles (one way) through various terrain with the turnaround at a Hood Canal beach. Nothing too strenuous, a very nice walk.

Be well and stay safe.

More to follow...

Avoiding Entropy

Greetings All,

I haven't posted for a while because I have no dog with which to hang :(

but I'm looking in earnest and hoping to have a new member of the family and hiking partner soon :) 

I have been working lots on garden projects, spreading more mulch, fixing and adding fencing, along with general clean up and organizing of everything within our ½ acre of brush and trouble.

What's on the nightstand:

I just started A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell 

The story of Virginia Hall, an American spy who worked undercover in France during World War II for Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE). I devoured the first 50 pages this morning. We'll be discussing it next Tuesday at evening at the Eagle Harbor Mystery Book Discussion Group.

One of my recent faves is Night Boat to Tangier by Kevin Barry

A lyrical stroll down memory lane by two, socially challenged, low-level enforcers for an Irish crime interest as they wait for the arrival of a friend on the ferry from Tangiers.

In audiobook format:

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

A tell-all, sometimes shocking, always frank and very funny tale of Chef Bourdain's career in the restaurant kitchens of Manhattan. He pulls no punches as he bares his soul with tales from nearly 3 decades of creating haute cuisine while pursuing new nadirs of debauchery.

What's on the screen:

Messiah (Netflix)

A ten-part story about a burned out CIA officer looking into a Middle-Eastern man whose followers believe him to be the Second Coming of Christ. Lots of twists and turns :)

NCIS (Netflix)

Full disclosure, I never watched this as a Prime Time series in spite of its 17 seasons. Started watching late last fall and now I can't look away. I'm not saying it's not-to-be-missed and in spite of the somewhat pedantic scripts with a fair amount of formulaic, predictable plot, I have grown to truly enjoy the series regulars. Which presents a bit of a challenge as many of them leave the show eventually. The team is a bit quirky, as are the mysteries they solve, but I find them endearing, even in the 14th season when they jettison one of my favorite characters to introduce a team member whom I find quite challenging.

What's in the headphones:

Mostly I've been listening to local, FM radio. We're fortunate to have several great, independent radio stations in our region. And I've been listening to a lot of 70s Rock via Spotify, e.g., Derek & the Dominos, Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones, etc.

Be well and stay safe.

More to follow...

ek

2013 Bumbershoot Preview

Sadly I have been so preoccupied with other responsibilities (e.g., walking the dog) that I have been grossly negligent in my commitment to post information about books, movies and music, which no one will read.
Finally had a chance to listen to all the bands in the 2014 Bumbershoot line-up and there are some I will be sure to see (designated with an asterisk).

2013 Bumbershoot

Saturday

The Flavr Blue (Pop) Techno Pop to be more specific

https://myspace.com/theflavrblue/music/songs

Matt Jorgensen + 451(Jazz) Similar line up to Human Spirit

https://myspace.com/mattjorgensenofficial/music/songs

Dave B (Hip Hop) Interesting background beats

http://soundcloud.com/davebmusic

Human Spirit (Jazz) Similar line up to Matt Jorgansen

https://myspace.com/thomasmarriott/music/album/human-spirit-17482747

*Ernie Watts with New Stories (Jazz) Coltrane influenced sax

            https://myspace.com/erniewatts/music/songs

Nacho Picasso (Hip Hop) Interesting background beats

https://myspace.com/samlachowmusic/music/song/cold-feat-nacho-picasso-ryan-campbell-explicit-87625538

*Down North (R&B) Funky and Soulful like vintage Stevie Wonder

https://myspace.com/downnorth/music/songs

Diamond Rings (Pop) with electronic undertones

            https://myspace.com/diamondrings/music/songs

Joey Bada$$ (Hip Hop) So bad that using letters to spell his name was ineffective

            https://myspace.com/joeybadass/music/songs

Robert Glasper Experiment (R&B) with Jazz undertines

            https://myspace.com/therealrobertglasper/music/songs

*Davidson Hart Kingsberry (Rock) has a real C&W feel to it

            https://myspace.com/davidsonhartkingsbery/music/songs

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down (Rock) Indie darlings

            https://myspace.com/thaothegetdownstaydown/music/songs

Kendrick Lamar (Rap) Interesting background beats

            https://myspace.com/kendricklamar/music/songs

Icona Pop (Electro-Pop) Swedish duo with catchy hooks

            https://myspace.com/iconapop/music/songs

ZZ Ward (Pop) Soulful songstress with a great voice

            https://myspace.com/zzward/music/songs

Gus + Scout (Roots Rock, bluesy, soulful, folky)

            https://soundcloud.com/search?q=Gus%20%2B%20Scout

The Physics (Electronica mostly)

            https://myspace.com/realphysics/music/songs

!!! (???) These guys are so hip that a search of their name on the Interweb yields no meaningful results!

Total Experience Gospel Choir (Gospel, duh!) Seattle’s own

            http://www.totalexperiencegospelchoir.org/music.html

*Lake Street Dive (Jazzy and Soulful) From Boston, but sound like New Orleans

            https://myspace.com/lake.street.dive3/music/songs

DJ Tylor Brown (Techtronica) Remixing with abandon

            https://soundcloud.com/iamtylerbrown

Watsky (Jazz) Acoustic guitar combo

https://myspace.com/alwatsky/music/songs

*Charles Bradley (Soul with a capitol “S”) Saw him a few years back, the real deal!

            http://thecharlesbradley.com/

Gary Numan (Rock) He’s here, is his in car

            https://myspace.com/numanmachinemusic/music/songs

*Kris Orlowski (Rock) Very pleasant, mostly acoustic, melodies

            https://myspace.com/krisorlowski/music/songs

Sean Majors (Techno-Electro)

            https://soundcloud.com/seanmajors

*The Jason Bonham Led Zeppelin Experience (Rock) Gonzo’s prodigy keeps Zepp’s tunes alive (because Robert Plant is too much of a pussy to tour with Jimmy and John)

            https://myspace.com/jasonbonhamband/music/songs

Hyperfunk (Electronica) Seattle music mixologists.

            https://myspace.com/hyperfunk/music/songs

*Washed Out (Electronica) Theme from Portlandia guy

https://myspace.com/thebabeinthewoods/music/songs

Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside (Rock) Portland combo

            https://myspace.com/sallieford/music/songs

Heart (Rock) The Wilson sisters live at the Key

            https://myspace.com/heart/music/songs

*Maceo Parker (Make it Funky) JB’s saxman

            https://myspace.com/maceo/music/songs

Crystal Castles (Electronica) Dynamic Duo

            https://myspace.com/crystalcastles/music/songs

DJ Dannic (Technocracy) Dutch mixster

https://soundcloud.com/djdannic

Cookie Monsta (Electronica) The Sherriff of Nottingham

            https://soundcloud.com/cookiemonstatc

Sunday

Kithkin (Electronica) A bit New Wavish

            https://myspace.com/kith_kin/mixes

Ayron Jones and the Way (Rock) Crunchy on the outside with a bluesy center

            https://myspace.com/ayronjonesandtheway/music/songs

The Redwood Plan (Rock) with a pinch of punk

            https://myspace.com/theredwoodplan/music/songs

*The Mowgli's (Rock) Edward Sharpe with a harder edge.

            https://myspace.com/themowglis/music/songs

Nikki Hills (Rock) Shirtless shredder

            https://myspace.com/nikkihills/music/songs

Ramona Falls (Rock) links to Menomena

            https://myspace.com/ramonafalls/music/songs

The Round 100 (Organic performance art)

http://sched.bumbershoot.org/event/735628acae98a129c019b0bc574b7752#.UfBTRNLFVnE

Tegan & Sara (Rock) Two girls from Canada, eh!

            https://soundcloud.com/teganandsara

FIDLAR (Rock) Sweaty, angry and in your face, the way RnR is supposed to be!

            https://myspace.com/fidlar/music/songs

*The Duke Robillard Band (Jazz) Master guitar player a la Les Paul

https://myspace.com/dukerobillard/music/songs

David Bazan (Rock) Former Pedro the Lion founder/leader, indie sound

https://myspace.com/davidbazan/music/songs

*fun. (Rock) Fun music with a singer channeling Freddie Mercury

https://myspace.com/fun/music/songs

Charli XCX (Pop) Next chart-topping Diva?

https://myspace.com/charlixcx/music/songs

*Eric Burdon & The Animals (Rock) “an overfed, long-haired leaping gnome” and 60s-70s Icon

https://myspace.com/ericburdon/music/songs

The Comettes (Rock) Surf-guitar centered, Seattle music leaning toward the somber side

http://noisetrade.com/thecomettes/the-comettes

Mates of State (Electro-pop) Kansas Duo

https://myspace.com/matesofstate/music/songs

Bob Mould (Rock) Melodies from former Husker Du member

https://myspace.com/bobmould/music/songs

*The Grizzled Mighty (Rock) Distorted and bluesy one minute, stripped down acoustic the next

https://myspace.com/thegrizzledmighty/music/songs

*Vintage Trouble (Rock) If James Brown had favored Rock over Soul

https://myspace.com/vintagetroublemusic/music/songs

DJ Phase (ElectronRock)

https://soundcloud.com/djphase

Tamaryn (Rock) Ethereal, haunting melodies from down under

https://myspace.com/tamarynmusic/music/songs

Rise Over Run (Folk) Acoustic trio with nice voices

https://myspace.com/riseoverrunband/music/songs

BRONCHO (Rock) Punky

https://myspace.com/bronchoband/music/songs

The Breeders (Rock) members of The Pixies and Throwing Muses combine for 90s supergroup

https://myspace.com/thebreeders/music/songs

*Ra Ra Riot (Rock) Saw at B-shoot a while back and loved ‘em

https://myspace.com/rarariot/music/songs

DJ Supreme La Rock (Re-electronica) Big in LA, NYC and Gorst

https://soundcloud.com/morebounce206/supreme-la-rock-more-bounce

*The Zombies (Rock) 60s chart toppers

https://myspace.com/thezombies/music/songs

Beats Antique (Electrionic) World flavored with electronic filling in the spaces

https://myspace.com/beatsantique/music/songs

DJ Girl 6 (Mixster) Lots of Hippity-Hoppy infused tracks

https://myspace.com/djgirl6/music/songs

Matt Pond PA (Rock) Folky, pleasant melodies

https://myspace.com/mattpondpa/music/songs

*Death Cab for Cutie (Rock) Seen ‘em a few times and they are good

https://myspace.com/deathcabforcutie/music/songs

GUY (Electiononica) Trinity Nightclub’s DJ spinning like a top

Take it on faith, no music link available

Matt and Kim

https://myspace.com/mattandkim/music/songs

Vicci Martinez (Pop) Tacoma’s own, bluesy and soulful

https://myspace.com/viccimartinez/music/songs

DJ White Shadow (Electrovisionical) Dropping beats

https://soundcloud.com/djwsakadjwhiteshadow

Monday

*Cascadia '10 (World) Afrobeat, think of a slightly subdued Fela Kuti, to be more specific

https://soundcloud.com/cascadia10

*Hot Bodies in Motion (Rock) A mazingly sweet, soulful, vocals and a highly danceable beat

https://soundcloud.com/hotbodiesinmotion

BellaMaine (Rock) Solid, nicely arranged popular Rock

https://myspace.com/bellamainemusic/music/songs

Aurelio & Garifuna Soul (World) Honduran melodies

https://myspace.com/aureliomartinez/music/songs

*The Maldives (Rock) The Norwest’s answer to The Band. These guys are great. Go see them!

https://myspace.com/themaldives/music/songs

Red Jacket Mine (Rock) Folky, soft Rock from Midwest transplant to Seattle

https://myspace.com/redjacketmine/music/songs

The Men (Rock)

https://myspace.com/themenboston/music/songs

*alt-J (Rock) With a Techno lean, 1^st heard on my way to the Turkey Trot last Thanksgiving, so impressed that I downloaded the album after the run.

https://soundcloud.com/alt-j

*Lissie (Rock) Rootsy, bluesy approach to Rock and she did the theme to Justified

https://myspace.com/lissiemusic/music/songs

St. Paul de Vence (Folk) and quite independent at that

https://soundcloud.com/stpauldevence

*MGMT (Rock) After all these years I thought they were singing about electric eels…

https://myspace.com/mgmt/music/songs

Redd Cross (Rock) inspired by breakfast cereal and kiddie TV 

https://myspace.com/reddkross/music/songs

*Kinky (World) Funky alternative Latin electro-dance band

https://myspace.com/kinky/music/songs

*Kopecky Family Band (Rock) These guys are pretty good, thoughtful, indie-Folk-Pop

https://soundcloud.com/kopecky

*The Sheepdogs (Rock) Winners of Rolling Stones’ “Choose the Cover” contest, they are steeped in 70s rock tradition.

https://myspace.com/thesheepdogs/music/songs

Baroness (Rock) Leaning toward the heavier end of the spectrum

https://myspace.com/yourbaroness/music/songs

Mark Pickerel & His Praying Hands (Rock) a Bumbershoot regular, Seattle’s own rootsy, indy rocker

https://myspace.com/markpickerelandhispraying/music/songs

*Delta Rae (Rock) A crash course in Americana Musica from a talented bunch.

https://myspace.com/deltaraemusic/music/songs

Sol (Rap) Interesting background beats

https://myspace.com/solzilla/music/songs

Superchunk (Rock) Reminds me a bit of The Clash

https://myspace.com/superchunkmusic/music/songs

*Ivan & Alyosha (Rock) Folk Rock from Seattle in the southern California style

https://myspace.com/ivanandalyosha/music/songs*Allen Stone

*Allen Stone (Soul/R&B) Blue-eyed soul. Michael Bolton wishes he was this good!

https://myspace.com/allenstone/music/songs

Justin Townes Earl (Rock) Named for a Folk legend, son of an Alt-Country pioneer, music is in his DNA

https://myspace.com/justintownesearle/music/songs

GTA (Rock) Pop

https://myspace.com/gtaband/music/songs

Deerhunter – From their Myspace page, “Deerhunter does not have any songs”

https://myspace.com/deerhunter/music/songs

*Lone Bellow (Folk) Group members call it Brooklyn Country Music.

https://myspace.com/thelonebellow/music/songs

BASSNECTAR (Electrostatic) “…known for its eclecticism, embracing elements of extreme bass, dubstep, breakbeat and other IDM styles…”  

https://myspace.com/bassnectar/music/songs

*Trampled by Turtles (Bluegrass) Saw these guys a couple years ago, stellar show!

https://myspace.com/trampledbyturtles/music/songs

Joy Formidable (Rock) Pop trio taking the world by storm

https://myspace.com/thejoyformidable/music/songs

No Joy in Mudville

My last post was filled with excitement for the beginning of baseball. The dog and I love baseball, but it never ceases to amaze me how the soulless owners of the clubs find new ways to remove the joy from the game and dollars from my wallet. Case in point, the Mariners flexible pricing plan for seats at Safeco. Using the pricing model from the airline industry where adjacent seats may differ in cost by the $100s, Howie, Chuck and the boys have decided to award their dedicated fans by letting market demand determine the price of every seat in Safeco for every game. So those wanting to see Felix pitch on a Friday night against the Yankees may pay $90 for a seat that was priced at $42 last year. I'm not talking about scalper or secondary market pricing. This is what the Mariners are charging at their ticket offices. Meanwhile the dedicated fans, fans who purchased tickets, went to the games and bought overpriced hot dogs, pop and merchandise while watching their team lose 100 games, are reduced to taking the day off to get left field bleacher seats on a Wednesday afternoon against the Royals!

I usually go to 6-8 Mariners games per year. Not this year! I bought tickets for train night and that’s it. I’ll go see the Blue Jackets play in Silverdale. They are more affordable and they’ll probably win more games. Ernest Thayer was right. There is no joy in Mudville.

To add insult to injury the Mariners are publicly supporting efforts to bring the NHL and bring back the NBA (who cares about the NBA!) with a new facility south of Safeco's parking garage. Unfortunately, they are doing everything they can behind the scenes to stop the process and perceived threat to their fan base. Maybe I'm crazy, but if the mariners actually fielded a competitive team with serious prospects for post-season play they wouldn't have to worry about other sports teams syphoning off their patrons.

The Alpha and the Alpha’s Mate traveled to eastern BC to play in the snow without the dog and then were gone most of the following week despensing justice and tearing up casinos with librarians. Needless to say the dog has been feeling neglected in need of therapy or a support group. The Alpha’s Mate is still traveling this week but E and the Alpha are home. We’ll do our best to make the dog feel wanted. We’ll be settled in and back to our routine by next week.

In the Headphones

Carnivale Electros (2012) by Galactic

Funky, Soulful R&B crafted like a good pot of gumbo with the influences and performances of a who’s who of contemporary New Orleans musicians. The Birthplace of Jazz indeed.

Preaching the Blues (2011) by Fleetwood Mac

The founding members of Fleetwood Mac began as John Mayall’s band, The Bluesbreakers. Preaching the Blues is a snapshot from a time capsule capturing a 1971 performance in Canada. Also, it's pretty much Disc 2 of the 2003 Madison Blues box set.

Voice of Ages (2012) by The Chieftains

In their 50^th year as a band the Chieftains have put together a collection of mostly traditional folk tunes with the help of an impressive group of friends.

Visuals

The Big Screen

The Hunger Games (2012)

Gary Ross (Pleasantville) directs Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) as a kick-ass Katniss.

On the Player

Young Adult (2011)

Jason Reitman (Up in the Air) directs, Diablo Cody (Juno) writes, Charlize Theron leads the cast and Patton Oswald steals the show.
A depressed author of a young adult book series travels back to her hometown in an attempt to resurrect what she remembers as a “happier” past. It has it's moments.

My Week with Marilyn (2011)

A version of Marilyn Monroe’s trip to England in 1956 when she made The Prince and the Showgirl. Michelle Williams is fantastic!

The Contender (2000)

Joan Allen stars as a VP hopeful to Jeff Bridges’ president. Gary Oldman shines as the McCarthy-like congressman who plans to spoil the party.

Tube

If I can’t watch a show on the network website then my favorite place to go for online TV is Project Free TV.  Sure you get a few pop-ups, but there’s nothing to download and I have very few problems.

Southland

Just finished the 4^th season. It’s the best cop show since The Shield. From TNT, the first 3 seasons are out on DVD.

Shameless

William H. Macy is absolutely brilliant as morally challenged citizen attempting to game the system at every opportunity and his resourceful brood haven’t fallen far from the tree. Some of it's best moments are when Macy's character rails against everything that's wrong with the government. I’ve no doubt that my more conservative friends think this is what happens in the home of every welfare and disability recipient in the country. From Showtime, the first season is out on DVD.

Weeds

Nancy Botwin is a selfish, amoral scumbag! Doug, Andy and the boys are the only reason to continue watching! From Showtime, the first 7 seasons are out on DVD, the first 6 are on Netflix to stream.

On the Nightstand

Life (2010) by Keith Richards

All things Rolling Stones from a man who slept twice a week for decades whether he needed it or not. 

What the Dog Saw (2009) by Malcolm Gladwell

A collection of Gladwell’s articles from The New Yorker. How to communicate with dogs, how to hire the right person for the right job, the secrets behind the collapse of Enron and finding a solution for homelessness in America, among other topics.

An Unfinished Life (2003) by Robert Dallek

A degenerative condition of the spine, constant urinary tract infections, digestive issues, chronic pain, the use of copious amounts of drugs to counter the effects of the previous, chasing skirts, trying to change Civil Rights laws and thwarting the Red Menace. JFK probably would have died by the early 1970s if he hadn’t been killed in Dallas.

The Tiger’s Wife (2011) by Tea Obreht

Less a novel than a collection of stories spanning nearly a century shared by a granddaughter and her grandfather in Bosnia.