over the last 6 or 8 months the idea has solidified in my head that living in the suburbs is only any good if you live there and vice verse. i live in the city, where i tend to find myself more happy. i dont have to go more than a mile to find most things that i need on a day to day, week to week basis. but my happy home in in Bloomingdale in central DC is not convenient to my job in Fairfax near the Dunn Loring metro.
possible commute reducing/ending options include moving to be close to the job, but then theres my distaste for the burbs and that coffee shops, bars, concerts are at my doorstep. so the next option is get a job closer to home. thats a big ole can of worms. i like my company. i like what i do for the most part. i dont want to start over again in a new field, so my options arent all that great. one, because construction companies usually own their headquarters in cheaper areas(burbs) to lower overhead, and two, because i am in the stage where im not a trainee, but i dont have all the tools i would need to step into a new company without much training. three, i dont have the credentials to get a cushy consultant job because of the limited experience ive had.
so i think im stuck. riding metro might be better for the environment etc., but it also takes twice as long as driving. meanwhile, my company is building us a new home. a brand new building thats going to be quite nice, though still rather distant from my home. and in this time of woe, i still have a good job. all this when i am thinking that decentralized office would benfit workers and the company. for one like myself who lives in the city and has most job sites there, i would spend a lot less time on the road if my office was there as well. and for those who live in the burbs and have jobs there, well, they can have their suburban outpost.
in the construction industry working 100% from home is not really an option. but working out of a few satellite offices would work. sure it separates various employees from each other, and maybe requires more than one receptionist, but really, one person can answer phones remotely. maybe im being too idealistic, but what is the detriment of having 10, 20, 50 people at a handful of locations rather than having 300 all together? especially when half of our staff are field employees who work from various job sites. alas, thats not the state of affairs today, and i dont have a solution to offer up. i could ask to work from home, but i dont think thats a good idea as ill just look like a lazy bastard and at home i probably would be.
i guess i just grin and bear it and hope one day to live a par five from work. and be happy i have satellite radio and an extensive music collection and NPR.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
hey, dc, sign this
so WMATA thinks theyre better than google. all they have to do is provide their schedules in a google friendly format so that when you get directions on google, you can choose a 'get there by transit' option. among those participating are NYC's subways and commuter trains, and, well, pretty much every major system.
well GGW, an all around great blog, put this petition together. you should sign it and tell your friends to as well. especially if you live near here.
well GGW, an all around great blog, put this petition together. you should sign it and tell your friends to as well. especially if you live near here.
like a smokey bar and PBR
thats how well Kevin Divine and Manchester Orchestra go together.
Friday night i trekked down to Richmond's Canal Club to see Manchester Orchestra, who i have admired for about two years now. the club was great in ambiance and size, in a small old warehouse under the freeway, but was smokey like Detroit bars. DC's smoking band has spoiled me. Kevin Divine played as well, making the trip a must. i was giddy on my way to Fredricksburg to meet up with my accomplices.
we arrived in Richmond at 8:30 or so, half an hour after the doors were to open and Dead Confederate were in the middle of their set. i was a bit surprised as i thought another band was playing first. oh well, we still caught 6 or so of their tunes. i have to say that i did like them. i was only familiar with a couple tracks going in, and i think its safe to say ill be getting to know those guys better. since i know you rely on me for timely and accurate reviews of bands and why or why not to listen to them, i will tell you that they sound like Skynard crossed with Trail of Dead. in a good way. its southern rock like Skynard brought up to date with punk and melodic hardcore all really brought together by one helluva drummer.
Kevin Divine is a guy i think i should be more into. i have not heard anything that i have disliked, but moreover, i really like a lot of what i have heard. and no one has made a name for themselves by being adequate. hes definitely more than adequate. hes quite good. and maybe its because of the soulful way he presents most songs, and maybe its the couple whiskey drinks i had imbibed at this point, but his set more struck me based on the overall feeling rather than just the songs and lyrics. the visuals became as important as the sounds. standing to one side of the stage, watching him sing his songs with the stage lights behind him, silhouetting him with a colorful glow. his hair and beard, both just short enough not to be a liability in a fight, glowed with the green stage lights as he sang about the world he saw. anyway, despite my lack of description of the musical aspect, it was quite good. the music and booze lulled me into a kind of stupor in which i was observing minutia like the moon through the skylight and the green glow around Mr Divine. but it was, trust me, a good show. if you like Conor Oberst or Brendan Benson, youd like Kevin Divine.
by the time Andy Hull and company took the stage i had a nice buzz going but had managed to shake off the stupor i had during Kevin's set. they started by playing a number of songs from their upcoming album, which i am happy to report is coming out early in the spring time. i enjoyed the songs quite a bit, thought, if you are familiar with early, more rough Manchester, it took on that feel a bit. im unsure as to why, but they lacked the more polished sound of 'Like a Virgin Losing a Child.' i do have a history of finding myself disliking band who cannot live up to their recordings live. but Manchester doesnt fall into that category. the energy more than makes up for the rough aspect, and the older songs from Virgin were great and had the raw edges that make their songs so powerful. Golden Ticket was pretty much amazing to witness live.
in the end Andy and company put on an excellent show that made me marvel again that the kid is barely old enough to drink. the highlights came toward the end of the show as Andy sand solo a song for 50cent. it went something like 'its been two weeks since you gave me your numbers and after 17 calls im still waiting for you to call back.' i love an artist who can make fun of himself and others. it was hilarious. then during the encore, Kevin came back on stage for a rendition of the theme for the Fresh Prince. again, it was rather funny and awesome, and strangely beautiful.
i cant wait to get my hands on MO's new LP and collecting some of KD's various records. it was definitely worth driving 2 hours from DC and 13$ for the show, but guys, next time would it kill you to stop in DC? had it not been Friday, this show might not have happened. and i am oh so glad it did.
Friday night i trekked down to Richmond's Canal Club to see Manchester Orchestra, who i have admired for about two years now. the club was great in ambiance and size, in a small old warehouse under the freeway, but was smokey like Detroit bars. DC's smoking band has spoiled me. Kevin Divine played as well, making the trip a must. i was giddy on my way to Fredricksburg to meet up with my accomplices.
we arrived in Richmond at 8:30 or so, half an hour after the doors were to open and Dead Confederate were in the middle of their set. i was a bit surprised as i thought another band was playing first. oh well, we still caught 6 or so of their tunes. i have to say that i did like them. i was only familiar with a couple tracks going in, and i think its safe to say ill be getting to know those guys better. since i know you rely on me for timely and accurate reviews of bands and why or why not to listen to them, i will tell you that they sound like Skynard crossed with Trail of Dead. in a good way. its southern rock like Skynard brought up to date with punk and melodic hardcore all really brought together by one helluva drummer.
Kevin Divine is a guy i think i should be more into. i have not heard anything that i have disliked, but moreover, i really like a lot of what i have heard. and no one has made a name for themselves by being adequate. hes definitely more than adequate. hes quite good. and maybe its because of the soulful way he presents most songs, and maybe its the couple whiskey drinks i had imbibed at this point, but his set more struck me based on the overall feeling rather than just the songs and lyrics. the visuals became as important as the sounds. standing to one side of the stage, watching him sing his songs with the stage lights behind him, silhouetting him with a colorful glow. his hair and beard, both just short enough not to be a liability in a fight, glowed with the green stage lights as he sang about the world he saw. anyway, despite my lack of description of the musical aspect, it was quite good. the music and booze lulled me into a kind of stupor in which i was observing minutia like the moon through the skylight and the green glow around Mr Divine. but it was, trust me, a good show. if you like Conor Oberst or Brendan Benson, youd like Kevin Divine.
by the time Andy Hull and company took the stage i had a nice buzz going but had managed to shake off the stupor i had during Kevin's set. they started by playing a number of songs from their upcoming album, which i am happy to report is coming out early in the spring time. i enjoyed the songs quite a bit, thought, if you are familiar with early, more rough Manchester, it took on that feel a bit. im unsure as to why, but they lacked the more polished sound of 'Like a Virgin Losing a Child.' i do have a history of finding myself disliking band who cannot live up to their recordings live. but Manchester doesnt fall into that category. the energy more than makes up for the rough aspect, and the older songs from Virgin were great and had the raw edges that make their songs so powerful. Golden Ticket was pretty much amazing to witness live.
in the end Andy and company put on an excellent show that made me marvel again that the kid is barely old enough to drink. the highlights came toward the end of the show as Andy sand solo a song for 50cent. it went something like 'its been two weeks since you gave me your numbers and after 17 calls im still waiting for you to call back.' i love an artist who can make fun of himself and others. it was hilarious. then during the encore, Kevin came back on stage for a rendition of the theme for the Fresh Prince. again, it was rather funny and awesome, and strangely beautiful.
i cant wait to get my hands on MO's new LP and collecting some of KD's various records. it was definitely worth driving 2 hours from DC and 13$ for the show, but guys, next time would it kill you to stop in DC? had it not been Friday, this show might not have happened. and i am oh so glad it did.
Friday, November 28, 2008
virginia is for suckers.
diclaimer: the folowing is chock full of hate and profanity. youve been warned.
its the day after thanksgiving. i just got a call from a collection agency. the lovely county of fairfax virginia wants $300 because i was unfortunate enough to call that dump of a suburb home for 6 months. six months of 2007. this was well over a year ago. and the only reason those ass clowns know i lived there at all is because arlington county, of the same bullshit state, ratted me out.
tax time last year, early spring, i was fortumate enough to move out of that particularly boring part of the south and into another particularly boring part of the south. also at this time, arlington came after me for unpaid personal property taxes on my truck. above all else, this has got to be the biggest racket in taxes i can think of. you pay income tax on your money that you make, then you pay sales tax on the car you buy, then the the fucking capitol of goddamned gridlock decides to charge personal property tax on your vehicle so that they can not plow the roads when it snows.
anyway, i fought with arlington and was able to prove that i left that county and only owed half of what they claimed. and im sure that those bastards sent that lease copy on to the ass clowns in faifax so that they could try and get their cut. but these fucktards arent smart enought to pick up a goddamned phone for more than a year. i moved out of that hell hole late last summer. i moved again since then, so evidently the snail mail theyve been tying to send me has gone to pevious addresses unanswered. lets see, try to get the money in a couple of letters and that didnt work. the next logical for a local government drone is to get someone else to do your work for you. a collection agency for 300 fucking dollars. you have got to be kidding me.
so this guy at the collection agency calls me. the day after thanksgiving he calls me. of course he cant fucking help me. ive got to call the black hole of time that is any given government office. no suprises here, theyre closed in observance of the holiday. i know from previous experience with arlington that this is going to take at least ten phone calls and probably as many faxes to prove that i dont live in thei shitty suburb and will no longer be paying them taxes and it will be terrifically difficult for me not to yell 'die in a fire!' into the phone while trying to minimize the damage to my bank account. because the holidays are the ight time to sick a fucking collection agency on anyone because youre too goddamned stupid and/or lazy to do your own job. all it took is a phone call. and since this collection agency is involved, fairfax might see a third of the money. my head feels like it will explode with the combination of bewildering laziness and stupidity in the part of fairfax va and the rage that all of this bings up in me.
fuck you virginia. fuck arlington and fairfax. someone please shoot me in th face if i ever move back to that state or, god forbid, those counties. but im sure the rampant MS-13 activity in those lovely burbs will be happy to provide that service.
never live in viginia. ever. just dont fucking do it.
its the day after thanksgiving. i just got a call from a collection agency. the lovely county of fairfax virginia wants $300 because i was unfortunate enough to call that dump of a suburb home for 6 months. six months of 2007. this was well over a year ago. and the only reason those ass clowns know i lived there at all is because arlington county, of the same bullshit state, ratted me out.
tax time last year, early spring, i was fortumate enough to move out of that particularly boring part of the south and into another particularly boring part of the south. also at this time, arlington came after me for unpaid personal property taxes on my truck. above all else, this has got to be the biggest racket in taxes i can think of. you pay income tax on your money that you make, then you pay sales tax on the car you buy, then the the fucking capitol of goddamned gridlock decides to charge personal property tax on your vehicle so that they can not plow the roads when it snows.
anyway, i fought with arlington and was able to prove that i left that county and only owed half of what they claimed. and im sure that those bastards sent that lease copy on to the ass clowns in faifax so that they could try and get their cut. but these fucktards arent smart enought to pick up a goddamned phone for more than a year. i moved out of that hell hole late last summer. i moved again since then, so evidently the snail mail theyve been tying to send me has gone to pevious addresses unanswered. lets see, try to get the money in a couple of letters and that didnt work. the next logical for a local government drone is to get someone else to do your work for you. a collection agency for 300 fucking dollars. you have got to be kidding me.
so this guy at the collection agency calls me. the day after thanksgiving he calls me. of course he cant fucking help me. ive got to call the black hole of time that is any given government office. no suprises here, theyre closed in observance of the holiday. i know from previous experience with arlington that this is going to take at least ten phone calls and probably as many faxes to prove that i dont live in thei shitty suburb and will no longer be paying them taxes and it will be terrifically difficult for me not to yell 'die in a fire!' into the phone while trying to minimize the damage to my bank account. because the holidays are the ight time to sick a fucking collection agency on anyone because youre too goddamned stupid and/or lazy to do your own job. all it took is a phone call. and since this collection agency is involved, fairfax might see a third of the money. my head feels like it will explode with the combination of bewildering laziness and stupidity in the part of fairfax va and the rage that all of this bings up in me.
fuck you virginia. fuck arlington and fairfax. someone please shoot me in th face if i ever move back to that state or, god forbid, those counties. but im sure the rampant MS-13 activity in those lovely burbs will be happy to provide that service.
never live in viginia. ever. just dont fucking do it.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
doesnt follow directions
i just heard that Dan Auerbach is releasing a solo album called "keep it hid." being a fan of his well known work in the Black Keys, he has gone into his studio to make his first solo record. i imagine that this effort will be more wide reaching than the Keys' primarily blues rock style.
if you look back to my previous post on the Black Keys you will see that i was really impressed by the guy. he seems to have been born for making music. i hope he follows through on this threat: "This record is a mixture of things I like to listen to, psychedelia, soul music, country harmonies." it may sound odd, but i think its really going to be something. ill keep you all posted on this as the story develops. the record is supposed to drop February 10th, but you can bet ill be working the back channels for a preview... or pre-listen.
oh, and he's going to be touring with Hacienda, who i was turned on to by MOKB. check the link. the tour starts up in DC(me first) at the end of February. dont miss this one.
if you look back to my previous post on the Black Keys you will see that i was really impressed by the guy. he seems to have been born for making music. i hope he follows through on this threat: "This record is a mixture of things I like to listen to, psychedelia, soul music, country harmonies." it may sound odd, but i think its really going to be something. ill keep you all posted on this as the story develops. the record is supposed to drop February 10th, but you can bet ill be working the back channels for a preview... or pre-listen.
oh, and he's going to be touring with Hacienda, who i was turned on to by MOKB. check the link. the tour starts up in DC(me first) at the end of February. dont miss this one.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
snow!
back in Detroit they call it an Alberta Clipper. its not a hair style or stylist. its a cold and dry blast of air coming out of the Canadian arctic that tends to drop temperatures significantly and frequently dump snow. the snow up north comes from the great lakes, which at this time of year are warmer than the air, so that this dry air picks up moisture, then cools again over land and the moisture falls as snow.
that little science lesson explains the chill here in the mid-atlantic. Canada is exporting its cold air to us. the snow flurries in the air that have us all excited, im not sure where that moisture came from. perhaps leftovers from the snow that fell in Detroit and Cleveland. anyway, for a boy missing the midwest the chill and flurries are a bit heart warming. reminds me of the homeland.
its times like this i start looking at the farmers almanac to see if perhaps its in the tea leaves for a good ski season. i hope so. it would be nice to get out on the slopes without having to get on a plane. im crossing my fingers for a snowy winter. at home, that means a bit warmer than normal as warmer air can bing more moisture and snow. here, that may mean a colder winter, but im from Detroit, i grew up with snow as a normality, life goes on. and if the roads are covered in a foot of snow, then its time to go sledding. who's with me?
that little science lesson explains the chill here in the mid-atlantic. Canada is exporting its cold air to us. the snow flurries in the air that have us all excited, im not sure where that moisture came from. perhaps leftovers from the snow that fell in Detroit and Cleveland. anyway, for a boy missing the midwest the chill and flurries are a bit heart warming. reminds me of the homeland.
its times like this i start looking at the farmers almanac to see if perhaps its in the tea leaves for a good ski season. i hope so. it would be nice to get out on the slopes without having to get on a plane. im crossing my fingers for a snowy winter. at home, that means a bit warmer than normal as warmer air can bing more moisture and snow. here, that may mean a colder winter, but im from Detroit, i grew up with snow as a normality, life goes on. and if the roads are covered in a foot of snow, then its time to go sledding. who's with me?
Sunday, November 16, 2008
photos
i added a photo over to your right that links to my flickr page. i got some nifty photos over tha last week and it reminded me that i like taking photos. some will surely appear here, but more will over there. ive got this idea of incorporating photos with some words, but im still working it all out in my head. anyway, check em out!
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