Had to upload it to youtube this time!
At least his bedding will be clean soon, even if he isn't....
Whew. What a Week. It was exciting, but not really a good kind of exciting!
Well ... Gay marriage lost in New York, but this is still worth a watch ... and maybe a second or third watching, too ...
I don't think I will ever enjoy Christmas as much as I did when I was a child. Back then, seemingly, all I needed to do was wear a silver - as silver as Christmas tinsel - visiting dress:
Or kneel by the tree and play with the fire engine which was undoubtedly meant for my brother:
...in order to know that the very summit of the year had been reached, the time of the bright exhale.
Christmas was the decorated, fragrant tree and a house that was remarkably changed. I had nothing to do with this - I would just watch my parents bring the holiday inside to dazzle us.
Now, during the course of the years, there have come worries, disappointments, petty ugliness and cynicism: the detritus of adulthood, of living on your own. These bruises have hurt the innocence that dared to look forward to a day because it was...happy.
But there is one good thing. Now, every Christmas it is up to me to decorate some lucky tree waiting with evergreen hope beside its brethren in some orchard/hardware parking lot. It is up to me to transform my apartment with shiny things and swathe it with all the radiance of the season. And then on The Day, I will invite my parents over so I can dazzle them.
Reasons I Am Buying Less At Trader Joe's
or
Items Trader Joe's Has (Apparently) Discontinued
in no particular order other than the most heartbreaking is first (also you might notice a theme)
- Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies--I told the cashier last year that I loved these so much I wanted to marry them. Then I wrote Trader Joe's and told them that, and they said they were a seasonal item. And they didn't bring them back this season. I want to punch them in the face for this alone.
- Pierogies--these had become rather a staple for me over the last year or 2. I'm not sure if they have been discontinued but I haven't seen any in a few months.
- Hot chocolate mix in the round blue can--okay, they have the sipping chocolate which is good, and this one I can live without but still, just another turn of the thumbscrew.
- Chocolate yogurt--the kind with the real cocoa in the bottom that you mixed up and it was all delicious and shit, not that Eurotrash crap in the smaller container they try to shove off on you.
- Cookies with Perks--the chocolate chip cookes with espresso chips (or espresso flavored cookies with chocolate chips?). Haven't seen them since probably last winter or spring. Bastards.
- Milk chocolate cocoa almonds (are you getting the theme yet?)--now they have the black cocoa almonds, and they are pretty good, though unless you eat them with a spoon or chopsticks it's like you just read 100,000 newspapers (okay, newspapers that taste like chocolate, but still, it's messy!) Now---90% of the time I prefer dark chocolate, but this is one of the few exceptions (one of the others is the milk chocolate covered McVitie's digestive biscuits which I haven't had in years but I would probably sell a kidney for a packet right about tomorrow). Would it be SO WRONG to have both?
- I didn't check for it this time because I bought some at the regular supermarket since I couldn't find it at Trader Joe's the last couple times, but if they have discontinued their frozen broccoli florets I'm gonna bust up the joint.
- I don't think they have discontinued them (YET) but their sea salt brownies were really delicious until they lightened up on the sea salt. Now they are just bland.
- I didn't see the little chocolate mint cookie clusters. They were so good that I can't even remember what they were. They were in a brown and dark pink round container, like a pint of ice cream, like Thin Mints or something, all crumbled up and covered in chocolate, maybe?
- Also I haven't seen the dark chocolate toffee squares I've become rather addicted to, in a while. I bought some in September to bring on vacation. I have one left in front of me.
There are probably other things but it's probably like regular food that doesn't stand out in my mind like chocolate stuff. I will add things as I recall them. I know my neighbor was pissed about some croissants they discontinued, maybe almond croissants.
They are discontinuing stuff I like but not replacing them with anything as good or better. Are my tastes that eclectic? Do all the rest of the Trader Joe's customers have bland ass taste?
Oh--the first thing I ever had from Trader Joe's, before I lived near one, were these little chocolate animal cracker type cookies (my sister had them at her house when I was babysitting once and I wanted to eat the whole thing). They weren't chocolate covered or anything, they were like chocolate butter cookies that melted in your mouth. And they replaced them with something BLAND.
I seriously was planning on buying 10 boxes of those Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies. And next trip I would have bought 10 more. I'm completely serious. I was going to stock up so I could have them at least through the spring. Or till New Year's. Or till I OD'ed on them, or at least till I vomited.
Quit breaking my heart, Trader Joe. You are getting to be evil and sadistic, getting me hooked on this stuff and then yanking them out from under me, without warning, before I can stock up and buy out every store in the area.
Upcoming Live Performances on MORNING BECOMES ECLECTIC with host JASON BENTLEY
Monday, December 7, Critically-acclaimed newcomers Cold Cave are playfully morose -- creating dark, danceable, experimental synthpop with serious hooks. Hear this “band to watch” perform live on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.
Wednesday, December 9, London-based quartet One Eskimo opened for Tori Amos on her recent tour and will melt our hearts with sonic inspiration and beautiful songs on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.
Thursday, December 10, Music pioneer Lou Barlow was a founding member of Sebadoh and Dinosaur Jr. He joins us to perform songs from his latest solo project on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.
Tuesday, Dcember 15, Sea Wolf is one of LA’s most promising bands and performed a captivating set at KCRW's Masquerade Ball on Halloween. They return to Morning Becomes Eclectic to share songs from their new release at 11:15am.
Wednesday, Dcember16, KCRW favorites Zero 7 reinvent themselves with each new release and "Yeah Ghost" is no exception. We'll hear their new songs as they make a much anticipated return to Los Angeles to perform on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.
Friday, December 18, Manchester's Dylan Nathan, better known as Jega, incorporates complex beat structures and colorful melodies to create experimental electronica that is accessible to all music lovers. He’s renowned for his beatmaking and he will join us to play tracks from his new album on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.
Tuesday, December 22, Actor Jason Schwartzman has spent a lot of time on KCRW’s airwaves as a musician, under the name Coconut Records. We'll hear what makes him tick and he’ll share some of his favorite songs when he joins Jason Bentley as guest deejay on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.
KCRW.COM PRESENTS
Fri, December 11, FIERY FURNACES at THE MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG in NEW YORK CITY.
KCRW PRESENTS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Fri, December 4, FINK AT SPACELAND.
Sat, December 5, SARA WATKINS AND TOM BROSSEAU AT LARGO AT THE CORONET.
Tue, December 8, SARA LOV & AM AT THE HOTEL CAFÉ
Thurs, December 10, ONE ESKIMO AT THE SILENT MOVIE THEATRE
Fri, December 11, BAND OF SKULLS AT THE TROUBADOUR.
Sat, December 12, GRANT LEE PHILLIPS with SARA WATKINS AT THE HOTEL CAFÉ
Sat, December 12, BRETT DENNEN AT THE WILTERN.
Sat, December 12, JOHN DOE with JILL SOBULE AT THE ACTOR’S GANG.
Mon, December 14, MEW AT THE MUSIC BOX AT THE HENRY FONDA.
Wed, December 16, ZERO 7 AT THE ORPHEUM.
Fri, December 18 and Sat, December 19, OZOMATLI AT CLUB NOKIA.
Wed, December 30, KINY AT THE CONGA ROOM
Thurs, December 31, POLLYN and DENGUE FEVER AT THE MINT.
Fri, January 8, SONIC YOUTH AT THE FOX THEATRE IN POMONA.
Sat, January 9, SONIC YOUTH AT THE WILTERN.
Fri, March 12, BRANDI CARLILE AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES, ANAHEIM.
Sat, March 13, LUDOVICO EINAUDI AT THE BROAD STAGE.
Fri, May 7, KING SUNNY ADE AT THE ECHOPLEX
Runaway is the collaboration between DJs Jacques Renault and Marcos Cabral, whose tribal disco house sound is so sincere, intense, and DIY that they've been a key ingredient in DFA's second wave. Their "Brooklyn Club Jam" single was widely-considered one of 2008's sickest bangers, 2009 found them remixing a slew of tracks, and 2010 will see the arrival of their debut album. DJ Mario Cotto will be premiering an exclusive mix from the duo during his show THIS Saturday, between 8 and 10pm. The mix will be posted online in our archives on Monday here
RR
KCRW DJ Chris Douridas hosts a performance and interview with up and coming artist Kenneth Pattengale at 1:30pm this Saturday, December 5. The LA based singer- songwriter and film composer draws comparisons to - and inspiration from - the likes of Ennio Morricone, Bob Dylan, and Joe Henry, who in fact guests on Pattengale’s new album.
All the KCRW DJs have gone through the tortuous task of choosing their Top 10 albums of the year. There's been a lot of great music released this year! But we're not complaining. Check it out
Not surprisingly, Grizzly Bear was a big favorite, as was Little Dragon, Mos Def, Phoenix, Band of Skulls, and Fink (who performed on Morning Becomes Eclectic yesterday)
Below is the list from our Music Director and host of Morning Becomes Eclectic Jason Bentley.
Jason Bentley's Top 10 of 2009
1. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimist (Warp)
2. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone (Anti)
3. The Horrors - Primary Colors (Beggars XL Recording)
4. Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement (Stones Throw)
5. Calvin Harris - Ready For the Weekend (Ultra Records)
6. Florence + the Machine - Lungs (Universal Republic)
7. Black Moth Super Rainbow - Eating Us (Graveface)
8. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glass Note)
9. Miike Snow - Miike Snow (Downtown)
10. Amadou & Mariam - Welcome to Mali (Nonesuch)
RR
I've just gutted my entire house, right down to the studs, and am slowly rebuilding it. After months of nothing but demolition, I'm finally starting to reverse the process. My bathroom contractor is working today to get ready for my tile guy. The insulation guy worked yesterday, so the house is nice and cozy now. (Right, except that I have to put the windows back in.) On Tuesday, the sheetrock guy comes to start putting my ceilings and walls back.
Just as soon as I wrap up my work in the attic: 2 more ceiling joists to sister, one more ceiling fan mount to install, plus 3 more fixture mounts for other lights. I'd planned to sister all the 5 ceiling joists that need it this weekend, but Tuesday I created a little emergency. While trying to rip out a piece of planking in the wall that had bowed and split--thereby preventing the sheetrock from being flush--I discovered that two of my ceiling joists were actually resting on that plank, instead of on the exterior load-bearing wall. The reason? when the foundation failed in the 40s that wall bowed out about three inches, and the joists slipped off it.
Which is how I broke my nose. With all that weight on the plank, it was under a lot of pressure, so when I finally managed to pry it off the studs, it came loose at high speed and whacked me in the face. I blacked out for about a second, before that little quiet voice in the back of my head kicked in. You know, the little voice that whispers, "Maybe you shouldn't take that short cut," and "Get up and check the door." My little voice said, "Don't fall off the ladder."
I didn't. I managed to get myself down the ladder, my head ringing, and my dust mask filling up with blood. As I was just starting to wonder how badly I'd fucked myself up, I heard this soft groaning sound and looked up. Above me, the ceiling was sagging about three inches. Not terrible, but likely to become so.
This was at about 8 pm, and who was I going to call for help? Sure, 911 would take care of my face, but they wouldn't do anything about my ceiling joists. So I went out to my truck, grabbed the jack, and a couple of 2 x 4's on my way back through the garage. I slapped one 2 x 4 up to the ceiling with a pair of screws (thank you, trusty cordless drill), wedged the other one up under it, balanced on top of the jack, and cranked the ceiling back up to the proper height. Contrary to my expectations, it worked perfectly. After all, that little jack was designed to lift one quarter of my truck, so it was strong enough to lift one tenth of my ceiling.
Then I could worry about my nose. Luckily I still have a kitchen sink, so I went it and pulled the dust mask off. Blood, lots of it. I washed off a bunch of it, but I didn't have a mirror, so I couldn't really see what the damage was. I had half a bag of ice in the freezer, so I grabbed that, stuck it on my face and drove to my temporary digs.
I kept the ice on it for about five hours, and that seems to have done the trick. I have a bump, a bruise, and my eyes are a little black, but my nose is straight. I'm pretty sure it's broken, because I can feel it wiggle when I laugh, and my eyebrows actually hurt.
Episode 2 was me calling into work sick the next morning. Only I didn't stay home. I couldn't. I went to the house and crawled up in the attic to sister in the three joists that just couldn't wait for this weekend. Then I had to repair and replace the plank I'd originally been intending to fix when it bitch slapped me. I won the rematch.
