Friday, April 28, 2006

Whiskey Galore

Excitngly, I have joined a new band. This is the second band that I have jammed with that I found on Bellingham's fairly new Craigslist page -- and, by quite the coincidence, happen to have the same drummer as the last one and practice in the same space in the remote Bellingham suburb of Sudden Valley. The really great part about this band? They play Irish/Celtic style rock! More like The Pogues than Flogging Molly, but still very fun and awesome. I feel a great chemistry with the other band members, and am looking forward to writing with them in the near future. It feels great and I'm ecstatic about it. We even have a gig lined up in June at the Old Peculier in Ballard. And it's also got me working on my first straight up Irishy folk tune. Yes indeed, good musical times ahead.

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Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Idiocy of the Month

The issue of immigration, especially of the illegal sort, especially among Hispanics, has been ever so hot lately. Politicians speak, pundits bicker, and the streets of major cities the nation over are crowded with people making feeble (though agreeable) statements in support of the hard-working, if illegally-residing and employed Latin population of the United States. And of course, many, many people spout pure nonsense.

One such example was presented to me just today. No, not just an example; it was a gem, a paragon of poorly-thought drivel, as confusing as it was malignant. So inconceivably stupid, the mind reels, boggles at just where to begin in correcting it. If reading it causes your brain to escape its skull and join the circus, I apologize, but I can't not repeat it here, it's too priceless:

"[W]e should stop using the term Hispanic ... give them a name and you give them power."

The argument continues that by grouping together people from all over the Spanish-speaking Americas, we are giving them greater numbers and thus greater influence on the mighty monolith that is American society (the word "White" is not used on that side of the argument, but its as readable as a bludgeon to the head). Further, including with the Mexicans and the Colombians the more European Argentinians gives the former a sort of prestige that they clearly do not deserve and will manipulate into a tool to our detriment.

I cannot begin to chronicle why this is idiocy. Granted, it's at a disadvantage with me already because it is blantantly racist, and I see any number of logical flaws with any specifically racially driven ideas, but there is such thing as vaguely reasonable racism. But this is not it; this is paranoia, senseless and ridiculous, being spouted by an educated American.

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Monday, April 24, 2006

The Sun

This morning I was awoken from a dream involving driving around Seattle being pursued by a semi with police lights and sirens to the relentless abuse of the local rail lines' horns. At Six A.M., the sun well up and the sky clear, and the train conductor decides he has a desperate need to be heard as well as seen. Heard for a mile around at least. Then, upon rising, I find that there is no point in the westerly half of my room where the sun is not directly in my eyes if I face anywhere near the window. Great, then, a morning of abuse, and we are off to a rocking start here at the Wizard Belt Project.

Friday, April 21, 2006

The Stunning Debut

This is my new blog, which may not end up lasting long. But what entries there are to be, you can be sure that they will be excellent. Look forward to much depth and wit!

Hopefully it will look much better soon.