the acorn

their new stuff sounds pretty good:

http://paperbagrecords.com/player?c=the-acorn

something to do with music

Electrelane was a fucking awesome show. Go see them if you can.


Mice Parade was good -- I'm a sucker for big percussion bands-- but the singer irritated me because it seemed her biggest contribution was looking pretty. Maybe she rocks in the studio (I hear she's the singer from múm, and I like their records), but on stage is seemed like a "bring your daughter to your rock show day" or just a plain old "let your hot girlfriend sing in the band day". so yep, it irritated me.


One of the opening acts for Mice Parade was Tom Brosseau. Interesting. I liked him, but I know he wants me to think he just climbed down from the mountains whereas it's more likely he just flew over from Orange County. But he has a good voice. I liked it the most when he sang a capella.

rjm update

his last email

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Hamjambo tena! Greetings again!

Yes, I am still in Kenya, but you might hardly know that because I've done such a lousy job of keeping in touch. For that, all I can say is - pole sana - very sorry.

So much has happened in the last six months. I went to Lamu, an island on the north coast, to celebrate the new year. Despite flooded train tracks and sleeping at a gas station on the way there, it was worth all the trouble. The island is gorgeous, and the local population is so friendly and laid-back. Upon return, I spent most of January and February at home, which was nice for getting the ball rolling a little faster with work stuff. I returned to the coast for a week in late February for a Peace Corps training, lodging in cottages on the beach! I got to meet many other volunteers and explore Mombasa, maybe my new favorite city. In late March, I went whitewater rafting on the Nile in Jinja, Uganda. That was a crazy experience, and it was great to see more of East Africa. In mid-April I returned to Kitui, where training was last year, for a brief seminar. I returned to my homestay village to see Mama and Baba Katana. Baba is running for the chief's council - his campaign poster asks that you "cogitate about him." My host sister Mary moved to Kitui town, and her daughter Virginia, born the day I entered Kenya, can walk now! She's also scared of me and my white skin now. The month since I have been back here at home.

The "work" side of things is going well. With BUMWE, we have had some major challenges with our passion fruit plot (a fungus and virus). Some people from the Kenya Agriculture Research Institute came for a two-day seminar in February, and agreed to assist the group with regeneration of the plants in the form on fertilizers and pesticides. Our fingers are crossed. In the meantime, group members are making "Tuko Pamoja" ("we are together" in Swahili) AIDS awareness pins, for selling locally and abroad. I have also been busy teaching various women's groups, self-help groups, and community-based organizations about hygiene, malaria, and HIV. I really enjoy this; the lessons are usually interactive and fun, and I rarely leave without a few avocados or bananas. I am... consulting (the seems to be the only word that fits) with a group in Nkubu town on a clay-works income-generating project. My goal for this trimester is to get more involved with the schools. That starts tomorrow, when the 6th graders at a local primary school are handed over to me for the afternoon.

Otherwise, still plenty of free time. This season my garden has carrots, cilantro, zucchini, romaine lettuce, an aloe vera plant, and a pineapple plant. I've also picked out the weirdest-looking ornamental plants I could find to put around the house. The house has been painted - blue with yellow doors and windows. Yesterday I completed digging on a small (8' diameter, 3.5' deep) fish pond behind my house. Now I just have to figure out how to get it ready for fish; I am meeting with the fisheries department today. I want to put catfish and talapia in. I hope to use the pond as a demo for villagers looking to do the same thing, but I also really can't wait to eat some fish! I bought a guitar in March and have been teaching myself to play - such a great way to pass the time. I've done a little camping here around Mount Kenya. And I still chew through any books that come my way pretty quickly, and I still ride my bike everywhere I go (when it's dry).

At the end of this month, I'll have been in Kenya one year, which I can hardly believe. Looking back, it really has been one of the best times of my life, and I'm really happy with the decision to do Peace Corps. No big plans/trips coming up, until my sister's wedding in Dallas in July, which I'm very excited about. I'll probably see some of you at that time. Thanks for the letters and packages - getting mail really does make me quite giddy. I hope you all are doing well, please drop me a line, by email or post, and let me know.

Enda salama,
Go well,
Rob


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makes me feel like a turd for not volunteering, at all. anywhere.

but good on rjm!

animal collective

sorry guys for being so neglectful, spending lots of hours in the lab and then still trying to soak up some sun once in a while doesn't leave much time for posting on here.

anyway, last monday i saw the animal collective play here in columbus at the wexner centre of arts. i still have to get used to seeing bands play in places where there is no smoking (or beer). not that i mind the fresh air.
i highly recommend seeing them on this tour if you get a chance. sadly they didn't play purple bottle, or grass, or anything from feels, i think. lots of new, interesting songs though, and a couple from sung tongs.

here's a clip of leaf house from the concert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUlvJOqFU_o

RIP DEUCE

this place is dead. worse than the forum. it might be time to let go. i will miss you all, but come on... throw me a fricken austin powers reference here.

my weekend part deux

so friday i left for work in the morning. took my gf out to lunch (we're back together). came home before going to bartend. to find a toilet had overflowed in the bathroom. it went through the hallway. partially flooded my room. went into the living room. underneath the hardwood floors. and into my son's room completely. my landlord is a slumlord. i rented a rugdoctor. in my son's room alone. no exaggeration. i vacuumed 15 gallons of water. my room a galloon. put huge fans in both rooms. got as much up as i could. slumlord sent some slack jaw yokel to fix toilet. he replaced the innards. which he thought was the problem. i spent 40 dollars on rugdoctor. hoped for the best that that would be the end. and lost money from not bartending friday night. toilet worked just fine for the next day and a half. room mate called me this morning whilst i lay with a beautiful woman to tell me it had happened again. everything in my son's room now inhabits my living room. if it had flooded my room like it did my son's, i would have lost my musical equipment costing upwards of 5 thousand dollars. sentimental value much greater. rugdoctor again. slumlord supposedly has someone coming. saying it's my fault. it's not. i'll most certainly be going to court. not sure if i can even live here if mildew grows in my son's room. which it most likely will. stressed. missed modest mouse last night, had no desire to see them. missed explosions last week, had every desire to see them. my son leaves for chicago for the summer soon (the burbs actually) and gf leaves for east coast and europe. i get to enjoy work and hot weather. if you're still reading this i'll send you another six pack of coke. ugh

IMHO

clemens isn't gonna do shit to help your asses out

my weekend by lilasshole

I got a commission check from sales at the restaurant that is good. I spent all saturday morning mowing, cleaning, and spending said check for my son's party that is okay. My son turned 11, that is good. There's now only 7 years left, that is great. The party was short and I told the kids whoever cleaned up the most wins 5 dollars, that went well. I bought way too much soda which I'll never drink, that was bad. My son had a great day and received great gifts, which was good. The chef at my restaurant over hooked up a to go order for me and I was in delight, that was delightful. I hit 2 buckets of balls at the driving range on Sunday, which was awesome. I found out magnum condoms are more suited for me, that was a pleasant ego boost. There was sex acts involved with said condom finding which was also fantastic. The Red Sox won today, that was great. I came home to find sewer seeping up through my shower, that sucked. I spent 2 hours trying to fix it myself, that was stressful. I almost got into a road rage fight with some fag (who had a free tibet bumper sticker) because he felt him turning left against my turning right yielding the right of way (which it doesn't fag) , that was annoying. I spent 180 dollars paying a professional to snake my main line on a late Sunday night, that sucked. The noise accompanying said snaking surely woke my neighbors who's dog wakes me daily, that was my just dessert. I have to clean black shit off my shower now, and wash my hands many many times, then shower, that stinks (no pun intended). If you're still reading this I congratulate you and will mail you a 6 pack of coca cola. It has been slow in the world of intertron and my deuce friends. How was your weekends?