Silence is Golden

Don't do today what you can't accomplish tomorrow. I think gringos call that being on 'manana time'. Something like that.

It's a slightly derogatory term, referring to the Latin culture's ability at not getting too stressed about anything. Here in the Coachella Valley in Southern California, the skies are blue, the sun is bright yellow but the pace is decidedly south of the border.

Manana time. Literally, it means 'we're on tomorrow's clock'. The coffee shop culture of 'let's get done today so that we don't care about it tomorrow' is minimized here at sea level. Dig deeper and one finds a profound pacifism in the Native culture. Is it laziness, is it passive? Or is it a realization of life's priorities? A transcendence to behold?

As of now, no one's saying. They just smile.

Silence is Golden

Don't do today what you can't accomplish tomorrow. I think gringos call that being on 'manana time'. Something like that.

It's a slightly derogatory term, referring to the Latin culture's ability at not getting too stressed about anything. Here in the Coachella Valley in Southern California, the skies are blue, the sun is bright yellow but the pace is decidedly south of the border.

Manana time. Literally, it means 'we're on tomorrow's clock'. The coffee shop culture of 'let's get done today so that we don't care about it tomorrow' is minimized here at sea level. Dig deeper and one finds a profound pacifism in the Native culture. Is it laziness, is it passive? Or is it a realization of life's priorities? A transcendence to behold?

As of now, no one's saying. They just smile.

It's my Birthday

Things to do:

Play golf at Escena Golf Club on Wednesday with the Stonewall Golf Group; kick everyone's ass and smile at them in a very sly arrogant manner when I leave.

Go to dinner at Cuistot's on Wednesday evening (exclusive Palm Desert restaurant). Order from the bar menu: cheese plate w/bottle of Pinot Noir (served with fresh walnut/raisin bread). Who needs to anything else.

Have 30-minute reflexology treatment on Tuesday to make me play better golf on Wednesday.

Go to Sharper Image on the prestigous El Paseo Avenue and get free chair massage so that I may play better golf on Wednesday.

Raid the neighbors Blood Orange tree so that I can have fabulous cocktails after I play really really good golf on Wednesday.

Heirlooms

There are many things in this world that just ain't right. At the top of my list are tasteless supermarket tomatoes.

I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore:

Last week, I put in 4 different varieties of organic heirloom tomatoes. I found them here.

Next week, I'm getting 3 varieties of peppers, including Anchos, Jalapenos and a pepper to be named later.

The Year in Music: iPod

My iTunes has been secretly counting how many times I've listened to the individual tracks in my library. How very sly of them. (Was this a provision of the Patriot Act?)

Without judgement or editing, here are my most listened to tracks of the last year:

9> Banquet, Bloc Party, Silent Alarm
8> Que Ondo Guero, Beck, Guero
7> White Shadows, Coldplay, X&Y
6> Slow Hands, Interpol, Antics
5> Side, Travis, The Invisible Band
4> Kelly Watch The Stars, Air, Moon Safari
3> Get Together, Madonna, Confessions on a Dance Floor
2> Missing, Beck, Guero
1> Destroy Everything You Touch, Ladytron, Witching Hour

Dangerously Close to La-La Land

On this nite, Grammy Awards Night in Hollywood, I offer the following nominations for musical performance in 2005:

Most Unwelcome Comeback of the Year:

Mariah Carey, "The Immancipation of Mimi" aka "You been there, you done that, how come all the Ho's are sounding like Beyonce anyways."

Why Do I Care About This Music Award:

Metal Performance: "Before I Forget," Slipknot. Dumbass Alice Cooper/KISS clones wear masks trying desperately to distinguish themselves from all the other dumbass heavy metal/rap clones. See WWE Raw for explanation. 'Nuff said.

Male Pop Vocal Performance: "From the Bottom of My Heart," Stevie Wonder. Uninteresting, uninspired and without vision. No pun here, Stevie has no insight into what makes music interesting. I've been blinded by the blind!

Rock Performance "City of Blinding Lights", U2. My fave band of all time becomes my least fave band of all time. When will the music industry call a spade a spade? This shit sucks. Oh yeah, Bruce Sprinsteen got nominated too for "Devils and Dust". It sucks too.

The Grammys Saving Grace Award:

Alternative Music Album: "Get Behind Me Satan," The White Stripes. Even tho' they're at least 2 albums past their prime (per my good friend Rick Groendendaal), their victory in this category means something. Not sure what it means, but just google "White Stripes" and you'll get my drift.

___

I've got laundry to do, so I'll let you go. Talk to you soon from the red carpet here in LaLa land, perhaps when the Oscars go schizoid on us in late March.

Progressives

It's official, I'm old.

Can't see like I used to, so I will now be wearing bi-focal lenses ... the fancy name for the bi-focals without the line across the middle is progessive lenses. Add the Prada frames and I'll be stylish and old.

In other related news, I've been using Nioxin shampoo and scalp treatment to forestall the thinning on top of my head. After two months, I can report that I have new follicle growth, albeit mutant-looking curly q's, just below my current hairline.

Most of the time old people become mean and inevitably SUCK.

But! I hereby swear on Prada and Nioxin that I will not become mean and SUCK, despite going bald and blind.

Bloc Party

A couple of months ago, I heard a reunited Gang of Four playing a live set on KCRWs Morning Becomes Eclectic ... whoa, I thought to myself, these guys are amazing and why didn't I listen to them when I was in college. Why didn't I get the memo that they were so good? Smart, funky and powerful.

And just yesterday, I stumbled onto Bloc Party: a new band, the latest latest thing from Great Britain. Their latest release Silent Alarm sounds raw, accomplished and just downright fucking awesome. Heart stopping rhythyms, urgent jangling guitar riffs and awesome vocals. Imagine the Red Hot Chili Peppers as a ska band and a vocalist that can actually carry a tune.

Or just think of Gang of Four. Times four.

Brokeback Mountain

Just a few words on Brokeback Mountain ... saw it last night with Noel. It was showing on three separate screens at our local theatre, each apparently sold out. There was a good sized line at the ticket office, gay couples anxiously awaiting this much-hyped movie.

Haunting, sad, gorgeous and soul-crushing.

Reminded me of my youth, growing up in rural Oregon. It was a time when I became acutely aware of who I was and knowing that it would be impossible for me to be that person unless I went far from home.

See the movie.