Sometimes, templates just don't cut it...

I actually did start a website back in 2002 for one of my current favorite bands Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. It’s called Down Here and named for one of their wonderful b-sides. Anyways, I didn’t write any HTML for that site, though I do know some from classes I took in high school and college. I used templates because I’m kind of lazy and I haven’t learned enough about computer graphics to design some for the site. I did a lot of updating on it early on, but since then I’ve only updated info on it sporadically. I just started taking a class on Digital Media Skills, so I’m hoping some of that will help me do some cool PhotoShop stuff.

See more progress on: design a beautiful website

Maybe this should be #1 on my list...

I’m definitely online way too much, just about a week ago I joined a website called SurfJunky and I’ve already logged about 88 hours online… and though I’ve actually made about $40, my time would probably be better spent cleaning up or starting new project than constantly checking emails and blogging up a storm. I currently don’t have a job other than being a student right now, but I could stand to be more productive.

See more progress on: Spend less time fooling around on the net and more time actually working

Oasis at Coachella 2002

I saw Oasis in 2002 at Coachella and they were excellent. Totally rock star material with great songs. They really deserve success. I’d love to see Oasis again, since I’ve heard good things about their new album. They are playing with Jet and Kasabian on September 11th at the Shoreline Ampitheater. I just checked BGP.com and the cheapest tickets are only $24, which is really not bad. Maybe I should see them again…

See more progress on: go to Oasis concert

Barry Christian from Sheffield, England (RIP)

My oldest internet friend was Barry Christian, who I’d met through the Dubstar mailing list during my freshman year in college. We’d started communicating because he offered a trade of Dubstar’s first album Disgraceful (only release in the UK) for a copy of (Shirley Manson’s band) Angelfish. We started writing long emails almost daily, discussing mostly music though occasionally art, language, religion, etc. We made lots of CD exchanges since we both liked music so much. Barry worked in the Chemistry department at Sheffield Hallam University. He had a wife and 2 daughters, who were near my age. He was a very well read Anthropophosist (I probably mispelled that), a fan of Pink Floyd and Garbage, and a vegan. We still had plenty to talk about.

In 2002 (my last year of college), I won a trip to Europe from a UCLA Travel Fair that included a 7 day tour of London and Paris. A great part about it was that I’d already planned on going to England that summer. I have a couple cousins in London that I stayed with for the first few weeks of my trip. Since I was planning to go the Leeds Festival in Northern England, I decided to make a short stop in Sheffield to meet Barry. When I did get there, he met me at the train station and we stopped by his office at the university to drop off my stuff. Then we went to lunch at the faculty cafe. It was very nice, we both had some sort of tasty onion pie. After that, we rode the bus to a few local record stores. I picked up a Volume compilation CD and a special version of Beautiful Garbage for 5 pounds!

After that, I met his wife Christine who drove all three of us around Derbyshire to see the stone circles (which Barry had told me a lot about). It was a very nice drive through some lush green countryside. When we got out of the car, we hiked around to see the stone circles until Barry slipped and fell hard on his back. It was a very bad fall so we had to rush to an emergency room nearby. I was in the waiting room for quite awhile. After that we went to dinner at a pub, I think I had a steak mushroom dish with potatoes. Then, Barry and Christine took me to a bed and breakfast where I’d stay the night before going to Leeds. This story isn’t about Leeds so I’ll skip to the next part.

Barry and I continued to email each other after meeting, but then it stopped for a few months. I resent some of my emails to him, but got no reply. In late December 2002/early January 2003, I received a message from his daughter Heather (who I’d met when they picked me up from the B&B to bring to the train station the next morning). Heather said that her father had a lot of back trouble after his fall and after going to the hospital to get it checked out, they’d discovered that he had kidney cancer. He passed away in the hospital on December 26, 2002 (I think) at the too young age of 60. I thought I could take it pretty well, but I broke down a little. Barry was a good friend who always remembered my birthday and even my siblings’ birthdays. I’m sad that I couldn’t have met him again, or continued emailing him. Three years later, and I still remember meeting him and his family so vividly. He was the kind of friend you’d never forget.

See more progress on: meet my oldest internet friend

93.7 FM in San Francisco, Indie 103.1 FM in So Cal

LiberationRadio.net is 93.7 FM in San Francisco, it’s got an internet webcast and it’s very good. My only complaint is they don’t tell you who they’re playing since there are no DJ’s. It’s still better than Live 105. Indie 103.1 fm is a Clear Channel owned radio station in LA but it’s surprisingly good. Steve Jones hosts a 2 hour show from noon to 2 and often has interesting guests. Another good station in So Cal that might be harder to get is KSPC 88.7 FM aka Pomona College’s radio station. Lots of good ticket giveaways there too. And of course there’s KCRW 89.9 FM from Santa Monica College. There are probably millions of other good stations that you can listen to on the internet through iTunes or Live365, but those are the ones that come to mind first.

See more progress on: find a local radio station that doesn’t suck

KCRW 89.9 FM at Santa Monica College

Both me and my brother have donated to this station and it’s paid off in spades in terms of CDs and concert ticket giveaways. The biggest of these was Coachella 2002, which was really amazing. I’m not in Southern California right now, but I still listen to the occasional webcast of Morning Becomes Eclectic hosted by Nic Harcourt. Definitely worth checking out…

See more progress on: Donate to my public radio station

check ebay for ipods!

I got my 40 GB 3G ipod on ebay for a mere $275 + $14 shipping from a seller called Dyscern. I also got a free Electra glow iSkin as a promo from that seller. I always tell people to check ebay first when buying expensive electronics like that because you can get a much better deal than anywhere else. The only complaint I have about my iPod is that the battery life isn’t that great, though it suits my needs just fine. You probably won’t have a problem with battery life from the newer models.

See more progress on: get an ipod

Many blogs in many places...

I started out using Xanga and I still use it as my main blog, but I have them everywhere… it can be really addictive! I’ve found old friends and made new ones through Xanga, it’s a really great way to stay connected with people. I also have one on MSN Spaces, but I haven’t really been using it.

http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=porcupiny
http://porcupiny.blogspot.com/
http://blog.myspace.com/porcupiny

See more progress on: start a blog

Piano lessons & someday guitar

It seems like everyone has taken piano lessons before, but I think it was a really important activity for me growing up. I started taking lessons when I was 10. Kind of late start, and I didn’t expect to be a professional pianist or anything. I just wanted to know how to play. And my piano teacher Shirley Chen was wonderful. She only charged $10 a lesson and she gave me little treats after lessons and concerts.

I think the most expensive thing my mom has gotten me was my Yamaha 48” upright piano (over $4000). I’d like to play it more often when I’m there. Actually, I would really like to learn to play the guitar. Back in 2002 (I think), I bought a $99 on a sparkly Blue Danelectro from Pepperland in Orange, CA and it’s been gathering dust since I got it. Some day, I’d really like to know how to play it. I’ve had plenty of time to try and teach myself, but I just can’t figure it out.

See more progress on: learn to play an instrument

What I'm listening to these days

So much music to listen to... here are a few artists that are worth checking out:

Kahimi Karie (an amazing female Japanese singer)

Melissa Auf de Maur (formerly of Hole, doing quite well on her own)

The Concretes (from Sweden, my brother told me about them and forgot about it)

the Aislers Set (a cool SF band w/connections to the Softies, Go Sailor, and Still Flyin' - thanks to a cool new pen pal)

the Kills (friends of the Raveonettes and touring the UK with BRMC and the Brian Jonestown Massacre)

Architecture in Helsinki (a delightful indie pop/rock orchestra from Australia)

Malcolm Middleton (the former leader of the Delgados, now solo with a similar band)

Tilly and the Wall (an Omaha, NE band who were excellent opening for Of Montreal)

and a couple of NME buzz bands

Razorlight (who Oasis have championed)

Maximo Park (the next big thing from the UK)

Also, I'm listening to Longview and Embrace to see if I want to see them in concert later this month.