New York Dolls

I saw the New York Dolls last night, and for a band that has inspired so many of my favorite bands, e.g. The Smiths, or bands that inspired other favorites, e.g. The Sex Pistols, I didn’t find myself captivated. Rather, I found myself leaving four songs following their opening. I did see them cover “Take Another Little Piece of my Heart,” but that made their lead singer Johansen look even more like a haggard old chain smoking trailer park matron than it did put me back with feeling.

Of course, the opening act was from Toledo, OH – “We are the Fury,” was their name. Their performance and attire carried with it the glam of earlier New York Dolls; however, their performance and attire hearkened back thirty-to-twenty-five years. I didn’t find any part of their songwriting something to which I would care to return, but they had a nice energy level.

What I found even more interesting was going to a show here in Boise. I say that, as I had not yet been to a Rock show in Boise. Boise is the home of Built to Spill, but aside from BTS, there isn’t a raging DIY indie rock scene here, like there was in Memphis. Of course, as it goes, I came from Chicago, which is one of the bastions of indie music, so I have a pretty subjective perspective relative to comparison.

However, that’s not to say there weren’t freaks and geeks milling about at the show last night. There was ink; there were piercings, and there were kids with lots of glam or faux bouffant stylings. Quite honestly, for me, it was rather grotesque, but then that lead me to think two things: one, I have not been to a show of any sort for a long time; two, not drinking the cocktails any longer, I am more outwardly focused than I was in the past; and three, I am getting old.

I do hit the big “Three-O” this year, and methinks that while the milestone-ish number is more subconscious than anything, there is some truth to my lifestyle having changed along with growing a bit older, so that when I am around those, the likes of which I am not around too often, I am not as desensitized. When one’s life is seven-to-five with nothing but running, skiing, yoga, dining, or libraries, one doesn’t see much of the younger counter-culture aspects to life.

I don’t know part of me also has the pension to dismiss their elements of counter-culture, as for me, being the geezer; it has less creativity or style than it did when folks I knew were pulling it off. Now, it all seems so tired and pastiche.

How’s that for an old man’s rant? Rock.

Ode to the Fox, but then the Deer

I was running down Shaw Mountain Road last night, coming down out of the foothills. As I was nearing Reserve, another street, off to my left down the hill a bit were three good sized whitetail deer. The deer were all doe, and they were eating or rummaging for something.

Whatever the case, while not the most majestic deer I have ever seen, there they were. As I ran towards them, they maintained their position eating. They did so until I came within about ten-to-fifteen feet of them, and they then ran. Their tails were as white as could be, and it was quite joyous to be running in the city itself, seeing such wild and business-as-usual animals doing their thing.

Similarly, up and down the same foothill I run for my weeknight runs, I heard coyotes howling on Saturday morning last week. These are things with which I grew, but to have them back again is so nice. I know I write often about being closer to the outdoors, and I suppose much of that is predicated on that being closer to my life now than it has for a while. I cannot complain, not by a long stretch; however, it is even something of which I am self-conscious. It’s quite odd how vibrant it is, but how delightful and enjoyable.

A Few of My Favorite Adjectives

For those of you that know me, or read what I write; by my verbosity, one thing is certain, I love words. While I love words, of course, there are those I love more than others, particularly those of adjectives. Can anything beat good descriptors?

Here is the quick and dirty on some of my favorite adjectives and their application for me:

“Lovely” – I use this to describe women or women’s clothing, whilst it’s on them
“Darling” – generally referring to a beloved woman’s personality or my opinion of them
“Dear” – ibid
“Beloved” – well, I used it above, second verse same as the first
“Delighted," “Charmed’ and “adore” are to favorite verbs of mine, in the same context

“Ignorant” – what it means, but usually referring to my self, in a concession of not knowing more on something
“Daft” – what it means, but usually referring to something I have done or my skill, or lack thereof, at something
“Repellant”— typically referring to one I find distasteful
“Remiss” – what it means

Yeah – that was what I was thinking for a while, while I ran last night. It’s a lot of excitement whilst living alone.

Long time coming

Alas, I am a horrible blogger Why? Well, aside from the continuous use of lengthy sentences and verbose passages, I don’t come here often enough to post things. A few big activities of late:
Work
Running
Skiing
Volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club of Idaho, Ada County

On the volunteering component, I am having a ball. I have been going a couple of times a week. I was initially so included to go and help kids with their school work; however, thus far, I have done more respective to going there to play games with the kids. By games, largely that means pool, bumper pool, air hockey, or Mancala (sp?).

I suspect I will continue doing this, as I find it quite rewarding; however, not helping out with stuff academic takes away some of the drive to participate. I don’t feel as though I am adding a whole lot of value just going to play. I am sure many can state points contrary to that feeling, but the schedule rearrangement to play billiards with eight-year-olds has the propensity to wear a bit thin.

That’s about it, as of late. Otherwise, it is more of the same: lots of work, running, skiing and volunteering. Right now, I am working to not fall into a rut. Hence, why I’ve not written a whole lot, there isn’t much to report.

Foxes to Quakes

Mark today, Thursday, 21-February, as the first time I have felt an earthquake! Crazy!

Ode to the Parking Lot, Where I Park for Work

There are things,
The likes of which, too often we don’t see,
For me, this morning it was a fox, soft and furry,
Driving into my parking lot,
Backing up to park my car,
Head facing out,
In the raised embankment,
There he was, rummaging for carrion,
As I worked my way out of my car with attaché in hand,
Scurry away he did, with the carcass of something in his mouth,
Not eight feet from the sidewalk to my office’s side entrance, there he was,
Under the cover of pre-dawn skis, having his breakfast,
I thought to myself, “I can’t say I would see this too often, near anywhere else.”
If nothing else, my parking lot fox served as a reminder, as to why here I moved.

The Lowest of the Low

http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2008/02/bushs_fifth.cfm

President Bush's approval is at 19%, which is five percentage points lower than Nixon's following Watergate. Why is that? Why are his ratings so low? Rather than rant on and on, I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

Off the top of my head, I can name an ongoing number of points. Rather than doing that, I will simply speculate, in the future study of Presidential History, Bush will be characterized as a President that could be sold on anything.