North Carolina Summer

Last week I took a landscape photo outside my home in rural North Carolina for the purpose of showing the beauty of Summertime in the South.

This picture was taken about 4:00 PM on last Tuesday. It was really a lovely day. The sun was shining and folks were outside doing yard work, walking their dogs and melting into the pavement. Thankfully there is a big river nearby, which I had to cast myself into so that I might survive long enough to make this weblog post.

I think I’m really starting to come around to the side that opposes Al Gore‘s “junk science” film which asserts that something called “global warming” may be happening. There is no proof of this fact, only the misguided rantings of a disenfranchised politician. He really should get back to inventing another internet or something.

Apple Chill 2006 photos

Please check out my photos from Apple Chill 2006. As you may remember from last year, Apple Chill is a Springtime street festival in Chapel Hill, NC. However, 3 people were shot this year (at 8 PM, two hours after the street festival ended) and it looks highly unlikely that the event will be occurring in the future. In fact, these could be the last photos of Apple Chill you ever see. Please people — Stop the killing.

PS – That crazy pink theme had to go… 

Redbud Festival in Saxapahaw, NC

This is a big weekend for Saxapahaw! They are hosting the annual Redbud Festival and there will be bluegrass music and other events from Thursday until Sunday. It should be one helluva hoedown.

Come on out if you want to bid on a farm tractor or if you want to hear some bluegrass!!

It's About Culture

In case you didn’t already know, a giant wave of electronic music is about to crash into Chapel Hill. Next weekend (April 7 & 8, 2006), Uzi, Ben, TJ and a bunch of other coolies will be hosting signalfest — The Southeast Electronic Music Festival.

Tickets are only $30 (not $25 as previously stated) for a two-day pass or you can buy tickets to each show/venue individually. However, since the biggest lightswitch rave event (which will be held at Penang) costs $20, you might as well get a weekend pass and see everything you can. I hope to see you there.

For some reason, my newly upgraded wordpress 2.0.2 is showing “No Comments” when indeed there are comments. I have searched the WP Codex and google, but have not found anything useful about this bug. If you know a fix, please let me know. Thanks!

Monday The Thirteenth

Forget about Freaky Friday (which we experienced about a week ago). Forget about incantations and the voodoo hex. Forget about “Signs of the Beast” and other tales of the Boogeyman. The real danger is in numbers. Number 13, for example.

From the “I knew I shouldn’t have left the house today” files:

After a really awesome weekend of sleep, exercise and quality time with friends, family and beloved pet, I awoke this Monday morning ready to take on the world. I was even poised to be “on time” for work, which in itself is a tiny miracle. But I knew I had to take care of one important thing before getting to the office.

Last week I missed the Mogwai concert at the Cat’s Cradle because I was too lazy to get a ticket and travel five blocks to the venue. This was a tragedy, and not one I wanted to repeat. So I knew I would be hard-pressed to find an available ticket to Tuesday night’s Silver Jews show (also at the incredible, amazing, possibly-best-dive-bar-venue-in-the-entire-South Cat’s Cradle).

Of course, I tried CD Alley first because they are my favorite Local Indie Record Store (LIRS). It was before 10 AM and their store was still bathed in last night’s darkness and the employee sitting behind the counter had the unmistakable “Dude, I’m not getting off this stool for another hour or so” look about him. Time was of the essence and I did not have spare time to dick around with slackers and their humiliating excuse for business hours.

So, against my better judgement and without (perhaps) fully thinking things through, I proceeded up Franklin Street to the evil empire Schoolkids Records. Dun-Dun-Duunnn!! Why malign Schoolkids you ask? How is the ‘evil empire’ comment permissible? Oh, only because they’ve been run by the biggest lame-o elitist music pricks for the last decade or so. No hard feelings on my end. (I hate those assholes).

Putting aside my personal hatred of this shrine to hoighty-toighty Indie snob “values” I went inside and begged the chap behind the counter for a Silver Jews ticket. Thankfully, this guy was about 45 or so and was obviously not as indoctrinated in the “Be a shithead to our customers” mentality prevalent at Schoolkids and he was actually a real pleasure to deal with. He kindly sold me the last ticket they had to the show and we chatted about 20 seconds before I raced to save my vehicle from a standard issue Chapel Hill ticketing and/or towing.

I was parked in one of the service spots behind the Carolina Coffee Shop and was proud that my entire engagement with the record store took less than two minutes. My emotional index was bubbling over with happiness as I saw no immobilizer boot attached to my wheel, no meter-reading peace officer filling out a tiny “fuck you” letter for my windshield and no obese, cigarette-smoking sweaty guy exposing his asscrack as his leashed my car up to his tow truck. I had gotten my concert ticket and was about to make my glorious get-away. (Cue dark music)

This was when the reality (or should I say “unreality”) of Monday the Thirteenth set in. As soon as I put the car in reverse, I heard the noisy, belabored engine of a delivery truck making it’s way thru the narrow alley that leads behind the coffee shop. Like a sane person, I stopped my vehicle and waited. The huge white delivery truck took up the entire alleyway and, once blocking all paths in and out, proceeded to sit still for over two minutes. I had an inkling that the driver saw me and my back-up lights and decided to just chill out for a while. Actually, I didn’t know what he was doing, but supposed that he was waiting for the security gate to rise so he could pull into the University parking lot back there.

Finally the big truck lurched forward and I thought that the gate must have risen and the truck was moving along. I took this opportunity to quickly back into the mini-intersection and before I could put the transmission in Drive to move forward, the eye-level rear bumper of the delivery truck crashed into my passenger side.

I was in shock considering the combinatory stupidity that led us to this collision, but the Hispanic immigrant acting as delivery driver thought it a good idea to jump out of his vehicle and begin brow-beating me into accepting blame for the incident. Now, I’ve been in enough car collisions to know that you shouldn’t just accept blame for any accident. Instead, the scene really needs to be looked at by a police officer and judged by a third party. After trying to calmly discuss things with the driver for a minute or two, I got tired of his hard-ball approach to fault assignment and phoned both my insurance company and the Chapel Hill police. He also refused to provide me any information related to him, the truck and the owner of the truck.

Roughly 30 minutes later, the police arrived and handled things very professionally and very quickly. Thankfully, they wrote up a police report so I get to drop by the police department tomorrow and pay $2.00 for a copy of it. Hopefully I can get in touch with the owner of the truck and their insurance company to file a claim for repair. Otherwise I will have to pretty much pay for the repair out-of-pocket (to avoid a $500 deductible and the surety of having my auto insurance premiums rise).

What a way to start off my week. Thanks a lot, Thirteen.

Furry Fetish Freakshow Descends Upon UNC

Last Wednesday (Dec 7 2005) I walked out of the library and noticed a group of students talking to a human-sized skunk. The skunk was not talking to the group, but instead kind of miming responses. I had to laugh and quickly reach for my camera. Well, the gig was up and the skunk knew something I didn’t.

Namely that he had two friends waiting around the corner. So, the skunk closed in from the right while his elephant and chipmunk buddies blocked my other escape routes. I thought “This is it. This is the end.” Instead of a vicious thrashing, they just mildly abused me as I passed on by The Pit.

It was at that moment I realized this was not the Great Animal Uprising as predicted in the scriptures. And these were not the brave human-sized animal warriors said to free us from the shackles of the Earth. Instead, they were just Vegas-grade furry fetish perverts intent on frotteurizing members of the UNC community.

Someone really should call the cops.

Dan River Tubing Adventure

Going to spend Saturday tubing down the Dan River with some awesome folks. I am expecting to see a few pit vipers and maybe a water moccasin or two. Perhaps I will be able to snap a quick photo on my cell phone camera. Probably not, however. I wonder if North Carolina has alligators?

UPDATE: Barring a few run-ins with Black Mamba River Vipers, the day-long visit to “Chicken Beer River” (which is what we came to call the Dan) was the best time I’ve had all summer. Far, far away from any internet connections or cell phones or RDU traffic. It was great — and left us all wondering why we don’t “do this every weekend?!?!” I definitely recommend you get up there if you can!

I'm 32 Today

Well, I was planning on retiring this year, but it turns out that there is much yet to be done. I have never traveled outside the Continental US. I don’t own a 911 Turbo yet. And I still haven’t beaten up Brad Pitt for dumping Jennifer Aniston. My plate is full. My work goes on.

32 ÷ 3.5 = I’m 9 Today

Shouldn’t you be buying me drinks right about now?

The Most Important Man in Rock Music Today

Considering the number of great rock bands that have broken up or otherwise imploded in recent years, it is easy to conceive how Doug Martsch and his little group from Idaho could usurp the Indie throne and become the guiding force of real rock music in 2005. Built to Spill has definitely been one of the consistently spectacular touring rock acts to catch over the past decade or so. (Well, if you could get a ticket before they sold out to rabid local fans and loyal tour followers.)

They played here on Thursday May 19, 2005. I am so thankful to Doug and the gang for regularly visiting the Cat’s Cradle here in downtown Carrboro. Needless to say, I had a blast! And it was an opportunity to test out the new camera in low light club settings. Some of the shots turned out really well. And the others are “artsy.”

Click to see the concert picture gallery

You Should Totally Buy This House

214 Prince Street Carrboro, NC

Come experience the finest in West Orange urban living!

I happen to be aware of one seriously prime piece of Downtown Carrboro real estate. I would say it meets and/or exceeds all of your requirements. 3 bedroom? Check. Beautiful hardwood floors? Check. Sturdy outdoor deck? Check. Within walking distance of all the lovely things C’boro has to offer (like The Weave, Farmer’s Market and Phydeaux)? Check. It is even in your price range. You should, like, totally check it out.

1,000 square feet on .25 acre in Downtown Carrboro
on the J (Jones Ferry Rd.) busline
Built in 1968

* Renovation took place Dec 2001 to Jan 2002 including:
— all new HVAC system with new ductwork
— new kitchen (flooring, appliances, cabinetry, lighting)
— new rear deck
— new electrical fixtures
— new house-wide runs for telephone and cable
— re-painted the whole interior (walls, ceilings and trim)
— refinished the already perfectly preserved hardwoods (they were under carpet for 30 years)
3 Bedrooms
— master bedroom and office (2nd bedroom) painted within the last 2 months
1 and 1/2 Bathrooms
— custom shelving in both bathrooms
— both bathrooms were painted last year
Nice, Updated Kitchen
Spacious Living Room

Front Porch
Rear Deck (was bleached and re-stained last Fall)
Outdoor Shed
Recently Replenished Gravel Driveway
Fenced Yard with Easy, Yet Attractive Landscaping
— roses bloom each spring!
Partially Floored Attic for Extra Interior Storage Space

Walking Distance to Town
2 Blocks from Farmer’s Market
5 Blocks to Open Eye Cafe, Tyler’s and Orange County Social Club
6 Blocks to Weaver Street Market, Harris Teeter and Cat’s Cradle

Alva Dog Not Included!